Ok, raise your hand if you knew all was well and Saban had a plan, and this game was in control. Now, for the rest of you who kept your hand down, you can donkey punch the liars who did. Really and honestly, this was a statement game for the Tide. They took a serious knockout quality punch and survived it.
OFFENSE
The Good....
Taking the air out of the ball and keeping Mallett on the sidelines
Bama's 15 play drive and 8 play drives in the 2nd half just iced Mallett and the Hawg O. Because they were successful in converting the drives into points, it put pressure on the Hawgs to respond. They didn't, and each time they didn't, Bama made them pay with another long drive that changed the tempo of the game from the horse race in the first half to a ground and pound brawl in the second.
Mark Ingram
Do I really have to say much more? What a difference he makes in this team. While Richardson is plenty good, he isn't the game changer and tone setter that Ingram is. The patience, the ability to cut and adjust to the defense, and the pure freak balance he possesses is amazing. He will easily be in the top 3 all time soon, and probably is the greatest that Bama has had.
Answering the bell
Bama was down 7-0 and looked rough. Ingram makes 2 cuts on an inside trap/counter and is off to the races. He put a stiff arm on the same guy twice, which is rare and good job by the Hawg defender to keep up on the play, and tight ropes to the endzone to give the Tide a chance to reset the game and start over. This would be a common theme it seemed like. Each time Arkansas did something, Ingram was counter punching the momentum back.
McElroy is just clutch
Yes, there is a lot of discussion below about Greg's game, but in the end when the game counted most (4th quarter and 3rd downs) he was making plays. Bama was 8 of 14 on 3rd down as well as McElroy hit 75% of his passes in the 4th quarter (and was 9-13 in the 2nd half). Both were big for the Tide because they needed every bit of them to win this game. In the 3rd, the 2nd TD was a big play for both Greg and the offense. The screen is Greg's best pass play because he sells it so well he's NFL caliber, and he does a great job of sucking in defenders before he releases the ball. Lost in all the complaints about Greg, he lead the Tide to a score on all but one real drive in the 2nd half. The first drive stalled out and the last drive was the victory formation.
Trent Richardson's all purpose purpose....
Lost in all the hullabaloo, TR had a huge day. 85 yards rushing, 25 receiving and a TD, and 117 return yards equated to a very good day for Richardson. Congrats to him for making the best of his time and to the staff for finding ways to get him into the game and get the ball in his hands without taking Ingram out of the game so to speak. He even made about 2 tackles on special teams.
Getting the push when they needed it
The O line didn't exactly win the battle all day, but like McElroy, when they had to make it, they made it. The 4th and inches, the goal line surge for the winning TD, every first down gained by Ingram and Richardson, the o line was there making it happen.
The Bad...
Interception number 1
Geez, where to begin. There are about 3 villains in this crime. First criminal is McElroy. Greg knows better than to force a ball into the coverage, especially in the red zone. He saw a guy in the open, and Williams was for a split second open, but there isn't a QB on Bama's campus who could thread it there. Heck, only guys I know who could are Brees and Manning. The second villain is the OC. On 3rd and goal from the 4, calling a play with a stretch formation that doesn't have the primary read as a fade or slant is just not high percentage football. The 3rd villain is James Carpenter. Carpenter just let his guy loose and McElroy couldn't follow thru the way he wanted to. Regardless, the whole thing sucked.
Interception number 2
Bad play, bad play call, and bad effort in a lot of areas here. McElroy can hit that pass, but he held the ball too long. He did a poor job of looking off the safety to get Hanks separated from any interceptors or tacklers. If he looks off the safety, that is a TD and the game is changed from there. As is, Hanks didn't help him either by standing statuesque and watching it all go by, but that one is solely on McElroy.
15 first half runs....
I'm sure there will be some who balk at this, but 15 rushes was about 5 too few. Your play makers are Ingram and Richardson, right? Why not get them more involved and keep the offense moving downhill. McElroy was not having his best day, nor was the Tide pass protection, but the running backs were and the Tide run blocking was too. Sure the passes probably did help push the Arkansas D back some and made them respect the balance, but if Bama runs on 3rd and goal instead of throwing, what differences would we be talking about?
The Ugly...
Richardson runs for 50 yards but that was 3 too many
The thing that Richardson does that just irks me still is that he wants to hit players too much and loses sight of the bigger picture. On the last play of the 1st half, he makes a lot of great cuts, and had the Hawg D broken, but he lost his head and cost the team a chance at 3 points. Instead of cutting out of bounds with 2 seconds left, he cut back upfield and went for a guy to hit for no reason whatsoever. When they get in film study, he'll get chewed on about it. A 7 point deficit at the half would have be a whole different ball game.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good...
The hits finally kept coming....
Saban said at the half that he didn't like the pressure they were calling up at the half. I'd agree with that and then some. In the 2nd half, the Tide used its best 2 weapons against Mallett- their offense and the smoke screen blitzes. The blitzes and pressure packages were huge in the 4th quarter. He took a shot from Gentry that shook him, Hightower shot put him 15 yards and that got in his head, and then there were about 4 other shots that he took that changed the way the game was played. Before the pressure started to work, Mallett was just picking on Dre and the linebackers, afterwards, he was throwing junk and Dre and Lester were able to capitalize for 3 picks.
Hip to be Square
I thought Square had his best game of the year. Like Hightower, Menzie, Upshaw, did I miss any injured player(?), Square isn't 100%, but he's playing through it. Square just continued to get beyond his blocker and working through doubles to get to the ball and get into Mallett's line of sight.
Lester in coverage
Lester in man and against the run is well.....anyways, when he's playing cover 2 or any zone package, he's very good at reading the play through. His first pick of the day was a good read of Mallett's eyes. The second pick was a bad throw that he was there to clean up. Regardless of that, both were great plays on his part because Lowery wasn't going to make that catch. Lester is best in deep center field, and I would not be surprised to see them start doing more of that and less man and creeping him up to the box.
Second half adjustments
You know you will read the 1st half non-adjustments below, but in the 2nd half is a great example of how a great staff makes adjustments. Arkansas had the game in their court at the half. They didn't make any adjustments, and didn't adjust to Bama taking the air out of the ball. Bama used the offense to ice out the air attack and put pressure on them to answer. Each time Arkansas tried, Bama was throwing the sink at him. Why it didn't come from the opening kickoff? I dunno, but I'm just glad they did before the end. The best part was that it was not just one little thing Bama changed, it was about everything. They started dropping the safeties and bringing the linebackers. They started using more stunts at the line. They started using different player sets (Jordan was in a lot in the 4th, Hightower played Jack a lot). They sent pressure from Menzie and others that was disguised and confused Mallett.
Growing up under fire
Well, Penn State didn't exactly press this defense, nor did Duke. Arkansas threw a lot at the Tide and to be honest, they had Bama backpeddling, but in the end, when the game was in the balance, the secondary made the plays and broke Arkansas. Dre Kirkpatrick has a lot of room for improvement, yet is the best they have, but as the game wore on, his patience started to kick in, and he was showing that he was learning what veteran WRs were doing to him. Menzie played pretty well for the most part, but he got more involved as the game wore on. Millner....Barron started making more plays and quit releasing his guy for no reason.
Getting plays from special teams
Mandell and Shelley both had good games for their respective jobs. I was tighter than a virgin on prom night as Shelley lined up the FG in the 4th, but he went up and knocked it down like it was nothing. After 4 years of Tiffin's ups and downs, it was nice to see a kicker make a clutch kick against the Hogs on the road. Richardson, as mentioned, just kept making big plays off kickoffs and setting the offense up with good field position.
The Bad...
1st half gameplan
Whomever decided that the best plan for the defense was to play containment against a pass happy ARK team needs religion. I am guessing that they were trying to protect the young corners by giving them more help, but gosh almighty they only added fuel to the fire. The Tide as a whole are horrible in zone coverage this year. Kirkpatrick and Millner both made several bad reads or missed their zone assignment. Barron released before he should have on a few plays. The linebackers could not get in position at times and cover their zones. As a result, you saw a Tide defense give up 200 plus yards in about 17 minutes of football, and about 5 30 plus yard plays given up. 2 stats that you don't expect to see from a Nick Saban defense. Wanna bet they got the ducks shitting on the yard speech?
Tackling and the lack of
Bama's tackling has been off all year, but it was in full display Saturday. Wanna bet the Gators are amp'd for that? Saturday, the Tide overpursued often, didn't set their hips but set their feet and got flat footed often, and tried to make about 3 times the number of arm tackles that we saw last year. The answer to the why we see it more is 2 part: part one is youth, part two is discipline. The defense is young and lacks a lot of experience in these situations. They don't know how to get into position to make tackles like an Arenas or McClain did. They don't know how to read and react when playing zone and get into position. They don't know a lot of the things we got spoiled on, but it is fundamental football all the same and you expect a starter at this level to know those things when they get there.
The Ugly....
Two plays, 50 seconds, 7 points
Probably the worst opening to a game in the Saban era and the worst show of defense since Dubose was there. I hate seeing bad defense, and folks, that drive was just sorry defense. They did nothing right on the first play and they followed it up with another play that was worse than the first. The main issue that I saw was that there were multiple guys in the 2 plays that didn't know who or what their assignment was. Millner was man when he should have been zone, other guys released before they should have, Lester tried to get back in position but hesitated and got tracked by a less than stellar running back. On and on, I could go, but I won't.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
How red is Richt's ass?
Crimson would be light in comparison right now folks. The biggest sign that he's done is this: when they needed to win a game, the whole team and staff came to Starkville with no urgency or effort. They came in like they were a winning program and got Croomed (credit Cecil). Richt's era is pretty well over and now he has to win out to have a hope of staying. Good luck there. A loss to Colorado will pretty well have a meeting with the AD that he doesn't want. Houston Nutt probably is the first fired, but Richt's not far behind right now. UGA alumni are getting real impatient and starting to mumble about how the program is sliding down the pecking order fast. They are right. USCar, LSU, and others are passing them for good now.
Heisman Hype?
Ryan Mallett's hopes are now gone. He choked on national TV and he's done. Keenum is out for the year unfortunately. Pryor is racking up stats against the weakest schedule in America, but that's about to change. Same for Denard Robinson, who I would vote for if the vote was today, but the race is really down to 3 guys. Luck, Pryor, and Ingram. Luck gets his shot at primetime vs. Oregon this week. Ingram gets another national TV audition vs. UF. Pryor will rack stats up still as he gets a sorry Illini team, but he gets some tough tests down the road to show he's worthy. If Luck leads Stanford to the upset, he'll be hard to beat for the Heisman. Really, if that happens, and Pryor does what he seems to do each year (choke), he deserves it.
Boise is good, as is TCU, but neither deserve to be talked about in the BCS title scene
The good news here is that voters agree. Oregon jumped TCU after their big win. If they beat Stanford, they probably jump Boise. Boise has 2 quality wins vs. Tech and OSU, but their conference schedule is candy compared to the Big 10, Pac 10, and SEC. Really, the BCS fly in the ointment is Oregon not Boise. If they go end to end, and the Ohio State U wins out, and Bama/UF/LSU/AU wins out, what do you have then? A mess. Those 3 represenatives deserve the shot over either Cinderella.
Fans hopefully will calm down now
I wasn't able to post last week after changing jobs, and it will be tight for a while as to when I can get this in, but I did read a lotta bullshit from folks about how nobody could beat Bama. Um, folks, there are a lot of pitfalls out there. Yeah, UF has looked bad at times, but they looked sharp Saturday. The speed and defense can beat Bama. Yeah, USCar lost to that other school in the state, but they can win on any given Saturday, and that game is on the road. Yeah, LSU looks like a train wreck at times, but they keep winning. If they find magic in a bottle, they will be hard to stop. Talent isn't the Tiger's problem. Auburn is the real test in the end. Folks balked at them, and they scoffed at Herbie for insinuating such, but they have confidence. Beating USCar wasn't a fluke or just a win for them, UGA would give a nut to have that win right now. Yes, Auburn has to go on the road and play soon, but their Palmetto punchouts of ClemPson and USCar aren't sneezed at by me. Bama can win out, but they can lose a game too. Folks who keep hyping up the bullshit factor are only adding to the misery that can come.
September 26, 2010
September 13, 2010
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- Penn State
There is nothing like a tradition game to pump the juices and make you fall in love with football all over again. The talk and the hype up of the football weekend was pretty overstated as a whole, but if you are UGA, Va Tech, Boise, or FSU today, that's the least of your worries. The game itself went about as I thought it would. PSU has recruited to play in the Big 10 and not a national level. They were slower, and short of athletes to match up what they had in front of them. They are probably another Outback or Cap 1 bowl team.
OFFENSE
The Good....
Dominating without the best weapon
Not to nerd this up, but the nation has yet to see the full power of this fully operational battlestation. It is expected that Ingram comes back for Duke and gets his legs wet before the Arkansas game where they really need him. With all that said, this offense just put a physical performance on the Lions that they aren't used to. The O Line surged ahead almost every play. The backs punished the 2nd level defenders and made their arms get shorter as the game wore on. The wide outs threw blocks and shoved DBs around all night. McElroy got into the act too. He refused to slide and went for more, not always the best idea ask Colt McCoy. Richardson went to work for the national audience and displayed what will have him a lotto pick next year. He continues to grow and improve his vision and patience.
Incorporating the TE/H Backs
While I thought Williams would be the more likely of the duo to snag the first TD, but Dial has shown his versatility this fall. I look for them to continue to work Dial and others into the flat and red zone opportunities because defenses have 4 options to man up on and double one (Jones gets the double, Maze, Hanks, and the back are getting manned up mostly) and that leaves a nice soft spot for one of them to be there when McElroy needs them.
Hank the Tank
While the others had a case of the drops, Hanks continues to show his next level is here now. He is getting better separation and looks comfortable in the flat when he squares up. It can be hard for WRs to accept that they are going to take a lick from a linebacker or safety, but Hanks seems to live with it. I know folks have wanted him demoted down the chart for the sexy name that has no PT, but like McElroy and others that aren't en vogue, Hanks isn't going away.
Norwood droppin a two step flip
First, I liked the whole drive. It sent PSU on its heels fast (see Friday's comments on the PSU game) and really set the tone for how things were gonna be during the night. Norwood isn't going to wow folks often, but he's got a lot of upside to be another slot man in this offense. The best part of his catch was that he squared to keep the defenders from getting a clean hit on him, that allowed him to stumble and flip it in. He got a chewing for the flip, rightfully so, but they won't be too mad at him in film study. He did well blocking later in the game too, so he probably will get more PT based on his efforts.
Lacy held the ball right
Some of you out there had the butt hurt because I was hard on Lacy for not carrying the ball right. Then Coach Saban said the same damn thing. Putting the left hand over the ball keeps helmets and knees from knocking the ball out 99% of the time. He did this week almost out of fear that he may never see the light of day again. His carries are probably going to be fewer and farther now that Ingram is back, but he'll be the salt back and asked to salt the games away with the lead. If he keeps focusing on the ball control and not on a juke or highlight moment, he may be a little slower, but he'll get a lot more PT.
McElroy continues to show his best skills
There is no leash on him this year and he's just matured as a player, plain and simple. I like that he commands the respect of the other 10 guys with him. You don't see a lot of jabbering in the huddle or any body language from them like they are confused, inattentive, or anything else other than ready. McElroy's passing has improved because he has confidence in his game. The Florida game has turned the light on for him that he can play at that level and with those types of players, whereas around Ole Miss and UT he didn't have that confidence. The Auburn game gave him the confidence and the staff too that he can be left in charge of winning the game when it counts. I saw all those in him Saturday as he just out did the entire PSU defense and staff. Maybe the thing that has me happiest is that he's now checking down to his 4th read (Norwood was more than likely) to find his options before he tucks and runs. Guys like McElroy are who you have to have to win championships, and if he stays healthy, I think Bama is in great shape for a repeat.
The Bad....
Pity
Let's be honest. If Bama wanted to score 70 and run JoePa out of Tuscaloosa and college football, they could have. The accelerator was cut off in the second half for the most part, and the Tide went straight into conservative control mode. I respect that, but I see a lot of need to work on things still with the backups. Up 21-24 in the 4th quarter, if you wanna go tight and just maul it out, let the backups go. That prevents injuries like the one to Carpenter.
The Ugly....
Poor officiating
I'm not one to carp on officiating. In fact, I usually am the one who says they don't determine a game. However, when you bring a bunch of yankee sumbitches down to Dixie, you get shorted a ton of yards. The McElroy dive was probably the worst effort of fairness in the history of modern football. I could understand if they were walleyed or just fat and slow and didn't get in position, but the guy was right there and missed it. Needless to say, Bama should send a letter to the Big 10 that says:
The Good....
Like the offense, the best is ahead
With Dareus finally available next week, Upshaw should be ready by then as well, and with the secondary and other young players growing little by little, the best days for this defense are ahead. The fact that in spite of the flaws they have, to only give up 3 points to a national program still says something. Granted, this PSU offense isn't exactly those of Collins/Carter and Blair Thomas-esque teams, it is still a nice notch on the belt.
3 red zone turnovers
Well, 2 and one that if they had completed it would have been in the zone. The Tide was bending a good bit during the night, but broke PSU once they crossed midfield all night. I know some said the defense didn't blitz, but they actually did more than you would have thought. While the blitzes didn't really have a major impact as far as sacks and loss of yards, they did cause each turnover.
Playing in space
I thought the defense looked a lot more comfortable playing in space this week. As mentioned, they were content to give up a few yards to State and let them chew clock, but they never let PSU get beyond them. That's a key thing to watch for if they continue to use this style of defense because as Michigan found out, when you play to contain, and you don't, it hurts. Barron is at his best when he's playing cover 2 because it lets him do his favorite thing....jump over receivers for the ball. Lester also plays better in the 2 as opposed to playing man or up on the run. He sees the field better from a distance pre snap than he does when he's creeped up and having to react faster post snap.
The tackle firm of Hightower, Mosley, and Harris PC
Hightower's knee isn't 100% and if I guessed, it is probably 75% or so. With that said, when he's moving forward, and left to right, he's still as good as any in the nation. He just isn't as confident when back peddling. That will come in time as he heals and the catches and nagging tugs go away. Harris looked like he is getting more and more at home with his new position. He needs to work on angles to keep from doing so many drag down tackles and ankle tackles, but at least he's moving to the ball. Prince Hall went everywhere but the right way. CJ Mosley just continues to impress me. I think after everyone is back and in play, you see him at Mike or Will and Hightower puts his hand down in nickel and dime situations. Putting Upshaw, Hightower, Dareus, and Murphy/Chapman/Square out there is a down four that has potential to do quality damage.
The Bad...
Poor angles = poor tackles
It is basic defensive football principles that if you want to not give up yards after contact (better known as arm tackles), you have to position yourself right. I noticed several just overshooting or making a poor judgement and the result was blown coverage and additional yards after contact. Penn State probably had an additional 50 yards thanks to tackling woes. Lester and Millner both are real bad about making the wrong read and getting inside too far and it allows players outside to a downhill running situation. Bama really misses Arenas because he was excellent at that. Millner, in his defense, can be there in time, but right now he's still feeling his way through because he hasn't ever played that style of ball.
The return of Wild Thing
For all the great strides it looked like Foster was going to take, he nutted that one. Looked like my tee shot on a par five after a few brews. His kickoffs were sporadic as well. Last week it was a boom fest, this week they were 5-10 yards short.
The Ugly....
Ball Control....
One of those old proverbs came true Saturday. Always know where your balls are and protect them at all times. My hunch is that 2 things will be discussed in the defense meetings for a while. One, when you get a fumble and run with it, protect it with 2 hands. See Eddie Lacy for details. Two, when the ball is on the ground, fall on it and cover it with your stomach and arms and shield the other team with your ass. See Penn State's WR for that example. It was a great turnover, but a lousy end.....
Poor Officiating
Yes, the officials blew that call too. Again, Big 10 officials suck.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
What did the games teach us?
Michigan v. Notre Dame- It ain't over til its over. I watched this game while waiting for Bama's game and the others (FSU v. OU) were just not that fun to watch. Rich Rod is under the stink eye of boosters, but he's got a pure spread QB and he's something special to watch. I was impressed at how well he carves defenses up with both his arm and feet. The guy has one of the fastest accelerations I've seen. I don't know if the Wolverines can win 8 or 9 games, but they will be in all 12 this year.
Auburn v. MSU- Cam Newton is good, but MSU not having a QB was better for them.
Va Tech v. James Madison- James Madison can win it and not act like they conquered Russia, why couldn't Boise State?
Oregon v. Tennessee- Mother Nature hates the Vols too. The Vols had the Ducks dead to rights before the storm. Oregon weathered 2 storms and won in a beat down. Dooley's got a lot of work ahead of him.
By the way, I didn't do too bad on the spread. I hit 6 out of 8 Friday missing FSU and USF. Must have been the letters that confused me.
OFFENSE
The Good....
Dominating without the best weapon
Not to nerd this up, but the nation has yet to see the full power of this fully operational battlestation. It is expected that Ingram comes back for Duke and gets his legs wet before the Arkansas game where they really need him. With all that said, this offense just put a physical performance on the Lions that they aren't used to. The O Line surged ahead almost every play. The backs punished the 2nd level defenders and made their arms get shorter as the game wore on. The wide outs threw blocks and shoved DBs around all night. McElroy got into the act too. He refused to slide and went for more, not always the best idea ask Colt McCoy. Richardson went to work for the national audience and displayed what will have him a lotto pick next year. He continues to grow and improve his vision and patience.
Incorporating the TE/H Backs
While I thought Williams would be the more likely of the duo to snag the first TD, but Dial has shown his versatility this fall. I look for them to continue to work Dial and others into the flat and red zone opportunities because defenses have 4 options to man up on and double one (Jones gets the double, Maze, Hanks, and the back are getting manned up mostly) and that leaves a nice soft spot for one of them to be there when McElroy needs them.
Hank the Tank
While the others had a case of the drops, Hanks continues to show his next level is here now. He is getting better separation and looks comfortable in the flat when he squares up. It can be hard for WRs to accept that they are going to take a lick from a linebacker or safety, but Hanks seems to live with it. I know folks have wanted him demoted down the chart for the sexy name that has no PT, but like McElroy and others that aren't en vogue, Hanks isn't going away.
Norwood droppin a two step flip
First, I liked the whole drive. It sent PSU on its heels fast (see Friday's comments on the PSU game) and really set the tone for how things were gonna be during the night. Norwood isn't going to wow folks often, but he's got a lot of upside to be another slot man in this offense. The best part of his catch was that he squared to keep the defenders from getting a clean hit on him, that allowed him to stumble and flip it in. He got a chewing for the flip, rightfully so, but they won't be too mad at him in film study. He did well blocking later in the game too, so he probably will get more PT based on his efforts.
Lacy held the ball right
Some of you out there had the butt hurt because I was hard on Lacy for not carrying the ball right. Then Coach Saban said the same damn thing. Putting the left hand over the ball keeps helmets and knees from knocking the ball out 99% of the time. He did this week almost out of fear that he may never see the light of day again. His carries are probably going to be fewer and farther now that Ingram is back, but he'll be the salt back and asked to salt the games away with the lead. If he keeps focusing on the ball control and not on a juke or highlight moment, he may be a little slower, but he'll get a lot more PT.
McElroy continues to show his best skills
There is no leash on him this year and he's just matured as a player, plain and simple. I like that he commands the respect of the other 10 guys with him. You don't see a lot of jabbering in the huddle or any body language from them like they are confused, inattentive, or anything else other than ready. McElroy's passing has improved because he has confidence in his game. The Florida game has turned the light on for him that he can play at that level and with those types of players, whereas around Ole Miss and UT he didn't have that confidence. The Auburn game gave him the confidence and the staff too that he can be left in charge of winning the game when it counts. I saw all those in him Saturday as he just out did the entire PSU defense and staff. Maybe the thing that has me happiest is that he's now checking down to his 4th read (Norwood was more than likely) to find his options before he tucks and runs. Guys like McElroy are who you have to have to win championships, and if he stays healthy, I think Bama is in great shape for a repeat.
The Bad....
Pity
Let's be honest. If Bama wanted to score 70 and run JoePa out of Tuscaloosa and college football, they could have. The accelerator was cut off in the second half for the most part, and the Tide went straight into conservative control mode. I respect that, but I see a lot of need to work on things still with the backups. Up 21-24 in the 4th quarter, if you wanna go tight and just maul it out, let the backups go. That prevents injuries like the one to Carpenter.
The Ugly....
Poor officiating
I'm not one to carp on officiating. In fact, I usually am the one who says they don't determine a game. However, when you bring a bunch of yankee sumbitches down to Dixie, you get shorted a ton of yards. The McElroy dive was probably the worst effort of fairness in the history of modern football. I could understand if they were walleyed or just fat and slow and didn't get in position, but the guy was right there and missed it. Needless to say, Bama should send a letter to the Big 10 that says:
Dear Big 10:
We appreciate your efforts to keep one of your fine programs in line with the SEC. Let this letter pay service to this fact. At no point does the University of Alabama fear, worry, contemplate, or care for a school that comes from a conference with a number or calls itself Big. We have p'wned them all and will continue to do so with or without the efforts of your officiating.
Go to hell,
Mal, Nick, and 101,000 fans there SaturdayDEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good....
Like the offense, the best is ahead
With Dareus finally available next week, Upshaw should be ready by then as well, and with the secondary and other young players growing little by little, the best days for this defense are ahead. The fact that in spite of the flaws they have, to only give up 3 points to a national program still says something. Granted, this PSU offense isn't exactly those of Collins/Carter and Blair Thomas-esque teams, it is still a nice notch on the belt.
3 red zone turnovers
Well, 2 and one that if they had completed it would have been in the zone. The Tide was bending a good bit during the night, but broke PSU once they crossed midfield all night. I know some said the defense didn't blitz, but they actually did more than you would have thought. While the blitzes didn't really have a major impact as far as sacks and loss of yards, they did cause each turnover.
Playing in space
I thought the defense looked a lot more comfortable playing in space this week. As mentioned, they were content to give up a few yards to State and let them chew clock, but they never let PSU get beyond them. That's a key thing to watch for if they continue to use this style of defense because as Michigan found out, when you play to contain, and you don't, it hurts. Barron is at his best when he's playing cover 2 because it lets him do his favorite thing....jump over receivers for the ball. Lester also plays better in the 2 as opposed to playing man or up on the run. He sees the field better from a distance pre snap than he does when he's creeped up and having to react faster post snap.
The tackle firm of Hightower, Mosley, and Harris PC
Hightower's knee isn't 100% and if I guessed, it is probably 75% or so. With that said, when he's moving forward, and left to right, he's still as good as any in the nation. He just isn't as confident when back peddling. That will come in time as he heals and the catches and nagging tugs go away. Harris looked like he is getting more and more at home with his new position. He needs to work on angles to keep from doing so many drag down tackles and ankle tackles, but at least he's moving to the ball. Prince Hall went everywhere but the right way. CJ Mosley just continues to impress me. I think after everyone is back and in play, you see him at Mike or Will and Hightower puts his hand down in nickel and dime situations. Putting Upshaw, Hightower, Dareus, and Murphy/Chapman/Square out there is a down four that has potential to do quality damage.
The Bad...
Poor angles = poor tackles
It is basic defensive football principles that if you want to not give up yards after contact (better known as arm tackles), you have to position yourself right. I noticed several just overshooting or making a poor judgement and the result was blown coverage and additional yards after contact. Penn State probably had an additional 50 yards thanks to tackling woes. Lester and Millner both are real bad about making the wrong read and getting inside too far and it allows players outside to a downhill running situation. Bama really misses Arenas because he was excellent at that. Millner, in his defense, can be there in time, but right now he's still feeling his way through because he hasn't ever played that style of ball.
The return of Wild Thing
For all the great strides it looked like Foster was going to take, he nutted that one. Looked like my tee shot on a par five after a few brews. His kickoffs were sporadic as well. Last week it was a boom fest, this week they were 5-10 yards short.
The Ugly....
Ball Control....
One of those old proverbs came true Saturday. Always know where your balls are and protect them at all times. My hunch is that 2 things will be discussed in the defense meetings for a while. One, when you get a fumble and run with it, protect it with 2 hands. See Eddie Lacy for details. Two, when the ball is on the ground, fall on it and cover it with your stomach and arms and shield the other team with your ass. See Penn State's WR for that example. It was a great turnover, but a lousy end.....
Poor Officiating
Yes, the officials blew that call too. Again, Big 10 officials suck.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
What did the games teach us?
Michigan v. Notre Dame- It ain't over til its over. I watched this game while waiting for Bama's game and the others (FSU v. OU) were just not that fun to watch. Rich Rod is under the stink eye of boosters, but he's got a pure spread QB and he's something special to watch. I was impressed at how well he carves defenses up with both his arm and feet. The guy has one of the fastest accelerations I've seen. I don't know if the Wolverines can win 8 or 9 games, but they will be in all 12 this year.
Auburn v. MSU- Cam Newton is good, but MSU not having a QB was better for them.
Va Tech v. James Madison- James Madison can win it and not act like they conquered Russia, why couldn't Boise State?
Oregon v. Tennessee- Mother Nature hates the Vols too. The Vols had the Ducks dead to rights before the storm. Oregon weathered 2 storms and won in a beat down. Dooley's got a lot of work ahead of him.
By the way, I didn't do too bad on the spread. I hit 6 out of 8 Friday missing FSU and USF. Must have been the letters that confused me.
September 9, 2010
Random Thoughts...
Some football and non-football related subjects for the traditional Random Thoughts before gameday....
Maybe the university should have the games under a cell phone tower?
I guess maybe my age is showing some, or maybe I'm behind the times. I thought you went to games to watch football and root for the team, not pick crops on Farmville. The littany of postings about how there was no AT&T coverage was well noted as I saw it 100 times by Monday afternoon. Number one, get Verizon and enjoy cell phone life that much more. Number 2, shit on a bunch a 3G and be a fan, not a preppie snob. I still listen to the radio during the game to catch scores, and to hear Eli and Snake tell me what is happening on the sideline. Are radios taboo now?
What to do with the Blue? Do I boo? No Rammer Jammer? Says who?
Here's the long and short of the week long brain fart: when you aren't running around hunting a bar to make a call, don't boo the opponents or their fans coming in, but do what you do otherwise. You can boo if they score, you can boo if they flip you off, but don't boo just to boo something. As to Rammer Jammer, it is as much a Bama tradition as JoePa is to PSU. I think it insults his status more to not do it. With that said, singing it after beating UTC or some pansy, well that doesn't sit as well with me as it does if Bama beats a quality opponent. Just think, Ole Miss would like to just be able to sing right now.....
Basking in the glow of Jacksonville State's glory still...
I watched the full game on the CSS replay this week. What a great game from so many levels. The fact they were beaten and should have given up, but didn't is a great lesson to pass on to your kids if they play sports. The fact that they didn't panic or flip out when faced with 4th and what seemed like forever, priceless lessons there. The fact that when they had to make a choice, play it safe and win or lose later, or win or lose now and choosing the unconventional bet and cashing in, great lesson there too. You can fuss at me, I don't care, but the best catch last Saturday was Jax St's 4th down TD in the back of the endzone. Why? While it lacked the pizazz of Julio's catch, it had more meaning in the world of football.
Looking at Penn State...
They are the prototypical Big 10 plus 2 team now a days. They are physical, they play smash mouth ball on both sides, and they are slow. Their running back is fast and their QB is fairly fast, but their defense is more of a lumbering defense than a swarm defense. That's where the keys to victory start- speed. Bama must flush the Lions out of their comfort zone and confuse them. On offense, they need to attack them and display the speed and have the defense on its heels going backwards fast. On defense, they just need to contain the outside and collapse the middle. PSU is not going to out throw Bama to victory. Bama has to force a freshman to play like a senior. There will be a lot of smoke on this gameplan and they will fake pressure to confuse him, they will blitz from places he cannot see in his pre snap reads (ask Tebow how it felt), and they will have to push the pocket back fast and fluster the guy. The other key is no turnovers. PSU is a team that will beat you if you give them that chance. If McElroy and the running backs, Lacy this is you, keep it clean and keep the ball control offense in full effect, this is a win without doubts. If they toss picks and drop the ball on the ground a couple of times, I can't say that is what will happen.
Mike Marrow Transfers....Donna Martin Graduates....
Here's kinda the way it is. If you did not make the participation chart on Saturday, and you do not have a redshirt available, you might be processed sooner or later. Is that fair to all? No. Is that the way big time football is now? Yes. Can Marrow play somewhere else and be good at it? Probably. Could he have ever played at Alabama and been a big contributor? No. Like I said pre-season, it is hard for tweeners to survive in this program.
Damn you dirty Braves!!!!
It was easier to watch them stumble when Murphy was there, but they've teased at being special all year and now they're fighting to stay in it. Letting the nasty whore Pirates beat you with their rookie league pitching is just embarrassing. I still don't know what Derek Lee does for the Braves...other than get out 3/4ths of the time. The biggest thing is that the pitching is tired. Lowe's body is starting to betray him, he looked better last night but still, Hudson looks out of gas, Hanson's not been right all year, Jurjens is only worth a home start, and Kenshin Krappywalki couldn't pull a win out of his poop hole with tweezers. They have 3 foundation players for the future in Prado, Heyward, and Infante. That gives hope, but they may be too young for this moment.
Pickem...
The point spreads are courtesy of MGM Grand. Here are some games of interest and my guesses at the spread. Note- I don't say take these to the bank or put your life savings on them, but I do take time to think these through:
Auburn v. MSU- AU -1.5 Auburn. I know that the heart strings tell you otherwise, but MSU is improved and all, but they do not have the speed on defense to handle Auburn yet. The game will be tight, but I see Auburn coming out of this one.
UGA v. USCar- SC -3. South Carolina. Granted this is a pickem game on a neutral site, but USCar has a good defense and UGA doesn't. Look for Spurrier to expose the Dawgs often as they did last year. The new defense isn't broken in good yet, and it won't help that a veteran Gamecock offense is waiting on them at the door.
USF v. UF- UF -15.5. USF by points. While I think they improve on the issues Florida had, this is not the team that will help them show that. USF will come in wanting to show they are a player in Florida sports. USF has the talent to pull off the upset, but I don't think they can.
FSU v. OU- OU -7. FSU by points, maybe straight up. Chokelahoma is such a bad team to play the spread against. I'm not sold on FSU's revival under their new coach, but I do know that when you struggle to put away Utah State, you have issues. Florida State's speed and quarterback will beat the spread.
Michigan v. Notre Dame- ND -4. Michigan. Notre Dame didn't impress me much beating a Bama reject and a group of neverwillbes. Michigan's QB issue may be over and they probably shock the Irish again.
The U vs. OSU- OSU -8.5. OSU. While I won't be surprised if I missed this, OSU looks like a team ready to march to the BCS again. This is a great statement game for them.
Oregon v. UT- OU -12. Oregon. Even if the spread were 17, I would take the Quack attack. UT has very little in the quality athlete department, and Oregon has shit loads of it.
Penn St v. Bama- Bama -12. Bama. Like OSU, won't be surprised if they don't beat spread, and Bama is horrible against the spread, but I think their experience and talent overwhelms PSU. The poor recruiting starts to rear its head Saturday.
The non-football/sports commentary on VH1s 100 greatest artists...
Or as it is probably better known as Top 100 artist found commonly on For the Love of RayJ or Flava of Love contestants iPods. A truly poor list if ever conceived. Click here to see the list. Some don't shock me, but can you explain to me how in the country that we live in and the influence they have had on music, how the hell the Eagles or at least Don Henley is/are not on the list? Yet, Alicia Keys is? What has she done over 3 decades? My favorite is that Justin Timberlake is there. You know, the next song he writes will be his first....
I will commend them for at least having Johnny Cash, Fleetwood Mac, John Lennon, and Iggy Pop on there. How Lennon was as low as he is baffles me too. The guy was a genius. I wonder how Nirvana is so low? When I hear them on the radio, I can still hear Kurt talking to me as a 15 year old high schooler. If you are 15-22 now, you just don't get the music the same way. In 1992-4, when Kurt sang, he sang the song of a generation and the feelings we had. U2 had every right to be higher as well, they've made hits since the 80s and heck Bono gets to see the Pope when he wants. When did Justin Timberlake do that?
I hate growing old.....
Maybe the university should have the games under a cell phone tower?
I guess maybe my age is showing some, or maybe I'm behind the times. I thought you went to games to watch football and root for the team, not pick crops on Farmville. The littany of postings about how there was no AT&T coverage was well noted as I saw it 100 times by Monday afternoon. Number one, get Verizon and enjoy cell phone life that much more. Number 2, shit on a bunch a 3G and be a fan, not a preppie snob. I still listen to the radio during the game to catch scores, and to hear Eli and Snake tell me what is happening on the sideline. Are radios taboo now?
What to do with the Blue? Do I boo? No Rammer Jammer? Says who?
Here's the long and short of the week long brain fart: when you aren't running around hunting a bar to make a call, don't boo the opponents or their fans coming in, but do what you do otherwise. You can boo if they score, you can boo if they flip you off, but don't boo just to boo something. As to Rammer Jammer, it is as much a Bama tradition as JoePa is to PSU. I think it insults his status more to not do it. With that said, singing it after beating UTC or some pansy, well that doesn't sit as well with me as it does if Bama beats a quality opponent. Just think, Ole Miss would like to just be able to sing right now.....
Basking in the glow of Jacksonville State's glory still...
I watched the full game on the CSS replay this week. What a great game from so many levels. The fact they were beaten and should have given up, but didn't is a great lesson to pass on to your kids if they play sports. The fact that they didn't panic or flip out when faced with 4th and what seemed like forever, priceless lessons there. The fact that when they had to make a choice, play it safe and win or lose later, or win or lose now and choosing the unconventional bet and cashing in, great lesson there too. You can fuss at me, I don't care, but the best catch last Saturday was Jax St's 4th down TD in the back of the endzone. Why? While it lacked the pizazz of Julio's catch, it had more meaning in the world of football.
Looking at Penn State...
They are the prototypical Big 10 plus 2 team now a days. They are physical, they play smash mouth ball on both sides, and they are slow. Their running back is fast and their QB is fairly fast, but their defense is more of a lumbering defense than a swarm defense. That's where the keys to victory start- speed. Bama must flush the Lions out of their comfort zone and confuse them. On offense, they need to attack them and display the speed and have the defense on its heels going backwards fast. On defense, they just need to contain the outside and collapse the middle. PSU is not going to out throw Bama to victory. Bama has to force a freshman to play like a senior. There will be a lot of smoke on this gameplan and they will fake pressure to confuse him, they will blitz from places he cannot see in his pre snap reads (ask Tebow how it felt), and they will have to push the pocket back fast and fluster the guy. The other key is no turnovers. PSU is a team that will beat you if you give them that chance. If McElroy and the running backs, Lacy this is you, keep it clean and keep the ball control offense in full effect, this is a win without doubts. If they toss picks and drop the ball on the ground a couple of times, I can't say that is what will happen.
Mike Marrow Transfers....Donna Martin Graduates....
Here's kinda the way it is. If you did not make the participation chart on Saturday, and you do not have a redshirt available, you might be processed sooner or later. Is that fair to all? No. Is that the way big time football is now? Yes. Can Marrow play somewhere else and be good at it? Probably. Could he have ever played at Alabama and been a big contributor? No. Like I said pre-season, it is hard for tweeners to survive in this program.
Damn you dirty Braves!!!!
It was easier to watch them stumble when Murphy was there, but they've teased at being special all year and now they're fighting to stay in it. Letting the nasty whore Pirates beat you with their rookie league pitching is just embarrassing. I still don't know what Derek Lee does for the Braves...other than get out 3/4ths of the time. The biggest thing is that the pitching is tired. Lowe's body is starting to betray him, he looked better last night but still, Hudson looks out of gas, Hanson's not been right all year, Jurjens is only worth a home start, and Kenshin Krappywalki couldn't pull a win out of his poop hole with tweezers. They have 3 foundation players for the future in Prado, Heyward, and Infante. That gives hope, but they may be too young for this moment.
Pickem...
The point spreads are courtesy of MGM Grand. Here are some games of interest and my guesses at the spread. Note- I don't say take these to the bank or put your life savings on them, but I do take time to think these through:
Auburn v. MSU- AU -1.5 Auburn. I know that the heart strings tell you otherwise, but MSU is improved and all, but they do not have the speed on defense to handle Auburn yet. The game will be tight, but I see Auburn coming out of this one.
UGA v. USCar- SC -3. South Carolina. Granted this is a pickem game on a neutral site, but USCar has a good defense and UGA doesn't. Look for Spurrier to expose the Dawgs often as they did last year. The new defense isn't broken in good yet, and it won't help that a veteran Gamecock offense is waiting on them at the door.
USF v. UF- UF -15.5. USF by points. While I think they improve on the issues Florida had, this is not the team that will help them show that. USF will come in wanting to show they are a player in Florida sports. USF has the talent to pull off the upset, but I don't think they can.
FSU v. OU- OU -7. FSU by points, maybe straight up. Chokelahoma is such a bad team to play the spread against. I'm not sold on FSU's revival under their new coach, but I do know that when you struggle to put away Utah State, you have issues. Florida State's speed and quarterback will beat the spread.
Michigan v. Notre Dame- ND -4. Michigan. Notre Dame didn't impress me much beating a Bama reject and a group of neverwillbes. Michigan's QB issue may be over and they probably shock the Irish again.
The U vs. OSU- OSU -8.5. OSU. While I won't be surprised if I missed this, OSU looks like a team ready to march to the BCS again. This is a great statement game for them.
Oregon v. UT- OU -12. Oregon. Even if the spread were 17, I would take the Quack attack. UT has very little in the quality athlete department, and Oregon has shit loads of it.
Penn St v. Bama- Bama -12. Bama. Like OSU, won't be surprised if they don't beat spread, and Bama is horrible against the spread, but I think their experience and talent overwhelms PSU. The poor recruiting starts to rear its head Saturday.
The non-football/sports commentary on VH1s 100 greatest artists...
Or as it is probably better known as Top 100 artist found commonly on For the Love of RayJ or Flava of Love contestants iPods. A truly poor list if ever conceived. Click here to see the list. Some don't shock me, but can you explain to me how in the country that we live in and the influence they have had on music, how the hell the Eagles or at least Don Henley is/are not on the list? Yet, Alicia Keys is? What has she done over 3 decades? My favorite is that Justin Timberlake is there. You know, the next song he writes will be his first....
I will commend them for at least having Johnny Cash, Fleetwood Mac, John Lennon, and Iggy Pop on there. How Lennon was as low as he is baffles me too. The guy was a genius. I wonder how Nirvana is so low? When I hear them on the radio, I can still hear Kurt talking to me as a 15 year old high schooler. If you are 15-22 now, you just don't get the music the same way. In 1992-4, when Kurt sang, he sang the song of a generation and the feelings we had. U2 had every right to be higher as well, they've made hits since the 80s and heck Bono gets to see the Pope when he wants. When did Justin Timberlake do that?
I hate growing old.....
September 6, 2010
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- San Jose St.
For a starting march towards the repeat national title, it was about as Bamaesque as it gets. It was vanilla, and it was physical, and it won. All the things Bama fans are used to.
The Offense
The Good...
Julio's grab bag
The catch he made on AJ's 1st touchdown was spectacular, but it was more than just that, it was that he was getting involved in the offense and creating separation again. Last year, he wouldn't have gotten some of the looks he got Saturday because he wouldn't have separated from his corner and the shadow on him. Short of the one relapse he had, it was the best game Julio has had in over a year.
O Line play
While SJSU wasn't exactly a threat, the protection and execution was much improved from this time a year ago. With all the focus on Fluker and how he would do, the real secret to the success is Warmack. Warmack is a nightmare for defenders to deal with when he pulls to the right and held his own well in pass protection. Fluker did well, he's gonna have to get the lead out at some point or else they will have to double down on his side to prevent speed rushes from getting by him. Fluker is best north and south and when he's in run mode, he's at his best and does a really good job of finishing one defender and moving to the 2nd level to find another. I thought the 2nd string line did pretty well against a tired defense. I liked how McCullough played both tackles and there was little drop off from him in reserve.
Richardson time
He could have loaded up the yards if they wanted to, but why? In what little PT he got Saturday, you could see the offense at a higher gear than with the other 2. Richardson is so physical he almost is hurt by it because he hunts people to hit instead of hunting open running lanes. Richardson's second gear once he gets open is probably one of the best I've ever seen. It ranks up there with Bo's and Alexander's.
Reserves getting attention
I thought Goode ran better than he ever has. He's a nice north south compliment to Ingram and Richardson. He has good speed, not blazing, but will get a steady 4-5 yards a carry. He is lousy at pass blocking though. Lacy runs inconsistent but when he is on, he has a really good burst. More on him shortly....I thought AJ showed a lot of confidence and had a nice flow with the 1st and 2nd string offenses. I think he'll see more PT in games like this and less in the PSUs and conference games, but he will get plenty of chances to show off his arm and impress the staff and fans. I would like to see how he handles getting a bell ringer before I anoint him to anything.
The Bad...
The ball is your friend, treat it as such....
Lacy is a guy that fans will rush to love and hype, but coaches will go bald over. He has the potential, I see, they see, he knows it, but he is so reckless that it may be his undoing. When your team has literally pimp slapped the opponent at the half and your coach starts out by talking about how you didn't get it, that's a sign that 1 fumble isn't the frustration, it is just another log on the fire. Now, he got lit up at the half and he didn't sulk or trod through, he tried to erase that error. He did a fairly good job of that, but even on his TD, watch the replay and tell me if you think he's protecting the football the way you are taught. Quick answer if you don't want to do the work is no. He still one arms the ball and carries it in the wrong arm and is more involved in how he can spin or juke or make a move than fundamentally protecting the ball and getting what he can get. I think once Ingram is healthy, he gets less time on field and is focused on more to see if he can learn how to do the little things that will make him great. He's already got the big things down.
The Ugly....
None
Defense & Special Teams
The Good...
Vanilla tastes good when it works so well...
To be honest, it was probably more rice cake than vanilla, it was that bland. The game plan was pretty simple, there was nothing that San Jose did that made the staff sweat, so there was no reason to flash any tricks or amp up the rush. It was also a chance to press the young secondary to play harder and be exposed a bit and see how they react. Overall, given the level of threat being low, I was pleased with how they played short of about 4 plays or so.
The depth of this defense is insane...
I thought as they went deep into the depth chart the impressive level that these guys play at is just amazing. Billingsley, Square, Mosley, Jordan, Millner, Fulton, Perry, and Williams all were very active and making plays even when it didn't matter. I will be a huge CJ Mosley fan by the time his playing days are over in Tuscaloosa. The guy plays like an upperclassman and is just starting. I can see what the buzz is about with him and I won't be surprised if he doesn't play more as the year goes on and they try to incorporate more pressure on the QB.
Nice first outing for several
I thought Jerrell Harris had his best game to date as they asked him to be active in space and at the line of scrimmage. I thought he looked comfortable out there and that was my worry with him was would he know what to do at times, I got my answer. I thought Menzie displayed why he was ahead of the crowd at corner too. He covers well and when he is beat it isn't enough to hurt, and he makes the tackles he needs to make. I would hate to know where he would be if 100 percent right now. Kirkpatrick gloved his end and had a nice hit on a dump pass. Lester had a good game, not great, and looks his best in coverage.
Special teams play
Damn, I must have died and gone to my little place in heaven after years of watching shitty play here. The punts were strong and fairly accurate, the kicking was safe and straight, and the returns...well the kicking and punting went well.
The Bad...
Lots of room for growth...
While they did a really good job on a really bad team, there were a lot of little things that I'm sure they've heard about in film study. Lester has got to know how to take the right angles to the runner or else he won't start much farther than Arkansas. Woodall took bad angles too, I'll say that all day and night, but he had Green and Barron to cover that. Lester doesn't have that and won't have that. The facemask/big run play in the 1st was on him because he failed to do 2 fundamental things. One, he set his feet before the runner was in his tackle zone. Two, he took a poor angle for no reason and left a gap in the defense that the runner could find. This wasn't a one time thing, it was noticed a few times on run plays. There were several linemen who just didn't do a good job of getting off their blockers. This may have been a contain call, but I haven't seen Bama run a lot of just containment plays at the front 3-4. They need to do a better job of keeping the linemen off their chest guard and slipping inside the lineman to create disruption.
The Ugly...
NONE
Random Thoughts....
What did this week teach me?
Ole Miss vs. Jax State- You can take your starters out, but you best not take your foot off the gas. They had beaten JSU down to a good point where they could sub and work, just as Bama did, UT did, MSU did, etc. What they didn't do that those teams did was not let up. They went into scrimmage mode expecting Jax to lay down and take it. They didn't and they tortured the Ole Miss secondary. That's surprising because Nix is such a good coach.
LSU vs. UNC- God likes football, but hates hats. The fact that they let an undermanned and underqualified UNC get within 8 yards of victory is not a good sign for Miles. The wheels are starting to wobble down in Baton Rouge.
USCar vs. USM- When Spurrier wants to, he can. When he doesn't give a damn, they don't. They looked good against a program that used to be good. I wonder how that whole fire Bower thing is working now that the Eagles have fouled up their star player so? Carolina looked fast and physical, and looked a lot like the old Gator teams he had as far as style goes.
Auburn vs. ARK St.- No defense found here. How a DC turned head coach can have nothing but stop gaps at defense is beyond me.
Boise St vs. Va Tech- Boise wouldn't win 8 games in the SEC. Bama would stomp them by 2 touchdowns and smile doing it against that Cinderella with a tramp stamp. I thought the officiating in the last 3 minutes was probably some of the poorest I've seen outside the SEC.
The Offense
The Good...
Julio's grab bag
The catch he made on AJ's 1st touchdown was spectacular, but it was more than just that, it was that he was getting involved in the offense and creating separation again. Last year, he wouldn't have gotten some of the looks he got Saturday because he wouldn't have separated from his corner and the shadow on him. Short of the one relapse he had, it was the best game Julio has had in over a year.
O Line play
While SJSU wasn't exactly a threat, the protection and execution was much improved from this time a year ago. With all the focus on Fluker and how he would do, the real secret to the success is Warmack. Warmack is a nightmare for defenders to deal with when he pulls to the right and held his own well in pass protection. Fluker did well, he's gonna have to get the lead out at some point or else they will have to double down on his side to prevent speed rushes from getting by him. Fluker is best north and south and when he's in run mode, he's at his best and does a really good job of finishing one defender and moving to the 2nd level to find another. I thought the 2nd string line did pretty well against a tired defense. I liked how McCullough played both tackles and there was little drop off from him in reserve.
Richardson time
He could have loaded up the yards if they wanted to, but why? In what little PT he got Saturday, you could see the offense at a higher gear than with the other 2. Richardson is so physical he almost is hurt by it because he hunts people to hit instead of hunting open running lanes. Richardson's second gear once he gets open is probably one of the best I've ever seen. It ranks up there with Bo's and Alexander's.
Reserves getting attention
I thought Goode ran better than he ever has. He's a nice north south compliment to Ingram and Richardson. He has good speed, not blazing, but will get a steady 4-5 yards a carry. He is lousy at pass blocking though. Lacy runs inconsistent but when he is on, he has a really good burst. More on him shortly....I thought AJ showed a lot of confidence and had a nice flow with the 1st and 2nd string offenses. I think he'll see more PT in games like this and less in the PSUs and conference games, but he will get plenty of chances to show off his arm and impress the staff and fans. I would like to see how he handles getting a bell ringer before I anoint him to anything.
The Bad...
The ball is your friend, treat it as such....
Lacy is a guy that fans will rush to love and hype, but coaches will go bald over. He has the potential, I see, they see, he knows it, but he is so reckless that it may be his undoing. When your team has literally pimp slapped the opponent at the half and your coach starts out by talking about how you didn't get it, that's a sign that 1 fumble isn't the frustration, it is just another log on the fire. Now, he got lit up at the half and he didn't sulk or trod through, he tried to erase that error. He did a fairly good job of that, but even on his TD, watch the replay and tell me if you think he's protecting the football the way you are taught. Quick answer if you don't want to do the work is no. He still one arms the ball and carries it in the wrong arm and is more involved in how he can spin or juke or make a move than fundamentally protecting the ball and getting what he can get. I think once Ingram is healthy, he gets less time on field and is focused on more to see if he can learn how to do the little things that will make him great. He's already got the big things down.
The Ugly....
None
Defense & Special Teams
The Good...
Vanilla tastes good when it works so well...
To be honest, it was probably more rice cake than vanilla, it was that bland. The game plan was pretty simple, there was nothing that San Jose did that made the staff sweat, so there was no reason to flash any tricks or amp up the rush. It was also a chance to press the young secondary to play harder and be exposed a bit and see how they react. Overall, given the level of threat being low, I was pleased with how they played short of about 4 plays or so.
The depth of this defense is insane...
I thought as they went deep into the depth chart the impressive level that these guys play at is just amazing. Billingsley, Square, Mosley, Jordan, Millner, Fulton, Perry, and Williams all were very active and making plays even when it didn't matter. I will be a huge CJ Mosley fan by the time his playing days are over in Tuscaloosa. The guy plays like an upperclassman and is just starting. I can see what the buzz is about with him and I won't be surprised if he doesn't play more as the year goes on and they try to incorporate more pressure on the QB.
Nice first outing for several
I thought Jerrell Harris had his best game to date as they asked him to be active in space and at the line of scrimmage. I thought he looked comfortable out there and that was my worry with him was would he know what to do at times, I got my answer. I thought Menzie displayed why he was ahead of the crowd at corner too. He covers well and when he is beat it isn't enough to hurt, and he makes the tackles he needs to make. I would hate to know where he would be if 100 percent right now. Kirkpatrick gloved his end and had a nice hit on a dump pass. Lester had a good game, not great, and looks his best in coverage.
Special teams play
Damn, I must have died and gone to my little place in heaven after years of watching shitty play here. The punts were strong and fairly accurate, the kicking was safe and straight, and the returns...well the kicking and punting went well.
The Bad...
Lots of room for growth...
While they did a really good job on a really bad team, there were a lot of little things that I'm sure they've heard about in film study. Lester has got to know how to take the right angles to the runner or else he won't start much farther than Arkansas. Woodall took bad angles too, I'll say that all day and night, but he had Green and Barron to cover that. Lester doesn't have that and won't have that. The facemask/big run play in the 1st was on him because he failed to do 2 fundamental things. One, he set his feet before the runner was in his tackle zone. Two, he took a poor angle for no reason and left a gap in the defense that the runner could find. This wasn't a one time thing, it was noticed a few times on run plays. There were several linemen who just didn't do a good job of getting off their blockers. This may have been a contain call, but I haven't seen Bama run a lot of just containment plays at the front 3-4. They need to do a better job of keeping the linemen off their chest guard and slipping inside the lineman to create disruption.
The Ugly...
NONE
Random Thoughts....
What did this week teach me?
Ole Miss vs. Jax State- You can take your starters out, but you best not take your foot off the gas. They had beaten JSU down to a good point where they could sub and work, just as Bama did, UT did, MSU did, etc. What they didn't do that those teams did was not let up. They went into scrimmage mode expecting Jax to lay down and take it. They didn't and they tortured the Ole Miss secondary. That's surprising because Nix is such a good coach.
LSU vs. UNC- God likes football, but hates hats. The fact that they let an undermanned and underqualified UNC get within 8 yards of victory is not a good sign for Miles. The wheels are starting to wobble down in Baton Rouge.
USCar vs. USM- When Spurrier wants to, he can. When he doesn't give a damn, they don't. They looked good against a program that used to be good. I wonder how that whole fire Bower thing is working now that the Eagles have fouled up their star player so? Carolina looked fast and physical, and looked a lot like the old Gator teams he had as far as style goes.
Auburn vs. ARK St.- No defense found here. How a DC turned head coach can have nothing but stop gaps at defense is beyond me.
Boise St vs. Va Tech- Boise wouldn't win 8 games in the SEC. Bama would stomp them by 2 touchdowns and smile doing it against that Cinderella with a tramp stamp. I thought the officiating in the last 3 minutes was probably some of the poorest I've seen outside the SEC.
September 3, 2010
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- Defensive backs
This is the last of the preseason reviews since nobody knows who is kicking or punting.....
The DBs
Who is back and who is new???
Mark Barron- Barron was allowed to grow into the role he has last year thanks to 3 veteran corners. This year, he will be the one asked to compensate for those needing to grow. Barron has the ability to be a FS, SS, and the Star in this defense, however, the lack of capable backups behind him will hold him to 1 position. I look for him to be an All-American and probably skip out this winter to the NFL where he's probably a middle 1st round pick.
John Fulton- Fulton looked good in the A Day game when asked to play man coverage. The thing keeping him from being a serious contender as a starter now is that he needs to learn the system and how to play in space more. That isn't a major issue as most true freshmen don't have a lot of experience in zone coverage coming out of high school. I think the way he plays is going to endear him with the staff and fans over time because he wants the island. When you watch his HS film, you can tell he loves the game and really likes to get the go to guy and jam him, try to shut him down early and often. He has great acceleration but isn't a speed burner at corner. He has enough speed to catch up to mistakes, but may not catch a guy with a huge stride like a Julio or AJ Green type. I like him though and think he's a starter next year or two.
Phelon Jones- Jones broke Tide fans hearts a few years ago but came back around after things didn't work out for him at LSU. It hasn't exactly worked out here. Jones is a bit of a tweener. He is athletic enough to play either corner or safety, but lacks the speed to play on the island, he could play Star. As a safety he likes to tackle, but doesn't do a good job of setting up and following through. Lots of arms and dragging when he goes for it.
Kendall Kelly- What happens when you aren't cutting it at WR? You go to safety. Kelly is really just a spot filler for true freshman and future seat holder Ha Ha Dix.
Dre Kirkpatrick- Dre is a bit of a mystery. He has all the skills, all of them, that you want in a corner or free safety. On the flip side, he has so many mental gaps and other issues that keep him from getting that full pass. With that said, he earned and locked his job as soon as KJ went pro because he's physically ahead of all the others. When he plays, he is just physical and roughs up opposing WRs. He is not going to be out leaped, out muscled, or out ran by anyone in the SEC that I can think of.
Robert Lester- With Green's suspension, Lester is pressed into duty. Lester is ok, but he isn't going to erase memories of Green or others. Woodall wasn't exactly a world beater, but he could find the ball. Lester will be on a short leash all fall as he barely beat out Lowery for the job. He is ok in space and tackles well, but when I watched him last year in actual game time situations, he got lost a lot and was having to get directions from Barron a lot. I look for him to be improved from that version, but it won't surprise me if he gets targeted by Arkansas and others.
Will Lowery- The internets will make a star out of 2 year olds that smoke, washed up actors, and any kid who plays a down at a practice, scrimmage, or spring game. Lowery is a good dime back and is smart. He sees the game well and has the right instincts, but he lacks the speed to cover a WR in the flat and gives up a lot of size to them. He will rely on fundamentals to get him through, but for all the hype that some have given him, he's a role player nothing more nothing less. He isn't a stud, a legend, a beast, or a player in the sense that I see it used. He's gritty and plays solid textbook football, but so do most players at Jax State.
DeQuan Menzie- Menzie has shocked the internets and thrown the whole "when is BJ Scott's breakout game" into a tail spin. All he did is what they wanted him to do. Rehab, play hard, and show an ability to learn the playbook quickly. Menzie has shown he's tough and willing to put in the work. You just don't rehab fast typically from an Achilles tear. Menzie's game is pretty solid. He keeps his hips loose and can shadow the WR fairly well. He is a solid island corner with good instincts. He will give the Tide a good veteran presence for a unit lacking it.
DeMarcus Millner- Another highly touted prospect, and with good reason. He's the real deal. Smart, plays fundamentally sound, and is athletic enough to play FS or CB. He may end up as the Star corner before the year is over. He isn't as physical as Dre Kirkpatrick but he can move and mirror any WR he's seen like he does. He is a cover corner and will prefer to stay out of the fray whereas KJ and Arenas wanted that contact. That will work though because he can give them more of a shut down presence than the others did in time. He is probably the most polished corner prospect Bama has seen in a long time.
Wes Neighbors- Yes, he's still there and probably will see special teams duty.
Nick Perry- Big player for his position. He looks like a small linebacker playing DB, but has all the instincts of a great SS. He is aggressive and sometimes plays out of control, but loves to hit and pursues at the right angles on all the videos I've seen. He is good in man coverage and has enough speed to cover TEs and slot receivers. I really like how he plays from a coaching angle as you can tell he's listened and been well coached. I look for him to play in some fashion this year. If Lester cannot maintain his spot, Barron may play there and move to let Perry in.
BJ Scott- How to put this. If BJ had listened to the staff and started at DB, he's starting now. As is, the year sabbatical at WR has set him back and exposed something that won't win favors with a Saban led team.....he doesn't get playbooks. He is a raw athlete and now at this level where you can't get away with being that, it shows. As a man on man corner, he's plenty good. As a zone corner, trying to play in space, he's not nearly as good. Does that mean he'll never play? No. It just means that he's going to make mistakes, and hopefully they won't be the type that result in 7 points, just a first down here or there. Scott is probably their Star corner right now and that's a good starting point for him.
Blake Sims- I put him here just because BOL's depth chart does. I like him as a DB and I think that's where he's gotta play to be a college star. Much like BJ Scott, he's a raw athlete. He played QB in a spread offense and just hucked and chucked the ball around and scrambled a lot. Taking players like Sims and Scott and putting them at WR is a hit and a miss, and missed with both, but to Sims credit, if he stays at DB, he'll be ahead of the curve this year and redshirt. I think he has the ability to be a good DB in time, but it may be another year or more before fans get a full view of him.
Jarrick Williams- Williams is a great compliment to Perry and together they could be the best safety tandem Bama has ever had. Where Perry is physical and aggressive, Williams is smooth and tactical. Williams is fast and plays very, very well in deep zone. I like how he moves and can redirect on a dime. He plays a lot older than a true freshman/high school senior. Makes a lot of reads and decisions that most players his age don't. For all his finesse, he's actually a good tackler for a FS. Like Perry, I think they have to get him seasoned and playing. In what facility, hard to say, but I can't see him sitting long.
Robbie Green- Suspended all year. If the secondary struggles and they get picked on like they did at times in 2007, Green's issue will be a circle point for fans and may not win him many dates around campus. The interesting thing to see about Green is what happens next spring. Does he get a starting role and Lester benched? Or does one of the tandem of Dix, Williams, or Lester get that shot? Green the player is as good as anyone can ask, but trust and doing the right things mean a lot to this staff, and they haven't always been forgiving of those who break it.
Who is gone?
Better question is who isn't?
Kareem Jackson- NFL money was too much to pass on and he got in the late first with the Texans. Hard to say that was a wrong choice in hindsight, but he'll be missed this year.
Javier Arenas- The heart and soul of the secondary is gone with Javy's graduation. He improved as a corner and was good at it, but will always be the firestarting return man when remembered.
Marquis Johnson- MJ was about as popular as the clap this time a year ago. Now, we'd all kill to have him one more year. Teams challenged him and he took on that challenge. He never lacked confidence in his skills, but this past year he finally paid off on those thoughts.
Justin Woodall- Woodall had some really good games, but had his worst 2 at the end with UF and TX. He is most comfortable playing in the box and really was a 5th linebacker or a second star corner at times. His competitiveness and willingness to stick his head in and make plays will be missed.
THE GOOD...
Mark Barron is dialed in
Barron developed over last season and you can watch him in the Tech game to the Florida game and see a marked improvement. His athleticism is rare and he is just a pure football player at this level. He is young, but will be asked to take on the role that Rashaad and Arenas had before him. I think he can do it, but he will need help.
This secondary in another year
This year will be rough at times. Folks who say otherwise just need to quit fooling you. However, as this season goes on, and they get the best DB coaching in America, you can bet that you see the improvement as the year goes on. Having Kirkpatrick, Menzie, Scott, Williams, Perry, Green, Fulton, Millner, and maybe Barron back next fall will make this spot once again a strong spot for the team.
The front 7 will save them
Folks often thought the front 7 won the games last year, really it was the back 7 that did last fall. This fall, it is the front 7 that will win games for the secondary. The pressure that this team can create will keep a green and untested secondary out of the fire more than most programs would. They will be asked to contribute in the pass rush some, but I think what they can get from their down 4 in the nickel and 2 linebackers will create enough havoc to grow confidence in this unit.
THE BAD....
Lack of experience
Outside of Barron, there is very little PT in this team. Menzie has some at JUCO but nothing at this scale. Lester and Dre have some mop up work time, but nothing like what they needed to have had at this point. This is going to be a common theme early and we will see where the development and experience level is come Arkansas.
A truly unfriendly schedule potentially
Last year, there wasn't a team that would have threatened them on the schedule from the secondary's point of view. This year, several teams do. Duke isn't a slouch, but the talent and offense will cure that. Arkansas is scary if they can't hit Mallett. Florida's speed is dangerous even if they have a young QB. If you watched USCar last night, you saw what they wanna do and how that confused the defense (a bad one albeit). Ole Miss with their thug superstar can be a problem just watching his performances at Oregon.
The UGLY...
Having to watch the growing pains
While it may not be horrible, and the offense keeping the ball along with the front 7 creating pressure will both conceal the pain, it is going to be there. The only spot that really bothers me is safety. Lester is serviceable, but most insiders have said he's not a starter caliber player. Lowery is a serviceable hard working walkon, and the others are untested freshmen. It is a key spot in Saban's defense because you are asked to set the secondary and police the middle. It will be a spot of great interest this fall.
Depth Chart
CB1- Kirkpatrick/Millner
CB2- Menzie/Scott/Fulton
S- Lester/Lowery/Williams
S- Barron/Lowery/Perry
Star- Scott/Millner
Money- Lowery/Williams
The DBs
Who is back and who is new???
Mark Barron- Barron was allowed to grow into the role he has last year thanks to 3 veteran corners. This year, he will be the one asked to compensate for those needing to grow. Barron has the ability to be a FS, SS, and the Star in this defense, however, the lack of capable backups behind him will hold him to 1 position. I look for him to be an All-American and probably skip out this winter to the NFL where he's probably a middle 1st round pick.
John Fulton- Fulton looked good in the A Day game when asked to play man coverage. The thing keeping him from being a serious contender as a starter now is that he needs to learn the system and how to play in space more. That isn't a major issue as most true freshmen don't have a lot of experience in zone coverage coming out of high school. I think the way he plays is going to endear him with the staff and fans over time because he wants the island. When you watch his HS film, you can tell he loves the game and really likes to get the go to guy and jam him, try to shut him down early and often. He has great acceleration but isn't a speed burner at corner. He has enough speed to catch up to mistakes, but may not catch a guy with a huge stride like a Julio or AJ Green type. I like him though and think he's a starter next year or two.
Phelon Jones- Jones broke Tide fans hearts a few years ago but came back around after things didn't work out for him at LSU. It hasn't exactly worked out here. Jones is a bit of a tweener. He is athletic enough to play either corner or safety, but lacks the speed to play on the island, he could play Star. As a safety he likes to tackle, but doesn't do a good job of setting up and following through. Lots of arms and dragging when he goes for it.
Kendall Kelly- What happens when you aren't cutting it at WR? You go to safety. Kelly is really just a spot filler for true freshman and future seat holder Ha Ha Dix.
Dre Kirkpatrick- Dre is a bit of a mystery. He has all the skills, all of them, that you want in a corner or free safety. On the flip side, he has so many mental gaps and other issues that keep him from getting that full pass. With that said, he earned and locked his job as soon as KJ went pro because he's physically ahead of all the others. When he plays, he is just physical and roughs up opposing WRs. He is not going to be out leaped, out muscled, or out ran by anyone in the SEC that I can think of.
Robert Lester- With Green's suspension, Lester is pressed into duty. Lester is ok, but he isn't going to erase memories of Green or others. Woodall wasn't exactly a world beater, but he could find the ball. Lester will be on a short leash all fall as he barely beat out Lowery for the job. He is ok in space and tackles well, but when I watched him last year in actual game time situations, he got lost a lot and was having to get directions from Barron a lot. I look for him to be improved from that version, but it won't surprise me if he gets targeted by Arkansas and others.
Will Lowery- The internets will make a star out of 2 year olds that smoke, washed up actors, and any kid who plays a down at a practice, scrimmage, or spring game. Lowery is a good dime back and is smart. He sees the game well and has the right instincts, but he lacks the speed to cover a WR in the flat and gives up a lot of size to them. He will rely on fundamentals to get him through, but for all the hype that some have given him, he's a role player nothing more nothing less. He isn't a stud, a legend, a beast, or a player in the sense that I see it used. He's gritty and plays solid textbook football, but so do most players at Jax State.
DeQuan Menzie- Menzie has shocked the internets and thrown the whole "when is BJ Scott's breakout game" into a tail spin. All he did is what they wanted him to do. Rehab, play hard, and show an ability to learn the playbook quickly. Menzie has shown he's tough and willing to put in the work. You just don't rehab fast typically from an Achilles tear. Menzie's game is pretty solid. He keeps his hips loose and can shadow the WR fairly well. He is a solid island corner with good instincts. He will give the Tide a good veteran presence for a unit lacking it.
DeMarcus Millner- Another highly touted prospect, and with good reason. He's the real deal. Smart, plays fundamentally sound, and is athletic enough to play FS or CB. He may end up as the Star corner before the year is over. He isn't as physical as Dre Kirkpatrick but he can move and mirror any WR he's seen like he does. He is a cover corner and will prefer to stay out of the fray whereas KJ and Arenas wanted that contact. That will work though because he can give them more of a shut down presence than the others did in time. He is probably the most polished corner prospect Bama has seen in a long time.
Wes Neighbors- Yes, he's still there and probably will see special teams duty.
Nick Perry- Big player for his position. He looks like a small linebacker playing DB, but has all the instincts of a great SS. He is aggressive and sometimes plays out of control, but loves to hit and pursues at the right angles on all the videos I've seen. He is good in man coverage and has enough speed to cover TEs and slot receivers. I really like how he plays from a coaching angle as you can tell he's listened and been well coached. I look for him to play in some fashion this year. If Lester cannot maintain his spot, Barron may play there and move to let Perry in.
BJ Scott- How to put this. If BJ had listened to the staff and started at DB, he's starting now. As is, the year sabbatical at WR has set him back and exposed something that won't win favors with a Saban led team.....he doesn't get playbooks. He is a raw athlete and now at this level where you can't get away with being that, it shows. As a man on man corner, he's plenty good. As a zone corner, trying to play in space, he's not nearly as good. Does that mean he'll never play? No. It just means that he's going to make mistakes, and hopefully they won't be the type that result in 7 points, just a first down here or there. Scott is probably their Star corner right now and that's a good starting point for him.
Blake Sims- I put him here just because BOL's depth chart does. I like him as a DB and I think that's where he's gotta play to be a college star. Much like BJ Scott, he's a raw athlete. He played QB in a spread offense and just hucked and chucked the ball around and scrambled a lot. Taking players like Sims and Scott and putting them at WR is a hit and a miss, and missed with both, but to Sims credit, if he stays at DB, he'll be ahead of the curve this year and redshirt. I think he has the ability to be a good DB in time, but it may be another year or more before fans get a full view of him.
Jarrick Williams- Williams is a great compliment to Perry and together they could be the best safety tandem Bama has ever had. Where Perry is physical and aggressive, Williams is smooth and tactical. Williams is fast and plays very, very well in deep zone. I like how he moves and can redirect on a dime. He plays a lot older than a true freshman/high school senior. Makes a lot of reads and decisions that most players his age don't. For all his finesse, he's actually a good tackler for a FS. Like Perry, I think they have to get him seasoned and playing. In what facility, hard to say, but I can't see him sitting long.
Robbie Green- Suspended all year. If the secondary struggles and they get picked on like they did at times in 2007, Green's issue will be a circle point for fans and may not win him many dates around campus. The interesting thing to see about Green is what happens next spring. Does he get a starting role and Lester benched? Or does one of the tandem of Dix, Williams, or Lester get that shot? Green the player is as good as anyone can ask, but trust and doing the right things mean a lot to this staff, and they haven't always been forgiving of those who break it.
Who is gone?
Better question is who isn't?
Kareem Jackson- NFL money was too much to pass on and he got in the late first with the Texans. Hard to say that was a wrong choice in hindsight, but he'll be missed this year.
Javier Arenas- The heart and soul of the secondary is gone with Javy's graduation. He improved as a corner and was good at it, but will always be the firestarting return man when remembered.
Marquis Johnson- MJ was about as popular as the clap this time a year ago. Now, we'd all kill to have him one more year. Teams challenged him and he took on that challenge. He never lacked confidence in his skills, but this past year he finally paid off on those thoughts.
Justin Woodall- Woodall had some really good games, but had his worst 2 at the end with UF and TX. He is most comfortable playing in the box and really was a 5th linebacker or a second star corner at times. His competitiveness and willingness to stick his head in and make plays will be missed.
THE GOOD...
Mark Barron is dialed in
Barron developed over last season and you can watch him in the Tech game to the Florida game and see a marked improvement. His athleticism is rare and he is just a pure football player at this level. He is young, but will be asked to take on the role that Rashaad and Arenas had before him. I think he can do it, but he will need help.
This secondary in another year
This year will be rough at times. Folks who say otherwise just need to quit fooling you. However, as this season goes on, and they get the best DB coaching in America, you can bet that you see the improvement as the year goes on. Having Kirkpatrick, Menzie, Scott, Williams, Perry, Green, Fulton, Millner, and maybe Barron back next fall will make this spot once again a strong spot for the team.
The front 7 will save them
Folks often thought the front 7 won the games last year, really it was the back 7 that did last fall. This fall, it is the front 7 that will win games for the secondary. The pressure that this team can create will keep a green and untested secondary out of the fire more than most programs would. They will be asked to contribute in the pass rush some, but I think what they can get from their down 4 in the nickel and 2 linebackers will create enough havoc to grow confidence in this unit.
THE BAD....
Lack of experience
Outside of Barron, there is very little PT in this team. Menzie has some at JUCO but nothing at this scale. Lester and Dre have some mop up work time, but nothing like what they needed to have had at this point. This is going to be a common theme early and we will see where the development and experience level is come Arkansas.
A truly unfriendly schedule potentially
Last year, there wasn't a team that would have threatened them on the schedule from the secondary's point of view. This year, several teams do. Duke isn't a slouch, but the talent and offense will cure that. Arkansas is scary if they can't hit Mallett. Florida's speed is dangerous even if they have a young QB. If you watched USCar last night, you saw what they wanna do and how that confused the defense (a bad one albeit). Ole Miss with their thug superstar can be a problem just watching his performances at Oregon.
The UGLY...
Having to watch the growing pains
While it may not be horrible, and the offense keeping the ball along with the front 7 creating pressure will both conceal the pain, it is going to be there. The only spot that really bothers me is safety. Lester is serviceable, but most insiders have said he's not a starter caliber player. Lowery is a serviceable hard working walkon, and the others are untested freshmen. It is a key spot in Saban's defense because you are asked to set the secondary and police the middle. It will be a spot of great interest this fall.
Depth Chart
CB1- Kirkpatrick/Millner
CB2- Menzie/Scott/Fulton
S- Lester/Lowery/Williams
S- Barron/Lowery/Perry
Star- Scott/Millner
Money- Lowery/Williams
September 1, 2010
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- Linebackers
Ok, before we talk about linebackers, let's have another 2 part gut check thanks to the official depth chart and Ingram's injury....
Ingram's injury hurts, but some (Helena) wanna hype it as huge and it just isn't. This is a setback, but the injury never sounded that big to me from the way Saban and others indicated. The good news about this is two part: one, it gives us a chance to see what the future holds with Richardson and Lacy or Goode- two, even if they lose to PSU, and I don't think they will without Ingram, they are still in good shape for the BCS because they can get Ingram back by Arkansas or Florida and still run through and get to the title. As far as how the game will play without him, I think the pressure falls more on McElroy to read and audible more to help Richardson out. I don't think it changes the gameplan all that much. They will still go 3 deep with the backs and they will still probably run a 60-40 run pass playbook. It may change the protection schemes for the offense as Ingram is better at blocking than Richardson, but not by much. It may be that one of the other backs has to do that or they just sit an H Back or TE in protection and use the back more out of the backfield. See, it isn't that major an adjustment!
Now, the depth chart is out too. There was a lot of questions about things that really aren't that important. Starters earn that right, and you should read into that for that. BJ Scott, Nico Johnson, and Chris Jordan had shots at it and didn't win that right. You'll read my thoughts on 2 of the 3 below, hint- I like the move. Scott will play and see the field a lot but what the roster tells me is that he still has those same old issues with the whole picture. More on that Friday.
THE LINEBACKERS
Who is Back and who is new?
Johnathan Atchison- Atchison is a guy that needs to hit the field some to see what they really have in him. I see he's listed at 240, but I don't see that size http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/885/F705434.jpg here. I still think he's a good Sam backer in the future, but Williams has paid his dues and Harris is probably his true backup if Williams goes down. Atchison has bulked up and in time will learn the way to play for Saban. This year I can see him in some mop up duty and in special teams.
Jalston Fowler- Fowler the linebacker is a guy I am really high on. Someone said that I said "Fowler will never play a down", that's out of context. I did say that on offense he wouldn't, and he and the staff apparently agree because he's already jumped some players who have been there longer than he has. Fowler moves well in space and is a natural athlete. He has good size and plays to the whistle. I like his vision and ability to always be around the ball. I think he redshirts just because depth is good here. Next year, he may start if some go pro.
Glenn Harbin- It seems like Glenn has been at Bama 10 years, but he is only a Sophomore. He will contribute in mop up some, but he's lost a lot of ground to younger players.
Jerrell Harris- What a difference a year makes. Last year, he was in the doghouse, lost his chance at a starting role, and was not really a presence during last year's title run even after he was suspended. Now, he's focused, he is playing better at all areas, and he has finally gotten the Will role down. Harris gives them a nice speed option to Hightower's power and punishment option. Harris can play better in space and is a good blitzer, and that is what separates him. Playing Harris inside allows them to get another good blitzer in Williams on the field.
Dont'a Hightower- If any man, woman, or child is ready for football, it is Mr. Hightower. The guy is playing 100% in practice. He's moving around really well for a guy with an overhaul on the knee. If Harris and Jordan/Johnson can hold down the inside on passing situations, he will probably reprise his role as a Jack/End on Nickel and or dime situations. Last year, I thought Hightower was going to be the better of the two between McClain and Hightower, I'm not sure about that after the injury, but I know that he will keep the changing of the guard minimal.
Adrian Hubbard- When every one spazzed about Alfy Hill's departure, I reminded some that Hubbard was there in waiting. Hubbard isn't ready right now physically, but his motor and his understanding of the end/Jack role is there. That's usually the big hurdle, ask Uphsaw and Anders, and he looked good in the all star games and videos. Hubbard will have to add about 30 pounds to be in the rotation, and will almost guarantee a redshirt, but folks, I have a strong hunch that this guy will make us forget those who couldn't qualify.
Nico Johnson- Nico was thrust into the starter role after Hightower's injury. He did rather well when they used him in the 3-4. He is a run stopping linebacker and is good moving left to right, but lacks the read skills to cover in space in passing situations. Once he learns how to cover and read at the level they require a Will to do, he will probably be a starter. I think fans got a little ahead of themselves because of last year, but he will be fine in time.
Chris Jordan- Jordan made a serious run at starting. He probably would be starting if Williams had not come on strong and Harris adapted to the Will as well as he did. Jordan is kinda the exact opposite of Johnson. He is better in the read and cover phase than he is the run stopping and physical part of it. Jordan just needs to get on the field when it matters and show the staff that he can be the Mike they want. I think the only barrier between him starting and playing a key reserve role is just talent pool- Hightower and Harris are just it players. Jordan probably starts next fall if Dont'a goes to the NFL.
CJ Mosley- When you see his name mentioned, it is almost always pure positive comments. There is good reason for that, he's way ahead of the freshman level. He plays the linebacker role as pure as any guy I've seen. CJ is smart and he moves without wasted motions. When I watch him, I see what they are saying about him being a lot like Rolo. I don't think they can redshirt him because he's just that talented. However, with quality depth there that can't or won't redshirt, it wouldn't shock me if they hold him back one year to stack the depth chart right.
Tana Patrick- While Mosley and others are jumping up, Tana has hit that road block that some hit. I like his frame and that he is a north south linebacker, but he's so stiff when he runs. This is where the problem starts for Tana is that he just goes in, he can't really read or move in space all that well. He was never asked to in high school more than likely. If he could put on some muscle weight, I could see him learning Jack, but with Hubbard doing the same thing, it probably won't happen. Tana will be in the spotlight this fall as CJ and others come through, those are spots that he may not earn back. It is what it is. When you recruit championship level guys, some just don't cut the chart. With that said, if the light cuts on, he's got all the physical and mental aspects to be as good as those ahead of him.
Petey Smith- Smith greyshirted and had a lot of hype to him, but he has been silent since he got to campus. When you watch him in the Under Armor game, you think he's the next Ray Lewis. The issue is discipline. He fluctuates weight, and on the field at times plays out of control. Smith is a good plug in the middle of the linebacker core, and does a lot of the little things that count as far as moving to the ball, and wrapping up when he tackles. He just lacks a lot of coaching and will take time to groom.
Ed Stinson- I am not as high on Stinson as some are, but I can see his potential and he plays really well and plays above his size. I think he still needs some work as far as bulking up and getting ready to play with his hand down more, but the intangibles are there and when Upshaw leaves, he'll be a candidate to start.
Courtney Upshaw- Upshaw is a pure pass rushing specialist. He moves well inside the tackles and can rush off the ends. Upshaw has bulked up and now looks the part of the Jack for the first time. He still struggles with some of the secondary roles and is the owner of probably the best all access statement from Saban "if we thought you could move backwards we'd put you at safety". Upshaw will be asked to do 2 things regularly- one, rush the QB, two, seal his end down on the run. He can and will do that most of the year and will be a major player for this team this fall.
Alex Watkins- Watkins just never has bulked up. He is now just big enough to play Sam in the 3-4 and is probably a special teams/mop up reserve right now. He has the strength to play but not the bulk to play Jack and at Sam he's a little stiff and slow for it.
Chavis Williams- Where Watkins has drifted and stalled, Williams continues to work hard. Williams has always impressed when he plays, he just sometimes loses concentration in practice and that keeps him off the field. This summer, he has shown his maturity and that he can be that linebacker they saw as a high school senior. I'm really excited about him at Sam because he's really aggressive and tackles well. If he can keep his focus and poise, he will be a great addition to the starting rotation.
THE GOOD...
Talent is oozing out the depth chart....
When you look down the 3 deep, there is so much talent and potential there that we've probably not witnessed in our lifetime. I think that there are some spots that are a little more shallow than others (Sam), but the 2 positions that are most vital in the 3-4 are deep (Mike and Jack).
Williams/Hightower/Harris/Upshaw....
It is the law firm of pressured whoopass. They may not cover a lick, but the 4some is about as pure a run stopping, pass rushing core as the Tide have had in years. I would guess you have to go to the 92 season to find that kinda talent and power.
Depth is better finally
In the past, there was always an issue if someone got hurt. This year, it still is an issue, but each of the starter has an adequate backup. If Williams goes down, Harris moves back over. If Harris gets hurt or moves, Johnson or Jordan can step up. Hightower is really the only spot that if hurt there is a significant drop between him and the backups. Upshaw can be covered by Hightower and Stinson if needed if he goes down.
The future has potential
Mosley, Johnson, Fowler, Atchison, and Hubbard are all highly thought of and in due time, they will be competing for starting roles and would start in some programs around the south.
THE BAD...
Enjoy it while it lasts
In all honesty, it could be a short glimpse for fans. Hightower and Upshaw are potential 1st round picks. Harris with a big year could bounce as well. The odds are still 50/50 on any of them jumping to the NFL, but let's be honest, with a ring or 2, do they have anything left to prove?
THE UGLY....
Are you kidding?
Depth Chart
In the Base 3-4
Sam- Williams/Harris/Watkins
Mike- Hightower/Jordan/Mosley
Will- Harris/Johnson/Patrick
Jack- Upshaw/Stinson/Harbin
In nickel/dime situations
End/Jack- Upshaw
Tackle- Dareus
Tackle- Square
End/Jack- Hightower or Davis/Williams
Mike- Jordan or Hightower
Will- Harris
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)