Comparison of 2010 UA and 2004 LSU

[imaloyalone]

For me, it's interesting to notice that there may be some similarities between us this year and the Tigers of 2004. The year previous, for both teams, was a year of dominance and a team heavy on upper classmen. LSU had 17 of 24 starters who were either juniors or seniors... UA had 19 of 24. Most intriguing part of the comparison is that both squads had secondaries loaded with these upperclassmen who allowed the defense to run diverse schemes.

Both teams had seven players drafted in the spring following the championship run... notice the comparisons:
* LSU - one 1st rounder; UA - two 1st rounders
* both had two 2nd rounders
* both had one 3rd rounder
* LSU - one 5th rounder (UA none)
* both had two 7th rounders

Summary... both teams relied heavily on experienced role players along with a good scattering of NFL-caliber players in their championship year. LSU in 2003 finished 9-3... with the final game being a Capital One Bowl loss to Iowa in the final seconds and UA looks likely to end up somewhere close.

Understand, not questioning his ability or coaching... but I think I come away from this comparison realizing even Coach Saban had to learn how to lead a team to a MNC... and I am wondering if he isn't struggling in his quest to find out how to keep them at that level. Want proof? Check out his presser from yesterday... I see a man who's done everything possible but still comes away frustrated by complacency and lack of grit/toughness.

 

[bamaee04]

I think this is certainly a fair comparison. As you mentioned, we lost a lot of very good/great players off of last years team, but the leadership they had is missed almost as much if not more than their actual talent. It hurts to see us show very little if any improvement since the USCe loss, and it seems we are two to three rungs down the ladder this year over the one that many thought we might be. Hopefully the team can get past this and find their deep down winning desire and someone else can step up and be a leader. The future looks bright let's finish the season!!...RTR!!

 

[SavannahDare]

Excellent comparison! Thanks for posting this.

I think it's important for us fans to realize just how drastically a team can change when taking away just a few players. Taking away a dozen or more creates a change in chemistry that's almost impossible to overcome in one season. We're watching that struggle every week with this team.

 

[BrettStah]

So if the similarities continue, that means that Saban will be heading to the NFL, huh? I think the Cowboys will have an opening!

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I know people like to ultimately blame the coach the players that aren't "buying in" are to be held responsible as well. There is no such thing as a one size fits all coaching style. Football is a team sport and and it takes players and coaches buying in. One cannot MAKE the other buy in. They either do or they don't. CNS and staff can pour their heart and soul into getting the players prepared but if the players CHOOSE not to mentally and emotionally buy in then at that point I don't blame the coaches. The players are at fault.

If there is a group of players who aren't buying in then I can assure they will be replaced in 2011. We seen CNS do it before and he'll do it again until he finds some "hunting dawgs". He maybe in a position right now where he hasn't found those "hunting dawgs" and has to play with what he's got to work with.

Understand, not questioning his ability or coaching... but I think I come away from this comparison realizing even Coach Saban had to learn how to lead a team to a MNC... and I am wondering if he isn't struggling in his quest to find out how to keep them at that level. Want proof? Check out his presser from yesterday... I see a man who's done everything possible but still comes away frustrated by complacency and lack of grit/toughness.

 

[TommyMac]

For me, it's interesting to notice that there may be some similarities between us this year and the Tigers of 2004. The year previous, for both teams, was a year of dominance and a team heavy on upper classmen. LSU had 17 of 24 starters who were either juniors or seniors... UA had 19 of 24. Most intriguing part of the comparison is that both squads had secondaries loaded with these upperclassmen who allowed the defense to run diverse schemes.

Both teams had seven players drafted in the spring following the championship run... notice the comparisons:
* LSU - one 1st rounder; UA - two 1st rounders
* both had two 2nd rounders
* both had one 3rd rounder
* LSU - one 5th rounder (UA none)
* both had two 7th rounders

Summary... both teams relied heavily on experienced role players along with a good scattering of NFL-caliber players in their championship year. LSU in 2003 finished 9-3... with the final game being a Capital One Bowl loss to Iowa in the final seconds and UA looks likely to end up somewhere close.

Understand, not questioning his ability or coaching... but I think I come away from this comparison realizing even Coach Saban had to learn how to lead a team to a MNC... and I am wondering if he isn't struggling in his quest to find out how to keep them at that level. Want proof? Check out his presser from yesterday... I see a man who's done everything possible but still comes away frustrated by complacency and lack of grit/toughness.

And that is why Coach Bryant is the best of all-time.

 

[imaloyalone]

So if the similarities continue, that means that Saban will be heading to the NFL, huh? I think the Cowboys will have an opening!

You know, in being fair to his record, we probably would do well to realize he's left programs after achieving "the mountain" in his past two college stops prior to us. Understand, every sign points to his staying with us until retirement... but it's only the second time he's faced this situation. And, it seems he's very frustrated with trying to keep our players motivated to improve.

And that is why Coach Bryant is the best of all-time.

In all fairness, I don't know if CPB could do what he did in our era. Have little doubt he would have been successful, but don't know if ANY coach can stay on top like that in the modern day arena.

 

[imaloyalone]

BTW... even if he were to go the pros again (HIGHLY unlikely), he wouldn't go to the Cowboys. He realizes he'd probably be arrested within a year for killing Jerry Jones.

 

[TidePhin]

So if the similarities continue, that means that Saban will be heading to the NFL, huh? I think the Cowboys will have an opening!

That's what scares me the most, ecspecially with McElroy's pull with Dallas

 

[Fishhead]

That's what scares me the most, ecspecially with McElroy's pull with Dallas

I've wondered about Bradie James and other former players with Dallas talking it up to him...but I doubt it. He is pretty tight with James, though...

 

[CullmanTide]

You know, in being fair to his record, we probably would do well to realize he's left programs after achieving "the mountain" in his past two college stops prior to us. Understand, every sign points to his staying with us until retirement... but it's only the second time he's faced this situation. And, it seems he's very frustrated with trying to keep our players motivated to improve.



In all fairness, I don't know if CPB could do what he did in our era. Have little doubt he would have been successful, but don't know if ANY coach can stay on top like that in the modern day arena.

One thing Coach Bryant didn't have to deal with is the NFL taking away his best upcoming seniors. Correct me if I'm wrong but we have only 4 starting seniors now and that trend will continue.

 

[BamaMoon]

I actually thought about the similarity of his down year at LSU following their NC in '03 and this year last night.

CNS said from the beginning of the year that motivation to stay hungry or not being satisfied with success was the biggest issue for this team.

I'll say this, he struggled with it in 04 with the LSU team, he's struggling with it in '10 with this team, but he's a quick study and after the next time we win a championship, if I was a betting man, I put my money on him figuring this problem out the 3rd time around.

BTW, I don't think his frustration with this will send him back to the NFL anyway. I think he found he's better at motivating 18-23 year olds than he is with motivating "rich stars."

 

[BrettStah]

I think that if Drew Brees had gone to the Dolphins instead of the Saints, Saban would still be there. Then the Saints wouldn't have won the Super Bowl, most likely! It's pretty cool to think about hypothetical situations, huh?

 

[imaloyalone]

I think that if Drew Brees had gone to the Dolphins instead of the Saints, Saban would still be there. Then the Saints wouldn't have won the Super Bowl, most likely! It's pretty cool to think about hypothetical situations, huh?

Saban wanted him... but the choice got axed by the front office and Brees was subsequently not given the medical clearance by the Dolphins organization. A number of people close to the situation believed it was one of the straws that broke the camel's back with his relationship with the front office. Get the fact that I'm NOT saying he's going to be tempted to go anywhere. He's has said, at every opportunity, that he's not going anywhere... and there's NOTHING to the contrary that suggests otherwise. But I do believe this year has been a huge frustration to him.

 

[rollntider]

So if the similarities continue, that means that Saban will be heading to the NFL, huh? I think the Cowboys will have an opening!

thats a good one, but Dallas will be after Cowher, or Chuckie (Gruden). Saban will want full control if he goes back, Dallas will never do that as long as Jones is there.

He has full control at Bama, why give that up?

Plus next year his team he has built will be a very good one. We are doing growing pains this season with a very young defense.

 

[BamaFlum]

One difference with his frustration this year is that he is still in control of the program. He is calling the shots with no front office telling him who to recruit and who to hire. He will learn just as we all learn from hardship and teach the players what he has learned to overcome complacency and acheive their goals again.

 

[RTR91]

My brother told me Clay Travis predicted Coach Saban to go to the Cowboys (same article as the one with his prediction of Bama losing this past Saturday). Neither one of us could agree with that. Jones would not give Coach Saban the control he wants. If Bill Parcells couldn't last under Jerry, what makes people think Coach Saban could? There are a few NFL owners he could coach for; Jerry Jones is not one.

 

[JessN]

My brother told me Clay Travis predicted Coach Saban to go to the Cowboys (same article as the one with his prediction of Bama losing this past Saturday). Neither one of us could agree with that. Jones would not give Coach Saban the control he wants. If Bill Parcells couldn't last under Jerry, what makes people think Coach Saban could? There are a few NFL owners he could coach for; Jerry Jones is not one.

How Clay Travis became an oracle of any kind is amazing to me. He's gotten a couple of pieces of info that turned into scoops but he's also been extraordinarily wrong on others.

I know our LSU friends want it to happen badly, because despite LSU's victory Oct. 6, it's more than clear to anyone who the better coach is. One of my friends was in Baton Rouge for the game and reported several -- not one, several -- LSU fans after the game are still hoping Miles gets fired after this year. Since misery loves company, I'm sure LSU is pulling hard for Saban to do anything but return to Tuscaloosa next year.

And if it were to happen, I'd also note the following: Whoever is looking for coaches next year will have the richest crop of potential candidates to come along in years. There's Gary Patterson at TCU, Kyle Whittingham at Utah, Chris Petersen, Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh, in addition to guys like Cowher and Gruden who obviously won't be coaching the Cowboys if Dallas were to hire Saban. And I realize that every one of the men I just named have repeatedly said they're happy where they are, or are not looking for a job, etc., but the facts of the matter are (a) Alabama is Alabama, (b) money is not an object, and (c) UA knows how to run a coaching search now, and will get whoever it wants the next time out.

 

[BamaBeta]

After the game saturday night, I kept thinking of how the teams are similar, not from an NFL draft perspective but a player replacement perspective. It was very bothersome to me to think that this team will struggle to get to 10 wins this season, though it is not out of the question. Here's hoping the team "gets it together" for the big games left. It is frustrating to watch uninspired football.

 

[Crimson_Knight]

The LSU fan has a point. Dallas will have an opening and Jerry did help Lester out before.