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......