As Great as Saban is, he was out-coached by Les Miles Today

[BamaGreek]

We have a really young inexperienced team on defense and it has been a struggle all year for them to play to championship caliber on the road in the SEC. Today was a perfect example of that. What I can't really explain is the play of the offense this year. It just seems like something is missing. I don't really see the fire in the players eyes like I would expect. This was our last road game thank goodness. It has been a struggle for Alabama to play good teams on the road all year. Again I think this goes back to the youth.

Saying all that, I still think Alabama can win at home against Miss St. and Georgia St and still set up a huge game against Auburn that Alabama can win. It would be great to hang a loss on Auburn before they go to Atlanta to play in the SEC Championship game.

 

[BamaGoose]

This comment has been made several times over the past few weeks. Would be interesting to go back and watch Saban's body language last year compared to this year. Wow, so glad I don't have that guy's job .

Luckily for CNS he has 4 million reasons to have his job.

 

[Fishhead]

I don't believe that Bama has better talent than LSU. I believe the opposite. Saban was not outcoached.

Wrong and wrong. And embarrasing.

I'm not sure if you keep up with recruiting or not but at worst bama has the same talent. Saban has loaded this team since 2007. The talent is here. Our staff definitely got out coached today...

Right and right.

It doesn't mean Miles>Saban. He just was today.
It doesn't mean LSU has better players. They just played better (harder) today.

Good game, guys.

 

[EscaTider]

It happens. He's human. He's not Jesus. You win the NC and you play 12 national championship games the next season. What it looks to me is we're reloading and that means grinding your teeth with youth and inexperience. Coach Saban is still a great coach.

Absolutely. People also seem to be discounting the leadership we lost from guys Rolando, Javier, and Mike Johnson. What we have right now is a great collection of talent- they just haven't quite pulled together as a team.

 

[BAMAfan777]

I completely agree and you put it best....THIS TEAM LOOKS UNINSPIRED AND SOMEWHAT BORED..........I heard it a few posts ago, and it sums it up 100%.

At one point in the game, I really felt as though the Bama players were acting as if they were playing at a holiday , family/friend reunion in the park. It was the energy, demeanor, drive.

Last year the energy was there, today, it felt like the Shula days quite honestly.....Saban knew it too.....his look on his face most the game, he knew it was going to be a grind, because his guys did not have what it takes......he's got to be disappointed.

The lack of pass-rush is unbelieveable...........even when they are blitzing.....that's the difference between last year and this year. 8-2 and 10-0. No rush, you need extreme luck.

 

[RJ YellowHammer]

It just doesn't seem CNS's heart was in it today

Whoa kemosabe.

We were playing a top 10 team on the road, LSU made every play down the stretch, and we lost by 3. If LSU's DT doesn't get his hand on the ball when he gets to GMAC, or if Dre drops like he's supposed to on the Randle TD, or if Millner doesn't inexplicably stop running down the sideline on 3rd and 13, you aren't saying that.

I think, on a couple of plays, the players let their heads get in the way - that is, they thought too much instead of just reacting.

I'm extremely disappointed too, but I'm glad CNS is the HC at The Capstone.

 

[ROLLTRIBE]

I'm not sure if you keep up with recruiting or not but at worst bama has the same talent. Saban has loaded this team since 2007. The talent is here. Our staff definitely got out coached today...

I'm not sure. Les was willing to take some high stakes risks that Saban would not....the fake punt, the flea-flicker reverse, Lee throwing third down and forever..... I think a team only does those things if they feel that they cannot beat you otherwise. It paid off for the hat. Saban wanted to beat him with straight up runs and passes. However, this time it just didn't work. I'll take our coaching any day and put faith that they learn from the trickeration.

 

[CapstoneTider]

Maybe we have to many NFL juniors this year, and no senior leadership.

Seems like the fourth year is a difficult year for many coaches.

 

[dave12]

I dunno about being out-coached...

But one play where I'd concede the point is the fake kick. Given Miles' reputation and past fake kicks, I'm surprised we weren't playing for the fake. That shouldn't have slipped past us IMO.

Yeah, i knew they were gonna fake it. I think everybody knew but the coaching staff. That blew my mind.

We're not where we were last year, we're not as good as we were last year, and the coaches are not coaching like they did last year.

I think everyone knew this was gonna be a little down year. Next year should be better, and more experienced.

I'm down but not out. I still bleed Crimson.





RTR:BigA:

 

[Redwood Forrest]

I dunno about being out-coached...

But one play where I'd concede the point is the fake kick. Given Miles' reputation and past fake kicks, I'm surprised we weren't playing for the fake. That shouldn't have slipped past us IMO.

Indeed. That fake kick is the only real complaint I have about the game. I was sitting there thinking "chances are Les is going to fake this, but I know our coaches will be ready for it." WRONG. If I was pretty certain, why were the coaches asleep?

I am of course disappointed with the loss, but not upset by it. LSU was one of the two games I dreaded all year. They have enough talent to match up with us. South Carolina, OTOH, did not. That loss was upsetting to me.

The fumble along our 25 yard line was the game changer, I think. Hey, it happens.

Anyway, Roll Tide. We can still win four more games.

 

[TiderinMiss]

I still love this team and still think we have the best coaching staff in the country.

However, we are still too predictable on offense, and we need better pass rushing on defense. The latter will be solved when our newer talent matures.

 

[mikes12]

This is what happens when you are Alabama. You get every opponents best effort. I've watched LSU play several other games this year. I knew, if they played us like they played those other games, we would win. But they didn't. They gave up no turnovers, caught their passes, and made their plays. We overcame a lot today, but couldn't overcome everything.

 

[BamaRevT]

Tough loss. Hopefully we will learn from our mistakes and get better.

 

[BamaFossil]

...I am of course disappointed with the loss, but not upset by it. LSU was one of the two games I dreaded all year. They have enough talent to match up with us. South Carolina, OTOH, did not. That loss was upsetting to me.
....

This sums up my thoughts. No disgrace to lose to LSU; they're a good team. Yes, Auburn took 'em to the woodshed, but Auburn with Cam is something special this year. I likewise was disappointed by the USCe game.

Playing 6 SEC teams with byes before they play us is a tough row to hoe. Somewhere out there I'm sure Tennessee Roy is chuckling that even after being gone for years, his legacy is still haunting us.

We lost a LOT on defense. I expect us to be a better team next year. In the meanwhile, I'm going to continue to enjoy every game. Some more than others though...

 

[legba]

We got our arses beat on the LOS on both sides of the ball, simple as that.

This sums up the loss.

D-line and O-line got whipped

 

[BrotherOfBear]

Les does make enough happen to have his teams in the big games. Obviously clock management is not his strength nor is an explosive offense but his team does know how to grind out a game. I do agree 2-3 HUGE plays swung this in the favor of LSU. IF Randle had not gotten wide open for a 75-yard TD reception, IF McElroy hadn't fumbled, IF the LSU receiver didn't come wide open on 3rd and long at the end of the game, Bama might just have won.

I would take Saban's game plan today over Les's game plan today any day. Our guys have to execute.

 

[bayoutider]

Wrong and wrong. And embarrasing.

Right and right.

It doesn't mean Miles>Saban. He just was today.
It doesn't mean LSU has better players. They just played better (harder) today.

Good game, guys.

Agree, agree and thanks.

Fake punt and mistakes took the game away from us.

 

[CrimsonSon]

I still love this team and still think we have the best coaching staff in the country.

However, we are still too predictable on offense, and we need better pass rushing on defense. The latter will be solved when our newer talent matures.

edited because it wasn't inspiring enough.

 

[Alabama Slammer]

Sad.




Very sad.

 

[BAMARICH]

Les does make enough happen to have his teams in the big games. Obviously clock management is not his strength nor is an explosive offense but his team does know how to grind out a game. I do agree 2-3 HUGE plays swung this in the favor of LSU. IF Randle had not gotten wide open for a 75-yard TD reception, IF McElroy hadn't fumbled, IF the LSU receiver didn't come wide open on 3rd and long at the end of the game, Bama might just have won.

I would take Saban's game plan today over Les's game plan today any day. Our guys have to execute.

I disagree totally... three points bear it out. First, as has been mentioned, the Tigers pulled out all the stops today - they knew it would be close and in close games, calls like the fake punt and 4th down play shows they worked on those kind of things. We, on the other hand, did NOTHING different.

Second, CLS went for broke last in the first half. The fact he would pass from his own end of the field when he could easily get out of the half instilled the confidence in Jefferson and helped propel his 2nd half performance. Even in the 4th quarter while down, coaches wouldn't call plays for downfield passes - our scoring drive was methodical at best and limited us later. Worst thing??? We had momentum with this aspect of the game after UT.

Third, CLM realized JJ was gaining confidence and stayed with him. Us, on the other hand, we won't stay with a hot hand. Ingram was in the zone today... and ran wild outside to the left. Yet, we go away from it and him... probably in the name of balance and trying Richardson play. I believe had we stayed with the outside running game with Ingram, we win this game.

Simply put today... we were outcoached. Not saying the players didn't have a lot to do with it also... but we didn't put guys in the same place Miles and the LSU coaches did with theirs today. And we got beat in part because of it.