Game Thread: CFP NCG: LSU vs Clemson (7pm CST | ESPN)

[CoachJeff]

I don't think anyone who's been around or played sports would argue that the amount of injuries we had this season, which forced inexperienced players into action, severely reduced our chances of winning a NC. If you think we should have won the NC with what we endured in the way of injuries and the number of inexperienced players forced into key roles (like calling the defensive plays). You may want to either put the Coach in your handle in quotes or just remove it altogether.

I'll keep my handle as it is.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Here's the thing. And I'm loath to point out ifs and buts as much as anyone. But we lost to LSU by 5 because we totally wet the bed in the 2nd quarter of that game. And Tua was clearly playing at about 75% at best. Then we are without him when we go to Auburn. And despite that, and despite us completely blasting both our feet off with mistakes, we lose by 3. I mean, in essence, both games were lost by self-inflicted wounds DESPITE the injuries. We would have won both games, without any roster changes, if we just don't throw up all over ourselves.

So no, don't tell me there was a motivation issue with this year's team. Lack of motivation had nothing to do with goofy mistakes. Now maybe we need to prepare better. And without a doubt staying healthy (which is completely out of our control) will help. But none of that has anything to do with being properly motivated.

I don't think it was a motivation issue either. It's hard as hell to win a NC when things go your way. It's dang near impossible when you have things not go your way. Hence, the 2019 Alabama season.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Yet they drop us to #13 after our two losses. After it all plays out you really get to see how credible the rankings were at the end of the season. Oklahoma had no business in the playoffs and we had no business being at #13.

AP has us at 8th, with OK still ahead of us...

 

[Power Eye]

Look - I've just at best hit around that fact and for the obvious reason: point out he's not the next Johnny Unitas and the first thing out of anyone's mouth is, "Oh, it's just sour grapes because he dismantled Alabama" (which isn't true, but he did beat us).

But once again - last night should serve as a warning to the NFL about these guys with dazzling stats obtained by playing teams that can't recruit defensive players worth a damn.

I love hearing how Lawrence is a generational quarterback. That term gets thrown around so flippantly now. The fact is that Deshaun Watson was and is a better quarterback. When I look at Lawrence, I see Matthew Stafford in terms of arm strength (elite) and accuracy (average). That isn't meant to be an insult to Lawrence; I'd imagine that he wouldn't mind having a career comparable to Stafford's.

 

[USCBAMA]

Not one to dwell on announcer bias (in grand scope of things it a pretty trivial thing), but I don't recall a bigger love affair between an announcer and a team in full display than what I saw & heard last night between Herbie and Clemson. It got to be odd. I get his son plays there & I don't mind some bias relating to that, but he was openly cheerleading for them much of the game. Not a good look - he's better than that in my opinion.

Also, is the Herbstreit-Lawrence affair officially the biggest sports man-crush of the season? Dude, we get it, you think he walks on water and his poop don't stink, but give it a rest already.

 

[TideEngineer08]

Not one to dwell on announcer bias (in grand scope of things it a pretty trivial thing), but I don't recall a bigger love affair between an announcer and a team in full display than what I saw & heard last night between Herbie and Clemson. It got to be odd. I get his son plays there & I don't mind some bias relating to that, but he was openly cheerleading for them much of the game. Not a good look - he's better than that in my opinion.

Also, is the Herbstreit-Lawrence affair officially the biggest sports man-crush of the season? Dude, we get it, you think he walks on water and his poop don't stink, but give it a rest already.

I'm just surprised a supposed expert would be so overwhelmed with Lawrence in comparison to other guys out there.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Not one to dwell on announcer bias (in grand scope of things it a pretty trivial thing), but I don't recall a bigger love affair between an announcer and a team in full display than what I saw & heard last night between Herbie and Clemson. It got to be odd. I get his son plays there & I don't mind some bias relating to that, but he was openly cheerleading for them much of the game. Not a good look - he's better than that in my opinion.

Also, is the Herbstreit-Lawrence affair officially the biggest sports man-crush of the season? Dude, we get it, you think he walks on water and his poop don't stink, but give it a rest already.

Honestly, with Herbie having immediate family playing in the game they should have pulled him from the booth. It is impossible to be truly objective when you have children participating in the game. The quality of commentating took a severe hit last night with Fowler and Herbie.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Not one to dwell on announcer bias (in grand scope of things it a pretty trivial thing), but I don't recall a bigger love affair between an announcer and a team in full display than what I saw & heard last night between Herbie and Clemson. It got to be odd. I get his son plays there & I don't mind some bias relating to that, but he was openly cheerleading for them much of the game. Not a good look - he's better than that in my opinion.

Also, is the Herbstreit-Lawrence affair officially the biggest sports man-crush of the season? Dude, we get it, you think he walks on water and his poop don't stink, but give it a rest already.

You must not have watched the Florida-Oklahoma BCS title game then........because Thom Brennaman (an absolutely great baseball announcer) sounded like Tim Tebow was Mahatma Gandhi, the First Coming of Jesus, and the Second Coming of Jesus and the Dalai Lama all rolled into one.

 

[92tide]

You must not have watched the Florida-Oklahoma BCS title game then........because Thom Brennaman (an absolutely great baseball announcer) sounded like Tim Tebow was nybf.

fify

 

[RammerJammer15]

Honestly, with Herbie having immediate family playing in the game they should have pulled him from the booth. It is impossible to be truly objective when you have children participating in the game. The quality of commentating took a severe hit last night with Fowler and Herbie.

It was honestly Herbie's worst three hours, it felt like I was listening to Chris Fowler and a Clemson fan. He mentioned Venables all night long, I don't even think he mentioned Dave Aranda.

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

The line that got me was when Herbie said something along the lines of "Can Dabo be having any more fun down there" or something. It wasn't even what he said really but the tone in which he said it.

I normally defend Herbie but he was weird last night

 

[denver]

his post-game comment about the enduring image he would take away from the night was Dabo having a personal face to face with Lawrence at the end of the game was the weird moment for me.

 

[mlh]

It's not that common for the Heisman winner to play well in the game after winning the award. More often than not, they struggle or even have a bad game. In the beginning, it looked like Burrow was going to have an off night, as well. But he turned it around in a big way. 5 TDs passing and 1 TD rushing.

 

[Krymsonman]

Here's the thing. And I'm loath to point out ifs and buts as much as anyone. But we lost to LSU by 5 because we totally wet the bed in the 2nd quarter of that game. And Tua was clearly playing at about 75% at best. Then we are without him when we go to Auburn. And despite that, and despite us completely blasting both our feet off with mistakes, we lose by 3. I mean, in essence, both games were lost by self-inflicted wounds DESPITE the injuries. We would have won both games, without any roster changes, if we just don't throw up all over ourselves.

So no, don't tell me there was a motivation issue with this year's team. Lack of motivation had nothing to do with goofy mistakes. Now maybe we need to prepare better. And without a doubt staying healthy (which is completely out of our control) will help. But none of that has anything to do with being properly motivated.

Very well stated!!

 

[teamplayer]

In the end, Venables just looked like a slightly updated version of Joe Lee Dunn and he suffered the fate Joe did when he ran into a cagey OC...

Really, though, what else is a DC supposed to do? Let Burrow sit back and get comfortable in the pocket and he picks you apart. Blitzing like crazy and making some plays gave them a chance. Burrow is just a tough son-of-a-gun who made some great throws. I also wonder about dropping seven into zone coverage on occasion so the DBs can watch the QB and try to jump routes. I think you have to mix it up and hope your guys make more plays than theirs because the rules are definitely in favor of the offense.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Really, though, what else is a DC supposed to do? Let Burrow sit back and get comfortable in the pocket and he picks you apart. Blitzing like crazy and making some plays gave them a chance. Burrow is just a tough son-of-a-gun who made some great throws. I also wonder about dropping seven into zone coverage on occasion so the DBs can watch the QB and try to jump routes. I think you have to mix it up and hope your guys make more plays than theirs because the rules are definitely in favor of the offense.

Yep. When you're physically inferior to the other teams offense in as many areas as Clemson's defense was, you have to take chances. Clemson's BEST corner couldn't match up with LSU's Chase. He was getting torched. That's not to mentioned the other lessor CB's and safeties had to cover LSU's other two elite WR's and their elite TE in Moss. Clemson didn't have many options on defense.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Here's the thing. And I'm loath to point out ifs and buts as much as anyone. But we lost to LSU by 5 because we totally wet the bed in the 2nd quarter of that game. And Tua was clearly playing at about 75% at best. Then we are without him when we go to Auburn. And despite that, and despite us completely blasting both our feet off with mistakes, we lose by 3. I mean, in essence, both games were lost by self-inflicted wounds DESPITE the injuries. We would have won both games, without any roster changes, if we just don't throw up all over ourselves.

So no, don't tell me there was a motivation issue with this year's team. Lack of motivation had nothing to do with goofy mistakes. Now maybe we need to prepare better. And without a doubt staying healthy (which is completely out of our control) will help. But none of that has anything to do with being properly motivated.

As my Eugene, Oregon buddy tells me about every day when we talk on the phone - "You had mostly freshmen on a defense wracked by injuries, had a very badly injured best QB in school history.......and were still one single play from making the playoff. Any school that wouldn't want that situation must be named either Clemson or LSU."

 

[92tide]

his post-game comment about the enduring image he would take away from the night was Dabo having a personal face to face with Lawrence at the end of the game was the weird moment for me.

dabo also had a personal face to face with rage boy #47 after his cheap shot that got him ejected. i watched the entire thing with the sound off so im not sure if he was puppy loving on dabo for that one too or not.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

As my Eugene, Oregon buddy tells me about every day when we talk on the phone - "You had mostly freshmen on a defense wracked by injuries, had a very badly injured best QB in school history.......and were still one single play from making the playoff. Any school that wouldn't want that situation must be named either Clemson or LSU."

If Burrow would have gone down in game 6 with a season ending injury. LSU isn't in the playoffs. If LSU had season ending injuries to as many starters as we did AND Burrow goes down. They're playing in Shreveport's Independence Bowl.

 

[Con]

In the end, Venables just looked like a slightly updated version of Joe Lee Dunn and he suffered the fate Joe did when he ran into a cagey OC...

I like this comparison.