The Good...The Bad...& The Ugly...Georgia

As many of you know, I am a resident of the state of Georgia.  Therefore, when it comes to games with Georgia, it is THE game for me.  My whole life has been listening to Georgia fans talk about Herschel and Pollack and Black Outs and Richt and gimmicks and excuses.  It also has been about the haves and havenots, in which many Dawg fans see themselves as the haves and all others are lesser thans.  They are an arrogant and undeserving fan base that often is fun to watch because as you can see from the picture to the left of the page....they live in mediocrity and don't know it.  With that said, this is probably one of their better teams since 1980 and there is such pleasure to take from watching them fail at their best....again.


OFFENSE

The Good...

It is amazing what happens when you establish the run

As you know, I preach the philosophy of running to set up the pass.  It will never be the other way around in my mentality.  So you can imagine how much I loved the 1st quarter and the first 6 minutes of the second quarter...The next 2 and a half quarters were sheer pleasure though.  This offensive line is an average pass blocking line, that isn't speculation, it is fact.  They give up too many sacks and pressures to be great.  They are a great run blocking line that almost live 3 yards down field.  Georgia was the perfect sample for this theory.  Georgia lives off being the aggressor.  They want you to throw, and they want to dictate when you run and where you run.  They cannot, however, stand the thought of you punching back or hitting them first.  After Bama got in the hole, they went to their proven commodities- Lacy and Yeldon- to get out of trouble.  Running on first down, running on second down, running on third down (when they actually go to 3rd down), and making the Dawg D just hate its life in front of a national audience. 

Williams & Vogler Road Grading and Dawg Chewing Inc.

Jarvis Jones ain't shit.  Rambo can hype him up and himself up, but the truth was that Bama made a subtle switch to their formations that threw Georgia off all night.  They put Williams in motion to find Jarvis and break his back.  Jones is a pure edge rusher, nothing more or less.  You can run at him, and Bama did about 30 times, and you can run play action at him and succeed as long as the TE is on him at the snap.  Lacy's first touchdown is a play where you use that play to teach young players how to be linemen based on how Williams and Vogler performed.  They hit their first man, clear him, go to the second level, find their man again, clear him and hunt more.  It is affectionately called "keeping your head on a swivel" and they were loving life during it.  There was the play where Rambo wimped out on Lacy where Williams was leading the caravan in front.  You could see his body language saying he loved how this was going because Williams wants to beat up linebackers and safeties.  He got his Christmas stocking full Saturday.  He also made some money on the video of his blocking prowess.  NFL teams will burn a 3rd round pick on a guy who can play every down. 

TJ Yeldon- "That ain't no freshman"

One of the obnoxious "Jawga" fans came to eat crow today and proclaimed that he couldn't be a freshman, he ran too good.  I pointed out that at Alabama, you see the best runners in the world early and often.  He was right, Yeldon doesn't play like a true freshman.  It has nothing to do with the early practices either, it is him and his natural ability to see the lanes opening and feel the play and where he needs to go.  He is getting more and more patient to let the play happen whereas in the Michigan game he was attacking the hole and not getting the most out of some plays.  His balance with Lacy is what made this game so impressive offensively.  It was a 1-2 punch that even Notre Dame will now have to figure out because nobody else has.  In all honesty, Bama has been the only solvent to cut down the tandem thus far. 

Cooper loves Bacon

Amari Cooper must really love bacon because he saved McCarron's about 3 times.  His steal from Rambo (notice I love picking on the mouth piece) is an All American level play, and not an easy one at any level.  It was the start of a long day for Georgia's defense and Rambo.  Cooper's TD reception benefited greatly by the ground and pound attack that had gone on for 30 straight minutes, but when the safeties were drawn in tighter than Mark Richt's sphincter, the call was on and Cooper put another All American juke on the corner and created the space he needed to make the play.  For all the hand wringing about Kenny Bell being out and using Chris Black, Bama only needed Cooper to make the vertical plays and live on the backbone of the team. 


Eddie Lacy fulfills his prophecy...

It isn't like Alabama fans didn't know Lacy was good.  He had been somewhat overshadowed by Ingram and Richardson, and even Yeldon at times, but when it really had to happen and when Bama really needed his best, he gave probably his greatest performance on the biggest stage.  Lacy is a lot of what Georgia hates... a big, physical runner who is fast enough to break things open.  The worst thing for the Georgia defensive staff (what is left of them) was to see Lacy in the second level play after play after play.  As a running back, you love it.  As a lineman, you really love it.  As a defensive back, you tap your helmet and ask for a blow.  This game needed Lacy to step up and give his greatest to date.  He had Ingram on the sidelines amping him up.  He had DJ Fluker in his ear amping him up.  They had to have him because AJ McCarron was not going to win the game for them, only Lacy could.  Thankfully for the good guys, he shouldered what at times seemed like an impossible load and won the game. 

2 point conversion

I know my friends on crimsonchat.com were having a cow over the decision to go for two, but I was ok with it before the play.  Their thoughts were about what mine were.  Georgia was gassed, beaten, and they would need those points sooner or later, so the time to strike was then.  I even was hoping they would run it because they were getting 7 yards a lick and only needed two.  It also sent a message to the team that they trusted them to make the play and it sent a message to Georgia that this was what you were going to get the rest of the night and you better like it or stop it. 

The Bad...

McCarron's lack of confidence

The closest thing I can compare AJ McCarron's issue to is a baseball term called the "yips" where you are trying to not make mistakes and you end up making them anyways by short arming and hesitating on throwing the ball.  Everything off his shoulder was low, high, or wide and all were late during the course of the game.  I know he has the injuries, but if they are going to ask you to execute, then it needs to happen.  The bubble screens and arrows were just horrible to watch at times because Cooper had to create way too early to get 3 yards. 

The Ugly...

Early Playcalling

I have not hid my displeasure of Nussmeyer's pass first theory.  I had my best donkey punch lined up for him if they didn't start running the ball.  It was so bad that you could hear the fans groan as they lost confidence in the plan early on.  I get that it is his style and he comes from a pass to set up the run program, but this is the SEC, and passing is what you do to break a team not get to the breaking point.  That is why the SEC dominates the BCS year after year.   The maturation of the coordinator has not gone the way I think everyone would have hoped.  It was near asinine to continue to throw when it was clear that the QB had no confidence in what he was being asked to do.  It also was just as bad to continue to run a hurry up offense when it wasn't helping anyone but Georgia's offense.  Thankfully, Saban realized that and even made mention to it in the halftime comments that once they abandoned all that gadgetry and got back to power football they looked a whole lot better.  It is a shame it took 12 and a half games to see that. 

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

The Good....

Geno Smith comes of age

My Dad and brother are tired of hearing this question, but WHY OR HOW ON EARTH DID VINNIE SUNSERI BEAT OUT GENO SMITH??????   

There is not a good answer, so don't bother arguing with me.  Smith played one of the finest games I have ever seen a freshman corner play.  UGA loves to use the slot receiver and use him as the safety valve at times over the middle.  His task was the toughest of the 3 WRs assigned for the day and he met the challenge head on and made the key play at the end of the game (on accident) by bumping the WR and causing him to not be able to stop his momentum and fall to the ground with 4 seconds left.  Game over.

Ivory and Williams gut one out

To play hurt is a part of football, but to play injured is a whole different thing.  Ivory and Williams, and Barrett Jones on offense, all gave legendary efforts to help Bama survive what could have been a dynasty stopping defeat.  That was what was on the line, and that was what made guys with tears and sprains tape up and give it all.  Ivory wasn't even expected to play, but when it was time for someone to step up, he gamed up and made a huge stop late in the 4th to force Georgia to punt.  Williams forced Georgia to run outside most of the day, and that isn't where they want to be going from nor is it how Gurley likes to run.  He is more north south than east to west.  Once they established a dominant position in the middle of the line, the rest was easy.

Not many "true" scores

The scoreboard will fool you.  Short of a blocked kick, faked punt (damn you sorry ass special teams), and a botched fake punt on Bama's part that flipped things around, Bama really only gave up 2 scores on legitimate drives all night.  Once you factor out the gimmicks, Bama for the most part held their own against one of the top end offenses in the conference. 

CJ Mosley can come over and kiss my wife if he wants to

The guy is a true ball player and he, when given the chance to perform, continues to make play after play after play.  None were as big as the swat at the end of the game, but even before that he was being used to confuse Murray pre snap.  He was showing blitz, and dropped to cover a TE, he lined up in space showing cover and blitzed at the last second, he was on the left then at the snap he was to the right, and on and on.  It wasn't always effective, but most of the night Murray had made the resolution that he was going where Mosley wasn't.  BTW, I was kidding bout my wife....but not really....

The Bad...

Sunseri, Where's Perry, and a case of the Belues

I know some hate that I call out players by name, but let's be honest, is there any other way to say it at this point?  I realize that the depth chart is a little low at safety and corner due to poor recruiting and attrition, but for Bama's recruiting standard to be what it is supposed to be, it should not be this weak.  Perry lacks the confidence or the football knowledge to understand what he sees out there.  He's almost an extra linebacker out there.  His mentality and movement are more in line with the way a Sam back would play.  Sunseri's fault is the coaches fault.  He has no business being asked to cover corners who are way ahead of him on the skill chart and TE's that he needs a stepladder to reach.  It isn't lack of effort or understanding, just God didn't bless him to be a D-1 defensive back.  He would have been a star in the 80s in the days of Ozmint and Mangum though.  Belue's weaknesses are prime time features on opponent's film study now.  He eats up a pump fake and lacks the top end speed to correct in time.  He is weak in zone coverage too when they run multiple players near his zone, he cannot figure out where to cover and freezes.  All of these things are not new or the first time you have witnessed them, hell Notre Dame has a catalog of them to see.  It comes down to they can't be coached to correct themselves or the coaches are not recognizing the issue and correcting the schemes to shore up the weak spots.  Belue's can be fixed over the next month if he is coach able.  I also look at him and see the potential, but he's nothing like what some recruiting hacks hyped him up to be.  Sunseri and Perry are different though.  I would have put Sunseri at Money in the Dime set and Sam back on the regular depth chart.  Those spots play to his strong points.  Perry.....well, I would rather ask where he is than find a place for him now.

The Ugly...

Welcome Back Specialists...Welcome Back Welcome Back Welcome Back....

At some point, you have to realize that they just don't do the little things well on special teams.  Botched fakes, muffed kickoffs, lining up wrong, can't kick it over the snapper's jock strap, and so on and so on.  It is a total positional failure to improve this late in the year. 

To answer on the fake punt that UGA executed, that was on the coaches in the booth.  Their job is to see it and radio down to call timeout if they see fake and see they aren't in line for it.  UGA did not hurry the play to slide it through, they just fell asleep in the booth on what their assignments were.  Bama's failed fake was on either Sunseri or Mandell as one or both should have been eyeing the clock to call the ball. 

Cade Foster, to be fair, did kickoff well.  However that field goal wasn't a penetration block, it was dead on arrival before it had clearance from the tower.  My one hope is that Adam Griffith gets as much time as he wants starting this week to work on the job next year.  I have watched him kick in the clutch from those distances and hit it like they were practice shots. 

RANDOM THOUGHTS....

I hate the BCS Bowls this year

I agree with Herbstreit that Northern Illinois has no business being in the BCS bowls and I really hate that Louisville is having to play Florida.  Out of the BCS games, only the ND vs. Bama and KSU vs. UO game are of interest to me.  The Sugar, the Rose, and the Orange Bowl all three will tank in ratings.  ESPN has to be loving their long term contract for that garbage. 

Tim Brando should can his own douchery and resell it on the ladies eisle.

We get it, you homer out for your team and hate Bama, we get it.  Move on. 

The weekend of December 1st and 2nd may have been the greatest football weekend in my life

Bama wins, and Greg McElroy throws his first touchdown and wins his first NFL game.  Did you know that a Bama QB has not won a game he started since Gary Rutledge in the 80s?  Before that it was Richard Todd....Brodie Croyle never won a game he started.  Thus why he is now out of the league.  If he gets to start against the Jaguars, I will be a big Jets fan for him as it is no secret that he's been one of my favorite players over the years of doing the GBU.

The Good...The Bad...& The Ugly- Auburn

So I took last week off because I thought Bama played a barely better than a top end high school team....I was wrong.  Auburn was about that Saturday.  The fall from grace for Chizik was swift and not all that merciful, but not a surprise.  As to the game, the best news Bama got was that they were able to wind it up early and send the starters to the ballcaps fast. 

OFFENSE

The Good...

Dominating up front

Auburn's defense never got its legs under it all year.  Bama made sure that the last act was no different than the other acts.  Auburn's front 4 and front 7 were constantly on their back heel and rarely moved AJ from the pocket.  The running game got off to a quick start as well.  Lacy had gaps to run through that most of us 30 somethings could hit.  The Offensive Line basically made the game end by the end of the first quarter because they had established the tone and bit Auburn's neck and refused to let go. 

Lacy on a mission

Lacy is getting healthy and gaining confidence at the right time.  His best game of the year was Missouri, but Auburn was a close second.  In both, he was hitting the hole fast and refused to go down on the first contact.  For Bama to win against UGA, they will need Lacy to come out with the same fire and determination. 

Cooper the Julioian Effort

I could get into a deep discussion on the Cooper vs. Jones- the Freshman Resumes- but there is no doubt that he is in that class of player.  It is also not hard to see why the staff was so excited to get him and invite him early.  He is a game changing player and will only get better if he stays healthy.  Auburn's tackling was about like watching my son's 5&6 year old team tackle, but to slip 3 tackles to the endzone for a WR is up there with a running back breaking 4 or 5 men.  He is the favorite target for AJ McCarron and rightfully so.  He also is an All SEC/Freshman All American. 

The Bad...

Bell's injury

You never want your players to get hurt in a game, and you really don't want to see it when your team is about to go to the "playoffs".  While I don't see his injury as a huge loss, it is still another slot on the depth chart that they cannot fill at this point.  The injury does one of two things.  It will either reduce the rotation and go with Norwood, Christian Jones, and Cooper more or it will require Shinn and Black to play more and step up.  For pure speculative purposes, I would throw out the concept of Blake Sims or Kenyon Drake as a 5th WR option.  Both would open the field up in a variety of ways.  In all seriousness, I look for them to lean on the 3 experienced WRs more against UGA because they will have to use Williams more to contain Jones off the edge and use Lacy/Yeldon as safety valves or additional pass blockers. 

The Ugly...

Auburn's offensive game plan, and Offense as a whole

Ok so it isn't Alabama....but there wasn't hardly a single poor play the whole game and Auburn had a lot to do with that. 

DEFENSE

The Good...

The Depth Chart Unloaded

The best news from the Auburn game outside of the lopsided score was that even the 2nd string defense came out and strangled Auburn's offense.  Pagan and others were able to showcase their skills on national television for a longer period of time.  That is a very good thing because now UGA and Notre Dame have to scout for that. 

25%, 33%, and 163...

What are those numbers?  Auburn's 3rd down conversion rate, completion rate, and total yards.  Alabama had more yards by the end of the first quarter. 

The 4th shutout of the year

It was obvious that once the rout was on, the stats and significance of the attainment was key.  I know some will bark about that, but Saban does play for stat padding.  It is why Lacy was running in the 3rd quarter.  They wanted the 4th shutout, it was a mark only obtained last by the 79 defense that is held in a pretty high regard.  So when they were playing for the shutout, they knew what it meant and why they wanted it. 

The Bad...

Letting Auburn past midfield twice....

Bama still has an issue with crossing routes and slant patterns.  Auburn even exposed it to a small scale.  For Bama to win in the must win games now, they have got to find a way to cut down some of the bleeding from crossing patterns.  Moving Geno Smith to Star is a start.  I also won't be surprised to see them use Mosely more in coverage to pick up the rub.  If not him, Lester perhaps will be that player.  Regardless, there has to be a player to recognize the play and react to it. 

The Ugly...

Auburn's tackling prowess...

They just flat out stunk at it.  I have never seen an SEC team that poor at tackling and that includes 30 years of seeing Vandy and the Mississippi's. 

RANDOM THOUGHTS...

The End of the Chizik Era

While the Aubsession will be high during the period from the Sunday after the SEC Championship to New Year's, the main focus for any fan should be what happened at Auburn and how to avoid it. 

Some will say karma, some will say cheating and all sort of tin foil hat material, but the honest answer is that Auburn's fate was sealed when they hired Chizik.  He wasn't a winner before and he wasn't a winner there.  The main thing to realize is that good players can make an average or bad coach look good.  See Mike Shula, Mike DuBose, Jeff Tedford and a host of others that have had 1 "good" year and then failed to follow up.  Chizik had the perfect storm in 2010.  Veteran players that were talented, and caught lightning in a bottle with Cam Newton.  Once those seniors and Cam were gone, the truth about Jim...err...Gene was there.  He can't coach a lick. 

Where Auburn goes from here is pure fodder and I could care less, but they will have to have a load of patience from the start because the foundation is sand right now.  They have nothing at Quarterback, nothing in the secondary, and very little to work with beyond that.  Granted, a good coach can make those parts work and get 6 wins in his first year, but that task is something that even James Franklin- a guy folks better start respecting- won't take on right now. 

Jawga Pride

Here's the bottom line with Georgia.  Their schedule has not prepared them for the two tests ahead.  Whereas Notre Dame has played a man's schedule and been through a schedule that has them championship tested, Georgia has had 2 games worth consideration- South Carolina and Florida.  One game they were embarrassed for four quarters and the other they were blessed with 6 turnovers.  This game is not the game they really want to see.  Georgia over the years has not been at their best when a team comes at them and punches back.  They are better suited when they control the physical nature of the game.  If Bama comes out and can get their front 4 and a corner blitz to work, they will be able to break Georgia's spirit early.  Bama's offense will not be stunned by much of what Georgia throws out there.  They can contain Jones and if they do that, the rest is pretty much average.  Remember, Georgia Tech gained over 300 yards on them, and Georgia Southern wasn't far behind that.  Bama just has to control the time of possession and control the turnovers.  That is where Florida failed.  Bama should live off the South Carolina game plan on both sides of the ball really, they did everything perfectly in regards to how to play them. 

Random Thoughts....

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

It is time to abandon the Sunseri Cornerback experiment now. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

aTm absolutely outcoached Bama

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Good....The Bad....& The Ugly....LSU

Ok, let's start with the disclaimer.  I have been going around the Internets and there are some who are hyping up Bama's win over LSU as the greatest ever and AJ is the best QB ever and so on and so on.  If you are that person....click back now because you won't like a full analysis of the game.  Don't email me with complaints or post here there or yonder saying what a bastard I am for pointing out things that you don't like. 

As to the game, this game was needed because the players needed to see that they were mortal, but in other ways they didn't need the nation seeing Alabama bleed like a mortal.  Part of the Process has been that folks buy into the hype and the storyline that comes with it.  That is gone now because Oregon, K State and Notre Dame all have seen that you can beat Alabama.  The question is can they match what LSU did.  Of the three, KSU is probably the closest to that type of team.  Oregon is a finesse team and has no power game on either side of the ball.  Notre Dame has a mediocre offense but a strong and slow defense.  Snyder's greatest coaching accomplishment, and folks he is one of the greats by rehabbing KSU not once but twice, has them pounding away. 

With that said Saturday night had a lot of everything for me to cover.....

OFFENSE

The Good...

Bama's last act was its best act

What do the numbers 6,5,1,3 and 34 have in common?  They are the total yards in all drives in the 2nd half before Bama got one last shot at a win.  Alabama didn't play well all night, but when they had to, they came together and the nation saw Norwood step up and be a clutch player.  He sold out on a few balls that most wouldn't have to keep the drive alive.  The nation saw AJ McCarron suck it up after a Heisman losing performance for 58 and a half minutes and deliver a Daniel Moore worthy moment.  The nation saw TJ Yeldon prove yet again that he is that special and it wasn't just the screen.  He threw 2 or 3 key blocks in the drive to give AJ the chance to step up and fire.  Then when called upon, he chucked the blitzer, set up, and then broke the ankles of a defender to get into the end zone.  I have read a lot of comparisons, but it reminded me of 09 Auburn but it really reminded me of 96 Auburn.  That game had the screen and Bama had slopped through in the midst of Gene Stallings farewell. 

Running game

Later on, you are gonna read a lot about play calling.  However, when they did dedicate to the run, they did very well and in the 2nd half, the only progress the team had was in the running game until the last drive.  It was clear early that Lacy and Yeldon both wanted this game.  This was the best front 7 they were going to see and the challenge was there.  The play calling shorted them on the chance to really display their talents, but they rolled up 150 yards between the two and averaged nearly 7 per carry.  They were not the reason the offense sputtered.  They really were the 2 guys that kept Bama in the game throughout.  Every time they needed a play it came from Lacy and Yeldon. 

DJ Fluker finally found his religion

No it isn't a religious reference.  It is a saying, but in the end he finally had his game and had it against a top end defensive end.  He had been weak on the inside rush all year, but he was up to the task to take on Mingo and Montgomery and beat them inside and outside. 

Kevin Norwood loves Corndogs

His best two games of his career are against LSU and what is sad is he didn't score against them either time.  The effort he gave Saturday is one to show your kids on how you sell out for the game. 

The Bad...

Play calling flat out sucked

Now some will bark and say the last drive this and that.  Football is 60 minutes and 58 of it was just rough.  The offensive philosophy was to pass to set the run up.  In hind sight, Bama probably needed to do the opposite.  LSU was banking on the Tide throwing early and confused AJ most of the night.  Bama looked its best against LSU when they ran the ball.  Their first score- 6 of 11 plays were runs.  Their second score started with a run and a dump pass to Lacy.  In between the two scores, they froze the run game for incomplete passes. 

As the game wore on, the play calling on offense seemed frantic and it was like they were flinging poo and hoping it would stick.  The defense was gassed and getting beat down slowly but surely because they could not stay off the field.  For some reason, they could not slow the game down.  They had the lead, and the defense just needed some help.  Instead it was a lot of passes that were obviously not going to work as long as LSU played their game.  Instead, it was cute plays like the faked reverse dive play that messed up and cost Bama points and gave LSU life.  Instead of a few first downs and a fresher defense, they were running the punter out and Bama's defense was looking at nearly 90 plays against it. 

The Ugly....

When Bama gets cute, it usually gets caught...

Bama ran the fake reverse a couple of times to "throw off" LSU.  They never bit on the play because they had studied film and knew Bama didn't reverse.  Their linemen aren't fast enough on the outside to do that and you can't pull a guard because that opens the middle to blow up .  The fumble in the red zone was just about a killer, but it was a play that just needed to be ran without selling the fake.  Yeldon gets saddled with the fumble on the records, but it was on AJ who was more interested in the fake sell than sealing the hand off.  It didn't cost them the game, but you would be lying if you said you felt good about things at that point. 

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

The Good...

When they had to have it, they got it...

Overall, this was a game that exposed the Tide defense.  However, it also exposed that when beaten, down, and in trouble, they could get it together and make the plays when they had to.  Mosley and others made key plays when they had to and forced Miles to take gambles.  When he gambled, it failed him and saved Bama's hide Saturday. 

Cody Mandell

It is rare that I actually think a Bama punter does well.  He was the best weapon the Tide had in the 3rd and 4th quarters.  He hit 3 40 plus punts and flipped the field enough to balance the special teams and offensive surge the Tide defense was seeing.  It probably won't get a lot of praise, but he deserves a helmet sticker as much as anyone because if he had shanked a few, the game wouldn't have been where it was and the odds of pulling out a win would have been none. 

85 plays, 435 yards, and only 17 points

Miles and his gambling habits played a large part in the fact that 85 plays only produced 17 points.  While this is the high water mark for the Tide in scoring defense, the bottom line is that they forced the tricks to happen.  The fakes and the wildcats and out of range field goal attempts were all created because this defense found its spine when it had to. 

The Bad...

Secondary exposure

My travel schedule didn't allow me to talk about MSU, but the secondary has played like I expected them to in the 1st 2 weeks not the last two.  Granted, some of the plays that occurred were good plays by the WRs, but there were way too many moments where it was obvious that LSU had found Bama's weak links.  Sunseri and Perry were practically pistol whipped all night.  Every time they needed a first down, and converted 50% of them, it seemed they were targeting Perry or Sunseri.  Rightfully so, most Bama fans have known where the kink was, but when Bama went zone they threw at Perry.  When Bama went man, they went after Sunseri and Belue because his height and less physical play was a target.  If you are Oregon, you have a little more pep in your step today because you know you have the speed to expose this again.  Not sure they have the size or physical nature to do it like LSU did, but we will see. 

Personnel Issues

I would argue with anyone, including any coach, why DePriest and/or Johnson cannot be better than Mosley in any package.  I'm sure the true believer will point to one play here or there, and I can pretty well call up the last 2 years where Mosley makes big play after big play and covers better than DePriest ever will.  I had hoped after Trey embarrassed himself with that cop out tackle on Copeland that they would adjust, but they didn't.  Neither Johnson or DePriest had a good game Saturday.  They both looked out of position and over matched by the LSU front. 

It wasn't just the linebackers.  Belue was getting picked on all night and they kept letting them do it.  Perry cannot be on the same side of the field as Belue and expect that to work.  Both are not great tacklers.  Both are slow to react and it cost them a lot of plays Saturday.  Conversely, they also knew that if there was man coverage, Sunseri was the guy they wanted to hit on the quick hits because he can't cover.  Honestly, I still think that Sunseri needs to be playing where Perry does in about every formation and slide Fulton in at corner and move Millner to Star.  He's faster and can rush the QB.  Sunseri has yet to look good when they call him for a corner blitz.  He's too slow to do it and he hesitates when he sees the lineman instead of trying to speed past them.

To LSU's credit, they had saw this in film and made about as good a game plan as they could have to beat Alabama.  Their offense did beat Alabama all night.  They made adjustments at half and Bama didn't.  The saving grace was Miles, again, but there is a lot of work for Alabama to do if they think they are going to go all the way.  The bottom line is that even if they win the SEC, if they have a loss, the won't be in the BCS game if all things keep going this way.  Oregon, ND, and KSU all look like they will go undefeated, so Bama will not have the resume to argue a one loss SEC champ jumping them. 

The Ugly....

Will a real punt returner please stand up...please stand up

We're gonna have a problem here.  You act like you haven't seen a punt before.  Les and Ed Orgeron bust through the door start picking ears and eating grass.... ok, enough Eminem theme.  It is just not acceptable that this late in the year, they are still hunting a return man.  Neither Jones has displayed that they can be trusted.  They both take risks they cannot take and it is pretty clear that they are not coaching them about how to approach the job.  When to fair catch, when to run, when to let the punt go, and so on.  Out of the two, Cyrus is the better option, but that may or may not be an option depending on how the staff views his fumble and fair catch issue from Saturday.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Fixed Assets

Joker Phillips was the first to be liquidated, but he will have company pretty quick.  To be fair, Kentucky is a tough job with Basketball being the top priority.  However, when your game is so thinly attended that ESPN has to pan in so that you cannot see the stands for the game, you have lost the faith.  It wasn't a shock, they aren't competitive and won't be for a while.  With that said, his firing wasn't a shock but I thought Dooley would be out first. 

The list of SEC liquidation assets are growing by the week.  Dooley, Chizik, and John L Smith are all pretty well buzzard bait unless they pull off a miracle.  Les Miles is tip toeing towards that mark because of all his gambling and time management debacles reappearing after 2 years off.  A loss to MSU or Arkansas would send the fan base over the edge.  That or a poor bowl showing again. 

On the other side, guys who probably are about to make some serious cash money are guys like James Franklin who has done nothing short of a coach of the year performance at Vandy.  Guys like Kirby Smart and Brent Pease or Dan Quinn are all top end coordinators who will get a lot of looks.  Sal Sunseri will get looks elsewhere also.  Don't hold it against him that he's in a mess with a lousy program. 

The one name I really don't want to see as hired is Charlie Strong.  He was a top end DC for Florida and USCar and has done a really nice job cleaning up the Kragthorpe and Petrino debacle.  Kragthorpe was over his pay grade, but Petrino's bad seeds and poor talent were starting to show while he was there.  Just look at Arkansas now.  He's gone and they can't make them work because they can only work in his complex and pass happy system.  Strong's clean up job is nothing short of impressive and you put him in a Tennessee or Auburn, watch out.  He can recruit and more importantly, he can coach. 

If another Internet wannabe says "they have had a very good week of practice", light the bags of poop and have at it!

It is the dreaded kiss of death it seems, but when the wannabe "insiders" come out and talk out of their ass side ways about how great Alabama practiced, they usually haven't.  Why lie or talk like you know?  It is ok to be a part of the 99 percent in this case too.  Look, at the end of the day, we all get stuff told to us by folks who either know or don't but it sounds good.  Bringing attention to yourself by talking about your insider info that never comes true is just wasting time and making people believe in Santa when it is time to let that go. 

The Good...The Bad....& The Ugly....Tennessee

So I joined a group of UT fans to make the trip up to Knoxville for the game.  Let this post serve as validation that I HATE TENNESSEE.  It didn't take me long to remember what they are like.  In the midst of the process and UT failing for a living the last 6 years or so, I had almost forgotten what they are. 

OFFENSE

The Good....

When the moon hits your eye, that's Amari....

I am almost convinced that he may end up better than Julio Jones by the end of his more than likely 3 years at Alabama.  The thing I see with Cooper that Julio still isn't quite as good about is his approach to the game.  He knows how to get space even if he can't out run the defender.  He knows how to run the route the right way and get his QBs attention because of it.  He knows how to concentrate in traffic and make the tough catches every week.  His first touchdown was all him.  He broke the defender down and was 15 yards from anyone.  Cooper the rest of the year will probably be the go to WR and when teams focus on him that will create opportunities for Norwood and Jones and Bell.  Julio was more physical and has a lot of natural abilities that not many get in life, but Cooper is a better player because he can be coached and can keep himself in the game even when he is not the target for 7 or 8 plays. 

McCarron's 2nd half

His whole game was probably his best since the BCS game.  His 2nd half was better than that.  The thing that impressed me most was that he came into the game, started a little slow, but got the tempo he wanted established in the game and systematically destroyed a UT defense that has to be getting punch drunk at the knees right now.  He did a good job of picking up Sunseri's blitz schemes and they were throwing a lot of looks at him trying to get him to check.  Hard to say how many times he checked out or bluffed, but either way, it worked. 

Yeldon continues to grow

There are just rules in football that hold true for any running back.  One of those rules is that most running backs look better on carries 11 and up than they do the first ten.  Yeldon is one of those players.  The thing to watch with any young RB is that they are going to not get off like they want to and there are some that get out of the game mentally when that happens.  Isaiah Crowell comes to mind.  Yeldon is well ahead of where he should be as a freshman.  He has a lot of patience and drive to win, and those are traits that a great running back has to have.  Lacy compliments him well and it has to suck to see the tandem coming at you play after play after play. 

Conditioning

Alabama's offensive line did not have a great night as a whole, but as the game went on, the conditioning factor was a big reason that a 13 point halftime lead blossomed into a blowout.  The difference in the drive that the line was getting in the 3rd quarter and what it got in the 1st and 2nd was a lot different.  So a helmet sticker needs to go to Coach Cochran for doing what he does better than anyone in the nation. 

Oh My God....You threw to Kenny....You Bastards!

Bell is a lower option in the passing game.  There are reasons for that.  However, Saturday he did a better job of working into space and getting the attention of his QB to get the ball. 

The Bad...

Run Blocking from Opening Kickoff to Mid Third

The offensive line early on just got stoned by a tougher than usual UT defensive line.  Bama could not run up the middle at all and they are not designed to run wide a whole lot.  Lacy and Yeldon had a really hard time getting yards and getting beyond the 1st line because the OL was getting backed up or stood up every play.  It wasn't until UT's offense couldn't create a drive for most of the 2nd half and wore down, that they were able to rack up yards. 

Letting Sentimore look good

Sentimore is a bull rush end/tackle in the 4-3 or 3-4.  He is big and strong, and has good speed, but he's a total basket case.  DJ Fluker let a guy that he should have known better than any player he will ever see, look better than he was.  To Michael Williams credit, he did stand Sentimore up a good bit and kept him out of the play as much as he could.  However, there is a reason why he was never going to play big minutes at Alabama, and they should have exposed that by messing with him more. 

The Ugly....

Little worn out on the read option

Does anyone really think that the opponents when Sims and Drake come in cannot scout that?  I understand the concept is to burn the clock and get to the bus, but Sims is one good hit to McCarron away from having to play a lot.  It is time to start letting him run a full offense to get him some real experience. 

DEFENSE

The Good....

The depth chart guide is blurry after the game

Before the game got out of hand, there were a lot of players coming in and out of the game.  Pagan, Devall, Pettaway, Ivory and a few others were in the game a lot early and made a lot of impact in the game.  Pagan lived at Bray's hip pocket and flushed him about every time he was in.  Devall wears 30 and looks like Hightower, and in time I can see him playing like him more. 

Making their ass quit on 3rd down

Against Ole Miss, they let them survive too much.  Tennessee on third down was ready to punt before the snap.  Another thing that happened was that the fans quit on the game early.  Once Bama scored their second TD, the stadium lost its energy.  I can tell you that the TV sound was better than what they really were.  Bama's defense absolutely smothered the UT offense short of about 3 plays. 

No Nuke Threats on Offense

If you listened to anyone at Tennessee, all you have heard is how awesome the Nuke Patterson is.  The awesome one netted 19 yards offense.  He's a kick returner boys and girls.  He lacks the football knowledge to be anything more.  You can't let him get past you because he is fast, but he doesn't really do anything at this level that tells me he can play as a receiver at the high level that folks hype him at.  I will put it like this, Belue didn't have a great game, but he and Millner basically went straight Geneva summit on him.  There was no threat of nukes once the kickoff was over. 

What Mosley and Millner started, Lester ended it.

The game was over when Lester broke on the ball and snagged what should have been a score for UT.  In all of Lester's interceptions, that was probably his best one.  It also is the one that shows how far he has come as a player.  2 or 3 years ago, he probably doesn't break on the ball, but the job Smart has done with him is pretty much a resume builder for both.  

Cyrus is a virus

Cyrus Jones is going to be a special player.  The thing that he does that Ch. Jones didn't is that he waits for the play to happen and doesn't try to force things.  The Vols punter has a huge leg, but Jones didn't panic about it.  He snagged the punts and made the plays because he let his teammates make their plays.  I can see him breaking one soon. 

The Bad....

3 really bad breakdowns

Dooley was pissed at his offense for its lack of production.  Bama did a lot to help with that.  However, there were three plays that were almost mirror images of each other.  They figured out when Bama covers, they don't do a good job of sliding and releasing and checking off.  The TE play was basically where they released from the corner and linebacker and then the safeties didn't get to him.  On a good side, Dickson showed he's got a lot of want to because he stopped the play and did so coming across the trash to get him.  The Hunter pass was similar just a different check down where the corner again released and the safeties didn't pick him up.  That play happened right in front of me. 

The Ugly...

Anything you can kick, we can't kick better...

Nothing makes a coach scream more than missing extra points.  It is a play that is automatic and it needs to be a given and not a maybe.  Foster wasn't in the game.  He is the reason that the Nuke threat was real on special teams.  There wasn't any wind going through the stadium and the air wasn't cold at all.  So there isn't any nature excuses to play here.  He just wasn't kicking it like he should have.  Same with the field goals, he can't kick from right to left and he got out of the game.  His team knows it too, that's why you see them grab him first thing and talk to him. 

RANDOM THOUGHTS

BCS Troubles

So Oregon is miffed that their awesome wins over nobody hasn't gotten them higher.  Let me think....awwww.  They back loaded their schedule and the BCS doesn't reward for that.  There are 3 things that the BCS rankings are saying right now. 

One, if Bama loses a single game, they won't get another shot.  Bama's computer and SOS is too weak this time to sustain a loss even to a team like LSU. 

Two, if Notre Dame wins out, they will pass an undefeated Pac or Big 12 team.  Their schedule and pollster favoritism is still there.  Any team that beats Michigan State, Michigan, Miami, Stanford, OU and USCal potentially is gonna be in the game. 

Third, KSU and Oregon's worlds are crossing.  KSU front loaded their schedule and had a few late season games that didn't pan out.  So they are now in a root for the teams played mode.  Oregon is now hitting their real schedule.  They are rooting for both KSU's opponents to fail and KSU to stumble to Okie State or TCU or Texas. 

Florida is no joke

I know I thought Muschamp had a Shula mark to him.  That is Dooley.  More on that in a second.  However, Muschamp did the one thing Shula couldn't- he made tough staffing choices.  Charlie Weis was a bad fit.  Now, they are playing at a really high level and played a much tougher schedule than most.  Brent Pease is a very very good OC and has found Driskell's zone and calls plays right into it all day.  I don't see UGA with their weak run defense having much of a chance. 

The coaching hot seats wear hot pants and are brick jawed....

I can tell you that from sitting with the Tennessee fans and tailgating with them, they know.  They were not really into the game as a whole.  The stadium was unusually low key early in the game as if they expected to get blistered.  His frustration level is high and it came out in his post game talk.  To call his QB out and talk about the offense as a whole the way he did, well it was the sound of a guy who is all but checked out.  The over under on how long after the season is over to fire him is about 12 hours. 

Chizik is a whole different bag of cats.  He does have the BCS title there, but that was a long 2 years ago.  Cam Newton is proof that good players can make average coaches look better.  Hell, look at the Panthers before and now.  They were attrocious and he at least makes them competitive.  I can see that Shula staffing moment coming where they tell him to clean staff or clean the desk out.  Will he do the God thing to do?????  The over and under on this is 48 hours. 

The Good...The Bad...& The Ugly- Missouri

Over the 100 posts on this site, you will see several times where I say the following "it was a tale of two games" or something akin to that.  That is what the Mizzou game would be- the game before the delay and after the delay. 

OFFENSE

The Good....

Getting back to basics

The thing that had begun to happen before the break was the playcalling was getting away from what they do well.  Saturday, they got back to basics before the delay.  Lots of running, lots of plays that set up other plays, and both of which got the line going in the right direction and made them play more aggressive.  That in turn made things easier for AJ early on.  The other basic that had become missing was TJ Yeldon and using him again.  The carries had diminished as they leaned on Lacy, but they found ways to utilize both and it made the offense look better. 

Running from the Shotgun

Something that has been sorely missed in the scheme of things is to be able to effectively run from the shotgun.  I thought that Bama was able to keep Missouri off balanced in the early going because they couldn't read how the play was going to go.  When you can disguise your plays and there are plays where you can run or throw from the same look and design, it is a good thing.  It makes play action work better, it makes draws work better, and it makes safeties freeze which creates one on one situations to the outside. 

Finding the TE again. 

It was one of the things that Nuss wanted to do, but it too had gone into hibernation during the season.  Williams is their best option, but he is also their best outside blocker.  That includes the two tackles.  So, he won't get all the chances they would like, but featuring him 4 or 5 times a game is something else that can make them honest each week. 

Back to the pulling linemen

Bama's double 100 yard rusher performance can be accredited to 3 things.  Their talent.  Missouri's lousy defense.  Third, the ability to pull Warmack, Jones, and Steen outside and clear out space for Lacy and Yeldon to create from.  Both backs are good enough that when you get them to the 2nd level, they can make players miss and create space and scores.  See Lacy's chug run.  I thought by pulling Jones more, they were able to get him back into a role that he was more comfortable with.  His performance against Ole Miss was his worst in a long while, but he bounced back and had probably his best game as a center. 

The Bad...

Playcalling after the delay

Nuss forgot in the delay what had worked.  I thought they regressed back to that cute stuff that had not worked well and it was just not clean or coherent.  There was some execution issues, but a lot of it was just sloppy playcalling and personnel usage. 

Was there a reason to keep the starters in that long?

Thankfully, there was not any major injuries, but there were plenty of near misses.  I don't claim to know more than anyone, but I would have a much smaller ulcer today if Bama had ran Sims and Drake out there about half way through the 3rd quarter.  In all honesty, if they were going to slop around and do what they did, I'd rather saw Ely and Sims do those assignments.  It also was a miss for getting younger backups more reps.  That part is probably the biggest bad part of the game on both sides of the ball. 

 The Ugly....

My underwear after AJ's knee injury

I said it then did it when he crumpled to the ground.  I kid, but you get the point.  The simple fact is that if McCarron goes down, Bama has zero chance of winning the BCS.  Zero.  As I said above, I don't know why they were using him, and I don't know why they felt he needed to play in the conditions and a huge lead, but they did and it nearly was a total disaster.  It was another unnecessary risk that they seem to inadvertently take this year. 

DEFENSE

The Good...

Pagan will be the next big thing

I like his effort and how he always seems to be around the play when he's on the field.  The guy has all the traits and the look of a good bull rushing end and I won't be shocked if he doesn't end up winning the bulk of the carries down the stretch because he does all the things that Dial and Stinson cannot do.  That isn't a knock on them, but more of a compliment to a young player that is starting to realize his potential. 

Dee Millner has made his NFL resume stand out from the rest

What else is there to say?  Right now he is the best defensive back in the BCS and is by a long distance.  Teams don't throw at him as much.  They can't run at him because he gets into the trash and makes the hit.  He just does all the phases of his role better than I ever thought he could. 

Mosley left imprints on Mizzou players

I thought this was his best game of the year as Missouri stretched the field and created a bad mismatch for themselves that CJ took advantage of.  DePriest and Johnson had moments in the game, but with all the 5 wide looks, it put Bama in the Dime and gave Mosley an easy opportunity to find gaps to bust plays and make things difficult for a rookie QB. 

The Bad...

Once the delay happened, things just got sloppy

This isn't really just a defense/special teams thing, it is the entire team thing.  They lack a leader in the huddle on both sides of the ball.  That's why you see so much lackluster with this team at times.  I would have liked to have seen them come back out and really broken Missouri in two, but instead they lost their edge and got relaxed thinking the game was in hand.  While it was, you can't assume that in the 2nd quarter against a team that has beaten Oklahoma and other quality schools in the recent past. 

Fanning

While I didn't think it was the most bastardish thing in the world of warcraft or whatever Gary Danielson was going for, it was bush league play.  You are taught to anchor down and drag them down.  You never try to pick up a player, the risk of injury is as high for you as it is them.  He probably gets a game suspension from the SEC, but it wasn't the most horrible thing ever in football.  Woody Hayes punching a player is still that honor. 

The Ugly...

The return of shitty special teams

It is what it is.  The return that had 0 chance of being stopped.  Some weak punts that didn't help matters.  Christian Jones fielding punts at the 5 after not backing up where he should have been and his continued desire to run back punts that needed to be fair caught.  All of those things added to the old complaint about how badly they play special teams.  The kick makes the 5th return for a TD against the Tide in the last 2 years.  That isn't cutting it. 

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Aubsession still seems to dominate over Bama's season

I get it still, but folks, the eyes need to be on the prize.  All of Auburn's implosion fun will still be there in January.  They won't be able to fill the job before Bama finishes their season (barring AJ being asked to play middle linebacker).  I know this much, I would like to be able to flip through Bama sites and read something other than Aubsession.....

The Hat cannot be flattened long

Despite all the theories that Miles is an idiot or a lousy coach, he is a guy who doesn't lose many games and hasn't lost 2 in a row in a long while.  He only has once, 2008, and he always seems to follow a loss with some of their better games.  LSU is not where it was last year.  Nobody will tell you that at this point, but they are good enough to win the SEC even after losing all the talent they have lost.  Do not sleep on the Hat's ability to befuddle Saban in a week's time. 

Jawga likes LSU winning, but Jawga needs to man up and win one for once

There is nothing more satisfying than to hear Georgia fans, players, and even Mark Richt find joy in LSU barely beating USCar.  Spurrier just mindscrews them without trying these days.  The ol ball coach is getting the best from his best team at Carolina, no question, but they just didn't have the start they needed to survive LSU.  That doesn't give Georgia a reason to smile today.  That tough Missouri team has been debunked now.  Carolina and Bama both shred them to pieces.  Tennessee had another flop against Mississippi State, and they look and sound like a team ready to collapse.  Georgia doesn't have a quality win on their resume, and I would be surprised if Florida lost to them.  So, the Fla/USCar game is probably the play in to play the LSU/Bama winner. 

In Beano's last season, Notre Dame (notrah dahme) is running for first

Lots of Bama fans used to loathe Cook because he was pro Penn State and pro Notre Dame, and that meant he was anti-Bama.  He was good for football in a lot of ways because he wanted what was best for it.  There aren't as many of those guys left in College Football because the money doesn't work that way any more, but Beano's legacy is both in humor and legend.  Ron for Heisman was serious to him, but the ND QB never got the point....Cook normally did, and his point will carry on long after his last act. 

The Good...The Bad....& The Ugly....Ole Miss

Ok, I gonna be honest.  For the first time since Shula's final year or Saban's first year, I couldn't sit through an entire replay.  Just couldn't.  It was just too annoying to sit and see a team going through the motions and letting a weak sister look fair.  For the record, I made it through about half way thru the 3rd quarter.  I will also say that part of that frustration has mounted over the season (minus Arkansas). 

OFFENSE

The Good....

Yes...Amare Cooper in German is "Das Shiznit". 

He is as good as advertised and now due to injury, he gets to show it off.  The thing I do like about him is that he is well ahead of where a freshman should be.  His route running is better than several much older than him on the team.....ahem, Bell....and he is an above average blocker.  He may not have the straight line speed that White had, but his ability to create separation is enough to compensate for that.  He put about 3 jukes on defenders that were senior level quality and broke them down.  Sadly, they forgot his number in the 2nd half for the most part. 

Despite the Line Issues....Lacy Performed

Circle Button has been getting his game legs back, and in spells, he displayed that he's good to go now.  Lacy needs to put together 4 or 5 top end games where he hits around 20 carries and 100 yards.  The team needs him to do that because it will get the weight off AJ McCarron's shoulders.  He needs to do it to show himself he can and to show scouts he can. 

Statistically speaking, McCarron did well

There are liars, damn liars, and statistics.  That's what Twain once thought, but in today's time it speaks the same.  Statistically speaking, he did very well.  The eye test?  Keep reading.  However, he did set the school record for passes without an interception.  However, he needs to thank Mr. Cooper for that streak being in tact today. 

The Bad...

Red Zone Zilches

When I play golf, I often hit a stretch where I get the shanks, worm burners, etc.  It happens, but the trick is to get rid of them.   Bama right now can't shake the red zone shutdowns.  They did have 2 scores in the red zone, and that is getting better than some other games, and yes they are 100% in scoring in red zone, but yet again, in the 1st and 4th quarter it was the shanks.  4 field goals in the 2 quarters set the tone for underachievement. 

Making a small, bad defense look good....

Let me be blunt.  I don't give a flying shit if you think they are good or about some horse shit theory about stacking the box.  Why?  Well one, they gave up 600 yards to Texas at home.  AT HOME.  Two, 7 in the box is not stacking and for the most part that's what they had was the regular 5 to 7.  Corners don't count kids.  The bottom line is that the offensive line is regressing, don't know why or how, but it is. 

Barrett Jones wants this one back or to sweep it

The best lineman in America got his lunch stole, eaten, regurgitated and given back to him by a really small and lesser player.  Is he the best center in the BCS?  Don't know, but as I have said in the past, this season is a down year for football in general, and it is contagious apparently.  He isn't alone in the "Had a Bad Day" video clip.  Steen was confused and on the wrong foot almost all night. 

The Ugly....

Whomever in the Sports Info Department coined "Best Offensive Line in College Football".

It wasn't dreamed up by the media or any conspiracy theory like that.  Someone went out there from Tuscaloosa with that slogan.  Someone needs a Snickers?????


DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

The Good....

Handling the hurry up

It is hard to prepare for 3 QBs and the hurry up offense.  It is hard for a team to prep for that in a week.  I thought for the most part, they did as well as they could with it.  The one thing they needed to do a little more was putting a little more heat on them and punishing them for playing hurry up.  If you hit the guy and he wants to get up and run it again fast, hit him some more.  3 licks in 45 seconds will equate to a broken QB in about 15 minutes. 

Feasting on opportunities

While they did run a hurry up and they rotated heads out there, they still weren't good.  Bad offenses give gifts and they just kept giving and giving Saturday night.  The thing that is important is that you have to execute when the time comes.  For the most part, Bama did. 

Dee Millner likes SEC QBs

He definitely has come out of the shadows of Dre and Menzie with a bang and probably had his best game of the year Saturday.  The thing he is doing better than he did in the past is that he is getting into the routes and blowing things up before the ball leaves the QBs hand more.  Teams are throwing at him because they have seen on film that he gambles.  Teams are missing the part where he recovers and picks bad passes.  The good passes thus far have been few and more to Belue in between.

Youth Movement Grows

There was a lot of PT for guys that I have been high on for weeks.  Pettaway and Pagan played a lot of minutes Saturday.  Some of this was from Ivory's injury.  Most of it was because they rush and disrupt better than Dial and Square are right now.  Don't be shocked if by the end of the year it isn't Hubbard/Williams/Pagan/Square (or flip Pagan and Square). 

The Bad....

The Blahs caught up to the Defense too...

The spin will never end from some about how Bama never plays well before the bye week, or they don't play well after a bye week, or they never play well on a Saturday following a Friday where there was a Tuesday with a even number......Playing blah is what it is.  It is about leadership, it is about maturity, and it is about desire.  The defense started out strong.  Got lax, got back on track and then spent the better part of the late 3rd and 4th quarters struggling to get off the field. 

The Ugly....

Nearly 50% on 3rd down, and perfect on 4th

It didn't burn them real bad, but Ole Miss isn't that good.  Texas, for what it is worth, held them to 25% on 3rd and 50% on 4th. 


RANDOM THOUGHTS.....


Keeping me accountable

http://rlb002-thegoodthebadtheugly.blogspot.com/2012/07/10-things-you-might-not-believe-now-but.html#comments

In the summer, I said there were 10 things you might not believe.  I am on pace for 7, missing on 2, and 1 is still to be seen.  I missed on McElwain.  I thought Nuss would add some wrinkles and make things flow just as good.  That hasn't been the case all year and they seem to have abandoned the TE in the passing game. 

I also have probably missed on the Secondary, but the best QB they have seen will be a NFL WR.  I also may have missed on Steen, but it says a lot that there is not an adequate backup there after 5 years of recruiting. 

Yes....Arkansas is the black plague of football

Only John L Smith can make Mike DuBose look good. 

The East will be decided by Saturday.....maybe.....

The thing to watch is how Florida does.  Of course, either UGA or USCar will lose so that leaves that winner and Florida.  A bad loss by a young but tested Florida could all but seal it up for the winner of the other game.  For most of us, the best thing that could happen is Florida wins and faces the winner of UGA/USCar to finish things off.  It works because LSU loses.  So Saturday, many Bama fans need to be Gator fans. 

I say it again....

College football is down this year.  I do wonder, if you take the 2010 team, put it on this schedule against these teams, do they do better?  Likewise, if you take this team and play the 2010 schedule with Mallett, Cam, and USCar being as solid as they were, could they do as well?  That is interesting discussion on an off week.....

The Good...The Bad...& The Ugly- FAU

Ok, not going deep into this week because I haven't watched a replay to get deep in the weeds, and two, there isn't much to get into when FAU should be spelled FAIL. 
 
The Good...
 
Getting to the backups earlier. 
 
Any time you can get your starters out, healthy, and play the reserves early and often, that is a good day.  FAU wasn't going to stress anyone, but they were a better game for the backups to grow on than they were the starters to fine tune things.  Bama won't find a worse D Line this year, nor will they find a team with as slow a team speed as they saw this week, so what do the starters get from that?  Not much just more reps.  It also was good for the newer faces to see themselves get scored upon.  They perhaps were getting a little cocky and thought that they could coast.  They learned that every team wants to score.  Good lesson that will carry in film and practice. 
 
The more Drake plays the more I like
 
I preface this by saying that I would like to see him in early to see how he does against fresh defenses.  With that said, what he does when given the chance is pretty good.  He is a little more physical than Yeldon, but he has a better burst than Hart does.  He probably is about 2 weeks from being the 3rd back.  It isn't that Hart is playing bad, he's just playing better. 
 
Hart for return man
 
I'm RLB002 and I endorse this message.  Jones is ok.  However, he's starting that familiar bad habit of trying to catch in traffic without fair catching.  Remember, before he got hurt, Hart was getting a long look as a return man.  His size and moves fit that kind of role well.  It is more or less will he forget his knee and play the game he can. 
 
The Bad...
 
Redzone zip
 
Like many, I grumbled a bit about how the redzone play calling is getting a little bland and a lot like the last few years where they roll it up if they don't get in on second down.  That really falls on one person, Saban.  The problem he's going to have is that you cannot undo what you have done for weeks.  His reluctance to attack once in there has been a familiar theme.  It isn't an issue if you keep the other side from scoring like they have been, but we all said that wasn't a problem last year until LSU came to town.  It only takes one game to screw things up, and Bama won't get that lucky second chance this year if they stumble to someone.  If they do stumble, it will be a redzone issue that costs them. 
 
The Ugly...
 
none
 
 
Random Thoughts....
 
Four Weeks in and it is clear....
 
The BCS is going to have a down year.  When you look at the field, and you scan the top 15 preseason teams who are usually in the real hunt for the title, what folks thought was there isn't.   When you look at them, this is what you see:
 

1	USC (25)  Nope.  Kiffin undercoaches this time.
2	Alabama (17)  Haven't been tested yet, but they look the part.
3	LSU (16)  Got a little test from Auburn, but offensively they are vulnerable again.
4	Oklahoma (1)  Not just no, but hell no.  Stoops is running out of faithful voters.
5	Oregon  Maybe but they didn't really blowout Arizona if you watched it.
6	Georgia  Any team that needs phony motivation to win runs out eventually....
7	Florida State  Got a test and passed, but it wasn't with an A.  They have not improved on D.
8	Michigan (1)  I bet that 1 guy wishes he could blame it on drugs right now.
9	South Carolina  Schedule is too tough and their OL is too weak.
10	Arkansas  John L Smith could tear up a steel ball
11	West Virginia  I will be honest, I have liked what I have seen of them.  Lots of vets and a mission to win now.
12	Wisconsin  Losing their OC has unraveled the mystery of the Wis
13	Michigan State  Survey says X
14	Clemson  Same ol Clempsun....lots of talk, lots of hype, and lots of points given up in the 2nd half.
15	Texas  Blistered Ole Miss but who hasn't?  Nothing to say they are really that strong yet.

 
This is who the nation by in large thought was the best of the best before the year.  Does that mean voters are that wrong?  No.  It just means that there are that many teams that underperformed thus far.  It is a down year because nobody outside of Alabama has separated itself from the pack or even presented itself as a legitimate contender.  To be honest, LSU has the defense to go far.  Their problem is October- FLA, USCar, aTm, and then in November Bama.  Oregon has a rough November with USCal, Stanford, and Oregon St.  UGA book ends October with USCar and Florida.  If they find a way through that, they get Bama or LSU and they have yet to show they have the defense for Bama's power game or the offense to handle either team's defense.  So the pack is ripe for an underdog this time, but it isn't like there is a greatest of all time lurking. 

All this time later, some fans still Aubsess

I get why fans who live in Alabama have a case of Aubsession.  They hear it 365.  However, you really shouldn't care.  Yes they won a title in the last 3 years.  Yes, they won once in 3 years against Bama.  Yes, they still play football....well they wear the uniforms at least.  However, the amount of time chortling about their "demise" is silly.  To me, it is more worthwhile to watch them, and smile but spend my time thinking what Bama is doing.  Some still talk about Cam.... that dog won't hunt nor will he get off the porch.  SI has yet to deliver that story that all have waited on.  The whole Aubsession ranks up there with Linus waiting for The Great Pumpkin.  The mere fact that some sites have to dedicate a thread to their message boards for Auburn discussion on ALABAMA sites says the base does not have the eye on the prize. 

Is Dee Hart really a better running back than Kenyan Drake?

Depth Charts are a tricky thing, especially when Saban is holding the pen.  Hart has practiced and been in the program longer.  He has rehabbed and is back in the flow as a 3rd string.  Does that make him better?  No.  Means he knows the plays better.  He also is probably a slightly better pass blocker than Drake is.  Keep in mind, you haven't seen him have to do that enough yet to know.  Hart has done a little more work in that area.  It isn't about stopping the rush, as much as it is slowing it and diverting it.  With that said, in about 2 weeks, Drake probably gets ahead of Hart because he's playing better and needs more snaps.  Hart is better suited in a different offense really, but he can be a return specialist.  I don't know what we would say had Hart not gotten hurt last year or how he would have done.  I do know that I would have liked that conversation and situation better. 

Is TJ Yeldon really a better running back than Kenyan Drake?

This is a trickier question on the grounds that they aren't the same type of runners.  Yeldon is probably the more complete player.  Drake is a more dynamic player.  His spark is different than Yeldon's because he changes the tone of the game with his style of play.  That's why you notice him so much.  Why is Yeldon catching your eye against Michigan but kinda drifting since?  Eddie Lacy has taken his carries.  Give Yeldon 20 carries, you are calling him the next chosen one.  Give him 8, not so much.