A different thought regarding the past 9 seasons

[B1GTide]

Yes, but the belief is Pete was in the booth radioing down the play to Tosh, who then signaled in the play to Mack and/or Moses. If any adjustments needed to be made, Pete had to radio those down to Tosh to repeat the process. That would lead to several guys being lost.

Including Saban if this was happening and he never adjusted by moving Golding down to the sidelines.

 

[TiderJack]

If that's the case then Tosh wasn't the only one lost. Defense looked out of sorts all year.

In general I agree but we did shutout LSWho and MSU. At that point I thought we were going to be dominant moving forward but even in the Auburn game we saw big blown assignments and it continued in our next 3 games.

 

[smith5753]

I agree with this, and I think it will significantly help drive the 2019 team. It seems like it already has with the coaching staff shake-up.

It will be interesting to see how Clemson handles their success and undefeated season. Lawrence still really hasn't faced adversity and he's going to go through an entire offseason of being the Heisman front-runner and will be getting constant media attention. Swinney's biggest coaching challenge for next season will be managing their team's humility. Lord knows it won't be schedule, though A&M and Syracuse are in back-to-back weeks and are probably the only two teams that could really challenge them going into the season.

Another thing I find very interesting is Swinney's almost constant need for being recognized as one of the best teams in the nation. He constantly gets aggravated at the media for NOT talking about how great Clemson is. This is a direct opposite approach to Saban with constant attempts to bring our guys back down to earth with his rat poison comments.

 

[81usaf92]

In general I agree but we did shutout LSWho and MSU. At that point I thought we were going to be dominant moving forward but even in the Auburn game we saw big blown assignments and it continued in our next 3 games.

Yeah but we are talking about teams incapable of stretching the field. I think Fromm and Stidham pretty much showed you we were in trouble if Tua wasn’t lighting up defenses.

 

[green_knight94]

I think we all know this run will not last for ever. I mean Coach Saban can not coach forever. But boy it has been a fun ride. I am interested in everybody opinion on how long will he be around before he retires off into the sunset. In my opinion I will say five more years. What everyone else think?

 

[TideEngineer08]

I think we all know this run will not last for ever. I mean Coach Saban can not coach forever. But boy it has been a fun ride. I am interested in everybody opinion on how long will he be around before he retires off into the sunset. In my opinion I will say five more years. What everyone else think?

I will keep saying 5 more years until he retires.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Another thing I find very interesting is Swinney's almost constant need for being recognized as one of the best teams in the nation. He constantly gets aggravated at the media for talking about how great Clemson is. This is a direct opposite approach to Saban with constant attempts to bring our guys back down top earth with his rat poison comments.

Because Clemson had created a stigma for always being chokers. Heck they even had a term named after them, called "Clemsoning".

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

Including Saban if this was happening and he never adjusted by moving Golding down to the sidelines.

There is a lot of time lost in that communication. Thus the confusion...

 

[smith5753]

** my bad. This was in response to bamabuzzard.**I definitely get that. But, it seems like at some point you would develop the "We've been here before" mentality instead constantly looking to be praised. I mean his team just went 15-0 and won the championship but he continues to feel the need to point out how great his team is. I feel like that mindset will eventually catch up with his team when that start thinking how wonderful they are. We've seen it at Bama before despite Saban's best efforts to fight that mentality off.

 

[BamaMoon]

I think we all know this run will not last for ever. I mean Coach Saban can not coach forever. But boy it has been a fun ride. I am interested in everybody opinion on how long will he be around before he retires off into the sunset. In my opinion I will say five more years. What everyone else think?

He did an interview last year adn was asked about how much longer and he basically said he's enjoying coaching, has been a part of a team since he was a young man and can't imagine not doing something else (to paraphrase). It didn't sound like a man who was looking for a time to step away.

FWIW, I've seen several people say they think the possiblity gets much more real for CNS to consider retirement after he wins his seventh NC, which would be the next one. I guess we'll see what happens after next year.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I don't post much but I read often and appreciate all the conversations and nuggets you guys put here concerning the Tide.

I had a thought today and was interested to see how you guys responded. We've been on a historical run the past 10 seasons and may never see anything like this again once coach Saban retires. Now, with all the success and glory we've experienced, if you could go back 9 seasons ago as you're watching Saban and Ingram and Julio lift that national championship trophy above their heads, how many of you guys would have ever guessed that would be our last undefeated champion for the next 9 seasons?? This thought blows my mind when you consider how dominant we've been the past decade.

This is the wrong way to look at it, though. Not to sound mean but it's anachronism.


If you had told any of us on January 3, 2007 -

"Over the next 12 years, you're going to win 5 national championships, 7 SEC titles, have 2 Heisman winners, and play for the national championship SEVEN times....."

there ain't a Tide fan in the entire history of the world who would have said, "Oh, but how many times are we going to go undefeated?"


Go look at the records of the national champions during that time of unprecedented SEC dominance (2006-12). Florida's 2008 team was an all-time great squad, but they lost to Ole Miss. Alabama's 2011 team was the greatest CFB defense ever assembled.....and still lost to LSU at home. In fact, only 2009 Alabama and 2010 Auburn ran the gauntlet undefeated. And both VERY easily could have lost. We needed a miracle you never get to beat Tennessee (yes, FGs are blocked but TWO IN ONE QUARTER????), and Auburn hung from a thread seven times that year. It's VERY difficult to run that gauntlet.

Coach Bryant had only 3 unbeaten teams, only 2 of which actually won the national title. And part of what solidified our reputation with some folks is that almost every single year he had a single loss, it was to a team that was by far the toughest on the schedule that year (1964 Texas, 1971 Nebraska, 1973 Notre Dame, 1978 USC).


Saban has had only one, but Bryant (in the early years) had 10-game seasons where the bowls didn't apply while Saban has a 15-game season with a playoff and TWO solid foes to beat.



So........no, I didn't and don't worry about how many unbeaten seasons we've had. Sure, I'd like to win every game. The only two utterly devastating losses were 2011 LSU (and that was because the tornado had kind of galvanized everything and it was one of those healing things) and 2013 Auburn because of who it was and the circumstances. (If Auburn had lost to UGA, we'd have lost the IB and moved on and won a three-peat).

 

[JD95]

I wonder at what point in the season did CNS realize Tosh was in over his head? But I agree, the guy was absolutely lost on the sidelines.

I think it was obvious when Arkansas torched us for 400+ yards and 30+ points with a mediocre QB.

 

[JD95]

But, I also think most of us know the real goal is the NC, not an undefeated season.

And yes, certain seasons it's been harder winning the SEC than the NC and CNS has said so.

Look no further than 2011 and 2017 when Bama won the National Championship without wining the SEC Championship (but we did beat the SEC Champs for the big prize both years! :cool2: ).

 

[smith5753]

This is the wrong way to look at it, though. Not to sound mean but it's anachronism.


If you had told any of us on January 3, 2007 -

"Over the next 12 years, you're going to win 5 national championships, 7 SEC titles, have 2 Heisman winners, and play for the national championship SEVEN times....."

there ain't a Tide fan in the entire history of the world who would have said, "Oh, but how many times are we going to go undefeated?"


Go look at the records of the national champions during that time of unprecedented SEC dominance (2006-12). Florida's 2008 team was an all-time great squad, but they lost to Ole Miss. Alabama's 2011 team was the greatest CFB defense ever assembled.....and still lost to LSU at home. In fact, only 2009 Alabama and 2010 Auburn ran the gauntlet undefeated. And both VERY easily could have lost. We needed a miracle you never get to beat Tennessee (yes, FGs are blocked but TWO IN ONE QUARTER????), and Auburn hung from a thread seven times that year. It's VERY difficult to run that gauntlet.

Coach Bryant had only 3 unbeaten teams, only 2 of which actually won the national title. And part of what solidified our reputation with some folks is that almost every single year he had a single loss, it was to a team that was by far the toughest on the schedule that year (1964 Texas, 1971 Nebraska, 1973 Notre Dame, 1978 USC).


Saban has had only one, but Bryant (in the early years) had 10-game seasons where the bowls didn't apply while Saban has a 15-game season with a playoff and TWO solid foes to beat.



So........no, I didn't and don't worry about how many unbeaten seasons we've had. Sure, I'd like to win every game. The only two utterly devastating losses were 2011 LSU (and that was because the tornado had kind of galvanized everything and it was one of those healing things) and 2013 Auburn because of who it was and the circumstances. (If Auburn had lost to UGA, we'd have lost the IB and moved on and won a three-peat).

I completely agree with all of this. The original post wasn't necessarily my overall viewpoint, I actually think more along the lines of what you've posted here, it was just a different thought I had. And I agree with the painful losses but I would have to add Clemson 2016 to the list. I think that game edges LSU 2011 simply because of the stakes and we got sweet revenge on LSU. The Auburn loss takes the top mark for new though

 

[DogPatch]

I completely agree with all of this. The original post wasn't necessarily my overall viewpoint, I actually think more along the lines of what you've posted here, it was just a different thought I had.

I believe this is the crux of the original post: Would you foresee 1 undefeated season with 5 national championships? And I would agree no-I know undefeated seasons are hard, BUT I would have thought at least 2 undefeated seasons would have come from 5 national championships.

I"m not complaining by any stretch of the imagination, but yes, I would have foreseen at least one more undefeated season with the end results we have seen.

 

[theballguy]

Another thing I find very interesting is Swinney's almost constant need for being recognized as one of the best teams in the nation. He constantly gets aggravated at the media for NOT talking about how great Clemson is. This is a direct opposite approach to Saban with constant attempts to bring our guys back down to earth with his rat poison comments.

Saban and Swinney are different guys but both have proven they can win with their ways. The thing is that our guys *are* great. And need to be told to continue to work at it and not get complacent. Maybe Clemson guys are not quite as talented but require a bit of a confidence boost. Neither is bad and Clemson has proven that although they play in a crap conference, they can play with the best especially if they've not been beaten down too much over a season.

 

[BadgerTidefan]

selmaborn says: "If you had told any of us on January 3, 2007 -

"Over the next 12 years, you're going to win 5 national championships, 7 SEC titles, have 2 Heisman winners, and play for the national championship SEVEN times....."

there ain't a Tide fan in the entire history of the world who would have said, "Oh, but how many times are we going to go undefeated?"

Good one, thats enough to make me laugh.

 

[saturdaysarebet]

Look no further than 2011 and 2017 when Bama won the National Championship without wining the SEC Championship (but we did beat the SEC Champs for the big prize both years! :cool2: ).

This is a great point JD95 and shouldn't be overlooked. Back in Bear's day, if you didn't win the SEC you had ZERO chance, repeat ZERO CHANCE, of winning a national championship. Today you still do and it's been proven and done twice as you pointed out. All you have to do today is finish in the top four today and you get a shot in the playoffs to win a NC. Alabama went undefeated in 1966 and couldn't play for a national title. That wouldn't happen today. You could be ranked #2 back then and not have a chance at a NC because the #1-ranked team may have had a conference tie-in to say the Rose Bowl.
How many national championships would Bear Bryant have won if he had the college football playoff? https://johnbaranowski.wordpress.co...e-won-if-he-had-the-college-football-playoff/

 

[UAH]

This is a great point JD95 and shouldn't be overlooked. Back in Bear's day, if you didn't win the SEC you had ZERO chance, repeat ZERO CHANCE, of winning a national championship. Today you still do and it's been proven and done twice as you pointed out. All you have to do today is finish in the top four today and you get a shot in the playoffs to win a NC. Alabama went undefeated in 1966 and couldn't play for a national title. That wouldn't happen today. You could be ranked #2 back then and not have a chance at a NC because the #1-ranked team may have had a conference tie-in to say the Rose Bowl.
How many national championships would Bear Bryant have won if he had the college football playoff? https://johnbaranowski.wordpress.co...e-won-if-he-had-the-college-football-playoff/

Alabama shared the SEC title with LSU in 1961 the National Championship year and with Georgia in the 1966 undefeated year. The 1965 National Championship came after LSU defeated Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl and No. 1 Michigan State was upset in the Rose Bowl. The 1964 regular season National Championship was won before losing to Texas in the Orange Bowl. The NC process has worked both ways for the Tide.

 

[saturdaysarebet]

Alabama shared the SEC title with LSU in 1961 the National Championship year and with Georgia in the 1966 undefeated year. The 1965 National Championship came after LSU defeated Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl and No. 1 Michigan State was upset in the Rose Bowl. The 1964 regular season National Championship was won before losing to Texas in the Orange Bowl. The NC process has worked both ways for the Tide.

But in '64 everyone knew that the team ranked #1 at the end of the regular season was national champion before the bowl games. So once that occurred, how much drive or incentive was there for Alabama? You've won the national championship now play in a truly meaningless bowl.

I still think '66 and '77 would have gone Bama's way in a playoff.