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Experience vs Talent

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northalatider

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May 2, 2010
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Hello everyone I have been lurking on this site for some time now and I thought I would make my first post about our lack of real game experience.

I know that we have some of the best talent in the country on our team and I know that we have the best coaches in the country and that they will coach them up and get them ready to play. My concern is that is you look at some of the players that played last year they were not the best talent, but they had game experience. Look at players like Cory Reamer, Eryk Anders, Ma Johnson though they were great players and played lights out all year they weren't the best talent wise. I know that we will have a couple of games to get them ready at the start of the season, but once we head into the SEC schedule starting with Arkansas I hope that all that talent along with some experience will set us up for another wonderful season.

I am wondering what some of the more knowlegable of you think?
 
northalatider said:
Hello everyone I have been lurking on this site for some time now and I thought I would make my first post about our lack of real game experience.

I know that we have some of the best talent in the country on our team and I know that we have the best coaches in the country and that they will coach them up and get them ready to play. My concern is that is you look at some of the players that played last year they were not the best talent, but they had game experience. Look at players like Cory Reamer, Eryk Anders, Ma Johnson though they were great players and played lights out all year they weren't the best talent wise. I know that we will have a couple of games to get them ready at the start of the season, but once we head into the SEC schedule starting with Arkansas I hope that all that talent along with some experience will set us up for another wonderful season.

I am wondering what some of the more knowlegable of you think?
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Your last sentence excludes me from serious discussion. However, my thinking is much like yours. If we win a Championship we must have a really good D.
 
nothing beats experience, but talent can make up for a lack of it...most of the time.
from watching the all access programs, and reading everything i can find on about 4 different web sites, i think we will be fine as the season progresses.

the arkansas game will be huge because they have pulled a few out on us in the past, and a win would jumpstart their season. with that said, our defensive schemes drove mallet nuts last year, and i'm hoping that all the hype surrounding arkansas this year will hinder them muh like it did ole miss last year.

BUT, i get the feeling that CNS is worried about developing the "team" concept and jelling as one heartbeat. obviously, so are some of the more vocal members of the team. hence the player's-only meeting a couple of days ago. that, to me is the most important obstacle bama faces this year. as coach has stated several times, this is a new team and it needs to develop an entity within itself. this year has nothing to do with last year.

i coached high school ball for over twenty years, and all the talent in the world can't win if there is selfishness and/or a "me" cancer on the team. not saying that there is, but us fans better hope there isn't!

just my opinion.
 
Red Farmer,,,,,,, "old age and treachery will overcome youth and ability damn near every time". AND speed is not an item, speed is a byproduct of knowing what to do.
 
In our opponent's situation I had rather play Alabama early before the wealth of talent gains experience. If there is one coach who can cover up a lack of experience with talent and depth we have him.
 
Welcome northalatider!

I think we all share some level of concern about the lack of game-time SEC experience in the secondary. We all likely agree the talent is there for us to have an outstanding defense. We catch a break in that we should get some game experience against SJS without the final outcome being in jeopardy. Against Penn State we encounter an opponent with an unstable QB situation and better suited to running the ball. Dunno much about Duke but... well... they're Duke. Then comes Arkansas. If by the Arky game our secondary has found their sea-legs and gelled, we should be OK. If not... well...
 
Will Lowery ring a bell? Walk on a couple of years ago and now he's in the mix to play some at safety. This may be a result of our lack of depth there, but he is an example of someone who didn't get the big time offers, but walked on and learned the way CNS desires someone to learn and play.

He would be exhibit "a" if I were arguing this case. CNS prefers someone with less ability be on the field if they know what they are doing VS. someone with talent who is lost as an Easter egg.
 
GrayTide said:
In our opponent's situation I had rather play Alabama early before the wealth of talent gains experience. If there is one coach who can cover up a lack of experience with talent and depth we have him.
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Agreed. A good opposing QB could cause us problems early. I'm not concerned at all about a lack of experience anywhere except in the defensive backfield and on special teams.
 
Experience is relative. Some guys learn the things a player needs to know through experience. While others just seem to have the ability to see the things needed to play winning football. Recognition is the key. If the younger guys are football savy and see what's happening in front of them and react quickly enough, they will be a step quicker than someone with experience who doesn't see those things as quick. It's all about mental maturity and football comprehension.
 
NatchezTider said:
BUT, i get the feeling that CNS is worried about developing the "team" concept and jelling as one heartbeat. obviously, so are some of the more vocal members of the team. hence the player's-only meeting a couple of days ago. that, to me is the most important obstacle bama faces this year. as coach has stated several times, this is a new team and it needs to develop an entity within itself. this year has nothing to do with last year.

i coached high school ball for over twenty years, and all the talent in the world can't win if there is selfishness and/or a "me" cancer on the team. not saying that there is, but us fans better hope there isn't!

just my opinion.
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If you don't believe this, just ask anyone who's faced the occupational hazard of "having to coach Terrell Owens."
 
I think experience is critical but agree with an earlier poster who said that often times talent can overcome the lack of experience. Last year we had enough of a combination of both that made us unbeatable.

I think it has a lot to do with the position of the player as well.

For example...the most talented Quarterback in the SEC is going to struggle as a freshman. A freshman wide receiver might not.

Inexperience at the corners however does concern me. It's a tough tough position to learn in the first place, especially with Coach Sabans rather complex system. Then once you learn the system you have to get enough experience to where you're not having to think so much and are simply reacting. No matter what the talent level it can be very difficult to be effective.

I think we'll be fine but we might struggle a bit early on defense unless we rush the you know what out of the passer.

sip
 
Alasippi said:
I think experience is critical but agree with an earlier poster who said that often times talent can overcome the lack of experience. Last year we had enough of a combination of both that made us unbeatable.

I think it has a lot to do with the position of the player as well.

For example...the most talented Quarterback in the SEC is going to struggle as a freshman. A freshman wide receiver might not.

Inexperience at the corners however does concern me. It's a tough tough position to learn in the first place, especially with Coach Sabans rather complex system. Then once you learn the system you have to get enough experience to where you're not having to think so much and are simply reacting. No matter what the talent level it can be very difficult to be effective.

I think we'll be fine but we might struggle a bit early on defense unless we rush the you know what out of the passer.

sip
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Bingo. All of the barners, gators, and pigs fans who think their respective QB's will feast on our young DB's haven't faced one huge factor - THEIR QB'S WILL LIKELY BE SCRAMBLING FOR THEIR LIVES ON MOST PASSING PLAYS.
 
Just Win said:
Bingo. All of the barners, gators, and pigs fans who think their respective QB's will feast on our young DB's haven't faced one huge factor - THEIR QB'S WILL LIKELY BE SCRAMBLING FOR THEIR LIVES ON MOST PASSING PLAYS.
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Does anyone think that CNS will use even more blitz packages this year to kind of help out the green secondary? I can't help but think he will. They (secondary) are gonna need all the help they can get, especially early in the season.
 
The DB's that can learn the system will play. Lowery is slow compared to most of our DB but knowing where to be is critical. We'll be a better team when he can't break into the starting rotation.

"He said he knew he would play only if he learned the defense, because they had so many athletes coming in," Lowery said. "He said he treated it like another class and studied. I took those words and used them just like he did. I try to know things like the back of my hand to where I can process things on the field faster."

The irony is that Lowery shares his knowledge with young teammates who could then steal his playing time. So be it, he said.

Will Lowery
 
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Btw does anyone know anything about CNS's defensive schemes? All I've ever heard is "they're complex." It seems everyone agrees there.
 
Wes Neighbors is another who's beaten on speed by some of the others, but he has a universal grasp of the defensive scheme - when to go man, and when to break off to cover another receiver. Since some of the younger, more talented guys are lagging a bit, it's going to be very interesting to see who gets more PT back there...
 
GMacFan said:
Btw does anyone know anything about CNS's defensive schemes? All I've ever heard is "they're complex." It seems everyone agrees there.
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That is in an older thread: http://www.tidefans.com/forums/football/103050-nick-sabans-playbook-circa-2001-a.html

Saban's LSU playbook circa 2001. 336 pages worth and I'm sure the current playbook is just as long, if not longer. I started two years in HS as a Will in standard packages (4-3) and as a Mike in Nickel and Dime packages. Late 80's and we saw everything from wishbone/veer, pro set, to run and shoot packages. So I made plenty of recognitions and calls. This playbook is a lot to take in.

I can easily see where a player from a (possibly/probably) smaller school that doesn't faces any complex offenses and that use the "tackle the guy with ball" strategy, might come in and just get lost mentally. Someone who is from a larger school, has a position coach, and runs a specific defense with various packages would be able to pick up this and move forward with it. It's still a lot to take in and absorb, but they would be ahead.
 
Can anyone give insight to how CNS could simplify the system for some of the new players and how they may impact the ability to defend one type of offense vs, another?

To clarify, I was hoping someone would be able to explain if its possible to focus new players to only a base defense, and use experience in nickel and dime situations, which are more a zone "I think". I was hoping that even if a player didn't have speed he may be able to handle these situations with a lot of success since he would have a specific area of responsibility and less likely to be burned by someone with superior skills. I don't know much about football so no flaming!
 
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