If We Had Played FSU For The National Title--Would We Have Won?

Alasippi · May 12, 2014

BamaJama17 said:
Well I guess it was only a matter of time before a thread like this came up. It's hard to say. One thing for sure though they would have been MUCH TOUGHER that Notre Lame was.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Duh..

CrimsonProf · May 12, 2014

selmaborntidefan said:
It's the land of the unproven hypothesis. There are several points to make:

1) Our team would have heard NON-STOP for five weeks about how a win would make them "the greatest ever" and how no team has ever actually "three-peated." How much pressure does that add for us and motivation for them?

2) 21-3 over FSU would have been different than 21-7 over Auburn precisely BECAUSE of Auburn's coming back.Remember that the score entering the fourth in the BCSNCG was Auburn 21 FSU 13. Remember - Georgia scored 21 points in less than eight minutes on Auburn, we drove inside their 20 THREE TIMES in the fourth quarter without getting a point plus got a TD, and FSU scored 21 points in about 11 minutes.

I don't think they would have been able to do that against us. Only one team all year, Texas A/M, really showed an ability to get up off the mat (we never put Auburn fully out) - and even that was caused by Yeldon fumbling away the killer TD.

3) How many of the new guys feel "entitled" and like they just have to show up? We are told that was a problem. Could it have been worse in the NCG?

4) It's very hard to pick against CNS with all that prep time. FSU didn't really have to prepare for Auburn at all. Note that once the Tigers had basically run their scripted plays, they didn't really do anything until the fourth quarter.

5) Would a missed FG have gotten into Foster's head (even if the Auburn return didn't happen)? No way to know

There's more but that's enough. Suffice it to say we'll never know.

How many of the new guys had meaningful playing time?

BamaMoon · May 12, 2014

Alasippi said:
Hey Moon, my good man, that's a convenient answer, but what do you think?

It's almost an impossible question to answer without knowing that we won the Auburn and SECCG.

Unfortunately, those losses revealed some character/attitude problems that are beyond the physical matchups on the field.

If we win against Auburn (in any fashion) and likely win easily against Mizzu, nobody in their right mind would have picked against us, but seeing how we finished - actually didn't finish against the Barn and the Sooners I'd probably say we lose to the Criminals simply because they probably would have wanted it more. JMO

alwayshavebeen · May 12, 2014

It is the inevitable question and one that I hadn't given much thought to until now. I believe the CNS prep time factor would have been a big advantage. I think we would have beaten Mizzou by around 21 points after the big win over au. On the other hand, IMO we were never as good as we would like to think, and from all the "noise" coming out after the season about either poor leadership or younger players not buying in (I have an opinion on that but that's another active thread) I just don't know. My heart likes to think we would have exposed a weak acc conference champion, but my lifetime of football experience and knowledge just can't agree. That's the short answer sip.

russtang · May 12, 2014

Good grief. I'll say it.
YES, we would have one.

BamaJama17 · May 12, 2014

Alasippi said:
Duh..

Well to be more specific...I don't think the odds would have been much in our favor like they were against ND or even LSU. Aside from the points Selma made (especially #1); 1. This time around FSU had two former assistant coaches on defense who already knew Saban and his tendencies. 2. FSU (IMO) had a better defense than Alabama did and much more overall speed. 3. FSU also had a lot of players Alabama had recruited real hard and they just really matched Alabama in talent in coaching. Bottom line I think it would have been close but their defense probably would have come up with more stops than Alabama would have. Ohh and their kicker was the Lou Groza award winner.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

TideMan09 · May 12, 2014

Yup..I have no doubts at all we would've beat The Criminals had we played them..When Bama under Coach Saban makes it to the NC Game..We win & win convincingly..It's wouldn't have been a blowout like we pounded The Irish..I do think we would've beat The Criminals by 10 though..JMHO

WalkaboutSean · May 12, 2014

Give Saban a month to prepare, and we would beat the Seahawks. :biggrin:

bamacpa · May 12, 2014

Sip, I don't think we would have won that game. I don't think we matched up well with FSU. I think their passing game would have exploited our secondary much the way the Aggies and Sooners did, and I think their defensive line would have won the battle with our OL. I thought it was a bad matchup for us last fall and I still do. I wish we'd had a shot because you never know. I thought Auburn had a good shot at them because Aubie ran the ball well, and they rushed the passer well which masked some problems in their secondary. We didn't rush the passer well. just my two cents...

bama579 · May 12, 2014

We had over a month to prepare for the Sooners. Didn't beat them. Their speed rush stymied our off. Their offense didn't have much trouble moving and scoring.

Do we think Oklahoma was better than Fla State? Their wideouts against the 2013 secondary could turn out ugly.

We were a top-ten team in 2013. I don't think we were a championship team.

B1GTide · May 13, 2014

You guys crack me up sometimes. If you beat Auburn (and you should have), you crush Mizzou the next week. And you match up far better with FSU than either of those teams.

Yes, you beat FSU and win the BCSCG if the miracle never happens - but it did. Time to focus on the next season and the next group of kids working really hard to win it for you.

ROLLTRIBE · May 13, 2014

No. Not with the lack of effort and entitlement attitude that was displayed toward the end of the season

CrimsonPride25 · May 13, 2014

If the Bama team that showed up to the Sugar Bowl played FSU we would've been beaten like a drum. I honestly think FSU would've pulled out a squeaker in the Championship because of their passing game. We wouldn't be able to cover Benjamin similar to Mike Evans. Just didn't have the secondary to matchup.

Atl Joe · May 13, 2014

Bama played their worst game in years and barely lost to Auburn in Auburn.
Auburn posted an 18 point lead on FSU and barely lost (yes, this still makes me smile).
If Bama would have played them with the right mindset, they win easily but this is supposition anyway.....

GrayTide · May 13, 2014

Judging by the way we played the last month of the season, I do not think we would have beaten FSU. We were just not a title team last year.

RTR91 · May 13, 2014

No one wants to mention Anthony Steen not playing in the Sugar Bowl? Leon did a fine job in his place, but I believe FSU's DL would have a good time with Bama's OL.

TouchThatThang said:
Before the 2011 BCSNCG, he took a weakness (special teams) and turned it into a strength.

Other than actually making the field goals, what was different with Bama's special teams in NOLA?

BamaMoon · May 13, 2014

GrayTide said:
Judging by the way we played the last month of the season, I do not think we would have beaten FSU. We were just not a title team last year.

If we put our selective memory aside, we'd realize that although we were 11-0 coming into the Barn game, we had played poorly early in the season against some weaker teams, we peaked for LSU (really played a great 2nd half), and then we seemed to play poorly again -- seemingly worse and worse each week until it ended with the loss to the Sooners.

So I think your summation is correct, we were just not a title team last year.

B1GTide · May 13, 2014

RTR91 said:
No one wants to mention Anthony Steen not playing in the Sugar Bowl? Leon did a fine job in his place, but I believe FSU's DL would have a good time with Bama's OL.

I don't think so, because the only teams that game Alabama trouble at the LOS last season were the teams with powerful D-Linemen/ Auburn is a great example of this. FSU played finesse defense, using speed and changing defenses (like Alabama) to create confusion and an advantage. FSU had a very good defense, but not the type to stop your running game. IMO, you would have run all over them.

Tidewater · May 13, 2014

Alasippi said:
I'm sure, but were really good enough?

Only a fool bets against Nick Saban when he is given a month to scheme and prepare.

tide96 · May 13, 2014

Tidewater said:
Only a fool bets against Nick Saban when he is given a month to scheme and prepare.

I guess all of the fans that had Oklahoma are fools. Sure we would have had a good chance, but we will never know.

If We Had Played FSU For The National Title--Would We Have Won?

Suspended

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

All-SEC

All-American

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

1st Team

All-American

Hall of Fame

TideFans Legend

All-SEC

1st Team

1st Team

Hall of Fame

Super Moderator

Hall of Fame

TideFans Legend

Hall of Fame

All-SEC

TideFans.shop - NEW Stuff!