Ok, I gonna be honest. For the first time since Shula's final year or Saban's first year, I couldn't sit through an entire replay. Just couldn't. It was just too annoying to sit and see a team going through the motions and letting a weak sister look fair. For the record, I made it through about half way thru the 3rd quarter. I will also say that part of that frustration has mounted over the season (minus Arkansas).
OFFENSE
The Good....
Yes...Amare Cooper in German is "Das Shiznit".
He is as good as advertised and now due to injury, he gets to show it off. The thing I do like about him is that he is well ahead of where a freshman should be. His route running is better than several much older than him on the team.....ahem, Bell....and he is an above average blocker. He may not have the straight line speed that White had, but his ability to create separation is enough to compensate for that. He put about 3 jukes on defenders that were senior level quality and broke them down. Sadly, they forgot his number in the 2nd half for the most part.
Despite the Line Issues....Lacy Performed
Circle Button has been getting his game legs back, and in spells, he displayed that he's good to go now. Lacy needs to put together 4 or 5 top end games where he hits around 20 carries and 100 yards. The team needs him to do that because it will get the weight off AJ McCarron's shoulders. He needs to do it to show himself he can and to show scouts he can.
Statistically speaking, McCarron did well
There are liars, damn liars, and statistics. That's what Twain once thought, but in today's time it speaks the same. Statistically speaking, he did very well. The eye test? Keep reading. However, he did set the school record for passes without an interception. However, he needs to thank Mr. Cooper for that streak being in tact today.
The Bad...
Red Zone Zilches
When I play golf, I often hit a stretch where I get the shanks, worm burners, etc. It happens, but the trick is to get rid of them. Bama right now can't shake the red zone shutdowns. They did have 2 scores in the red zone, and that is getting better than some other games, and yes they are 100% in scoring in red zone, but yet again, in the 1st and 4th quarter it was the shanks. 4 field goals in the 2 quarters set the tone for underachievement.
Making a small, bad defense look good....
Let me be blunt. I don't give a flying shit if you think they are good or about some horse shit theory about stacking the box. Why? Well one, they gave up 600 yards to Texas at home. AT HOME. Two, 7 in the box is not stacking and for the most part that's what they had was the regular 5 to 7. Corners don't count kids. The bottom line is that the offensive line is regressing, don't know why or how, but it is.
Barrett Jones wants this one back or to sweep it
The best lineman in America got his lunch stole, eaten, regurgitated and given back to him by a really small and lesser player. Is he the best center in the BCS? Don't know, but as I have said in the past, this season is a down year for football in general, and it is contagious apparently. He isn't alone in the "Had a Bad Day" video clip. Steen was confused and on the wrong foot almost all night.
The Ugly....
Whomever in the Sports Info Department coined "Best Offensive Line in College Football".
It wasn't dreamed up by the media or any conspiracy theory like that. Someone went out there from Tuscaloosa with that slogan. Someone needs a Snickers?????
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good....
Handling the hurry up
It is hard to prepare for 3 QBs and the hurry up offense. It is hard for a team to prep for that in a week. I thought for the most part, they did as well as they could with it. The one thing they needed to do a little more was putting a little more heat on them and punishing them for playing hurry up. If you hit the guy and he wants to get up and run it again fast, hit him some more. 3 licks in 45 seconds will equate to a broken QB in about 15 minutes.
Feasting on opportunities
While they did run a hurry up and they rotated heads out there, they still weren't good. Bad offenses give gifts and they just kept giving and giving Saturday night. The thing that is important is that you have to execute when the time comes. For the most part, Bama did.
Dee Millner likes SEC QBs
He definitely has come out of the shadows of Dre and Menzie with a bang and probably had his best game of the year Saturday. The thing he is doing better than he did in the past is that he is getting into the routes and blowing things up before the ball leaves the QBs hand more. Teams are throwing at him because they have seen on film that he gambles. Teams are missing the part where he recovers and picks bad passes. The good passes thus far have been few and more to Belue in between.
Youth Movement Grows
There was a lot of PT for guys that I have been high on for weeks. Pettaway and Pagan played a lot of minutes Saturday. Some of this was from Ivory's injury. Most of it was because they rush and disrupt better than Dial and Square are right now. Don't be shocked if by the end of the year it isn't Hubbard/Williams/Pagan/Square (or flip Pagan and Square).
The Bad....
The Blahs caught up to the Defense too...
The spin will never end from some about how Bama never plays well before the bye week, or they don't play well after a bye week, or they never play well on a Saturday following a Friday where there was a Tuesday with a even number......Playing blah is what it is. It is about leadership, it is about maturity, and it is about desire. The defense started out strong. Got lax, got back on track and then spent the better part of the late 3rd and 4th quarters struggling to get off the field.
The Ugly....
Nearly 50% on 3rd down, and perfect on 4th
It didn't burn them real bad, but Ole Miss isn't that good. Texas, for what it is worth, held them to 25% on 3rd and 50% on 4th.
RANDOM THOUGHTS.....
Keeping me accountable
http://rlb002-thegoodthebadtheugly.blogspot.com/2012/07/10-things-you-might-not-believe-now-but.html#comments
In the summer, I said there were 10 things you might not believe. I am on pace for 7, missing on 2, and 1 is still to be seen. I missed on McElwain. I thought Nuss would add some wrinkles and make things flow just as good. That hasn't been the case all year and they seem to have abandoned the TE in the passing game.
I also have probably missed on the Secondary, but the best QB they have seen will be a NFL WR. I also may have missed on Steen, but it says a lot that there is not an adequate backup there after 5 years of recruiting.
Yes....Arkansas is the black plague of football
Only John L Smith can make Mike DuBose look good.
The East will be decided by Saturday.....maybe.....
The thing to watch is how Florida does. Of course, either UGA or USCar will lose so that leaves that winner and Florida. A bad loss by a young but tested Florida could all but seal it up for the winner of the other game. For most of us, the best thing that could happen is Florida wins and faces the winner of UGA/USCar to finish things off. It works because LSU loses. So Saturday, many Bama fans need to be Gator fans.
I say it again....
College football is down this year. I do wonder, if you take the 2010 team, put it on this schedule against these teams, do they do better? Likewise, if you take this team and play the 2010 schedule with Mallett, Cam, and USCar being as solid as they were, could they do as well? That is interesting discussion on an off week.....
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