Jalen Milroe is now the starter going forward.

[HighlandOak]

We are clearly on the back end of an unprecedented run in college football.

It was/is my hope that Saban rides out a year too early rather than a year too late. I think Sark was here to be that guy. I personally think that wouldve been a great transition.

But Saban is the GOAT. He'll go out on his own terms. I just hate to see him riding out with 8-9 win teams that are a fraction of what the teams he had during the run were.

That could be a problem for the program, unless he is brutally honest with himself.

 

[CajunCrimson]

One thing that has caught my attention is that JC Latham didn't move over to LT this year. I know this isn't an absolute but in years past we tend to break in a young offensive tackle at RT, and then move them over to LT after a year or two of playing experience. Considering our struggles at LT, I'm a bit surprised that Latham hasn't moved over.

This is a very unaddressed point.

That was sort of our model for many years. But JC certainly hasn’t looked like a first round draft pick either.

Bottom line, none of this seems like a talent issue. It also doesn’t seem like a knowledge issue. Most of what I see, Seems like a “Want to” issue.

Everything feels hyper passive. And it’s felt that way since the seniors of 20 left.

 

[HighlandOak]

This is a very unaddressed point.

That was sort of our model for many years. But JC certainly hasn’t looked like a first round draft pick either.

Bottom line, none of this seems like a talent issue. It also doesn’t seem like a knowledge issue. Most of what I see, Seems like a “Want to” issue.

Everything feels hyper passive. And it’s felt that way since the seniors of 20 left.

I guess it could also be a coaching issue. Wolford was supposed to get that unit turned around, but we're not in his second season, and it's not gotten any better.

 

[CajunCrimson]

Again, no one knows for sure what is going on. Anyone who suggests that Saban has changed his stripes from holding players accountable to coddling them is a mistaken IMHO. Really surprises me that a man with almost two decades of proven success is now being hammered, yet, no one knows the actual facts of what is happing in the football building. This is the outside noise Coach keeps referring to. Yea, we have a hot mess at the Capstone right now and yea, he is to blame. But man, some of the posts on this board are absolutely hysterical.

I swapped out your word, for “mistaken”

Let’s try to avoid general name-calling to people that disagree with you. All it does is cause drama and it’s unnecessary.

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

OL is partially a recruiting issue. We've had a number of highly rated guys flop.

 

[CoolBreeze]

I swapped out your word, for “mistaken”

Let’s try to avoid general name-calling to people that disagree with you. All it does is cause drama and it’s unnecessary.

Understood. Was not really calling anyone out rather stating a generality but I see your point.

 

[HighlandOak]

OL is partially a recruiting issue. We've had a number of highly rated guys flop.

Makes you wonder who's to blame? Recruiting service or our evluations of said players.

 

[CoolBreeze]

OL is partially a recruiting issue. We've had a number of highly rated guys flop.

Yes, and we had about 15 guys transfer out last year so what was the deal with that? NIL? I know one of our top guys went to Miami.

 

[CrimsonNagus]

Is it basketball season yet?

 

[TexasBama]

Is it basketball season yet?

 

[rtr90]

OL is partially a recruiting issue. We've had a number of highly rated guys flop.

we need changes on Oline for sure. What happened to Seth? He wasnt as bad snapping before

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

we need changes on Oline for sure. What happened to Seth? He wasnt as bad snapping before

He had some of the same issues last year but it definitely seems worse this year. Allegedly he was or maybe is dealing with an injury.

 

[Con]

This is a very unaddressed point.

That was sort of our model for many years. But JC certainly hasn’t looked like a first round draft pick either.

Bottom line, none of this seems like a talent issue. It also doesn’t seem like a knowledge issue. Most of what I see, Seems like a “Want to” issue.

Everything feels hyper passive. And it’s felt that way since the seniors of 20 left.

I think the word "seniors" here is important. They were all older, had experience, and wanted to go out on top.

 

[BigPoppa52]

That could be a problem for the program, unless he is brutally honest with himself.

Think Bobby Bowden.

 

[AlexanderFan]

I didn't remember this - Drake Maye was a Bama commit before he switched to NC

When you have a family member who played basketball they can dip into those funds to keep you home. It’s kind of like the Bryant scholarship, only there’s no rules and a lot more zeros

 

[rtr90]

Never imagined we would come to stage in CNS era where OL is compared to "Sack Brodie" time

 

[bamadws56]

One thing I have not seen addressed here that is very relevant to the conversation is this:

Previous to this year, how much value did Nick Saban place on a quarterback winning their teammates approval/respect/confidence?
- Many times in the past, Coach Saban said things like, "the QB needs to take the bull by the horns," QB needs to win the room (or something to that effect). Which implies he places value on a QB's ability to lead.
That is why when I see posters saying, "he caved to the team," I'm not sure a) thats true or b) that it is out of character for him to place a great deal of weight on which QB inspires confidence in his teammates, and which one they will get behind.

I've been in leadership positions (I'm an Infantry Officer for context) for the past couple of decades. When I evaluate subordinate leaders, part of my evaluation is, whether or not his organization believes in him. Because I know, Soldiers will fight harder for someone they believe in than someone who they don't. So, in my opinion, confidence in your leader may be VERY important to Coach Saban. And the team letting him know they are 100% behind Milroe - might not be as out of character as some posters have alluded when it comes to Coach deciding who is going to be the QB in a tight QB race.

Before someone asks "if that's true, then why change QBs this last week?" Answer: I have no idea! I don't know enough about it to make educated guesses. i would just be slinging crap at the wall. Lol!

 

[colbysullivan]

I don't know what the issues are but have read things on message boards. I know you can't say supposedly happened, but did it only start to happen when Rees/Buchner came, or was this something happening last season but due to Bryce/Will's leadership, maybe we didn't hear. much about it?

I sure hope the players and/or parents are not threatening things or whatever. Is it a team issue or just a few on the team who are "energy vampires"? If it is just a handful, I say kick them off the team regardless of who they are. Coach Saban somehow needs to keep the Bama standard/culture in place. If the players won''t listen to him, I wonder which coach on staff they would listen to? And apparently the players didn't listen to any of the guest speakers over fall camp about life things.

I'm sure NIL and transfer portal have something to do with it, but every team is dealing with that and not every team has internal issues, or do they? Saban is the GOAT and I'm sure he is doing all he can to fix things. Hopefully this won't hurt the program's culture or recruiting. He would never say it in public, but I imagine he is very stressed. I was stressed and sad just reading your post and other posts from various message boards, and I don't even know exactly what happened.

The same Will Anderson leadership that talked about having "anxiety" about the Tennessee game?

 

[Cruloc]

For all the people saying you cant prove it so it isnt true... believe what you choose to believe.

These are facts:
1. Milroe was #1 QB inspite of performance, although Saban wouldnt announce it pre season
2. Milroe was benched for performance
3. Milroe was either suspended or demoted to QB3 due to behavior due to being benched
4. There was a team meeting
5. Now Milroe is now QB1 inspite of performance...

IF you dont think anything REEKS with all the above, and if your not willing to read b/t the lines of all:

1. Former players saying you better listen to Saban
2. Multiple media reports about lack of effort
3. Multiple players speaking out on togtherness.
4. Multiple reports that Milroe "won the team" inspite of performance

Then I cant help you.

This team has major issues, and issues that obviously Saban hasnt been able to fix so far. I personally have heard a good bit, again i knew the Milroe issue and posted it the day before on the board that he wouldnt be the second QB in... I wont say what I've been told happen...

This is Saban saying: You guys want Milroe. Youve got him. Now lets play hard and get after it.

This is something I thought Id NEVER see Saban do. Therefore I've said what I've said. This is the the moment: either this works, or this blows up.. and I'm not talking this year only.. I'm talking the CNS future..... The culture is cracking in a big way, this is an attempt to glue it back together. Thats why there is the fuss from former players.

Unfortunately-- I dont see it working out well. Might win 8-9 games. But this isnt going to be something corrected over night. Even if it can be glued back together, it likely wont stay glued together long.

Of course you'll never see any of this in print. However i'm just calling a spade a spade

Hence my fear that this team is on the cusp of implosion.

 

[graydogg85]

Question:

Do we know the following unequivocally?

1) Following the Texas game Milroe was benched, or informed that the other guys were going to get significant PT against USF.
2) Milroe subsequently pouted, or displayed a bad attitude, or something along those lines and was then suspended for the USF game.
3) During the week of preparation and during the game Saturday, Milroe displayed a better attitude, was a good teammate and encouraged the other QBs, etc..
4) Due to his attitude improvement, he was subsequently reinstated as the starter.

This is the narrative I keep hearing pushed, and I understand those of you who have sources cannot reveal certain things or confirm / deny, etc..

Some of this tracks for me - particularly the suspension piece because given the train wreck that the offense was for a good chunk of the day on Saturday I cannot fathom another reason that Milroe didn't see the field other than injury, which doesn't appear to be the case.

What I do question is was Milroe ever truly "benched"? It is hard to buy the notion of going from QB1 to QB3 and then back to QB1 within an 8-day timetable. Did something else happen that we maybe aren't privy to? I can see CNS wanting to give the other guys a shot, but I cannot believe that there would be a scenario that he would intentionally not play a guy and put the team in jeopardy of losing a game on the road just to prove a point or give other guys a chance. Unless that guy made a grevious mistake and was truly suspended.

I'm not trying to character-slam Milroe; never met the guy and don't know anything about him personally. I just have a hard time seeing CNS bury a guy on the depth chart for one week and then suddenly move him back to starter status. I do believe he wanted to see what Buchner and Simpson could do for extended time in live action - but given the struggles I think he would have played Milroe if he was available. I also have a hard time seeing CNS suspend a player for simply having a bad attitude. Not saying he wouldn't, but that would not be his historical MO. By all accounts we had all kinds of bad attitudes on the 2007 and 2010 teams and I don't recall any of those guys being suspended or even benched for that matter.