Random Thoughts....

Ok, I have tried to do a Good, Bad and Ugly on the Texas A&M debacle, but it is pretty difficult to do in a way that is constructive.  Besides that, the good things I could find were narrow and few compared to the vast problems exposed for 2 weeks now.  So with that, I try to construct my thoughts....

It is time to abandon the Sunseri Cornerback experiment now. 

I have said this a few times now, it isn't his fault.  They are trying to make him do something he cannot do.  In summer/spring drills, he had an advantage because he was going against what are now 2nd string guys and he looked good.  However, it has been clear most of the year that he and Perry were very weak links in the secondary.  Sunseri's experience is what you have seen this year.  He's never played this position and it shows as he doesn't know how to disrupt a route.  Watch the game or any game, his first move is to backpeddle and give up even more ground because he knows he's not fast enough.  That isn't his fault, to be honest, nobody should have asked him to play the Star CB role.  It is a glaring sore to Saban's high recruiting standard that they do not have 3 corners he likes.  That and they can't recruit a pass rusher to save their souls.  I digress....

It isn't just him, Millner and Belue got abused a lot too.  The thing that I see isn't that they are playing any better or worse, they are just not getting away with the gambles they did early on.  That is to be expected as any WR/QB should improve over time.  What has to happen is they have to understand they cannot gamble all the time and win.  They are going to have to actually play the WR and beat him and not hope to beat the route or the ball.  What is clear is that this (number 4) was true whether I liked it or not. 

On the other side, I was happy to see Fulton play the game of his life against a very tough assignment.  He gave up 6 inches and about 30 pounds, so picture Julio vs. Marquis Johnson and how well that would be in a short range matchup.  Size wins.  However, they beat him twice, but after that he really figured it out and just let his game hang out.  Fulton Island, occupation 1 was on display and really he was about the only thing between them and a full on asswhooping.  It will be interesting to see if they make the move and slide Millner over to Star, his natural role. 

I figured out why they don't like Fulton, he plays it the way most teams do and backpedals and face guards.  Now part of that may have been the size issue and looking for the ball would have gotten him out of position to get a hand in.  Saban doesn't teach that and Fulton is weaker in zone than the others because he mentally likes to press and jam and be on the island.  It wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't get on a roster somewhere in the NFL. 

If Bama is going to play off the WR, they need to dial up more than 3 or 4 rushers. 

Bama is woefully short on pass rushing players.  I thought they would miss Gentry more, but they miss all of them pretty bad because outside of Mosley, they don't have a great rush threat.  They can't rush him a lot because they need him to shadow or cover backs/TEs.  Square and Williams are good against the run, but they are hit and miss in the passing game.  Pagan looks good but they keep him out too much or put him inside for some reason.  Devall may develop into that guy but he has to be on the field to develop.  One thing is clear, Hubbard is not their long term answer at this point.  His motor doesn't run fast enough for it, arm brace or not. 

aTm absolutely outcoached Bama

There was a replay that CBS showed that was just embarrassing at any level of football.  They were so discombobulated that they could not figure out who needed to be in or out and were telling folks to go out there and pulling them back and then sending them on.  It was a microcosm of the whole game.  They never had a plan B.  That falls on Saban ultimately.  Their gameplan was that they would get the jump on Texas A&M and their defense would confuse the QB.  One problem, they couldn't pressure nor could they contain him. 

I thought they had him rattled in the 1st half when they started shifting and adjusting in presnap situations.  He didn't like that the safety slid up then when he was ready to call for the snap, the safety wasn't there.  Same for the linebackers, he in his pre snap reads saw them as blitzing/cover and then when he was ready to call it, he saw the other.  They made adjustments to that in the 2nd half, but Bama quit doing it as they seemed gassed and beaten.  It was probably the first time in a long time that a team out-conditioned Alabama.  A&M knew if they played quick, they could fluster Saban.  It worked like a charm. 

Saban keeps trying to make subs and do all this stuff that works if you go to the huddle, but when they play hurry up, you gotta just keep them on the field because they aren't changing their package, formation maybe, but the players will be the same 11.  If you think that the other teams playing Bama this year and next didn't see that happen, you are smoking pot.  UGA will install it and roll it for the SECC game.  Easily.  Credit Kliff Kingsbury for a great plan and having his guys believe they could execute it.  They did all night and as a result, Bama is now outside looking in at the BCS championship for the time being. 

The defense wasn't the only goat....oooooh no......Nussmeier's thought process is going to have to understand this isn't the PAC whatever and Saban needs to choke down the playbook to what will work.  It was obvious that they could run on Texas A&M, all day.  Even when they slid the safeties up, they were getting forward progress.  I in my moment of venting have said that Nuss would be likely told to find greener pastures like Major was, and that may be, but in the event that they keep him on, he's got to grow up.  It was obvious with some of the really odd calls they had that he's inexperienced at calling plays.  Remember, Sarkesian calls the plays at Washington.  This was his first full coordination job and it was on display again Saturday as they continued to kill their own momentum with play calling and player usage. 

Folks, to me, Yeldon's fumble wasn't an error as much as it was him trying to make a play.  He is trying to make a play because they are starving him, just like they starve Lacy for carries.  10 and 15 carries a week between the two is low.  Extremely low.  To me, the play calling Saturday displayed a total lack of confidence in the Offensive Line and Running Backs.  That bothers me....a lot.  You have 2 All SEC caliber guys in Yeldon and Lacy, you have supposedly the best line in D1 with 2 All American candidates, maybe 3, and you pass on 4 downs......This isn't the Pac whatever guys, it doesn't work that way when the defenders all run a 4.4-4.6 and know how to play defense. 

Lost in the sadness, Bama can punt when they have to 6 times a game....

Whatelse can you say, Bama plays well, they punt poor, they play like dung, they kill it.