AJ's take on the team losses last year

Basically everything CNS was frustrated about all season.

With so many 4 and 5 star players coming in,... I can see them wanting to play. I understand that and I'm sure the coaches recruiting them let them know there is a chance they may sit. But is too many highly recruited players a bad thing? Just asking,...

I love this quote:

“I think that’s one of the things that is wrong with recruiting out of high school,” said McCarron. “You have guys who have never played the game of football rating these guys that they are a 5-star, because they’re sitting behind a computer screen watching their highlight film."

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It reminds me of the movie "Trouble with the Curve."

Different sport, but still the same concept.

CrimsonTusk said:

With so many 4 and 5 star players coming in,... I can see them wanting to play. I understand that and I'm sure the coaches recruiting them let them know there is a chance they may sit. But is too many highly recruited players a bad thing? Just asking,...

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I think it has worked out pretty well...3 out of 5 should be considered over the top! Just saying...

Displaced Bama Fan said:

I love this quote:



It reminds me of the movie "Trouble with the Curve."

Different sport, but still the same concept.

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Good point and great movie.

CrimsonTusk said:

With so many 4 and 5 star players coming in,... I can see them wanting to play. I understand that and I'm sure the coaches recruiting them let them know there is a chance they may sit. But is too many highly recruited players a bad thing? Just asking,...

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We might not want to admit that it is or could be a bad thing, but IMO it was last year and maybe in other years since CNS has been here. I really do not understand some of these players wanting to come to Alabama or LSU knowing they probably will not play early or often when they could go to another program and possibly play immediately. Kamara, Jackson, Sims just to name a few would have fared better going to an ACC, Big East or CUSA program to start with. It is not always about the competition which is the standard answer, but being realistic. This may be part of what Town was thinking when he changed his commitment from Alabama to USC. It isn't easy going from hometown hero to bench warmer in less than a year and some cannot handle it. And I agree with AJ, these recruiting analysts know little more than we do when sizing up a high school player.

Why Sims name has to come up in this? I'm curious?

GrayTide said:

We might not want to admit that it is or could be a bad thing, but IMO it was last year and maybe in other years since CNS has been here. I really do not understand some of these players wanting to come to Alabama or LSU knowing they probably will not play early or often when they could go to another program and possibly play immediately. Kamara, Jackson, Sims just to name a few would have fared better going to an ACC, Big East or CUSA program to start with. It is not always about the competition which is the standard answer, but being realistic. This may be part of what Town was thinking when he changed his commitment from Alabama to USC. It isn't easy going from hometown hero to bench warmer in less than a year and some cannot handle it. And I agree with AJ, these recruiting analysts know little more than we do when sizing up a high school player.

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We know it was the players that was suspended throughout the year that may have played a role in this downfall of the 2013 season. Then we had a situation with Texas, and Coach Saban, and coaches not spending time with the players. I guess, when you win, you stopped caring. I would love to know what kind of practice we'll have this year. Will it be intense?

JustNeedMe81 said:

Why Sims name has to come up in this? I'm curious?

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Phillip Sims not Blake.

Oh, Got it.

GrayTide said:

Phillip Sims not Blake.

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Another thing...when you're a 5 star on a team like Vandy or Ole Miss you might expect to play. When you go to Alabama you're one of dozens. Hard work and discipline is what can set them apart. If they're not willing to do it, they have no one to blame but themselves. They see the level of competition they're up against -- why and how they feel "entitled" to play at Alabama is baffling to me.

Lets just stop and compare the last three seasons. In '11 Bama lost to number 1 ranked LSU in overtime after dominating LSU on the field but not the scoreboard, didn't make the SEC championship game, but got extremely lucky to get a rematch. Which by the way brought on the inevitable 4 team playoff we are going to this season. 11-1 regular season, won the rematch against LSU with a lot of motivation and the BCS national championship, to finish 12-1.

In '12 Bama loses as the number 1 ranked team to Texas A&M and Johnny Manzeil and got extremely lucky to end up in the BCS championship game, after a harrowing close win in the SEC championship game, to play an over matched, over rated Notre Dame team to win the BCS national championship. How many on here would have relished a rematch with Texas A&M and Johnny boy for the BCS championship in '12 instead of the Irish, especially seeing how they demolished Oklahoma and the rematch with Johnny boy this past season? Finished 13-1, SEC and BCS champions.

'13 seen Bama almost go wire to wire #1 and lose to a charged up Auburn underdog, with no time remaining on the clock after a mistake ridden game much like the LSU game in '11, which kept Bama from the benefit of another game in the SEC championship game and being left out of the BCS championship picture for the first time in three years. Luck wasn't such a lady for us this year as the past 2, and an uninspired team went and laid an egg in the Sugar bowl, ala '08 after a heart breaking loss to Florida and an uninspired Bama losing to Utah in New Orleans.

So now this past season is somehow a carbon copy of the '10 season where Bama lost 3 games during the regular season?

Call it what you want but this past season with all them great recruits were not the '10 team, at least not by the records account. Bad timing of the loss to Auburn and Auburn's great fortunes in beating Georgia, a much inferior team to Bama, set the stage for Bama not playing for and winning the BCS this past season.

All three Bama teams lost a regular season game against a great opponent late in the season, just this past seasons team lost at a bad time and circumstance. Would Bama have played inspired ball and beat FSU? We will never know, but I believe if Bama had gotten in the game they would have and we would be talking about 4 in a row coming up and the college football world would be hating all of us!

No doubt there was problems with players on the team this past season and stuff but I will take every 5 or 4 star player that we can get without ever worrying about entitlement issues. If the team really was affected by all the issues being spouted by former players, then it almost did not matter.

Personally no matter how much I would like for Bama to win every national championship every year, it would actually be detrimental to college football. The fact that this team came that close to a three peat is an extraordinary accomplishment to me and bodes well for the future with the recruiting class coming in next week.

Every year the team that wins the national championship has problems to overcome. Bama's track record of late overcoming theirs has been very fortunate and amazing. But perfection for any team in any season is rare, not the norm. The last three season's for Bama has certainly not been perfect by any means. Most would call it fortunate.

He's got a good point but why couldn't he or some other senior take control and rectify the situation.

Bamaro said:

He's got a good point but why couldn't he or some other senior take control and rectify the situation.

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Lack of in your face leadership. Sometimes you need to be afraid you are going to get your butt whipped if you screw up or are complacent.