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.
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