Question: Will Bama ever return to a physical running game?

81usaf92

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I'm not following you. If we had used an extra 2:58, wouldn't the game have been over before their last drive?
Yes but we were behind until the 2:07 mark. About another 51 seconds to shave off before Jalen scored on a 30 yard play. That drive was 2:31 meaning we don’t make it in time. They were up 28-24 at that point. I think 91 is right in that the 2:58 might’ve factored into the last drive of the 2nd quarter more than the last drive of the game.

Point is without rewatching the game with your own field timer set with a 3.6 second head start on every running clock down that Alabama had, it is impossible to know other than that the final drive of the game doesn’t happen. We really don’t know if we would be ahead or behind with that extra 2:58 taken off. But if we just factor it in without out of bounds and other stoppages we still lose 28-24.
 
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PA Tide Fan

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Yes but we were behind until the 2:07 mark. About another 51 seconds to shave off before Jalen scored on a 30 yard play. That drive was 2:31 meaning we don’t make it in time. They were up 28-24 at that point. I think 91 is right in that the 2:58 might’ve factored into the last drive of the 2nd quarter more than the last drive of the game.

Point is without rewatching the game with your own field timer set with a 3.6 second head start on every running clock down that Alabama had, it is impossible to know other than that the final drive of the game doesn’t happen. We really don’t know if we would be ahead or behind with that extra 2:58 taken off. But if we just factor it in without out of bounds and other stoppages we still lose 28-24.
Even though it's debatable whether the 2:58 meant more in the 1st half or the 2nd half one thing we can probably all agree on is that our defense sure could have used that extra 2:58 of rest. It may have allowed our defense to make a big stop along the way rather than allow Clemson to get a key 1st down because of fatigue.
 

editder

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Yes but we were behind until the 2:07 mark. About another 51 seconds to shave off before Jalen scored on a 30 yard play. That drive was 2:31 meaning we don’t make it in time. They were up 28-24 at that point. I think 91 is right in that the 2:58 might’ve factored into the last drive of the 2nd quarter more than the last drive of the game.

Point is without rewatching the game with your own field timer set with a 3.6 second head start on every running clock down that Alabama had, it is impossible to know other than that the final drive of the game doesn’t happen. We really don’t know if we would be ahead or behind with that extra 2:58 taken off. But if we just factor it in without out of bounds and other stoppages we still lose 28-24.
I didn't take into account that the time would have been distributed between the two halves. The time is actually 2.58 minutes, which is ~2:34 or 1:17 per half if the plays were distributed evenly. In that case, we would have had time to score, leaving them only 0:50 on the clock.

The problem is that if they had kicked a field goal they probably would have won in overtime, because we were getting worse and they were getting better.

Regardless, the game was lost because of the lack of a passing threat.
 

editder

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Even though it's debatable whether the 2:58 meant more in the 1st half or the 2nd half one thing we can probably all agree on is that our defense sure could have used that extra 2:58 of rest. It may have allowed our defense to make a big stop along the way rather than allow Clemson to get a key 1st down because of fatigue.
Another valid point.
 

deliveryman35

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We’ve never left it under Saban. IMO what has hurt us more than rushing O is play-calling and a steep decline last year on D. And INJURIES. My God have injuries absolutely killed us the last two years.
 

crimsonaudio

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Last year's NC game was lost on the sidelines by the inexperienced coaching staff.

Everything beyond that is just details.

Saban has worked to address the lack of experience and i suspect we'll see a far more lethal team this season.

Just my .02...
 

B1GTide

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Last year's NC game was lost on the sidelines by the inexperienced coaching staff.

Everything beyond that is just details.
JMO, but both losses to Clemson came down to the same thing - coaching. Clemson had great teams in both of those games, as did Alabama, but the difference was on the sidelines. Can't blame Sark as he had no time to prepare. I really like him and think he is going to be a great one for Alabama. But I am still worried about your DC.
 

TIDE-HSV

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JMO, but both losses to Clemson came down to the same thing - coaching. Clemson had great teams in both of those games, as did Alabama, but the difference was on the sidelines. Can't blame Sark as he had no time to prepare. I really like him and think he is going to be a great one for Alabama. But I am still worried about your DC.
I think it's natural to worry a bit about Golding, especially with the way the inside LBs performed last year. Golding, though, is extremely well-thought of in the profession and the problems with the LBs may not have been his fault last year. Here is a long article on him in The Athletic, which made me feel better about him. I think it's paywalled unless you're a subscriber. I was a bit skeptical about it, but I've enjoyed my subscription...

The Athletic
 

GrayTide

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I have said more than once that I felt as though the continual turnover in the coaching staff hurt us more than was initially thought. We have new RB, OL, WR, OC(QB) DL, S and OLB coaches. That is 7 new coaches, 6 if you don't count Sarkisian. This is why I think we lose two games and not make the Playoff for the first time since its inception.
 

RTR91

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I have said more than once that I felt as though the continual turnover in the coaching staff hurt us more than was initially thought. We have new RB, OL, WR, OC(QB) DL, S and OLB coaches. That is 7 new coaches, 6 if you don't count Sarkisian. This is why I think we lose two games and not make the Playoff for the first time since its inception.
What two games do you see Alabama losing?
 

81usaf92

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What two games do you see Alabama losing?
I can’t see 1 until possibly the SECCG. I think people put too much on this turnover but fail to realize that many of these guys have been in the program before.

I was more worried about losing 2 games last year with a staff full of recruiters than I am this year.
 

CrimsonEyeshade

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Gray, even given the freak show that playing on the road at Auburn often becomes, we will not lose to them while Tua is our quarterback.
 

BamaInMo1

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As y'all have clearly called me out on (and rightly so after going back and re-reading with a clearer mind) in the Clemson game it was not so much as us scoring too fast but not having a power running game that could get us a couple of yards when needed to extend drives after Bo went down in the first half.
Now, I have no clue how much of that was coaching/playcalling or the o-line not being able to just push people off the line consistently (although a couple of time we went to the run on short yardage and were stoned at the line).
My basic premis still stands in that if we can't push people off the line at will and run when we want to and when we need to then we're gonna have a hard row to hoe against teamd like Clemson and put our defense in an awful bind.
 

81usaf92

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I hope you are right, and it might be TAMU rather than auburn, but even with Tua I just do not think this is a NC caliber team.
Based on a new coaching staff?

You do realize our offense got us to the National Championship last year not our defense. That offense is pretty much all returning and is getting an upgrade in coaching this year from last year. Defense will be improved in coaching and with personnel. No one in the West looks to be in our zip code in talent and experience.
 
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editder

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JMO, but both losses to Clemson came down to the same thing - coaching. Clemson had great teams in both of those games, as did Alabama, but the difference was on the sidelines. Can't blame Sark as he had no time to prepare. I really like him and think he is going to be a great one for Alabama. But I am still worried about your DC.
I agree that the coaching made a difference in this last game, but I think the first time they won had more to do with their having a hotshot QB than with coaching.

In the first two NC games they had a great QB while we had mediocre ones at best. Either team could have won both games, but the point is that we played them toe-to-toe. When we both had mediocre QBs in 2017, we handled them easily. I think it's interesting that the one time we both had great QBs they slaughtered us. A lot of it was due to bad coaching during the game, but I think it was also the overall coaching philosophy that led us away from a physical running game (with competent passing for balance) and hard-nosed defense.
 

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