News Article: Great article that shows where CKD's mind is (OL, DBs and DL).

[tideindc]

I think there are coaches who would have at least had the team better prepared for certain games.

The biggest concern I have with DeBoer is how we can look like world beaters one week and then look like we haven't practiced in a month the following week.

That's about coaching and managing motivation and focus, and that has apparently been sorely lacking at times over the last couple years. And that largely falls on the head coach and his staff at the college level.

Rather than just doing thumbs up…gotta say I wholeheartedly agree! Shockingly unprepared ag teams with less talent. Has nothing to do with Caleb.

That said….Im not ready to see him gone…hoping he turns it around this year.

 

[arthurdawg]

Or if Ty would have gotten a years worth of experience and was a seasoned veteran QB this season as opposed to breaking him in...

Ah the possibilities...

Dad and I were just about screaming at the TV to put Simpson in for the second half of the bowl game.

Milroe gift wrapped that one and just look horrible.

Simpson could have used the work in any case!

 

[JDCrimson]

Simpson could not survive one season behind the OL. He more than likely could not survive 2 seasons behind that OL.

Im just going to assume the way it played out was the best way for it to play out.

 

[Con]

Simpson could not survive one season behind the OL. He more than likely could not survive 2 seasons behind that OL.

Im just going to assume the way it played out was the best way for it to play out.

This is a strong point.

 

[bamamc1]

Simpson could not survive one season behind the OL. He more than likely could not survive 2 seasons behind that OL.

Im just going to assume the way it played out was the best way for it to play out.

What's even more unbelievable, there were two first round draft choices on the offensive line.

 

[dtgreg]

What's even more unbelievable, there were two first round draft choices on the offensive line.

Our left tackle was by far the best we could get, on talent. When he was good, everyone could see it. He has a weight problem and may be a good guy but I believe he's a head case. What I mean is, I think CKD put in Offensive runs and catches for him just to keep his head in the game, to keep him "engaged". To give him incentive to keep his weight. I believe he's extremely immature and will have a tough row in the Pros. Hope the light comes on but I fear it's too late.

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

What's even more unbelievable, there were two first round draft choices on the offensive line.

They're getting better coaching now, no doubt!

 

[Bama Lee]

Sorry folks. I must be missing something in this interview. Yes he acknowledges the OL and running game were bad last year. Does that mean he knows how to fix it? I wanted him hired , but have not been overly impressed with how well coached we’ve been under CKD.
Talk of championships is great…,I’d like to see something beyond a few quotes before I’m confident he can even get us close to that.

Many of the players that showed that 'softness' over the last two years were Saban recruits. The last 2-3 years Saban seemed to lose his touch a little when it came to talent evaluation and recruiting (especially OL). We have a new OL coach and a whole slue of new OL players. The RB's (minus Najee Harris) have also been suspect. I want to see how all of this comes to together this year. I think it was the players and CKD just needed a little time (plus coaching changes) to adjust to SEC play. We shall see

 

[tideindc]

Many of the players that showed that 'softness' over the last two years were Saban recruits. The last 2-3 years Saban seemed to lose his touch a little when it came to talent evaluation and recruiting (especially OL). We have a new OL coach and a whole slue of new OL players. The RB's (minus Najee Harris) have also been suspect. I want to see how all of this comes to together this year. I think it was the players and CKD just needed a little time (plus coaching changes) to adjust to SEC play. We shall see

I agree with much of what you’re saying about the drop in talent near CNS retirement .However, it still can’t be denied we came out horribly ag Fla State and a weak Oklahoma team ( and a couple others) that were much less talented than us.

 

[AlexanderFan]

I agree with much of what you’re saying about the drop in talent near CNS retirement .However, it still can’t be denied we came out horribly ag Fla State and a weak Oklahoma team ( and a couple others) that were much less talented than us.

I’m hoping he’s got a solid group of upperclassmen to keep that from happening again.

It doesn’t have to be Saban’s way, but the same standard must be set. There’s more than one way to demand accountability, breed competitiveness , and develop tenacity.

 

[arthurdawg]

Our left tackle was by far the best we could get, on talent. When he was good, everyone could see it. He has a weight problem and may be a good guy but I believe he's a head case. What I mean is, I think CKD put in Offensive runs and catches for him just to keep his head in the game, to keep him "engaged". To give him incentive to keep his weight. I believe he's extremely immature and will have a tough row in the Pros. Hope the light comes on but I fear it's too late.

I would have to wonder if he will end up being a guard in the NFL. When you struggle horribly against SEC speed on the outside, that does not bode well for the NFL.

Our OL is just a head scratcher... We had some pedestrian guys at a few slots, but even Geno was a reasonably sized and talented guy playing all over the line for us. We definitely played under our talent level and appeared very uncoordinated.

 

[Cruloc]

DeBoer....the big question is still going to be.....will the team at least look prepared for all their ball games instead of laying an egg 3 times per year and looking completely lost on the field and on the sidelines.

 

[JDCrimson]

I think the team was always prepared but I think in the NIL era there are other influences affecting the play of the players. There is no doubt that players are taking plays off more. Even Bray Hubbard wasn't immune to poor effort.

The hardest thing to do coach in a player is effort.

 

[Cruloc]

I think the team was always prepared but I think in the NIL era there are other influences affecting the play of the players. There is no doubt that players are taking plays off more. Even Bray Hubbard wasn't immune to poor effort.

The hardest thing to do coach in a player is effort.

I remember his play with his lack of effort. Its rampant across sports especially in this NIL era.

Which is one reason my interest has waned in the last few years. I never made it to the higher levels, but I played baseball in high school and at the very beginning of my college time. I could never imagine not giving full effort every time I was on the field. There were bad consequences if you did not, with the least bad consequence getting yanked or having to run sprints until you puked.

No the real consequences would have been your teammates hating you.....the other team focusing on you because they saw you sucked.....or getting injured because you were going at half effort while the other guy was going full.

I just can't comprehend lack of effort at any moment on a field of play in any sport. It ruins it for me. Sure, you may get beat at 100% effort, but you'd better be at 100% when you get beat....I can live with that.

Slide tackling attempts after a pick or making a half hearted tackle have no place on a football field. But NIL brings this stuff in now. At least in the NFL they've got performance measures written in their contracts. They've got incentives to hit numbers, which is at least something.

But in college, there are just handfuls of money being given with no expectation of performance. Nothing written down that states if you reach this goal you get more or if you don't reach this goal you get less. Its all just money being thrown at children....a lot of which have no idea how to self regulate themselves.

Meh, rant over.

 

[CoolBreeze]

I agree with much of what you’re saying about the drop in talent near CNS retirement .However, it still can’t be denied we came out horribly ag Fla State and a weak Oklahoma team ( and a couple others) that were much less talented than us.

Yep, no excuse for the freeshoes loss being the first game of the year and all. They wanted it more and it showed. I am not forgiving the OK loss but that is also a case of the other team, at home, looking to make a statement against us. I chalk it up to CKD learning curve - getting the message that you just can't take a game off mentally in the SEC. Nick himself said that a team can really only get up for a limited number of games through the year so the idea was consistency in practice, game prep and mental attitude that everyone is out to knock you off. Need to get that mental edge back for sure and hopefully we are addressing that.

 

[BamaMoon]

I read a post on another site this morning. It was from a noted Bama insider who has firsthand knowledge from a former offensive lineman who played at a very high level who reported about the new OL coach and his ways and vision he's bringing to the offensive line.

Specifically, there was a story about some pretty intense "good on good" battles during the spring between the OL and DL.

This encourages me that we might see more toughness from the OL!

 

[Bama Lee]

I read a post on another site this morning. It was from a noted Bama insider who has firsthand knowledge from a former offensive lineman who played at a very high level who reported about the new OL coach and his ways and vision he's bringing to the offensive line.

Specifically, there was a story about some pretty intense "good on good" battles during the spring between the OL and DL.

This encourages me that we might see more toughness from the OL!

We are all hoping and praying for this!!!

 

[BamaMoon]

Kirby has recently commented on Bama's 2012-15 teams and their depth. He said they would "beat the dog out of teams right now."

The amount of discipline those teams had under CNS/CKM and the fact they had those guys 100% dialed in with discipline can't be overstated compared to post NIL/Transfer era.

There's simply no way a team full of kids making 100's of thousands of dollars will work and sacrifice the way those guys did 10-15 years ago. They had one goal: get to the NFL. Kid's today still want that, but they aren't climbing uphill to get there anymore. They are coasting downhill!!! And if they don't make it, if they've been smart with the college money, they are already way ahead in life!!!

It really makes Indiana's improbable season make a little more sense. Without employing the term, he sold them on the Rodney Dangerfield line of "I get no respect." Until last year, they had lost more college football games than any team in history!!! He convinced them that nobody respects them because they were Indiana. And without saying it, he convinced them they were riding the ROY bus. And they rode it all the way to the NC.

Y'all do remember who the ROY bus was named for???

 

[Bama Lee]

I agree with much of what you’re saying about the drop in talent near CNS retirement .However, it still can’t be denied we came out horribly ag Fla State and a weak Oklahoma team ( and a couple others) that were much less talented than us.

That Florida State game was indeed an embarrassment. I think both the coaches and players read too much of their own press clippings. I will give DeBoer kudos for how he handled the aftermath. He got that team focused and turned it around. Lesser coaches would have folded with the ire and angst that flooded the Alabama fan nation following that stinker. The losses to Oklahoma and Georgia and to a lesser extent Indiana can be attributed greatly to the injury bug and the head cases on our OL who seemed to disappear at times. DeBoer recognized part of this with the wholesale change with OL personnel and a new OL coach. The next change may need to come with our strength and conditioning group. If players aren't worked out, given proper nutrition and conditioned well, then injuries will be everywhere (like last year)

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I read a post on another site this morning. It was from a noted Bama insider who has firsthand knowledge from a former offensive lineman who played at a very high level who reported about the new OL coach and his ways and vision he's bringing to the offensive line.

Specifically, there was a story about some pretty intense "good on good" battles during the spring between the OL and DL.

This encourages me that we might see more toughness from the OL!

This week I've read quotes from CKD stating physicality is what it takes to have a championship team and that's what they've been missing and were going to bring back into the program. If he truly said that, then it means "he gets it". He saw what we've seen the first two years of his tenure and that's an Alabama program that's gotten pushed around (physically) on the field.