2018 Schedule-related Thoughts

ALA2262

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Aug 4, 2007
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Because Coach David "Butt"cliffe still apparently has some friends in Tuscaloosa &/or Birmingham. Why he would have any friend in Tuscaloosa is beyond me, after the way he stabbed us in the back with the NZAA back in 1999......
Bama had little, if anything, to do with scheduling Duke. That would have been handled solely by Gary Stokan, President and CEO of Peach Bowl, Inc. Bama may have agreed to playing them because of the reasons you give.

http://www.chick-fil-apeachbowl.com/bowl/staff/
 

rgw

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Duke was really insistent to the ACC about being offered up for that opener at least once and we kinda got stuck with it.
 

ALA2262

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No offense to anyone, but y'all are thinking like fans, not like Athletic Directors!! (and apologies if this has already been addressed)

Louisville did not schedule this game to have a "sure win" - they scheduled it KNOWING Jackson would almost certainly be gone - heck, they probably scheduled it before they even knew Jackson would be a sensation, much less a Hypeman Trophy winner.

UL scheduled this game for: (A) Money, and (B) TV Exposure against the "Gold Standard" of college football. SPOILER - Both those motivations Still Exist, with or Without Lamar Jackson on the field!!!

The chance of an early season upset if they catch Alabama napping is simply "icing on the cake" but HARDLY the main motivation for scheduling a game like this. Jackson or not, UL is still a "small fish" trying to break into the group of "big fish" - and you only do that by playing more BIG FISH.

This is a Win-Win for Louisville any way you slice it. They make lots of money, but just as important - they get the best TV exposure possible that weekend. If they pull an upset, it immediately catapults them into the Top-10 and NC contention, but even if they lose, it doesn't automatically take them out of contention for ANYTHING - not for the ACC title, not even for a NC run if they can win the ACC.

The idea of Louisville wanting out of this game - frankly, is laughable.
They are talking big in Louisville.

"Almost eight months will pass before Louisville opens its 2018 football season against the Alabama program that won the national championship last week, but for now, the Cardinals aren’t shy away from the challenge Sept. 1 in Orlando, Florida.

“We put our pads on like they put their pads on," Louisville cornerback Rodjay Burns said. "They’re not scary because they won the national championship. We’re gonna play ball.”

https://www.courier-journal.com/sto...2018-kickoff-alabama-rodjay-burns/1032056001/
 

selmaborntidefan

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Mar 31, 2000
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Honestly, I don't think it matters all that much.

Auburn SHOULD be about as good as they can be with (I believe) 18 returning starters.

But even as good as they were last year (and they were inconsistent), Gus was playing for the contract he now has. They should be
our chief contender in the West, but I suspect they will find a way to underachieve.


There are exceptions but generally speaking with Auburn, if they're highly touted at the start of the year it's 8-5 while if they're thought to
be mid-level or average, they win the West.

They won't sneak up on anyone again like they did last year. And I'm NOT an Auburn basher nor am I predicting what WILL happen. I just wouldn't be surprised.

It SHOULD be us and them, but there will likely be a surprise in the division.
 

rgw

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Sep 15, 2003
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They're losing their whole OL and several pieces off the DL. That was the core of their team in 2018. I think they take a big step back and potentially get upset by Washington in the opener. Washington has their own OL problems though they get their starting backfield back.
 

B1GTide

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They're losing their whole OL and several pieces off the DL. That was the core of their team in 2018. I think they take a big step back and potentially get upset by Washington in the opener. Washington has their own OL problems though they get their starting backfield back.
Yeah, Auburn is losing 4 of 5 starting o-linemen and a bunch of other very good players. Here was their depth chart for their bowl game:

http://www.ourlads.com/ncaa-football-depth-charts/depth-chart/auburn/90061
 

Go Bama

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Because Coach David "Butt"cliffe still apparently has some friends in Tuscaloosa &/or Birmingham. Why he would have any friend in Tuscaloosa is beyond me, after the way he stabbed us in the back with the NZAA back in 1999......
LOL!!! Oh my goodness! Look, I don't mean to be disrespectful, but "Quality Points" is a concept that ONLY exists on ESPiN talk shows. Just like "Strength of Schedule" and other MEANINGLESS Buzz Words that the ESPiN talking heads throw out to justify the P_ayoff selections.

Alabama got in this year for the same reasons Ohio $tate got picked in 2014 and 2016 - because we Bring MONEY to the Table. Our ratings for our two games - even the dreaded "All-SEC" Title game - were great! There is NO Other Team in the SEC who would have gotten the same consideration that Alabama got, had they been 12-1 and NOT won their division or played in Atlanta - N O N E !
And frankly, precious few around the Country (O$U obviously being one of the few) who would ever get such consideration.

I find it difficult to believe that anyone still swallows that baloney about the P_ayoffs being about the four "best" teams - yea, its the four "best" - but when the "Double Secret Committee" and ESPiN's executives say "Best", they mean BEST TV RATINGS, which may or may not coincide with "Best" MERIT.

No flames, just the reality. Money talks. "Merit" walks.
All this innuendo is irritating after a while. “Butt”cliff, P_ayoffs, O$U, ESPiN, etc.

Maybe others don’t feel the same.
 

pluckngrit

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Nov 2, 2003
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I’ve been irritated by this schedule since the day it was released. Easily the weakest schedule we’ve had under Saban.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah so we've played.....

Clemson in 08.
V Tech in. 09.
Penn St. 10-11 home & home.
Michigan in 12.
V Tech in 13.
West Vir in 14.
Wisconsin in 15.
USC in 16 and,
FSU in 17

Of course its the easiest. You don't think they deserve a break? You can be irratated all you want. These schedules are made years in advance and not too many teams are knocking down the doors to play us. Name a school that's scheduled this way the past decade?
 

BamaHoosier

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For clarification, I'm very well aware of who we've played in the past. Heck, we even played FSU in 2007. While that wasn't our opener, it was still a massive non-conference opponent. Tell me what bearing that has on this upcoming season again? None of the players who will be on the 2018 team were here from '07-'13 and very few will be left from '14-'15. so I'm not sure how those games predicate "needing a break."

Secondly, a precedent has been set, and that is that the fans will have a big game to look forward to in the beginning of the year. You're telling me that Louisville and Duke should cause the same level of buzz as a Clemson, Florida State, or USC? No, I want to see us play a game in a neutral site that will serve as a barometer of our championship caliber. Of course I'll be excited for a non-conference warm-up, but we get enough of those in scheduling teams like ULL, Colorado St, MTSU, and WKU.

This is my opinion, and you are welcome to disagree, but I think every team should schedule at least one competitive non-conference team during the season. The SEC from top-to-bottom has trended down the past few years. I won't go so far as to say that it's no longer the best conference, but there is a far closer level of parity than there used to be. With a 4 team playoff, no team should rely solely on their conference resume to lock down a spot in the dance. Especially with a 12 game schedule. Heck, Clemson played Auburn, Oklahoma played OSU, and Georgia played ND. The top teams play other top teams and have for years.

Of course non-conference games can absolutely be a crap shoot. Who would have guessed after the "game of the century" that FSU would have to win 4 straight to even become bowl eligible. Still, that type of game builds reputation, appeals to recruits, and helps prepare the younger players for a championship atmosphere. It's the aspect of being the best by beating the best, which we've consistently built our program around. I think a little disappointment is only natural when we get away from that for the first time.

Lastly, it's not like teams have been backing away from big matchups. Heck, we'll open against Miami in 2020. There are big matchups littering the college football landscape in the first couple of weeks of next season. The big boys aren't backing away from the big games, and I don't think we should either. Louisville will be an okay matchup. Heck, maybe they shock people and are hiding a qb who continues in the tradition of Brohm, Bridgewater, and Jackson. I guarantee you that we won't overlook them, and I'll be dying for that game all summer. However I don't think there's anything wrong with admitting that at face value it seems like an underwhelming matchup, and a step back from where we've been.
 
Last edited:

RedWave

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For clarification, I'm very well aware of who we've played in the past. Heck, we even played FSU in 2007. While that wasn't our opener, it was still a massive non-conference opponent. Tell me what bearing that has on this upcoming season again? None of the players who will be on the 2018 team were here from '07-'13 and very few will be left from '14-'15. so I'm not sure how those games predicate "needing a break."

Secondly, a precedent has been set, and that is that the fans will have a big game to look forward to in the beginning of the year. You're telling me that Louisville and Duke should cause the same level of buzz as a Clemson, Florida State, or USC? No, I want to see us play a game in a neutral site that will serve as a barometer of our championship caliber. Of course I'll be excited for a non-conference warm-up, but we get enough of those in scheduling teams like ULL, Colorado St, MTSU, and WKU.

This is my opinion, and you are welcome to disagree, but I think every team should schedule at least one competitive non-conference team during the season. The SEC from top-to-bottom has trended down the past few years. I won't go so far as to say that it's no longer the best conference, but there is a far closer level of parity than there used to be. With a 4 team playoff, no team should rely solely on their conference resume to lock down a spot in the dance. Especially with a 12 game schedule. Heck, Clemson played Auburn, Oklahoma played OSU, and Georgia played ND. The top teams play other top teams and have for years.

Of course non-conference games can absolutely be a crap shoot. Who would have guessed after the "game of the century" that FSU would have to win 4 straight to even become bowl eligible. Still, that type of game builds reputation, appeals to recruits, and helps prepare the younger players for a championship atmosphere. It's the aspect of being the best by beating the best, which we've consistently built our program around. I think a little disappointment is only natural when we get away from that for the first time.

Lastly, it's not like teams have been backing away from big matchups. Heck, we'll open against Miami in 2020. There are big matchups littering the college football landscape in the first couple of weeks of next season. The big boys aren't backing away from the big games, and I don't think we should either. Louisville will be an okay matchup. Heck, maybe they shock people and are hiding a qb who continues in the tradition of Brohm, Bridgewater, and Jackson. I guarantee you that we won't overlook them, and I'll be dying for that game all summer. However I don't think there's anything wrong with admitting that at face value it seems like an underwhelming matchup, and a step back from where we've been.
Are we really complaining about playing Louisville? Yeah, I would prefer someone else, but they are at least recently a team that has had a good amount of national attention just by virtue of having Lamar Jackson on their team. Add in all of the NCAA trouble, and Petrino being their coach, and the game will not be scoffed at the same as playing Mercer. And, by the way, having one of the big boys on your schedule doesn't necessarily lead to a SOS bump. FSU looked like the perfect matchup to start the season last year. People were asking if it was possible we could see a rematch in the playoffs or title game of those very same teams. And what happened? FSU laid an egg and we basically got no credit for beating them, as if they were Duke or Louisville. You never know, Louisville could be the team that, at season's end, we wish we hadn't played because they beat us, or they could go bananas and make us look like superstars for having beat them. The name is at least credible enough to warrant playing them.
 

aldo

BamaNation Citizen
May 8, 2010
59
1
27
I've been thinking about our 2018 schedule in connection with comments that were made by various national sports media pundits during the 2017 season to the effect that, prior to the Auburn game, Alabama "hadn't played anyone." What I see coming up for Alabama in 2018 tells me that, to make the playoffs again, we are going to have to go undefeated and win the SEC. The SOS boost that we are accustomed to getting out of the opening game won't be delivered by a win over Louisville.

Thoughts?

2018 Alabama Football ScheduleMasseyratings.com 2017 FinishOther Status
Sept. 1 vs. Louisville (Orlando, Fla.)#28
Sept. 8 ARKANSAS STATE#87
Sept. 15 at Ole Miss#48On NCAA probation; 2nd season HC for 2018
Sept. 22 TEXAS A&M#411st season HC for 2018
Sept. 29 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE#155
Oct. 6 at Arkansas#721st season HC for 2018
Oct. 13 MISSOURI#49
Oct. 20 at Tennessee#781st season HC for 2018
Nov. 3 at LSU#21
Nov. 10 MISSISSIPPI STATE#141st season HC for 2018
Nov. 17 THE CITADEL#235
Nov. 24 AUBURN#9
Why is everyone assuming Louisville is gonna suck next year? They finished just out of the top 25 last year which is better then most of the SEC teams we played this year. Do I sense a little rat poison being delivered! What makes people think they are scared of playing us and want to run away from the match up? I hope we destroy them, but am not putting it out of the realm of possibility they do not roll over and play dead. Lawd have mercy!
 

Relayer

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Mar 25, 2001
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Why is everyone assuming Louisville is gonna suck next year? They finished just out of the top 25 last year which is better then most of the SEC teams we played this year. Do I sense a little rat poison being delivered! What makes people think they are scared of playing us and want to run away from the match up? I hope we destroy them, but am not putting it out of the realm of possibility they do not roll over and play dead. Lawd have mercy!
I don't know if they will suck, but last season they lost to Wake Forest, Boston College, NC St, Miss St, and got smashed by Clemson. Plus they lose Lamar Jackson QB.

Certainly, Bama better be ready to play, but you have to admit, Louisville hardly has the look of a giant killer.
 

aldo

BamaNation Citizen
May 8, 2010
59
1
27
I don't know if they will suck, but last season they lost to Wake Forest, Boston College, NC St, Miss St, and got smashed by Clemson. Plus they lose Lamar Jackson QB.

Certainly, Bama better be ready to play, but you have to admit, Louisville hardly has the look of a giant killer.
I didn't realize they lost 5 games. That is even more then the barn! Good point.
 

The Ols

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Wasn't Louisville top 10 when we scheduled this?
For clarification, I'm very well aware of who we've played in the past. Heck, we even played FSU in 2007. While that wasn't our opener, it was still a massive non-conference opponent. Tell me what bearing that has on this upcoming season again? None of the players who will be on the 2018 team were here from '07-'13 and very few will be left from '14-'15. so I'm not sure how those games predicate "needing a break."

Secondly, a precedent has been set, and that is that the fans will have a big game to look forward to in the beginning of the year. You're telling me that Louisville and Duke should cause the same level of buzz as a Clemson, Florida State, or USC? No, I want to see us play a game in a neutral site that will serve as a barometer of our championship caliber. Of course I'll be excited for a non-conference warm-up, but we get enough of those in scheduling teams like ULL, Colorado St, MTSU, and WKU.

This is my opinion, and you are welcome to disagree, but I think every team should schedule at least one competitive non-conference team during the season. The SEC from top-to-bottom has trended down the past few years. I won't go so far as to say that it's no longer the best conference, but there is a far closer level of parity than there used to be. With a 4 team playoff, no team should rely solely on their conference resume to lock down a spot in the dance. Especially with a 12 game schedule. Heck, Clemson played Auburn, Oklahoma played OSU, and Georgia played ND. The top teams play other top teams and have for years.

Of course non-conference games can absolutely be a crap shoot. Who would have guessed after the "game of the century" that FSU would have to win 4 straight to even become bowl eligible. Still, that type of game builds reputation, appeals to recruits, and helps prepare the younger players for a championship atmosphere. It's the aspect of being the best by beating the best, which we've consistently built our program around. I think a little disappointment is only natural when we get away from that for the first time.

Lastly, it's not like teams have been backing away from big matchups. Heck, we'll open against Miami in 2020. There are big matchups littering the college football landscape in the first couple of weeks of next season. The big boys aren't backing away from the big games, and I don't think we should either. Louisville will be an okay matchup. Heck, maybe they shock people and are hiding a qb who continues in the tradition of Brohm, Bridgewater, and Jackson. I guarantee you that we won't overlook them, and I'll be dying for that game all summer. However I don't think there's anything wrong with admitting that at face value it seems like an underwhelming matchup, and a step back from where we've been.
 

B1GTide

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Apr 13, 2012
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Having Louisville and Duke as neutral site games has finally proven this has jumped the shark. Can we please start having home and home games again?
I get Duke, but Louisville has been a ranked team for a few years now.
 

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