Are we over-substituting?

[dvldog]

I watch Locked on Bama YouTube. The co-host who supposedly knows more technical parts of the game has been critical of the amount of subs we seem to use. His basic argument is that starters are staters for a reason and should play the majority of the snaps. He was particularly critical of sub pattern on D as there were numerous starters substituted for when FSU made big plays. Also we played numerous RBs never allowing one to get in a rhythm. I pretty much agree with this view. Game one is a little early to be clearing benches. Get your first teams set and then develop your sub patterns as the season goes along. What say you?

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I watch Locked on Bama YouTube. The co-host who supposedly knows more technical parts of the game has been critical of the amount of subs we seem to use. His basic argument is that starters are staters for a reason and should play the majority of the snaps. He was particularly critical of sub pattern on D as there were numerous starters substituted for when FSU made big plays. Also we played numerous RBs never allowing one to get in a rhythm. I pretty much agree with this view. Game one is a little early to be clearing benches. Get your first teams set and then develop your sub patterns as the season goes along. What say you?

We go from Saban, who rarely let any of the backups play, to DeBoer, who lets everybody play. LOL! Just our luck! LOL!

 

[Bama_N_Va]

I would not be surprised if NIL deals are dependent on playing time. So the backups probably have to get in the game in order to get paid. I don't think I'd pay a kid $50k plus to watch him drink water on the sidelines...

 

[graydogg85]

Hard to answer this one. Saban famously probably didn’t play enough players, and would leave the starters in the game into the 4th quarter at times against overwhelmed opponents when things were well in hand. I once heard someone say he managed his rosters like he was still in Miami.

I think playing more players is generally good but you’ve got to have situational awareness as well. A true freshman DB probably doesn’t need to be in one-on-one man coverage against the other team’s best receiver in the 1st quarter for instance.

 

[22Musso22]

I watch Locked on Bama YouTube.

My favorite Alabama football podcast on YouTube.

Luke and Jimmy are hilarious as well as informative.

 

[Bama9001]

Or, just maybe, he's just trying to figure out who wants to play and which combination work best together during an actual game.

Hope that's what it is. Maybe still trying to sort out the best 22.

 

[AlistarWills]

He’s said it’s a long season and tries to sub liberally to keep the wear and tear down. Now I do think it’s too much and needs pared back a little in spots. Like someone said above, I don’t care how good Dijon Lee is, he lacks experience and need not be in the field in the first quarter in the opener unless he’s literally the starter.

 

[AlexanderFan]

I know the freshman Lee shouldn’t have been on Squirrel, that was a terrible start.

 

[gtgilbert]

I watch Locked on Bama YouTube. The co-host who supposedly knows more technical parts of the game has been critical of the amount of subs we seem to use. His basic argument is that starters are staters for a reason and should play the majority of the snaps. He was particularly critical of sub pattern on D as there were numerous starters substituted for when FSU made big plays. Also we played numerous RBs never allowing one to get in a rhythm. I pretty much agree with this view. Game one is a little early to be clearing benches. Get your first teams set and then develop your sub patterns as the season goes along. What say you?

my $0.02 is YES, we do.

TD over Dijon Lee. SUB

Long run leading to TD - backup DE, and backup Husky, both messed up, badly.

Both those were very early. I agree Saban played guys longer than maybe he should have sometimes, but when it's still early in a game that's very much still competitive, the best guys should be getting almost all those reps.

 

[KrAzY3]

Nick Saban's goal was complete and total domination. He wouldn't let the backups in until the other team quit. That is indeed how you go as many games as he did without losing to an unranked team. That's how you make it to so many championships. You don't let up.

DeBoer absolutely lets up. Just following Washington in 2023 felt like a constant roller coaster as they routinely lost leads against overmatched foes and played close games.

I mean I get the idea of playing backups when it makes sense, but your rotation is different from your backups. Your rotation consists of guys you can trust, your backups are the players you can't trust. It makes no sense to put in players you can't trust when the game is still on the line. You give up a TD, that can be the game. You can't take that back.