Bama vs Oklahoma round 2 (Friday December 19th)

[Snuffy Smith]

Not according to this piece:

Alabama's biggest offensive issue in the SEC Championship may finally come to an end in the College Football Playoff

Make no mistake, the Alabama Crimson Tide have struggled to run the ball for most of the season. Saturady's game in Atlanta was the climax of those issues, however, as the Tide recorded -3 yards on the ground against the Georgia Bulldogs.

www.yardbarker.com

What that article says that they will likely be back for the playoffs but were missing in the loss in the championship game.

"As bad as things we're on the ground, the weeks leading up to the game against Georgia didn't show anything of the sort. In fact, the last three games of the regular season and even the Oklahoma game showed some improvement in the rushing attack. But that was due in large part to Alabama having its starting TE and tailback available, something the team didn't have on Saturday. Well, that could be changing in the College Football Playoff."

 

[DzynKingRTR]

The thing about actual playoffs is that it doesn’t matter what the regular season showed. It matters who can win 1 game. I think alot of people base Bama’s potential off of how the BCS and fake playoff (4 team playoff) operated. What I’m talking about is each team was equal in time of preparation and only had to future gameplan for two other opponents. Here no one has that luxury. What we have is truly a “win and advance” system. That truly favors a team with momentum over a team enjoying a whole month of holiday celebrations and lax practices until they get closer to game time.

If Alabama beats Oklahoma then barring major injuries they will have a clear edge in momentum going into the Rose bowl. Not saying they win but it’s harder to bring things back up after shutting it all down. Again what wins Super Bowls are great January defenses and capable offenses at the right time. And don’t think the latter couldn’t happen to be “good enough” again for us. As a reminder Georgia and Oregon both got blown out last year against teams who played round 1. The teams that played round 1 were 3-1 in the quarters with PSU being the only team to prevail over an overmatched Boise. Granted Texas benefited from refs and bad defensive decisions vs asu but the point remains that Ohio st and nd used their momentum in round one to go all the way after everyone outside of south bend and Columbus wrote them off.

Playoffs are a different and crazier type season where you truly can forget the past 13-15 weeks.

I asked AI how many times the #1 seed in the NFL has won the super bowl and it is only half the time. Just need to get hot at the right time.

 

[CoolBreeze]

What that article says that they will likely be back for the playoffs but were missing in the loss in the championship game.

"As bad as things we're on the ground, the weeks leading up to the game against Georgia didn't show anything of the sort. In fact, the last three games of the regular season and even the Oklahoma game showed some improvement in the rushing attack. But that was due in large part to Alabama having its starting TE and tailback available, something the team didn't have on Saturday. Well, that could be changing in the College Football Playoff."

I dig. Mainly, referring to Coach's view, which is different that being "totally out of the game":

Kalen DeBoer is optimistic about the return of Jam Miller, Josh Cuevas, LT Overton​

"I know Jam [Miller] I feel is probably the farthest along, if I really kind of put that kind of in order, feel that he's got a really strong chance of being not just available, but ready to go at [another] level. He can compete and do some big things, good things for us," DeBoer said via the Alabama Crimson Tide YouTube channel.

"Josh [Cuevas], he's on his way. Kind of just got to keep evaluating with him. I'm holding on to some pretty good hope, but you know, we'll see. You know, he hasn't seen our training staff yet today, but every day here now, the next four or five days, they all matter. You know, they all matter for all these guys.

"And then we'll continue to evaluate just where LT [Overton] is at with some of their illnesses and stuff like that that they're going through. So I'm optimistic on a lot of these guys. I think the other part is just so many guys that in the last two to three weeks of even go back to the Oklahoma game, a number of our guys got dinged up and, you know, just grinding through it."

 

[BamaMoon]

James Madison goes to Eugene to play the Oregon ducks, and Ole Miss will host former SEC member Tulane.

I hope they both get hammered into oblivion so all that is left is a mudhole.

I have nothing against either team. They are good teams. But they don't belong in a competition/tournament of determining who is the best team in big time college football.

They've taken two spots that more competitive teams should/could have had.

 

[Snuffy Smith]

I dig. Mainly, referring to Coach's view, which is different that being "totally out of the game":

Kalen DeBoer is optimistic about the return of Jam Miller, Josh Cuevas, LT Overton​

"I know Jam [Miller] I feel is probably the farthest along, if I really kind of put that kind of in order, feel that he's got a really strong chance of being not just available, but ready to go at [another] level. He can compete and do some big things, good things for us," DeBoer said via the Alabama Crimson Tide YouTube channel.

"Josh [Cuevas], he's on his way. Kind of just got to keep evaluating with him. I'm holding on to some pretty good hope, but you know, we'll see. You know, he hasn't seen our training staff yet today, but every day here now, the next four or five days, they all matter. You know, they all matter for all these guys.

"And then we'll continue to evaluate just where LT [Overton] is at with some of their illnesses and stuff like that that they're going through. So I'm optimistic on a lot of these guys. I think the other part is just so many guys that in the last two to three weeks of even go back to the Oklahoma game, a number of our guys got dinged up and, you know, just grinding through it."

He definitely sounds optimistic about having most of those guys back for next Friday night. I honestly think the one that hurt us the most was Cuevas being out.

 

[rolltide_21]

Has LT’s illness been disclosed? That’s something serious to be out 3-4 weeks.

 

[TiderJack]

Has LT’s illness been disclosed? That’s something serious to be out 3-4 weeks.

It has not but HIPPA laws are probably in play so we may never know.

 

[Snuffy Smith]

Has LT’s illness been disclosed? That’s something serious to be out 3-4 weeks.

Not that I have heard.

This was from last Thursday - indicated that both of these were not injuries but “medical issues"



“We do have two players that have illnesses, medical issues, whatever you want to call it,” DeBoer said. “LT Overton and Kelby Collins, they won’t be available for this game.”

Collins was newly revealed to be out on Thursday. He was not listed on Wednesday’s report.

DeBoer did not directly answer whether he expected Overton and Collins to return in the future.

“I’m just trying to get through these next couple days here and kind of see,” DeBoer said. “Obviously Kelby’s just popped up here too, LT’s yesterday. So just trying to get through the weekend and kind of see where that’s at. We’ll understand more details when that time comes.”

 

[CrimSonami]

I hope they both get hammered into oblivion so all that is left is a mudhole.

I have nothing against either team. They are good teams. But they don't belong in a competition/tournament of determining who is the best team in big time college football.

They've taken two spots that more competitive teams should/could have had.

Agreed. The AQ's have to be removed. And if the playoff 1st round goes as expected with the AQ's being obliterated there SHOULD be a meeting of the P-5 conference AD's to strong-arm the NCAA & committee into the modification. Better still go back to the BCS formula and don't spend all that time and money on wasted and meaningless shows and committee payout.