A few tidbits to help put things in perspective.

TidePride50

3rd Team
Jan 16, 2010
296
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Only a fool could watch the past two Alabama games and think that there were no problems to address. Of course there are, but I personally think it is mostly execution issues, and that time will heal (literally and figuratively) a lot of those issues. I don't think radical changes are needed, but I think we just reached the tipping point in which our ability to appreciate what Alabama has accomplished clashed with some realities of college football.

Next season might not go better, there's no telling who is going to play QB, and how well they will perform, and special teams will remain a big question mark. It remains to be seen if Alabama tries to adjust to handle uptempo teams, and if that adjustment proves costly against teams like LSU. However, please... stop to smell the roses! Stop to appreciate things for a bit. Alabama is coming off the type of season that got Dubose and Shula a raise (the fact is the last former coach to win 11 at Alabama was Gene Stallings). Sure, it feels bad, but there was a time this was the best we could possibly expect!

In 2008, Alabama lost to Florida and Utah by a combined 37-62. It seemed like Alabama had no way to stop Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow, they seemed like an insurmountable obstacle. In 2009, they beat Florida and Texas by a combined 69-34. Don't for one second think that Nick Saban isn't capable of taking his same old defense out there, add a bit of talent and experience, and produce much better results.

In 2011, Alabama beat Auburn 42-14. Anyone remember their offensive coordinator that year? Gus Malhzahn.

In 2012 the top teams in the final BCS standings were:
Notre Dame (9-4)
Alabama (11-2)
Florida (4-8)
Oregon (11-2)
Kansas State (8-5)
I put their records this year next to the teams.

I don't get all this overreacting. Nick Saban is more than capable of improving his team, especially if his team isn't completely gutted by the NFL draft. He's more than capable of stopping Gus, and the only times he was unable, Alabama made key mistakes and had a major injury in the defensive backfield. Finally, it's normal to have a drop off after a great season. We're just spoiled. Would you rather be in Florida's shoes? Or, Kansas State's? Even Notre Dame's or Oregon's? I don't think so... I find it puzzling that some people seem to think Auburn is in a more desirable position. Really? A team that needed luck to win how many of their games?

I'm looking forward to next season, and I don't have a list of demands for the Alabama coaching staff. If Alabama can figure the QB situation out, they will be in the title hunt yet again.
Exactly the way I have felt. There has been way too much overreacting to the last two games. Yes it sucked to end the season like that, but in no way do we need any major changes. We will be fine.


RTR '13!
 

Con

Hall of Fame
Dec 19, 2006
6,398
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Sometimes at the beginning of games we seem to score too quick. When we do that our defense doesn't get rest from chasing the HUNH or even get to be coached up on what their doing wrong. So many times I hear about other teams "scripting plays". If the plays are lets say 10-15 we have to survive the early onslaught to get into the real off. co. calling plays that he thinks will work. I think to an extent that happened in the Sugar Bowl. Once we made it through the early plays and had some time for coaching points, our defense got better. Would we rather have had that happen earlier in the first half, yes.
 

cuda.1973

Hall of Fame
Dec 6, 2009
8,506
607
137
Allen, Texas
Re: Great article on entitlement

I fail to see how anyone thinks we're doing fine against HUNH and our only real issue is mental mistakes.
Is that what people are saying? If our offense does its job, and keeps the other team's HUNH off the field, we are in a much better position to win.

Our offense not being able to stay on the field................largely because they have failed, many times, to convert on 3rd and short..................that seems mental, to me.

Or are you going to tell us a team that runs HUNH offense has a killer defense?

Yes, we struggle against HUNH offenses. Keeping them off the field is the first thing to address. Not the only one, just the first one. Fixing that "mental" problem also goes a long way to fixing the D's mental problems. IOW, having to go right back on the field after yet another 3-and-out.
 

bigjue24

Suspended
Dec 2, 2009
984
179
62
Okeechobee, FL
Re: Great article on entitlement

Is that what people are saying? If our offense does its job, and keeps the other team's HUNH off the field, we are in a much better position to win.

Our offense not being able to stay on the field................largely because they have failed, many times, to convert on 3rd and short..................that seems mental, to me.

Or are you going to tell us a team that runs HUNH offense has a killer defense?

Yes, we struggle against HUNH offenses. Keeping them off the field is the first thing to address. Not the only one, just the first one. Fixing that "mental" problem also goes a long way to fixing the D's mental problems. IOW, having to go right back on the field after yet another 3-and-out.
I agree a punishing clock eating drive is a killer to the hurry up. We have had those offenses in the past. This years Oline was not quite the same. They were still good but not on the level of the other NC teams. I see much potential to improve as the 2010 oline did to lead us in 2011. Henry is the type of back to bring that punish them make their &$@ quit attitude back.
 
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RollTide1224

All-American
Feb 18, 2008
2,385
87
67
Spartanburg, SC
Re: Great article on entitlement

Is that what people are saying? If our offense does its job, and keeps the other team's HUNH off the field, we are in a much better position to win.

Our offense not being able to stay on the field................largely because they have failed, many times, to convert on 3rd and short..................that seems mental, to me.

Or are you going to tell us a team that runs HUNH offense has a killer defense?

Yes, we struggle against HUNH offenses. Keeping them off the field is the first thing to address. Not the only one, just the first one. Fixing that "mental" problem also goes a long way to fixing the D's mental problems. IOW, having to go right back on the field after yet another 3-and-out.
I don't think what both of you are saying is mutually exclusive. The defense struggles against HUNH teams AND the offense has bogged down in critical moments in those games. In fact, I think the two issues build on each other. In games where we feel that we aren't in control defensively we change the way we play offensively and get more pass happy. When we do this we seem to have more mental mistakes. I would sum it up by saying the offense had an identity crisis.

As far as the defense once again I think the issues are somewhat personnel and somewhat scheme. We really just didn't have a 2nd CB this year. It was a musical chairs position the entire year. This also means that we don't really have a 3rd CB obviously. 2009 and 2011 we were loaded at CB. The scheme part I think that must change and is changing based off of Coach Saban's Signing Day presser last year is the smaller fast twitch DL. I think that we got stuck in a year of transition where we don't have the bodies to quite deal with the HUNH that we need but we hopefully will soon.

The good news like Big10 says is that we are still in all of these games even when we aren't playing particularly well, sometimes in all three phases. I believe that Coach Saban has already seen what is happening and is adjusting. When you look at recruiting we are looking to load up at CB. He mentioned last year down in Miami that we needed cover guys. The man doesn't even hide our weaknesses haha. We are also loading up at nosetackle and the reason for that should be obvious. Our best defenses have all featured a dominant nose tackle. It frees so much up for the rest of the defense. Basically we solidify the CB, NT positions, and get more athletic at OLB/DE I think we will be able to shut these HUNH teams down.
 

BamaInMo1

All-American
Oct 27, 2006
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Cumming, GA
I was just in jr. high then, but I do recall some saying "The game has passed Coach by; his approach no longer works w/ today's players & game; (etc.)" Any of that sound familiar? And then came the 70s; we reeled off a decade of averaging 10+ wins a season. That quieted the pre-web web chatter down pretty good.

(Note to youngsters: "jr. high" = predecessor to what became "middle school" ;) )
Coach Bryant also changed his offense and defense when needed. I believe that over the course of his tenure @ Alabama Coach Bryant used three or four different offenses. However, I am not one who believes that whole sale change is needed at this time. Do we need to make a few changes? Probably. Do we need to scrap our entire offense and defense? Certainly not.

It was a good season overall. 11-2 ain't too shabby.
 

TerryR

BamaNation Citizen
Aug 12, 2011
55
0
0
Wetumpka, AL
Maybe this is just a collection of frustrations and is not meant to imply we should blow everything up; however, to not acknowledge glaring problems isn't going help us get back on top. Here are some of my observations/opinions: Our lines both "O" and "D" are not where they've been the last few years. Our secondary is average at best. The loss of Vinnie has hurt a lot. We have a shocking lack of foot speed and penetration to affect offensive execution of our opponents. A good example of that was when our nose guard was lumbering after the OU QB and he time enough to eat a ham sandwich waiting to the double move from the corner to the middle of the end zone. Our DB (LC - one of our best) couldn't cover the receiver that long - end result TD OU. Maybe Hand coming in will be a quick start at fixing that. Maybe the only exception is CJ, but he needs some help in a hurry.
Our best defense against HUNH might be ball possession; we can't seem to sustain drives - especially coming up short in the red zone. AJ couldn't get comfortable in the pocket. The left side of the O-line killed us on many occasions. Why in the world would they not put another blocker over there (TE, RB) to help. They didn't stop the undersized rusher all night. The coaches don't seem to be able to adjust in games quickly and I still don't see enough urgency when the other teams are clearly more motivated and bringing the game to us. They got to halftime and did a little better in the second half - hard to dig out of a hole with a good opponent. This is not demean our kickers but don't we have some other options.
As much as I hate to say it, it seems to me the team has become complacent and seems to have an entitlement mentality. It's hard to be king of the hill - it's even harder to stay there. Ball security would have corrected a lot of things; however, not solving the root causes.
I posted earlier in the season about the significance of a 3-peat and am still totally bummed that we blew that opportunity. I'll always be a Bama supporter so please nobody stone me for my honest opinions. I wouldn't say something like that except I sometimes get parochial or snide comments which I don't appreciate. Wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year...Roll Tide!!
 

russtang

All-American
Apr 11, 2007
3,202
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Central Alabama
www.uniquetitanium.com
Something that everyone is going to have to accept is against good teams the 17-10, 14-3, 10-3 games are going to be much fewer and less common.

We are simply going to have to get used to having 38-21, 41-24, 28-24 games as being the norm.
 

Bama63

1st Team
Oct 25, 2000
525
68
147
Louisville, KY, Jefferson
Earlyin the season I had the feeling that the 2013 Alabama team was not going to be one of the really good ones. They kept getting by and I was drinking the cool-aid enough that when they hit the wall at Auburn and then lost Friday, I was pretty shook. Given time to think about it, I was right in the first place. I think the coaches did a superb job of getting this team through the season to the record they did earn, and I think the players did a great job of doing what they could do. I'm too emotionally involved about the Auburn loss to say we were outplayed in that one--I think we just didn't have the luck. Oklahoma outplayed us. (Along with having the luck. Their QB doesn't have a history of throwing successfully like he did in that game.) So I'm ready to get on with seeing how the team shapes up for 2014, with thanks to the 2013 coaches and players for all they gave.

RTR
 

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