How do you feel about the Sugar Bowl loss?

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

TommyMac, if we could get the players to care as much as we do, they'd never get complacent.

But we've got to remember these guys are human, not machines, and just like us they'll get complacent at times. Everybody does it. We talk about giving 100%, but it's really not possible for anybody to do that, ever, or else they are perfect.

I hate we lost for all the reasons you listed, but I also understand why it seems we didn't take OU as seriously as we should've.

For me, the loss will help more than it hurt. It did not hurt recruiting, and it has the entire program refocused. Win this season and it will be forgotten, like 2010.

I went to Norman, Oklahoma to see the Tide in the early 2000's and to Tuscaloosa the next year to see Bama vs Oklahoma. Both were good games but the Tide just could not pull out the wins. Coach Bob had a great call on a punt in that game in Tuscaloosa to turn the Tide in that game.

It was time to pay them back for those losses. I'm very disappointed that it did not happen! Maybe we needed another LeeRoy Jordan.

I do think Bama had the best team. I wish they had played that big hoss of a QB instead of the one they did play.

I guess the Bama guys thought all they had to do was show up to win. The Sooners were motivated and the Tide was NOT.
I think it was an embarrassing loss to the Big 12 or 10 or whatever it's called. I actually don't thing those guys in that conference can count. Maybe they need some help from The Count from Sesame St!

Yeah! We did need that win to pull away from USC in Bowl Wins!

This game was very important for Oklahoma. Even though they are considered an elite program, they needed a win from a big time opponent. No one gave them much of a chance against the Tide.
Our guys should realize what beating Alabama means to other programs. For me, this game is history. 2014 starts a new run. The process will rise again! Roll Tide!

I feel like a LOSER! It never feels good to lose. One can put a good face on it an all but it sucks! A big case of underachieving for a team that had all the talent for a national championship. Coaches should look in the mirror and assess themselves. Certainly not their best job.

TommyMac said:

Visiting various Bama forums I've noticed a lot of apathy regarding the loss to OU. Some folks seem to be tossing it off as a meaningless game and understandable after the IB loss.

Not me, I think it was a very important game and here's why.

It was against another elite program and we needed the W to square the all-time series.

The Big Mouth Bob thing.

A missed opportunity to pad our narrow lead over USC for the most bowl wins ever.

It means that we still have to worry about complacency. I thought that we might be past that considering that our roster is fully stocked with blue chip talent and any less than your best could mean loss of PT to someone hungry for your job.

Finally..........Pride. In a BCS bowl and on the national stage, it should be all you need to represent the program better.

Thoughts?

Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more w you, TM...

It was sooooo disappointing on sooooo many different levels...

Tho I realize not nearly as devastating as the Barn loss, after 3 years of hearing "Never Again" over n over, it would appear that a lot of our boys didn't get the memo...

Or all the proclamations we'd been hearing of "When's the last time a CNS-coached team lost two in a row..."

As you say, "Finally..........Pride. In a BCS bowl and on the national stage, it should be all you need to represent the program better."

The team - and the fans - need to own this loss.

It sure looks like CNS has - given all of the off-season moves.

And the "Starting over like it's 2007" comments...

Sure, we have to learn from it and put it behind us.

But minimize it, nuh uh...

I will not talk about the game, and I hate this thread!

Other than being a "historic" team, Oklahoma posed no threat to Alabama. Their offense was anemic all season. They ran an offense in the Sugar Bowl they had not run all season. Thus, Alabama's defense was stunned in the first half. Kirby and Saban adjusted at half time, but Alabama's offense still had issues.

No one should expect a team of 18-22 year olds not to have some complacency. No one. Complacency is natural. And to be honest, the team's goal all season was to go for the three-peat. When the loss to Auburn eliminated that, a group of 18-22 year olds will have a difficult time caring. Again, it's natural.

Some want to say the players need to know what it means to other teams to beat Alabama. I'm not sure how accurate that is because it's more important to the fans than the players. If that is the case though, Saban needs to do a better job teaching the players the importance. That is a point Jess tried to make after the season.

That being said, I feel like the losses to end the season make this year easier for everyone. Imagine a three-peat and losing the players Bama lost. The losses seem to have the team focused during Spring drills. Saban has said it. The players have said it.

College football has changed, it is no longer just a game for students, alumni and fans it is a business modeled on the NFL. As for the Sugar Bowl, you could tell that the players had little desire to be in that game. The attitude of not playing in the NC game affects all major programs; some teams and coaches can adjust and others cannot. As for the loss, IMO it is a true reflection of the 2013 season, good but not great.

Bamabuzzard said:

*This is what completely baffles me. In less than 30 days they were able to install and dang near perfectly execute an offense they hadn't run all season long.

**If it is more important to the fans than the players then something is bad wrong. As you stated, this is something Jess pointed to after the season. The lack of intensity and passion for certain games.

Click to expand...

to be honest, it is easy for fans to have intensity and passion throughout the season. the players are going 100% from early august (and probably earlier) until the end of the season. it is impossible to physically and mentally get up for every game. add to that the disappointment of a late season loss taking us out of contention, and the sugar bowl result is very understandable (much like against Utah), at least to me.

Bamabuzzard said:

I "feel" that until we beat Stoops and the Sooners we should probably keep our mouths shut about them, unless we're giving them respect. Since the 2000's we've played them three times and have lost to them three times. Until we can beat them I see no reason (outside of pure stupidity and arrogance) that we should talk smack about how "overrated" or "bad" they are.

Click to expand...

They are overrated... just not against us.:frown:

92tide said:

to be honest, it is easy for fans to have intensity and passion throughout the season. the players are going 100% from early august (and probably earlier) until the end of the season. it is impossible to physically and mentally get up for every game. add to that the disappointment of a late season loss taking us out of contention, and the sugar bowl result is very understandable (much like against Utah), at least to me.

Click to expand...

I agree with this and believe this was a big part (not all) in the loss to OU.

Tommy,

This thread expresses my sentiments about the game better than anything I've seen written on this board or anywhere else. I've wanted to write something similar, but didn't want to be labeled a whiner/'negative nelly' anymore than I already am at times on here--so perhaps it's better that it comes from someone like yourself that is a little longer in the tooth and I think it's being received better as well.... I think everything you wrote needed to be said.

The consensus thinking seems to be that "you just can't get up for every game and we had just suffered a crushing loss that knocked us out of the NC game." Sorry, but I will never accept that--not when the opponent is Oklahoma and their 7 NC's in a prime time bowl game--and as Tommy mentioned a chance to tie the all-time series with them. With those two things, along with the huge talent disparity and the fact that OU was in the game with so many injured players, this game should not have even been close.

We can make fun of 'Big Game' Bob all we want, but the fact is that he has absolutely owned us. He is now 5-0 against us as a HC and DC.