Saban is Right - Games are Decided by One or Two Plays

RWTT11

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I think we will See Saban and the staff doing some annual tour around the country and come up with new ideas for the defense. I bet he'll go see his buddy in NFL or maybe bring someone on as an analyst for defense.
I would much rather see an annual tour of some offensive guru and get some ideas.
 
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RTR91

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I totally agree with you and others who say that one catch of a dropped ball or one less penalty could have changed the final score, however would it have materially changed the stats and performance rating of the QB? It can't be dismissed that easily.
Caught passes that gain yards typically change stats and performance ratings of the QB.

I mean are we really complaining about this today if a WR doesn't drop a pass or if OJ blocks for Damien instead of catching that screen pass? We might talk about the necessary improvement and growth, but we aren't complaining about it.

And while I do believe that JH is extremely talented and will develop into an outstanding QB, I find it next to impossible to believe that there wasn't an existing QB out of the four that were sacrificed because of no real prospect of playing, that were not able to manage the game, pass consistently, hand off to RB's, and run when necessary. It's been a good formula as recently as last year. That would have allowed JH time to adjust to the college game and have time for the staff to identify and correct his undeveloped skills prior to being put into an OJT situation. After that one year, let the competition begin. I think most would agree that QB is a totally different position than any other and requires different handling. DW's are beyond rare.
JH gave a remarkable first year performance for an 18 year old, but was an 18 year old what was needed? Would the need for one less mistake have been relevant?
Why? The staff had since January to compare the four.
 

BamaMoon

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I'll add these:

1. The bad punt the JK had that went out of bounds around our own 45. Clemson scored a few plays later. JK would typically hit that punt another 20-25 yards.

2. Long snapper had a rough night...low snap caused one punt to be partially blocked (another 30 yard loss of yardage).

3. There was one screen pass to Ridley that he dropped that we had blocked perfectly...he would have had a big gain (at least a first down) and he might have scored.

It was truly one of those nights were we seemed to beat ourselves.

That's not taking anything away from Clemson. We normally beat teams by capitolizing off of their mistakes. I said it in another thread, but in more ways than this, we got beat at our own game.
 

RTR91

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I'll add these:

1. The bad punt the JK had that went out of bounds around our own 45. Clemson scored a few plays later. JK would typically hit that punt another 20-25 yards.

2. Long snapper had a rough night...low snap caused one punt to be partially blocked (another 30 yard loss of yardage).

3. There was one screen pass to Ridley that he dropped that we had blocked perfectly...he would have had a big gain (at least a first down) and he might have scored.

It was truly one of those nights were we seemed to beat ourselves.

That's not taking anything away from Clemson. We normally beat teams by capitolizing off of their mistakes. I said it in another thread, but in more ways than this, we got beat at our own game.
Like I said in a reply to Krazy at the beginning of the thread, that's one part of losing like Alabama has that is killer. We can't just sit back and say "We got our butts kicked" like Ohio State or Washington. We can look at certain plays or happenings and begin to wonder what would have been if those things were like they were the previous 14 games.
 

CrimsonForce

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Clemson can say the same thing about last years game. Combined score of both games Alabama 76 Clemson 75. Bama could've lost both or won both but at the end of the day I think we were fortunate to split the 2 games..
 

Chukker Veteran

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As others have said, losing a close game will always leave room for fans to second guess certain plays and it really stings to lose like that. But I'll still take that over being blown out when so many things went wrong that you can't just point to a few plays.
 

DzynKingRTR

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Like I said in a reply to Krazy at the beginning of the thread, that's one part of losing like Alabama has that is killer. We can't just sit back and say "We got our butts kicked" like Ohio State or Washington. We can look at certain plays or happenings and begin to wonder what would have been if those things were like they were the previous 14 games.
I would rather get blown out than lose like this.
 

bamaslaw

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I do hope that if we are in a situation like this again we line up about 30 players in the end zone for the last play :)

Get it to one untimed down and see if they are willing to go for it vs kicking a FG.
 

REBELZED

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Clemson can say the same thing about last years game. Combined score of both games Alabama 76 Clemson 75. Bama could've lost both or won both but at the end of the day I think we were fortunate to split the 2 games..
If you're going to say that, then I think the same should be said for Clemson. They scored 14 of those 75 points with a COMBINED 13 SECONDS left on the clock (1 second this year, 12 seconds last year). Their FIRST LEAD of the game this year didn't come until 4:38 left in the 4th quarter.

Had one or two plays gone a little differently when we were up 14-0 this year, we likely would have been talking about our blowout of Clemson right now. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I would say that Clemson​ were the fortunate ones to be splitting the two games...
 

AlBamaWagg

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Caught passes that gain yards typically change stats and performance ratings of the QB.
The response I made was to a statement regarding making just one of those catches, and 3% improvement in pass completions does not materially change the QB's stats.
 
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smith5753

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If you're going to say that, then I think the same should be said for Clemson. They scored 14 of those 75 points with a COMBINED 13 SECONDS left on the clock (1 second this year, 12 seconds last year). Their FIRST LEAD of the game this year didn't come until 4:38 left in the 4th quarter.

Had one or two plays gone a little differently when we were up 14-0 this year, we likely would have been talking about our blowout of Clemson right now. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I would say that Clemson​ were the fortunate ones to be splitting the two games...
The thing that stood out to me in both of these games is our reliance on big plays to stay in the game. Both games I thought Clemson did a better overall job on offense and defense. Last year we relied heavily on big special teams plays and the busted coverage on OJ. Now I know that the busted coverage is on Clemson and good scheming on our part, but I felt that both games Clemson consistently moved the ball better than we did and sustained drives better than we did. There are a million factors that go into this like our poor passing game and losing Bo, but the fact remains that both games I worried about our offense moving the ball and didn't have confidence that we could stop Clemson as the game wore on.
 

davefrat

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Did the PI call that set them up at the 2 actually happen in the end zone?
sure looked to me like it happened around the 3 yard line.
shouldn't that have been half the distance to the goal rather than the 2 or did the 15 yards place it at the two?
I seem to recall the ref saying that since it occurred in the end zone, it was by rule placed at the two.
 

RTR91

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Did the PI call that set them up at the 2 actually happen in the end zone?
sure looked to me like it happened around the 3 yard line.
shouldn't that have been half the distance to the goal rather than the 2 or did the 15 yards place it at the two?
I seem to recall the ref saying that since it occurred in the end zone, it was by rule placed at the two.
They said it occurred in the endzone, which is why the ball went to the 2.
 

BamaMoon

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Did the PI call that set them up at the 2 actually happen in the end zone?
sure looked to me like it happened around the 3 yard line.
shouldn't that have been half the distance to the goal rather than the 2 or did the 15 yards place it at the two?
I seem to recall the ref saying that since it occurred in the end zone, it was by rule placed at the two.
I've seen were others were questioning that too. Good question. IIRC, he reached out and made contact about the 2 yard line but then, as he hooks him, it continued into the endzone.

I don't think that could have been reviewed, but I'm not sure.

Thing is, Minka (I think) had come over to help and was close to being in position to make a play there even without the PI. I just wonder what would have happened without the interference? If and buts.:wink:
 

Bamabuzzard

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We've kind of rolled our eyes and laughed at Saban when he's said after a blowout every game is decided by one or two plays. Looking back at last night, he's right.

We can point to various things that played into the loss, but I think of three plays that changed the course of the game.

1. Cane's 43 yard reception on the screen from inside Clemson's 20 yard line.

We know an offense like Clemson is going to get theirs, and you just have to limit the damage. To that point in the game, the Bama defense had stopped Clemson and had Watson rattled. A missed tackle or two on the inside allowed Cane to break free and gain 43 yards and into Bama territory. That play gave the Clemson offense momentum.

2. Ryan Anderson's second half fumble recovery

If Renfrow doesn't hustle back and tackle Ryan at the 16, we have another NOT. The momentum is completely on Alabama's side, and the Clemson offense begins to get flustered. Instead, Alabama gets the ball and quickly gets a false start and ends up settling for a FG. Clemson being an emotional team gained confidence by their defense holding the offense to 3 points instead of 7.

3. Third and 10 at our own 44 with around 13:00 left in the game

The offense has a screen set up for Damian Harris, but OJ somehow catches the ball and only gains 5. If Harris makes the catch, he looked to get the first down and more. Instead, we had to punt.

Those are the three plays that stick out in my mind that changed the course of the game. Any others?
I tell you one that stuck out in my mind. Was it after the Anderson fumble recovery we were first and ten in the red zone and on the very first play Cam R has a false start that backs us up and now we're 1st and 15.? It basically completely changed the play calling for that series. Ended up kicking a FG.
 

ontopp

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I think it was 99 plays that changed the game,when our offense couldn't keep the D off the field. You could see them tiring and the Clemson offense moving the ball more at ease.
 

BayouBama75

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I do hope that if we are in a situation like this again we line up about 30 players in the end zone for the last play :)

Get it to one untimed down and see if they are willing to go for it vs kicking a FG.
I don't think they will let you play a down with more than 11, as I have seem them call it for 12 men in formation. But I thought when they were on the 14 with 14, secs we should have just held them for two plays to see if they would go for it from the 3 1/2 with 2-3 sec left
 

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