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......