Random Thoughts.....

Traditionally, I sit back and enjoy the month of December and don't do much football thinking per se.  This month will make me work for it.  With the BCS, Coach McElwain, recruiting, and more on the pulse of most.  I guess it is time to give a little balance to the conversation.

Some will panic, but as long as Saban is coach, he's the only coordinator

You can argue it, you can debate it, but both Smart and Mac are organizers more than coordinators.  Saban is the one dictating the play calling and focus on such.  Just look around at most of his coordinators and how they've faired after leaving him.  Outside of Jimbo, and the blessing of coaching for another great coach and having the ease of a top 15 class without leaving the state, none of the coordinators that come to mind have really excelled after Saban.  Muschamp?  Did Texas impress you in the Rose Bowl?  Steele?  Have you watched Clemson give up touchdowns like lap dances in the Champagne Room?  Major Applewhite?  Brotha please!  Ever heard of Gary Tranquill or Dean Pees?  Chris Cosh?  All his coordinators at Michigan State.  Not a one is a household name. 

With that said, Gary Gibbs was somewhat known, but he was Chokelahoma's coach after Switzer.  He also didn't hang long before returning to the NFL.  You get the point though.  There are a lot of guys who move along, but none of them are exactly making Saban look bad.  So, when a coach decides to move along, that's part of it, but as he's proven so many times in the past, Saban is the only coordinator of this team.  It is why they win year after year after year. 

So Who Is On The List?

I think they will do the token "are you interested" to Tom Clements, former assistant for Saban at MSU and QB coach at the Packers.  Let's be totally honest here, at what point do you think Clements is going to downgrade from the best job in football right now?  That isn't a bash on Bama, but he's coaching the best QB in the NFL and at some point, maybe this year, he probably gets an OC or head coaching job in the NFL.  So, why derail a good thing?  Two, he's not going to want to have a 2nd cook in the kitchen.  Saban isn't going to ignore the offense any lifetime from now so moving along. 

Another name in 2008-9 that came up was Steve Logan, the RB coach for the Buccaneers.  While the NFL thing always seems to appeal to Saban, his track record is fair with stops at Mississippi State and East Carolina, he is not going to be a long term fix or at least longer than McElwain stayed option.  I can't say that Blount's play this year impresses me either.  He's regressed a lot and they have zilch developed behind him. 

The hot name in the Internets is Paul Chryst.  The Badgers Offensive Coordinator has a pro offense, and has shown a lot of variety in his offense with Russell Wilson.  While I like his resume and I like how Wisconsin plays, I don't see him going lateral right now when he can land another Big 10.2 head coaching job if he wants it.  Also, he's not been tested really against SEC caliber teams.  He has wins as OC against AU and ARK in the first 2 years, but lost to UGA and FSU and if you have watched them lose in the past, the offense seems to shy away and get in neutral a lot.  The TCU game comes to mind. 

A guy who is available is Jon Shoop.  Maybe it is just me, but do you really want anything to do with a Butch Davis reject right now?  Sure Davis and Saban are similar in their approach and he'd fit in with a pro style conservative offense, but with the way UNC fell apart and the NCAA issues that had nothing really to do with Shoop, but still with Bama's past, do you take someone like that?  I think that's a pass. 

Freddie Kitchens is a usual suspect when an offensive job comes open.  He did have playcalling duties for North Texas and has a lot of experience in the SEC and NFL which is attractive.  However, he has not been a true coordinator and that will eliminate him. 

A sure pass button also sits on Pep Hamilton and Mike Bobo.  I would like to see Pep do something after Luck is gone before I put him in a real consideration role.  Consider this the David Cutcliffe can you coach someone not named Manning rule.  Bobo's offenses are feast and famine.  They often are undisciplined and make so many mistakes not to mention are Charmin soft. 

So, who is the likely name to get the job?  While the fan base may not like it, Mike Groh is the most likely name to be called in the end.  Let's be clear.  Is he a top end hire?  No.  Neither was McElwain or Fisher when he hired them.  Now, some of you act like McElwain is a great coordinator and will knock Bama's offense down 2 notches.  You don't think this was planned in advance 2 years ago?  Do you really believe that he was put as a GA for a year, then WR coach for a year and Napier was hired as a Grad Assistant this past year and it was all coincidence? 

Be honest with yourself for a second, Bama isn't going to change and Saban isn't going to segregate the offense or let someone run loose with it.  It just isn't going to happen.  So, how do you address this change and feel good?  I know, you want a name.  Here's a fact some of you probably haven't thought about.  Napier is a top end recruiter, and is very good in Georgia.  Groh has a resume of developing QBs from Matt Schaub and developing WR Marques Hagan into a servicable QB.  He did very well in 2010 in creating a QB out of Louisville's hodge podge of crap.  So, all the groaning is understandable, but it is because you haven't read or paid attention to his work.  For "that poster" that will point to the records and stats at UVa, how good were the Fresno teams for McElwain?  Exactly. 

The trade off is that you get 2 top end recruiters and young coaches in Napier and Groh in key positions.  Napier will more than likely be the WR coach and Recruiting Coordinator if Groh gets the job.  Both will give some new energy to both roles and will be great in talent rich areas like the Carolinas and Georgia.  Both have track records to back that up as well as experience.  Napier will tell you he was too young and got to high too fast with Clemson, but his offenses weren't horrible.  Their D always suck, but I never remember his offenses being bad.  Groh's last year at UVA wasn't one to remember, but when you know your coach (Dad) is out, that happens.  I do look more to how Louisville improved at QB and had a QB rating of 133 after rotating 2 QBs  and in one or two games more than that.  At Virginia, they were 22 of 24 in 2006 in his first year at OC, in the red zone- 14 TDs included.  The next year, 40 out of 47 with 28 TDs.  They doubled their output and results in a year.  Can Mike "I could get my ass whooped by a chair and a woman" Shula say that?  Hell no.  So, take that for what it is, he can coach.  Now, throw out all the past and apply 2 things.  First, how much better do you think the WRs have played compared to the past?  Second, if he can do that with Virginia and their lack of talent, what can he do with talent along with a pre-built playbook by Saban? 

Recruiting and Adam Griffith

Adam is the king of all that is right now.  Thursday night, he gets to be in the team parade and will probably get the biggest ovation of the night.  The kid with the golden leg will get the same scrutiny from "that fan" that Groh will.  I posted the following on BOL last week:

For months, I and others who have really witnessed Adam Griffith kick told you that he is legit. For all the poor and misguided links to Foster because they kick and were recruited. That is as far as the comparisons go. Adam is so far ahead of Foster, he shouldn't be in the conversation with Adam because it isn't fair to Foster. That poster will talk about the similarities but Cade had flaws going into college that coaching either can't fix or won't fix.

Most of you got your first real look at him. That wasn't a fluke or lucky day. That was just another game for AG. He's hit the tying or winning kick against Buford twice in his career. Adam is a great young man and is a legit player. As most of you saw today he has a 60 yard FG leg and a 75 yard KO leg. He dictates how far he goes most of the time. He kicks off 2 high and "short" kicks and then belts one to the backstop. Can he hit them all there? Yes. Easily, but the false hope he gives a returnman is fun.

The thing u need to know is all he knows is kicking from a sport point of view. He doesn't have a flaw in his swing and is consistent year after year. The word legit should follow him the rest of his recruiting period

The point in the end is that this guy is real.  He's clutch, he's got the leg for it, and he comes highly touted from every kicking camp he's ever attended.  He's a pure kicker.  He doesn't play anything else, when you see him out of pads, you'll understand why.  He's a great guy and a great team player.  He will be great when it is his turn. 

So, has Bama filled all the slots it needed?  Not yet.  Griffith is probably as big a get as anyone this year because he can win games and change games with his foot.  Across the field was Dillon Lee and Kurt Freitag.  Was this a great sample to watch of Lee?  No.  I thought last year's game was better for him, but he was smaller and playing SS not LB.  He's bulked up and is trying to adjust still to playing up and not back.  I know a lot of guys project him as a Will, but I see him like Reamer.  Both are smart and play space well.  I could see him at Sam first or sliding around both.  Thought Freitag had a nice game and made some big blocks through the game.  He likes to hit and after 4 years of seeing him and Lee beat Calhoun, I guess I have come to expect seeing them and others excel in this game.  They didn't do that exactly, but both guys are big play guys and take games over.  Ask anyone who's played them in the last 3 years.  Lee will be a good asset to the D in time.  Just not next season. 

Terrence Cody was a bit of a sleeper a few years ago, I think Darren Lake might be the next Cody.  Lotta body, not a lot of speed, but he can demand a double down any play he wants.  I am not real worried about any of the guys supposedly looking at other schools.  I think one or two might flip but there are a lot of guys that Bama is in  on that I get the sense that are just waiting to see how the game plays out recruiting wise.  I hear through the grapevine that Robert Nkemdiche would pick Bama today if he were in this year's class.  I don't think losing Smart would do much there, but it would depend on what he did or went as far as how strong that remains.  I think he's a Jack at Bama, but in a 4-3 he's easily in that Peppers class of DE's coming into college. 

The Anti-Bama Thing's Gotta Go.

I know fans will be fans.  However, there is no Anti-Bama conspiracy going on.  Shut up.  The complaints about Alabama being in the BCS title game isn't as much about Alabama as it is that some want conference champs playing each other and others want to see someone outside the SEC win.  The SEC is who they hate on.  If Bama wasn't in this equation and you put Arkansas in their place, it is the same thing.  Bama isn't the bad guy here.  Nor is Oklahoma State.  The BCS is the bad guy still.  Because it is so poorly organized and allows such weak metrics from computer polls, it is designed to create controversy and discussion more than clear cut winners.  However, the SEC has proven to be worthy when they send folks in.  There is also the fact that even when the SEC hasn't been in it, there were years they should have been.  Auburn's undefeated season snub comes to mind after that horrible OU team got in on campaigning by Bob Sucks....I mean Stoops. 

There has been talk of a split title.  That could happen.  It won't shock me if Bama beats LSU by one or two and OSU rips Stanford alive that the AP splits.  That's their right and why they dropped out of the BCS was that they didn't agree with some of it.  Should LSU be the AP champs in that scenario.  No, but some might vote for them.  Their record and schedule is one for the ages and they deserve all the hype and praise they get.  I can't remember a schedule quite as tough as LSU's to be undefeated. 

So, is the conspiracy on?  No.  Just no.  If there was a fair system in place, Bama is still in.  If there was a plus 1 format, Bama might be playing OSU and putting them to rest.  I grow and lean towards a Plus 1 format after this year.  There are just too many teams with a legit argument for a shot.  LSU, Bama, OSU, Stanford/Oregon all deserve a shot at it really. This year has busted the BCS as far as settling it on the field.  There were too many teams that were going to be in range for discussion and while several cracked under the pressure, the top 5 or so didn't.  As long as the powers that be keep the BCS as is, and avoid a playoff or any form of closure, this is what it is.  Bama fans will claim hate and other fans will complain about bias.  That is what the BCS wants, so it is working from their point of view.

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly- Auburn

The Iron Bowl has come and gone, and with it comes 365 days of bliss for Bama fans across the world.  It was not only a pure beatdown of the big rival, it was a statement to the nation that Alabama was better than any other 1 loss team.  At least for this week......

DEFENSE/Special Teams

The Good....

Strangulation in Regulation

Ali had the Rumble in the Jungle, and the Thrilla in Manilla.  Alabama has the Strangulation in Regulation.  Like a UFC fighter, Bama slowly and methodically wore down Auburn and broke Auburn's will by the end of the first half.  They had not moved the ball, and were not going to move any further than Alabama wanted them to.  It was clear from the first play that the Defense had bought into "Never Again" and let nothing escape them.  Even towards the end when Bama gave up 3 or 4 first downs, they quickly ended the "rally" and put Auburn out of its misery.

Santa drops an early present for Millner

Millner has had his ups and downs this year.  Relegated to 3rd corner most of the year and overshadowed by Menzie and Kirkpatrick, he's only been noticed when something bad happens.  Saturday was a reward for sweating it out.  Auburn gave him a heck of a gift with the interception.  It was a poorly thrown ball that missed by 10 yards and landed right in his lap.  The rest was all him.  Of course, defensive guys love the INT run back because it means they get fair game at any and all in front of them to hit and decleat.  Especially QBs.....

Bama will miss several next year but it is great to enjoy them now...

Let's be honest.  Next year's defense is pretty green and probably will have a lot of growing pains.  This year's will make life hard for next because they have been so good.  Guys like Chapman, Gentry, Upshaw, Hightower, Barron, Menzie, Kirkpatrick, Lowery, and others are all more than likely gone through graduation or NFL draft.  The cupboard is pretty thin after this year as far as experience goes.  Enjoy what you witnessed Saturday.  It was the "Heisman Moment" for them and their legacy was sealed with it. 

The Bad...

None

The Ugly...

I'd gladly sleep with a fat hooker if it meant Bama could play special teams...

It really is beyond sad and pathetic to the point that the play of the special teams is nearly numbing.  They can't cover right, they still shank and muff kicks, and you are a liar if you don't tense up when they attempt any field goal now.  Saturday was a life like time capsule of how pitiful the Bama special teams have been all year.  I really don't know why Saban was all over DePriest the way he was.  He did take the wrong angle, but he wouldn't have made that play even if he was in position.  The issue was that Auburn put more men on the left than Bama did and that along with a wounded duck kick gave them all they needed.  If the kick was to be a pooch kick, it needed about 5 or 10 more seconds of air on it.  I doubt that was it.  It looked like Foster is also Australian for Bench.  The sad truth is that it isn't going to magically improve by the BCS Championship.  We may be staring into the face of a repeat performance.  If so, we may all wish to be Bill Murray in Groundhog Day

OFFENSE

The Good....

First Half Fireworks

I fully expected Bama to grind it out and make them suffer.  However, I didn't expect Auburn to sit back in containment and dare Bama to throw at them.  As it was, Bama was given every opportunity to shell Auburn's secondary because their 4 weren't going to beat Bama's 5 very often.  The addition of McCullough to RG paid big dividends as they were throwing often and he excels in pass protection whereas Steen has moments where he can't pick his man up.  They also had discovered that Smelley was a huge mismatch against the AU linebackers and safeties.  They refused to cover him for whatever reason, perhaps they thought his name was a warning?  Regardless, he had a huge senior effort.  I was pleased also that they were able to keep it short for the most part and throw long on busts and other low risk situations to build AJ's confidence up.  I thought he had gotten it back some against Southern, but this week was another step in the right direction short of 2 or 3 plays. 

Trent Truckin....

What can I say that the video doesn't?  Trent is half Shaft and half Raging Bull.  He'll pimp slap and break it off on you and make you like it.  This one isn't as good as the Ole Miss one because the Ole Miss one he just broke the kid down to the ground, but this one is more physical and more indicative of his style. 

Offensive Line Play

Auburn didn't challenge them a lot, but when it got late in the game and they needed to grind, the line stepped up and drove Auburn back play after play.  The sack for the TD wasn't on Jones despite some who want to pawn it off on him.  Outside of that one play, there weren't many bad moments.  They saw a lot of 10 in the box which was intended to confuse them but it didn't.  Bama's lived on 8 and 9 in the box, what's one more? 

Kenny Bell holds on to one!

Ok, I'm being mean because Kenny has to take a Zyrtec before the game to avoid pigskin allergies....I kid.  He has had troubles holding on to the ball, but he knew he was the go to guy and he had to make that catch or else the offense was going to lose steam.  He did make the play and the rout was on. 

The Bad....

Never Again didn't apply to 2nd half playcalling

When the game was 24-14, Bama insisted on drawing up and trying to beat the clock out.  Now, granted, the defense was going to do its part, but one mishap and the game is a field goal game and you are trying to warm your QB back up.  Bama continues to have this issue where they overthink what they are doing and try to play the odds way too much.  It caught them in the LSU game by not trying to win in regulation, and Saturday it made the game closer than it needed to be for 3 quarters.  Auburn finally broke on defense and they got a few more scores, but the point is Never Again needs to apply to McElwain and Saban too. 

AJ needs a timer for Christmas

The sack/strip/TD was a double fail really.  One, he can't go back 3 steps, check 1, check 2, pump, check and throw inside his own five.  The play has to be step 1, 2, 3, check fire.  That's on him and he's played too many games now to make a rookie mistake like that.  Good news is that he gets to hear it for a month.  The second failure is that the play shouldn't have been called to begin with.  You have all the momentum, you have Auburn on its heels already, there is no shame in taking 3 plays to dig out and punt.  Later in the game they did just that, but it needed to have been then.  I thought they got greedy trying to get another home run when the right thing to do was dig out and then go for it later.  It is odd to me that they can be aggressive in those situations but spend the entire second half being conservative in spite of what Auburn is giving them.


 Random Thoughts....

Quit wetting the bed everytime someone doesn't proclaim Bama's spot in the BCS

I really get tired of reading thread after thread when someone gets on ESPN or Finebaum or whatever newspaper it is and doesn't give all Crimson colored reviews and seeing the butt hurt.  Look, Bama is in the BCS title game until they are not.  Bama has done all they can do and now fate has to play out.  Does OSU have a claim to it?  Yes.  They are potentially the Big 12 Champs and have 1 loss (albeit a bad one).  Many folks, including myself, feel that in most circumstances that the BCS should be the top two champs- a mini-playoff if you will.  However, it is clear that this year is that exception to the rule because when you look at Alabama's games and compare them to OSU's or Stanford's or Va Tech's, there is no comparison.  Stanford has played nobody, that includes Notre Dame, and was pistol whipped on national TV by Oregon.  Virginia Tech probably has the most to complain about, but their out of conference schedule is zilch and the ACC is not exactly a powerhouse.  If you put Bama or LSU or Arkansas in the ACC, they would beat FSU's streak for most victories in a row. 

So cool it out guys.  They see you respond, they know that you are watching, mission accomplished.  If Bama doesn't make it in, then they don't.  Not much can be done except to blister someone in the Sugar Bowl for it.   Will it be fair?  Kinda.  Will it be the best two teams matched up?  No.  Not unless OSU rips OU by 40. 

The Heisman is a 2 man race finally

I will say that if I had a vote in the Heisman it would go:

1.  Trent Richardson
2.  Case Keenum
3.  Andrew Luck
4.  Robert Griffin III
5.  Denard Robinson

However, I am the minority in that listing.  It will be a Luck v. Richardson final.  Luck is there for the lifetime achievement entry that Tebow and others have held over the years.  Richardson has given the voters a highlight reel of unbelievable plays.  To me, Keenum's number merit him being a top 2 selection here.  Granted, he has not played a big time team, but his numbers are terrific regardless.  Griffin rivals TR in the highligh reel moments, but his injury and the backup lacing a 40 spot afterwards hurt his odds.  Robinson is the Michigan offense.  Under Al Borges, he has matured and looked outstanding against Ohio State.  If he was on a 1 loss Michigan team, he probably is in the top 3. 

I think Richardson wins the Heisman and probably pulls away this week as more voters get to digest the 2 and their work now that both are done.  I would guess a vote similar to Ingram's will be what it comes down to.  I don't see this being the Jackson/Long battle. 

Nothing sucks like Orange Pants....

The mark of Shula is already on Fancy Pants.  Deep in the red is Derek Dooley.  He has a losing record, a horrible showing against Kentucky....yes, the Kentucky that let every other team rip them to shreds, and he has not won his players.  I have talked with a few folks close to the team and they are really in trouble.  The Florida loss sent them on a spiral that they couldn't recover from.  Their offense is just a mess and the players won't buy into something that won't work.  There are several mulling over transfers and going pro to get out before the ship sinks.  Their defense can only be on the field so long before it breaks week after week.  Sound familiar???  Don't be surprised if Dooley is told to make drastic staff changes this week.  He has to because Vanderbilt is beating them in state recruiting.  Yes, Vandy. 


rlb002 comes to you virus free every Monday during football season (despite what the sorrority chicks say) and makes random thoughts throughout the bowl season and off season.....

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- MSU

The GBU comes a day later than usual, but something tells me some could have wrote it for me.  The game was like watching 2 generations of Bama teams in one game.  The defense looked like a Coach Bryant or Stallings defense.  Stingy, tough, and constantly controlling the game.  The offense was like watching some of Dubose's and Shula's offenses.  Ineffective, poorly executed, great between the 30s. 

The Offense

The Good....

Despite it all, Richardson and Lacy will them ahead

Given that this team was beaten up a bit by LSU and given that they probably weren't amped up to play these guys, it wasn't a shocker that the offense sputtered.  With that said, when Bama had to have it and needed the play to be made, Richardson and Lacy willed this offense ahead.  I was real pleased to see Lacy back to his old self and the return of Circle Button was a pleasant surprise- even with the fumble.

Offensive Line Play

Overall, I thought the OL played well.  With McCullough at LT, I thought he did a rather good job on short notice.  They controlled the line for the most part and kept MSU off of the QB and RBs.  The run blocking wasn't great, but it was good enough to take care of the business.  They wore MSU down over the course of the night, thanks in part to the defense keeping MSU's offense off the field, and as the night went on, the run game improved. 

The rise of Norwood

For at least one week, I thought Norwood had a great game.  With Bell dropping passes like they were hot, Maze missing and hurt, Hanks hurt, White invisible, and the TE's being asked to protect more, they needed someone to step it up and I thought he rose to the occasion.  He's always been well thought of by the staff, but he can't convert it on Saturdays.  This week was that moment that hopefully he can build off of. 

The Bad....

Where O Where Did My Wide Out Go?  Oh Where Oh Where Could He Be???

How weak are the Bama WRs playing now?  2 of the top 3 pass completions were not to Wide Outs.  Losing Hanks for the night hurt because he's been the most consistent and safe bet.  Maze was still black and blue from LSU and wasn't a big factor in the night despite 4 catches.  So, it stood to reason that guys like White and Bell should/could have a big night.  Instead, they were just non-existent in the game.  My hope is that they can be taught how to create better than what both did. 

Poor Execution All Night

AJ was high again and sailed the ball.  He also missed about 4 or 5 wide open targets without pressure.  The biggest worry I have now is that he's hit his slump at a time when you need him to be peaking.  One thing that they need to walk him through is to quit trying to force the ball to a spot and just throw it.  He's really pressing to not throw a bad pass and instead he is doing just that.  His INT was just a regression that he has done 3 straight games.  It wasn't just him though, the drops didn't help.  The poor route running that continues to creep up more down the stretch was more noticeable Saturday. 

The Ugly....

4th and Ungh....

I don't mind the play call at all.  What I do mind is that you put the game on the back of your veteran lineman and he gets ate up.  The failure to not get the half a yard was not on AJ.  On a QB sneak, the QB just rides the back of whatever lineman he follows.  He goes as far as his surging OL mate goes.  When Vlachos couldn't get under his man, and was stood up almost instantly, the play was over before it could start.  It is easy to second guess and say give it to Richardson, but usually coaches don't like to go back 3 yards to get 1.  I don't think Richardson would have made it for that matter. 


The Defense and Special Teams

The Good....

I Wish More Had Gentry's Motor

Gentry isn't going to play on Sundays, more than likely, and he has 0 measurables that you look for in a 5 star player.  However, he has all the things that makes a great player.  He works every down.  He plays like it means something to him, every down.  Gentry plays at the highest gear every down.  He does a really good job and did so again Saturday at just hitting the gap and doing enough to disrupt the play or move it back to Hightower and company. 

Nice Night From the Leaders

It was a welcomed sight to see the leaders on D step up and set the tone.  Hightower and Barron combined for 22 tackles between them and really enforced a no easy yards policy all night.  They both swarmed the field and were around the play all night.  That isn't uncommon, but given how tired and beaten they were, it would have been easy for them to come out flat, slow, tired, etc.  They set the tone early and MSU knew by the end of the 1st quarter that they were not going to get anything from Bama's defense, they were going to have to cash in on Bama mistakes. 

CJ Mosley

While the leaders set the tone, I thought CJ really provided the support so that they could make those plays.  CJ was in on several plays with 1 good arm and had 8 total stops.  He really moves well in space and was a big part in neutralizing MSU's spread. 

Avoiding Disaster

Bama got put in some tough spots during the night.  AJ's near pick 6 was one.  To make a stand late in the 2nd quarter like they did says a lot about how good those guys are and how much the job means to them.  That's something that hopefully will spread down to the future leaders.  They knew as most of us did that being tied at half was not an option they could allow.  The stand helped kill the rally and Bama slowly took over from there.

The Bad....

None....

The Ugly....

Special Teams Suck

I get that Coach Saban has faith in the kicking and punting.  I get that it is all they have.  I get that they aren't coached to play special teams.  I get all of that, but I have a hard time accepting that.  For another week, Bama fans had to suffer through a lot of miscues and head scratchers.  They have effectively ruined both kickers.  They hear the moans and grumbles.  It doesn't go away when they trot out there, it magnifies in their head and in the stands.  So, when both shanked kicks, it was just more dirt on the pile.  What is worse is that the punting and kick coverage are getting just as bad.  Bama's only score came off a piss poor kickoff and coverage botch up.  The failure to execute is not on just a few players.  It has been an issue that continues to happen week in and out, and that points to Coach Williams.  Sadly, I doubt they do anything to fix it. 

RANDOM THOUGHTS....

Penn State fans now get their Mike Price moment times infinity

I tweeted last week that the only coach not asked about JoePa was Mike Price.  Was that mean?  Yes.  Was there a little truth hidden in that?  Yes.  The issue here is more than a football thing.  This is a right and wrong thing.  The issue that PSU fans will struggle with that a few Bama fans struggled with in Price's failure is that this isn't about winning on the field.  This is about winning in life.  Like Price, JoePa was given more than enough chances to right the ship, but like Price, he didn't and wouldn't. 

JoePa's arrogance has been the real surprise to me.  His "retirement" announcement was not the last straw, but it was a small sample of the big problem.  Coming out and saying he was coaching the rest of the season and that was it was about like you or I going to our bosses and saying "Yeah, I won't do it but you will pay me and like it!"  To me, JoePa's record has an * by it now.  For nearly a decade, he's been in the wrong.  For nearly a decade, he should have been fired and because he was chasing Bryant's record and 400 wins, they didn't want to deal with it. 

The lesson here for each of us to take to our kids is simple.  Wrong is wrong.  Repentance is a long road for all of us who fall short, but when it is time to own up to something, you should and make efforts to do more to correct it.  In the end, the wins and the legacy are all fake when it comes to Paterno.  He put his needs and his inner circle of friends above the good of the kids in question, the program, the team, and the University.  At risk now is the capacity to obtain Pell Grants at PSU.   Who in their right mind would want their kid to go there now?  It would be a cold day in hell before my son would enter there even if they offered to pay it in full.  The failure by so many people to do right is just scary.  Just as scary is the fact that the incidents reported got watered down by each level from rape to indecency. 

Bowden's comments are probably closer to truth than anything the staff and those involved have said.  There are a lot of things we aren't being told because if it was told, we'd hate them all.  Paterno leaves shamed and he and the others have earned that more than the accolades prior to that.

BCS Blowup Looms....

Last week, folks got mad about the thought that OU could jump Bama.  Now, folks are puffing up their chests about Oregon.  Guys, there are a lot of things in play here that aren't going Bama's way.  The media vote being 2/3rds will have to change its viewpoint a lot over 3 weeks.  Oregon's blowout of Stanford has them as the new en vogue team of the moment.  Bama fans need to root for Kiffin's USCal this weekend.  That will cure part one of the problem.  Oklahoma has already started their campaign on their stake on things.  I have doubts that OU can beat OSU though.  Injuries and a weak defense by SEC standards will doom them I am afraid.  If Oklahoma State and LSU win out, it is all great fodder for fans to discuss.  However, if either loses, then there is a lot of jockeying around for that 1 loss claim. 

Bama has to root for Arkansas each week, but they need to root them to win but not earn votes.  The question that still hangs up for me is how could LSU drop that far in the polls?  With an Arkansas win, LSU would have to drop more than 5 spots in theory and be 3rd amongst Bama, LSU, and Arkansas.  Can it happen?  Sure.  Will it?  Doubt it.  LSU even with a loss has a great resume and won't fall far just like Bama didn't. 

If OSU and LSU both lose, the mess really gets bad.  Bama has a fair resume.  Penn State, Arkansas, and Florida are the big wins.  PSU will be lucky to win another game, Arkansas has done Bama favors by winning, and Florida is a mess.  The close loss to LSU looks better on paper than Oregon's loss to LSU and Oklahoma's loss to Texas Tech.  However, Bama doesn't have as big a win as OU or Oregon will have in this scenario.  Arkansas wasn't a top 10 team at the time.  Oregon has the win against Stanford who was 4th at the time as their signature, and wins against ASU and USCal in this scenario.  Oklahoma, despite the loss of losses, would have 2 top 5 wins against FSU and OSU, and 3 top 10 wins if you add KSU.  Bama fans need to root for Baylor by the way.  A loss to Baylor or Iowa State could help things a lot.  As much as folks want to lobby on the Tech loss, their resume has a lot of upside too.  5 ranked wins, up to 10 bowl team victories, and since the loss, they have dominated opponents. 

Bama conversely has 7 bowl team wins in the scenario.  4 ranked wins.  None in the top 10.  Oregon has a weaker resume.  They have 5 bowl team wins, 6 if USCal could go in the scenario, 2 ranked wins, 1 in the top 10.  Clemson, just for the sake of fairness, would have 4 ranked wins, 6 bowl team wins respectively, but has looked weak each week and scrambled to survive. 

In all honesty, someone is going to get screwed in all of this.  Especially if each team has 1 loss. 

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- LSU

Well, in life you get games where you prepare the players, and you prepare them to be ready for the game and despite all that effort, sometimes it is the coaches that needed the extra prep.  That really was the case Saturday.  The players did what they were asked to do, but some were being asked to do things that was just more than they should have been asked to do.  So, I don't blame a single player for the loss, but I do blame the coaching staff for their insistence in putting them out there to fail. 

I typically break it down on both sides and go through it all, but really this game was so geared down that it is really hard to point to a lot of really "Good" things on offense outside of Richardson's effort.  On Defense, I thought they did their part to win the game really.  9 points is more than adequate to hold things for a win.  The problem was that LSU's Defense did just a little bit better.  This week is more of a long discussion about how the game went from my perspective. 

The point in the game where I really had that "oh shit they aren't going to win" feeling was at the end of the fourth.  Bama stops LSU with 1:35 left and has 2 timeouts.  They allow LSU to milk the clock and punt them deep and never used either timeout.  The apologists have ran out there with their Shulaid-esque spin to say they were avoiding the fake.  Guys, Les Miles is unconventional and is probably the most underrated coach in D-1, but he wasn't about to fake at midfield in a tie game that late.  He knew his special teams was the weapon that was the difference in the game if things kept going the way they were. 

So Bama loses about 40 seconds from the time Jones fair catches the ball and at this point it is that much harder to get in a position to try and win.  Now, some will say RLB the kicking game this or that, and I won't lie to you, I'd try hard to find a way not to trot Foster out there if I can avoid it, but if I can get down field and get it to a 40 yarder that is in Shelley's range and I feel safe with him in that under 40 mark.  The series goes on with a slip screen to the middle of the field, a draw up the middle and the half expires.....

I take a second here to remember that all over the locker room are posters reminding them of the failure against Auburn in the same stadium and same situation.  Apparently, the staff forgot that they lost that game more than the players did.  The play to not lose style that defeated them against Auburn returned to defeat them against LSU.  At some point, the staff has to realize that all the recruiting they do, and all the preparation they do won't overcome the fact that the staff's bad habit of playing to not lose will cost them championships over and over. 

It wasn't just that series of plays that hurt Bama.  There were some odd play calls that took some of the steam out of drives.  There were penalties that hurt them, some were player inflicted, and some were more on the staff.  Late substitutions are on the coaches and whomever was trying to send players on and off as they were breaking huddle needs a process discussion.  Once a game is bad, if you have it happen more than once it is really just inexcusable. 

I have talked about special teams and how they have been the problem all year.  That caught up to them.  I can't see Bobby Williams hanging around for next season, but whomever decided that they should keep trying FG really is the goat here.  I would assume that Saban is that person.  Really after the 2nd miss, it was pretty clear that they weren't going to get anything beyond 40 without luck.  I never like the thought of losing field position.  I especially don't like it when it comes with missed points.  So, with that said, if you have a 45-50 yard field goal attempt, you also have a punter with a 38 yard average, the likelihood of hitting the FG is size ably less than the likelihood that the punter will touchback.  So, why not punt them deep and keep them deep.  Your defense has shown all night that they can contain LSU's offense.  LSU scored on 1 drive and a turnover in regulation.  Bama wasn't going to blow it.  So, again, play for field position and let your D create the opportunities.  Instead, you give LSU excellent field position around the 40 or so where they have no problem running their offense.  So when I say that I don't blame the players.....I don't.  Foster and others did what they were told to do. 

This post will have around 2 to 3 thousand viewers this week.  What the staff asked them to do would be like asking each of us to dunk a basketball or hit lefthanded if you are a natural righty.  Out of the 2 or 3 thousand, maybe 10 could accomplish this.  I can't get mad when the odds aren't in the guy's favor up front.  It would be different if they were missing 35 yarders, but 49 yarders?  C'mon man.

There were just a lot of puzzling things that happened that almost make you think that Saban is getting mentally beaten by Miles.  Miles didn't pull any punches and didn't have to.  Saban helped punch Bama enough with the oddities of the night.  Probably the one moment where this was pretty evident was the 72 yard punt.  Remember, Bama has taken the turnover and absorbed it and forced LSU to punt.  They should have gotten the ball around the 40 with a fair catch. 

I stop again to reflect on the posters in the locker room and weight room.  And remember how a one armed Barron was asked to play and cover guys that are hard enough to do with 2 arms.  Never again should a player have been asked to be in a spot like that to fail. 

Well, that didn't happen.  Putting a one legged Maze had the mark of fail upon it from the start.  I know Maze says the punt hit the wire, but I can tell you from now watching this game 3 times that he never once makes a motion during the play to call attention to that.  I think he lost it in the lights and when he found it and tried to move, his ankle hung and he stops.  Is that Maze's fault?  No.  That's on Saban.  There was no way with his ankle that he was going to be able to adjust if their punter got more on it than expected, which he did.  Jones had proven he can field a punt adequately.  If he's out there, he fair catches at the 37 and Bama is 20 yards farther.  It was the little things that just killed Bama all night like that. 

The thing that bothers me really is that Bama beat LSU all over the place short of special teams.  Bama mistakes and blunders were capitalized on by LSU and they didn't have to do much to beat Bama except wait their time.  What bothers me is that this team set a mission of championship or bust.  They are now in a bust position because while the Sugar Bowl against Boise or Stanford is nice, it isn't where they want to end it.  Really, it isn't fair to them because they did their job.  Sure, there were mistakes and AJ McCarron was outted some Saturday.  With all that said, they did enough to win. 

I think the team needs to really review how they play in overtime.  Bama has never been a good overtime team.  LSU typically is.  The reason Bama isn't is that they go away from how they win games.  First down is a middle screen to TR.  I like that they are thinking screen and all, and I wish they had about 3 more of those calls to the left or right during the game, but the play looked busted from the start and the pass threatened Trent's future child-rearing capacities more than it threatened LSU's defense.  Second down was the fade to Richardson.  At least that is how it came out.  The play call was probably ok, but the execution stunk.  I would have rather tried getting Richardson up the field for 3 or 4 yards.  Then 3rd down is a 3 verticals play call.  To borrow an In Living Color skit punch line.....Hated It.  Not sure who thought that would work given that LSU covers the 2 deep on every play and gives up the underneath stuff all day, but that is another long process question and answer for someone.  So with a 3 man route against the 2nd best D in the nation, a sack is about as likely as finding an open guy down field.  It ended the game then and there.  The fans in the stand knew it, the players knew it, and all the viewers at home knew it.  Again, it is about asking players to do things that they aren't going to be able to do.  You can't ask the OL to sustain LSU's rush for 8 to 10 seconds and allow that play to develop.  You can't ask AJ to find a guy and zip it when they haven't gotten into the bulk of their routes. 

Sigh......

Even 24 hours plus later, I still am as irritated as I was at the end of the game.  It is simply about coaching and as great as they are and as much as they have accomplished, they have begun to get caught and surpassed by LSU.  Bama needs to start really looking at these types of games and how they aren't winning them the last 2 years.  Beating the pig shit out of Michigan State was nice but they were slow and sucked.  Penn State wasn't much.  Arkansas is always a late bloomer.  Ole Miss couldn't beat their meat much less a quality team.  UT is in chaos right now.  So, the question is, will Saban make the tough calls on his staff and himself to improve?  Or, will they become the new Oklahoma who is always right there but never THERE? 

I know folks will hold on to hope that if LSU loses to Arkansas then Bama has a chance or if Okie State and Stanford loses that Bama will have a chance there.  Folks, I don't mind the concept or desire to see a rematch.  I don't think the voters will let it happen though.  The midwest and west coast voters won't let that happen because of the following reasons:

1- OU probably jumps Bama with wins to the number 2 team in the BCS and wins the conference in the same motion because voters want champs in. 

2- The midwest and west are tired of hearing about the SEC. 

3- The voters have a bad taste in their mouths about letting Nebraska and OU into the BCS without winning their conference and getting waxed.  Granted, Bama won't get waxed by LSU this time either, but they want to see the champs vs. the champs. 

4- Lots of movement happens with OU, Oregon, and Arkansas wins against the others.  The big question here is this.  Let's say OU wins, Stanford wins, and Arkansas wins over LSU.  The 3 way tie for the SEC West has 2 tiebreakers.  It is BCS rankings unless the top 2 are within 5 spots and then it goes down to head to head.  Do you really, really think LSU drops 7 spots?  Stanford would presumably be number 1, Bama 2 but LSU wouldn't fall that far and I don't know that Arkansas would jump LSU in the BCS. 

It isn't impossible, but they need more help than they can expect.  I do know this much.  A new focus and attention to special teams needs to occur this winter.  Bottom line, it goes against the principles of football to be that poor at it.  You are taught from 6-7 years of age that you have to run the ball, play defense, and play solid special teams to win games.  Bama can run.  Bama can certainly play defense, but they can't play special teams.  They have hope to change that with Adam Griffith coming in.  His clip is attached below

Now, they just need to get a coach to coach him and the punter, if it isn't Adam, and help him/them grow from freshmen to seniors.  How much more can Saban allow?  Well, another loss to Auburn may accelerate those changes and this team can lose to Auburn if they leave that many points on the field again.  By the way, don't be shocked if Auburn beats Georgia next week.

So, for those of you who bitch and cry every time I am critical and make the bitch comments that basically say "I can't argue so I will show I can be a dork", for you, here is what I was happy with:

I liked the defensive game plan for the most part.  I thought they were ready for the game and ready for the physical battle that was waiting on them.  LSU made it clear, they were going to run and smash mouth.  Bama answered the bell for 5 rounds and did their part to win the game.

I liked how the game meant a lot to Richardson and it wasn't hard to see it with every touch he got.  The 170 all purpose yards was good enough to earn Heisman praise but with the loss, it got lost in the shuffle. 

Overall, I thought the Offensive Line did its part.  There were some gaffes and misses along the way, but for the most part, I thought they gave Bama enough to win. 

I wish that they had used Hanks more than they did.  He had beaten Honey Badger a few times and they needed to expose that more. 

I liked the screen passes they ran, it worked against what LSU likes to do.  They needed a few more of them over the course of the game. 

See, I can find the good things in a loss......

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- Tennessee

Really this could be a pretty short and simple post.  There was about zilch in the way of good for the first 30 minutes of play.  Dooley's pants were better than Bama's play in the first half.  The only high point was the play of Donta Hightower.  None of that is a surprise because the lack of focus that had Saban mad at the press was an extension of the lack of focus by the players.  Every practice report kinda gave away that Alabama wasn't exactly gearing up for war, like they better be doing around the middle of this week, and typically Bama plays like they practice.  So the slow start was an extension of what they did all week.  They have been blessed that they have done a great job of making adjustments and that the players respond well after the half. 

OFFENSE

The Good....

When AJ can get going, he goes well....

I won't discuss the 1st half here, but it is coming.  It was good for him to get some confidence back and he got it by the staff putting the ball on him to turn the game around.  Then all of a sudden the passes that missed by 10 yards all of a sudden made it into the hands of everyone that it was supposed to.  Hopefully, he won't sit around and worry when he makes a mistake.  He doesn't need to make them, but it will happen and his progression and growth is going to depend on him not letting an INT haunt him for a quarter or more. 

It wasn't Trent's best showing, but it was enough...

With all the stacking of the line, which wasn't anything new, Richardson's carries were going to be tougher than the Ole Miss game.  However, I thought all things considered, he did well getting around 5 a carry for the night.  I really wish that they would have kept feeding him the ball early in the game because even if he isn't getting 5 a carry, he's wearing down the UT defense and keeping the pressure off AJ. 

(T)Hanks for the A-Maze-ing memories

While a lot of folks will talk about McCarron's stats or his 2nd half.  You better start talking about how well Hanks has played.  He laid out for 2 or 3 passes that AJ sent him and his athleticism kept those drives going.  Same goes for Maze.  Maze made a couple of tough grabs and had the 60 yard play early in the game.  They have stepped up their play, and they have wanted to make plays.  I thought last year that they were too content to let Julio do it for them, but this year they have been the leaders of the group and have made a lot of key plays. 

Going for the Kill

I really liked that after UT failed on 4th and inches that Bama went for the kill right away.  That turnaround pretty well ended the night and the dream for the Vols. 


Kenny Bell catches it this time

Bell keeps folks scratching his head.  He has a catch like he had Saturday that was tough.  With a corner draped on him, he dives and makes a spectacular TD catch.  Other games, he lets it hit him in the hands and he drops it.  Bell and White are going to be key parts to the offense in 2 weeks.  They have to be able to stretch the field and make LSU guess at what Bama is doing.  Bell should be a guy that steps up in 2 weeks because the LSU game should be personal. 

The Bad...

Poor Play Calling and Even Worse Execution

This game had all the markings of the La-Mo early on.  They were that kinda flat, and making those kind of mistakes.  With AJ in a funk, they kept plugging away with him to no avail really.  I thought they killed both drives that ended in a FG by not putting the ball in Richardson's hands on 1st down.  To me, and this is just my thought here, when you go to 2nd and 10 and then run, you are asking for a stall to occur most times.  Go with the safe run on 1st down and get your 3 or 4 or 5 yards and then put the play action or bootleg play in after that.  Heck, in the 1st half you would have thought 2 straight runs was illegal. 

The Ugly....

The 1st half was just that tough to watch

I just can't begin to tell you how rough it was to know I had to do it, and then do it.  Kinda ranked up there with going to the movies with the old bag to see some crap movie about a vampire, some skank and a guy who can't keep his shirt on.  They tell me that movie has a sequel, but I can't take another round of such.  Likewise, I hope to not have to sit through another half like that.  I wish I was kidding when I said it was that ugly.  The line got whipped on a ritual-esque basis in the first.  It was clear they hadn't been hitting during the week.  It was clear that McCullough had not practiced much at RG before the week.  It was clear that they just were flat all week and it took a reaming from Saban at the half to get over it. 

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

The Good....

Hightower reaches a new high...without Calloway's help

I thought this was probably his best game of the year.  While a lot of guys were going through the motions and trying to make it to the bye week, Hightower was flying around and getting vocal.  His energy caught on.  Nico Johnson's game kept improving as the night went on as he fed off Hightower's game.  After watching the replay, I realized that UT really couldn't figure out what to do about him.  You can see them calling plays and trying to neutralize him, but the more they tried, the more they played into his game.  They weren't used to a guy lining up all over the box, and as the night went on, UT's gameplan slowly eroded. 

Avoiding the big play this week

After what seems to be a Tide Tradition of late, letting teams score on big plays early, Bama was able to keep a beaten and inexperienced UT offense pinned down to field goals.  UT did gash their run defense some, nothing huge but it seemed like they got yards when they wanted at times, but everything seemed to shut down early and often for UT. 

The defense is relatively healthy going into the bye

Mosley and Upshaw have some dings it appears, but nothing that will keep either out.  The rest of the cast look to be healthy and good to go for LSU.  It was key to come out of a rivalry game healthy and be full speed for the biggest game of the year.  They have passed all the tests they need to as far as knowing they are that good and can play with LSU's diverse and physical offense.  They just need to rest up for a couple of days and then start hitting and get mentally ready for the game. 

The Bad...

Soft Coverage on the Fake

I still can't figure out how a safe cover gets blown like that.  Nobody thought UT was punting.  UT of course knew.  Bama knew.  The stadium knew.  Yet, neither corner played for it.  By giving a 10 yard cushion and a first down, they effectively allowed UT to gain life that with simple execution, never happens.  Take that play out, I don't know if UT does much of anything all night because they fed off that play for the whole half. 

Soft Practice = Missed Tackles

On offense, the lack of hitting results in sluggish play and missed blocks.  On defense, the common giveaway to a soft week of practice is arm tackling.  In the 1st half, Bama didn't play terribly on D, but they missed a lot of tackles and didn't really wrap up well in the half either.  There was a lot of playing through going on.  The offense was leaving them on the field for most of the 1st half, and they were not swarming around and disrupting Tennessee's offense in the half. 

The Ugly....

None

RANDOM THOUGHTS....

BCS Cleaning Up

Ok, the National Champion one of the following:  UA/LSU's winner, Oklahoma State, Clemson, Stanford or Kansas State.  Chokelahoma's annual choke job has eliminated them because one of those teams, maybe two will run the table and keep them out even if they win out. 

While it may be short lived, what an outstanding job Bill Snyder has done.  The OG ol Ball Coach has taken Kansas State from the bottom and once again put them into national consideration.  But the football powers that be don't like them down the stretch.  They get 4 straight ranked teams (2 home/2 road).  Regardless of their final record, they have quality wins against Miami, Baylor, Missouri, and Texas Tech. 

I really think Clemson is the team that has the best road to face the SEC Champ.  They don't have a terrible schedule, but most of it is on the road from here on out.  They are @Tech, @ NCState, and @ USCar with a home layoff against Wake.  They then would have a rematch in Jacksonville with Va Tech.  There isn't a game mentioned that they shouldn't win.  Tech is falling apart.  State is....um.....well they didn't listen to Coach Valvano's speech.  South Carolina has limped through and without Lattimore, they are in bad shape for a game like that.  VT couldn't handle them at home, so I don't see that changing. 

Nobody says LSWho now....

I don't think I have ever sat and watched Auburn just get blasted for 4 quarters like LSU did.  Bama should take that tape and observe it well.  LSU flexed a lot of muscle early and often.  They ran and ran and ran, and when Auburn crept up trying to stop the bleeding, LSU started throwing haymakers.  Is LSU beatable?  Yes, very much so.  Can Bama beat them?  Yes.  Can they lose to them?  Yes.  Bama has got to get over this sluggish start business.  They cannot take 2 quarters to get it going against a team like LSU.  They are a veteran team and they have really rallied together and gotten behind Lee.  He definately isn't the player he was in 2008.  He is very confident and playing without fear of making mistakes for the first time.  Lee isn't a top end QB, but he's that kind of QB that killed Bama last year. 

The other factor is the Les Miles risk level.  With both teams having a lot on the line, he will more than likely want to step up the tricks and risks.  That has been his profile since he was at Ok State.  Last year, he outcoached Saban.  This year, I think and hope that this is one of those games the players and coaches, Saban in particular, will want. 

CyKo done, Steen scrambled,

Bama needs to stay healthy up front, that goes without saying.  However, Bama has more than likely lost CyKo for the year and while that isn't a starter lost, it is a key reserve and contributor.  Steen should play against LSU, but if he can't go, they are that much shorter on the bench. 

Bama has been using a lot of linemen in situations all year.  For example, Saturday they had a line of:

TE- Williams
LT- Warmack
LG- McCullough
C- Vlachos
RG- Fluker
RT- Jones

for a play or two.  They were basically putting an unbalanced line right out there and challenging UT to stop it.  They didn't really stop it.  Bama has done formations like that off and on all year.  They have played Jones all over the place.  They have used Warmack as a pull guard all season.  They need to be able to throw things at LSU that they haven't scouted.  Bama will need to continue to use multiple looks for the Tigers because they need to keep them off balance.  They also need to mentally prepare for what is ahead.  That will probably mean less unique looks like the one above.

Next week is the bye week.  I will do the mid year report card, as is tradition, and probably hit a few more random thoughts as the 2 weeks progress.

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly- Ole Miss

Now the march to the play in game is 3 weeks away.  There are 2 teams that can beat Alabama right now- LSU and Alabama.  Same can be said about LSU.  The Ole Miss game was good for them in some aspects, and in others continued to leave "coachable moments". 

OFFENSE

The Good.....

Trent being Trent.

I can't begin to describe how he busted the pants off this guy, but the video does all the speaking for me...



The O Line gets involved and breaks Ole Miss early and often

Bama made the decision early on that they were going to be a running team.  With 7 rushes in the 1st, and 12 in the 2nd, they were well ahead of where they were a week ago.  As a result, they got the OL into the game and got them going.  It also resulted in the best performance by Trent, Eddie, and Jalston. 

Keeping it short and keeping it safe

There were also was a focus to keep things short and simple for McCarron this week too.  Hanks caught the only long pass of the day (36 yards), but for the most part everything was inside and intermediate.  Both of which are more to his strengths right now.  Getting Williams and Smelley early and often also helped settle McCarron down and get him in a good flow.  They were able to keep him out of long pass situations thanks to the run, and really only had 2 3rd and longs to deal with most of the night. 

White returning to form

If you just look at his stat line, you would think that DeAndrew White was doing ok, but nothing special.  That is where stats lie.  White did a lot of things that didn't end up on the stat sheet, but the more he plays the more he displays that he's the 3rd option for the future on offense.  He blocks well down field, he runs pretty descent routes and he hustles.  Add those intangibles to his size and speed, there isn't much downside to him if he doesn't want there to be. 

Fowler redeems

I thought against Vandy, Fowler looked a little soft and sluggish.  This week he looked sharper, like he was ready to play, and his cuts and burst were much more in line with a guy who wanted to be playing.  Fowler is over hyped by Internet Message Boards, but as a 3rd option behind Lacy and Richardson, he's a great weapon late in the game. 

Staying on the field

One of the little things that is getting overlooked is that the offense is not just going 3 and out much.  Bama went 8-12 on 3rd and 4th down and had 27 first downs on the night.  The 67 plays took over 33 minutes and really wore down Ole Miss and if it wasn't for 2 big runs by Richardson and Fowler, it probably would have been more like 40 minutes and 75 plays. 

The Bad...

None

The Ugly...

None

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

The Good...

Upshaw sits

If I had a spot for excellent, this would be it.  While the lockjaw, paranoid, they're outtagitus crowd boos this, I applaud it.  The 1 quarter sit down was a bigger message to the others as it was to Upshaw.  Upshaw's actions weren't vile or overly egregious, but it was a play that is not allowed in a program that has so many rules and procedures in the process.  He lost his composure and did something punishable, and was.  Hopefully, that is the last time any player has to be disciplined this year.

Once they get going....the going is good

Bama started slow again, more on that soon, but once the defense got going, they absolutely owned the rest of the game.  They choked Ole Miss to 7 first downs after the first series, and less than 100 total yards.  Ole Miss wasn't real good when it got down to it, but they were good enough that if you let them believe, they could be dangerous.  Bama killed belief and Ole Miss's Santa Claus by the half. 

Linebacker play

I thought the LB play was really good and part of that came from Mosley returning to play.  The other part was that Nico and Hightower really were on top of their game and were in position all night.  After 7 games, it is clear that you cannot go sideline to sideline on Alabama.  The linebackers are why you cannot.  Heck, if the secondary could quit having the mental farts, you could say you can't go vertical either. 

1 punt

The best way to keep your weakness from being exposed is to not have to use it.  Bama didn't have to punt but just once and heck it was one of Mandell's best of the year. 

The Bad....

First Series Fapping

Google search it.  Long story short, Bama continues to over read and under react to what they see early on.  For the 2nd time in 3 weeks, the first drive was a scoring drive.  And in the same time period it is the result of a poorly executed play.  Before the lockjaw sets in, Bama wasn't in anything complicated, they were in a base zone (as best I can tell, everyone else was zone) and just blew it.  While it was good that Millner pursued and tackled Brassell, the lack of pressure on Mackey and the breakdown in coverage was more or less Bama giving Ole Miss a freebie.

The Ugly....

Kicking a 53 yard Field Goal and busting up your kicker in one swift move

There are so many things wrong with this decision.  First is that Ole Miss even knew Foster didn't have the game leg for it.  They had a guy on the goal line waiting for the kick.  Second, even though it was a 7 point game, why not punt and position?  Even if Mandell kicks his traditional 35 yarder, that was better than what they ended up with.  The play ended up with a net of 2 yards.  The kick was from the 36 and Ole Miss returned it to the 34.  Third, Ole Miss had called a timeout, that was plenty of time to get a better play up than that.  With Richardson running as well as he did, and Ole Miss sucking like they did, if you are going to go for something that risky, why not put it in the star's hands????  The end result of the head scratcher was 2 yards net, and 1 broken kicker.  Foster kicked one more time and lost about 10 or more yards on his kickoff, the worse news is that he didn't have 10 to spare......

RANDOM THOUGHTS

If there was one team I would so love to see in Atlanta, it would be UGA

Why?  Well there are really 3 reasons.  First, they aren't real good but think they have it all fixed.  [insert evil laugh here]  Second, Grantham needs an ass whoopin.  I don't care who did what, when you embarrass yourself like that on TV, you need one.  Richt needs one just to see if he has a pulse.  Third, there is nothing sweeter than seeing a team in its backyard get its masculinity ripped from it. 

The BCS is gonna have a mess on its hands....

They are spared in part because the SEC and Big 12 have a play in game thanks to the LSU/Bama and OSU/OU games.  What they don't have is a way to get those two plus more than likely an undefeated Boise, undefeated Wisconsin, and possibly an undefeated Stanford or Clemson.  The system that has Forrest Gump'd its way through the last few years without major issues, will probably have one this year and the chant for a plus 1 format will return.  I personally like the plus one. 

Take this into consideration.  Let's say LSU beats Bama on a last second field goal or something.  Bama wins out.  LSU wins out.  Then let's say Wisconsin goes undefeated as does OU.  Stanford and Clemson both lose a game but win conference.  Now, can anyone say that a one loss Bama team is less worthy than Wisconsin or OU?  Especially when neither has a resume worth spit.  To me, that is where the system has failed is that great teams have been denied a chance.  Bama in this scenario would get Wisconsin and if they won in the Rose Bowl or Sugar Bowl, then they would take the winner of LSU/OU.  I think that is the only way to avoid the what ifs that seem to be creeping into things this year.  Wanna get real confusing?  Say that scenario happens except LSU falls to Arkansas who by the way will only have 1 loss going into LSU more than likely.

Don't Score First.  It Only Pisses Bama Off

Best quote by a Dooley male ever. 

Next weekend is the 3rd Saturday renewal and it also is the 5th anniversary of when supposedly Saban expressed interest in Bama.  It also has been that long since Bama lost to the Vols.  UT has not broken 20 points since the 4th and 22 debacle.  There isn't a snowball's chance they do this coming week either.  UT is on their way to mid-tier with Dooley, unfortunately, because there just isn't a lot of heart on that team.  Watching them against LSU, you could see them just break and take their beating over the course of the game.  It is pretty clear that UT's guys haven't bought in and won't go all out week in and out for Dooley.  With that said, my favorite UT videos....



Don't play this one loud in the office but enjoy....

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- Vanderbilt

This was one of those games that just lends to the saying- "You play like you practice".  When Bama practices hard and at full speed all week, they usually look sharp.  When they take days off or do more walk through stuff, they always come out sluggish and slow.  So, was the slow start on both sides, or as Coach Saban said "lacked intensity", a shock?  No.  I think the shock was that it took a whole half to wake up. 

OFFENSE

The Good....

Amazing how if you establish the run, you break opponents....

I won't get into play calling yet, but it wasn't a fluke or a miracle that when Bama geared down and quit the cute stuff and got down to helmet to helmet, north and south offense that they broke Vandy down and even the passing game looked better once the run started to get steam.  Getting Richardson, the by far best player on offense, more touches and putting him in situations to make plays is always a good thing, and after a half of dust catching, he was utilized and the game shifted from sleepy slugging to knockout blow when that started. 

Big individual efforts

After weeks of being MIA, DeAndrew White found his game.   His 2 TDs were both great plays on HIS part.  I thought Smelley did a better job of getting involved in the game and separating.  Hanks also continued to get back up to speed and had another step in the right direction after missing 2 games. 

Not the best game by the OL, but for the most part good enough

As you know, I always will believe that you have to start out with the run to get the OL into the game and get the trench battle set up early.  Bama didn't do that, but for the most part, they were able to protect and get the running game going enough to let Bama bide its time until they could wake up. 

The 2 AJs.....The good one

Last week, I read a lot of the replies and emails, I didn't reply back for a reason.  I get that some want to believe something, and in a way they are right.  There is the good AJ that moves in the pocket and makes plays.  There is the AJ that manages the game and doesn't have INTs that have hurt the team since week one.  He won't lack fear of throwing.  He won't ever lack the excitement when they score.  All of which are good things that make him the starter. 

The Bad....

The 2 AJs.....The Bad one

The flip side is that he makes some really bad decisions that he shouldn't this far down the road.  The first TD was a throw that he's very lucky to have completed.  It was put in a place that only his WR could get to it, and that is good, but in the red zone, you never EVER do anything like that unless it is the last play of the game or 4th down.  If he chokes up on the ball or shorts it, that's a pick.  He could throw it 5 times and maybe gets the 1 completion.  What is worse, he didn't get a lot of love for his play from Saban when he returned from the sideline.  He got a scolding about protecting the ball.  His 2nd TD pass to White was a big throw, but it was into double coverage.  He's getting away with those passes for now, and as long as he keeps getting away with it, so be it, but a tuck and run or two wouldn't hurt. 

The Ugly....

Play calling in the first half

Simply put, when your best player has 7 carries and 34 yards or whatever it was, those are both just not acceptable.  The lack of intensity that the offense had was from one part poor play calling that put the ball into their best energizers- Richardson and Lacy/Fowler.  Now, I can understand that the lack of Lacy probably meant they couldn't just shoulder up Trent and go, but 7 carries for him and 5 for Fowler?  12 run plays out of 36 plays in the half.  It isn't just that.  You have Jones and Fluker who are good run blockers.  You have Warmack who has played much better on the run now that they have adjusted to his abilities.  Vlachos has some iffy moments each week, but he still is a solid run blocking center week in and out.  So with all that said, why again are you not running???  This is a game that really should have been about 21 or 28 to zip at half.  Vandy was scrappy and your Daddy's Vandy and all, but Alabama contributed a lot to how well they looked. 

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

The Good....

Shutout 

I'm not as wild about the whole "we knocked another QB out" thing, but I am wild about how they have only given up about a TD per week.  The big thing was that against Vandy, they didn't have their best day, and against anyone worthwhile it might not have been as forceful, they still were able to flip the switch and choke out another opponent.  This week's defensive stand was more team than individuals.  Florida was more individuals, but this week was more of an effort of 11 to get there. 

Improvement up front

I know when I scan through the message boards on Sunday or Monday, there is often a complaint here there and yonder about how the defensive line isn't making plays or haven't played up to expectation.  That really isn't the case.  In the 3-4, the down 3 are not expected to disrupt as much as they are to create space.  Williams has made some plays, but more importantly, he is starting to see and understand his role more.  Some of the hits that you see Hightower and Upshaw make are the result of Jesse Williams and Josh Chapman.  Chapman has really played well this year.  I really haven't noticed him getting moved out of a lane or losing containment.  Square and Dial have also been big parts in how this team gives up next to nothing on the run.  This week you could see them collapsing down and it was much easier for them to rush linebackers or keep them in space without a lot of linemen in their space.  Their work was most noticed when Vandy ran screens and their linemen weren't in position to block safeties and corners from busting the play. 

The turnovers are starting to trickle through

I would like to have a few more picks and fumbles by now, but the end results make it hard to complain there.  I thought Rodgers played pretty well given the "talent" around him.  I thought Bama started to break him when they got a few hits on him and it caught up to him with 2 late INTs. 

The Bad...

Special Teams Play

Whether it was the status quo short kickoffs that resulted in better than should be field position, status quo punts that turn over after 7 yards, or the missed extra point, it wasn't a game that Coach Williams will put on his resume.  I just hate seeing a great play busted up by a lousy kick and Shelley did that with a full on shank.  The kickoffs and punts, well I'm about to the point where I'm numb to it.  It will stink all year and that won't change without steroids.  The extra point miss and hopefully it stays singular, is never something that should happen.  EVER.

The Ugly....

Upshaw loses his composure

I find it interesting how the POV is always shaded by fandom.  I've read that he was breaking away, or that the guy was holding his leg, or that we don't know what happened before.  The answers to those are no, no, and so?  The lineman's hands were on the ground catching himself when Upshaw threw him down.  It was a great play on his part up until he lost his composure and swiped at him.  He didn't hit him, and it wasn't like he was raring up to kick an extra point, he'd missed that too given how well Bama teaches kicking, but the point is what kind of player are you?  I see Hightower drilling and beating men senseless out there, but he always pulls them up.  The point is that Bama isn't that program where cheap shit goes.   I don't care what anyone did before, retaliation is only what they want.  Besides, this is Vandy.  They are about as clean as it gets.  The truth is that the LT had whipped him a couple of times, and did a few more afterwards, and he was frustrated. 

With all that said, is he in trouble?  Not bad.  He probably will get a little tough love and if it happens any more, he probably loses some PT or starts.  In any case, hopefully this is a blip and not a sign of things to come.  He's too good of a ball player to be caught with the bush league stuff. 

RANDOM THOUGHTS....

What did we learn????

UGA v. UT

Tennessee is not close to ready for prime time.  Georgia will get a false sense of pride and control, but this game was more or less a sign that UT is just really behind the times.  South Carolina has passed them, Florida has lived ahead of them, and GA is ahead of them.  Vandy will run with UT this year.  Kentucky will root for their basketball team to show up......Dooley has his work cut out for him.  Word is that the team is probably more like the 2000 Bama team at the moment and could roll up into a tent at this point. 

Florida State v. Wake Forrest

My momma always said never is as never was....FSU has cracked again and now Jimbo has to pull off his best coaching trick of date to avoid Shula comparisons. 

Auburn v. Arkansas

When you give up yards faster than the national debt rises, your offense won't save you every week.  Arkansas has found their stride of sorts after the 1st half of the aTm game.  They will be a handful for LSU at the end of the year. 

Florida v. LSU

Les Miles is nuts, but he's stomping the shit out of everyone else's right now.  Comparing scores of Bama and LSU v. FL is not going to justify anything.  What was justified is that the SEC is a 2 team race that will be decided when LSU goes to Tuscaloosa.  There are 2 teams that can beat LSU- Alabama and LSU.  There are 2 teams that can beat Alabama- LSU and Alabama. 

Speaking of Les Miles....

There isn't much better in the way of interviews than absorbing the full Les Miles interview experience.  It is always one of those things where you know at some point, somewhere in the interview, Les will say that "really?" kinda statement.  Apparently he has rubbed off on Mathieu as he proclaimed that he's thinking about big plays when on dates.....Ya know, I think about a lot of things, but when I was on a date, it wasn't football.  Well, now that I think bout it, I did used to try to remember stats during parts of the dating process relative to the goal that I was trying to achieve......

Need proof that the Internets lies to you?

Just a midway reminder that there is always a lot of bullshit on the Internets:

Blake Sims will be featured a lot in the Wildcat- Right now, if Sims could be featured between the sidelines it would be a start.

CyKo will be starting by mid year- This one probably had some legs under it in August, but there are two things that were against him.  One, Saban leans on experience over raw talent 9 times out of 10. Two, he's not that solid against the pass rush yet. 

Michael Bowman is blowing it up- Apparently it wasn't football.

One of the quarterbacks had a better scrimmage (Sims) and it wasn't close- It wasn't really true at the time, but now it really reflects how perception plays out doesn't it?  You saw what you wanted to see and said so.

Scott Moore said....- Next.

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly- Florida

After Saturday's win, Bama now moves into the tested undefeated class with LSU and Clemson.  The biggest take away from the game is that Bama can take a punch and fight through it to win.  While the 1st quarter is one that the coaches will use, they will hope to not see the 18 or so minutes of lost composure and errors again. 

OFFENSE

The Good...

Better Goal Line Offense

For the real man of genius who insisted that I was dumb, I hope that you saw the difference when the linemen get lower and drive their guys back.  If anyone questions if the line was scolded and worked on this week in goal line situations, play the 1st and goal from the 1 and this week's sneak from the 1.  Much better job of getting in and driving back to allow AJ to scoot over the goal line.  They were much more focused in the red zone of hitting their blocks and getting Trent and co over the goal line all night.  It was good to see them take a bad moment and improve and learn from it. 

When Trent taketh away, he keeps taking...

This was a big game for Trent.  This was his hometown school so to speak.  He has friends there, he's heard the jawing over the years from them, and this is the only time he'll ever get to play in front of that crowd.  So, when he went to Bama and took away the potential of one of the most dominating offenses in football history from Florida (imagine Tebow, Cooper, Nelson, Hernandez, Demps, Rainey, and Trent Richardson on one team....), he returned to take more than pride.  From his first carry, he basically was in his "zone" and was wanting the ball.  They couldn't feed him the ball enough and he wanted more when they pulled him late in the game.  I like seeing that. 

Better blocking performances by several

Trent's big day, and Lacy's TD, were helped in large part because Bama has begun to go downhill more and less zone block.  Warmack, who has been the focus of much ire by more than just me, found his block assignment to his liking because he absolutely mauled him for 4 quarters.  They also have adjusted some of the counters to work towards his abilities instead of pushing beyond who and what he is.  In other words, they are shorter counters to the 0 or A gap instead of B or C/4-5 gaps.  They also have included more H Back assistance in the last two weeks with Underwood and Williams (on occasion) sliding inside to give backside help and seal the lanes. 

Screen like a pig...

There wasn't a lot in the way of the passing game that was working well.  Credit Florida's team speed for a lot of that, but the screen plays to Richardson and Maze were probably the best 2 plays from the passing game on Saturday.  They were well timed as well, as Florida was bringing 6 or 7 on both instances and they were able to put more hats on smaller helmets down field as a result. 

The Bad...

McCarron regressed back to 2010 McTats

I know as I type this, the big chested homer will caw on about how it was a great win and blah blah fart blah blah.  It was for the most part, but upon further review, AJ didn't have a good game.  In a way, this is good for 2 reasons.  First, it is a teaching moment.  He can be taken to film and talked to and asked what he thought and why he did some of the things he did.  Then he can apply and grow from those mental errors and hopefully not make them again.  Second, it proved to the team that even with their new QB struggling as he did, they can win through the run and defense.  Now, if you wonder what it was that he did that was "Bad", it was a combination of 3 things that most "Team AJ" fans accused McElroy of doing.  He held the ball too long on a few plays, sailed several that nearly killed Hanks and Williams, and he really should have had about 3 INTs but was fortunate to see them hit the ground.  I said this during the game, and I again ask it now but wasn't he supposed to have the arm to make all the throws Team AJers?  Before you go off on a brooding hate, I fully disclose that AJ is the starter and should be the starter, but there were many fans who proclaimed without fear of recourse that he could do it all and open the offense up.  Saturday, I saw a player who was more content with short passes and handing it off and could not hit go routes or fades than I did the Internet version of him. 

Bell flop

I probably shouldn't be as irritated as I was/am about him dropping a TD pass, but I am.  The thing about it is this, if a guy is gonna talk and say this that and the next, when it is time to put up or shut up, you better put up.  When a ball hits you square in the hands, well, it is what it is.  AJ has already lost faith in White, so Bell has a great chance to earn a spot this year and next, but if he can't make big plays, he won't get many looks. 

The Ugly...

None

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

The Good....

Interior Pressure improves

The Upshaw pick 6 was a product of great interior pressure from Gentry.  Uphsaw actually was getting beaten by his guy, but luck is a fickle date sometime and she put Upshaw in the right spot to make a play.  It was good to see all the defenders rally to him and make sure he was finding paydirt too.  Defensive guys love to score touchdowns and it doesn't happen a whole lot, so when they see the chance, they always seem to give a little bit more to get their guy home. 

Demps and Rainey= 24 feet of offense

I credit Twitter for the title.  They accumulated fewer feet than the 3 D Linemen and Jack are tall.  That is domination in any shape or form and for the 2nd straight year, they were forced to be 1 dimensional early and often.  Granted Demps was hurt by a kicker.....wait I gotta compose myself.....and that probably lessened the performance, but it was obvious early that they couldn't man up and plow up the middle- they didn't have a runner built for that- and the more they tried to stretch the run left or right the more they played into Bama's strength.

Helmet popping

I know folks like "Boom".  It sells tickets and gets on TV, but it isn't always a great thing.  However, when Saturday was done, both sides had swapped paint pretty well.  It was clear after Florida came out swinging, that Bama was gonna have to impose itself one play at a time and start to make them quit.  It took a lot longer than it did Arkansas or Penn State, but Florida did tap out late in the 3rd after they just couldn't swing back and hit helmets like Bama was. 

Great vision by Hightower, Barron, and others

I single these two out in particular because I noticed them several times making the right angles and reading the play pre-snap.  You saw Florida having a lot of issues with communicating their play on defense, but when you have 2 guys with 3-4 years starting in key roles, the difference is easy to notice.  I was very impressed by Hightower's lateral quickness to snare Rainey and one of their WRs in the open field.  For a guy of his size to be able to move that well, even with angles, is amazing.  Factor in a knee injury, and then it is almost unbelievable. 

The Bad...

A first quarter to forget.  

The first play was a bust either on Dre, Lester or both.  My guess is that it was Lester since Barron drifted back to support Menzie's backside.  Regardless, it was a bad start.  The next series or three weren't much better as they let Florida pick and prod them down the field at will for about 18 minutes or so.  What I would guess is the most damaging of this time frame is that it displayed that Bama is slow to adjust to two plays- the slant and any inside route.  Way too many crossing routes hit without a guy on them early on. 

I would wet myself if kicking and punting was improving...

It is bizarre to me that folks want to argue how the short kickoffs are a planned thing.  I've never heard of a plan where you kick to the 10.  If you are kicking to avoid or disrupt a return, you either kick it to the back pylon or you squib it straight down the middle of the field with about 10 hops on it.  I would have thought that this week's game had dispelled the myth that kicking high and short worked given that Florida lived around midfield through the first half.  I really have never heard a coach with any defensive background say they would give up 10 yards up front for some thing in return.  Now, punting is consistent I suppose, but it isn't great.  The odd thing is that it takes about killing him to get a great punt out of him.  What is probably more concerning is that after he was hit in the knee, they were more than happy to keep him out there than try another punter.....

The Ugly...

None


RANDOM THOUGHTS

So what did this game teach us????

Well, it sure enough said that the following positives are true:

1. Bama can play on the road in a hostile environment
2. Bama can take a serious punch/attack and weather it to win
3. They don't panic like they did last year. 
4. Bama can enforce their will on top end teams and make them one dimensional

The following negatives are also true

1. Bama cannot flip the field with their kicking/punting game. 
2. Bama still struggles with interior routes
3. The offense does not start or restart at will yet. 

There is a lot of issue with the SEC (L)East

Georgia fans feel like Christmas came early when Florida lost their QB and USCar lost to Auburn.  However, when I look at the East, I don't see a front runner.  With Brantley out, Florida has a much lower shot of winning the East.  They cannot put that kind of pressure on a true Freshman, I don't care how highly recruited he was.  South Carolina has lived on borrowed time all year.  Navy and others about did it to them, but Auburn (who is the master of borrowed time) caught them and exposed that they have 0 defense and no passing attack. 

Vandy is overachieving, but their schedule will catch them.  Tennessee is too young for prime time.  UT didn't handle the loss to UF well and another loss to UGA could result in a very long fall for Flashy Pants.  Tennessee has to beat UGA to have any shot at surviving and getting to play "Who wants their ass whooped by the national champion?"  Kentucky....well basketball is just around the corner. 

That leaves UGA.  Now the Bulldogs will tell you that they have fixed the problems and they are full speed ahead.  That's easy to say when you donkey punch a low end school and the weak sisters of the West.  Their signature win is a next to last West team, let that sink in.  They looked weak against Boise, and weak on defense against USCar.  They can and should beat UT because they aren't ready for the show yet.  They go to Vanderbilt who has been a trap game for UGA for years it seems.  They still aren't a favorite to beat UF in the Non Alcoholic Cocktail Bowl with or without Brantley.  Florida's defense can outlast a team like UGA because they don't have the same wear it down and pound you down mentality or a defense that imposes itself like Bama or LSU can.  Here's the bigger catch for UGA to me, Auburn and Georgia Tech are the absolute last teams that they should want to see.  Two spread offenses with talented runners against their defense is a bad recipe to me.  I think whomever survives the (L)East is probably doomed to get a beat down from either Bama or LSU.