Well, that was interesting wasn't it. I love how the emotionally challenged around the Bama Nation cannot hold their water. The early morning, and Tuesday night, announcements did not go Bama's way to say the least. What did fans do? Panic, moan, go postal, convert to Jehovah's Witnesses, you name it, they did it. The same guy that just days before was an awesome player and would do wonders at Alabama, now that guy, who signed with UT mainly, sucks. Funny how that works?
The one thing I really, really hate now is the baseless rumor mill business. Here's the bottom line, unless you have a real factual item showing proof, it is slander more than truth. I sat around and tried for days to say "don't count Ole Miss and Nutt out, they always close" and they did. If they did wrong, it will come out, but message board speculation only makes us look like pussies. Period. Alabama and its fans have a good reason to be happy. They addressed needs in almost every area. I would have liked, and Saban mentioned it too, to have seen them get a 2nd cornerback and another top end WR (keep reading you'll get the logic or attempt at it shortly) but other than that, they did what they needed to do. I've watched Fulmer and Tubberville both implode by trying to take the best of what is around and not take the needs based approach. Saban avoided the trap, not a real concern for anyone, and went after OL and DL guys and hauled in 13 true linemen. Nice. They needed more LB depth, did that. They needed a Jack, got one of those too. So, recruiting ranks aside because those are useless like teats on a bull, this class was a success before the LOI's came in.
The biggest thing I wish would go away is the hat thing. It has kinda played out like the boot scoot boogie and neon shorts and mullets and wife beaters. I digress. I've said it before and will again, the worst thing to happen to college football is the age of recruiting news. It has morphed from a useful tool to a demonizing agent of evil. Everyone is bent on being an "insider" and espousing their knowledge for their own addictive needs. Now, I think the world of Walls and he hits more than he misses, but for every Walls and this rolltide_2007 guy out there, there are 400 Mister Insiders to match. For every Jamie Newberg, who many of you owe an apology, there are vast numbers of people out there plagiarizing info from others and forming it as your "inside source". That's sad really and I wish like hell it would stop. It is getting more and more noticeable when I read BOL or other sites or get the chain mailings from a group I'm in, and then see some twit saying my sources said and it is line for line what another site said. But hey, don't let me stop your party.....
I took a little time to watch films and have seen one or two play before. So here's kinda an overview of what to expect in the near and long term future for the 29 new members:
Disclaimer- this is based on BOL video, what youtube I could find, and school reports as far as eligible or needs work goes. Some that I might think are non-qual may have changed but I haven't read or heard differently. Credit Rivals for weights and heights and hometowns.
Quarterbacks
AJ McCarron 6-4 189 Mobile, AL. AJ is a 4 star QB that did more recruiting in one winter than Joe Kines in 5 winters. Alabama has made the plan that they will take at least 1 QB each year and early on got AJ on board. He comes from a HS that is rich in college profile players. As far as his play goes, he has a lot of upside. The downside to that is that he will need some time to level out and get ready for the pounding that the SEC brings. Physically, he looks a lot like Croyle did coming out of HS. He has a good arm, not a cannon, and is accurate when his mechanics are on. He has a tendency to not set and throw and forgets his fundamentals at times. When he's got his stuff together, he's a very capable pocket QB. He likes to sit in the pocket and check down, not real wild about getting out in space and creating or doing a waggle. With weight and belief in himself/teammates, that could change. His throwing motion is good, and he whips the ball around the way you are taught, and the ball comes out fast so he avoids sacks. The ball rarely drops below the pad and it comes out at the point of release not too early or late. His footwork is sloppy at times and that is coachable, definitely not a major problem, or shouldn't be.
Projection- Redshirt. Not a shocker for most, he needs about 2 years to sit back, observe the speed of the game, get in college shape, work on his feet, and get the playbook down. He won't compete for the starter job this fall, but will be a viable candidate for 2nd string with some dedication in the weight room and practice field.
Grade- B. If the wish was to get the ready to go guy, they missed it just by a mark or two, but if they were after a guy that can be built into a solid QB, they got their guy.
Running Backs
Eddie Lacy 5-11 210, Geismar, LA. Lacy is a 4 star RB that would have been a bigger name in the recruiting wars if his grades were better. I think it is safe to say that if Saban is talking to a player about placing them somewhere, that's a sign he's not going to be on campus this fall. Lacy seems to think he'll qualify, but most insight I read on this tells me it isn't as likely. So, on the assumption that he makes it, here's Lacy in a nutshell. He's a downhill runner, plain and simple. In some aspects of his running game, he reminds me of Glen Coffee or Ahmaad Galloway. He's flashy, and not a guy most likely to bust out a 80 yard TD on any defense at the college level, but he's consistent, runs low, but he runs with the ball loose and free, and most of all is patient with the ball. For example, Darby would race up to the lane he was to run to, and jitter around and force it. The results were 2 yards or less most of the time. Lacy is patient to the lane, and has the vision to cut back or cut outside if the play isn't there and doesn't force the action if it isn't required. Loves to hit, uses his lower body power to move people and punish smaller defenders for tackling him. His lower body power will make his YAC (contact) numbers look impressive because he doesn't go down on contact (see Terry Grant) he plows forward for 2-4 more yards. The only flaws in his game that I can find is that he's not going to just blow away defenders in a foot race and he gets sloppy with his hand transitions while running. He's listed with 4.4/4o speed, but he lacks that extra burst that Shaun Alexander and Bobby Humphrey type players had. I think he's well suited to go to a prep school and work on his track skills and get a year or two space from Richardson and Ingram so that he can be more productive in the long run.
Projection- Prep School. Haven't read anything outside of Eddie's hopes that tell me he's going to be close. I would like to see him on campus though.
Trent Richardson 5-11 210, Pensacola, FL. You would get a kick out of watching me watch this guy play. The transcript is pretty easy reading. "Damn....daaaamn, wow, damn". That's about it. This guy has that "it" that the Alexanders and Humphreys and Jacksons and Walkers have. In some of the videos and games I've seen him in, he is all over the field, and you can find him fast. He's the guy with the ball that looks like a bull on parade out there. It's elbows and assholes time when he touches the ball. He's versatile and can be put out in space in formation to catch a pass and get 1 on 1 with some poor corner or SS that will have to face his stiff arm. He has that McFadden stiff arm that just humiliates and stings defenders. Does a great job of getting low and making his tackle spot small. Uses his hips and shoulders to hit a small crease and turn into the open field. He's one of the more fluid runners I've seen in recent years. He loves to hit, sometimes too much. Has okay hands, but isn't a soft handed back. He gets better as the game wears on. Loves to get as many touches as he can, and coaches will love that. He's fast and has the 2nd level gear that Lacy doesn't show, but sometimes gets caught up in the whip fest he likes to put on. Coaches can work with him on that and the level of competition will help with that. His vision is that signature "it" factor. Sees the play and reacts quickly to the defense and seems to consistently be able to avoid the schemes.
Projection- Contributor/Starter. If Coffee stayed, probably just contributor. If Upchurch comes back healthy, he could be a contributor in the committee like the 3 were last year. However, this guy has the tools to be what Jones was last year to the offense.
Mike Marrow 6-2 240, Toledo, OH. Marrow is a lot like Chris Jordan was last year. He could play on either side of the ball, but he lists with everyone as a FB, so I lump him here with reservation. His future position will be dictated more on how the linebacker depth and talent stacks up in the summer than his desire to play at one spot or another. The fullback position has started to decline in the program and in the NFL, so I add that to why I don't see him on offense long. They seem more content to let a TE go in motion to lead block than using the FB much. As a runner, he's a pinball. He's not fancy and not flashy, but he's a true north south running back with serious leg drive. The few shots of him blocking that I could find, he likes to stick players, but you can tell he's not practiced it all that much or hasn't been taught how to use his body and power to move players in space. In the 3-4, he'd be a Will or Mike more than likely. I didn't see any plays that would have him in that situation, what I did see was OLB. He has good work ethic on defense, and shows a lot of IQ at LB. Knows how to use angles, and his size and power to get inside the tackle/TE. Has a good burst off the snap, and follows the play well. Doesn't get twisted around or start out of the stance wrong.
Projection- Redshirt. Depth at running back and linebacker will give him a year or two to learn his destined position and that is good for him and the team. He has a good idea of what he can do as a player and with a good mentor he could be a real steal at linebacker.
Position Grade- A+. Too much talent to get anything less.
Wide Receiver
Kenny Bell 6-1 160, Rayville, LA. I'll be honest, I haven't seen as much on him because I quite honestly didn't think he'd switch commitments. He's a rare find though, there aren't many LA boys that will leave state when LSU offers. He's a 4 star because he's legitimately fast. From what I could see and read, he's your typical vertical WR, great in space, good with the ball, as good as down once contact is made, if made. He will go over the middle, but is at his best outside one on one.
Projection- Probable contributor. When I get more time to watch him, I might change my mind on him, but I could see a RS too to bulk up.
Michael Bowman 6-4 206, Rossville, GA. As some have read, I've seen Bowman play since he started high school. I can tell you that if you are basing it solely on video, you aren't getting a fair assessment. It makes one of the mods mad, but it is true. Most of the video is against the Sister Mary's schools of the area. That doesn't mean he is not a good player, just not quite the player some have theorized him to be. His biggest assets are his long arms and physical nature. He is a possession WR. Plays a lot like Nikita Stover. Can catch one and make a guy miss and then turn it into a bigger play, but will not just out run coverages. He's a guy that is good over the middle and will take a lick and keep going. The only thing he doesn't like is to be doubled and taken out of the game. Some of the area coaches have said they noticed him getting out of the game mentally and were able to neutralize him quickly. That probably won't be an issue at Alabama though. He has great hands and will get to a ball if it is humanly in range. Loves to create separation with his hands and elbows, and he runs good routes. The only asterisk there is that he doesn't run a lot of routes against the competition he plays, they are pretty much verts and the basic HS route running. He has never ran a lot of sloppy routes since going varsity. Last update I had, he still had grade issues. Will need some time to grow and adapt to better competition.
Projection- Prep School. If he qualifies, he probably will get a shot, but would be well served to redshirt and learn a little more. When he hits campus, would be an ideal slot guy in a 4 man set.
Kendall Kelly 6-4 210, Gasden, AL. Kelly is kinda hard to read at times. Some love him, some are not as wild about him. I can see both at times. He's a guy that I could see outgrowing the WR spot and becoming a LB. He is very raw and has gotten by on pure athleticism but lacks a lot of understanding about what he's doing at times. He can make a catch but doesn't know or see how to extend the play sometimes. Has plenty of speed to separate on the fly and good hands. Likes contact and can catch in stride, not that easy for some, but it is all him and not a lot of coaching. He's not a possession guy, but he isn't the vertical threat at the college level either. As is, reminds me of several on campus right now. Overall, he has a ton of upside to him with time and coaching.
Prediction- Contributor. Lots of factors going into this, one is that if Bowman doesn't qualify, they are 1 short. Two, the on field talent this spring is uninspiring to a degree and he can fill a gap possibly. Third, he's just a big target that a new QB could get comfortable with outside of Julio.
Kevin Norwood 6-3 180, D'Iberville, MS. Norwood is probably my favorite of the bunch. He isn't high on the board because he isn't ultra flashy and he doesn't rack up sick numbers like some others do, but he's got a lot of skill. He gets the position best out of the ones I've watched. Is deceptively fast, doesn't look fast until you look at the time lapse and he books it. Has a good mix of possession with a deep threat capacity. His long arms and size make him an easy target for a QB who isn't the most accurate. Can snag passes that most can't. He's really smooth with the ball in his hands. Looks almost like a running back at times the way he turns and shifts. The biggest knock on him is that he can be taken out by a more physical player. Patrick Patterson owned him in the playoffs, but Patterson would own many if he played CB as he will as a WR at Ole Miss.
Prediction- Contributor. I see nothing in his game that says he can't play, but he and Kelly both could sit out if the existing players step up.
Grade- B-. This group kinda feels like some of those familiar classes of the past where you want more than what is there. With Randle, Bumphis, Patterson, and Teague on the board but not on campus, the staff got the best of the rest but definitely missed the big target.
Offensive Line
James Carpenter 6-5 305 Hephzibah, GA . Carpenter is a JUCO early signee. He will come in with a lot of expectations on him. Coffeyville CC has been a good root to tap for Bama in the past and the hope is the luck will continue. When you see him, he's not hard to find. Huge player who could play guard or tackle in the SEC. He is not a center by trade. Originally signed with Iowa State, didn't qualify and went JUCO. His coach speaks highly of him, and should. Carpenter is a fit 305, doesn't look that heavy. His feet move well in pass protection, uses his hands to get inside defender and drive them off. Would be better at RT than LT because the speed requirement is different, but could play it if needed. His body and long wingspan make him a hard target to get around on the rush. He can't be bull rushed either. Weight room numbers could stand to improve (355 bench, 455 squat). Has 3 years to play 2.
Prediction- Possible starter. With 3 open spots, a JUCO is almost certain to get a long look at one spot or another. Would probably be better off inside at RG but should compete for LT or RT if allowed.
DJ Fluker 6-7 325 Foley AL. I don't know what is more scary, the fact he's the best lineman coming out of HS, or that he's still raw and the best at it. He's not real experienced at LT, and at times it shows, but he's so naturally gifted and athletic for his size, that he overcomes that. If LT doesn't work, he'd make us all forget Terrance Cody if moved to NT. Has real long arms and is fast for his size. Looks like he could add more muscle mass and not lose a lot of speed. His technique is surprisingly good for his experience level, but in the all star game, some of the speed ends got on him and his fundamentals got lost in the action. Has a lot of characteristics of Andre Smith, but hasn't got the understanding of the job like Smith did 4 years ago. If he were to pull or be used in a counter type play, he would be devastating in space. He can easily take out 2 or more defenders at times. The only area that he will struggle until coached through it is when smaller, faster, and equally strong guys (Q Groves types) get in on him. He sometimes struggles to get his hands and feet in position to take them on in time and can lose leverage even though he has the size and weight advantage.
Prediction- Starter or Redshirt. Feast or famine, I know, but really if Tyler Love or Carpenter can legitimately start at LT, a year of teaching would be good for him. I don't know if that will happen once he gets on campus because he might be the best lineman on campus from day one. Keep expectations realistic if he starts, the SEC defenses will throw the sink at him and it will take time for him to understand what is happening in some cases. Andre Smith went through the same thing.
Darius McKeller 6-6 280, Jonesboro GA. His dad was a good one (Keith McKeller, Buffalo Bills TE in the glory days) and Darius is gifted as well. However, when I watch him, it screams project. He will need to bulk up more and work on his fundamentals some. Looks good as a pass blocker, but has happy feet when he knows a good rusher is coming at him. I know it sounds like a broken record, but he has a big wingspan too. When he is focused, he gets under the defender and drives him well, but needs more lower body strength at the next level.
Projection- Redshirt. He needs a little time to work up to the college game, but has a lot of potential and family lineage to make me think he could be a player down the road. He might, if his parents were willing, grayshirt and delay his start to give him some time to work on his craft and bulk up.
Anthony Steen 6-4 297 Clarkesdale, MS. I keep reading this guy is a "stud". He's definitely strong and has a good motor, but I wouldn't jump out on a limb with "stud". He's a guy that you want in the locker room and teammates feed off of and he'll give you a blue collar effort. The flip side is that he's not real polished or stands out when he plays. He's a natural guard on offense and could be an end or NT on defense. Is kinda fun to watch a big guy kick like he does, but I don't think Saban could stand it long. He fits the mold of how Bama likes their linemen to play. He's always engaging the defender and not letting them get on him. He moves well for his size and can be a good pulling guard on the run. Very raw and hasn't been coached to the level he needs to be, but part of that seems to be because he has to split duty. Small school player syndrome may be in effect. Hard to say without knowing who the teams are on video, but they are all private school teams and that gets a Schrute Buck demerit there. For some reason, grades being an issue keeps sticking out with him in my mind.
Prediction- Redshirt/Prep School. If I'm confusing him with one, I appolgize upfront, but he needs a year or two, maybe three to understand how to effectively play lineman. If he can get the understanding to match the motor and power, he'll be a "stud" then. That looks on down the road to me.
Chance Warmack 6-2 329, Atlanta GA. Early signee and projects at guard for the Tide. Big guy and he moves well for his weight. If his bench max is 315, he'll need some serious weight room time. A guy his size should be well ahead of that, 315 means he can't do a pushup. Getting on campus early will benefit him and give him some extra teaching time. When he plays, he plays with his hands more than his body. Likes to engage, then drive, and his size and mass makes him nearly dominate when that happens. His biggest coaching need is in footwork and how to move in line and not stride and get out of center so much. I could see him getting the business from a veteran DT if he strode left or right and the tackle got inside him. He likes the contact and likes to be physical and his motor runs every play from the videos provided. It all just needs to be pulled together and focused.
Projection- Redshirt. If the spring is real productive, he could get some snap time like Boswell did last year, but he needs some weight room and coaching time.
Kellen Williams 6-3 295 Snellville, GA. I hear rumblings that this is one of those guys that they liked for a while, but after they got Carpenter and Fluker and thought they were in on Massie, their like level dropped. He's a project plain and simple. That's not a knock on him, but he's not ready and won't be for 2 or 3 years. He could play center and would be better inside if he can't get his footwork better. Gets way off the trail sometimes and gets beaten back when he overcompensates. Sometimes he gets his hands inside the defender, others he misses the mark and gets off centered quickly. He is very athletic to be 300 lbs and plays well at that weight, so I don't know that he needs bulking up. Just needs a lot of work on fundamentals, has the typical high school problem of getting by on raw ability thing.
Prediction- Redshirt. I probably will make you love him to spite me because I'm not that wild about him yet.
Position Grade- A. Any class that features 2 start on arrival players earns an A. The only lineman they missed on was Massie, so the need for Warmack and/or one of the others to step up is there.
Defensive line
Brandon Moore 6-4 313 Montgomery AL. I saw a lot of questioning about him projecting at End to start out. To make it simple, he'll play inside the tackle in the 3-4 next to the jack. That end is required/desired to be a little bigger and more like DT. If Moore can get his arms around that role, he will be a very special player in his 4 years here. He is big and very strong and uses his hands well on both sides of the line. Doesn't really explode off the line, but at end he will be more about engaging and opening lanes for the Jack and other blitz/rush assignments. He gets a little high sometimes, but that's coachable. I don't think he's been coached as much as a defender and his rush moves are stiff but again, he's going to just have to know how to power through and disrupt like Cody does. If he comes to play, he could be in the rotation at end for run situations in August. He has a mean streak when he plays, and I like that A LOT.
Prediction- Contributor. The lack of quality depth is glaring on DL, and a guy like Moore could get in quickly and possibly win the job in time if Deaderick and Davis/Washington don't perform as they should. He's a guy that could be big in a short amount of time.
William Ming 6-4 265 Athens AL. Is it sad that when I first saw this guy, I expected something different? Probably so, but I'll do laps later. He and Steen are kinda alike in that they work hard each play. I can see why folks rumor him to play TE. He's got a lot of burst off the snap for a guy as big as he is. He lacks true power for an end, but is more of a technical player than a mauler. He understands the position and looks well coached as an end. If he could gain some speed, like say get down to a 4.7/40 he might look at Jack, but he may outgrow it as well. What I really like to see from him is how smart he plays. He doesn't rush into the OL every down and he reads the line shifts well and gets his hands in the right place to create separation and get in to disrupt the play. One play he just dismembers an OL by punching his arm and shoulder out of the way and just shoots past. He's beyond the lineman so fast the play breaks down in less than 5 seconds. Nice. Probably the best signee as far as understanding the game goes.
Projection- Possible contributor/Redshirt. If he reports and is motoring to go, I could see him getting some snaps. A part of me would like to see him at TE and moving Michael Williams back to defense. Either way, Bama's End/Jack situation is improving in 09 or 10. Will redshirt if he physically is not ready for SEC competition, but he's mentally and technically ready now.
Anthony Orr 6-4 260 Harvest AL. I saw Orr at the MSU game, and he's not 6-4, more like 6-1 or 2. I could see him playing Jack or TE at the next level. I don't know that he ever played TE though, didn't see it if he did. He lacks a lot of fundamentals and is another guy who is getting by on his athletic nature over position skill. Shoots up from the snap instead of going forward into the line and then up. The way he plays, he'll get pancaked well over the average like that. He is a guy who needs a couple years experience and coaching to work up to the next level.
Projection- Redshirt. Just too raw and not coached well enough to be on the field yet.
Ed Stinson 6-4 227 Homestead, FL. The first thing that jumps out about him is that he's extremely fast off the ball and his basketball background shows when he plays. His instincts and athleticism shine on every video. To play Jack, he'll have to bulk up some, very thin frame but looks like he could carry the weight and not lose much speed. He thrives on a tackle over compensating to the edge and has the footwork and skill to cut back inside and make the tackle pay. (see some of the linemen comments and that is what they have to work on) He loves to use the swim move to get out of the blocker's position. When he tries to bull rush, he gets too high, will need a coach to show him how to properly bull rush from the 3 point. Great pass rusher, okay at run coverage. Moves to the ball but gets tangled in the linemen sometimes and is out of the play at that point. Coaches will have to break him from getting so high up, he gets excited to hit and exposes his number to blockers, and show him how to get low and surge. Definately a guy that will work in the 3-4 in time.
Prediction- Contributor. With Upshaw moving on from special teams to starter/contributor, I see Stinson moving on to his spot on the special teams until he gets a better feel for college football. He may be the best Jack signee since Saban arrived.
Chris Bonds 6-4 262 Columbia, SC. Here's the scoop on why he's a 3 star, it isn't how he plays, it is the fact he doesn't play too much because he's hurt. After watching his videos, I can see how he gets hurt. He gets amped up to play and probably can't keep his composure and that results in a pull or tear here there and yonder. Would be a rush end in the mold of Bobby Greenwood if he got healthy, but that's a big IF. Has a great motor, engages the linemen and loves to hit. Has good hand work and keeps linemen off him and is in great shape, but again, the videos are somewhat dated. The Army AA game, he came away from it with a lot of ????? about how much rust he had and some scouts started to mumble that he had lost the skills some. Hard to say when he's being used at DT instead of DE, which is where I would start him out at. I think if he is put at DT, he is only effective in a nickel or dime formation because against the run, he'd give up too much size as is.
Prediction- Redshirt. The 2 years of nagging injuries need addressing with weight room and practice reps and regain confidence in himself. Once he gets in shape, I can see him being a real player in the future. Throwing him out there and having him wonder if the knee is going to go bad at any second is not helping either side.
Quinton Dial 6-5 308 Pinson, AL. Reminds me a lot of Josh Chapman in high school. He's a pure run blocking NT as you will find. He isn't the space taker that a Cody is, but he is very disruptive off the ball and seems to have a lot of drive power when he engages a guard or center and pushes them back without a lot of effort on his part. Has Cody's hand speed and work, uses them to keep linemen from grabbing him in the pads and maneuvering him. Has descent pass rush capacities, definately disruptive, but won't pile up sacks at the next level. Like most young players, he gets excited a lot and when he does the pad level shoots up with the enthusiasm. When that happens, his capacity to disrupt lessens and linemen get him off the ball more. His tackling is good when he's in control, but when he gets his pads up, his tackling becomes more drag down and less emposing. Really, I am surprised he isn't a 5 star. Most of the "flaws" that you see in him are typical high school player issues and not major by any means.
Prediction- Contributor. He might redshirt due to depth upfront but it won't be because he's not ready for the next level. I really think he will be a starter by the time he's a Soph.
Darrington Sentimore 6-3 265 Destrehan, LA. Where to begin? There is Sentimore the player and then there is the concerns off field that some have mentioned. The player has a good nose for the ball, is always on the play, and has the ability to grow into a DT at around 300 lbs, looks a lot like Zo Washington in action, may be the number. Then you have to wonder, will he make grades or even be around 4 years from now? His videos show a lot of potential, but he's raw as all get out. Very sloppy on his tackles at times, he doesn't wrap up he wants to highlight them so some of you will love him like you love Prince Hall, but other times he is on top of them quickly. He has a unique run style and needs to cut out some of the theatrics with it, it is slowing him down some. He's another that has gotten by on his gifts and needs someone to show him how to put it together. Is fast for a 260+ guy and has good push off the snap. Definately knows how to get inside the lineman and disrupt. He just needs a lot of polishing to his game if he wants to succeed in the SEC.
Prediction- Prep School. I know he thinks he'll make it, but until he makes it, he hasn't made it. I think a year away from home would be good anyways. This guy bothers me more than Luther Davis did.
Grade- B+. Here's the thing that I see when you combine it as a whole, you have Dial and Moore who are top end, some that are projects, and some that may not play or play at DL. That may work out and may have the staff searching for more next year or so.
Linebackers
Jonathan Atchison 6-3 216 Atlanta, GA. If he is 216, I'd be shocked. Looks more like 190-200 in pads. Has good first step, and can play end or OLB, but will play Sam at Alabama. He is a 3 star due to his lack of college size numbers, his football skill and ability to be around the ball is better than a 3 star ranking would say. His pass coverage is ok, needs to work on his motion when he turns to go down field some, gets locked at the hips and loses a step to the back in motion. When he pass rushes, he has buck fever and shoots up in his stance first then goes forward, that's coachable, but he needs to use that speed first and then get higher in his pursuit, college linemen are faster than what he saw in Atlanta. When he was committed to AU, he was a perfect fit for them to contribute right away, at Bama he can fit in but it will be down the line as he's gotta get up in weight and mass muscle to play in the 3-4, otherwise he's about like Alex Watkins.
Prediction- Redshirt. I think he's got plenty of upside to him and I'd like to see him get into a better physical shape to play at Bama because he understands his role as a blitzer and coverage back.
Nico Johnson 6-3 226 Andalusia, AL. Johnson is a nice fit at MLB for the Tide. He's not too tall and built well enough to play right away if needed. He's built more like Rolando was than Dont'a was coming out of high school. Has top end speed for a MLB, can cover the entire field and is very aware of how to use angles to cut the pursuit of faster running backs. I noticed in the Army game that he really hawks to the ball and caught a much faster running back in the backfield because he gets the angles and how to start in position (exact opposite of how Prince Hall does it). While he could play Mike or Will, he could play Sam if needed. He has that capacity to play around the horn. Has great footwork and is hard for OL to center up and block, he seems to keep them off him with his long arms a lot. He probably is the best pure pass rushing linebacker that Bama has had in quite a while, he really gets after the QB well and is very disruptive and sticks to the pursuit even when he won't get to the QB. Scouts at the Army camp say he needs to learn to play all out every down, but that's a high school flaw more than a college concern.
Prediction- Contributor. Here's the thing, if Dont'a didn't play as well as he did, Nico would be there starting perhaps, but with Hightower still playing the majority of snaps inside, Nico will get some breather minutes and special teams minutes to get a feel for the game speed at the next level. I don't see him being much of a dropoff if either McClain or Hightower get hurt. If Harris or Reamer drop off in production, he's a solid option there too.
Tana Patrick 6-3 215 Stevenson, AL. Patrick is a very deceptive player. He looks too big to play linebacker but his speed makes him destined to start there. Played TE and LB in high school, but will start at Will or Sam at Alabama. He definately could bulk up to be 250 and play Jack down the road, his frame is well more than adequate to do that, really looks bigger than 215 when I've seen him. If you compare him to Nico Johnson, he is probably more athletic in the way he plays, but not as groomed as Johnson is. He commands the field though when he's playing and is a great run stopper in the middle. Biggest flaw in his game is his lateral movement. He's no where near as fluid from sideline to sideline as Johnson is, but is better north and south than Johnson. How quickly he bulks and how much bulk he adds will change his position in time. I think he'll play outside or hand down eventually because he looks like he'll bulk up to outgrow OLB or ILB.
Prediction- Contributor/Redshirt. He isn't quite as groomed and ready to go as Johnson, but he could play some blowout minutes and special teams, but if the staff has plans to "Jack" him, he may sit out and workout. He's got a lot of upside and a lot of natural skill, he just has to be applied right.
Petey Smith 6-0 230 Seffner, FL. Petey followed Coach Brooks from Auburn (potentially) to Alabama, but he is a project with a lot of upside. The thing that is hard to gauge him accurately is his DL is horrible. Looked 10 times better in the UA game. His stock rose with some services after that game (ESPN). Physically, if he keeps his weight down, he's ready to play now. He's mentally not as far a long as Johnson or Patrick and takes the worst angles of the 3, but coaching can fix that. He does a great job in taking on lead blockers and eliminating them. He has a real good first move to the ball and gets in the gap fast and is very disruptive when he does that. However, if a lineman engages him, he's not capable of getting free. He will need some tutoring on that because he doesn't get his hands in position to keep the OL off him or drive him back to the play. The fella loves to hit and running backs will hate him over time because he loves to punish, sometimes too much.
Prediction- Redshirt. Has a great motor and loves to play, you see it on every video and the UA game, he's all about it and he has all the raw skill to be a great ILB, but he needs coaching and some smoothing on the rough edges while those ahead of him get some time between him. If Nico and Tana don't sign with Bama, he probably plays. One note, if he is undisciplined in the weight room, nice way of saying out of shape, he may never see the field with the talent levels coming in. Hearing way too many stories about him being up in the 260 range and no he can't play Jack.
Position Grade- A. They filled all the depth needs and addressed all 4 positions this year if you count Stinson.
Defensive Back
Dre Kirkpatrick 6-2 180 Gadsden, AL. Dre is the highest rated player Bama signed in some services and others he was up there with Fluker and Richardson. He is the last of a dying breed of shut down corners. He is fast, physical, instinctive, and gets into the head of WR's at will. When you watch him on video, he looks effortless in his back pedal to stride. There are no flaws in his game mentally or physically. He gets beat because the pass is perfect, not because he bites or gets faked out. He actually can play zone coverage which is rare coming out of HS. He isn't afraid to tackle and for a corner tackles well. He could play FS in college due to his tackle skills. I am dead serious, I cannot see any major work that needs to be done, I've hunted it and watched all star games trying to find something, he isn't perfect, but coming out of high school, he's well ahead of the curve. The only thing remote is if he moved to FS, he'd need to develop his body more, but I don't think they will move him there unless 2 or 3 corners are just plain better than him.
Prediction- Contributor/Starter. He's ready to go, and Kareem Jackson and the FS battles will have his presence felt early. He's tall, fast, and aggressive. Something Bama corners haven't had a lot of combined in a while.
Rod Woodson 5-11 200 Olive Branch MS. Woodson is a fan favorite because he loves to lay wood in the flat. Out of all the guys that Bama signed this year, he has the best motor of the group. His intensity is unmatched, but that also causes problems at times. He tends to overpursue when he gets worked up. Very strong, benches 315 squats 400, that's weightroom warrior there. Will be a favorite on special teams for years to come because he has no fear flying into bigger players. Like all big hitting linebackers/safeties, he sometimes forgets to wrap up, and nothing pisses Saban off more than that. Has a good understanding of his position and uses the field to his advantage, takes great angles to the ball, and never gets offline to a play. When he pursues, he sometimes overpursues or doesn't wrap up, will have to get consistent with that in college. Could play "Star" corner if had to but would be used for more short field situations in that role, he is not a player you want man up on a WR on longer routes. Needs to get serious in the qualifying area.
Prediction- Prep School/Redshirt. As a football player goes, he's great and has huge potential as a player, but I hear a lot of conflicting reports as his academics goes. Some say he's far off and others say it is in range, so we'll see. I think he probably redshirts because they have so many safeties ahead of him. One thing to watch is how much weight and bulking up he does, he may be a Mark Anderson and go from SS to LB/DE in time and is a true weight room player.
Position Grade- B+. They needed a 2nd cornerback to add to the mix and if Woodson doesn't make it, that will be 1 DB per year the last 2 years. Dre Kirkpatrick is NCAA ready today, but they really, really, needed more depth to help cull out the players they've had to work with.
Overall class rank- A. Addressed OL and DL depth needs, LB depth needs, missed on the WR/CB depth and added the best RB class since the late 80s. There are several guys who can contribute in the fall and that will help Saban's "Process" along greatly, but this class will not be asked to contribute in the same way last year's was.
February 5, 2009
January 15, 2009
Random Thoughts
Ok, let's have that heart to heart here guys...
Coaching Changes
In the last month, Bama has lost 2 coaches and 2 players that could have came back for 2009. While that does hurt to a degree, this is a part of football as is. With the competition and paychecks mounting year by year, the chances of keeping a solid staff in tact for long is unrealistic. Saban's staffs over the years have never been in tact for long and there always seems to be a couple that leave every year or 2. That's part of having a successful coach really and it causes gas to fans who got used to the same coaches hanging around during the Shula years, but the ends justify the means.
If you really think on it, and this is for those asking why he would go to UT, why wouldn't he? He was getting under payed compared to many on the Bama staff and other staffs being assembled when it got down to it. He can recruit the panties off a nun and coach them back up when he's done, no question. Don't think so, just check 2008's class (and 09) and look at how improved Fanney and Reamer were http://alabama.rivals.com/viewcoach.asp?Year=2008&Sport=1&Coach=968. The flip side, and this is something fans miss sometime, is that he bounces around from place to place. He's been to Bama 2x, Tech 2x, had a cup of coffee with LSU and UCF along the way too. He's like a lot of assistants and head coaches out there, he's kinda afraid to make roots because he might miss out.
So who replaces him? Honestly, I don't think that will be decided until early spring. Same for Kevin Steele's job. I don't think Saban works in a rush about this kind of thing and between his coaching tree and his mentor's tree, not to mention his agent's ties, there is always a list of names to cull through. I do think that he has a great chance to make some adjustments in the defensive philosophy through these changes, much like he did on offense last year. If you remember going into last winter, Major left and so did the TE coach. Saban took the time to get a proven OC and a good friend in Bobby Williams to coach TE and special teams. The results were self-evident for sure. Perhaps after the humbling realities from Florida and Utah, this can help re-invent how they use the Cover 2 and Zone Blitzes.
What is amusing about all this is how quickly the spin and distancing fans on these message boards do out there. Right now some of the fine titles gracing the Internets are:
"Saban is the X factor in recruiting, NOT Thompson"
"Thompson to UT.....wth?"
"He is supposedly an amazing recruiter, but lets be honest, Saban is the reason they commit to Bama! ROLL TIDE!"
yet while he was here, he was a recruiting God. Funny how that happens eh? In the end, it goes like this, do I like that he's going to Tennessee? No, and if he was going to Texas or Cal, fans would have a different tone about this issue by the way. Do I like that he left now and not in March or April? No, but when do you make staffing moves normally....January and February. Will this hurt the progress of the Saban rebuilding project? Probably not, but it will definitely make things a little harder in the mean time.
One guy sweating more than the others is Curt Cigneti. All of a sudden, he's gotta actually earn his way and not hide around quite as much. He's already in the bullpen a bit over how poorly the WR's not named Jones performed.....
Recruiting in general....
If you log on to one of the humpteen websites out there, you pretty well can count on 2 types of threads being popular and rehashed each morning. First one is about how the class finishes and who is in it. The second thread that seems to be looming around is how Program X is not this that or the next and all their guys should be thinking Bama, or how this coach or that coach is not as good as Saban.
That's all nice and I love the effort, but there is a little bit of reality that has to come into play. For example, I know the "insiders" are all over the page on some stuff, like Randle, and that has some reading into things a little harder than others. So, when the heat is on to get the must have, the earth will open up and swallow us all if we don't get him, cannot get an erection without this guy signing with Alabama starts to set in, the effort to talk yourself into how Tim Tebow, Caddy Williams, Marcus Manson, Brandon Spikes, etal. must come here and there is nothing else to it. Kinda like Christmas morning with no Red Ryder BB Gun, we've known this pain. Saban and staff are as good as it gets, no doubting that even with what's left of the staff, but there are just some factors that go into recruiting that Saban and co. cannot beat. The heartstrings of a momma's boy being one of them. Even the biggest and meanest of young men have the complex sometimes and won't leave state for all the potential in the world. That's not saying Randle or any others mentioned were or are momma's boys....well maybe Tebow he looks like he has a milk mustache still...but the draw to have mom and dad in the stands each home game and going home for holidays and seeing your boys after the game or during the week has a draw to it. There is also the fan factor. Some of these players have been life long fans of some teams. Tebow as a Florida guy, but Shula thought he could be the next Pope John Paul or something. Fail.
For what it is worth, I'd put down the following to finish out with just on what I read in articles and hear from bankers in TTown:
Kelly
Kirkpatrick
Moore
Patrick
Stinson
Patterson
Do you notice 4 out of 6 are home state boys? Mommas win championships too. What proof or science is there to it? Not a damn thing, just like the others. Is there one of those 6 that they can't live without? Yep. Patterson. Last year it was Zo Lawrence, this year it is a MS WR. He's got game with his peers and isn't a freak athlete in a small town thing, that I like.
Now, on the flip side there is this poor mouthing USCal, LSU, Florida, and whomever else is hot in recruiting that day. I'm ok with just playful bullshit, but some of this theorizing in recruiting is just absurd. Today's lesson in cerebral assassination was that Pete Carroll was not in the same class as Saban and Meyer (surprised he got promoted to listen to some) as recruiters go. Now, outside of Saban and Bryant, there aren't many coaches I hold in higher regard than Pete Carroll. Carroll was not a great pro coach, but neither was Saban or Petrino or Spurrier. The college level is a fit for Carroll just like it is for those mentioned. USCal went from near Navy/Army extinction to national power on his watch. He's created the dominance and unmerciful pummeling that happens out west now. Any top end recruit that he wants, it is his to lose. That's what Saban is working towards at Bama. If you want to see the long term model for Saban's "Process" visit USCal to see the pipeline and daily dominance of the region in all phases of football. He also is about as good a person as you can be around off the field. Most probably don't know it, but if you saw 60 Minutes interview him you do, but he's a big part of the LA community. No, he isn't at Spagos or wherever Lindsey and Paris are, but that other part of town...Compton and Crenshaw. He said early on he saw the devastation of gang violence in the community and felt he had to do his part. So, he goes to these rough areas talking to kids and teens about gangs, drugs, violence, and the better life there. He takes those kids to practice to get star struck and tries to mentor them and shoot them straight. While that may impress you on its own merits, it gets better. He does this at night. No police escorts or bodyguards, just him and some others trying to talk to these guys and make a difference. He's winning in life not just football in my book and if my boy wanted to play for him, I wouldn't slight him just because I know he'd make a difference in his life if my boy let him.
Then there is how big a liar Urban Meyer is. The fact he uses politcalesque tactics to recruit away from other programs may give you a moral problem, but it doesn't him. Wouldn't me either really, you are paid to do a job, he's doing his and the results back that up with 2 national titles, consistent recruiting talent, and a pool of NFL ready players seemingly every August. They are about to get to that point where a down year is 10-2. Yes he can stay in state and get all the talent in the world, but that doesn't make it that easy. Just ask Ron Zook. Talent doesn't just win for itself. It has to fit in and work for what you want it to. Meyer's spread may not be the NFL friendly offense that Carroll's is, but it is putting guys in the spotlight and getting them drafted, and it is winning games. That's the difference in Meyer and a guy like Richt or Fulmer is that he gets the guys that can fit in his offense and defenses and not just the name list that Rivals or Scout or whomever provides.
Then there is Les Miles, you know the idiot savant. Miles as a coach is not in the elite area, and probably never will be. However, he does seem to do what Tubberville did well for a while, he gets assistants that keep him out of trouble. He also has a state that he can in state 25 if able, but has had success in Texas and Florida on occasion. Is he a super recruiter like Carroll or Saban or Meyer or Bowden used to be? No. Does he suck like Shula? No. The biggest thing that Miles does is put the ring out show he can win, show he can make NFL talent at OSU and LSU, and let the atmospher of Death Valley do its part. There are few things that rival the intensity and atmospher of Baton Rouge on a Fall Saturday night. The jury will be answering the question of his prowess in the next year or two though. He'll have the talent taken in but can he coach it to win. We'll see. Mr Hat may be smug, but like one guy pointed out, he's not lost many that he's offered to officially or not. Those mommas recruit championships too.
So I can read your mind and you are going to say Saban must suck in my mind. Stop sifting around. My mind thinks in a variety of things but Saban sucking hasn't been one. Saban is a lot like Carroll in his philosophy and he has his way and that is the only way one of his teams will go. He knows the rules, he works through them, and even creates some over time because he will make it his job to win, that's what his paycheck says. He's demanding like Carroll. He's 24/7/365 about his job and developing his program, and that takes a lot to get used to as an assistant and a player. That's a hinderance for some (Thompson/Applewhite/Steele) and a perk to others (see all the recruits). Saban isn't sifting through Forrest Davis magazine for his players, he's watching their film, putting scouts on the ground and getting reports back to him. He's trusting his instinct on talent evaluation for the most part. If he retires and goes into recruiting analysis, I'll drop my subscriptions to buy his. Saban knows his system and way will win, he's got the ring to show that. However, catching lightning twice in two different jars is harder than most accept it to be. He'd be the first if he does.
Really, recruiting is kinda silly though. You get all up in the air about 25 guys coming to school, out of which maybe 18-20 pan out, 7-10 are real starters from that group, and then that's when I'd evaluate the class is at the end of the 3-5 years there. The other funny thing is folks praise you for getting an Andre Smith or Julio Jones or Nico Johnson type guy, but really if they grew up a Bama fan or fell in love with the school, did it take a genius to make that happen? Sometimes I guess, but you or I could have gotten Jay Barker or Brodie Croyle to sign with the school their heart tugged them to.
Basketball, I'd rather watch Baseketball....
I don't watch the games unless there is nothing else on. I hate that I've gotten that way now, but it just isn't healthy to get mad at something you know will make you that way before you start. I could beat a dead horse about the problems going on down there with Gottfried, but I won't. The two things that really are just out there that cannot be explained are that the attendance for home games sucks and the quality of the teams after all this time have regressed. There isn't a flu pandemic or an NCAA infraction causing these things. It is just plain ol bad is bad sports. Both gripe me, but the fact that the school spent good money to renovate Coleman and this is what we get is inflated football ticket prices and .500 basketball just ain't it. The SEC as a whole is down in basketball, they will be lucky to have a team in the top 12 or 15. That bothers me because if the NCAA Tournament takes 5-6 SEC teams, and Bama's one, does that earn the right to stay one more year if you go 8-8 in conference? I fear it will because Mal's capacity to understand his overall job is not there. How OU, Texas, UT, and others can have good football and basketball and Bama can't scratch its own ahem basketballs is beyond me.
Coaching Changes
In the last month, Bama has lost 2 coaches and 2 players that could have came back for 2009. While that does hurt to a degree, this is a part of football as is. With the competition and paychecks mounting year by year, the chances of keeping a solid staff in tact for long is unrealistic. Saban's staffs over the years have never been in tact for long and there always seems to be a couple that leave every year or 2. That's part of having a successful coach really and it causes gas to fans who got used to the same coaches hanging around during the Shula years, but the ends justify the means.
If you really think on it, and this is for those asking why he would go to UT, why wouldn't he? He was getting under payed compared to many on the Bama staff and other staffs being assembled when it got down to it. He can recruit the panties off a nun and coach them back up when he's done, no question. Don't think so, just check 2008's class (and 09) and look at how improved Fanney and Reamer were http://alabama.rivals.com/viewcoach.asp?Year=2008&Sport=1&Coach=968. The flip side, and this is something fans miss sometime, is that he bounces around from place to place. He's been to Bama 2x, Tech 2x, had a cup of coffee with LSU and UCF along the way too. He's like a lot of assistants and head coaches out there, he's kinda afraid to make roots because he might miss out.
So who replaces him? Honestly, I don't think that will be decided until early spring. Same for Kevin Steele's job. I don't think Saban works in a rush about this kind of thing and between his coaching tree and his mentor's tree, not to mention his agent's ties, there is always a list of names to cull through. I do think that he has a great chance to make some adjustments in the defensive philosophy through these changes, much like he did on offense last year. If you remember going into last winter, Major left and so did the TE coach. Saban took the time to get a proven OC and a good friend in Bobby Williams to coach TE and special teams. The results were self-evident for sure. Perhaps after the humbling realities from Florida and Utah, this can help re-invent how they use the Cover 2 and Zone Blitzes.
What is amusing about all this is how quickly the spin and distancing fans on these message boards do out there. Right now some of the fine titles gracing the Internets are:
"Saban is the X factor in recruiting, NOT Thompson"
"Thompson to UT.....wth?"
"He is supposedly an amazing recruiter, but lets be honest, Saban is the reason they commit to Bama! ROLL TIDE!"
yet while he was here, he was a recruiting God. Funny how that happens eh? In the end, it goes like this, do I like that he's going to Tennessee? No, and if he was going to Texas or Cal, fans would have a different tone about this issue by the way. Do I like that he left now and not in March or April? No, but when do you make staffing moves normally....January and February. Will this hurt the progress of the Saban rebuilding project? Probably not, but it will definitely make things a little harder in the mean time.
One guy sweating more than the others is Curt Cigneti. All of a sudden, he's gotta actually earn his way and not hide around quite as much. He's already in the bullpen a bit over how poorly the WR's not named Jones performed.....
Recruiting in general....
If you log on to one of the humpteen websites out there, you pretty well can count on 2 types of threads being popular and rehashed each morning. First one is about how the class finishes and who is in it. The second thread that seems to be looming around is how Program X is not this that or the next and all their guys should be thinking Bama, or how this coach or that coach is not as good as Saban.
That's all nice and I love the effort, but there is a little bit of reality that has to come into play. For example, I know the "insiders" are all over the page on some stuff, like Randle, and that has some reading into things a little harder than others. So, when the heat is on to get the must have, the earth will open up and swallow us all if we don't get him, cannot get an erection without this guy signing with Alabama starts to set in, the effort to talk yourself into how Tim Tebow, Caddy Williams, Marcus Manson, Brandon Spikes, etal. must come here and there is nothing else to it. Kinda like Christmas morning with no Red Ryder BB Gun, we've known this pain. Saban and staff are as good as it gets, no doubting that even with what's left of the staff, but there are just some factors that go into recruiting that Saban and co. cannot beat. The heartstrings of a momma's boy being one of them. Even the biggest and meanest of young men have the complex sometimes and won't leave state for all the potential in the world. That's not saying Randle or any others mentioned were or are momma's boys....well maybe Tebow he looks like he has a milk mustache still...but the draw to have mom and dad in the stands each home game and going home for holidays and seeing your boys after the game or during the week has a draw to it. There is also the fan factor. Some of these players have been life long fans of some teams. Tebow as a Florida guy, but Shula thought he could be the next Pope John Paul or something. Fail.
For what it is worth, I'd put down the following to finish out with just on what I read in articles and hear from bankers in TTown:
Kelly
Kirkpatrick
Moore
Patrick
Stinson
Patterson
Do you notice 4 out of 6 are home state boys? Mommas win championships too. What proof or science is there to it? Not a damn thing, just like the others. Is there one of those 6 that they can't live without? Yep. Patterson. Last year it was Zo Lawrence, this year it is a MS WR. He's got game with his peers and isn't a freak athlete in a small town thing, that I like.
Now, on the flip side there is this poor mouthing USCal, LSU, Florida, and whomever else is hot in recruiting that day. I'm ok with just playful bullshit, but some of this theorizing in recruiting is just absurd. Today's lesson in cerebral assassination was that Pete Carroll was not in the same class as Saban and Meyer (surprised he got promoted to listen to some) as recruiters go. Now, outside of Saban and Bryant, there aren't many coaches I hold in higher regard than Pete Carroll. Carroll was not a great pro coach, but neither was Saban or Petrino or Spurrier. The college level is a fit for Carroll just like it is for those mentioned. USCal went from near Navy/Army extinction to national power on his watch. He's created the dominance and unmerciful pummeling that happens out west now. Any top end recruit that he wants, it is his to lose. That's what Saban is working towards at Bama. If you want to see the long term model for Saban's "Process" visit USCal to see the pipeline and daily dominance of the region in all phases of football. He also is about as good a person as you can be around off the field. Most probably don't know it, but if you saw 60 Minutes interview him you do, but he's a big part of the LA community. No, he isn't at Spagos or wherever Lindsey and Paris are, but that other part of town...Compton and Crenshaw. He said early on he saw the devastation of gang violence in the community and felt he had to do his part. So, he goes to these rough areas talking to kids and teens about gangs, drugs, violence, and the better life there. He takes those kids to practice to get star struck and tries to mentor them and shoot them straight. While that may impress you on its own merits, it gets better. He does this at night. No police escorts or bodyguards, just him and some others trying to talk to these guys and make a difference. He's winning in life not just football in my book and if my boy wanted to play for him, I wouldn't slight him just because I know he'd make a difference in his life if my boy let him.
Then there is how big a liar Urban Meyer is. The fact he uses politcalesque tactics to recruit away from other programs may give you a moral problem, but it doesn't him. Wouldn't me either really, you are paid to do a job, he's doing his and the results back that up with 2 national titles, consistent recruiting talent, and a pool of NFL ready players seemingly every August. They are about to get to that point where a down year is 10-2. Yes he can stay in state and get all the talent in the world, but that doesn't make it that easy. Just ask Ron Zook. Talent doesn't just win for itself. It has to fit in and work for what you want it to. Meyer's spread may not be the NFL friendly offense that Carroll's is, but it is putting guys in the spotlight and getting them drafted, and it is winning games. That's the difference in Meyer and a guy like Richt or Fulmer is that he gets the guys that can fit in his offense and defenses and not just the name list that Rivals or Scout or whomever provides.
Then there is Les Miles, you know the idiot savant. Miles as a coach is not in the elite area, and probably never will be. However, he does seem to do what Tubberville did well for a while, he gets assistants that keep him out of trouble. He also has a state that he can in state 25 if able, but has had success in Texas and Florida on occasion. Is he a super recruiter like Carroll or Saban or Meyer or Bowden used to be? No. Does he suck like Shula? No. The biggest thing that Miles does is put the ring out show he can win, show he can make NFL talent at OSU and LSU, and let the atmospher of Death Valley do its part. There are few things that rival the intensity and atmospher of Baton Rouge on a Fall Saturday night. The jury will be answering the question of his prowess in the next year or two though. He'll have the talent taken in but can he coach it to win. We'll see. Mr Hat may be smug, but like one guy pointed out, he's not lost many that he's offered to officially or not. Those mommas recruit championships too.
So I can read your mind and you are going to say Saban must suck in my mind. Stop sifting around. My mind thinks in a variety of things but Saban sucking hasn't been one. Saban is a lot like Carroll in his philosophy and he has his way and that is the only way one of his teams will go. He knows the rules, he works through them, and even creates some over time because he will make it his job to win, that's what his paycheck says. He's demanding like Carroll. He's 24/7/365 about his job and developing his program, and that takes a lot to get used to as an assistant and a player. That's a hinderance for some (Thompson/Applewhite/Steele) and a perk to others (see all the recruits). Saban isn't sifting through Forrest Davis magazine for his players, he's watching their film, putting scouts on the ground and getting reports back to him. He's trusting his instinct on talent evaluation for the most part. If he retires and goes into recruiting analysis, I'll drop my subscriptions to buy his. Saban knows his system and way will win, he's got the ring to show that. However, catching lightning twice in two different jars is harder than most accept it to be. He'd be the first if he does.
Really, recruiting is kinda silly though. You get all up in the air about 25 guys coming to school, out of which maybe 18-20 pan out, 7-10 are real starters from that group, and then that's when I'd evaluate the class is at the end of the 3-5 years there. The other funny thing is folks praise you for getting an Andre Smith or Julio Jones or Nico Johnson type guy, but really if they grew up a Bama fan or fell in love with the school, did it take a genius to make that happen? Sometimes I guess, but you or I could have gotten Jay Barker or Brodie Croyle to sign with the school their heart tugged them to.
Basketball, I'd rather watch Baseketball....
I don't watch the games unless there is nothing else on. I hate that I've gotten that way now, but it just isn't healthy to get mad at something you know will make you that way before you start. I could beat a dead horse about the problems going on down there with Gottfried, but I won't. The two things that really are just out there that cannot be explained are that the attendance for home games sucks and the quality of the teams after all this time have regressed. There isn't a flu pandemic or an NCAA infraction causing these things. It is just plain ol bad is bad sports. Both gripe me, but the fact that the school spent good money to renovate Coleman and this is what we get is inflated football ticket prices and .500 basketball just ain't it. The SEC as a whole is down in basketball, they will be lucky to have a team in the top 12 or 15. That bothers me because if the NCAA Tournament takes 5-6 SEC teams, and Bama's one, does that earn the right to stay one more year if you go 8-8 in conference? I fear it will because Mal's capacity to understand his overall job is not there. How OU, Texas, UT, and others can have good football and basketball and Bama can't scratch its own ahem basketballs is beyond me.
January 5, 2009
The Good (not much), The Bad (too many to count) and The Ugly- Utah
Well, if you are in shock, you shouldn't be. This game has been coming for a while and it caught up to them. The truth be told this was a team that overachieved against a host of underachievers and when they met 2 teams that weren't in that genre, the losses ensued. I knew things were bad when Smith's suspension happened, and then around New Years, Saban had a news conference that just seemed off, and with the Steele news swirling, it was pretty clear that football practice was not 1st on the menu.
The Good...damn I'll struggle to find this one....
Arenas punt return
Sadly, this was the only play that really had any spark to it. It was great to see him play with his head on straight and want to play. That was something missing from several others on the field.
Bobby Greenwood
Most of you like to say "when X takes over", but folks, I don't think you can replace Greenwood with anyone on campus and gain from it or even break even right now. He played like he wanted it, he played like he knew this is how he'd go down in our memories, and he played like he wanted to win. He's going to be remembered by me for chasing down the ball carrier 20 yards down field after his teammates quit on the play.
The lessons learned for....
Andre Smith- It must not have hurt that bad to see how he let his team down because he didn't waste time declaring for the NFL. My hope was that he'd see his impact on the team and regardless of what he did, he'd be better for it. You wondered why Tony Barnhart said what he did, this is why.
Kevin Steele- When you are pimping yourself for a lateral move, you still need to hold up the job you have until you are gone. Mission failed. As far as I can tell, they still haven't come up with a scheme or philosophy that can defend a true spread offense. You know that gimmicky offense that can't work? Oops.
Bama fans- Arrogance dripped for weeks as Bama was number 1, then going to the Sugar Bowl against a team deemed unworthy by them, it was a recipe for an ass whooping. Yes, Bama should have came in and taken care of the business, but you still have to show up and do what you do each and every day. Most chalked this up and were ready to move on to how 09 was the year that Bama starts on top and finishes on top. Oops. The spin will be spring and summer eternal, but the truth is that we all enabled what happened by raising our noses to Utah. Our noses are now in the pig shit, and that's where it needs to stay until further notice.
The Bad....I'll try to limit it....maybe
OL Play
Yes, Andre Smith is a special player. Yes, his loss hurt and made things harder. However, it should not have resulted in a fruit basket turnover up front. Mike Johnson at LT was not going to work and he was spared by the ankle sprain. Davis wasn't any better, but it does bring up a problem that they continue to have. They don't seem to have a backup plan anywhere on the pages. There would be a drop off from Smith to whomever, but whomever shouldn't be a starter at another position. As is, what you saw in the Sugar Bowl would be close to a carbon copy of what the 2009 OL would be like. Oh hell. Now, before you start in on Fluker and Massie and Carpenter and on and on, think just a little. It is easy to expect a true freshman to come in and play just like he did in high school, but it is easier thought than said and done. All have great upside, but none have been exposed to the speed that is out there. Don't hang the moon and stars and hopes and dreams on them just yet. But pray they can do better than what's there now because McElroy will need more than what Ross and Davis and co have to offer.
QB Play
The real John Parker finally stood up. And then he was knocked down, over and over and over and over and over...you get the hint. Many wanted all sorts of praise for Wilson about a month ago. You won't find them around any more. JPW is a nice play caller hand the ball off and go type of guy. Much like Chad Pennington is for the Dolphins or Trent Dilfer was for the Ravens. Neither have to win games, just let the defense do its thing and then make just enough plays to contribute. That's JPW in a nutshell, don't ask him to win it, just ask him to control it. Friday night was not that game. It was obvious early that Utah had done its homework. They sent 9 guys in the box and then when it was a have to pass down, they went after him too. Wilson continued to do the one thing that just kills me, he holds the ball forever waiting for his target (usually Julio) to get open. Folks will say he was tough and durable and all those adjectives, but after watching the Sugar Bowl, he brought a lot of those hits on himself by not being able to make a decision fast enough. When he did throw it, it was like a gun out of sight on the range. Some were high, some were low, some were left, some were right and some went to who the heck knows. He over shot Stover once, and under threw him the second time and missed the best two chances Bama was going to get. It was a good summary for his 3 years as QB. The loss wasn't his fault though, it was a team loss from coaching down to jock strap cleaner.
Secondary woes
The game plan was real easy for Utah. Where's 24 and where's 26? If you drew those lotto numbers, congratulations Utah WR, you got the ball. Here's the scouting for anyone playing Alabama, take your speed guys, match them on the outside, not slot, and ask them to run a deep slant or out and up and force slower corners to play up to you. Jackson and M. Johnson both lack the foot speed to fix themselves in the event they mis-read or misjudge the play. Utah exposed it over and over with all the corners, minus Arenas, and exposed that the vaunted cover 2 has holes that the spread can expose.
The Ugly....
Special teams play minus Arenas.
Let's be honest, Tiffin would have lost his job already if his name wasn't Tiffin. We all know that now, he continues to be unreliable and shaky when it isn't dead center of the field. The punting is a boom or shank fest depending on the day, lunar cycle, or whatever dictates it. The fact that this is the best Bama can get and it doesn't improve itself from game 1 to now both disturb me to no end.
Random Thoughts....
Saban's got a lot of work to do still. Going 12 and 0 took the reality of it all out of the equation for us. The truth is that there are so many gaps to fill still that the "Process" may be a longer one than hoped. The OL is far from stable or competitive. The secondary is slow and gaped. The DL lacks power when in the dime or coverage situations. The WR core is Julio and the dropouts (see McCoy's PT) and that causes concern for us all. This senior class caught lightning in a bottle for 12 weeks, but it showed a trend that was familiar and disturbing. Once the dream is gone, so too seems to be the focus on the rest of the year. With LSU last year and Florida this year, the team seemed to spiral aimlessly into chaos after the dream was gone. In 07, the SEC West title was gone with the loss to LSU (note the proper usage of loss not loose) and this year with the BCS and SEC title gone with the loss to Florida, the talk was cheap and the practices didn't look all that passionate. That's something that the coaches need to address because it will be a continuous stumbling block if allowed to continue.
With all the coaching turmoil this month, it would be a good time for Saban to revamp his cover 2 and the pass defense strategies. Much like the Tampa 2, Saban's 2 is getting plenty of film study and teams are starting to expose it more with speed and execution. The morale of the Sugar Bowl from the defense is that the principles still hold true. If you cover, you better cover. If you bring pressure, you better get him. They didn't do either extremely well. The end result is getting mauled down the field play after play. You can send 4 and drop 7 and get pressure, you just have to know your players and call the schemes that get them in the face of the QB. If you can't with 4, you better send 5 or 6 and make it work.
Looking Ahead...
QB- Thomas Darrah will NOT be the QB next year. I'm so sick of seeing that heading on the damn message boards. What's funny is that a guy that threw a nice pass on 4th string walkon scrubs in a practice game gets more folklore than the guy who threw a nice pass in the 4th quarter against the biggest rival. Are you Darrah for QB fans retarded? Or just NCAA09 enthusiasts? I really want the slowest biggest target playing behind a patchwork OL. McElroy is the QB going in, should hold it through Spring and will through Summer because AJ McCarron will redshirt. I watched him play and he needs a lot of coaching and time in the film room to mature to his big arm. Star Jackson will be Greg's main competition, but from what I've seen and friends close to things say, he's not ready for prime time yet. He's the typical young QB, can hit targets all day and night, until you start mixing in defenders and throwing some surprises at him. I'd say he gets some snaps in the 1st string to see apples to apples, but McElroy will be the starter. I think if they develop a game plan around him and not the conservative game manager routine, he might surprise you.
RB- If the Sugar Bowl is any indication, Glen Coffee is not coming back. I thought he ran a little more timid than usual and really looked like he was trying to protect himself, up until he got folded by the pass rush. Trent Richardson will probably start to steam the windows a bit and regardless of what Coffee does, Ingram and Richardson will get more carries in 09 than the backups in 08 did. As big a fan of Upchurch as I am, he's probably done and Terry Grant is done too. I won't miss Grant much and neither should you.
WR- Julio Jones will miss Nikita Stover if they don't sign a prime time WR. The returning cast will not give much hope or optimism this spring because McCoy is lost, Hanks is a possession guy, Maze may be on the way out after another bone head play, Gibson can't find the field, Alexander can't stay healthy and plays like he's 5-11. Nobody will miss Nick Walker, who also played like he was shorter and lighter than he was, because Peek and Smelley will fill in fine, but you will pine for Travis McCall unless Michael Williams (the only true Jack on the roster is now at TE) can step up. It isn't any secret on the recruiting trail, if you sign with Bama to play WR, you'll start. You can't suck any worse than those holding your spot.
OL- It ain't Dixie they are singing on the O Line. Mike Johnson returns, as does Drew Davis (oh boy!) but gone are Smith, Caldwell, and Marlon Davis. Fluker all but has his jersey and 1st string decoder ring ready, but from there, it gets iffy. I like Fluker, think he has a lot of raw talent and athleticism, and that's what he's getting by on, but his understanding of the position is still very young and there are times he looks like he's playing LT for the first time. He won't be like Andre Smith coming in because he hasn't got the experience. It will be a work in progress. James Carpenter will get a solid look at RG or RT as Davis still can't progress to the next level at lineman. Boswell is the best of the young linemen going into next fall and should compete at RG too. David Ross is a backup, nothing more or less. Vlachos is a backup as well. His snaps are short and his blocking is serviceable but nothing to write home about. Cardwell either has too many injuries to compete or is in the doghouse for some undisclosed reason. It isn't his capacity to play though. For those wanting to say he got beat up in the bowl game, by that point he was playing half speed with the back issues. I take it they aren't any better. So the Center spot is a who knows for now. Good luck to Greg, he'll need it and I hope his knees are good and loose. (the proper usage of the word)
DL- Greenwood is gone, and the heart and soul goes with it. I don't know that Zo Washington is the answer, but he'll replace him in the front. Cody should return, he needs to at least, and hopefully the coaches will take time to show him how to become more effective as a pass rusher. As a run stopper, Cody is 1st round material, as a pass rusher, he is a mid level player. If he wants to be the well rounded do all player, he's got to use his gifts to push forward and disrupt plays more. Yes they will double team him, but if he gets off the line faster and on top of the guard/center fast enough, that won't matter. Deaderick will be at end again, and at some point he's got to start being more than a space taker. Some plays call for the ends and NG to just take up lanes (space), but others require a little more effort. Dareus will be the key reserve and after a quick start, he became quite average. He needs a lot of polishing still and some understanding of how to play at the college level. Chapman continues to be the here then not out there guy, for some reason. I think he plays well and is a better pass rusher than the others. I guess he doesn't do it for somebody in practice. They need a lot of help up front with players that are bigger and stronger than what they have. The 3-4 requires ends at 275+ and NT 300+ that clog and move the line back. The issue is the Jack is ineffective and it causes more focus on the DL.
LB- A pleasant surprise most of the season, and should improve next year with McClain and Hightower seasoning another year. Fanney is the Jack until beaten, but he is limited and not the ideal Jack in how the defense needs to be played. He's fine as a run stopper, but his pass rush is non-existent. Reamer plays about 30 percent of the time. With teams continuing to stretch the field, he won't play. The reserves are all either too young, too small, or too short on talent to be expected on next year. Upshaw is the Internet favorite, but after watching him play off end Friday, he won't be the Jack of all trades by spring. He needs a lot of bulking up to do what he would need to do at Jack, he's ready at Sam today though. Jerrell Harris, Prince Hall, Kirschman, Higgenbotham, Hester, and others seem to be part players in the big scheme of things. Anders is a nice rush back, but he doesn't do well in coverage and to be competitive in the long run, he'll have to do both because teams can scout well enough to know he's blitzing when he's in. This position is the area that attrition will be centered on as several prior coach signees will be pushed to take up new career paths. Mingo, if they can sign him, would be an ideal Jack candidate if Williams is not moved back.
DB- They will miss RJ badly as Woodall hasn't caught on to the field general part of the job yet. They are going to have to overhaul the philosophy and style of player though to compete at the national level. Jackson, Johnson, and Arenas are all good in SEC traditional settings. However, when Florida or any other speed team comes, it is just a mess. Jackson and Johnson are fine in short spaces, but lack the foot speed and vision to cover long fast plays. Arenas playing in the nickel back is adequate because in the middle of the field, speed is not as needed as awareness is. I would look for the staff to begin looking to the younger guys for a spark here. Zo Lawrence and Robbie Green both will get a long look at some fashion of corner play because MJ and ASh are not the options in the future. Mark Barron got his first real taste of game action in the Sugar Bowl and looked like a guy who had not been practicing for the job. That's not his fault as much as the coach's. He has loads of potential, but he got a valuable OJT moment or 4 in the game. He'll learn from it and hopefully can fill in nicely at SS.
Specialists- I really could care less if any returned or not. The 400 pound pink elephant on the field has been the kicking game all year because you couldn't tell if it was a good day or bad day for them. I would be shocked if there isn't a serious competition for both spots this spring.
The Good...damn I'll struggle to find this one....
Arenas punt return
Sadly, this was the only play that really had any spark to it. It was great to see him play with his head on straight and want to play. That was something missing from several others on the field.
Bobby Greenwood
Most of you like to say "when X takes over", but folks, I don't think you can replace Greenwood with anyone on campus and gain from it or even break even right now. He played like he wanted it, he played like he knew this is how he'd go down in our memories, and he played like he wanted to win. He's going to be remembered by me for chasing down the ball carrier 20 yards down field after his teammates quit on the play.
The lessons learned for....
Andre Smith- It must not have hurt that bad to see how he let his team down because he didn't waste time declaring for the NFL. My hope was that he'd see his impact on the team and regardless of what he did, he'd be better for it. You wondered why Tony Barnhart said what he did, this is why.
Kevin Steele- When you are pimping yourself for a lateral move, you still need to hold up the job you have until you are gone. Mission failed. As far as I can tell, they still haven't come up with a scheme or philosophy that can defend a true spread offense. You know that gimmicky offense that can't work? Oops.
Bama fans- Arrogance dripped for weeks as Bama was number 1, then going to the Sugar Bowl against a team deemed unworthy by them, it was a recipe for an ass whooping. Yes, Bama should have came in and taken care of the business, but you still have to show up and do what you do each and every day. Most chalked this up and were ready to move on to how 09 was the year that Bama starts on top and finishes on top. Oops. The spin will be spring and summer eternal, but the truth is that we all enabled what happened by raising our noses to Utah. Our noses are now in the pig shit, and that's where it needs to stay until further notice.
The Bad....I'll try to limit it....maybe
OL Play
Yes, Andre Smith is a special player. Yes, his loss hurt and made things harder. However, it should not have resulted in a fruit basket turnover up front. Mike Johnson at LT was not going to work and he was spared by the ankle sprain. Davis wasn't any better, but it does bring up a problem that they continue to have. They don't seem to have a backup plan anywhere on the pages. There would be a drop off from Smith to whomever, but whomever shouldn't be a starter at another position. As is, what you saw in the Sugar Bowl would be close to a carbon copy of what the 2009 OL would be like. Oh hell. Now, before you start in on Fluker and Massie and Carpenter and on and on, think just a little. It is easy to expect a true freshman to come in and play just like he did in high school, but it is easier thought than said and done. All have great upside, but none have been exposed to the speed that is out there. Don't hang the moon and stars and hopes and dreams on them just yet. But pray they can do better than what's there now because McElroy will need more than what Ross and Davis and co have to offer.
QB Play
The real John Parker finally stood up. And then he was knocked down, over and over and over and over and over...you get the hint. Many wanted all sorts of praise for Wilson about a month ago. You won't find them around any more. JPW is a nice play caller hand the ball off and go type of guy. Much like Chad Pennington is for the Dolphins or Trent Dilfer was for the Ravens. Neither have to win games, just let the defense do its thing and then make just enough plays to contribute. That's JPW in a nutshell, don't ask him to win it, just ask him to control it. Friday night was not that game. It was obvious early that Utah had done its homework. They sent 9 guys in the box and then when it was a have to pass down, they went after him too. Wilson continued to do the one thing that just kills me, he holds the ball forever waiting for his target (usually Julio) to get open. Folks will say he was tough and durable and all those adjectives, but after watching the Sugar Bowl, he brought a lot of those hits on himself by not being able to make a decision fast enough. When he did throw it, it was like a gun out of sight on the range. Some were high, some were low, some were left, some were right and some went to who the heck knows. He over shot Stover once, and under threw him the second time and missed the best two chances Bama was going to get. It was a good summary for his 3 years as QB. The loss wasn't his fault though, it was a team loss from coaching down to jock strap cleaner.
Secondary woes
The game plan was real easy for Utah. Where's 24 and where's 26? If you drew those lotto numbers, congratulations Utah WR, you got the ball. Here's the scouting for anyone playing Alabama, take your speed guys, match them on the outside, not slot, and ask them to run a deep slant or out and up and force slower corners to play up to you. Jackson and M. Johnson both lack the foot speed to fix themselves in the event they mis-read or misjudge the play. Utah exposed it over and over with all the corners, minus Arenas, and exposed that the vaunted cover 2 has holes that the spread can expose.
The Ugly....
Special teams play minus Arenas.
Let's be honest, Tiffin would have lost his job already if his name wasn't Tiffin. We all know that now, he continues to be unreliable and shaky when it isn't dead center of the field. The punting is a boom or shank fest depending on the day, lunar cycle, or whatever dictates it. The fact that this is the best Bama can get and it doesn't improve itself from game 1 to now both disturb me to no end.
Random Thoughts....
Saban's got a lot of work to do still. Going 12 and 0 took the reality of it all out of the equation for us. The truth is that there are so many gaps to fill still that the "Process" may be a longer one than hoped. The OL is far from stable or competitive. The secondary is slow and gaped. The DL lacks power when in the dime or coverage situations. The WR core is Julio and the dropouts (see McCoy's PT) and that causes concern for us all. This senior class caught lightning in a bottle for 12 weeks, but it showed a trend that was familiar and disturbing. Once the dream is gone, so too seems to be the focus on the rest of the year. With LSU last year and Florida this year, the team seemed to spiral aimlessly into chaos after the dream was gone. In 07, the SEC West title was gone with the loss to LSU (note the proper usage of loss not loose) and this year with the BCS and SEC title gone with the loss to Florida, the talk was cheap and the practices didn't look all that passionate. That's something that the coaches need to address because it will be a continuous stumbling block if allowed to continue.
With all the coaching turmoil this month, it would be a good time for Saban to revamp his cover 2 and the pass defense strategies. Much like the Tampa 2, Saban's 2 is getting plenty of film study and teams are starting to expose it more with speed and execution. The morale of the Sugar Bowl from the defense is that the principles still hold true. If you cover, you better cover. If you bring pressure, you better get him. They didn't do either extremely well. The end result is getting mauled down the field play after play. You can send 4 and drop 7 and get pressure, you just have to know your players and call the schemes that get them in the face of the QB. If you can't with 4, you better send 5 or 6 and make it work.
Looking Ahead...
QB- Thomas Darrah will NOT be the QB next year. I'm so sick of seeing that heading on the damn message boards. What's funny is that a guy that threw a nice pass on 4th string walkon scrubs in a practice game gets more folklore than the guy who threw a nice pass in the 4th quarter against the biggest rival. Are you Darrah for QB fans retarded? Or just NCAA09 enthusiasts? I really want the slowest biggest target playing behind a patchwork OL. McElroy is the QB going in, should hold it through Spring and will through Summer because AJ McCarron will redshirt. I watched him play and he needs a lot of coaching and time in the film room to mature to his big arm. Star Jackson will be Greg's main competition, but from what I've seen and friends close to things say, he's not ready for prime time yet. He's the typical young QB, can hit targets all day and night, until you start mixing in defenders and throwing some surprises at him. I'd say he gets some snaps in the 1st string to see apples to apples, but McElroy will be the starter. I think if they develop a game plan around him and not the conservative game manager routine, he might surprise you.
RB- If the Sugar Bowl is any indication, Glen Coffee is not coming back. I thought he ran a little more timid than usual and really looked like he was trying to protect himself, up until he got folded by the pass rush. Trent Richardson will probably start to steam the windows a bit and regardless of what Coffee does, Ingram and Richardson will get more carries in 09 than the backups in 08 did. As big a fan of Upchurch as I am, he's probably done and Terry Grant is done too. I won't miss Grant much and neither should you.
WR- Julio Jones will miss Nikita Stover if they don't sign a prime time WR. The returning cast will not give much hope or optimism this spring because McCoy is lost, Hanks is a possession guy, Maze may be on the way out after another bone head play, Gibson can't find the field, Alexander can't stay healthy and plays like he's 5-11. Nobody will miss Nick Walker, who also played like he was shorter and lighter than he was, because Peek and Smelley will fill in fine, but you will pine for Travis McCall unless Michael Williams (the only true Jack on the roster is now at TE) can step up. It isn't any secret on the recruiting trail, if you sign with Bama to play WR, you'll start. You can't suck any worse than those holding your spot.
OL- It ain't Dixie they are singing on the O Line. Mike Johnson returns, as does Drew Davis (oh boy!) but gone are Smith, Caldwell, and Marlon Davis. Fluker all but has his jersey and 1st string decoder ring ready, but from there, it gets iffy. I like Fluker, think he has a lot of raw talent and athleticism, and that's what he's getting by on, but his understanding of the position is still very young and there are times he looks like he's playing LT for the first time. He won't be like Andre Smith coming in because he hasn't got the experience. It will be a work in progress. James Carpenter will get a solid look at RG or RT as Davis still can't progress to the next level at lineman. Boswell is the best of the young linemen going into next fall and should compete at RG too. David Ross is a backup, nothing more or less. Vlachos is a backup as well. His snaps are short and his blocking is serviceable but nothing to write home about. Cardwell either has too many injuries to compete or is in the doghouse for some undisclosed reason. It isn't his capacity to play though. For those wanting to say he got beat up in the bowl game, by that point he was playing half speed with the back issues. I take it they aren't any better. So the Center spot is a who knows for now. Good luck to Greg, he'll need it and I hope his knees are good and loose. (the proper usage of the word)
DL- Greenwood is gone, and the heart and soul goes with it. I don't know that Zo Washington is the answer, but he'll replace him in the front. Cody should return, he needs to at least, and hopefully the coaches will take time to show him how to become more effective as a pass rusher. As a run stopper, Cody is 1st round material, as a pass rusher, he is a mid level player. If he wants to be the well rounded do all player, he's got to use his gifts to push forward and disrupt plays more. Yes they will double team him, but if he gets off the line faster and on top of the guard/center fast enough, that won't matter. Deaderick will be at end again, and at some point he's got to start being more than a space taker. Some plays call for the ends and NG to just take up lanes (space), but others require a little more effort. Dareus will be the key reserve and after a quick start, he became quite average. He needs a lot of polishing still and some understanding of how to play at the college level. Chapman continues to be the here then not out there guy, for some reason. I think he plays well and is a better pass rusher than the others. I guess he doesn't do it for somebody in practice. They need a lot of help up front with players that are bigger and stronger than what they have. The 3-4 requires ends at 275+ and NT 300+ that clog and move the line back. The issue is the Jack is ineffective and it causes more focus on the DL.
LB- A pleasant surprise most of the season, and should improve next year with McClain and Hightower seasoning another year. Fanney is the Jack until beaten, but he is limited and not the ideal Jack in how the defense needs to be played. He's fine as a run stopper, but his pass rush is non-existent. Reamer plays about 30 percent of the time. With teams continuing to stretch the field, he won't play. The reserves are all either too young, too small, or too short on talent to be expected on next year. Upshaw is the Internet favorite, but after watching him play off end Friday, he won't be the Jack of all trades by spring. He needs a lot of bulking up to do what he would need to do at Jack, he's ready at Sam today though. Jerrell Harris, Prince Hall, Kirschman, Higgenbotham, Hester, and others seem to be part players in the big scheme of things. Anders is a nice rush back, but he doesn't do well in coverage and to be competitive in the long run, he'll have to do both because teams can scout well enough to know he's blitzing when he's in. This position is the area that attrition will be centered on as several prior coach signees will be pushed to take up new career paths. Mingo, if they can sign him, would be an ideal Jack candidate if Williams is not moved back.
DB- They will miss RJ badly as Woodall hasn't caught on to the field general part of the job yet. They are going to have to overhaul the philosophy and style of player though to compete at the national level. Jackson, Johnson, and Arenas are all good in SEC traditional settings. However, when Florida or any other speed team comes, it is just a mess. Jackson and Johnson are fine in short spaces, but lack the foot speed and vision to cover long fast plays. Arenas playing in the nickel back is adequate because in the middle of the field, speed is not as needed as awareness is. I would look for the staff to begin looking to the younger guys for a spark here. Zo Lawrence and Robbie Green both will get a long look at some fashion of corner play because MJ and ASh are not the options in the future. Mark Barron got his first real taste of game action in the Sugar Bowl and looked like a guy who had not been practicing for the job. That's not his fault as much as the coach's. He has loads of potential, but he got a valuable OJT moment or 4 in the game. He'll learn from it and hopefully can fill in nicely at SS.
Specialists- I really could care less if any returned or not. The 400 pound pink elephant on the field has been the kicking game all year because you couldn't tell if it was a good day or bad day for them. I would be shocked if there isn't a serious competition for both spots this spring.
December 8, 2008
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- Florida
Well, if you wanted to see the difference between a championship team and a good team, you got the Cliff's Notes version Saturday. What is funny is when you go to your favorite sites, you will see the jealousy masked in comments about Tebow and Meyer. Bottom line, those two are big time player/coach and all the griping about the Spread not winning and all that has to die now. They won. Period.
The Good...
3rd Quarter
I really liked the mentality coming out of the half. They reset and went back to their basic offense- north south running and play action short passing, and they attacked on defense. They kept Florida off the field and chewed up massive amounts of clock while they shut out Florida 10-0 in the 3rd. By the end of the 3rd, the momentum and game were in Bama's court. It just went away at the start of the 4th...
Individual efforts
Justin Woodall, Hightower, McClain, Fanney, Greenwood, Coffee, and Julio Jones all played championship level ball Saturday. I thought the option played well into Fanney's strength (run defense) and they went at him for a bit only to find out he's solid on the corner. Really, I thought the line/LB's played well overall, they didn't get ran over, but you can't beat a 5 man front as good as UF's with 4 guys. I thought Woodall understood the Spread Option well and was in position for most of the night. He didn't shy away from hitting Tebow either, speaking of which, RJ probably would like to not hit Tebow anytime soon, he got rung when the big boy lowered his shoulder to him.
The Julio Jones Celebrity Hour
It was another night of Wilson high right passing. Against Florida's safeties, that means you are going to get popped and it's gonna hurt. Jones likes contact, there ain't much doubting that, but he went after several passes that were just off. Jones makes Wilson look better than he is really, but all good WR do, and he's going to make McElroy better because he goes over the middle and QB's like to throw down the pipe and put it up to where the WR climbs the ladder and gets it. The nice thing is that he's just a freshman and he already plays at a 3rd or 4th year player level.
Gritty effort
Some folks had Florida winning in OU fashion. Some said that Bama couldn't play with Florida. Bama proved it deserved to be there and put their best effort on it, there wasn't a player that didn't give his effort to the game, but sometimes, there are just better teams out there across from you. Florida was that team.
The Bad...
First series on both sides of the ball
If you read the Random Thoughts, you know I thought that Bama had to keep the ball and then get 3 and outs where they can. The first drives of the game weren't that by a long shot. I guess the thing that I didn't like was that when Florida got the ball, Bama looked confused as to what was coming. It was pretty obvious after about the 3rd or 4th play that they weren't going to stop them on that drive. The best thing that could have happened was to get off the field, regroup and start over.
4th quarter
It is rare that Bama doesn't own or pull even in the 4th on teams, even when the Shula teams sucked, but on Saturday when the last round was ready, Florida answered the bell, Bama didn't. 1 yard total offense vs. 14 points tells a story in itself.
CBS ejaculating over Tebow-mania
I don't have a problem with Tebow (more on him later), but I do have a problem with how Tebow is done by CBS. That's where my complaint over Tebow would be is in the constant drum beat by Verne and Gary each and every play. Yes, Tim Tebow is a phenomenal player and he is one of the best leaders I've ever seen, but when he's not on the field, I don't need to be reminded about him.
Javier Arenas
I don't call out players much, at least not directly, but this one has to be. You could see it in his body language, his head wasn't in the game or the team, it was about him showing off against Florida, mission failed. I've mentioned several times that he's the kinda guy that can win a game for you, and he can lose it for you. Saturday, he made about 4 key errors that played into the loss. At some point the staff will lose its patience with Arenas because it is all about the big play and ESPN moment with him and not making the right play every time. Arenas is extremely talented, and he's been big at times, but as we all knew going in, the special teams needed to be solid in all phases, and Arenas' play definitely was a factor.
Tight play calling
Florida's defense is good, I wouldn't call it the best Bama's seen this year, but it is good. I thought Bama's play calling contributed to them looking better than they were though. There were times where it felt like the game's decisions were being vetted 3 or 4 times before it happened like they were trying to out smart Florida and Strong. Why? You beat teams with your game, not the game that you think will win. I liked a lot of what they did during the game, but there were times where it just left a lot to be desired. For example, Bama gets the short field on a punt and penalty, Bama motors down to the red zone and then just stalls out because they call plays that ran straight into Florida's strengths. Of course Ingram cut the wrong way on one, but that was one play in 3 that didn't work.
The Ugly...
Special Teams blunders
Did you ever feel like you were in Groundhog's Day? I bet Saban has felt that for 10 out of 13 weeks where there have been gaffes in the special teams that have changed the momentum and progress of the game. While it wasn't the coach's call to fake the kick, why would it be an option with your punter and kicker? A backup QB or a WR, I could see, but that duo wouldn't get 10 yards on a high school team. My hope is that they will take a lot of time to review where the special teams are going and decide how they want to address it because it is old now.
Random Thoughts
Is Tim Tebow the greatest player ever? For starts, that is a subjective question that an answer is based on your emotion and concept of what makes one great. I'll say this, he's one damn good player and probably the best in the modern BCS cable generation of players. I think the underlying thought that comes in Tebow Hating for Bama fans is the recruiting process. He jilted Bama and the fans hold that against them because they read from "experts" that he was coming to Bama, but he didn't. All Bama got was a linebacker that couldn't play for Troy. So yeah, they have a gripe, but don't let that fool you. He's a really solid player and doesn't have a lot of flaws in his game. Some try to make faults about his passing capacities, nope. He hit 4 or 5 passes that were spot on and he makes reads at a level that only a few can (most were named Manning). He is physical and leads by example. It took guts for him to stand up to the media and say we mailed it in against Ole Miss but it won't happen again. It didn't. He wants to win and he wants Florida to win, that's unique in this era of football where 3 years and out is more likely than 5 years of participation.
I think if someone wanted to make an unbiased opinion, the list of bests at each position would surprise many. I don't think I could because I have my opinions and biases that would weigh into it, but perhaps taking a statistics major who hates football and asking him to develop a method to answer the age old question. Doubt that happens. Regardless, Tebow deserves to be in the discussion because he's gifted and wins. He rubs us all wrong because he has an air about him, but damn, he backs it up.
Buy/Sell/Hold
Andre Smith will stay in school and participate his Senior Year
Sell. With the NFL changing the Rookie salary cap after this year, and the money being less next season, he's more gone than Tubberville. Also gone are Moreno (he's quit going to classes), Stafford, and several USCal players.
Alabama's OL will not lose a beat regardless
Sell. It took this line 3 or 4 years to get it together and its pass protection still leaves something to be desired. I like Fluker, a lot, but a freshman is still a freshman, even Smith had his moments his Fr year. Vlachos will be the Center if Cardwell's injury issues don't improve and that doesn't give me warm fuzzy feelings given he is not that tall. In the SEC, the DTs seem to be ranging 6-5ish more these days. 5 inches is a lot to give up. We'll see, but there will be growing pains next season, there always is with new faces.
Ole Miss and Florida will be the pre-season favorites in the SEC
Buy. Of course there are all sorts of who stays and goes stuff, but just on how they played down the stretch, those two are the top of the list with Bama, LSU, and USCar all in the hunt more than likely. UGA will be in rebuild mode, again, and UT will be deconstructing the issues, as will Auburn.
Florida can't contain OU
Hold. Florida hasn't been pressed by an offense all year. They'll get that test finally. However, I think the bigger issue is can OU stop Florida? I don't think they can. I really think the result will be that OU and the Big 12 and their lack of defense and running games will get caught a lot this bowl season.
Bowl Pick'em
Navy vs Wake Forest
EAGLEBANK BOWL
11:00 AM ET
This is a rematch from earlier this year, and the result will be the same. Wake Forrest wins.
Fresno State vs Colorado State
NEW MEXICO BOWL
2:30 PM ET
Probably the worst game of the season, but I'll watch it because it is football and it beats having to talk to my wife, just kidding honey but not really, FSU wins big.
South Florida vs Memphis
MAGICJACK ST. PETERSBURG BOWL
4:30 PM ET
This game could be the high point winner of the season as defense is what other teams do. I like USF on this one because it is practically in their back yard.
No. 16 Brigham Young at Arizona
PIONEER LAS VEGAS BOWL
8:00 PM ET
It has been 10 years since Zona went bowling and this is the BYU classic it seems. BYU has too much offense for a Zona program turning the corner.
Troy vs Southern Miss
R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL
8:15 PM ET
This one actually will be worth watching because most of us are familiar with both teams. USM continues to be one of those teams that always wins regardless and Troy continues to be that team nobody wants to play OOC. I'd take Troy on this one, USM is gritty, but they aren't playing as well as Troy right now.
No. 9 Boise State at No. 11 TCU
SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL
8:00 PM ET
This game is an early big game trial for 2 teams feeling jilted by the bigger bowls. Boise is a known commodity and TCU has always skated just under the radar. It also matches strength on strength. This is a pickem if there ever was one, don't put money on it, but I'd take TCU in the upset here. They've been tested more.
Notre Dame vs Hawaii
SHERATON HAWAII BOWL
8:00 PM ET
The luck of the Irish shines on ND again, you suck and you got to go to Hawaii for the reward. The Irish eyes won't be smiling though, Hawaii will run them off the island.
Central Michigan vs Florida Atlantic
MOTOR CITY BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Dan LeFevour and the CMU get to splash water on FAU's dream season. Take CMU big on this one because they have played teams well (UGA comes to mind) and are battle ready.
North Carolina vs West Virginia
MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL
1:00 PM ET
This is a game where you will look back in a year or two and say this is where their march started. Both teams are up and coming teams in a way, but take WVU on the game because they are far more talented on offense than what UNC has seen this year.
Florida State vs Wisconsin
CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL
4:30 PM ET
Once upon a time, this would have been a worthwhile game, this isn't that time, both teams are still hunting their identity and will waller all over each other doing it. FSU because Wisconsin is SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW
California vs Miami (FL)
EMERALD BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Randy Shannon can't turn water into wine, nor can he make the U defend the run. Cal will take its frustrations of USC's shadow out on Miami.
Louisiana Tech vs Northern Illinois
INDEPENDENCE BOWL
8:15 PM ET
What happens when the SEC and Big 12 can't fill the roster? You get this nugget that could bankrupt the Shreeve....I don't give a damn who wins, but I'd take NIU if you made me.
Rutgers vs North Carolina State
PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL
3:00 PM ET
Here's a matchup of two teams that rumbled through the 2nd half of their seasons to get there. Birmingham gets its bowl on to a pretty good game, take Rutgers because they have more experience and intangibles at this stage.
No. 21 Missouri at No. 23 Northwestern
VALERO ALAMO BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Missouri was supposed to be in bigger things, and Northwestern was just supposed to lay there and take it this year, neither happened. Missouri wins because the Daniels-Macklin combo will not be stopped by any Big 10 defense.
Nevada vs Maryland
ROADY'S HUMANITARIAN BOWL
4:30 PM ET
Blue field, cold weather, blue balls....that probably has more of a storyline than the game, Nevada wins because Maryland can't decide what it wants to be and them boys ain't known cold like this.....
No. 13 Oklahoma State at No. 17 Oregon
PACIFIC LIFE HOLIDAY BOWL
8:00 PM ET
If USF/Memphis doesn't win the high score total, this one probably does. OSU has come close all year to being the fly in the ointment, but didn't happen, same for Oregon. I like OSU in this one because they've been through the big offenses and Oregon won't throw anything they haven't seen, plus they don't have the talent that Texas and OU have.
Western Michigan vs Rice
TEXAS BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Boy, when you want to just spread the wealth, you really have to dig deep to justify this bowl game. Rice hasn't won a bowl since grandpa was spry. Rice wins because WMU is not much more than a MAC sit in.
Air Force vs Houston
BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL
12:00 PM ET
We'll remember the coaches in this game more than the game probably as both are young and working up the ladder to better things. These two played earlier in the year, AF won, and the Air Force should win again.
No. 20 Pittsburgh vs Oregon State
SUN BOWL
2:00 PM ET
It isn't the Sun Bowl without Ray Perkins is it? Oregon St should win this one because Pitt really isn't that good.
No. 24 Boston College at Vanderbilt
GAYLORD HOTELS MUSIC CITY BOWL
3:30 PM ET
Vandy goes bowling and they get to do it at home, how nice. Gaylord Focker Bowl sucks for the SEC every year, I wonder if the Coaches and ADs will push to see this one go away when the contract is up? BC big in this one.
Minnesota vs Kansas
INSIGHT BOWL
5:30 PM ET
Sota is riding a wave of cheap wins in, Kansas just wishes their coach didn't look like a blueberry. Kansas wins because Sota sucks.
No. 14 Georgia Tech vs LSU
CHICK-FIL-A BOWL
7:30 PM ET
Les Miles wishes that this one didn't have to be. Paul Johnson is smiling from ear to ear. Ga Tech will run the offense that can't beat the SEC defenses for yet another victory over an SEC defense. Oops.
Iowa vs South Carolina
OUTBACK BOWL
11:00 AM ET
Can't be New Years without the Ol Ball Coach, and like most New Year's Day games with Spurrier, Iowa will win.
No. 15 Georgia at No. 18 Michigan State
CAPITAL ONE BOWL
1:00 PM ET
This is a bowl of two teams going downward fast. MSU has the power running game, Georgia has hype. I'd take UGA in a close one.
Nebraska vs Clemson
GATOR BOWL
1:00 PM ET
Dabo has the Tigers moving in the right direction and Nebraska is just happy to not see a team from the southwest...Nebraska wins.
No. 5 USC vs No. 8 Penn State
THE ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY CITI
4:30 PM ET
The Trojan Classic feeds the masses with another poor victim. Don't buy into the JoePa hype, they haven't seen talent yet until they see USCal play, USCal big.
No. 12 Cincinnati at No. 19 Virginia Tech
FEDEX ORANGE BOWL
8:30 PM ET
If there was a sorrier BCS game, I'd love to see it on paper. Fox plus this stinker equals lots of beer to stomach this one. Cincy wins this one because they're better than you think.
No. 7 Texas Tech vs No. 25 Mississippi
COTTON BOWL
2:00 PM ET
Since when did mean nothing bowls get moved this late? Nice matchup though between 2 programs moving up. Take Ole Miss on this one, that gap tooth line thing won't work against that huge NT they have.
East Carolina vs Kentucky
AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL
5:00 PM ET
More attention for the SEC on the 2nd, but it won't be what they wanted. ECU wins because Kentucky has limped into the bowl season and ECU is getting healthy again.
No. 4 Alabama vs No. 6 Utah
ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL
8:00 PM ET
You really think I'm gonna give it away already?
- January 3, 2009 -
Connecticut vs Buffalo
INTERNATIONAL BOWL
12:00 PM ET
Nothing makes me think college football more than Canada. Maybe the gravy and fries will be good, because the game sucks. The coaches are as good as gone so you know the prep work won't be there. Take UConn.
No. 3 Texas vs No. 10 Ohio State
TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Neither team is happy to be here, both thought they were championship teams in August, Texas has a case and a big win against an overrated OSU team that has no business in the BCS this winter. Then again, have they the last 2?
No. 22 Ball State vs Tulsa
GMAC BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Because someone thought meaningless bowl games mean something after New Year's, ugh. Ball State big.
No. 1 Oklahoma vs No. 2 Florida
FEDEX BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
8:00 PM ET
Interesting matchup and a full month of sitting around having to listen to Tebow mania will be enough motivation for Chokelahoma, but this is Chokelahoma and the Stoops crying marketing campaign comes to an end. Florida has too much speed and defense for OU.
The Good...
3rd Quarter
I really liked the mentality coming out of the half. They reset and went back to their basic offense- north south running and play action short passing, and they attacked on defense. They kept Florida off the field and chewed up massive amounts of clock while they shut out Florida 10-0 in the 3rd. By the end of the 3rd, the momentum and game were in Bama's court. It just went away at the start of the 4th...
Individual efforts
Justin Woodall, Hightower, McClain, Fanney, Greenwood, Coffee, and Julio Jones all played championship level ball Saturday. I thought the option played well into Fanney's strength (run defense) and they went at him for a bit only to find out he's solid on the corner. Really, I thought the line/LB's played well overall, they didn't get ran over, but you can't beat a 5 man front as good as UF's with 4 guys. I thought Woodall understood the Spread Option well and was in position for most of the night. He didn't shy away from hitting Tebow either, speaking of which, RJ probably would like to not hit Tebow anytime soon, he got rung when the big boy lowered his shoulder to him.
The Julio Jones Celebrity Hour
It was another night of Wilson high right passing. Against Florida's safeties, that means you are going to get popped and it's gonna hurt. Jones likes contact, there ain't much doubting that, but he went after several passes that were just off. Jones makes Wilson look better than he is really, but all good WR do, and he's going to make McElroy better because he goes over the middle and QB's like to throw down the pipe and put it up to where the WR climbs the ladder and gets it. The nice thing is that he's just a freshman and he already plays at a 3rd or 4th year player level.
Gritty effort
Some folks had Florida winning in OU fashion. Some said that Bama couldn't play with Florida. Bama proved it deserved to be there and put their best effort on it, there wasn't a player that didn't give his effort to the game, but sometimes, there are just better teams out there across from you. Florida was that team.
The Bad...
First series on both sides of the ball
If you read the Random Thoughts, you know I thought that Bama had to keep the ball and then get 3 and outs where they can. The first drives of the game weren't that by a long shot. I guess the thing that I didn't like was that when Florida got the ball, Bama looked confused as to what was coming. It was pretty obvious after about the 3rd or 4th play that they weren't going to stop them on that drive. The best thing that could have happened was to get off the field, regroup and start over.
4th quarter
It is rare that Bama doesn't own or pull even in the 4th on teams, even when the Shula teams sucked, but on Saturday when the last round was ready, Florida answered the bell, Bama didn't. 1 yard total offense vs. 14 points tells a story in itself.
CBS ejaculating over Tebow-mania
I don't have a problem with Tebow (more on him later), but I do have a problem with how Tebow is done by CBS. That's where my complaint over Tebow would be is in the constant drum beat by Verne and Gary each and every play. Yes, Tim Tebow is a phenomenal player and he is one of the best leaders I've ever seen, but when he's not on the field, I don't need to be reminded about him.
Javier Arenas
I don't call out players much, at least not directly, but this one has to be. You could see it in his body language, his head wasn't in the game or the team, it was about him showing off against Florida, mission failed. I've mentioned several times that he's the kinda guy that can win a game for you, and he can lose it for you. Saturday, he made about 4 key errors that played into the loss. At some point the staff will lose its patience with Arenas because it is all about the big play and ESPN moment with him and not making the right play every time. Arenas is extremely talented, and he's been big at times, but as we all knew going in, the special teams needed to be solid in all phases, and Arenas' play definitely was a factor.
Tight play calling
Florida's defense is good, I wouldn't call it the best Bama's seen this year, but it is good. I thought Bama's play calling contributed to them looking better than they were though. There were times where it felt like the game's decisions were being vetted 3 or 4 times before it happened like they were trying to out smart Florida and Strong. Why? You beat teams with your game, not the game that you think will win. I liked a lot of what they did during the game, but there were times where it just left a lot to be desired. For example, Bama gets the short field on a punt and penalty, Bama motors down to the red zone and then just stalls out because they call plays that ran straight into Florida's strengths. Of course Ingram cut the wrong way on one, but that was one play in 3 that didn't work.
The Ugly...
Special Teams blunders
Did you ever feel like you were in Groundhog's Day? I bet Saban has felt that for 10 out of 13 weeks where there have been gaffes in the special teams that have changed the momentum and progress of the game. While it wasn't the coach's call to fake the kick, why would it be an option with your punter and kicker? A backup QB or a WR, I could see, but that duo wouldn't get 10 yards on a high school team. My hope is that they will take a lot of time to review where the special teams are going and decide how they want to address it because it is old now.
Random Thoughts
Is Tim Tebow the greatest player ever? For starts, that is a subjective question that an answer is based on your emotion and concept of what makes one great. I'll say this, he's one damn good player and probably the best in the modern BCS cable generation of players. I think the underlying thought that comes in Tebow Hating for Bama fans is the recruiting process. He jilted Bama and the fans hold that against them because they read from "experts" that he was coming to Bama, but he didn't. All Bama got was a linebacker that couldn't play for Troy. So yeah, they have a gripe, but don't let that fool you. He's a really solid player and doesn't have a lot of flaws in his game. Some try to make faults about his passing capacities, nope. He hit 4 or 5 passes that were spot on and he makes reads at a level that only a few can (most were named Manning). He is physical and leads by example. It took guts for him to stand up to the media and say we mailed it in against Ole Miss but it won't happen again. It didn't. He wants to win and he wants Florida to win, that's unique in this era of football where 3 years and out is more likely than 5 years of participation.
I think if someone wanted to make an unbiased opinion, the list of bests at each position would surprise many. I don't think I could because I have my opinions and biases that would weigh into it, but perhaps taking a statistics major who hates football and asking him to develop a method to answer the age old question. Doubt that happens. Regardless, Tebow deserves to be in the discussion because he's gifted and wins. He rubs us all wrong because he has an air about him, but damn, he backs it up.
Buy/Sell/Hold
Andre Smith will stay in school and participate his Senior Year
Sell. With the NFL changing the Rookie salary cap after this year, and the money being less next season, he's more gone than Tubberville. Also gone are Moreno (he's quit going to classes), Stafford, and several USCal players.
Alabama's OL will not lose a beat regardless
Sell. It took this line 3 or 4 years to get it together and its pass protection still leaves something to be desired. I like Fluker, a lot, but a freshman is still a freshman, even Smith had his moments his Fr year. Vlachos will be the Center if Cardwell's injury issues don't improve and that doesn't give me warm fuzzy feelings given he is not that tall. In the SEC, the DTs seem to be ranging 6-5ish more these days. 5 inches is a lot to give up. We'll see, but there will be growing pains next season, there always is with new faces.
Ole Miss and Florida will be the pre-season favorites in the SEC
Buy. Of course there are all sorts of who stays and goes stuff, but just on how they played down the stretch, those two are the top of the list with Bama, LSU, and USCar all in the hunt more than likely. UGA will be in rebuild mode, again, and UT will be deconstructing the issues, as will Auburn.
Florida can't contain OU
Hold. Florida hasn't been pressed by an offense all year. They'll get that test finally. However, I think the bigger issue is can OU stop Florida? I don't think they can. I really think the result will be that OU and the Big 12 and their lack of defense and running games will get caught a lot this bowl season.
Bowl Pick'em
Navy vs Wake Forest
EAGLEBANK BOWL
11:00 AM ET
This is a rematch from earlier this year, and the result will be the same. Wake Forrest wins.
Fresno State vs Colorado State
NEW MEXICO BOWL
2:30 PM ET
Probably the worst game of the season, but I'll watch it because it is football and it beats having to talk to my wife, just kidding honey but not really, FSU wins big.
South Florida vs Memphis
MAGICJACK ST. PETERSBURG BOWL
4:30 PM ET
This game could be the high point winner of the season as defense is what other teams do. I like USF on this one because it is practically in their back yard.
No. 16 Brigham Young at Arizona
PIONEER LAS VEGAS BOWL
8:00 PM ET
It has been 10 years since Zona went bowling and this is the BYU classic it seems. BYU has too much offense for a Zona program turning the corner.
Troy vs Southern Miss
R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL
8:15 PM ET
This one actually will be worth watching because most of us are familiar with both teams. USM continues to be one of those teams that always wins regardless and Troy continues to be that team nobody wants to play OOC. I'd take Troy on this one, USM is gritty, but they aren't playing as well as Troy right now.
No. 9 Boise State at No. 11 TCU
SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL
8:00 PM ET
This game is an early big game trial for 2 teams feeling jilted by the bigger bowls. Boise is a known commodity and TCU has always skated just under the radar. It also matches strength on strength. This is a pickem if there ever was one, don't put money on it, but I'd take TCU in the upset here. They've been tested more.
Notre Dame vs Hawaii
SHERATON HAWAII BOWL
8:00 PM ET
The luck of the Irish shines on ND again, you suck and you got to go to Hawaii for the reward. The Irish eyes won't be smiling though, Hawaii will run them off the island.
Central Michigan vs Florida Atlantic
MOTOR CITY BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Dan LeFevour and the CMU get to splash water on FAU's dream season. Take CMU big on this one because they have played teams well (UGA comes to mind) and are battle ready.
North Carolina vs West Virginia
MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL
1:00 PM ET
This is a game where you will look back in a year or two and say this is where their march started. Both teams are up and coming teams in a way, but take WVU on the game because they are far more talented on offense than what UNC has seen this year.
Florida State vs Wisconsin
CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL
4:30 PM ET
Once upon a time, this would have been a worthwhile game, this isn't that time, both teams are still hunting their identity and will waller all over each other doing it. FSU because Wisconsin is SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW
California vs Miami (FL)
EMERALD BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Randy Shannon can't turn water into wine, nor can he make the U defend the run. Cal will take its frustrations of USC's shadow out on Miami.
Louisiana Tech vs Northern Illinois
INDEPENDENCE BOWL
8:15 PM ET
What happens when the SEC and Big 12 can't fill the roster? You get this nugget that could bankrupt the Shreeve....I don't give a damn who wins, but I'd take NIU if you made me.
Rutgers vs North Carolina State
PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL
3:00 PM ET
Here's a matchup of two teams that rumbled through the 2nd half of their seasons to get there. Birmingham gets its bowl on to a pretty good game, take Rutgers because they have more experience and intangibles at this stage.
No. 21 Missouri at No. 23 Northwestern
VALERO ALAMO BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Missouri was supposed to be in bigger things, and Northwestern was just supposed to lay there and take it this year, neither happened. Missouri wins because the Daniels-Macklin combo will not be stopped by any Big 10 defense.
Nevada vs Maryland
ROADY'S HUMANITARIAN BOWL
4:30 PM ET
Blue field, cold weather, blue balls....that probably has more of a storyline than the game, Nevada wins because Maryland can't decide what it wants to be and them boys ain't known cold like this.....
No. 13 Oklahoma State at No. 17 Oregon
PACIFIC LIFE HOLIDAY BOWL
8:00 PM ET
If USF/Memphis doesn't win the high score total, this one probably does. OSU has come close all year to being the fly in the ointment, but didn't happen, same for Oregon. I like OSU in this one because they've been through the big offenses and Oregon won't throw anything they haven't seen, plus they don't have the talent that Texas and OU have.
Western Michigan vs Rice
TEXAS BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Boy, when you want to just spread the wealth, you really have to dig deep to justify this bowl game. Rice hasn't won a bowl since grandpa was spry. Rice wins because WMU is not much more than a MAC sit in.
Air Force vs Houston
BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL
12:00 PM ET
We'll remember the coaches in this game more than the game probably as both are young and working up the ladder to better things. These two played earlier in the year, AF won, and the Air Force should win again.
No. 20 Pittsburgh vs Oregon State
SUN BOWL
2:00 PM ET
It isn't the Sun Bowl without Ray Perkins is it? Oregon St should win this one because Pitt really isn't that good.
No. 24 Boston College at Vanderbilt
GAYLORD HOTELS MUSIC CITY BOWL
3:30 PM ET
Vandy goes bowling and they get to do it at home, how nice. Gaylord Focker Bowl sucks for the SEC every year, I wonder if the Coaches and ADs will push to see this one go away when the contract is up? BC big in this one.
Minnesota vs Kansas
INSIGHT BOWL
5:30 PM ET
Sota is riding a wave of cheap wins in, Kansas just wishes their coach didn't look like a blueberry. Kansas wins because Sota sucks.
No. 14 Georgia Tech vs LSU
CHICK-FIL-A BOWL
7:30 PM ET
Les Miles wishes that this one didn't have to be. Paul Johnson is smiling from ear to ear. Ga Tech will run the offense that can't beat the SEC defenses for yet another victory over an SEC defense. Oops.
Iowa vs South Carolina
OUTBACK BOWL
11:00 AM ET
Can't be New Years without the Ol Ball Coach, and like most New Year's Day games with Spurrier, Iowa will win.
No. 15 Georgia at No. 18 Michigan State
CAPITAL ONE BOWL
1:00 PM ET
This is a bowl of two teams going downward fast. MSU has the power running game, Georgia has hype. I'd take UGA in a close one.
Nebraska vs Clemson
GATOR BOWL
1:00 PM ET
Dabo has the Tigers moving in the right direction and Nebraska is just happy to not see a team from the southwest...Nebraska wins.
No. 5 USC vs No. 8 Penn State
THE ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY CITI
4:30 PM ET
The Trojan Classic feeds the masses with another poor victim. Don't buy into the JoePa hype, they haven't seen talent yet until they see USCal play, USCal big.
No. 12 Cincinnati at No. 19 Virginia Tech
FEDEX ORANGE BOWL
8:30 PM ET
If there was a sorrier BCS game, I'd love to see it on paper. Fox plus this stinker equals lots of beer to stomach this one. Cincy wins this one because they're better than you think.
No. 7 Texas Tech vs No. 25 Mississippi
COTTON BOWL
2:00 PM ET
Since when did mean nothing bowls get moved this late? Nice matchup though between 2 programs moving up. Take Ole Miss on this one, that gap tooth line thing won't work against that huge NT they have.
East Carolina vs Kentucky
AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL
5:00 PM ET
More attention for the SEC on the 2nd, but it won't be what they wanted. ECU wins because Kentucky has limped into the bowl season and ECU is getting healthy again.
No. 4 Alabama vs No. 6 Utah
ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL
8:00 PM ET
You really think I'm gonna give it away already?
- January 3, 2009 -
Connecticut vs Buffalo
INTERNATIONAL BOWL
12:00 PM ET
Nothing makes me think college football more than Canada. Maybe the gravy and fries will be good, because the game sucks. The coaches are as good as gone so you know the prep work won't be there. Take UConn.
No. 3 Texas vs No. 10 Ohio State
TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Neither team is happy to be here, both thought they were championship teams in August, Texas has a case and a big win against an overrated OSU team that has no business in the BCS this winter. Then again, have they the last 2?
No. 22 Ball State vs Tulsa
GMAC BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Because someone thought meaningless bowl games mean something after New Year's, ugh. Ball State big.
No. 1 Oklahoma vs No. 2 Florida
FEDEX BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
8:00 PM ET
Interesting matchup and a full month of sitting around having to listen to Tebow mania will be enough motivation for Chokelahoma, but this is Chokelahoma and the Stoops crying marketing campaign comes to an end. Florida has too much speed and defense for OU.
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