With visions of turkey dancing on my mind, I take a moment to give thanks that I can log on here and see arguements about Corey Smith and who's bitch is who's....
Best since 1985
Here's a fun discussion, who is the best at what position since 1985? Here's my top 5s for each. Yes it is a slow week....Here is the criteria- W/L, stats, victories over AU, UT, LSU, etal.
Quarterback
1. Jay Barker. There will be this theory that he's not 1 because his freshman and sophomore year statistically were poor. That's a true statement, but with a defense like the 91-92 teams had, he didn't have to do much. Also, when Mal Moore is your coach, do you really expect greatness? The bottom line is he never lost to UT, AU, or LSU. His stat lines were good in the end because Homer taught him the way, but the W/L matters more.
2. Gary Hollingsworth. Won an SEC championship, beat UT, but not Auburn. Was statistically probably one of the best QBs on the team.
3. Brodie Croyle. Statistically, he is the best in class. Win and loss, not quite so much. If he had beaten Auburn once, he probably finishes 2nd to me, but he didn't. He also stayed on his back or on a sling a lot.
4. Tyler Watts. I'm a homer for Watts really. However, he's a big cog in the SEC title in 99 and beating UT and the 10 win season in 02. The thing about him is that he had heart and gave it every play. His career is embodied in the Milons reverse where he hunts 2 UF defenders and clears them out of the lane so that Freddie houses it.
5. Mike Shula. He was more grit than talent if you really get down to it. He was one of the better field generals in Bama's time and lead Bama to 2 last second wins vs. UGA and AU. Statistically, he was tops on the list until Croyle came along.
Honorable Mention- Freddie Kitchens Zow, and JPW, who if he wins Saturday could have a valid case for number 5.
Worst QBs- Brandon Avalos, Brian Burgdorf, Spencer Pennington, Marc Guillon, Lance Tucker
Running Back
1. Bobby Humphrey. No one player has ever been more dominant on the offensive side of the ball in the modern era at Bama than Humphrey. His stats, great games, wins over UT, AU, LSU, were all large and the biggest thing was he was a bruiser as well as a sprinter.
2. Shaun Alexander. Stats wise, he's the top of the chart, but he also was feast and famine. He has an SEC title and the rushing records, but if you watch him and Humphrey side by side, there is no comparison to me that he's not quite as good. Not saying he sucks, but Humphrey was a horse every Saturday.
3. Sherman Williams & Derrick Lassic. The tie goes to these two because they practically worked together every year. Williams was the scatback and Lassic was the north south runner. Both had excellent careers in both wins and stats and big games.
5. Dennis Riddle. May be a shocker for the stat junkies and younger folks that Darby isn't here, but Riddle was just as good and had big plays in big games and wins over Auburn and UT (1994).
HM- Darby, Sh Williams, S Stacy, G Coffee, G Jelks
Worst- Shaun Bohannon
Wide Receivers and TEs
1. David Palmer. No brainer here. The most dynamic player of the 90s led the Tide to big wins and a NC in many ways. Had about as many TDs and kids, but that doesn't detract to his greatness as a player.
2. Al Bell. Those of you younger than say 20, probably don't know Bell, but Al was a catch magnet in the 80s and caught the winning TD against UGA.
3. Freddie Milons. The system made him great, but when the ball was in his hands, good things usually happened. He was probably the 3rd best return man of the period behind Palmer and Arenas.
4. DJ Hall. Stats push him this high, his demeanor and play push him downward.
5. Toderick Malone. He was Barker's go to man in 94 and a real vertical threat his time at Bama.
Top TE- Patrick Hape & Howard Cross.
Worst- Zeke Knight but in his defense, he shouldn't have played WR. Pierre Goode, fast as fleas but hands of rock.
Offensive Line
1. Chris Samuels. He was just as dominant in the huddle as on the field. When you took him out of the equation, they weren't as good or as confident.
2. Andre Smith. Dre is a rare find at any level when you consider he started from day one and was ready.
3. Evan Mathis. He wasn't as big a name as Smiley or Britt, but he was a better ball player.
4. Antoine Caldwell. He's the best OL talent wise since Samuels because he can play all 5 spots if needed.
5. Larry Rose & Neighbors. Back when linemen didn't weigh 300 pounds or have to be 6-6 to play it and were in shape and mean, these two were fine as you could find.
HM- A Ephraim, Smiley, Britt, Patterson
Worst- Von Ewing (biggest waste of scholarship ever when you look at the names you could have gotten), Lannis Baxley, Charlie Dare, Bart Raulston, you know what, the list is extremely long.
Defensive Line
1. John Copeland. I think some kinda kick his name a bit because he had Eric Curry next to him a lot, but I think that defense would have been just as good with just Copeland.
2. Eric Curry. Same for Curry as with Copeland, he was a beast on his own.
3. Jarrett Johnson. Morehead and King got all the recruiting hype, but this guy was the lunch pale, I'll kick your ass guy that made those defenses good.
4. Michael Myers. By far the best pound for pound lineman in a while. He did what Cody is doing plus got to the QB on a regular basis. He'd be higher if he hadn't messed up with the NCAA.
5. Kindal Morehead. He was undersized but was a pure rush end and had a motor that ran 4 quarters.
HM- Antwan Odom, Mark Anderson, Kenny King
Worst- Loescher. What a worthless turd he was off field.
Linebackers
1. Cornelius Bennett. If you are from the ESPN SportsCenter culture that says sacks make you a great player, he wouldn't be on the top of the list, but as far as being the most well rounded player, he was it.
2. Derrick Thomas. The all time leader in a lot of categories, and owner of one of the finest games I've ever seen v. PSU.
3. DeMeco Ryans. A true throwback player to the days of Jordan and Lowe for sure. I just wonder how good he'd been if Kines put him at MLB?
4. Wayne Davis. A name forgotten because of McCants and the top 2 there, but this guy was just as good as Ryans in a lot of ways.
5. Antonio London. Another name forgotten because of those around him, but this guy was the ultimate OLB in the 90s. Always around the ball, always around the QB, and always in position.
HM- Roach, R McClain
Worst- You know, my memory is fuzzy because I can't put my finger on one. Maybe you can refresh me?
Defensive Back
1. George Teague. Langham got press, but Teague was the reason he could gamble. This is the guy that your kids need to watch and learn from.
2. John Mangum. John was a coach's favorite at all levels because he hustled every down and probably touched more footballs in 4 years than 3 defensive backs combined.
3. Antonio Langham. Despite how his career at Bama ended, he was one of the last great cover corners they've had.
4. Tommy Johnson. Another member of the 92 defense mostly forgotten, but this guy was just as good as the rest of the pack. He just didn't have the stat lines they did.
5. Kermit Kendrick. The 80s secondaries are kinda no name for the most part, but Kendrick was a fine DB to compliment the front 7 those teams had.
HM- Peprah, Harper, S Castille
Worst- Kecalf Bailey and the whole host that came through from 1998-2001ish.
Special Teams
1. Van Tiffin. Need I say more?
2. Daniel Pope. When you hit around 44 per kick, you are a game changer.
3. Phillip Doyle. Every bit as good as Tiffin just didn't have the game winners he did.
4. Lane Bearden. Toughest kicker I ever saw.
5. Michael Proctor. A true big legged kicker for the championship teams.
HM- Chris Mohr.
Worst- Hamp, Tank, and about everyone that punted for Curry.
Coaches
Keep in mind, Bear has already passed away by 1985.
1. Gene Stallings. He won, won a lot, didn't do it pretty or clean exactly, but you can't put anyone above the guy who has a championship ring.
2. Nick Saban. No other coach has had the fanfare or the results.
3. Ray Perkins. Perkins was an ass to people, but that doesn't take away from the turn around job he did. I still think he'd won a championship if he hadn't left.
4. Mike Dubose. You'll see his name twice....
5. Bill Curry. Ugh, the coaches have been that bad haven't they?
Worst- Any coach named Mike can be here.
November 29, 2008
November 17, 2008
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- MSU
When Coach Saban puts the challenge out to fans to be loud, to summarize in PG format, there is only one thing to do. You send the RLB 3 down to step up for the crowd. Yeah, we'd been there if he'd said sit your asses at home and leave the stadium empty. I'll say this, things have changed a bit when you go to a game from when I first went 25 years ago, but I digress....
The Good...
The fans got loud for a change
Bryant Denny has a habit of sounding more like a Country Club bar than a football stadium at times. Season ticket holders will balk and say they yell and blah blah blah blah blah, but we've all sat at home and can confess, when the stadium is loud, you know it, when it is not, you know it too. I really wish that it could be that noisy and up tempo each home game. We'll see if the mold is broken or if it was a special guest appearance by the fans. It was colder than a well digger's ass, but I didn't give a shit either.
Defense keeps things in check
The biggest winner of the night was Bama's defense, again, because they pretty well clogged up and shut down Mississippi State for all but about 3 series. On those three, one was the TD, the other two stalled out thanks to MSU's lack of execution. The rest of the game the defense really flexed its muscle for the national television audience. They aren't flashy, and they aren't like the 92 or any host of the 70s defenses, but they can win games like all those did. The biggest thing this defense does is they move well to the ball. Sitting in the stands, you could see all the safeties and linebackers flow to the play and not get frozen on their assignments. In the past, the defenders would stick to their assignment even if the play had already been put in motion and their guy wasn't the play. Rashad Johnson and Rolando McClain are a big part of this, as well as the growth of Hightower, of course ridding themselves of Marcus Carter didn't hurt matters because Woodall and the others really hunt the ball every play.
Special Teams
It isn't normal for them to be here, but against MSU, they did have their best game of the year. Taking out Arenas's touchdowns, which were great but you can't use that to evaluate because it won't happen every week, the key was keeping Pegues bottled up as well as possible. The punts were high and kept things in play, the field goal kicking was straight (hallelujah!), and the coverage units had minimal mistakes (Prince Hall's nub arm tackle was it). For once, the special teams led the way and didn't keep the game in play for the opponent.
Sightings
There was a Darius Hanks sighting or three, and the Internets will buzz about him again, there was a Griffin sighting, and he'll be there with Darrah on the Internets, and we saw a whole host of backups doing some mop up work. That's always good because you can see what a player has in actual game situations and not just on A Day. I thought most mentioned and participated looked good. Boswell has real big potential at RT, Vlachos did fine with the center/quarterback exchange and the shotgun snaps were okay, you could tell he was excited to play. Griffin is a nice north south runner that may get more looks if Upchurch and Grant have issues.
Arenas time
The MSU game reminded me a lot of the Tulane game. The offense was under performing and the defense was getting left out on the field a bit too much, but Arenas generated the offense for them. It isn't a great plan to live on, but when it works, it works. The thing that I notice is when Arenas has a return, he's usually got Marquis Johnson leading him to the seam. Both returns had Johnson at convoy running him to the gap and in the past few weeks where Arenas has struggled, he's been on his own. I don't necessarily think Johnson lead blocking was the difference, but it seemed to help Arenas calm down and not press as much to see another player make the gap and him follow suit. I do think that Arenas knew his leash was short and the returnman role was not his in stone. Sometimes, that will motivate you more than anything else is knowing you can lose your job.
Bobby Greenwood
Some folks want Zo Washington to start, some want Dareus, some want Santa Claus or whomever. That's just the way fans are, they always want the backup to be the man. See Bobby Greenwood. Here's the guy who was a big splash as a freshman, but then had a sophomore slump, played out of position his junior year, and this summer everyone was going to beat him out. You could roll out the post logs across the Internets to find nobody wanted him to start long if at all, because he had underperformed. Well, thankfully, football is played on the field still and not in the minds of some. The big things for Greenwood aren't surprising as far as why he's stepped up. One, he's back at rush end where he needed to be all along. He, like Gilberry before him, are not guys that can play inside the tackle because their frames and style aren't made for that. Second, he's a senior and he knows this is it, his name and mark will be remembered for the 12-14 games he plays this year. So, when you see him playing all out, it isn't a surprise, it is just getting the right guy in the right spot.
The Bad...
Offensive Line play
I don't know who the end was that played against Andre Smith was, but the guy probably upped his stock because he whipped Smith a good bit of the night. MSU is physical, no questioning that, and they know how to play, but then there is the fact that this defense is bottom feeding in the SEC. This is the defense that gave up 500 yards and a slew of points to Georgia Tech, 400 to LSU, and so on. There wasn't a valid excuse as to why the OL could not get things done. Don't try the crowding the box routine, that doesn't explain why Wilson got flushed out seemingly all game long, nor should you say that the DL was that good, they weren't. It was just a bad night for the OL, no sugar coating about it.
The stadium couldn't swallow McCoy fast enough
I don't know if he'll be benched or put in a lower role. I do know that the staff's patience with him is worn thin. McCoy is just one of those guys that looks good in practice, but when the lights and the roar of the crowd hits him, he wilts. Call it the Zeke Knight complex, he always was great in practice and then in the game he couldn't catch crabs at a crab shack. He isn't alone, but he is the starter on the WR core and he could stand to have a game that justifies him being that player. If you need proof of what I'm saying, why do you think they are courting every big name WR prospect? It isn't depth, they're hunting playmakers and Bama is way short at WR in playmakers. That includes Gibson, Maze, McCoy, and the rest.
The Ugly...
Post Game show
I am starting to see why fans at other schools say Bama fans are whiners. Bama gets a win over a MSU program that really was a big boulder off its back. They are 1 game away from a perfect regular season. What do fans want to talk about on the radio? Florida. Geez. I guess the Iron Bowl needs to be canceled and just let Bama have a 1-0 win. I doubt UGA would tell you they are easy this morning. What's worse is that the calls weren't about that game but more about complaining about "respect" and how they should beat Florida. I did get amused that nobody wanted to ask Stewart a question, it is a waste of time because he's useless, but really how many times can you ask Tyler Watts about that game when Auburn, your most hated rival, the team that has beaten Alabama 6 straight, the team that stands between you and destiny, etal. is right there ahead of you? Just curious because I haven't even started looking at Florida yet.
One big empty patch in the stadium
Kinda like a hideous mole on an otherwise hot chick, it pissed me off. Going off rumor and assumptions, I'm guessing it was the "block" of the frat in question. Now, there may be valid issues involved in it, but that's not real important if your frat/sorority is built on school spirit and involvement. You suck it up and deal with the politics Monday thru Friday, but on Saturday when America watches Alabama, you better see a united Damn front. I guess things have changed since I went to school because the frats usually dealt with the business internally and the school and athletic programs never really had to deal with much or knew about it. Greek justice used to be swift and unmerciful, that must be antiquated like looking for the ball, and going to the game to watch the game.
Random Thoughts
Gameday has changed a lot over 25 years. I enjoyed the Walk of Champions and the entire atmosphere that brings to the game. The players seem to enjoy the moment too, which is key. I do hope that they keep it special and not just a thing you do before the game. Don't think that happens, ask Clemson how cheap the walk is now. Dabo had to make it special again since he took over because some didn't even follow the ritual, they just went on down in waves, not as a team, and it left a lot to be desired by fans' expectations. The one thing that bothered me, and maybe it was just where I was, was the number of roaming around fans there were. Like I said, it might have just been where I was, but it seemed like I was having to reorganize and move to let people in and out most of the night. My family and I were entertained by the drunk in U4 that decided to show us his ass crack and dance. He summarily pissed off the guy under the rail that he was grinding on and was escorted out. Drunks were nothing new to BDS, but they used to be contained to their seats and didn't roam as much. I guess when you add seats, you add to the atmosphere? One other thought, when they add another 10,000 seats, they'll have to develop a bypass or more lanes for 59/20 because it took 3 hours to get to Birmingham. I hope that is in the works down there because it is a real problem for a road system that is already in poor shape.
Now, about Florida. I took a second to think on them and after watching the highlights of them v. USCar, I can understand why the media thinks they can beat Bama. I think anyone who says they can't is probably the only people in the conversation not keeping it real. Instead of the reasons why Bama could lose, I'll tell you how you beat Florida. (Cutting out the typical givens like not turning it over, playing mistake free, etc.)
First, you better be ready to pressure them. You can't zone out Tebow and the option game. You have to force them to pitch or run the play faster by pressuring off the ends. If your DE's can do it, then you can leave the LBs off in space to corral the play. If you have to send the linebackers, you will have to do it with the faster options and it will need to come through the ends and not up the gaps in the line because the option moves away from the gaps and puts those blitzers out of position fast. They also tend to tip their hand faster and give the QB a chance to check out of the play or make his decision on the hand off. So, you must go off the ends and clog the middle with your down linemen. The middle shouldn't be an issue with Cody and Chapman and Dareus there, but the outside might cause a problem because Arenas or Sharrief can't bring down Tebow alone.
Second, when the spread goes to pass mode, you still must pressure. However, a zone blitz is highly effective because the speed that Florida brings is going to make it hard for Bama defenders to keep up step by step. It also can fool the QB into seeing something that isn't really there because he won't see a lineman or linebacker sliding back into the flat.
Third, on offense, you can't let a deficit get to you. If you are down 10 or more to them, early, you can't abandon the basics of who you are. I see teams do this a lot with Florida and Texas Tech. It is a true statement that their offenses are their best defense because they change the game in a hurry at times. Staying to what you do best is going to be the best way to survive and win. Bama can't go into a pass on all downs mode and expect to win. Bama must establish the run and run between the tackles because Florida's speed is going to force it middle. Running straight ahead neutralizes the speed and gives you some chances to pop the backers and safeties in the jaw. That usually slows them down after about 5 or 6 good licks. Running to the outside only plays into the Gators strength and gives them momentum.
Last, you cannot let the speed get to you. Yes, they are fast. Yes, they can turn a 2 yard play into a long touchdown. Yes, they are that good on both sides of the ball. However, if you play sound and play how you have played all season, that speed will stay in front of you. You beat speed by keeping it in front of you and not chasing after it. Alabama can't out race Florida, I don't think anyone will say so. They can use their power and speed to force Florida to react faster than they'd like and force the play to move in front of the defenders more. I don't think you can rush either safety and survive Florida because Tebow has a big enough arm to throw one deep under pressure. The pressure must force the play into the teeth of the defense to create turnover or short yardage results. Pressuring just to flush Tebow isn't enough because he's good on the run. Also, on short yardage plays, Tebow will go left, stack the left side, keep man coverage on the TE's and WR in their jumbo package for the jump pass.
Buy/Sell/Hold
Anyone feel stupid for bad mouthing Javi now?
Sell. One, fussing about his lack of concentration to fair catch, hold the ball, not put the offense behind the 10, etc. is valid. Two, if that is bad mouthing, you need to spend a week in practice somewhere, that's soft compared to what coaches yell on an average day.
Fire Gottfried!
Hold. But not long, I think the time and patience thing is short this year. He is really out of excuses and a loss to Mercer which is about as big as UAB or Birmingham Southern is embarrassing. I think the results will be needed soon or else Mal will have to actually do something for a change. Of course, putting Mal on a coach hunt is like putting a two peckered tomcat in a room full of cats in heat.
The offweek will be good for all.
BUY. The players look worn down right now and the pressure of the BCS and SEC are starting to take their toll. LSU and MSU came loaded for bear and put their best foot forward, and there is nothing telling me Auburn and Florida won't either. This week will be good to get Cody, Upchurch, and some others the rest time to get them back to as close to 100% as a player can be during the season. The thing to remember is that when you are an active player, you are always going to be hurt, every team is hurting by now, but there is a big difference in hurting and being injured. Teams with a lot of injuries tend to fail down the stretch, teams that are hurt can overcome and win.
Jeramie Griffin will be a big contributor in the future.
Sell. Griffin can contribute, but I knew sitting in the stand that fans would start hyping him up on here and on the other sites. The problem isn't him or his capacity, it is the players in front of him. Next fall, Coffee and Upchurch return for their senior year, Ingram will be a sophomore, and Trent Richardson should be contributing to the rotation too. They are all just better options on the field. It isn't anything bad and when you start signing top end players, these things happen. It is good for the team, good for fans, but kinda sucks when you are good but not good enough. I do see him in a jumbo type situation or a receiving fullback role maybe, but at tailback, I don't see him in a big role without injury problems. Yes I left out Grant because...
Terry Grant will still be around next year.
Hold. If he wants to play and has aspirations to the NFL or whatever, it won't be at Alabama outside of return team roles. If he wants to get an education and be able to say he played at a top school, he has that covered as is. Grant hasn't played well when he's played, and the excuses can flow as to why, but it is what it is. So, does he stay or transfer? Hard to say without knowing his mind. I won't be surprised either way. Like mentioned above, when you start getting top end players, the next tier often gets left out and that's bad for some but good for more.
The Good...
The fans got loud for a change
Bryant Denny has a habit of sounding more like a Country Club bar than a football stadium at times. Season ticket holders will balk and say they yell and blah blah blah blah blah, but we've all sat at home and can confess, when the stadium is loud, you know it, when it is not, you know it too. I really wish that it could be that noisy and up tempo each home game. We'll see if the mold is broken or if it was a special guest appearance by the fans. It was colder than a well digger's ass, but I didn't give a shit either.
Defense keeps things in check
The biggest winner of the night was Bama's defense, again, because they pretty well clogged up and shut down Mississippi State for all but about 3 series. On those three, one was the TD, the other two stalled out thanks to MSU's lack of execution. The rest of the game the defense really flexed its muscle for the national television audience. They aren't flashy, and they aren't like the 92 or any host of the 70s defenses, but they can win games like all those did. The biggest thing this defense does is they move well to the ball. Sitting in the stands, you could see all the safeties and linebackers flow to the play and not get frozen on their assignments. In the past, the defenders would stick to their assignment even if the play had already been put in motion and their guy wasn't the play. Rashad Johnson and Rolando McClain are a big part of this, as well as the growth of Hightower, of course ridding themselves of Marcus Carter didn't hurt matters because Woodall and the others really hunt the ball every play.
Special Teams
It isn't normal for them to be here, but against MSU, they did have their best game of the year. Taking out Arenas's touchdowns, which were great but you can't use that to evaluate because it won't happen every week, the key was keeping Pegues bottled up as well as possible. The punts were high and kept things in play, the field goal kicking was straight (hallelujah!), and the coverage units had minimal mistakes (Prince Hall's nub arm tackle was it). For once, the special teams led the way and didn't keep the game in play for the opponent.
Sightings
There was a Darius Hanks sighting or three, and the Internets will buzz about him again, there was a Griffin sighting, and he'll be there with Darrah on the Internets, and we saw a whole host of backups doing some mop up work. That's always good because you can see what a player has in actual game situations and not just on A Day. I thought most mentioned and participated looked good. Boswell has real big potential at RT, Vlachos did fine with the center/quarterback exchange and the shotgun snaps were okay, you could tell he was excited to play. Griffin is a nice north south runner that may get more looks if Upchurch and Grant have issues.
Arenas time
The MSU game reminded me a lot of the Tulane game. The offense was under performing and the defense was getting left out on the field a bit too much, but Arenas generated the offense for them. It isn't a great plan to live on, but when it works, it works. The thing that I notice is when Arenas has a return, he's usually got Marquis Johnson leading him to the seam. Both returns had Johnson at convoy running him to the gap and in the past few weeks where Arenas has struggled, he's been on his own. I don't necessarily think Johnson lead blocking was the difference, but it seemed to help Arenas calm down and not press as much to see another player make the gap and him follow suit. I do think that Arenas knew his leash was short and the returnman role was not his in stone. Sometimes, that will motivate you more than anything else is knowing you can lose your job.
Bobby Greenwood
Some folks want Zo Washington to start, some want Dareus, some want Santa Claus or whomever. That's just the way fans are, they always want the backup to be the man. See Bobby Greenwood. Here's the guy who was a big splash as a freshman, but then had a sophomore slump, played out of position his junior year, and this summer everyone was going to beat him out. You could roll out the post logs across the Internets to find nobody wanted him to start long if at all, because he had underperformed. Well, thankfully, football is played on the field still and not in the minds of some. The big things for Greenwood aren't surprising as far as why he's stepped up. One, he's back at rush end where he needed to be all along. He, like Gilberry before him, are not guys that can play inside the tackle because their frames and style aren't made for that. Second, he's a senior and he knows this is it, his name and mark will be remembered for the 12-14 games he plays this year. So, when you see him playing all out, it isn't a surprise, it is just getting the right guy in the right spot.
The Bad...
Offensive Line play
I don't know who the end was that played against Andre Smith was, but the guy probably upped his stock because he whipped Smith a good bit of the night. MSU is physical, no questioning that, and they know how to play, but then there is the fact that this defense is bottom feeding in the SEC. This is the defense that gave up 500 yards and a slew of points to Georgia Tech, 400 to LSU, and so on. There wasn't a valid excuse as to why the OL could not get things done. Don't try the crowding the box routine, that doesn't explain why Wilson got flushed out seemingly all game long, nor should you say that the DL was that good, they weren't. It was just a bad night for the OL, no sugar coating about it.
The stadium couldn't swallow McCoy fast enough
I don't know if he'll be benched or put in a lower role. I do know that the staff's patience with him is worn thin. McCoy is just one of those guys that looks good in practice, but when the lights and the roar of the crowd hits him, he wilts. Call it the Zeke Knight complex, he always was great in practice and then in the game he couldn't catch crabs at a crab shack. He isn't alone, but he is the starter on the WR core and he could stand to have a game that justifies him being that player. If you need proof of what I'm saying, why do you think they are courting every big name WR prospect? It isn't depth, they're hunting playmakers and Bama is way short at WR in playmakers. That includes Gibson, Maze, McCoy, and the rest.
The Ugly...
Post Game show
I am starting to see why fans at other schools say Bama fans are whiners. Bama gets a win over a MSU program that really was a big boulder off its back. They are 1 game away from a perfect regular season. What do fans want to talk about on the radio? Florida. Geez. I guess the Iron Bowl needs to be canceled and just let Bama have a 1-0 win. I doubt UGA would tell you they are easy this morning. What's worse is that the calls weren't about that game but more about complaining about "respect" and how they should beat Florida. I did get amused that nobody wanted to ask Stewart a question, it is a waste of time because he's useless, but really how many times can you ask Tyler Watts about that game when Auburn, your most hated rival, the team that has beaten Alabama 6 straight, the team that stands between you and destiny, etal. is right there ahead of you? Just curious because I haven't even started looking at Florida yet.
One big empty patch in the stadium
Kinda like a hideous mole on an otherwise hot chick, it pissed me off. Going off rumor and assumptions, I'm guessing it was the "block" of the frat in question. Now, there may be valid issues involved in it, but that's not real important if your frat/sorority is built on school spirit and involvement. You suck it up and deal with the politics Monday thru Friday, but on Saturday when America watches Alabama, you better see a united Damn front. I guess things have changed since I went to school because the frats usually dealt with the business internally and the school and athletic programs never really had to deal with much or knew about it. Greek justice used to be swift and unmerciful, that must be antiquated like looking for the ball, and going to the game to watch the game.
Random Thoughts
Gameday has changed a lot over 25 years. I enjoyed the Walk of Champions and the entire atmosphere that brings to the game. The players seem to enjoy the moment too, which is key. I do hope that they keep it special and not just a thing you do before the game. Don't think that happens, ask Clemson how cheap the walk is now. Dabo had to make it special again since he took over because some didn't even follow the ritual, they just went on down in waves, not as a team, and it left a lot to be desired by fans' expectations. The one thing that bothered me, and maybe it was just where I was, was the number of roaming around fans there were. Like I said, it might have just been where I was, but it seemed like I was having to reorganize and move to let people in and out most of the night. My family and I were entertained by the drunk in U4 that decided to show us his ass crack and dance. He summarily pissed off the guy under the rail that he was grinding on and was escorted out. Drunks were nothing new to BDS, but they used to be contained to their seats and didn't roam as much. I guess when you add seats, you add to the atmosphere? One other thought, when they add another 10,000 seats, they'll have to develop a bypass or more lanes for 59/20 because it took 3 hours to get to Birmingham. I hope that is in the works down there because it is a real problem for a road system that is already in poor shape.
Now, about Florida. I took a second to think on them and after watching the highlights of them v. USCar, I can understand why the media thinks they can beat Bama. I think anyone who says they can't is probably the only people in the conversation not keeping it real. Instead of the reasons why Bama could lose, I'll tell you how you beat Florida. (Cutting out the typical givens like not turning it over, playing mistake free, etc.)
First, you better be ready to pressure them. You can't zone out Tebow and the option game. You have to force them to pitch or run the play faster by pressuring off the ends. If your DE's can do it, then you can leave the LBs off in space to corral the play. If you have to send the linebackers, you will have to do it with the faster options and it will need to come through the ends and not up the gaps in the line because the option moves away from the gaps and puts those blitzers out of position fast. They also tend to tip their hand faster and give the QB a chance to check out of the play or make his decision on the hand off. So, you must go off the ends and clog the middle with your down linemen. The middle shouldn't be an issue with Cody and Chapman and Dareus there, but the outside might cause a problem because Arenas or Sharrief can't bring down Tebow alone.
Second, when the spread goes to pass mode, you still must pressure. However, a zone blitz is highly effective because the speed that Florida brings is going to make it hard for Bama defenders to keep up step by step. It also can fool the QB into seeing something that isn't really there because he won't see a lineman or linebacker sliding back into the flat.
Third, on offense, you can't let a deficit get to you. If you are down 10 or more to them, early, you can't abandon the basics of who you are. I see teams do this a lot with Florida and Texas Tech. It is a true statement that their offenses are their best defense because they change the game in a hurry at times. Staying to what you do best is going to be the best way to survive and win. Bama can't go into a pass on all downs mode and expect to win. Bama must establish the run and run between the tackles because Florida's speed is going to force it middle. Running straight ahead neutralizes the speed and gives you some chances to pop the backers and safeties in the jaw. That usually slows them down after about 5 or 6 good licks. Running to the outside only plays into the Gators strength and gives them momentum.
Last, you cannot let the speed get to you. Yes, they are fast. Yes, they can turn a 2 yard play into a long touchdown. Yes, they are that good on both sides of the ball. However, if you play sound and play how you have played all season, that speed will stay in front of you. You beat speed by keeping it in front of you and not chasing after it. Alabama can't out race Florida, I don't think anyone will say so. They can use their power and speed to force Florida to react faster than they'd like and force the play to move in front of the defenders more. I don't think you can rush either safety and survive Florida because Tebow has a big enough arm to throw one deep under pressure. The pressure must force the play into the teeth of the defense to create turnover or short yardage results. Pressuring just to flush Tebow isn't enough because he's good on the run. Also, on short yardage plays, Tebow will go left, stack the left side, keep man coverage on the TE's and WR in their jumbo package for the jump pass.
Buy/Sell/Hold
Anyone feel stupid for bad mouthing Javi now?
Sell. One, fussing about his lack of concentration to fair catch, hold the ball, not put the offense behind the 10, etc. is valid. Two, if that is bad mouthing, you need to spend a week in practice somewhere, that's soft compared to what coaches yell on an average day.
Fire Gottfried!
Hold. But not long, I think the time and patience thing is short this year. He is really out of excuses and a loss to Mercer which is about as big as UAB or Birmingham Southern is embarrassing. I think the results will be needed soon or else Mal will have to actually do something for a change. Of course, putting Mal on a coach hunt is like putting a two peckered tomcat in a room full of cats in heat.
The offweek will be good for all.
BUY. The players look worn down right now and the pressure of the BCS and SEC are starting to take their toll. LSU and MSU came loaded for bear and put their best foot forward, and there is nothing telling me Auburn and Florida won't either. This week will be good to get Cody, Upchurch, and some others the rest time to get them back to as close to 100% as a player can be during the season. The thing to remember is that when you are an active player, you are always going to be hurt, every team is hurting by now, but there is a big difference in hurting and being injured. Teams with a lot of injuries tend to fail down the stretch, teams that are hurt can overcome and win.
Jeramie Griffin will be a big contributor in the future.
Sell. Griffin can contribute, but I knew sitting in the stand that fans would start hyping him up on here and on the other sites. The problem isn't him or his capacity, it is the players in front of him. Next fall, Coffee and Upchurch return for their senior year, Ingram will be a sophomore, and Trent Richardson should be contributing to the rotation too. They are all just better options on the field. It isn't anything bad and when you start signing top end players, these things happen. It is good for the team, good for fans, but kinda sucks when you are good but not good enough. I do see him in a jumbo type situation or a receiving fullback role maybe, but at tailback, I don't see him in a big role without injury problems. Yes I left out Grant because...
Terry Grant will still be around next year.
Hold. If he wants to play and has aspirations to the NFL or whatever, it won't be at Alabama outside of return team roles. If he wants to get an education and be able to say he played at a top school, he has that covered as is. Grant hasn't played well when he's played, and the excuses can flow as to why, but it is what it is. So, does he stay or transfer? Hard to say without knowing his mind. I won't be surprised either way. Like mentioned above, when you start getting top end players, the next tier often gets left out and that's bad for some but good for more.
November 12, 2008
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly- LSU
I had to take a mini-vacation after this past week's game. As far as the game goes, this was one that the team needed for several reasons. First, they had to prove to the rest of college football they could take a real punch, check. Second, they had to put the whole Saban-LSU thing to bed for 12 months, a loss would have only continued to fuel that flame, check. Third, the players needed to see themselves overcome in November, check for now. As to the game, there were several G's, B's, and U's, but I'll try to narrow down to worthwhile discussion material.
The Good...
Weathering the storm
To be honest, Alabama well deserved to either be down big at the half or lose the game when you look at how poorly they played in the first half. When you take the turnovers and poor execution and that deer in the headlight look they had through the game until RJ got his pick six, it was a small miracle they were tied at the half and not down. The good in it is that they held on and weathered through to stay in position to win the game. The Bama teams from the last 3 or 4 years would have gone down in flames due to the pressure.
Help from LSU
Bama wasn't alone in mental errors. LSU helped Alabama out a lot. They put a freshman QB out to the wolves too often and it led to 4 picks. They misused their timeouts in the 4th. They went away from the run to the point you thought they couldn't, yet had 4 yards a carry at will. It may be just me, but I'd ran the shit out of Scott and Williams before I'd thrown 20 times with a young QB, especially if the run is working.
Julio Jones
Let's be honest, if Alabama didn't have Julio, do you think they beat LSU? I wouldn't even begin to argue that one, but luckily they have him and he continues to write his resume with hard nosed play. Right now, the rest of the WR core has really fell off the map and Julio is about the only option that Wilson can rely on to be consistant. I really don't know what Bama's record would be without him, but it wouldn't be 10-0. The thing I like most about his play is that he never settles for just the yards on the route, he almost always turns upfield and tries to get the extra 3 or 4 yards.
Rashad Johnson
Earlier in the year, I would have said RJ had been the lesser of the two safeties playing. I thought at times he got lost in coverage and was really playing down more than up. The last 3 weeks or so have been his best football in his college career. It wasn't just the INT's, that's a sportscenter culture reflex to be honest, it is the other things. Being in the right place to break up passes, make tackles, moving players and reading plays, etc. that has been where Johnson has really improved his play in the last month.
Getting the running game going for at least 1 drive.
I'm just one of those people who says that if a team stacks the box, you answer the challenge. I thought too often the play calling helped LSU because they knew they could slow down Alabama if they took out the run. Bama's 3rd quarter scoring drive got back to basics and back to what Bama does well when they are moving the ball- they run right at you. Now, stat junkies will puke out how many yards Coffee had, and that's true, but after his first run of 31 yards, he maybe had 15 to 20 yards the rest of the half. The scoring drive he had around 40 or so on just that one. It also was the best looking drive they had all game. After that drive, it was up and down for the run game with all the worthwhile runs being to the left still. My fear is that Florida or whomever down the road will stack left and force Bama to run right which has been rough at best.
PJ Fitzgerald
It may be the only time he ever gets here with me, but his big punt early in the 4th quarter really turned momentum back. Of course, it was momentary as LSU scored on their best looking drive of the day. He was about it for the special teams.
Defense in the 2nd half
In the first half, LSU gashed the defense. Credit LSU for using that huge OL to make things happen. You could tell that LSU wanted to test Cody's stamina and see if he was healthy or not. He was healthy, but I would be willing to bet even Cody would tell you he's not in game shape. They took advantage of that early, but at half, they made a few key adjustments like keeping the linebackers back off the line and using some of the other DT's and DE pairs to slow down LSU's running attack.
The Bad...
Mental Farts Gallore!
The first one being Wilson's cellphone moment. For starts, they shouldn't be finding players numbers and harassing them, but still you gotta be bigger than that. That penalty took the wind out of the team's momentum and sent them down hill fast. I don't care who else did what, by the way what the hell are we five with all this so and so did it stuff?, but a senior leader needs to set an example. Then there were the turnovers and Javy Arenas' continued struggle to understand his role as returnman. Alexander's fumble I am ok with because he was hustling but you stretch with 2 hands, Wilson's INT never should have been thrown, Arenas's fumble was more doghouse material for him, the bizzare sandlot play where the quick toss to Ingram was muffed, the special team woes, and more were all enough for LSU to beat them and Florida will if they pull that crap again.
Secondary play outside of Johnson
I guess I come from an older antiquated time where you looked for the football. Jackson is still going through his sophomore slump, and teams have begun to pick on him. It seems like every good corner Bama finds goes through it and most don't return to form, for Bama to win out, they need him to step up and get his head in the game and away from the past mistakes. LSU did what I was afraid of, they put a tall athletic WR on Marquis Johnson. It was shades of FSU all over, minus the long TD plays, and really I'm surprised they didn't target him more. I thought Woodall probably had his worst game as he seemed out of position a lot on backside help situations. When Bama goes cover 2 and the corner releases, Woodall's job is to pick him up. He, for reasons unclear, never really picked up the zone gap and LSU's passes in the 4th were attributed to that. Part of their struggle came from the lack of pass rush. Anders has been solved by film study and the rest are not great rushers. Greenwood missed Chapman being there most of the game to help him get inside faster. With the run being effective, it bit back the pass rush options and LSU did a good job of protecting their QB most of the game, both led to the secondary being on an island more (shades of 07).
The Ugly...
Special Teams
Getting really tired of having to go here, but the unit as a whole continues to be the problem spot and came real close to costing the game. I really wonder if Tiffin's name were Scott or Jones or Smith, would he still be the kicker? I worry that legacy is trumping performance because he's missed enough kicks now to warrant a tryout during practice. Arenas is a great weapon to have, but he lacks the understanding that not every return is a highlight reel moment. His muff this week was just sloppiness on his part. It is basic fundamentals that you cover the ball in traffic. I'm gonna be blunt, if it comes down to special teams being the difference in a Bama win or Florida win, Florida will win. Bama's failure to improve special teams from last year to this year is about the only disappointment fans should and will have this year. Most years, that wouldn't be that big a deal, but with anything from the SEC to the National Title in range, fans won't reflect much on what all was good, but how this kick or this play changed the year.
Random Thoughts
I don't feel sorry for Fulmer. Paybacks are hell and he's getting his back to him. The fall of the Fulmer isn't real hard to see, he got lazy in his recruiting. He thought with Bama out of the way and the Carolinas and Virginia easy pickings for him, he'd have his inroads for a long time. Well, with Groh, Davis, Saban, Bowden, Spurrier and even Bobby Johnson cutting off parts of West TN, his map got changed. He never worked harder than those coaches for the players and began to recruit the way Shula did, he took what he could get. Could you see Crompton or Stephens there back when they tried to recruit? No. The second half is that he went away from his basic offense that still worked. This "spread" thing they jumbled up has no flow or coordination to it. It is just a play by play getting by thing. When you are scripting drives, you have to have some flow to it. Their play calling looked like two kids playing XBox 360. So, the fate that Fulmer has is his own, he dug it, and the SEC and ACC helped push him in it.
The bowl picture begins to clear, but the BCS is still muddy. The SEC will send Bama, UF, UGA, USCar, LSU, Ole Miss, KY Jelly, and possibly Vandy if they can get 1 more win. Auburn, Arkansas and MSU could go if they win out, but only Arkansas has a faint shot at that. The SEC looks to send 2 teams to the BCS, which is the max, and will if Bama and UF win their remaining regular season games. Their matchup in Atlanta will determine one of the two BCSC spots, and probably the champion. The loser will go to the Sugar Bowl and face off against an At-Large pick, likely Boise St/Utah. So, my updated guess at it is:
BCS- Bama/UF- if you asked me today, I'd say Florida just because they've unloaded on everyone after their slip up against Ole Miss. They'll play Texas Tech because OU has 0 defense.
Sugar- Loser of SECC vs. Boise St.
Cotton- LSU v. OU (should be a worth watching game)
Cap 1- UGA v. OSU (a battle of true underachievers)
Outback- USCar v. Michigan St
Chick Fil A- Ole Miss v. UNC
Liberty- Vandy or Kentucky if Vandy doesn't get 6 wins v. Tulsa
Music City- Kentucky or vacant if Vandy doesn't get 6 wins v. Ga Tech
The rest the conference will not seat because they don't have enough teams this year. The strongest conference has eaten its young....
What did this game teach me...
TCU v. Utah- Utah has a lot of grit. They could have lost this game real easy, and TCU isn't a bad team, but Utah will probably get the snub from the BCS because Boise is roaming with better wins and SOS.
OSU v. Texas Tech- Tech has proven itself to be a real player in the BCS hunt. Beating Texas was not a fluke, but the letdown factor was present but not accounted for because Tech blistered OSU without mercy.
PSU v. Iowa- Reality catches up to you eventually. PSU was a pretender and we all saw it, they had no resume and no claim other than beating OSU (who hasn't) and fate stepped in to cure the BCS mess slightly. Ferentz is a guy that I'm surprised UT hasn't started sniffing around at, he'd be good for the style they like to play.
UGA v. Kentucky- Bad football is contagious. If you watched this one, you realize how bad UGA is when you get down to it. That much talent should not have to struggle with KY, but they lack discipline.
Wyoming v. UT- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Sorry, but your medicine is good for you Vols.
Ark v. USCar- USCar is starting to get that look in their eyes again. Their defense is imposing its will on opponents and they look real good winning 6 of their last 7. If they can get some consistancy on offense, they probably would threaten UF more.
UF v. Vandy- The powerful reign supreme. This game was over before the 1st quarter was over. You could see their swagger and confidence and they imposed it. They are as hot as anyone right now because they've found their rythem.
Buy/Sell/Hold
The blocked FG wasn't Tiffin's fault.
SELL. The kick was low, period. I know some flock out here to do spin control and damage control on things because some players hold special places with you, but the block was on him, not the line, not the hold (stupid), not the moon or earth rotation, etc. If he gets on it right, that ball should be able to clear the pile easily, and from that close it has no reason not to. Thankfully, they overcame and went for the win and not the FG in OT. I doubt he'd made it if they trotted him out in OT.
Bama fans are getting real whiny these days.
BUY. Alabama wins a big game, what do they talk about? Wilson's penalty being total bull or that the ref pushed him trying to get him out of the student section or what some talk show host said that wasn't 100 percent pro-Bama, or that ESPN/CBS did this or is at fault for that. Who cares? To answer the questions though, Wilson't penalty was legit, the Ref didn't push him just because he wanted to, he was trying to get him out of the student section before they threw stuff, I don't want every newscaster or talk show host to be for Bama, it would be boring that way. I also don't care what ESPN or CBS says or does, they keep paying the SEC who pays Alabama good money. I don't care if they mispronounce a name, they aren't Eli and mystery assistant, they don't have to remember every jersey and name. Geez.
Without Julio Jones, Bama wouldn't have a descent WR.
HOLD. It is hard to say without him how they'd do. As I said, I don't think they'd be where they are, but at the same time, I'd hope/pray/think that someone would step up in that spot to be there. Nick Walker where are youuuuuuuuuuu.....
Saturday we will get a good look at how Florida will do against us when they play USCar
BUY. I think if there was any litmus test for the SECC preview this would be it. Outside of who they practice against, USCar is the only other D in the SEC or nation that is similar to Bama's. I would say Bama has several bodies focused on breaking down the film on this game afterwards because Florida is doing the same with the LSU (the team most like them) film.
The Good...
Weathering the storm
To be honest, Alabama well deserved to either be down big at the half or lose the game when you look at how poorly they played in the first half. When you take the turnovers and poor execution and that deer in the headlight look they had through the game until RJ got his pick six, it was a small miracle they were tied at the half and not down. The good in it is that they held on and weathered through to stay in position to win the game. The Bama teams from the last 3 or 4 years would have gone down in flames due to the pressure.
Help from LSU
Bama wasn't alone in mental errors. LSU helped Alabama out a lot. They put a freshman QB out to the wolves too often and it led to 4 picks. They misused their timeouts in the 4th. They went away from the run to the point you thought they couldn't, yet had 4 yards a carry at will. It may be just me, but I'd ran the shit out of Scott and Williams before I'd thrown 20 times with a young QB, especially if the run is working.
Julio Jones
Let's be honest, if Alabama didn't have Julio, do you think they beat LSU? I wouldn't even begin to argue that one, but luckily they have him and he continues to write his resume with hard nosed play. Right now, the rest of the WR core has really fell off the map and Julio is about the only option that Wilson can rely on to be consistant. I really don't know what Bama's record would be without him, but it wouldn't be 10-0. The thing I like most about his play is that he never settles for just the yards on the route, he almost always turns upfield and tries to get the extra 3 or 4 yards.
Rashad Johnson
Earlier in the year, I would have said RJ had been the lesser of the two safeties playing. I thought at times he got lost in coverage and was really playing down more than up. The last 3 weeks or so have been his best football in his college career. It wasn't just the INT's, that's a sportscenter culture reflex to be honest, it is the other things. Being in the right place to break up passes, make tackles, moving players and reading plays, etc. that has been where Johnson has really improved his play in the last month.
Getting the running game going for at least 1 drive.
I'm just one of those people who says that if a team stacks the box, you answer the challenge. I thought too often the play calling helped LSU because they knew they could slow down Alabama if they took out the run. Bama's 3rd quarter scoring drive got back to basics and back to what Bama does well when they are moving the ball- they run right at you. Now, stat junkies will puke out how many yards Coffee had, and that's true, but after his first run of 31 yards, he maybe had 15 to 20 yards the rest of the half. The scoring drive he had around 40 or so on just that one. It also was the best looking drive they had all game. After that drive, it was up and down for the run game with all the worthwhile runs being to the left still. My fear is that Florida or whomever down the road will stack left and force Bama to run right which has been rough at best.
PJ Fitzgerald
It may be the only time he ever gets here with me, but his big punt early in the 4th quarter really turned momentum back. Of course, it was momentary as LSU scored on their best looking drive of the day. He was about it for the special teams.
Defense in the 2nd half
In the first half, LSU gashed the defense. Credit LSU for using that huge OL to make things happen. You could tell that LSU wanted to test Cody's stamina and see if he was healthy or not. He was healthy, but I would be willing to bet even Cody would tell you he's not in game shape. They took advantage of that early, but at half, they made a few key adjustments like keeping the linebackers back off the line and using some of the other DT's and DE pairs to slow down LSU's running attack.
The Bad...
Mental Farts Gallore!
The first one being Wilson's cellphone moment. For starts, they shouldn't be finding players numbers and harassing them, but still you gotta be bigger than that. That penalty took the wind out of the team's momentum and sent them down hill fast. I don't care who else did what, by the way what the hell are we five with all this so and so did it stuff?, but a senior leader needs to set an example. Then there were the turnovers and Javy Arenas' continued struggle to understand his role as returnman. Alexander's fumble I am ok with because he was hustling but you stretch with 2 hands, Wilson's INT never should have been thrown, Arenas's fumble was more doghouse material for him, the bizzare sandlot play where the quick toss to Ingram was muffed, the special team woes, and more were all enough for LSU to beat them and Florida will if they pull that crap again.
Secondary play outside of Johnson
I guess I come from an older antiquated time where you looked for the football. Jackson is still going through his sophomore slump, and teams have begun to pick on him. It seems like every good corner Bama finds goes through it and most don't return to form, for Bama to win out, they need him to step up and get his head in the game and away from the past mistakes. LSU did what I was afraid of, they put a tall athletic WR on Marquis Johnson. It was shades of FSU all over, minus the long TD plays, and really I'm surprised they didn't target him more. I thought Woodall probably had his worst game as he seemed out of position a lot on backside help situations. When Bama goes cover 2 and the corner releases, Woodall's job is to pick him up. He, for reasons unclear, never really picked up the zone gap and LSU's passes in the 4th were attributed to that. Part of their struggle came from the lack of pass rush. Anders has been solved by film study and the rest are not great rushers. Greenwood missed Chapman being there most of the game to help him get inside faster. With the run being effective, it bit back the pass rush options and LSU did a good job of protecting their QB most of the game, both led to the secondary being on an island more (shades of 07).
The Ugly...
Special Teams
Getting really tired of having to go here, but the unit as a whole continues to be the problem spot and came real close to costing the game. I really wonder if Tiffin's name were Scott or Jones or Smith, would he still be the kicker? I worry that legacy is trumping performance because he's missed enough kicks now to warrant a tryout during practice. Arenas is a great weapon to have, but he lacks the understanding that not every return is a highlight reel moment. His muff this week was just sloppiness on his part. It is basic fundamentals that you cover the ball in traffic. I'm gonna be blunt, if it comes down to special teams being the difference in a Bama win or Florida win, Florida will win. Bama's failure to improve special teams from last year to this year is about the only disappointment fans should and will have this year. Most years, that wouldn't be that big a deal, but with anything from the SEC to the National Title in range, fans won't reflect much on what all was good, but how this kick or this play changed the year.
Random Thoughts
I don't feel sorry for Fulmer. Paybacks are hell and he's getting his back to him. The fall of the Fulmer isn't real hard to see, he got lazy in his recruiting. He thought with Bama out of the way and the Carolinas and Virginia easy pickings for him, he'd have his inroads for a long time. Well, with Groh, Davis, Saban, Bowden, Spurrier and even Bobby Johnson cutting off parts of West TN, his map got changed. He never worked harder than those coaches for the players and began to recruit the way Shula did, he took what he could get. Could you see Crompton or Stephens there back when they tried to recruit? No. The second half is that he went away from his basic offense that still worked. This "spread" thing they jumbled up has no flow or coordination to it. It is just a play by play getting by thing. When you are scripting drives, you have to have some flow to it. Their play calling looked like two kids playing XBox 360. So, the fate that Fulmer has is his own, he dug it, and the SEC and ACC helped push him in it.
The bowl picture begins to clear, but the BCS is still muddy. The SEC will send Bama, UF, UGA, USCar, LSU, Ole Miss, KY Jelly, and possibly Vandy if they can get 1 more win. Auburn, Arkansas and MSU could go if they win out, but only Arkansas has a faint shot at that. The SEC looks to send 2 teams to the BCS, which is the max, and will if Bama and UF win their remaining regular season games. Their matchup in Atlanta will determine one of the two BCSC spots, and probably the champion. The loser will go to the Sugar Bowl and face off against an At-Large pick, likely Boise St/Utah. So, my updated guess at it is:
BCS- Bama/UF- if you asked me today, I'd say Florida just because they've unloaded on everyone after their slip up against Ole Miss. They'll play Texas Tech because OU has 0 defense.
Sugar- Loser of SECC vs. Boise St.
Cotton- LSU v. OU (should be a worth watching game)
Cap 1- UGA v. OSU (a battle of true underachievers)
Outback- USCar v. Michigan St
Chick Fil A- Ole Miss v. UNC
Liberty- Vandy or Kentucky if Vandy doesn't get 6 wins v. Tulsa
Music City- Kentucky or vacant if Vandy doesn't get 6 wins v. Ga Tech
The rest the conference will not seat because they don't have enough teams this year. The strongest conference has eaten its young....
What did this game teach me...
TCU v. Utah- Utah has a lot of grit. They could have lost this game real easy, and TCU isn't a bad team, but Utah will probably get the snub from the BCS because Boise is roaming with better wins and SOS.
OSU v. Texas Tech- Tech has proven itself to be a real player in the BCS hunt. Beating Texas was not a fluke, but the letdown factor was present but not accounted for because Tech blistered OSU without mercy.
PSU v. Iowa- Reality catches up to you eventually. PSU was a pretender and we all saw it, they had no resume and no claim other than beating OSU (who hasn't) and fate stepped in to cure the BCS mess slightly. Ferentz is a guy that I'm surprised UT hasn't started sniffing around at, he'd be good for the style they like to play.
UGA v. Kentucky- Bad football is contagious. If you watched this one, you realize how bad UGA is when you get down to it. That much talent should not have to struggle with KY, but they lack discipline.
Wyoming v. UT- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Sorry, but your medicine is good for you Vols.
Ark v. USCar- USCar is starting to get that look in their eyes again. Their defense is imposing its will on opponents and they look real good winning 6 of their last 7. If they can get some consistancy on offense, they probably would threaten UF more.
UF v. Vandy- The powerful reign supreme. This game was over before the 1st quarter was over. You could see their swagger and confidence and they imposed it. They are as hot as anyone right now because they've found their rythem.
Buy/Sell/Hold
The blocked FG wasn't Tiffin's fault.
SELL. The kick was low, period. I know some flock out here to do spin control and damage control on things because some players hold special places with you, but the block was on him, not the line, not the hold (stupid), not the moon or earth rotation, etc. If he gets on it right, that ball should be able to clear the pile easily, and from that close it has no reason not to. Thankfully, they overcame and went for the win and not the FG in OT. I doubt he'd made it if they trotted him out in OT.
Bama fans are getting real whiny these days.
BUY. Alabama wins a big game, what do they talk about? Wilson's penalty being total bull or that the ref pushed him trying to get him out of the student section or what some talk show host said that wasn't 100 percent pro-Bama, or that ESPN/CBS did this or is at fault for that. Who cares? To answer the questions though, Wilson't penalty was legit, the Ref didn't push him just because he wanted to, he was trying to get him out of the student section before they threw stuff, I don't want every newscaster or talk show host to be for Bama, it would be boring that way. I also don't care what ESPN or CBS says or does, they keep paying the SEC who pays Alabama good money. I don't care if they mispronounce a name, they aren't Eli and mystery assistant, they don't have to remember every jersey and name. Geez.
Without Julio Jones, Bama wouldn't have a descent WR.
HOLD. It is hard to say without him how they'd do. As I said, I don't think they'd be where they are, but at the same time, I'd hope/pray/think that someone would step up in that spot to be there. Nick Walker where are youuuuuuuuuuu.....
Saturday we will get a good look at how Florida will do against us when they play USCar
BUY. I think if there was any litmus test for the SECC preview this would be it. Outside of who they practice against, USCar is the only other D in the SEC or nation that is similar to Bama's. I would say Bama has several bodies focused on breaking down the film on this game afterwards because Florida is doing the same with the LSU (the team most like them) film.
November 3, 2008
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- Ark. St.
Now the fun part starts, Alabama is the hunted for the rest of the way. Pending they keep winning. I will say this, I'd rather been 2nd going to LSU because they'd love nothing more than to beat no. 1 Alabama. So, the biggest test of the year is this week's LSU game, forget the Dome and Clemson (or UF), forget going to Athens at night, this one is it. So with that, here's a short and quick review of ASU...
The Good...
Taking care of the business
They weren't sharp at times, but they did take care of the work that needed to be done. I'd be willing to bet that if you asked the players, they'd probably tell you this was a circle game. Not for the usual reasons, but they've had to live with the LaMo failure for 12 months and listen to how embarrassed everyone was, namely Saban, and this was their shot to re-write history. It also got the horrible November jinx off of them some. The monkey that has been on the program's back for the last few years slid from the shoulder to their ankle for now. What gets it off of them? Depends on who you are really, some will say win this game, others will say it is already off, then guys like me say win them all. So your guess is as good as mine.
Nice defensive beatdown
The offense was very conservative when the passing game fizzled, but he defense allowed for it because it was pretty clear by about the 2nd quarter that Arkansas St couldn't move the ball on this defense. State was pretty basic in their "spread" offense. It didn't have as many wrinkles to it as Florida or Utah or West Va runs at you, so it was pretty easy to cover, if you have the players to do it. The shutout was big, not because of who it was, but because they let UT have a cheap TD last week and they needed to redeem themselves after that.
Run Baby Run
Ingram broke out of his funk on a lower rung defense, Coffee didn't fumble and had a nice Coffee like game, and Upchurch continues to show his attitude adjustment each week by doing little things to earn PT. With the passing game being pretty much void, they carried the load and drove the ball and rode the clock down with it. (even though they didn't win TOP, they did draw down the clock with each scoring drive in the 2nd half)
No injuries
Maybe a few bruises and nicks but nothing that will hold anyone out for the biggest game of the year. That was key coming into the game was to win, not get hurt, and look good doing it. I'd say that's all that could be asked for.
Barron raids
Geez, the poor guy he licked is probably missing a tooth, testicle, and his pride. Rumor has it that Saban asked the grounds crew not to mow until they find 2 out of 3.
Some nice individual performances
I mentioned Ingram, but there were some really good showings from guys like Bobby Greenwood, Brandon Fanney, Mike Johnson, Travis McCall, and Rashaad Johnson. A lot of folks want so bad to make Zo Washington this best player ever routine, but folks, Greenwood is well ahead of him and his motor runs harder. Last year, he played out of position. He's not big enough to play inside end, he has to be the rush end like Gilberry was last year. That's the biggest difference in his play is that he's back where he is comfortable playing. Fanney isn't the ideal Jack per se, but he is good against the run and locks down his end allowing the linebackers and safeties pursue the ball. In the ideal Saban defense, the Jack would do both, but his ILB and MLB are more agile and quick than his normal/ideal ones too. If he can continue to be strong against the run and take up space on passing downs, he'll do more than Saunders ever thought about. Saunders spent more time sniffing jocks than playing football from what I could tell. Like Greenwood, Johnson is playing at his natural position (guard) and his performances look better because of it. At tackle, he lacked the mobility to cover the rush ends that the SEC is known for. At guard, he's not required to cover as much space and it put him on interior players that his power can be best used against. The rule of thumb I remember was you wanted your tackles to be more technique and "faster" and your guard and center be more power and push. He fits that mold well. I stay impressed with McCall's play and how big a part he is in the run game. If he goes down to injury, Bama's run game will be impaired greatly because every key block that springs the back, usually you find McCall there making it. Rashaad needed a good game to build on because he's been up and down most of the year. He had a good one against UT and this one was there with it. He does a good job of getting the defense in step and reads the play well, his coverage skill is ok and is what gets him in trouble at times, but for the last 2 weeks he's not been a liability.
The Bad...
Special Teams again
The return coverage was ok this time, but I'll be damned if they can't find something to cause problems. Arenas is special, no doubt there, but he's becoming a real liability out there when he tries to field a punt in traffic. He did know to fair catch his first one, and then it reverted back to the old form for a while, then he semi-redeemed himself with a nice put return. The problem is this, LSU is good enough to make those mistakes cost the team, so is Florida. He's got to get it together and quit this mental fart he's been in the last month or so. I don't know how Tiffin missed a chip shot, but he did. Thankfully, they didn't need the 3 points. It just kinda piled on the growing pain that is the special teams.
Red Zone issues
There was the missed field goal and then there was the pick in the endzone that never should have been thrown. It was hauntingly familiar to past years where the 20 and in was no man's land for Bama. Let's just hope it was a random occurrence.
The Ugly....
Singing Rammer Jammer for Arkansas St?
Why? Were we surprised to beat the hell out of them? I'd rather save it for worthy games than to make it an every week thing. Just me I suppose.....
Random Thoughts
Get ready, if you think McCain and Obama have used the PR and media like a pawn, you haven't seen anything yet. You can pretty well expect the following teams to begin their opening arguments for why they are the rightful heir to the top 2 in the BCS:
The Good...
Taking care of the business
They weren't sharp at times, but they did take care of the work that needed to be done. I'd be willing to bet that if you asked the players, they'd probably tell you this was a circle game. Not for the usual reasons, but they've had to live with the LaMo failure for 12 months and listen to how embarrassed everyone was, namely Saban, and this was their shot to re-write history. It also got the horrible November jinx off of them some. The monkey that has been on the program's back for the last few years slid from the shoulder to their ankle for now. What gets it off of them? Depends on who you are really, some will say win this game, others will say it is already off, then guys like me say win them all. So your guess is as good as mine.
Nice defensive beatdown
The offense was very conservative when the passing game fizzled, but he defense allowed for it because it was pretty clear by about the 2nd quarter that Arkansas St couldn't move the ball on this defense. State was pretty basic in their "spread" offense. It didn't have as many wrinkles to it as Florida or Utah or West Va runs at you, so it was pretty easy to cover, if you have the players to do it. The shutout was big, not because of who it was, but because they let UT have a cheap TD last week and they needed to redeem themselves after that.
Run Baby Run
Ingram broke out of his funk on a lower rung defense, Coffee didn't fumble and had a nice Coffee like game, and Upchurch continues to show his attitude adjustment each week by doing little things to earn PT. With the passing game being pretty much void, they carried the load and drove the ball and rode the clock down with it. (even though they didn't win TOP, they did draw down the clock with each scoring drive in the 2nd half)
No injuries
Maybe a few bruises and nicks but nothing that will hold anyone out for the biggest game of the year. That was key coming into the game was to win, not get hurt, and look good doing it. I'd say that's all that could be asked for.
Barron raids
Geez, the poor guy he licked is probably missing a tooth, testicle, and his pride. Rumor has it that Saban asked the grounds crew not to mow until they find 2 out of 3.
Some nice individual performances
I mentioned Ingram, but there were some really good showings from guys like Bobby Greenwood, Brandon Fanney, Mike Johnson, Travis McCall, and Rashaad Johnson. A lot of folks want so bad to make Zo Washington this best player ever routine, but folks, Greenwood is well ahead of him and his motor runs harder. Last year, he played out of position. He's not big enough to play inside end, he has to be the rush end like Gilberry was last year. That's the biggest difference in his play is that he's back where he is comfortable playing. Fanney isn't the ideal Jack per se, but he is good against the run and locks down his end allowing the linebackers and safeties pursue the ball. In the ideal Saban defense, the Jack would do both, but his ILB and MLB are more agile and quick than his normal/ideal ones too. If he can continue to be strong against the run and take up space on passing downs, he'll do more than Saunders ever thought about. Saunders spent more time sniffing jocks than playing football from what I could tell. Like Greenwood, Johnson is playing at his natural position (guard) and his performances look better because of it. At tackle, he lacked the mobility to cover the rush ends that the SEC is known for. At guard, he's not required to cover as much space and it put him on interior players that his power can be best used against. The rule of thumb I remember was you wanted your tackles to be more technique and "faster" and your guard and center be more power and push. He fits that mold well. I stay impressed with McCall's play and how big a part he is in the run game. If he goes down to injury, Bama's run game will be impaired greatly because every key block that springs the back, usually you find McCall there making it. Rashaad needed a good game to build on because he's been up and down most of the year. He had a good one against UT and this one was there with it. He does a good job of getting the defense in step and reads the play well, his coverage skill is ok and is what gets him in trouble at times, but for the last 2 weeks he's not been a liability.
The Bad...
Special Teams again
The return coverage was ok this time, but I'll be damned if they can't find something to cause problems. Arenas is special, no doubt there, but he's becoming a real liability out there when he tries to field a punt in traffic. He did know to fair catch his first one, and then it reverted back to the old form for a while, then he semi-redeemed himself with a nice put return. The problem is this, LSU is good enough to make those mistakes cost the team, so is Florida. He's got to get it together and quit this mental fart he's been in the last month or so. I don't know how Tiffin missed a chip shot, but he did. Thankfully, they didn't need the 3 points. It just kinda piled on the growing pain that is the special teams.
Red Zone issues
There was the missed field goal and then there was the pick in the endzone that never should have been thrown. It was hauntingly familiar to past years where the 20 and in was no man's land for Bama. Let's just hope it was a random occurrence.
The Ugly....
Singing Rammer Jammer for Arkansas St?
Why? Were we surprised to beat the hell out of them? I'd rather save it for worthy games than to make it an every week thing. Just me I suppose.....
Random Thoughts
Get ready, if you think McCain and Obama have used the PR and media like a pawn, you haven't seen anything yet. You can pretty well expect the following teams to begin their opening arguments for why they are the rightful heir to the top 2 in the BCS:
- Texas- Has a good resume with wins over OU, OSU, Missouri, and Arkansas. They should win out and be 11-1 going into championship season.
- Oklahoma St- with a win over Texas Tech, they will have as good a resume as Texas with wins over Missouri, Tech, Troy, and Houston. They do have OU waiting though...
- Oklahoma- It isn't November unless Bob Stoop is bitching about his place at the table. I think history is keeping OU out this fall, much like Ohio State would be too. They've had ample shots to take care of business and prove themselves at the national stage and just haven't. They have wins over TCU and Kansas, but they finish the year with OSU and Texas Tech. My hope is that they lose both and it finally ends the Boomer Get Us There Sooner crap.
- Texas Tech- The last of the circuit in the Big 12 South is the leader and controls their destiny. If they win out, the other 3 stay quiet, lose one, and then it hits the fan. Tech's resume is the weakest because they didn't play anyone out of conference better than SMU or Nevada. If they lose, they'll probably be out of the BCS at large picture because of that.
- Penn St.- Sensing their place at the table is slipping, they'll send Joe Pa to battle ground positions like ESPN and ABC to plead to the voters that he deserves one more game. I love nostalgia and all, but PSU's resume is as bad as Tech's. Really, it is worse, Tech will play good ranked teams, the Lions get junk all year with the benchmark of OSU (that really doesn't carry as much as it used to).
- Alabama- not to be out done, Bama will have to politic its way as well. Poor showings against MSU and/or Auburn could have voters questioning them. As far as resume goes, they are fine with Clemson, UGA, and if they beat LSU will have that to round it out along with the SECC. The bad part for Bama is that they have to win out to get there. I don't think they'll get as lucky as LSU did last year and have everyone in front of them lose at the end.
- USCal- Not to be forgotten, the Pac-10 heavyweight has a better than realized resume with wins over Va, Oregon, OSU, and more than likely Notre Dame to go on. They're always going to be the darlings of the BCS because they earn style points and traditionally put on a good show in the BCS bowls.
- Florida- The beatdown on UGA really springs them up the chain now. They have the resume with wins over Miami, LSU, UGA, and more than likely USCar and FSU. They will have to beat Alabama to have a real claim, and they are like USCal in their style point wins.
So who deserves it? I think we'll be poised to a Big 12/SEC showdown. I can see why many think Florida will be there given how well they've played, and I think the SECC will determine the national championship this year.
What did this game teach me?
Texas v. Texas Tech- Texas is good, but a fair defense was enough to beat them. Also, Tech uses its offense as a defensive tool each week. Their offense intimidates a lot of teams because there is this sense of urgency that they have to score and it forces teams to rush and press. Teams that remain calm and do their thing on offense and keep Tech dulled down in the 20s or 30s tend to beat them most of the time. Texas got ambushed and rattled early and then calmed down and got back in it.
Nebraska v. OU- It ain't what it used to be. Man, Nebraska used to be about D and now they have none, but then again the Big 12 doesn't have a good defense in it.
Washington v. USCal- The state of Washington is the worst sports state in America. Mariners stink, Sonics left to remove the stink, Seahawks stink, UW and WSU are horrid. Rest my case.
Florida v. UGA- Paybacks are hell. Living in the midst of UGA fans, all week was about getting to the SECC to play Bama. This morning they got an email saying "Richt promises players he'll get them to Atlanta for the championship (click here link went to ticket sales for the Dome)- yes, I'm mean.
Tulsa v. Arkansas- Even a mid-lower tier SEC team is better than non- BCS conference teams any given day. Tulsa should have ripped Arkansas, but Arkansas did a 180 on them and kept them heeled all game. Petrino haters need to pay attention, he's a good coach, and knows what he's doing at the college level, but he is a jerk.
Tulane v. LSU- So tell me again how good that Tulane team was again??? Where's TN at now?
UT v. USCar- Spurrier loves slapping Fulmer around, and if he had more talent he's ran the score up. He will take pleasure in being the guy that broke the camel's back.
Buy/Sell/Hold
Tennessee will get Mike Leech/Jon Gruden/Nick Saban/Santa Claus.
BUY on the rumor mill being high ended, SELL on who they get. They probably will visit Cutcliffe, Kevin Steele, and some other UT ties out there. Bobby Johnson's name will come up some too.
I'm not impressed with UF!
SELL. I guess the sting of Tebow jilting Bama in recruiting still clouds reality doesn't it? Anyone who isn't impressed with Florida is either lying to you and themselves or an idiot. Florida doesn't do things the way Alabama or LSU does it, but they are going to reach the same point or objective that everyone does. They focus on speed and matchup mismatches where as the traditional West team focuses on power and speed at skill positions.
Alabama missed Cody on Saturday.
HOLD. I think they did miss him because he's a good player, but they didn't need him to win. Really, Chapman is good and plays the position as well as can be asked. To be honest, if Cody were somewhere else and Bama had started Chapman all year, I think the results would be close to the same. He doesn't get the double teams, but he uses his power to open gaps for Greenwood and the linebackers/safeties to get in.
Tubberville is on the way out too.
BUY. I think this is a given, but I think he's already told them he's out. Of course, I thought Fulmer was too dumb to see the writing on the wall and quit. In time we'll find out though.
October 27, 2008
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly- UT
To be honest, Saturday's game was probably easier than the last 4 combined. UT is getting real complacent in their play, and that made life real easy when your defense and offense can handle "going through the motions" which is what Tennessee is doing now.
The Good...
Key players stepping up.
If it were on me to give out 3 game balls, they would have been to Andre Smith, Roy Upchurch, and Donta Hightower. Some would argue Mike Johnson because the TD score was with him lead blocking, but I discount points for missed cut blocks and just cut blocking in general. To each their own, but as many runs to the left outside area as they did, that was Smith's domain. A kudos should go to McCall too who continues to be the silent reason the running game looks better as a whole. Upchurch finally got a chance to show his game in 2 facets. First he got to shoulder the load for a while and did well. Second, he got to show his blocking skills, which are better than the others are (it also is a big reason why Terry Grant is MIA). Upchurch has the best vision of the tailbacks and when UT was clogging lanes, he had the vision to find the gap and hit it fast. That led to several of his big runs was him cutting back and finding the hole. I read a post this weekend saying Hightower had "played slow” and my first thought was what the hell was this guy watching? Hightower has quietly been the reason this defense plays better. Yes, "Mt. Cody" this and that, and he's been a big part in the stingy part, but Hightower plays like a 2nd or 3rd year player. He's been big all year and plays real well with McClain. That's an improvement from last year where Mustin and Hall didn't really compliment or help McClain that much. Hall's on the team still, but he can't beat out Hightower because Hightower plays the position the right way. The staff needs to revisit his HS and start cherry picking others because that high school staff coaches extremely well based on how ready Donta was/is.
Defensive stands
The defense opened the evening on its own five. Not exactly where you want to be to get going, but they didn't flinch and set the tone for the night. 3 plays, something like 1 yard, and FG was a win for the defense. It also sent a message to MSU, LSU, and Auburn that without Cody, they were still tougher than most. UT helped out a good bit with their fear and undisciplined play. I think they had about 3 times where they were 4th and 1 and punted, and then had about 5 penalties in the red zone that resulted in 2 missed FGs. I agreed with one commentator (Tyler Watts I think) that wondered what UT had to lose? Apparently there was a discount at the Sizzler and Fulmer wasn't gonna miss 3 for 1 rib night....
Second half show up
Show of hands for how many folks were a little uneasy at halftime only being up 10? Don't lie. The good news was that this team finally, FINALLY, decided to put someone away in the second half. Maybe it was just being up 10 or the constant barrage from Saban and the staff about it, or that UT was the weakest they've seen in 4 weeks, whatever the combo was, it was nice to see them come out and put UT away for good in the second half. The big thing that kinda told me they were going to put it down fast was the 1st UT possession. They came, saw, punted, and Bama went from there.
Karma
When I played sports, I always thought things kinda happened for a reason, and I know other coaches and players feel the same at times. Two good examples from Saturday were Fulmer taking another humiliating beating from Alabama, and Maze getting jacked up. The first one, needs no explanation I don't guess. You could rattle off the atrocities of Fulmer as easily as anyone. Maze, if you remember last week had the pose after the TD, first touch this week, he gets posed by Eric Berry, who is as good a S as you'll find in college football hands down. Now, Maze got up and tried to act like it didn't get him, but we all know better. It will be good for Maze in the long run because it is a good reminder that you can be humbled by better players, and shown up as well, so it is best to keep focus on your job and not draw undue attention to yourself. I think he's learned the lesson now. Hope so anyways.
Seeing Neyland empty in record time
We know the feeling don't we? I don't hate it for the Vols or their sorry ass fans, but I'd rather they stayed to hear Rammer Jammer or the thousands of Bama fans that had scalped UT section tickets all year.
The Bad...
Special Teams
It upgrades from usual position, but really at some point Bama's going to be in a dog fight and the ST unit will be the reason it is either a dog fight or a loss. Arenas is as dangerous to the team as he is the opponent's at times. At some point, he's got to house a big return against a good team or else his value diminishes due to the weekly muff, dangerous return, decleater, or variety of things that seem to happen. The punting is as Dr Jeykll Mr. Hyde as you can get. You are backed up in the end zone, not at the end of it but in the end zone, you have to hurry up the punt somewhat. It seemed like the blocked punt took 3 weeks to go from snap to follow thru. The reason it goes up from the usual Ugly is because they actually contained a kick or punt return team for a change. Usually, that is what has me fuming in the 2nd half.
Letting UT score a TD
It isn't that big a deal, but 29-3 sounds more like it was than 29-9. I'd say if the coaches are hunting something to work with in film or practice, that will be it.
Early play calling cuteness
The first series started out ok, but it was a little cute in the end. The first quarter as a whole was a little too cute and trying to out think Chavis's defense. The rule of thumb on UT this year has been a war of attrition and you wear them out over 3 quarters. Passing wasn't going to do it, but running and grinding on them would. The 2nd and 3rd quarters they did more running and in the 4th you could see the difference.
The Ugly...
ESPN goofed
I doubt many caught it but on Upchurch's first run of the day, the little part above the score, where they put Joe Smith 1 rush, 4 yards, had Robert Lester 1 carry, 4 yards. I guess in the down economy, even ESPN had to recycle material.
Random Thoughts
I couldn't tell you who the best team in the ACC was if I wanted to. Some weeks, I sit and think UNC is it, then they lose, but then I say well FSU is, only to watch them play and get nauseated. I would say BC was, but then they lose, the two Techs- nope. Miami- no. Wake-no. If you want to see a truly flat conference as far as the haves and have nots, the ACC is it. I would really hate to see any of them in the BCS bowls because none of them deserve to be there over any at-large team you could throw out there.
That kinda leads into the annual "Why I hate the BCS format" rant. I think Bama fans may have to revisit their laughing at Auburn somewhat because Alabama could find themselves right where Auburn was a few years ago. Let's say that Texas Tech beats Texas but OU beats them, PSU runs the table against 11 nobody's and OSU, Florida beats UGA but loses to FSU, Alabama runs the table but loses to UF in the SECC. You have Texas Tech, OU, Bama, Texas, USCal, all with 1 loss and PSU with nothing on its resume to really hold to. Which 2 teams do you think are best? I can't argue for the Big 12 because their defenses are crap. Of course, either Tech, OU, Texas will be the conference champ and the others will not have a real case for it, but OU has been there before without the title. Bama would be in that boat too if they lost to UF.
Here's the other bad scenario: let's say UTx, Bama, and PSU all finish undefeated. Texas has to play Missouri again, Bama has to play UGA again, Penn St is done. Both Bama and Texas hurt themselves if they beat a team they have already beaten in the computer rankings because the computer factors SOS into their equation. My hope is that whomever gets left out of the BCS Championship gets to represent against a quality opponent. So if PSU is out, they play USCal. If Bama is out, they play someone like OU or Texas Tech. If Texas is out, they get a rematch with USCal in the Rose Bowl or something like that. I really can see a split title either way because the AP will not follow trend if there are 2 undefeated teams out there. I think the egg from the USCal/OU/Auburn mistake will be fresh still, not to mention putting an exaggerated Ohio State team in 2 straight years.
What did this game teach me?
OSU vs. Texas.
Texas is beatable if you can get enough defense after them. Oklahoma St isn't a bad team, but I wouldn't call them a great team either. They did throw more defense at Texas than they had or will see all year. The trick is to get Colt McCoy moving to his left. McCoy by the way should win the Heisman this year.
Auburn v. WVa
Good defenses wear down after 4 quarters of running around. Auburn's offense is regressing worse than Tennessee's is right now. I don't know if Auburn will reach 6 wins or not now.
UGA v. LSU
LSU and UGA don't have much in the defensive cupboard. Period. Both have enough offense to give you heartburn, but defensively, they both leave something to be desired right now. LSU's issue is just youth and they do miss Dorsey and the seniors that are gone, but I can see the talent they have it just has to grow up. Georgia's issue is that they are undersized and not real good at tackling. With UGA it is all about discipline. They lack it and I think Florida will punish them good for it.
Buy/Sell/Hold
John Parker Wilson has evolved from a game manager to play maker.
Hold. To be honest, there isn't a difference in the two because to manage the game at times the QB has to make plays. I do think the biggest thing that the staff has done with him is the play calling. Radar and Applewhite wanted him to be a vertical QB and throw the lower percentage long yard routes that required great passes and great route running from the WR. I think we could all agree that didn't ever happen, and wouldn't this year if attempted. Instead, they've shortened up and let the progressions be more suitable to Wilson's mentality. Wilson hugs to a WR, in the past it has been Hall or Brown mostly, this year it is Jones, but he'll check down to Walker a lot too. I think Mac's influence on getting him to feel comfortable with the 2nd progression is the biggest change in Wilson. It isn't his mechanics because they're still the same.
Travis McCall is still a tight end.
Sell. There was a good discussion about TE's and should McCall be at the line and Walker at "move TE" or what I call the H Back. Really, McCall is a fullback for the most part now, but his ability to play on the line warrants an H-Back lable. That's not bad. I really think he's the best fullback they've had in years, or maybe lead blocker is a better term. One person called it an art, they're right what he does is as good as it gets for the style he plays.
Phil Fulmer and Tubberville will both be fired or quit.
Buy. I think Fulmer isn't smart enough to see the tea leaves and what they mean. He still thinks he has clout, but having a losing record 2 out of 3 years won't give anyone in the SEC clout unless you are at Vandy. Tubby looks like he's already quit behind the scenes. He's smart enough to quit before being fired and is probably having his agent do some sniff work as we speak.
Florida will rip UGA a new asshole.
Buy. Meyer has issued a freeze out on players commenting to the press about UGA, they've been playing that dance bit all year, and I'll guarantee that if UF gets up 10, they'll go for 40 just to show UGA they can. No defense worth mentioning at UGA, a grudge, and a team rolling through right now makes me think they will. I really hope so, I'm tired of hearing UGA fans get cocky over things.
The Good...
Key players stepping up.
If it were on me to give out 3 game balls, they would have been to Andre Smith, Roy Upchurch, and Donta Hightower. Some would argue Mike Johnson because the TD score was with him lead blocking, but I discount points for missed cut blocks and just cut blocking in general. To each their own, but as many runs to the left outside area as they did, that was Smith's domain. A kudos should go to McCall too who continues to be the silent reason the running game looks better as a whole. Upchurch finally got a chance to show his game in 2 facets. First he got to shoulder the load for a while and did well. Second, he got to show his blocking skills, which are better than the others are (it also is a big reason why Terry Grant is MIA). Upchurch has the best vision of the tailbacks and when UT was clogging lanes, he had the vision to find the gap and hit it fast. That led to several of his big runs was him cutting back and finding the hole. I read a post this weekend saying Hightower had "played slow” and my first thought was what the hell was this guy watching? Hightower has quietly been the reason this defense plays better. Yes, "Mt. Cody" this and that, and he's been a big part in the stingy part, but Hightower plays like a 2nd or 3rd year player. He's been big all year and plays real well with McClain. That's an improvement from last year where Mustin and Hall didn't really compliment or help McClain that much. Hall's on the team still, but he can't beat out Hightower because Hightower plays the position the right way. The staff needs to revisit his HS and start cherry picking others because that high school staff coaches extremely well based on how ready Donta was/is.
Defensive stands
The defense opened the evening on its own five. Not exactly where you want to be to get going, but they didn't flinch and set the tone for the night. 3 plays, something like 1 yard, and FG was a win for the defense. It also sent a message to MSU, LSU, and Auburn that without Cody, they were still tougher than most. UT helped out a good bit with their fear and undisciplined play. I think they had about 3 times where they were 4th and 1 and punted, and then had about 5 penalties in the red zone that resulted in 2 missed FGs. I agreed with one commentator (Tyler Watts I think) that wondered what UT had to lose? Apparently there was a discount at the Sizzler and Fulmer wasn't gonna miss 3 for 1 rib night....
Second half show up
Show of hands for how many folks were a little uneasy at halftime only being up 10? Don't lie. The good news was that this team finally, FINALLY, decided to put someone away in the second half. Maybe it was just being up 10 or the constant barrage from Saban and the staff about it, or that UT was the weakest they've seen in 4 weeks, whatever the combo was, it was nice to see them come out and put UT away for good in the second half. The big thing that kinda told me they were going to put it down fast was the 1st UT possession. They came, saw, punted, and Bama went from there.
Karma
When I played sports, I always thought things kinda happened for a reason, and I know other coaches and players feel the same at times. Two good examples from Saturday were Fulmer taking another humiliating beating from Alabama, and Maze getting jacked up. The first one, needs no explanation I don't guess. You could rattle off the atrocities of Fulmer as easily as anyone. Maze, if you remember last week had the pose after the TD, first touch this week, he gets posed by Eric Berry, who is as good a S as you'll find in college football hands down. Now, Maze got up and tried to act like it didn't get him, but we all know better. It will be good for Maze in the long run because it is a good reminder that you can be humbled by better players, and shown up as well, so it is best to keep focus on your job and not draw undue attention to yourself. I think he's learned the lesson now. Hope so anyways.
Seeing Neyland empty in record time
We know the feeling don't we? I don't hate it for the Vols or their sorry ass fans, but I'd rather they stayed to hear Rammer Jammer or the thousands of Bama fans that had scalped UT section tickets all year.
The Bad...
Special Teams
It upgrades from usual position, but really at some point Bama's going to be in a dog fight and the ST unit will be the reason it is either a dog fight or a loss. Arenas is as dangerous to the team as he is the opponent's at times. At some point, he's got to house a big return against a good team or else his value diminishes due to the weekly muff, dangerous return, decleater, or variety of things that seem to happen. The punting is as Dr Jeykll Mr. Hyde as you can get. You are backed up in the end zone, not at the end of it but in the end zone, you have to hurry up the punt somewhat. It seemed like the blocked punt took 3 weeks to go from snap to follow thru. The reason it goes up from the usual Ugly is because they actually contained a kick or punt return team for a change. Usually, that is what has me fuming in the 2nd half.
Letting UT score a TD
It isn't that big a deal, but 29-3 sounds more like it was than 29-9. I'd say if the coaches are hunting something to work with in film or practice, that will be it.
Early play calling cuteness
The first series started out ok, but it was a little cute in the end. The first quarter as a whole was a little too cute and trying to out think Chavis's defense. The rule of thumb on UT this year has been a war of attrition and you wear them out over 3 quarters. Passing wasn't going to do it, but running and grinding on them would. The 2nd and 3rd quarters they did more running and in the 4th you could see the difference.
The Ugly...
ESPN goofed
I doubt many caught it but on Upchurch's first run of the day, the little part above the score, where they put Joe Smith 1 rush, 4 yards, had Robert Lester 1 carry, 4 yards. I guess in the down economy, even ESPN had to recycle material.
Random Thoughts
I couldn't tell you who the best team in the ACC was if I wanted to. Some weeks, I sit and think UNC is it, then they lose, but then I say well FSU is, only to watch them play and get nauseated. I would say BC was, but then they lose, the two Techs- nope. Miami- no. Wake-no. If you want to see a truly flat conference as far as the haves and have nots, the ACC is it. I would really hate to see any of them in the BCS bowls because none of them deserve to be there over any at-large team you could throw out there.
That kinda leads into the annual "Why I hate the BCS format" rant. I think Bama fans may have to revisit their laughing at Auburn somewhat because Alabama could find themselves right where Auburn was a few years ago. Let's say that Texas Tech beats Texas but OU beats them, PSU runs the table against 11 nobody's and OSU, Florida beats UGA but loses to FSU, Alabama runs the table but loses to UF in the SECC. You have Texas Tech, OU, Bama, Texas, USCal, all with 1 loss and PSU with nothing on its resume to really hold to. Which 2 teams do you think are best? I can't argue for the Big 12 because their defenses are crap. Of course, either Tech, OU, Texas will be the conference champ and the others will not have a real case for it, but OU has been there before without the title. Bama would be in that boat too if they lost to UF.
Here's the other bad scenario: let's say UTx, Bama, and PSU all finish undefeated. Texas has to play Missouri again, Bama has to play UGA again, Penn St is done. Both Bama and Texas hurt themselves if they beat a team they have already beaten in the computer rankings because the computer factors SOS into their equation. My hope is that whomever gets left out of the BCS Championship gets to represent against a quality opponent. So if PSU is out, they play USCal. If Bama is out, they play someone like OU or Texas Tech. If Texas is out, they get a rematch with USCal in the Rose Bowl or something like that. I really can see a split title either way because the AP will not follow trend if there are 2 undefeated teams out there. I think the egg from the USCal/OU/Auburn mistake will be fresh still, not to mention putting an exaggerated Ohio State team in 2 straight years.
What did this game teach me?
OSU vs. Texas.
Texas is beatable if you can get enough defense after them. Oklahoma St isn't a bad team, but I wouldn't call them a great team either. They did throw more defense at Texas than they had or will see all year. The trick is to get Colt McCoy moving to his left. McCoy by the way should win the Heisman this year.
Auburn v. WVa
Good defenses wear down after 4 quarters of running around. Auburn's offense is regressing worse than Tennessee's is right now. I don't know if Auburn will reach 6 wins or not now.
UGA v. LSU
LSU and UGA don't have much in the defensive cupboard. Period. Both have enough offense to give you heartburn, but defensively, they both leave something to be desired right now. LSU's issue is just youth and they do miss Dorsey and the seniors that are gone, but I can see the talent they have it just has to grow up. Georgia's issue is that they are undersized and not real good at tackling. With UGA it is all about discipline. They lack it and I think Florida will punish them good for it.
Buy/Sell/Hold
John Parker Wilson has evolved from a game manager to play maker.
Hold. To be honest, there isn't a difference in the two because to manage the game at times the QB has to make plays. I do think the biggest thing that the staff has done with him is the play calling. Radar and Applewhite wanted him to be a vertical QB and throw the lower percentage long yard routes that required great passes and great route running from the WR. I think we could all agree that didn't ever happen, and wouldn't this year if attempted. Instead, they've shortened up and let the progressions be more suitable to Wilson's mentality. Wilson hugs to a WR, in the past it has been Hall or Brown mostly, this year it is Jones, but he'll check down to Walker a lot too. I think Mac's influence on getting him to feel comfortable with the 2nd progression is the biggest change in Wilson. It isn't his mechanics because they're still the same.
Travis McCall is still a tight end.
Sell. There was a good discussion about TE's and should McCall be at the line and Walker at "move TE" or what I call the H Back. Really, McCall is a fullback for the most part now, but his ability to play on the line warrants an H-Back lable. That's not bad. I really think he's the best fullback they've had in years, or maybe lead blocker is a better term. One person called it an art, they're right what he does is as good as it gets for the style he plays.
Phil Fulmer and Tubberville will both be fired or quit.
Buy. I think Fulmer isn't smart enough to see the tea leaves and what they mean. He still thinks he has clout, but having a losing record 2 out of 3 years won't give anyone in the SEC clout unless you are at Vandy. Tubby looks like he's already quit behind the scenes. He's smart enough to quit before being fired and is probably having his agent do some sniff work as we speak.
Florida will rip UGA a new asshole.
Buy. Meyer has issued a freeze out on players commenting to the press about UGA, they've been playing that dance bit all year, and I'll guarantee that if UF gets up 10, they'll go for 40 just to show UGA they can. No defense worth mentioning at UGA, a grudge, and a team rolling through right now makes me think they will. I really hope so, I'm tired of hearing UGA fans get cocky over things.
October 20, 2008
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- Ole Miss
Well, you can't say the games are dull these days. I could puke up the usual spin after these games, but my throat's sore already. At some point, the leaders on the team have to step up and really take control in the 2nd half.
The Good
They finally trailed for a minute or two...
I think the true mark of this team will come when they get behind in the 2nd half or 4th quarter. If Saturday was any indication, they will respond quickly and get the lead back. The best part of falling behind was that it woke them up. The team looked like it was sleep walking through the 1st quarter a little bit. I'd chalk that up to bye week withdrawal.
Solid defensive stands
The FG and the stop on 4th and short were both nice defensive series where they would have caved in last year and gave it up. On the 4th and short, it was nice to see a linebacker (Hightower) slide to the ball and attack and not sit heeled and wait for him (Prince Hall comes to mind). When or if you get to see the replay, watch how he approaches the play and you'll want to send his HS coach a thank you card.
1st half passing
Wilson knew he would have to throw and throw often because Ole Miss dares you to. He took the dare and did a good job of spreading the wealth around to Walker, Jones, Maze, McCoy, and Stover (who got raped). He is a much better QB when you allow him to warm up to the speed of the game than he is when he tries to force the speed of the game on defenses. When he is looking to take what he can get, he is a much better QB than he is when he's going long two thirds of the game.
Mark Ingram's hustle
It won't show on the stat sheet, but Mark made several plays that kept the game going and moving in a positive direction. He does a real good job of keeping his shoulders low, his hips moving and that makes him hard to knock down on the first shot. It also means that he gets an extra 3 yards on average after the first hit. There were several times where those extra yards were the difference in punts or 1st down or 3rd and short or 3rd and don't screw up.
Linebacker play
Short of the long run Davis had, they did their part to contain Ole Miss and force them to be one dimensional. I really was pleased to see them continue to shut the run down and force most of the passing game to the outside. After Cody's injury, I worried that Ole Miss would pick at the scab and just wear out the middle, but they kept it shut. Some will balk, but the big hero up front after Cody's injury was Bobby Greenwood. He kept collapsing in and swatted passes, and had 5 tackles (which is like having 8 as a 4-3 end). It was a second straight solid performance from him.
The Bad
Electric Boogaloo and other stupid things
Sure it was Maze's first college TD, but striking a pose is a sign of immaturity. I would suggest acting like you have been there before because with a coach like Saban, you might not be back there again if you cost the team. That is the point of playing, team, or at least is should be. McCoy needs that lesson too, he was lucky that a team member was near him to cover him while he started to pose. McCoy will not be spared the rod though, he laid up on his route and Wilson's pass to him got picked off. Coffee's fumble will get put on the OL, but if you hold the ball right as soon as you get it, you don't fumble and he's got to get in the frame of mind that he has to protect it as soon as he touches it. It is the small things that keep haunting this team right now.
Offensive Line play
For all the posts and comments about "dominating" the only dominating I saw all day was the Bama OL getting its hat handed to it. The run game was pretty non-existent after the half, and that led to as much of the let down and woeful performance as anything. For all the accolades and praise, they just don't whip folks off the line when it has to happen. The right side of the line continues to have problems, as evidenced by a one legged DE whipping the RT like a mule every time he came out.
2nd half ineptness continues
I hate to break it to you folks, but the National Title dreams are just that if the team doesn't figure out when the 2nd half starts. I keep reading how do you make adjustments when you are dominating the opponent, well let me be the first to say that you don't "dominate" someone half the time, and also you have to make adjustments through the course of the game. That's what timeouts and television breaks and changes of possession are for. The program pays people to take pictures of each play and send them to the coaches, it is part of the game. As to why it continues, well it is partially coaching and play calling, but it is partly because there are juniors and seniors who like to sit on their laurels more than they want to finish the job. For the yeller and screamer crowd about depth, nobody runs 25 players on both sides of the ball in conference play. As best I can tell, they run 2 deep on the line and at linebacker when they need to, not to mention formation subs for the rest, so while depth is an issue, it isn't why they come out flat or make mental errors. That's just stupid excuse making gone wild.
The Ugly
Special teams errors again....
The fake FG and the 41 yard return were both mental mistakes that continue to keep teams in the game against Alabama. Woodall never picked up the carrier on the FG. That touchdown gave Ole Miss a ton of energy and gave them a glimmer of hope that if they didn't make it, would have crushed them. Some will blurt out something stupid like, the 41 yard return didn't score, and that is true, but it led to a score. It doesn't take a great offense to go 48 yards, even if you have to use a fake FG to do it.
Random Thoughts
It is always fun to read message boards, when there is a legal situation, we get to see 400 Matlocks and when there is an injury, we get to see 400 Gray's Anatomy doctors appear. Maybe if they all bend over, these 400 can tell you if you have a roid or not. Geez.
The BCS ratings will cause gas for many, but right now, I'd say the rankings are pretty close to what I would call the top 5. Texas has made its case over Bama for number 1. Penn St still hasn't played a team that makes me respect them, that will change this week, and I'd bet we won't see PSU after this week. PSU is very slow on defense and I won't be surprised if OSU doesn't win by 2 TD. For the UGA apologists, UGA is still overrated and the SEC schedule not to mention Tech will probably cure their complaints in time.
What did this game teach me?
Tennessee v. MSU
UT can muster up offense when it has to. I wasn't surprised they won, but was surprised by how much they won. Of course, the UT defense scored 14 points and capitalized on mistakes all night.
LSU v. USCar
For those wishing death to Miles, you'll have to wait a while. LSU is pretty good when it gets down to it and while they have weaknesses, it takes more than defense to beat them. It takes a 4 quarter offense too.
Vandy v. UGA
Vandy's scrappy, but UGA is too talented to be beaten by scrappy. UGA isn't talented enough to handle the physical play that LSU, UF, AU, GT all have in them. They're scrappy and talented for the most part. UGA still underachieves week in and out and someday the boosters will get tired of 10 wins and nothing to show for it.
Kansas v. Oklahoma
OU has 0 defense to speak of, but that makes them better than 75% of the Big 12 who are in the negative range for defense.
Buy/Sell/Hold
Alabama will finish the regular season undefeated
SELL. As much as they could and really should do it, I don't know that they can overcome themselves. Also, Saban's never done it and it usually comes back to a game where they get caught offguard or for every move the other staff is there countering (Auburn). If you believe in history and the law of averages, it isn't on the team's side.
Texas is the best team in the nation.
HOLD. I think Texas has a problem if they play a real defense, and this week's OSU game will be the best litmus test against a defense that fans can go by.
Nobody should question the 2nd half play, damn it.
SELL. If we aren't allowed to, 3 big websites and 3 large egos have to start refunding or reprice their service just a tad.
Saban made them cut the grass before the game.
Who gives a shit? Sorry, but my brain hurts reading that thread.
Julio Jones has lived up to expectations.
BUY. Now, the caveat is that I didn't go by other posters grand vision and am going on my thought on him. I didn't see him as Calvin Johnson or Crabtree level number or anything crazy like that, but I thought he would be the physical presence and the goal line go to man, and he's been that.
The corners are getting picked on because they don't look for the ball.
BUY. It reminds me a lot of Dubose era play where they told them to play the WR and not the ball. I could count on both hands Saturday the number of times the corner bit on a head move and lost containment. Jackson is more prone to it and that's why they are picking on him more. Arenas has more speed to close when he gets beat and does a better job of getting the WR off route and to the S to pick up.
The Good
They finally trailed for a minute or two...
I think the true mark of this team will come when they get behind in the 2nd half or 4th quarter. If Saturday was any indication, they will respond quickly and get the lead back. The best part of falling behind was that it woke them up. The team looked like it was sleep walking through the 1st quarter a little bit. I'd chalk that up to bye week withdrawal.
Solid defensive stands
The FG and the stop on 4th and short were both nice defensive series where they would have caved in last year and gave it up. On the 4th and short, it was nice to see a linebacker (Hightower) slide to the ball and attack and not sit heeled and wait for him (Prince Hall comes to mind). When or if you get to see the replay, watch how he approaches the play and you'll want to send his HS coach a thank you card.
1st half passing
Wilson knew he would have to throw and throw often because Ole Miss dares you to. He took the dare and did a good job of spreading the wealth around to Walker, Jones, Maze, McCoy, and Stover (who got raped). He is a much better QB when you allow him to warm up to the speed of the game than he is when he tries to force the speed of the game on defenses. When he is looking to take what he can get, he is a much better QB than he is when he's going long two thirds of the game.
Mark Ingram's hustle
It won't show on the stat sheet, but Mark made several plays that kept the game going and moving in a positive direction. He does a real good job of keeping his shoulders low, his hips moving and that makes him hard to knock down on the first shot. It also means that he gets an extra 3 yards on average after the first hit. There were several times where those extra yards were the difference in punts or 1st down or 3rd and short or 3rd and don't screw up.
Linebacker play
Short of the long run Davis had, they did their part to contain Ole Miss and force them to be one dimensional. I really was pleased to see them continue to shut the run down and force most of the passing game to the outside. After Cody's injury, I worried that Ole Miss would pick at the scab and just wear out the middle, but they kept it shut. Some will balk, but the big hero up front after Cody's injury was Bobby Greenwood. He kept collapsing in and swatted passes, and had 5 tackles (which is like having 8 as a 4-3 end). It was a second straight solid performance from him.
The Bad
Electric Boogaloo and other stupid things
Sure it was Maze's first college TD, but striking a pose is a sign of immaturity. I would suggest acting like you have been there before because with a coach like Saban, you might not be back there again if you cost the team. That is the point of playing, team, or at least is should be. McCoy needs that lesson too, he was lucky that a team member was near him to cover him while he started to pose. McCoy will not be spared the rod though, he laid up on his route and Wilson's pass to him got picked off. Coffee's fumble will get put on the OL, but if you hold the ball right as soon as you get it, you don't fumble and he's got to get in the frame of mind that he has to protect it as soon as he touches it. It is the small things that keep haunting this team right now.
Offensive Line play
For all the posts and comments about "dominating" the only dominating I saw all day was the Bama OL getting its hat handed to it. The run game was pretty non-existent after the half, and that led to as much of the let down and woeful performance as anything. For all the accolades and praise, they just don't whip folks off the line when it has to happen. The right side of the line continues to have problems, as evidenced by a one legged DE whipping the RT like a mule every time he came out.
2nd half ineptness continues
I hate to break it to you folks, but the National Title dreams are just that if the team doesn't figure out when the 2nd half starts. I keep reading how do you make adjustments when you are dominating the opponent, well let me be the first to say that you don't "dominate" someone half the time, and also you have to make adjustments through the course of the game. That's what timeouts and television breaks and changes of possession are for. The program pays people to take pictures of each play and send them to the coaches, it is part of the game. As to why it continues, well it is partially coaching and play calling, but it is partly because there are juniors and seniors who like to sit on their laurels more than they want to finish the job. For the yeller and screamer crowd about depth, nobody runs 25 players on both sides of the ball in conference play. As best I can tell, they run 2 deep on the line and at linebacker when they need to, not to mention formation subs for the rest, so while depth is an issue, it isn't why they come out flat or make mental errors. That's just stupid excuse making gone wild.
The Ugly
Special teams errors again....
The fake FG and the 41 yard return were both mental mistakes that continue to keep teams in the game against Alabama. Woodall never picked up the carrier on the FG. That touchdown gave Ole Miss a ton of energy and gave them a glimmer of hope that if they didn't make it, would have crushed them. Some will blurt out something stupid like, the 41 yard return didn't score, and that is true, but it led to a score. It doesn't take a great offense to go 48 yards, even if you have to use a fake FG to do it.
Random Thoughts
It is always fun to read message boards, when there is a legal situation, we get to see 400 Matlocks and when there is an injury, we get to see 400 Gray's Anatomy doctors appear. Maybe if they all bend over, these 400 can tell you if you have a roid or not. Geez.
The BCS ratings will cause gas for many, but right now, I'd say the rankings are pretty close to what I would call the top 5. Texas has made its case over Bama for number 1. Penn St still hasn't played a team that makes me respect them, that will change this week, and I'd bet we won't see PSU after this week. PSU is very slow on defense and I won't be surprised if OSU doesn't win by 2 TD. For the UGA apologists, UGA is still overrated and the SEC schedule not to mention Tech will probably cure their complaints in time.
What did this game teach me?
Tennessee v. MSU
UT can muster up offense when it has to. I wasn't surprised they won, but was surprised by how much they won. Of course, the UT defense scored 14 points and capitalized on mistakes all night.
LSU v. USCar
For those wishing death to Miles, you'll have to wait a while. LSU is pretty good when it gets down to it and while they have weaknesses, it takes more than defense to beat them. It takes a 4 quarter offense too.
Vandy v. UGA
Vandy's scrappy, but UGA is too talented to be beaten by scrappy. UGA isn't talented enough to handle the physical play that LSU, UF, AU, GT all have in them. They're scrappy and talented for the most part. UGA still underachieves week in and out and someday the boosters will get tired of 10 wins and nothing to show for it.
Kansas v. Oklahoma
OU has 0 defense to speak of, but that makes them better than 75% of the Big 12 who are in the negative range for defense.
Buy/Sell/Hold
Alabama will finish the regular season undefeated
SELL. As much as they could and really should do it, I don't know that they can overcome themselves. Also, Saban's never done it and it usually comes back to a game where they get caught offguard or for every move the other staff is there countering (Auburn). If you believe in history and the law of averages, it isn't on the team's side.
Texas is the best team in the nation.
HOLD. I think Texas has a problem if they play a real defense, and this week's OSU game will be the best litmus test against a defense that fans can go by.
Nobody should question the 2nd half play, damn it.
SELL. If we aren't allowed to, 3 big websites and 3 large egos have to start refunding or reprice their service just a tad.
Saban made them cut the grass before the game.
Who gives a shit? Sorry, but my brain hurts reading that thread.
Julio Jones has lived up to expectations.
BUY. Now, the caveat is that I didn't go by other posters grand vision and am going on my thought on him. I didn't see him as Calvin Johnson or Crabtree level number or anything crazy like that, but I thought he would be the physical presence and the goal line go to man, and he's been that.
The corners are getting picked on because they don't look for the ball.
BUY. It reminds me a lot of Dubose era play where they told them to play the WR and not the ball. I could count on both hands Saturday the number of times the corner bit on a head move and lost containment. Jackson is more prone to it and that's why they are picking on him more. Arenas has more speed to close when he gets beat and does a better job of getting the WR off route and to the S to pick up.
October 11, 2008
Random Thoughts from the bye week
The football Gods have given us the best week in the world to be off. After the KY game and the three ring circus at Auburn, Clemson, and the 2 heavyweight fights (OU/UTx, LSU/UF), Bama fans get the best of all worlds this weekend....
As an unbiased observer, Auburn has issues....
It is interesting that the school decided to cut Franklin in mid stream. That's pretty unheard of in College for coordinators and assistants. I think some of the hype and optimism that Auburn and its fans had was unjustified, but then again they had a sample of it against Clemson last year to base off of. In the end, you can't mix and piece different coaching styles together and expect it to work. Frankenstien's monster wasn't exactly perfect after all, and neither was Auburn's scrap iron offense. The question is, after all the dust settles, who is to blame?
Is it Tony Franklin's for bringing a style that didn't work against the SEC's traditionally tough defenses? Is it Tubberville's for not letting Franklin run the offense the way he would elsewhere? Is it the administration or AD's for not mediating this thing up front? You could argue all of them and have a substantive case.
When I watched Auburn against LSU, I could see them starting to find a groove with it some, it wasn't great or awe inspiring, but they had some rhythm to it. Then, after that defeat, Auburn just kinda fell off the wagon. The thing that kept jumping out at me was that the offense didn't look like Franklin's prototype. The formations looked like they were his, but the play calling and routes didn't favor his mold. The "airraid" is not a possession offense, nor is it a run first style of play. That kept popping up in the games I saw was that they tried to be a run first, run dominate team and that just isn't how the spread works.
The spread is a controlled passing, short pass substitutes the run, draw/option oriented game plan. It can work in the SEC, the last two champions (UF, LSU) both use it in their arsenal. Kentucky did with Mumme (Franklin's last stop in the SEC) and it was effective but they never were a threat to the SEC elite. The spread eagle failed because the coaches never accepted the principles of it. They wanted to run old Auburn offenses through the formation changes that Franklin brought. That's like saying you want to run the dime defense through the 4-3, or you want your punter to be a good safety on punt coverage.
The soap opera that now has occured is sad in a way. I don't want to see a rival team down when Bama appears to be fully turning the corner. I want Auburn and Tennessee to be on their best level. The excuses are less valid when that happens. Coach Bryant used to say something to the effect of "The same things win that always win, but when we lose, we come up with a new set of excuses." I want Auburn and UT to have little in the way of new or old excuses.
Speaking of UT, their spread system hasn't arrived yet. At some point, I wonder if Clawson just quits and tells the media that Fulmer sat on his play calling. That poor fella is getting scapegoated for the UT offense being so horrible, but the truth is that they too are trying to run the traditional plays through Clawson's method. Unlike Auburn, they aren't incorporating the formations, just the theory. Tennessee has to win against UGA this week to have any claim to the East, but don't expect it to happen.
Early Bowling for All
I saw where CBS, ESPN, and Rivals had their bowl predictions out. I guess Christmas decorations aren't the only thing getting earlier and earlier these days. Geez.
CBS has Bama v. OU in the BCS Championship in Miami. Maybe it is just me, but I think it is way early to have either there with such certainty given they both have huge games ahead. Also, I think OU has yet to have their traditional choke game. They also have Vandy v. Wake in the Chick Fil A bowl. They end the season with each other, doubt that happens unless that game sets a new high for competition. As for the rest of the conference, they have LSU in the Sugar (probable if they lose to Bama), Auburn in the Liberty, USCar in the Cotton (nah), Georgia in the Cap 1 (likely), UT in the Music City (I pray so), Ole Miss in the Indy (thankfully Bama won't go there AGAIN), and Florida in the Outback. A real stinker looming in their schedule is Va Tech v. Cincy in the Orange Bowl.
Rivals has Bama v. Penn St. Nostalgic yes, likely no. PSU hasn't played a soul yet. They did beat Oregon St, at home, but is that really a bench mark? The road schedule for PSU is tough and they face the elite from here in (@Wisc, Mich, @OSU, MSU). They also have LSU in the BCS game (maybe this week and Bama will decide), USCar in the Indy (likely), Vandy in the Music City (how evil and wrong), Kentucky in the Chick Fil A (nope), Georgia in the Outback (maybe), Florida in the Cap 1 (possible), Auburn in the Cotton (no way), and Ole Miss in the Liberty (probable).
ESPN has 2 views from Schlabach and Feldman. Mark has LSU in the BCS, Bama in the Sugar v. BYU (that's either a great game or the Fiesta Bowl all over again), USCar in the Liberty, UGA in the Cotton (possible), Florida in the Cap 1, Vandy in the Outback (that would be good for them), Auburn in the Chick Fil A (doubtful), Kentucky in the Music City, UT in the Papajohns.com (fitting), Ole Miss in da Shreeve. Feldman has Bama in the BCS vs. Missouri (see BYU), Florida in the Sugar (possible), Vandy in the Liberty (possible), GA in the Cotton, LSU in the Cap 1 (maybe but I think BCS realm is their home for now), Auburn in the Outback, Ole Miss in the Chick Fil A (too high), Kentucky in the Papajohns, UT in the Shreeve (oh happy days).
Me personally, if asked on today where they go I'd have to guess, and that's all it is because the bowls will take based on draw and not rank: (First is most likely/2nd/3rd etc)
BCS1- Bama
Until beaten, they are running the strongest in the conference
BCS2- LSU/Florida winner
The Sugar Bowl will take LSU if they have 1 or 2 losses and are in the BCS top 10, Florida if they lose the SECC and have 1 or 2 losses.
Liberty- Ole Miss/Vandy/Auburn
Ole Miss will fill the stands best, so would Vandy.
Cotton- UGA/UF
The West is usually the holder of the Cotton slot, but the West's best are too high for it, and Auburn is too weak. UGA may have to travel to cold and shitty Dallas. Florida would rather suck lemons than go here.
Cap 1- UF/LSU/UGA/Kentucky/Auburn
This one is hard to predict because they like Florida, but if they go to the BCS, it gets into a toss up then.
Outback- Vandy/ Auburn/Ole Miss
I may be wishing on a star here, but I really like the pairing of Vandy in the Outback this year.
Chick Fil A- Kentucky/Vandy/UGA
Kentucky is most likely to go here if they can do what they usually do. Vandy is also a possibility and would travel well. Georgia with 3 or 4 losses is also an insulting option.
Music City- UT/Vandy/Ole Miss/Auburn
Tennessee sucks pretty bad, and this is the home for teams that suck.
Papajohns.com- Auburn
Playing in B'ham is insulting and sadly they'd fill the stadium.
Independence- USCar
Should get 6 to 7 wins in the end.
As an unbiased observer, Auburn has issues....
It is interesting that the school decided to cut Franklin in mid stream. That's pretty unheard of in College for coordinators and assistants. I think some of the hype and optimism that Auburn and its fans had was unjustified, but then again they had a sample of it against Clemson last year to base off of. In the end, you can't mix and piece different coaching styles together and expect it to work. Frankenstien's monster wasn't exactly perfect after all, and neither was Auburn's scrap iron offense. The question is, after all the dust settles, who is to blame?
Is it Tony Franklin's for bringing a style that didn't work against the SEC's traditionally tough defenses? Is it Tubberville's for not letting Franklin run the offense the way he would elsewhere? Is it the administration or AD's for not mediating this thing up front? You could argue all of them and have a substantive case.
When I watched Auburn against LSU, I could see them starting to find a groove with it some, it wasn't great or awe inspiring, but they had some rhythm to it. Then, after that defeat, Auburn just kinda fell off the wagon. The thing that kept jumping out at me was that the offense didn't look like Franklin's prototype. The formations looked like they were his, but the play calling and routes didn't favor his mold. The "airraid" is not a possession offense, nor is it a run first style of play. That kept popping up in the games I saw was that they tried to be a run first, run dominate team and that just isn't how the spread works.
The spread is a controlled passing, short pass substitutes the run, draw/option oriented game plan. It can work in the SEC, the last two champions (UF, LSU) both use it in their arsenal. Kentucky did with Mumme (Franklin's last stop in the SEC) and it was effective but they never were a threat to the SEC elite. The spread eagle failed because the coaches never accepted the principles of it. They wanted to run old Auburn offenses through the formation changes that Franklin brought. That's like saying you want to run the dime defense through the 4-3, or you want your punter to be a good safety on punt coverage.
The soap opera that now has occured is sad in a way. I don't want to see a rival team down when Bama appears to be fully turning the corner. I want Auburn and Tennessee to be on their best level. The excuses are less valid when that happens. Coach Bryant used to say something to the effect of "The same things win that always win, but when we lose, we come up with a new set of excuses." I want Auburn and UT to have little in the way of new or old excuses.
Speaking of UT, their spread system hasn't arrived yet. At some point, I wonder if Clawson just quits and tells the media that Fulmer sat on his play calling. That poor fella is getting scapegoated for the UT offense being so horrible, but the truth is that they too are trying to run the traditional plays through Clawson's method. Unlike Auburn, they aren't incorporating the formations, just the theory. Tennessee has to win against UGA this week to have any claim to the East, but don't expect it to happen.
Early Bowling for All
I saw where CBS, ESPN, and Rivals had their bowl predictions out. I guess Christmas decorations aren't the only thing getting earlier and earlier these days. Geez.
CBS has Bama v. OU in the BCS Championship in Miami. Maybe it is just me, but I think it is way early to have either there with such certainty given they both have huge games ahead. Also, I think OU has yet to have their traditional choke game. They also have Vandy v. Wake in the Chick Fil A bowl. They end the season with each other, doubt that happens unless that game sets a new high for competition. As for the rest of the conference, they have LSU in the Sugar (probable if they lose to Bama), Auburn in the Liberty, USCar in the Cotton (nah), Georgia in the Cap 1 (likely), UT in the Music City (I pray so), Ole Miss in the Indy (thankfully Bama won't go there AGAIN), and Florida in the Outback. A real stinker looming in their schedule is Va Tech v. Cincy in the Orange Bowl.
Rivals has Bama v. Penn St. Nostalgic yes, likely no. PSU hasn't played a soul yet. They did beat Oregon St, at home, but is that really a bench mark? The road schedule for PSU is tough and they face the elite from here in (@Wisc, Mich, @OSU, MSU). They also have LSU in the BCS game (maybe this week and Bama will decide), USCar in the Indy (likely), Vandy in the Music City (how evil and wrong), Kentucky in the Chick Fil A (nope), Georgia in the Outback (maybe), Florida in the Cap 1 (possible), Auburn in the Cotton (no way), and Ole Miss in the Liberty (probable).
ESPN has 2 views from Schlabach and Feldman. Mark has LSU in the BCS, Bama in the Sugar v. BYU (that's either a great game or the Fiesta Bowl all over again), USCar in the Liberty, UGA in the Cotton (possible), Florida in the Cap 1, Vandy in the Outback (that would be good for them), Auburn in the Chick Fil A (doubtful), Kentucky in the Music City, UT in the Papajohns.com (fitting), Ole Miss in da Shreeve. Feldman has Bama in the BCS vs. Missouri (see BYU), Florida in the Sugar (possible), Vandy in the Liberty (possible), GA in the Cotton, LSU in the Cap 1 (maybe but I think BCS realm is their home for now), Auburn in the Outback, Ole Miss in the Chick Fil A (too high), Kentucky in the Papajohns, UT in the Shreeve (oh happy days).
Me personally, if asked on today where they go I'd have to guess, and that's all it is because the bowls will take based on draw and not rank: (First is most likely/2nd/3rd etc)
BCS1- Bama
Until beaten, they are running the strongest in the conference
BCS2- LSU/Florida winner
The Sugar Bowl will take LSU if they have 1 or 2 losses and are in the BCS top 10, Florida if they lose the SECC and have 1 or 2 losses.
Liberty- Ole Miss/Vandy/Auburn
Ole Miss will fill the stands best, so would Vandy.
Cotton- UGA/UF
The West is usually the holder of the Cotton slot, but the West's best are too high for it, and Auburn is too weak. UGA may have to travel to cold and shitty Dallas. Florida would rather suck lemons than go here.
Cap 1- UF/LSU/UGA/Kentucky/Auburn
This one is hard to predict because they like Florida, but if they go to the BCS, it gets into a toss up then.
Outback- Vandy/ Auburn/Ole Miss
I may be wishing on a star here, but I really like the pairing of Vandy in the Outback this year.
Chick Fil A- Kentucky/Vandy/UGA
Kentucky is most likely to go here if they can do what they usually do. Vandy is also a possibility and would travel well. Georgia with 3 or 4 losses is also an insulting option.
Music City- UT/Vandy/Ole Miss/Auburn
Tennessee sucks pretty bad, and this is the home for teams that suck.
Papajohns.com- Auburn
Playing in B'ham is insulting and sadly they'd fill the stadium.
Independence- USCar
Should get 6 to 7 wins in the end.
October 7, 2008
Kentucky
Welcome to the new home for the postings of the "GBU". After much discussion with moderators and board members who desired to read this train of thought, it was decided to outsource it to stay in compliance on both sides. Basically, now, if you hit the link from BOL, you've taken ownership in your actions. Ain't that something? Anyways...
The Good…
Even in a let down, they get the win...
The Good…
Even in a let down, they get the win...
Last year and the year before, a let down game would have brought on a loss, but this year they have found ways to win in spite of themselves. That is a change that is worth noting because it has been years since that was the case.
Rushing attack carries the day
The three headed running attack of Coffee, Ingram, and Upchurch have been the most consistent part of the offense all year. They also have begun to establish their roles in the backfield. Coffee is the starter and load carrier. Ingram is the short yardage bruiser. Upchurch is the change of pace back that explodes when he runs. Ingram's injury hampered him much of the game, you could see it even on that nice swivel cut right early in the game that he wasn't full steam yet. Upchurch continues to improve, but for whatever reason he can't gain the staff's confidence to let him loose more often. Coffee just keep running forward and getting yards and finds that acorn once a week that gets him a huge run.
Forcing Kentucky to become 1 dimensional
The nice thing about Kentucky is this, if they want to win, they have to have real balance. Their defense is good enough to keep them in most games, but if their offense is going to win, they have to establish the running game. That's how they beat LSU last year. They lined up and ran or threw out of the same formations. The Tide defense stayed in the nickel almost 90 percent of the game because they had to honor the run early. They kept Kentucky hemmed up at the line of scrimmage and that forced Kentucky to become extremely one dimensional after the half.
Linebacker play
It was nice to see Hightower and McClain continue to grow fast. They don't play like a true sophomore or a true freshman do they? That's the real key to the defense is that they work well together, and have grown in the line of fire and kept the mental errors that plagued the linebackers last year, especially down the stretch, to a minimum. Terrance Cody has a part in this, but they have been in position for the most part on pass coverage, and that is all them. I don't know that I call Fanney a linebacker in all honesty, he's played hand down about all year and rushed from the end all year. Reamer has been limited in his P/T due to the use of the nickel, so he's been a part time player the majority of the year. When he has played, he has been rather good at covering his corner.
Specialists
When you see the heading, you probably think Tiffin or Arenas, not this week. You'll find them later on, unfortunately. The specialists that I'm impressed with are guys like Anders, Upshaw, McCall, etc. They have 1 purpose when they are out there, and for the last 3 or so games, they have hit the mark each week. Anders is a good pass rusher, he won't be asked to play linebacker like Reamer or the two middles are, but he can blitz and rush protect at the line. Upshaw is about the only quality highlight on special teams coverage and his p/t at Jack will grow from that. McCall is in the game to block and about 3 or 4 times a game you will see him make the seal block that springs the runner for the key runs. Not a lot of talk about these guys because it doesn't show on the stat line, but McCall and Anders are a part of why their respective sides look better this fall. McCall especially. They have allowed him to move and help the OL shore up the weak spots from last year and that is getting the backs from the line to the second level.
The Bad…
Playing how you practice
A lot of folks think this is a stab at the coaches. Sometimes it is, but this time it is on the players. The coaches can yell, shout, do whatever, but at some point the players have to handle their prosperity. We all knew they would not go into this week's game with the same focus as UGA. Nobody would, but you could tell from the penalties, missed assignments, arm tackles, and the usual issues that result from a sloppy practice week it wasn't what the staff had in mind. The officiating left something to be desired, but some of the penalties were there. It wasn't the officials picking on Bama as much as they came from lack of focus. The old adage still holds true, you play like you practiced and it was self evident.
Secondary playI'm not thrilled that the corners have gone back to playing the WR and not the ball. I'm also starting to notice there is always a point in the game where a safety makes a mistake in Cover 2 and the result is a touchdown or big play. Now, CBS said it was Rashaad's mistake that lead to the late TD. That's partly true. He did bite on the TE when he shouldn't have, but Sharrief was the goat on the play. At the time of the game, I thought the same because a SS or FS should never go forward if there is a go route. Johnson released like he was supposed to from corner and would have been on the TE because the TE cut back towards MJ. Sharrief released too early from his quarter zone and that caused the confusion. This is a common issue now in the last 2 games. Bama gets up by playing aggressive and hard nosed, then gets into a conservative containment defense (quarter cover 4 or cover 2/3 nickel) and they can't handle the assignment play. They like swarming and moving and not thinking and reacting. I'd say the secondary gets a long week of practice at them because they've been a goat the last 2 games in the 4th.
The Ugly…
Special teams
It isn't a week of GBU without it. Arenas is special, no denying it, but he's dangerous on both sides. He will be the return man until he gets torn in two, but the staff is going to get tired of the living on the edge play that gets him in trouble. I like the effort, and the desire to make something happen, but not every play is that play. There are times where a fair catch is the best play you can make. Tiffin had a bad day, no major issue other than I hope it doesn't continue on through the year like it did 2 years ago. He did hit the late FG and I'll hope it stays true from there, but his play was a big reason why KY was back in the game. Return coverage continues to be the worst aspect of this team. They give up too much yardage even when they don't let the opponent house one. That will be the other long stare of the bye week is return coverage.
Random Thoughts…
Can the spread work in the SEC?
It can, but it has to have true balance and execution to work. Auburn's issue is that they can't decide how much "spread" they want to run and how much traditional I formation they want to have. Same for UT, their new OC is being asked to build a hybrid form of "spread" and it looks like crap. Is it Franklin or Clawson's fault? Partially, but the Head Coach for both have a lot to do with it. Tubs and Fulmer have both watered down and kept their thumb on the play calling and philosophy and that won't work for either OC. Both coaches are struggling to understand the concept of the spread and the OC's can't help them get there. Most observers have said what AU is running isn't Franklin's "airraid" style of play, it is cut and paste Tubs and Franklin. Clawson isn't even getting that much input. Remember, part of the success of the spread is that it sets up fast and runs a semi-hurry up offense.
I think watching UF use it and win is evidence it can work, but at UF they have the capacity to run with Tebow and Harvin and the rotation of RB's they have. The spread is a pass to set up the run style of offense and depends on the zone blocking and execution at the line to work. It can score big, but cannot win shootouts because it requires balanced production to work. Auburn and UT both need to watch Florida and even LSU to a degree if they want to see how a spread field offense can win in the SEC.
If Alabama could harness Vandy's discipline and focus with Alabama's talent, there wouldn't be a team in the nation to stop them.
Vandy is not special when you look at their players. There isn't a high talent guy or a 5 star freshman changing their look. They are just 100 percent all in on Bobby Johnson's way. They are full speed into his vision and the discipline they show in the game each week is a signature of his coaching. I still say Johnson pound for pound is one of the best, if not the best, coaches in the SEC, and this season is putting it in stone. It was fun to root for Vandy and know they had a real shot. I wish Bama's players could keep that kind of discipline week in and out, if they could- there wouldn't be anything between them and the BCS championship. I can see Saban's focus growing on the players, but for every Georgia game, there is that Tulane or Kentucky let down. Of course I say this and Vandy loses to MSU next week and it is all square one stuff.
What did this game teach me?
Auburn v. Vandy
Talent doesn't beat a team effort. That's the difference in where Vandy is and Auburn is. Auburn wants to out talent you and Vandy takes 22 guys and beats you together.
Ole Miss v. USCar
Never count out the Ol Ball Coach. He won't win the SEC this year, but he can dictate who does. USCar isn't a bad team, they just haven't gotten the execution on offense they need. Ole Miss continues to have those growing pains where they win or play above themselves and then follow up with a loss. Nutt is a good coach, the jerk in him may jade your view, but from an x's and o's perspective he's a good coach. He has talent but he has to change the culture still and that takes time.
Army v. Tulane
Tulane really wasn't that good after all, but that wasn't something I learned, hopefully some others learned it. You know the ones of you who flood my email about Tulane.
Texas A&M v. Okie State
Kines still can't stop the inside trap. Insert your youtube video here...
Buy/Sell/Hold
The dark horse national champion contender is Texas Tech.
BUY. I think we're about to find out how good they are, but with their offense and improving defense (or at least it looks better against the opponents they've faced) they have a shot. A lot of folks thought KSU would catch them, they didn't come close.
The Big 12 is the best conference in the nation.
SELL. The SEC is still the flagship there. The difference right now is that the SEC has put some marquee match ups on the board and the 12 is just now starting in on their conference slate. After this week, don't be surprised if Chokelahoma and Missouri are both outside looking in.
Vandy will win the East.
SELL. There is a lot of hope and dreams in this team, but let's be real. They just don't have the "it" they need for UF and UGA yet. I like a good Rudy story like the next guy, but it just ain't so.
Saban and RLB like the old carry the football punishment.
BUY. It was always fun to torture the RB during the week if he had the drops. I think a good dose of humility and getting into his head to hold the ball with 2 hands will do Glen good. You can run for 200 yards and that's nice, but what would have happened if that last fumble cost Bama the game? Do you care then? No.
Got a suggestion or wanna discuss outside the board? Email me at bevil_76@yahoo.com .
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