****Bama Vs. OU Postgame Thread****

[92tide]

Am I wrong or hasn't CNS hinted that this team may not have been as motivated to work as hard as past teams and felt a sense of entitlement?
It seems that has been discussed on here.

that is a challenge you will face with any team going for a three peat.

 

[Padreruf]

Even with all the defensive problems, we still out gained OU and almost caught them in TOP. (I haven't read all the posts in this thread, so sorry if already covered.) This game was lost by turnovers, pure and simple. We don't turn the ball over and we win...even with their QB having a Heisman first half. We outrushed and out passed them. My Baylor brother had said to me: "You'll win easy...they can't pass the ball at all." I want to know what team BU played.

On another note...it did seem that we relied (all year) way too much on the "big play." We had a hard time sustaining drives throughout a game. Little mistakes...inconsistencies that have been noted...all in all this team just did not reach the level of past teams.

The sun still came up...

 

[92tide]

Listened to Eli and CNS. Coach said we concentrated on containing a mobile QB, and played soft coverage. Instead, he played the game of his young career, and made us look foolish.

Also, pretty much everyone in the DB was banged up. Said a lot of young players got to see action. It isn't an excuse, but that is reality.

OK, having said all of that..................the same 3 "gotchas", we saw over and over, got us again:

1.) Could not get off the field, on critical 3rd downs. Too many times we let teams off the hook, and it burned us.
2.) We can't convert on 3rd and short. Sometimes, we move backwards. That is not supposed to happen, yet it did. Many times.
3.) TURNOVERS IN THE RED ZONE! Think how many points we left on the field, not to mention the swing in momentum.

And how we rack up over 500 yards, on offense, and play so poorly, at the same time, boggles the imagination.

But, as disappointed as we are, at least our butts will not be raw, come 1/8-9, when CNS meets with the players, one at a time. Some may want to declare, just to avoid the heat!

i think those three things are functions of the biggest areas of concern coming into the game. our o-line and our d backfield.

 

[bamacon]

Was that where that pass was headed? I couldn't tell...

It was, but like all night AK got blown up. He got pushed a good 3 yards back right off the snap and the OU def didn't have to do much to block it. It was also behind and low.

 

[92tide]

I did read it, and, as usual, Jess makes some great points. However, comparing him to Monte Kiffin is bit of a stretch. We wanted to make them one dimensional and to a large degree we did. Then we didn't make plays...

Look at Oklahoma's rushing:

Oklahoma Rushing
Player	Carries	Yds	Avg	TDs
B. Clay	17	44	2.6	0
K. Ford	3	15	5.0	0
S. Shepard	3	14	4.7	1
T. Knight	5	7	1.4	0
J. Saunders	1	4	4.0	0

We made them one dimensional. The one dimension everybody thought was their weakest. Then we didn't make plays. When we got em backed up (1st and 30?!?!) we couldn't get off the field. Look at two of the long TDs and the Jarrick PI penalty in the fourth quarter in man coverage. If we simply play the ball in the air a little better everything changes - even with the 4 turnovers that mattered. I'm not saying that constant evaluation isn't needed, but blowing everything up based on two games with a secondary we knew was in trouble coming into the season, before we lost Vinnie, probably won't be the way CNS decides to go.

additionally, their qb and receivers played a lights out game.

 

[bamacon]

What's funny is that 'NC or bust' attitude is precisely what Saban's 'process' preaches against - it's not about the eventual goal, but rather each play, executing to the fullest.

Well the players were also talking about how they wanted to prove they were the best team. I think that attitude had crept into their mindset as well.

 

[OUMick]

IMHO you don't need to change any schemes. It took our qb to play like John Elway to win. The turnovers hurt you even without them it was still a close game. If your defense had a pass rush and normal depth in the db's this type of offense wouldn't be so successful. If I was Saban I wouldn't change a thing. Reading this thread reminds me of some of ours a few years ago. Don't gripe about a 11 win season. They're not that easy to get even at programs like Alabama, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and USC.

I know a few years ago years ago it seemed our players seemed to think if they showed up they would win. I didn't see that with your players. Alabama is on a great run enjoy it. It's not over. Hopefully we can build on this and catch you guys in the championship next year. My son had to have surgery so I was unable to go to the game but heard the Bama fans were the way I remembered them from 2003. Congrats on a great program on a great run. Don't underestimate your coach and don't think you're doomed every other school's fanbase would love to be in your shoes for the next few years coming up.

 

[bamacon]

That had nothing to do with tonight. The HUNH has reduced Saban's defense to grasping at straws and swatting at gnats. Anyone who watched the Iron Bowl and Auburn's offense then watched the OU offense tonight would have had to be dumb and blind to not see they took a lot of pages from Malzahn's playbook. I've watched OU several times this season and their offense has never looked like that at any point this season.

The reality of it is the HUNH has decoded and stripped down defenses like Saban's and if he doesn't change we will continue to see what we saw tonight and in the IB from a defensive perspective.

It's like trying to kill flies with a heat seeker missile when a fly swatter is all you need.

 

[92tide]

Well the players were also talking about how they wanted to prove they were the best team. I think that attitude had crept into their mindset as well.

yeah. its hard not to have it creep in after having a deflating end of season loss, especially after having a very good season despite not having the stellar o-line and d backfield we are accustomed to. that mindset vs. the "we have a chance to knock off the mighty bama and SEC" was in play tonight as much as the scheming.

 

[TexasTideFan]

These type offenses are dissecting Saban's style defense and making it look VERY average.

Sadly, Saban needs to reevaluate his gameplan against the HUNH and do something different because whatever he is doing currently is not working.

 

[dayhiker]

Isn't this the second consecutive game against OU where the game essentially ended with our QB getting sacked and fumbling?

 

[Bazza]

Some good discussion here.

Without interjecting any of my opinions of the technical aspects wanted to say sorry for your loss.

Both teams played VERY hard last night.

Trevor Knight played a whale of a game as did Derrick Henry.

Congratulations for an excellent season - chin up and roll tide.

 

[BamaFlum]

Lord, I hope not. It may be time to look at some of the tactics of the Stanford S&C coach...

THIS!!! I hope the staff travels to Stanford in the off season and picks their brains about this. In life, you must adapt. Life doesn't stand still; sometimes change is inevitable and I'm hoping the renewed off season approach helps us in the future.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk, so my fat fingers cause misspellings and autocorrect makes my ships into...

 

[CrimsonEyeshade]

Not questioning his priorities in the least, but I do think there is ample evidence that Saban doesn't use the history or tradition of his program to motivate players. I can't argue with the results, but I wish it weren't so.

That's all.

I'd like to hear a little more evidence on how Nick Saban hasn't embraced our traditions, given that Mal Moore was his best friend on campus. Funny, we don't hear this intimation that "he ain't really one of us" until after losses.

 

[CrimsonEyeshade]

Isn't this the second consecutive game against OU where the game essentially ended with our QB getting sacked and fumbling?

Not the second, but to quote the 'Loaf: two out of three ain't bad.

 

[92tide]

I'd like to hear a little more evidence on how Nick Saban hasn't embraced our traditions, given that Mal Moore was his best friend on campus. Funny, we don't hear this intimation that "he ain't really one of us" until after losses.

im guessing it fits in to one of the stages of grief.

 

[bamacon]

D. Hand is precisely the type of DE Bama needs. I think we will see that next year.

 

[CrimsonProf]

I'd like to hear a little more evidence on how Nick Saban hasn't embraced our traditions, given that Mal Moore was his best friend on campus. Funny, we don't hear this intimation that "he ain't really one of us" until after losses.

Not suggesting he isn't one of us at all - simply noting that perhaps the historical context is something he doesn't emphasize, and I base that one recent comments by both Jay Barker and Barrett Jones. I'm not even sure I mean it as a criticism - but I am suggesting that if those things were to be included in the overall culture of the program, we wouldn't be playing lackluster games against Auburn, for example.

 

[dayhiker]

Not the second, but to quote the 'Loaf: two out of three ain't bad.

I couldn't remember which of the OU games it was where JPW dropped the ball to end the game.

 

[92tide]

just to add a bit of perspective. we end the regular season a couple of weird bounces away from being in the BSCCG and it is considered a "bad" season and we are sitting here discussing how the game may have passed by arguably one of the best college coaches (who is a defensive genius btw).

georgia ends the season "5 yards from playing in the BSCCG" and they have coffee table books made about it.