I have never posted very much (I do read a lot of the posts) but with some of the things being said I thought I would give my opinion (for what it's worth). I am a life-long Bama fan, an alumni, and Tide Pride member. I hate for Alabama to lose. In addition, I am a hard core football fan. I can happily watch two teams I care nothing about play just to watch the strategy and match-ups. However, I have not played football since pee-wee leagues since I was too small and too slow to make the team in high school. Also I have no inside information or secret contacts. All of my perspective comes from just being a fan and observing.
When Mike Shula was hired last year, he began a project to rebuild Alabama football. Everyone pretty much agrees that the infrastructure had been decimated by the coaching changes, negative publicity, and NCAA sanctions. There was much speculation on how Shula would proceed. In my opinion, he had three options: 2 that would provide a better chance for success in the short term, one that would start to lay the foundation for the future. Shula could have gone back to the option game the Fran had used. The players were used to it, all 3 QBs were fairly mobile. Or he could have gone with Price's spread offense and had the benefit of the completed spring training. Either option may have gotten us a couple of more wins last year. Instead, Shula chose to begin implementing the pro-set, multiple formation offense. All of last season, Shula and his staff seemed to be trying to give the team the best opportunity to win, but within the constraints of building for the future.
The Shula/Rader offense is a pro style offense. Lots of motion, different formations, timing patterns, multiple reads by both QB and receivers. Last year, we struggled in this new offense. Brodie, while very talented, did not have the timing with receivers. Both Brodie and the receivers had a number of mis-reads and miscommunications. In short, they struggled trying to learn the system while playing the games. Injuries compounded the problem. Similar learning issues ocurred on defense; miscommunication, out of position, slow to react. While many have expressed frustration that the team seemed to be getting worse as last season progressed, I am not sure that is an accurate picture. I think that the early teams did not know what to expect and had to play Bama honestly. As the season progressed, other teams released the reduced scope of our playbook, injuries mounted, and moral suffered with every loss. The UT game really seemed to demoralized the team and we struggled even more.
During recruiting, Shula again had the option to pursue short term gains versus building a foundation for the future. He could have gone heavy on JC transfers and their additional experience. Instead he limited the number of JC players, and built a strong recruiting class. The players signed, grey-shirts, and players who didn't qualify but are still planning to come to Bama will serve us well in the future.
As Fall camp opened, Shula had to take a calculated risk. Brodie had missed spring practice and we had a large number of freshmen receivers. In order to get them up to speed, Brodie had to take most of the practice snaps. The rules limit the number and types of practices. I seem to recall reading that Brodie was getting 75% of the practice reps. Shula gambled that Brodie would stay healthy far enough into the season for Gullion to allow Gullion to develop with limited practice. Without the practice, Brodie would not have been as effective.
During the first 3 games, I firmly believe we saw the future of the Alabama offense. Good run/pass balance, 8 or 9 different receivers with catches, effective play calling to keep the defense off balance. We saw a talented, experienced QB running a diversified offense. Even with the youth at receiver, we were very efficient. I know the teams we were playing were not the toughest on the schedule, but we were very effective. Then Brodie goes down and we are back in a very similar situation to last year. A talented, but inexperienced QB with talented but inexperienced receivers.
The coaching staff has built a foundation however. Areas of weakness last year have solidified. The defense has played solid and developed an effective player rotation. We still have a lot of youth and as we face better offensive teams our inexperience may be exposed. Our special teams have improved and the offensive line has been solid. While he is just one person, losing Brodie hurt a great deal due to the way the coaching staff had to allocate practice time. Marc is talented and does not appear to be that off and should improve as the seasons progresses. Most realistic expectations for Bama this year were around 7-4. Losing Brodie makes that much more difficult
There have been a couple of calls in recent weeks that have gotten a lot of negative attention. The first is the 4 and 1 against Arkansas. At worst, I think this is a call that could go either way. Our defense had been playing well, there was plenty of time remaining, and if Arkansas stops us on 4th down, it could have been a huge momentum swing. If we down the ball inside the 5 or if we force a 3-and-out from the 20, we could be playing on a short field. Matt Jones break-out run was the difference maker.
The other issue has been the 2nd half play calling against SC. My wife became ill in the 1st quarter of the game and we had to leave. I was able to get home and to the TV just after SC's 2nd touchdown. From the expression on their faces, the team was shell-shocked. Watching a team mate be carried out and the two quick touchdowns had shaken everyone's confidence. Shula could have gone to a shot-gun formation, no-huddle massive comeback strategy. Unfortunately, the only QB in the stadium who would offer any chance of success to that strategy was on crutches. (Shula himself might could have pulled it off but I wonder about his game shape.) Shula said in the postgame that he tried to re-establish the running game and get back into a rhythem. I think he may have kept Marc out of the game to avoid further damage to his confidence or an injury. Much like a baseball manager pulling a young pitcher before he gets shelled. I think that much of the complaining is coming from the results as opposed to the calls. In the future, try writing down places where you would do something different before the play is snapped. Then see the results.
I may be looking at the future optimistically, but I believe that Shula came in with a strong plan to re-build Alabama football and he has stuck with it. He has consistently done things that build the foundation. For the remainder of this year and next year, the line between games won and lost will be razor sharp. A key injury or an untimely mistake will be game changing because our team does not yet have the experience or confidence to overcome them. Starting in 06 however, (provided we continue to recruit well) I think we will have a strong team. We will begin to recover some depth and the young players we have today will be the team leaders. I don't know if Shula will be able to coach us to championship levels, but neither do the bashers. The rebuilding project is on-going and we will not see the real results for a couple of more years. Bashing today may make some people feel better but it does not help the rebuilding process. Changing coaches at this point would be insanity and just confirm what many outsiders think about our program. Sorry for the long post but I have been thinking a lot about our team for the past few days. :biga:
When Mike Shula was hired last year, he began a project to rebuild Alabama football. Everyone pretty much agrees that the infrastructure had been decimated by the coaching changes, negative publicity, and NCAA sanctions. There was much speculation on how Shula would proceed. In my opinion, he had three options: 2 that would provide a better chance for success in the short term, one that would start to lay the foundation for the future. Shula could have gone back to the option game the Fran had used. The players were used to it, all 3 QBs were fairly mobile. Or he could have gone with Price's spread offense and had the benefit of the completed spring training. Either option may have gotten us a couple of more wins last year. Instead, Shula chose to begin implementing the pro-set, multiple formation offense. All of last season, Shula and his staff seemed to be trying to give the team the best opportunity to win, but within the constraints of building for the future.
The Shula/Rader offense is a pro style offense. Lots of motion, different formations, timing patterns, multiple reads by both QB and receivers. Last year, we struggled in this new offense. Brodie, while very talented, did not have the timing with receivers. Both Brodie and the receivers had a number of mis-reads and miscommunications. In short, they struggled trying to learn the system while playing the games. Injuries compounded the problem. Similar learning issues ocurred on defense; miscommunication, out of position, slow to react. While many have expressed frustration that the team seemed to be getting worse as last season progressed, I am not sure that is an accurate picture. I think that the early teams did not know what to expect and had to play Bama honestly. As the season progressed, other teams released the reduced scope of our playbook, injuries mounted, and moral suffered with every loss. The UT game really seemed to demoralized the team and we struggled even more.
During recruiting, Shula again had the option to pursue short term gains versus building a foundation for the future. He could have gone heavy on JC transfers and their additional experience. Instead he limited the number of JC players, and built a strong recruiting class. The players signed, grey-shirts, and players who didn't qualify but are still planning to come to Bama will serve us well in the future.
As Fall camp opened, Shula had to take a calculated risk. Brodie had missed spring practice and we had a large number of freshmen receivers. In order to get them up to speed, Brodie had to take most of the practice snaps. The rules limit the number and types of practices. I seem to recall reading that Brodie was getting 75% of the practice reps. Shula gambled that Brodie would stay healthy far enough into the season for Gullion to allow Gullion to develop with limited practice. Without the practice, Brodie would not have been as effective.
During the first 3 games, I firmly believe we saw the future of the Alabama offense. Good run/pass balance, 8 or 9 different receivers with catches, effective play calling to keep the defense off balance. We saw a talented, experienced QB running a diversified offense. Even with the youth at receiver, we were very efficient. I know the teams we were playing were not the toughest on the schedule, but we were very effective. Then Brodie goes down and we are back in a very similar situation to last year. A talented, but inexperienced QB with talented but inexperienced receivers.
The coaching staff has built a foundation however. Areas of weakness last year have solidified. The defense has played solid and developed an effective player rotation. We still have a lot of youth and as we face better offensive teams our inexperience may be exposed. Our special teams have improved and the offensive line has been solid. While he is just one person, losing Brodie hurt a great deal due to the way the coaching staff had to allocate practice time. Marc is talented and does not appear to be that off and should improve as the seasons progresses. Most realistic expectations for Bama this year were around 7-4. Losing Brodie makes that much more difficult
There have been a couple of calls in recent weeks that have gotten a lot of negative attention. The first is the 4 and 1 against Arkansas. At worst, I think this is a call that could go either way. Our defense had been playing well, there was plenty of time remaining, and if Arkansas stops us on 4th down, it could have been a huge momentum swing. If we down the ball inside the 5 or if we force a 3-and-out from the 20, we could be playing on a short field. Matt Jones break-out run was the difference maker.
The other issue has been the 2nd half play calling against SC. My wife became ill in the 1st quarter of the game and we had to leave. I was able to get home and to the TV just after SC's 2nd touchdown. From the expression on their faces, the team was shell-shocked. Watching a team mate be carried out and the two quick touchdowns had shaken everyone's confidence. Shula could have gone to a shot-gun formation, no-huddle massive comeback strategy. Unfortunately, the only QB in the stadium who would offer any chance of success to that strategy was on crutches. (Shula himself might could have pulled it off but I wonder about his game shape.) Shula said in the postgame that he tried to re-establish the running game and get back into a rhythem. I think he may have kept Marc out of the game to avoid further damage to his confidence or an injury. Much like a baseball manager pulling a young pitcher before he gets shelled. I think that much of the complaining is coming from the results as opposed to the calls. In the future, try writing down places where you would do something different before the play is snapped. Then see the results.
I may be looking at the future optimistically, but I believe that Shula came in with a strong plan to re-build Alabama football and he has stuck with it. He has consistently done things that build the foundation. For the remainder of this year and next year, the line between games won and lost will be razor sharp. A key injury or an untimely mistake will be game changing because our team does not yet have the experience or confidence to overcome them. Starting in 06 however, (provided we continue to recruit well) I think we will have a strong team. We will begin to recover some depth and the young players we have today will be the team leaders. I don't know if Shula will be able to coach us to championship levels, but neither do the bashers. The rebuilding project is on-going and we will not see the real results for a couple of more years. Bashing today may make some people feel better but it does not help the rebuilding process. Changing coaches at this point would be insanity and just confirm what many outsiders think about our program. Sorry for the long post but I have been thinking a lot about our team for the past few days. :biga:
