Transfer Portal 2023-2024...

[CrimsonTheory]

Whatever. The story is just beginning. I am just going to wait it out and see what happens. Bama is Bama and there are plenty of young men who wants to play at Alabama.

 

[BamaInBham]

The work hours and his age to put the hours in no doubt had A LOT to do with his retirement. But there's no way someone will ever convince me that the signs in the decline of the program didnt start showing itself after 2018 (save 2020, the anomaly) because I witnessed it with my own eyes. The NIL and transfer portal were the nails in the coffin for him, IMO. At that point that made his decision definite.

Could not agree more. The loss to Clemson was shocking, not as much the final score but the fact that prior to halftime he looked like he had already given up, though the game was in reach. I had never seen that before. That game did not change him but he had already begun to change. Don't know what it was or precisely when but it had already begun and would continue to manifest itself in many ways. If I were forced to guess, the incredible turnover on his staff was the primary precipitator. It just wore him out and he began to settle and just stumbled into Sarkisian, Flood and a few others.

With that in mind, this new staff looks far far better. If there is anyone left to play next year , they will be far better coached than the last 6 years.

 

[RammerJammer14]

I knew this was happening when i saw the addition of Mack. Told my wife. Sayin left because Saban left, he had the courtesy to let Saban and DeBoer know before announcing it, and the did the only thing that they could do - add another QB.

Don't let it get you down. Ty is a great QB, and Lonergan shows promise. No idea about Mack.

Sayin is now the enemy.

View attachment 40216

He is probably going to your school. Congrats

 

[davefrat]

One real head scratcher is, if these guys are getting out of dodge so fast that they are leaving trails of fire behind them because they were committed to Saban and NOT the Tide, then what will be their story at their next stop? Will they be committed to the schools of USC, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas, etc? Or will they be committed to the coaches of said schools? And if it's the latter, then how "committed" will they be to their next coach if all they ever wanted was to play for Saban?

Could be like when Emmitt Smith went to the Cardinals because "God told me to do it" when in reality it was green that told him to do it.

 

[crimsonaudio]

I'm saddened by Saban's departure,

I'm not.

In fact, in retrospect, I wish he would have stepped down after the 2020 title. Anyone who has watched the way the last few teams played will tell you they were winning largely on talent alone, looking nothing like the dominating teams Saban fielded year in and out for the previous decade. The decline was right in front of us but as most are results-oriented, it wasn't overly-obvious.

I've been somewhat reserved in my criticisms of Saban but you can find posts I've made which were quietly critical of his team prep and coaching choices since 2020 because it was obvious something was wrong, from the process-oriented perspective.

It was a good run, but despite the W/L results, Bama hasn't really looked like Bama for the last few years. It was (likely past) time. I'm thankful for what Saban did but I'm also thankful he didn't hold on longer than he did.

 

[Chukker Veteran]

The motivation to play seemingly has shifted to money. Which is understandable, money motivates everything else.
if you expect a player to turn down more money because of loyalty, that is asking a lot in this “me first” era.

 

[AlexanderFan]

I'm not.

In fact, in retrospect, I wish he would have stepped down after the 2020 title. Anyone who has watched the way the last few teams played will tell you they were winning largely on talent alone, looking nothing like the dominating teams Saban fielded year in and out for the previous decade. The decline was right in front of us but as most are results-oriented, it wasn't overly-obvious.

I've been somewhat reserved in my criticisms of Saban but you can find posts I've made which were quietly critical of his team prep and coaching choices since 2020 because it was obvious something was wrong, from the process-oriented perspective.

It was a good run, but despite the W/L results, Bama hasn't really looked like Bama for the last few years. It was (likely past) time. I'm thankful for what Saban did but I'm also thankful he didn't hold on longer than he did.

Hard to argue with this, and I'm front in line of making excuses for some of the problems along the way.

I've taken heart that CKD has pounded "Family" into Tyler Booker's head, it's all he mentions in his time in front of a microphone. I have no doubt this team will be together and excel as a group, and not just a bunch of individuals playing with the same jersey on.

 

[CB4]

He is probably going to your school. Congrats

Yeah @B1GTide BoB bringing in Sayin so he can teach him to do his job for him (like he did for two years here with Bryce) while he slurps down Diet Coke in the press box and destroys the media buffet at halftime. 😉

 

[KrAzY3]

I've been somewhat reserved in my criticisms of Saban but you can find posts I've made which were quietly critical of his team prep and coaching choices since 2020 because it was obvious something was wrong, from the process-oriented perspective.

I think that's where you and I really started to differ the most in our points of view, but I didn't consider it all that quiet, you seemed obviously disgruntled.

I on the other hands was perfectly content to continue on fumes if needs be, because those fumes still put this team close to titles in 2 of the past 3 years and no other coach in my lifetime has done anything akin to that short of Gene Stallings (and that was his peak).

I very much consider the alternative to be worse.

Edit: I guess it's a matter of optimism or pessimism. One can look at things and go "they can always get worse" and another can go "they can be better".

 

[CrimsonJazz]

I'm not.

In fact, in retrospect, I wish he would have stepped down after the 2020 title. Anyone who has watched the way the last few teams played will tell you they were winning largely on talent alone, looking nothing like the dominating teams Saban fielded year in and out for the previous decade. The decline was right in front of us but as most are results-oriented, it wasn't overly-obvious.

I've been somewhat reserved in my criticisms of Saban but you can find posts I've made which were quietly critical of his team prep and coaching choices since 2020 because it was obvious something was wrong, from the process-oriented perspective.

It was a good run, but despite the W/L results, Bama hasn't really looked like Bama for the last few years. It was (likely past) time. I'm thankful for what Saban did but I'm also thankful he didn't hold on longer than he did.

We are in total agreement. When I say saddened, it's always saddening to see the end of an era, particularly when it feels like we will never witness a run like his ever again. What he accomplished here will become football lore in much the way Coach Bryant is.

I am, however, quite optimistic that this staff will get more out of the character guys who chose to stay. I'd like to see "mercenary football" get killed, but I know it's here permanently, so there's no use in complaining about it. Still, I just feel in my bones that depending on how well the players adapt to the new system, 2024 could be our best team since 2020.

 

[RammerJammer14]

Ryan Williams should be happy regardless of the QB because this offense is about getting WRs the ball!!

Sayin should have been happy because he could have been the QB distributing the ball. But no, he bails. I’m going to stop assuming this offense is a draw whatsoever for any of these kids. All the care about is money and name recognition. They don’t give a damn about anything else. Not even winning.

 

[statgrad96]

I think that's where you and I really started to differ the most in our points of view, but I didn't consider it all that quiet, you seemed obviously disgruntled.

I on the other hands was perfectly content to continue on fumes if needs be, because those fumes still put this team close to titles in 2 of the past 3 years and no other coach in my lifetime has done anything akin to that short of Gene Stallings (and that was his peak).

I very much consider the alternative to be worse.

Edit: I guess it's a matter of optimism or pessimism. One can look at things and go "they can always get worse" and another can go "they can be better".

I suppose, though, that the question is "Is it better to rip off the band-aid now?".

I don't think anyone wanted to see a situation like Paterno or Bowden had their last few years.

 

[CrimsonJazz]

Sayin should have been happy because he could have been the QB distributing the ball. But no, he bails. I’m going to stop assuming this offense is a draw whatsoever for any of these kids. All the care about is money and name recognition. They don’t give a damn about anything else. Not even winning.

True of some, but not true of all. Hopefully CKD knows how to identify character in the recruits he chooses to pursue and prioritizes both talent AND character.

 

[umlb1]

I wonder how some posters here would have reacted to Bear Bryant's boot camp at TAMU if they had been Aggies fans when Bryant first arrived in College Station. He put that bunch through practical torture, many quit, and his first season there TAMU went 1-9. I'm thinking some of the posters here would have jumped off the ledge pretty quickly. Bryant built a team of players who wanted to be there and who committed themselves to excellence, and the next three years at TAMU he had three Top 20 teams--his last two years his teams were Top 10, then he left for Bama. I think Alabama can weather this storm of player attrition quite well, and I recommend giving CKD time, and I also think some posters might need to give themselves a break from posting instead of knee-jerk reactions. Just my .02.

 

[TideEngineer08]

I think that's where you and I really started to differ the most in our points of view, but I didn't consider it all that quiet, you seemed obviously disgruntled.

I on the other hands was perfectly content to continue on fumes if needs be, because those fumes still put this team close to titles in 2 of the past 3 years and no other coach in my lifetime has done anything akin to that short of Gene Stallings (and that was his peak).

I very much consider the alternative to be worse.

Edit: I guess it's a matter of optimism or pessimism. One can look at things and go "they can always get worse" and another can go "they can be better".

In reality we were no closer to a title this year than 2007.

I prefer 12-2 to 7-6 any time so don’t get me wrong. But Alabama was not beating any team in that playoff field this season, and would have lost to Georgia 9 times out of 10. I’m thankful we got them on the one day we had a chance.

 

[tidefan39817]

I don't see the barn or Ole Miss as legitimate landing spots for him. USC, OSU, and UGA are probably most likely. I would put UTw in there but they have Ewers this year and Manning after.

I'm also not that riled up about this. I can't count how many times the #1 all-world, blue-chip, 5* QB has flamed out. There's no guarantee this guy is going to set the college football world on fire.

Blake Barnett, Mustain???

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

I said before he was hired he couldn't recruit, had no ties to the southeast and this was an issue.

You tell me, why does he not even offer Sayin? Huge QB prospect out of California, DeBoer is an offensive guy with the highest paid OC in Grubb, and they don't even offer Sayin? What is that about? Do you know?

Then, he goes and adds Mack which is now being spun as a well Sayin already said he was leaving move. All I see is Sayin wasn't offered by DeBoer and then DeBoer brings in another QB. That's what I know for a fact.

FACT?!?

Yep! CKD just refuses to listen to you...

STOP! JUST.STOP.😖

 

[crimsonaudio]

I think that's where you and I really started to differ the most in our points of view, but I didn't consider it all that quiet, you seemed obviously disgruntled.

I on the other hands was perfectly content to continue on fumes if needs be, because those fumes still put this team close to titles in 2 of the past 3 years and no other coach in my lifetime has done anything akin to that short of Gene Stallings (and that was his peak).

I very much consider the alternative to be worse.

Edit: I guess it's a matter of optimism or pessimism. One can look at things and go "they can always get worse" and another can go "they can be better".

Here's why - it's about Alabama, not Saban.

"Every coach that’s coached at Alabama in the past 100yrs has increased their winning percentage coaching at Alabama. Bryant 20 percent and Saban 20 percent better also., Coach Gene Stallings won 70 games and seven years in Tuscaloosa." (via Paul Combs)

Alabama will be fine.

 

[CrimsonTheory]

Blake Barnett, Mustain???

How about the all-decade prospect Jimmy Clausen? Sayin, I believe will be a good player but it may not happen for a few years.

 

[AlexanderFan]

In reality we were no closer to a title this year than 2007.

I prefer 12-2 to 7-6 any time so don’t get me wrong. But Alabama was not beating any team in that playoff field this season, and would have lost to Georgia 9 times out of 10. I’m thankful we got them on the one day we had a chance.

The reality is the individuals working for themselves were all pulling in the right direction that day.