I kinda of mentioned this on another thread, but most can agree that Bama is not the same team when it comes to dictating the LoS as was in years past. Saban is not the same coach as in years past. He is still the GOAT, still able to win championships, and still the best in the game. However, he has mellowed. That is fine as long as your surround yourself with some dudes that are anything but mellow. I do not think he is complacent, by any means. However, when you really think about the point that we were no longer Big Bad Bama, it seems to hinge on lack of physicality and inability to make their fannies quit in the second half. I trace this back to when Cochran left. The further we get from that point, the more glaringly obvious it becomes. I think Saban has more championships to win, but when is the last time you saw a "We want Bama sign" and heard commentators say, "Be careful what you wish for."
I disagree emphatically with Saban on one point, emotion is very important. Getting "right" is very important. It is part of winning culture. I remember listening to the locker room "talk" before the 2009 contest with Texas. It wasn't just Rolando setting the tone, either. CNS was yelling, "If it is important to you, you can't set still, you have to move." I guess we will see if this edition of Alabama, coaches and players, heed that directive. Emotion was important then. It is something that seems to be missing now. This is not a shot at the current S&C coaches. But somebody has to set the tone. Football is not a white collar sport. There has to be a neanderthal somewhere on the sidelines.
We had success with the cute modern offenses at the expense of sacrificing imposing our will physically. We won, so it worked. That is fine if you have Jalen/Tua/Mac/Bryce in your locker room year after year. We do not. The blueprint for the Dynasty has been copied and is currently being used to try to 3 peat. There is a lot of mention of Coach Bryant adapting to maintain success. Saban has already done that once, let's see if he can do it again, because something has to change. I hope with every fiber of my being that he does. I think he will because what other choice do I have. I want to see him retire with a couple of more NCs and talking heads thinking back on when everyone said the game had passed him by. We will see, I guess.
