Alabama vs. Kentucky

[ElephanTideis]

The one thing I have noticed about the team is they appear to be getting better and better every week. The young guys are making fewer and fewer mistakes. we have also appear to be getting a lot of backups in which gives a lot more depth which will be needed as we go thru the year.I don't think we will have a large dropoff from this game. Coach saban will not let it happen.

I didn't think Saban would let us lose focus in the second half last night...

 

[NYBamaFan]

I didn't think Saban would let us lose focus in the second half last night...

Pretty hard to put that on CNS. Remember, we really only gave up 10 points to their offense. 7 was to a KO return that would never have happened had it not been for a block in the back (that went uncalled). After that, the team pulled itself back together nicely and put the game out of reach. The rest came when we were rotating players in and out...

 

[68wRTR]

We are EXTREMELY set up for a letdown loss in the next three weeks. Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee. Any one of them could beat us. I said that if we win against Georgia we could win ten games this year. Like a lot us us, I now think we could win twelve...but I really doubt that will happen. Some very good teams have stumbled! Georgia, Southern Cal, Florida! At the beginning of this year, I would have said (as did every pundit) that all three of those teams were better than we are.

So, here we are, unquestionably in the top three in the nation, and facing Kentucky, who can beat us if we don't play our A game.

It just doesn't ever let up in the SEC! So our guys can't let up either. It is a great comfort to know that we have a coach who HATES letting up so bad! CNS is the real deal. Where we are as a team is entirely his doing.

I am so damn excited! :biggrin:

1 week at a time like CNS says. we gotta go out there and man handle them, just like weve done for 4 outta our 5 opponents this year. good post, RTR!:BigA:

 

[ElephanTideis]

Pretty hard to put that on CNS. Remember, we really only gave up 10 points to their offense. 7 was to a KO return that would never have happened had it not been for a block in the back (that went uncalled). After that, the team pulled itself back together nicely and put the game out of reach. The rest came when we were rotating players in and out...

I was being sarcastic. I am not at all putting what happened in the second half on CNS.

 

[Bama1970]

There is no question that the target is now on our backs and each team will look at our game as a chance to make a statement like we made last night at Georgia.

UK will be tough but honestly its Ole Miss that worries me. That is one nasty team in the trenches, especially defensively. That will be a flat out war in the trenches. Overall they scare me more than Auburn and I think they will be in the race for an SEC West championship.

Same here.

 

[Bama1993]

I just did some quick research on UK and was prepared to post an intelligent, well thought post on why the kittens will be a tough game. This from the SEC stats: They're #1 in scoring D, 2nd in Total D, 2nd in 3rd down D, 1st in sacks allowed, and so on...

Then I looked at their 4 opponents and looked them up on CBSSportsline 120: Louisville #68, Norfolk something...not Div. FBS, MTSU #105, WKU #106. Looks like we will be playing aganist ourselves again this week. With CNS, I no longer worry about Bama beating themselves.

I'll save my apprehension for Ole Miss.

 

[BEATtutorsee]

As long as we avoid the "letdown" we should win IMO, and comfortably at that. I don't like UK's chances at stopping our run game our running against our defense, and I don't think they have a QB capable of single handedly beating us.

 

[LCN]

They're not a bad team but , I still don't see us being that "up" for 'em .
31-17 ....... :BigA:

 

[TDBama78]

if ky and vandy can avoid injurys they can be hard to handle. Brooks is a good coach and they'll have a good plan. we had better be ready cause on paper they're as good as we are.

 

[UA_Fan87]

We are EXTREMELY set up for a letdown loss in the next three weeks. Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee. Any one of them could beat us. I said that if we win against Georgia we could win ten games this year. Like a lot us us, I now think we could win twelve...but I really doubt that will happen. Some very good teams have stumbled! Georgia, Southern Cal, Florida! At the beginning of this year, I would have said (as did every pundit) that all three of those teams were better than we are.

So, here we are, unquestionably in the top three in the nation, and facing Kentucky, who can beat us if we don't play our A game.

It just doesn't ever let up in the SEC! So our guys can't let up either. It is a great comfort to know that we have a coach who HATES letting up so bad! CNS is the real deal. Where we are as a team is entirely his doing.

I am so damn excited! :biggrin:

Well, as much as I agree with you that we need to stay focused on one game at a time, which is what Saban is doing, I think the hardest game out of those three will honestly be Ole Miss.

Tennessee just can't pass the ball or do anything productive on offense, they look really bad to me, worst I've seen them in a long time.
Given it is a rival game, and they will play us hard, I still think we'll beat them.

I say watch out for Ole Miss, I have a feeling they're going to get better and better as the years go by. Houston Nutt will bring that program up to normal power house SEC standards, I really do believe he will.

Back on topic, Kentucky is not a bad team, and we should never overlook ANY SEC team, regardless of who they are. Our offense and defense will have to show up for this game, and they can't give up in the second half like they did against Georgia again, if they keep doing that eventually someone will come back on us and beat us.

 

[Brian McCat]

I think that Saban's main job this week is getting his boys off cloud nine and focusing on Kentucky. If he can accomplish that feat, you guys should win.

One of the things that has impressed me about you guys is the fast start that demoralizes the opponent. If UK gets off to a good start and keeps the score close going into the 2nd half, it could be really, really interesting.

It IS true that we haven't played much of anybody yet, but consider that Louisville is a rivalry game, and it's always hard-fought, never a gimme. MTSU beat Maryland, so they're not chopped liver.

If you use the logic of "we should win because UK hasn't played anybody yet," you're fooling yourself. This isn't your father's Kentucky team. It is going to be the first UK team that is bowl eligible 3 years in a row- a feat not repeated since the Bear was stalking the sidelines in Lexington.

They play very good defense, and on the other side of the ball, they have a QB who doesn't make stupid mistakes (see Jonathon Crompton), a full stable of versatile backs, and some playmakers at WR and TE.

 

[chris]

big letdown,unrespected opponent,crazy year,etc; that's why we'll win by 6 td's!:BigA:

 

[Bama Addiction]

Well, as much as I agree with you that we need to stay focused on one game at a time, which is what Saban is doing, I think the hardest game out of those three will honestly be Ole Miss.

Tennessee just can't pass the ball or do anything productive on offense, they look really bad to me, worst I've seen them in a long time.
Given it is a rival game, and they will play us hard, I still think we'll beat them.

I say watch out for Ole Miss, I have a feeling they're going to get better and better as the years go by. Houston Nutt will bring that program up to normal power house SEC standards, I really do believe he will.

Back on topic, Kentucky is not a bad team, and we should never overlook ANY SEC team, regardless of who they are. Our offense and defense will have to show up for this game, and they can't give up in the second half like they did against Georgia again, if they keep doing that eventually someone will come back on us and beat us.

This weeks key to come down to earth. I agree that we must come to play and I think that we will. I watched the UK/Louisville game and UK looked very beatable....also UK was lucky to survive MTSU. UK is good but we should be able to handle the CATS.

Then the much needed week off. Without the week off I would be extremely worried about the Rebels....I am worried about Ole Miss but their win in the Swamp will help focus the Tide......

As for UT....it is a rivalry game...so I do not think anyone will be overlooking the Vols and we seem to be playing extremely well away from Bryant Denny this year.

 

[Tide&True]

When Kentucky beat Florida it really made it clear Bama cannot look past them. As far as Bama goes...we had a huge letdown in the second half of the Georgia game. Those two factors should cause Bama to be ready when the Cats come to town.

 

[GrayTide]

Alabama wins but a whole lot closer than we would like. Uncomfortable to the final whistle.

 

[bayoutider]

UKs best weapon is kickoff returns where they lead the nation. Punt returns they drop to #98.
Bama will have to be more discipline to keep the cats from running one back on them.

They are ranked #4 in total defense and #73 in total offense. Bama should be bigger, stronger and faster but UK had those things against them last season when they upset LSU.
Bama will have to have a solid game not to become a casualty of the upset minded Cats.

 

[TexasTideFan]

As far as Bama goes...we had a huge letdown in the second half of the Georgia game.

I think this may be a key factor in game prep for UK. That second half letdown is what should keep us focused this week. In fact, I was almost glad that we had some adversity to overcome after getting up big so we could have something to keep the guys grounded.

 

[BJ4TIDE]

Is this not a little like the UGA situation? Georgia had one of the top ranked rushing Ds in the nation, but they had not played a running team until us. Look what we did to them. UK hasn't exactly played stellar opponents, and though they look much better than anyone predicted, so do we. We just man handled, dominated and controlled the preseason #1 team in the nation as if they were an unranked team. I don't think a CNS team has a let down to the point of losing to an inferior opponent. Guys/Gals, that was a HUGE part in the one-sided game against UGA. They were undisciplined, we were not. They had what, nine penalties, we had two or three? I think Tulane was our guys one let down and I think CNS got his point across after that game. I say we treat UK like we treated Arky.We run at them HARD, we hit them in the mouth, and we win by at least seventeen. If they sell-out to stop the run, then we play action them into complete confusion, like we did UGA, and we still win by seventeen.

31-14 ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!

 

[bamachile]

We are facing a good team with a very good coach after a huge win over a top-rated team. The past several years have taught us all to be anxious about these kind of games and Pavlov's dogs don't stop drooling when the bell rings in just a couple of days, so please overlook the rumbling in my stomach.

Still, though, I am pretty confident.

Great Big Elephants 45
Little Bitty Cats 24

 

[Ratal]

I live in Louisville. The local NBC affiliate announced that Micah Johnson would not be playing this weekend. He is an excellent LB. That is a big loss for their D. I would post a link but it was live news feed.

On a side note. Their Sports Anchor is the states AP voter. He has Kentucky at #23 and Bama at #2.