Getting Tired Of Hearing The Knocks On Our "Weak" Schedule

RedWave

All-SEC
Sep 26, 2000
1,579
3
0
Arlington, Tx
Yeah, I get it. I have to remember that most fans aren't like me, even though I don't always watch maybe as much as I should.

Remember 2000? Believe me, I'd love to forget. That year I missed the UCLA game because we went to visit my aunt in Missouri (and took a trip to Meramec Caverns), and the South Carolina and UCF games because they weren't televised, and I had church functions. However, I DID listen to the UCF game on the radio (I was in east central MS), and I'll admit it.....I was hoping we'd get beat so DuBose would disappear. I left the truck cheering that Dubious was gonna be history. Yet I was there right through a bunch of it, and I did wind up playing piano at a friend's wedding before the MSU game finished (but we were beaten anyway).

I've lived and died with them since 1978. When my ex and I used to get along, we'd go to Applebee's and plop up there by the TV. We'd get there early in the first quarter or even before it started and stay until halftime - then we'd drive home, and we lived close enough to make it before second half kickoff. Fun times looking back on it.

My first Atlanta Braves game was the year they lost 17 in a row, and Turner took over for one game as manager. I mostly died with them from 1977 until 1991.....and then around 1994, I watched fewer games....because of the stupid wildcard.

There is an assumption that anyone who is an Alabama fan is a front-runner (I'm excluding the alums, of course). But this happens with EVERY team out there except maybe the Cubs. I can get row eight seats for the Rangers against most teams for about $35 now. In 2011, I couldn't get a seat to a single game that year, one of only two I haven't gone to any Ranger games since I moved to Texas.

Oh......that reminds me....in 1994, I deployed to Gitmo for three months. That was the year San Fran interrupted the Dallas dynasty by tearing out to a 21-0 lead about eight minutes into the game against Switzer's coaching. Cowboy fans are amusing, too. I hated them for years because they were the kind that no matter what was going on, they wanted to bring up "been to five Super Bowls" (yeah, but you lost three of them). They suddenly vanished right along with Tom Landry, at least where I was living. Then - like a phoenix rising from Arizona - they suddenly show up again. And every damned one of them when Dallas is winning Super Bowls left and right all said the same thing, "I loved them when they were 1-15, stuck with them the whole way!"


So about the time San Fran went up 21-0, we had about 3 Cowboys fans get up and leave the huge group of soldiers that were watching the game. I couldn't let this pass - "Hey, what ever happened to all those games you watched when you 'loved them when they were 1-15'?"


Thing with us, though.....it ain't gonna be all that much easier to get season tickets after CNS is gone.
Since I now live in this area and not far at all from either stadium, you will have to let me know where you are getting the cheaper tickets to the games. I took my son to one a few weeks back and it was not cheap. Of course, it might have hurt that they were playing the Astros.
 

Redwood Forrest

Hall of Fame
Sep 19, 2003
11,042
907
237
76
Boaz, AL USA
What Brando wanted was LSU in the playoff. Barring that, he would have gladly accepted any playoff pool that did not include Alabama. He doesn't support the "underdog". He is an LSU homer who hates Saban (for obvious reasons).
I am certain that Brando has always favored the underdog. He always hoped Boise or TCU or someone would cause chaos. He may want LSU there but it would be against some underdog.
 

selmaborntidefan

TideFans Legend
Mar 31, 2000
36,432
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Since I now live in this area and not far at all from either stadium, you will have to let me know where you are getting the cheaper tickets to the games. I took my son to one a few weeks back and it was not cheap. Of course, it might have hurt that they were playing the Astros.
Astros
Yankees
Red Sox
Cubs (when they come)

NOT CHEAP!!!

Royals
Twins
Angels

Usually cheap


A couple of things:
1) Cheap games are usually either on Sunday afternoon or Monday or Tuesday night - fewer folks than on the weekend
2) I use Stub Hub, usually - I got $20 discount because I'm a veteran for the Red Sox so I saw Sale from row 20 for $65. For the Red Sox that's DAMN good.
 

selmaborntidefan

TideFans Legend
Mar 31, 2000
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And yet the CFP had the chance to bypass Bama last year and didn't.

I hate admitting I'm wrong as much as anyone but so far, the CFP has done an outstanding job of picking the top four, regardless as to what the pundits, writers, and even fans want to see happen...

They really have. It's been surprising. The only really debatable selection was Ohio St the first year, and they vindicated the choice. Now....had Ohio St lost to us like they did Clemson in 2016, it would have hurt the entire process. It most certainly looked like they picked the big name marquee team. The two biggest and most important selections, though, were Ohio State in 2016 (rendering the whole "you gotta win your conference" nonsense moot), and two SEC teams last year.

Those were not only the right selections, but they also send the message that there are no ironclad 'if/then' rules applying to a team clinching a spot. Not even an unbeaten season is a guarantee (looking right at UCF), but they have shown a willingness with both Iowa and Wisconsin to say, "OK, the ball is in your backfield" and let those teams have their opportunity.
 

BamaInBham

All-American
Feb 14, 2007
4,465
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And yet the CFP had the chance to bypass Bama last year and didn't.

I hate admitting I'm wrong as much as anyone but so far, the CFP has done an outstanding job of picking the top four, regardless as to what the pundits, writers, and even fans want to see happen...
Yes, they have done a great job. There is not one of the 16 selections for which a compelling case cannot be made. There can be a case for a few others as well, such as TCU in 14 and PSU in 16, but IMO, even those would have been inferior choices despite OSU being embarrassed in 16. (IMO, Bama/OSU was not that controversial last year.) Even defending champ and the only undefeated FSU was appropriately seeded 3 because of their poor showings in many games vs a weak schedule.

All of this in the face of unwarranted cynicism about hidden agendas and bias. Though we know there is human bias in almost any choice that a person cares about, they have done a great job of overcoming it. These seem to be honorable people who are trying to do the very best they can. It is encouraging going forward, especially for Alabama. It ensures that they will be treated equitably even in the face of the howling of most fans and some in the media. They appear reasonably immune to the outside, perceptive and logical. IMO, the coaches on the Committee are the backbone. And all knew what they were getting into and that it would also be a thankless job. I wish there was some way the football public would and could express their appreciation. However, like us all, they are not infallible. I hope we at least won't question their motives when they make their first real mistake, though it will be tough for the short-changed program.
 

rgw

Suspended
Sep 15, 2003
20,852
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Tuscaloosa
Our schedules are normally good. This projects to be among the weaker ones we've had recently but those things don't necessarily turn out like you expect. For some people, unless we're playing a top 5 team every week then our schedule is soft. Those people are just hater white noise.
 

UntouchableCrew

All-SEC
Nov 30, 2015
1,530
338
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I don't think anyone who knows what they're talking about thinks Alabama typically has a weak schedule. We almost always schedule a very legit P5 opponent for a neutral site, and two respectable group of 5 teams to go along with an SEC West slate that has typically been excellent.

Is it true that we usually play a cupcake the week before Auburn? Sure, but almost every P5 school has at least one cupcake.

The only criticism that holds any weight as that Coach Saban doesn't like to schedule home and homes, so we rarely play road games OOC. But it's not like we aren't playing legit opponents. We've played Florida State, Wisconsin, USC, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia in the last five years.

Honestly the biggest reason our schedule has gotten "weaker" is that we've been beating the pants of the SEC West to the degree that they're firing their coaches and bringing in guys who are even worse.
 

Tenntiderman

All-American
Dec 1, 2017
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Spring Hill, Tn
I don't think anyone who knows what they're talking about thinks Alabama typically has a weak schedule. We almost always schedule a very legit P5 opponent for a neutral site, and two respectable group of 5 teams to go along with an SEC West slate that has typically been excellent.

Is it true that we usually play a cupcake the week before Auburn? Sure, but almost every P5 school has at least one cupcake.

The only criticism that holds any weight as that Coach Saban doesn't like to schedule home and homes, so we rarely play road games OOC. But it's not like we aren't playing legit opponents. We've played Florida State, Wisconsin, USC, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia in the last five years.

Honestly the biggest reason our schedule has gotten "weaker" is that we've been beating the pants of the SEC West to the degree that they're firing their coaches and bringing in guys who are even worse.
Well....2 years ago when Louisville was someone's opener...everybody thought that was unfortunate for having to face them. I can't believe that in this day and time that people are so ignorant about future scheduling. Last year...before the season..many people thought FSU would beat us, and many predicted FSU would make the final 4. So I pay little attention to people like Kannell or Brando.
 

UntouchableCrew

All-SEC
Nov 30, 2015
1,530
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Well....2 years ago when Louisville was someone's opener...everybody thought that was unfortunate for having to face them. I can't believe that in this day and time that people are so ignorant about future scheduling. Last year...before the season..many people thought FSU would beat us, and many predicted FSU would make the final 4. So I pay little attention to people like Kannell or Brando.
I referenced "people who know what they're talking about" so we can ignore Kannell. ;)
 

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