While I would love to sit here and say that the team improved as a whole from week one to week two, I cannot. Nor can I say that this team is not a clone of 2010 thus far. There are so many comparisons to make that have me worried about the letdown game somewhere ahead, that I try not to think about it.
OFFENSE
The Good....
The passing game gets going early...
In flashes, the offense was as dominating as last year's defense. Getting the field stretched and hitting targets all over the field- namely Norwood and Jones- will have teams scouting the Tide accounting for them and should open up running lanes and other WRs.
AJ McCarron had a growing up moment
AJ of last year probably rolls up the tent after sack 3. AJ of this year kept plugging away and making things happen. There are plenty of things to look at and grow from for AJ in spite of the stat line, but one thing that the staff will probably notice is that he kept his head up and didn't fear the rush this time.
Sims at QB2....Ely at Attrition Train Station 1
I don't honestly like either as a true starter. However, if the worst event that could happen this year happened, I would prefer Sims at QB simply because he is enough of an athlete that he can make a play or two that Ely just won't. Sims at QB will also create some consideration to a more spread option look. While I am not anti-spread, I don't like the thought of going a complete 180 from where you were, but that is the best they can do if the situation is needed.
The Bad...
The scouting report has leaked out....Fluker and CyKo are flat footed....
If you have read my thoughts over time, you know that DJ Fluker has that issue. Cyrus wasn't as noticeable against Michigan, but it was pretty clear that he has no idea how to defend his inside shoulder. For Cyrus, that's a week of intense practice. For Fluker, he's too far gone and too damn heavy and slow to change. I know a guy his size can move, I am watching a ton of them do it on Sundays. What is worse, Bama could not run on Western FREAKIN Kentucky! A week removed from thumping Michigan, they looked poorly prepared to play. Probably why Saban was so irritated last week. That being said, I know some will spin their bullshit til they are blue in the face out there as to why it didn't happen. I can tell you anyone who tells you that it was the plan or that WKU is really good or that they aren't used to playing smaller players or whatever lack of testicle to brain answer you get, they are all bullshit. They aren't as good as they think they are right now. Period.
With the lack of control at tackles, the number of passing options drops by 2
If Bama has to get into max protect situations just to save AJ, that will take 2 receiving options out of the play. That will be Williams and whomever is manning H/TE to cover the flaws. That is a really bad situation for the Tide offense because they are at their best when they are spreading the wealth to 3 WRs and the TE/H Back.
The Ugly....
Someone abducted Saban and put Shula out there in the second half......
I know he's a genius and I'm not, but there is 0 reason for any starter to be in their role in a 28 point game. Jalston Fowler's injury is another reminder that you sometimes are too cute for your own good. Fowler was at fullback and got rolled up. His status is unknown at the time that I type this. Would he have been out there in the 4th? Yes. Would he have been in the spot where he got hurt? No. He would have been at tailback and on another assignment. The good news, and it is a real stretch to find a good news in an injury, is that it wasn't McCarron because the depth chart is pretty deeply divided from 1 to 2. Another worry that is starting to creep up is that they don't know how to finish off a team for good.
Two weeks, two quick starts, two weak finishes.
DEFENSE
The Good....
Any shutout is a good shutout
Will there be coachable moments on defense? Yeah, but the bottom line is that they did not let WKU score nor did they really get close.
There is depth in some spots and the talent there is good...
Guys like Pettaway, Pagan, DePriest, Stinson and Dickson playing at the level they are should give fans a good sense for what the future holds. I really like how each of them play and disrupt the play on both run and pass. Their stat lines may not show much at times, but the job they have done thus far has been impressive for each of them to have as little playing time as they have (minus Stinson). I would also like to see some more of Lake to see how he performs in multiple weeks. What I did see of him looked good. Another player that impressed was Fulton. I'm always going to like cover corners, and Fulton is a cover corner. Where Milner and Belue are more zone covers, Fulton is a guy who, when allowed, can basically cut off a WR from the game. He is physical off the line and isn't afraid to lay his shoulder in.
Lots of Turnovers
It has been a while since Bama created 3 fumbles in a game. One thing that has been a pleasant surprise has been that they go for the ball a little more. In the past, they were more focused on just making a play, and that worked for the most part, but if Bama can be both stingy and a thief, that makes things hard for opposing offenses when it comes to planning and strategy.
The Bad....
Soft Zone Issues
This continues to be an issue resulting in Bama not having a top end safety/leader in the secondary. WKU made adjustments, none that resulted in scores, but they were able to find the gaps in the cover 2. If Nico is going to play in space, he's going to have to get faster in his reads and move to the read faster than what he did. Nick Perry continues to underwhelm and play out of position a lot. I am surprised that they take risks with Lester as a pass rusher because I would think that he would be better in center field than Perry/Sunseri would? If Wilson can play next week, and can see the film, he might be scared by 33 defenders, but once his head clears he might like how badly they play any route that breaks middle.
The Ugly....
None
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Eddie Lacy won't be Eddie Lacy probably for about 4 games.
Not digging Lacy's game right now. It is pretty clear from watching his body language that he's not ready to play but trying to gut it out.....yes there is a pun in there....but I don't know that I want him with the ball when the game is on the line. Once he gets in game shape, I may change my thought on him, but right now, he looks timid and defeated at times.
The implosion of the SEC West is on....
Texas A&M found out that even a mid-level Florida is tough when you aren't deep. A&M and Missouri both learned that depth is what makes the SEC the best. It isn't a one deep conference like the others are. That is not unexpected and both will be in the 7-8 win level and probably get one win that they shouldn't.
Auburn's mess is much more complicated. A team that has supposedly recruited well and has a lot of juniors and seniors should not look as bad as they did against MSU. It is a bizarre tale that it isn't just stars and ranks, it is character and fitting the program. They have players that are spread players trying to play power football now. That dog won't hunt. On defense, they have a couple of good players, but they have missed on so many players that there is a noticeable lack of depth and talent. Of course, when your offense can't muster a touchdown, your defense can be 3 deep and it won't survive.
Arkansas is its own doing too. Not going out and finding a permanent replacement for Petrino is going to result in a lost season that has a 3 to 4 year impact. Recruiting is not going to be kind to the Hawgs when they cannot say where they are going. The players on the team are not going to buy in to a guy that may or may not be around long. Why should they? They can go down Smith's path and then have to make a complete switch if they go out and get another coach. It is a poor answer to a problem that will haunt them for a while. It has the mark of Mal Moore's Shula hire all over it.
Congrats to Rich Rodriguez
Oklahoma State got some tough karma from Arizona in the middle of the night. Rod's Wildcats absolutely donkey punched the Cowboys to the tune of 59-38. I get made fun of for saying that he's actually a pretty good coach, he just took the wrong job at Michigan. Out west, he can get more speed players from California and the rest of the region to run his spread offense. He was never going to get that kind of talent in the rust belt. That area produces more plodders and hog mollies. Will he win a title there? Nah. Will he make Arizona relevant again? Probably.
UGA doesn't play Old Man Football...they play Lil Man's Football
While the UGA nation believes they are tough, let's be honest. They are not as good as half the West. They have an undersized defense, and an undersized QB, that wilted last year every time they got punched in the mouth. That test comes in the back to back games with UT and USCar. The thing that is amusing is that they think they are tough. Do you see tough when they play? Or do you see opportunistic? I see the latter because they spend a lot of time feasting on the lesser thans and not much time beating the best of the best. They may earn the title of playing old man's football, but I'd reserve that to teams that win big games and tough games.
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