JessN: Auburn wrap-up: Another miracle finish, because Alabama couldn’t finish

[JessN]

Bama is 11-1 and has won three out of the last four natty's. Not sure what isn't "right."

Critiquing the game within the game is perfectly okay, but questioning Saban and his preparedness and importance in direct relation to Auburn and the rivalry is a tad bit unfair, in my opinion.

Earlier you mentioned the preparation and importance for Saban in this rivalry versus the LSU rivalry and its importance. Bama is 2-2 versus LSU in the last four match-ups in the regular season.

I can see why Mrs. Saban would use the word "spoiled."

What's not right is pretty obvious: the record against Auburn. And the record is mediocre because four times in the last seven years, Auburn has played the better game relative to its talent level. Fortunately, the 2009 game broke for Alabama anyway, mostly because Alabama simply had a ton more weapons and better depth. Anyone who remembers the flatness with which Alabama played the first half of that game probably saw the same thing Saturday.

Critiquing preparation is part of critiquing the game as a whole. The coaches are not immune to criticism and hard questions. They are just men, and they are employed by and represent a program that is bigger than they are.

As for differences between this series and the LSU series, let's look at that for a moment. In 2007, when by all rights LSU should have torn Alabama to shreds, the Crimson Tide nearly pulled off the upset. In 2008, when LSU still had gobs more talent, Alabama went into Baton Rouge and won. You could stop there, and you are already miles different in a comparison of how Alabama has played LSU under Saban and how Alabama has played Auburn. With the possible exception of the 2011 game in Jordan-Hare, Alabama hasn't really done anything above the expected. Both Auburn's 2008 and 2012 teams had completely quit, and Alabama certainly gets credit for taking advantage of it. But when these two teams have been anywhere close to one another in terms of ability, Alabama has two wins, one of them at the very end of the game, and three losses. When Auburn has anything at all to play for, the Tigers are beating Alabama in preparation, especially the emotional/mental side.

I'm not worried about an assessment of Alabama fans being spoiled, or Alabama fans not showing enough appreciation. I actually find it amusing someone said that about Bama fans, because this is one of two programs in the country (Notre Dame being the other) that has a fan base that actually knows what grand-scale success is like. At the same time, it's expected here, and it's expected because there are now five different head coaches who have combined to win a total of 15 national championships. No one cries for the New York Yankees' manager, either -- success is expected.

At this point, there's nothing to be done. No amount of columns, analyses or message board posts is going to reverse what happened Saturday. The only thing to hope for is that something changes between now and next November. I don't expect Auburn to be quite as good next year -- the loss of Tre Mason will hurt, the defense will be vulnerable -- but AU isn't going to be dropping back to 2012 levels. They'll be coming to Bryant-Denny with probably 8 or 9 wins and if Alabama wants to win that game, it will have to treat Auburn like Auburn treats Alabama. My concern relative to Saban is that the team is prepared for the game the way it's been prepared the last seven times. And if that's the case, flip a coin.

 

[bamacpa]

We were outcoached and outplayed today. In the modern world of scholly limitations and parity, that will happen occasionally. Saban's big game record is better than anyone else out there, and I don't see anything fundamentally wrong with our preparation. I don't agree with every decision made yesterday, but I trust our head man and parsing out losses over 7 years won't change that for me.

 

[JBama_in_PCOLA]

I'm still crushed and now can't sleep.


Sent from my iPhone

 

[CrimsonEyeshade]

More than any other game, this is the one where our coaching staff, for whom no detail is too small, rolls the dice.

Remember CNS' response after Georgia Southern two yers ago: We never practice against an offense like that.

I believe the same goes for AU under Gus. Our staff seems to be saying: why change everything we do for one team?

That's OK when we have a glaring mismatch in talent, but when we don't, we have to execute our style better than they do their's. And last night we didn't. So it came down to the little things, and they started snowballing, and that got Gus the close game he wanted.

Unlike A&M, Auburn's defense played their best quarter of the year in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, our offense played their worst 15 minutes in a big game since 2010.

In the end, Auburn did a better job of being Auburn than we did being ourselves.

What's not right is pretty obvious: the record against Auburn. And the record is mediocre because four times in the last seven years, Auburn has played the better game relative to its talent level. Fortunately, the 2009 game broke for Alabama anyway, mostly because Alabama simply had a ton more weapons and better depth. Anyone who remembers the flatness with which Alabama played the first half of that game probably saw the same thing Saturday.

Critiquing preparation is part of critiquing the game as a whole. The coaches are not immune to criticism and hard questions. They are just men, and they are employed by and represent a program that is bigger than they are.

As for differences between this series and the LSU series, let's look at that for a moment. In 2007, when by all rights LSU should have torn Alabama to shreds, the Crimson Tide nearly pulled off the upset. In 2008, when LSU still had gobs more talent, Alabama went into Baton Rouge and won. You could stop there, and you are already miles different in a comparison of how Alabama has played LSU under Saban and how Alabama has played Auburn. With the possible exception of the 2011 game in Jordan-Hare, Alabama hasn't really done anything above the expected. Both Auburn's 2008 and 2012 teams had completely quit, and Alabama certainly gets credit for taking advantage of it. But when these two teams have been anywhere close to one another in terms of ability, Alabama has two wins, one of them at the very end of the game, and three losses. When Auburn has anything at all to play for, the Tigers are beating Alabama in preparation, especially the emotional/mental side.

I'm not worried about an assessment of Alabama fans being spoiled, or Alabama fans not showing enough appreciation. I actually find it amusing someone said that about Bama fans, because this is one of two programs in the country (Notre Dame being the other) that has a fan base that actually knows what grand-scale success is like. At the same time, it's expected here, and it's expected because there are now five different head coaches who have combined to win a total of 15 national championships. No one cries for the New York Yankees' manager, either -- success is expected.

At this point, there's nothing to be done. No amount of columns, analyses or message board posts is going to reverse what happened Saturday. The only thing to hope for is that something changes between now and next November. I don't expect Auburn to be quite as good next year -- the loss of Tre Mason will hurt, the defense will be vulnerable -- but AU isn't going to be dropping back to 2012 levels. They'll be coming to Bryant-Denny with probably 8 or 9 wins and if Alabama wants to win that game, it will have to treat Auburn like Auburn treats Alabama. My concern relative to Saban is that the team is prepared for the game the way it's been prepared the last seven times. And if that's the case, flip a coin.

 

[DrollTide]

I honestly do not believe that Malzahn has discovered the new coaching holy grail. I saw only one play called all night, and it always began with Mason at full gallop as man-in-motion followed by some weird delayed 4-fisted handoff. We call it "gimmicky" because it is, Pro scouts laugh at it because you can't build a franchise on one play.

If this is how Gus is going to attract talent to the barn, then good luck to them.

Meanwhile, yes, I'm disappointed that with 500 copies of that play on tape, our coaches were unable to pick its lock. This deserves some criticism. Other coaching observations are a bit zero-sum, e.g. the tendency to treat all opponents as worthy and equal, to look passed no-one, is central to "The Process" but might mean you spend too much time "preparing" for the Mocs when you really ought to be completely ignoring them.

We clearly were not playing with passion. This jives strongly with Jess's point, that not all games are created equal, and "The Process" needs to be tailored to peak for the last game of the season.

Given all of the above, we still should have won. Everybody had a hand in the loss. It is not on the kicker - who probably feels sicker than all of us put together (if I met him I would shake his hand). Just take out the infuriating false starts and garbage penalties and we win. Let the country's best receiver corp hold onto something in the first quarter and we win. And so-on. Most disappointing of all is that the level of play declined in the last 5 minutes when all it needed was the tiniest extra push to ice the game.

Listen: we have the best coach in college football. I think Saban is smart enough to make the changes that will make a more perfect union of The Process and "La raison d'État". Nobody at the barn is joking about Saban staying for a hundred years like we make about Muschamp. They want Saban gone. And I don't think it matters much to us whether Gus stays or goes.

 

[GrayTide]

I tend to agree with Jess on his comments about the staff and CNS approach to the auburn game, it has been and always will be the most important game in any season. I mentioned odds on here several months, how with each win the odds in each subsequent game were not in your favor. Most fans on here reacted like I had killed their family dog. Sometimes you just lose, the other team makes the plays and your team doesn't. So rather than accept that, the fans blame the coaching staff, poor officiating (the old standby) and my favorite of all time, we beat ourselves.

Having watched many IBs, regardless of who our HC was, auburn has played most every game win or loss with more fire, passion and usually never quits. If I had to venture a guess I would echo Jess's comments that they play for the state championship every year and we boast of only playing for NCs. Our loss yesterday should not wind up being a blame game, but the fact that from top to bottom, players, coaches, alumni and fans, auburn wanted it more and they should be proud of their accomplishment.

Yesterday goes into the record book for historical purposes, the biggest question now is where do we go from today forward. Do we regroup and play our best game in whatever bowl we get or do we respond like those Oregon players who didn't want the Rose Bowl because it was not the NC game. We have been spoiled by recent success, but it is now time to move on.

 

[PerdidoTide]

It's not Saban's fault that to many Alabama fans put an unhealthy amount of emotional energy into "hating" Auburn. He doesn't need to be told or taught a darn thing about Auburn. He lives by the process and that is not going to change. It works for Auburn just it like it works for anyone else. They can't practice or prepare any harder than they already do whether it be LSU, A&M, or Auburn.

This whole article and line of thinking is ridiculous. All we should be saying is thanks coach for devoting the last 7 years of your life to putting our program back on the mountain top and we are extremely happy and grateful it. Pretty much every waking hour of Nick Saban's life the last seven years has been focused on making Alabama the best program it can possibly be and the results speak for themselves. Who else can say that? Things didn't bounce our way last night but it wasn't due to a lack of preparation on Saban's part. With Saban you get 100% all the time and it usually works out in our favor.

The arrogance of some of our fans to call out Coach Saban is astounding!

So we go win a BCS bowl and finish 12-1 and sign yet again another top recruiting class. That's not good enough because we lost a heartbreaker to Auburn? If so then that is some sort of physiological illness folks need to seek professional help for and not call out Coach Saban for a lack of understanding the importance of the Auburn game.

 

[CrimsonEyeshade]

Really well said, bud.

I tend to agree with Jess on his comments about the staff and CNS approach to the auburn game, it has been and always will be the most important game in any season. I mentioned odds on here several months, how with each win the odds in each subsequent game were not in your favor. Most fans on here reacted like I had killed their family dog. Sometimes you just lose, the other team makes the plays and your team doesn't. So rather than accept that, the fans blame the coaching staff, poor officiating (the old standby) and my favorite of all time, we beat ourselves.

Having watched many IBs, regardless of who our HC was, auburn has played most every game win or loss with more fire, passion and usually never quits. If I had to venture a guess I would echo Jess's comments that they play for the state championship every year and we boast of only playing for NCs. Our loss yesterday should not wind up being a blame game, but the fact that from top to bottom, players, coaches, alumni and fans, auburn wanted it more and they should be proud of their accomplishment.

Yesterday goes into the record book for historical purposes, the biggest question now is where do we go from today forward. Do we regroup and play our best game in whatever bowl we get or do we respond like those Oregon players who didn't want the Rose Bowl because it was not the NC game. We have been spoiled by recent success, but it is now time to move on.

 

[pcfixup]

Do the others on this board think this is more like 1972 or (1986/2002) ?

 

[Atl Joe]

[
Great coaches find a way to adjust their schemes and philosophy as the game changes over time. CNS is going to have to learn to defend the HUNH because it's clear that more and more teams are employing it. He's going to have to find some flexibility in his thinking or his teams are going to get out-played at the most inopportune times. I place this loss on his plate and find myself saying "I hope it tastes bad going down and gets stuck in your craw because you've got to remember this and do better next time."[/QUOTE]

The defense did an OK job (just OK) but definitely should have been better prepared as they were out of position frequently. What cost them was the mistakes made in every aspect of the game. I can't remember EVER seeing Bama make so many and of all sorts too. The mistakes never allowed them to take control and perpetuated the mental funk that followed them out of the locker room. Not sure if that was coaching or what. I was still convinced they would win right up to the point they did not QB sneak on 4th and 1 inch!!!! I am not even sure Yeldon did not make the first down on 3rd and one. I thought he had a bad spot. Saban did not challenge. Not sure why.
I have not seen a team so out of sorts in a game of this magnitude since Miami lost to Penn State in 1987. Miami's coach was Jimmy Johnson so I guess it happens to the best of them from time to time.

 

[NationalTitles18]

The flowchart goes 1. Beat AU 2. win West 3. win SEC 4. win NC. If you don't do number one on that list, you're probably not going to get Nos. 2, 3 and 4.

Therefore, beating Auburn becomes priority one. And really, there isn't a counterargument to that. Find me the last time Alabama won a NC without beating Auburn and we'll talk.

Secondly, you can be selective and take any year range you like, and get numbers favorable to you. Auburn has done this for years by saying "AU is x and x since 2002," or since Bryant left, but the problem isn't just 4-3. The problem is also that in all three losses, plus the 2009 win, Alabama allowed Auburn to control the emotional aspect of the game, and really make the games tougher than they ever should have been. It's not just the losses, it's the way Alabama has approached this game under Saban this is worrisome to me. The results in this series speak for themselves. When you have an alpha-omega relationship in a rivalry series, the alpha should be winning 7 of 10, if not more. Four of seven is not where you need to be.

I think this goes against the very fiber of Saban's being. Saban's nature seems to lean toward taking emotion out of the game. This is how he deals with emotion instead of harnessing and channeling it toward good things. It works most of the time, but perhaps it is a weakness. I'm not quite certain. Logically his approach works and the odds are on his side, but humans are, at times, illogical creatures. Nothing will ever change that. In our case it seems the emotions affected the coaches' and players in preparation, play-calling, situational awareness, and execution. The team was timid. The coaches tried to be too cute. We out-thought ourselves.

As for other comments - to which I have previously subscribed - that Auburn's offense is a gimmick: Then so, too, was the wishbone. And just about every other offense in history predicated on misdirection, option reads, and/or taking what the defense gives you and using it to your maximum advantage. The reverse? A gimmick. But you had better defend it. Flea-flicker? Gimmick. Better be able to stop it. Play-action pass? Whatcha gonna do about it? Wishbone? Better be disciplined and physical. I-formation and Power-I? Better be physical, plug the holes, and be quick to the corner. And on and on and on it goes. There's nothing gimmicky about an offense that forces the defense to make choices and then exploits weaknesses those choices expose. That's what a good offense does. And that's true whether you force the other team into a physical mismatch, a speed mismatch, or a scheme/coverage mismatch. You as an offense dictate what the defense does to try to stop you and then take advantage of the weaknesses exposed when the defense adjusts to you.

In this game Alabama failed to dictate the emotion. Alabama failed to dictate the tempo. The flow. Anything, really. Auburn made the better adjustments. Auburn dictated the tempo. The flow. The emotion.

Coach Saban is fond of saying, "It is what it is." True. I think criticism of Saban's approach and preparation is warranted. I was glad to see Saban put the loss on himself. I respect that immensely. He is perhaps the greatest coach of his time. I am elated to have him on our sideline.

That doesn't mean he is to not be questioned. That he is to be worshipped without question like some infallible deity, facts be damned. See Penn St for reference.

It doesn't mean the game has passed him by or that his overall approach is invalid. It doesn't mean any of us want to run him off.

It just means he isn't perfect. That there are things he can improve upon just as he demands of others.

It is what it is.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I'm haunted by a post an LSU fan made here back in 2008. It went something like this: You can count on Nick to win every game he's supposed to win, and win most of the ones he's not supposed to win, but you can also count on him to lose one he's never supposed to lose.

Well, that's what happened today.

Great coaches find a way to adjust their schemes and philosophy as the game changes over time. CNS is going to have to learn to defend the HUNH because it's clear that more and more teams are employing it. He's going to have to find some flexibility in his thinking or his teams are going to get out-played at the most inopportune times. I place this loss on his plate and find myself saying "I hope it tastes bad going down and gets stuck in your craw because you've got to remember this and do better next time."

This could be said in some shape or form about every coach. There's no such thing as a perfect coach. God bless Coach Bryant but he wasn't perfect either.

We definitely were out coached in this game, out played, out hustled, out executed etc. But it becomes increasingly harder to stay on that mountain top with every win and every national championship. Now the ball is in Auburn's court. Let's see if they can match what we just did over the last four years. My money is they won't even come close.

 

[fundytide]

Jess, I agree with you that Bama doesn't seem to play with the emotion and intensity in the Iron Bowl that the Barn does. Do you think maybe that's precisely because Alabama expects to win while Auburn has a 'no respect' chip on its shoulder? In other words, do the expectations at Alabama to be great end up draining emotional intensity from the team over the course of a season which makes Alabama vulnerable to Auburn late in the year in years when the Barn is riding high? Under Coach Saban, Bama does seem to wear down in November rather than gain momentum.

It seems to me like the emotional weight of expectations just got heavier and heavier for Bama through this season and 2010 seemed like that too. Maybe more than Bama as a team beating itself last night, Bama as a program beat this year's team down with that pressure and expectation to win.

Maybe that's what fells all sports dynasties in one way or another.

And here we all are griping about a loss- one of three in the past three years all of which were to top 10 teams, all by a TD or less, all with late 4Q heroics by the other side. As fans, if this is what we have to complain about, we are pretty fortunate.

 

[TideMom2Boys]

I tend to agree with Jess on his comments about the staff and CNS approach to the auburn game, it has been and always will be the most important game in any season. I mentioned odds on here several months, how with each win the odds in each subsequent game were not in your favor. Most fans on here reacted like I had killed their family dog. Sometimes you just lose, the other team makes the plays and your team doesn't. So rather than accept that, the fans blame the coaching staff, poor officiating (the old standby) and my favorite of all time, we beat ourselves.

We get it, you predicted this as a hard game. Although, you predict every game as a hard game....so I expected that. No need to keep calling out fans on here for being confident in a team that gave us no reasons to doubt to them.

I completely agree that Auburn outplayed us. It happens.... Doesn't mean I won't be just as confident in our bowl game.

 

[jangalang]

What's not right is pretty obvious: the record against Auburn. And the record is mediocre because four times in the last seven years, Auburn has played the better game relative to its talent level. Fortunately, the 2009 game broke for Alabama anyway, mostly because Alabama simply had a ton more weapons and better depth. Anyone who remembers the flatness with which Alabama played the first half of that game probably saw the same thing Saturday.

Critiquing preparation is part of critiquing the game as a whole. The coaches are not immune to criticism and hard questions. They are just men, and they are employed by and represent a program that is bigger than they are.

As for differences between this series and the LSU series, let's look at that for a moment. In 2007, when by all rights LSU should have torn Alabama to shreds, the Crimson Tide nearly pulled off the upset. In 2008, when LSU still had gobs more talent, Alabama went into Baton Rouge and won. You could stop there, and you are already miles different in a comparison of how Alabama has played LSU under Saban and how Alabama has played Auburn. With the possible exception of the 2011 game in Jordan-Hare, Alabama hasn't really done anything above the expected. Both Auburn's 2008 and 2012 teams had completely quit, and Alabama certainly gets credit for taking advantage of it. But when these two teams have been anywhere close to one another in terms of ability, Alabama has two wins, one of them at the very end of the game, and three losses. When Auburn has anything at all to play for, the Tigers are beating Alabama in preparation, especially the emotional/mental side.

I'm not worried about an assessment of Alabama fans being spoiled, or Alabama fans not showing enough appreciation. I actually find it amusing someone said that about Bama fans, because this is one of two programs in the country (Notre Dame being the other) that has a fan base that actually knows what grand-scale success is like. At the same time, it's expected here, and it's expected because there are now five different head coaches who have combined to win a total of 15 national championships. No one cries for the New York Yankees' manager, either -- success is expected.

At this point, there's nothing to be done. No amount of columns, analyses or message board posts is going to reverse what happened Saturday. The only thing to hope for is that something changes between now and next November. I don't expect Auburn to be quite as good next year -- the loss of Tre Mason will hurt, the defense will be vulnerable -- but AU isn't going to be dropping back to 2012 levels. They'll be coming to Bryant-Denny with probably 8 or 9 wins and if Alabama wants to win that game, it will have to treat Auburn like Auburn treats Alabama. My concern relative to Saban is that the team is prepared for the game the way it's been prepared the last seven times. And if that's the case, flip a coin.

Tre Mason is a Jr this season. He may go pro though.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I think part of the problem for the perceived lack of intensity for the Iron Bowl compared to Auburn's is number of rivalries one team has accumulated compared to the other. It's the price of being great. Alabama has to "get up" for more games than Auburn dreams about during the regular season. We're just about everyone's "rival" in the SEC in some form or fashion. Whether it be Tennessee, LSU, Miss St, Auburn, aTm etc. I've witnessed it myself. I know it can be a cliche but it is a reality. Teams bring their "A" game when playing us and that can take its toll over the course of a year. When's the last time Auburn has had to defend being at the top of the mountain? I can't remember a time. Manziel didn't have another Houdini type game before or after our game this season. Where everything he chunked up in the air came down in an aTm wr's arms.

It is a much different animal when you're the hunted. There's no doubt there is some major criticism that should go around for last night's game. We played and coached very sloppy. Didn't put the game away the three times we had the chance. But going outside of the game itself I don't think we can compare Auburn's mindset and Alabama's mindset of the Iron Bowl when the two teams have been in two totally different positions over the last six years. It is said that it is more difficult staying on top than getting there. Unfortunately for Alabama every team we play plays us like we're "on top" even in the times we haven't been.

I think Saban is a smart of enough coach to take this gut wrenching loss, reflect, examine, critique and make adjustments. One thing about Saban is he's very competitive and last night's loss had to do nothing but heat his competitive juices up to a million degrees.

I don't know who quoted on this board last night but I've laughed many times since reading it. "Only at Alabama is an 11-1 season consider a fail." LOL!

What's not right is pretty obvious: the record against Auburn. And the record is mediocre because four times in the last seven years, Auburn has played the better game relative to its talent level. Fortunately, the 2009 game broke for Alabama anyway, mostly because Alabama simply had a ton more weapons and better depth. Anyone who remembers the flatness with which Alabama played the first half of that game probably saw the same thing Saturday.

Critiquing preparation is part of critiquing the game as a whole. The coaches are not immune to criticism and hard questions. They are just men, and they are employed by and represent a program that is bigger than they are.

As for differences between this series and the LSU series, let's look at that for a moment. In 2007, when by all rights LSU should have torn Alabama to shreds, the Crimson Tide nearly pulled off the upset. In 2008, when LSU still had gobs more talent, Alabama went into Baton Rouge and won. You could stop there, and you are already miles different in a comparison of how Alabama has played LSU under Saban and how Alabama has played Auburn. With the possible exception of the 2011 game in Jordan-Hare, Alabama hasn't really done anything above the expected. Both Auburn's 2008 and 2012 teams had completely quit, and Alabama certainly gets credit for taking advantage of it. But when these two teams have been anywhere close to one another in terms of ability, Alabama has two wins, one of them at the very end of the game, and three losses. When Auburn has anything at all to play for, the Tigers are beating Alabama in preparation, especially the emotional/mental side.

I'm not worried about an assessment of Alabama fans being spoiled, or Alabama fans not showing enough appreciation. I actually find it amusing someone said that about Bama fans, because this is one of two programs in the country (Notre Dame being the other) that has a fan base that actually knows what grand-scale success is like. At the same time, it's expected here, and it's expected because there are now five different head coaches who have combined to win a total of 15 national championships. No one cries for the New York Yankees' manager, either -- success is expected.

At this point, there's nothing to be done. No amount of columns, analyses or message board posts is going to reverse what happened Saturday. The only thing to hope for is that something changes between now and next November. I don't expect Auburn to be quite as good next year -- the loss of Tre Mason will hurt, the defense will be vulnerable -- but AU isn't going to be dropping back to 2012 levels. They'll be coming to Bryant-Denny with probably 8 or 9 wins and if Alabama wants to win that game, it will have to treat Auburn like Auburn treats Alabama. My concern relative to Saban is that the team is prepared for the game the way it's been prepared the last seven times. And if that's the case, flip a coin.

 

[Florida Tom]

I don't think Alabama is a failure for losing to API at all but Jess is right! Listen to interviews of the 2010 team. The Iron Bowl just does not carry the emotional need you have seen in the past. The press does need to ask CNS questions about the game, it's their job.

This is a very Hard lost because it cost so much. Our seniors will be forever a part of kick Bama kick, AJ has No shot at the Heisman or any other QB reward, we lose a lot of players to the NFL & our coaching staff is bound to see changes, promotions & such.

CNS is a Great coach & has been extremely successful at Alabama, I hope he stays forever but he does need to understand that THIS game is not a faceless opponent, it's not we play to our standards type of game. It's more emotional than mechanical.

Games like this is where CNS is going to really miss the counsel of Coach Moore.

Other than Coach Bryany no one understood this game more.

 

[major tidefan]

Everybody has their kryptonite.Coach Bryant had Notre Dame.Saban has Auburn.

 

[TexasBama]

The flowchart goes 1. Beat AU 2. win West 3. win SEC 4. win NC. If you don't do number one on that list, you're probably not going to get Nos. 2, 3 and 4.

Therefore, beating Auburn becomes priority one. And really, there isn't a counterargument to that. Find me the last time Alabama won a NC without beating Auburn and we'll talk.

Secondly, you can be selective and take any year range you like, and get numbers favorable to you. Auburn has done this for years by saying "AU is x and x since 2002," or since Bryant left, but the problem isn't just 4-3. The problem is also that in all three losses, plus the 2009 win, Alabama allowed Auburn to control the emotional aspect of the game, and really make the games tougher than they ever should have been. It's not just the losses, it's the way Alabama has approached this game under Saban this is worrisome to me. The results in this series speak for themselves. When you have an alpha-omega relationship in a rivalry series, the alpha should be winning 7 of 10, if not more. Four of seven is not where you need to be.

Consider this. If Auburn gets some help, and gets in the BCS and wins it, over the past 4 years they would have the same number of BCS titles as us, plus one more SEC title. A hard pill to swallow.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Consider this. If Auburn gets some help, and gets in the BCS and wins it, over the past 4 years they would have the same number of BCS titles as us, plus one more SEC title. A hard pill to swallow.

I guess it depends on which criteria one decides to cherry pick to fit their mindset but why stop at four years? Why not go back to 2008-2012 and compare? If you do that you wouldn't have to swallow any pills.