Bama Game Thread: OFFICIAL POSTGAME THREAD - Bama @ LSU...
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Yeah and Lane played the analytics and probabilities against us last year which turned a competitive game into a rout after they blew multiple 4th downs and gave us amazing field position.
Analytics and statistics aren’t everything.
I just don't understand how mid-tier FCS teams can run offenses that consistently throw the ball downfield and score points with seemingly zero dropped passes, yet we can't play pitch and catch with supposed 5 star recruits.
I will never be anything but an Alabama fan. I am 62 and Bama football for me has been as ingrained in me as my personality. But friends I have seen this movie before and sadly I know how this one ends. In 1982 Alabama hit a high water mark by beating the eventual national champion Penn State 42-21 in Birmingham. From there out the team steadily declined until it’s sad ending not because of a loss of a game but the retirement of another great coach Paul W Bryant. After that things were not the same, oh there were great wins difficult losses a few SEC titles and one National title in 1992.
It was reported that Bryant said during that season “I wish I could get them to play like I used to”…. To me that has been the story of this season. Will CNS step down or will he get his magic back and finish the season with 11 wins (counting the bowl game) or will the decline continue. Will he or does he want to make the changes in philosophy or whatever it takes to bounce back in 2023 and be a team of dominance that we have all grown to love? That decision is his and his alone. He will not be shown the door and should he decide he is up for the challenge then I am on his bandwagon whatever he does there will never be another one like him. Lane or Sark are probably the closest or even Kirby but he isn’t leaving his alma mater to continue his run he has started there.
We all knew this time could come and like the certainty of the sunrise would come, I guess the only thing left is for the Coach the GOAT to make the call. With all that is in me I want it to be delayed and never come but what we are seeing is not a lack of talent it is coaching whether it be coordinator deep or at the top. They are not getting the best out of the talent on board.
i pray with all that is in me that I am completely wrong, off base, a total blithering idiot, but it feels like I have seen this movie before…. Please let me be wrong!
Jess probably penned the greatest assessment of what happened last night. He wrote the way Cecil would have written it.. I just hope we are both wrong….
It was reported that Bryant said during that season “I wish I could get them to play like I used to”…. To me that has been the story of this season. Will CNS step down or will he get his magic back and finish the season with 11 wins (counting the bowl game) or will the decline continue. Will he or does he want to make the changes in philosophy or whatever it takes to bounce back in 2023 and be a team of dominance that we have all grown to love? That decision is his and his alone. He will not be shown the door and should he decide he is up for the challenge then I am on his bandwagon whatever he does there will never be another one like him. Lane or Sark are probably the closest or even Kirby but he isn’t leaving his alma mater to continue his run he has started there.
We all knew this time could come and like the certainty of the sunrise would come, I guess the only thing left is for the Coach the GOAT to make the call. With all that is in me I want it to be delayed and never come but what we are seeing is not a lack of talent it is coaching whether it be coordinator deep or at the top. They are not getting the best out of the talent on board.
i pray with all that is in me that I am completely wrong, off base, a total blithering idiot, but it feels like I have seen this movie before…. Please let me be wrong!
Jess probably penned the greatest assessment of what happened last night. He wrote the way Cecil would have written it.. I just hope we are both wrong….
Amen.
Two analogies come readily to mind.
The first if the iconic photo of New York Football Giant and Hall of Fame QB Y. A. Tittle in 1964.
Tittle was in the twilight of his career and had just thrown a pick-six, got mashed in the head and had a broken sternum.
It is a sad and tragic photo, but time catches up with everyone. In 1964 it caught up to Tittle.
The other analogy is that of Frank Beamer. I grew up a Hokie fan. (My father was an alum and my first college football game was Va Tech vs USCe).
Growing up, the Hokies would be 8-3 on a good year, and 3-8 (or 2-9) on a bad one. They played in the occasional bowl game.
Frank Beamer took the reins and brought the Hokies to unprecedented heights. They started winning. A lot. They had their own brand of football: Beamer Ball, outstanding special teams, hard-nosed "lunch pail" defense, steady (if not always spectacular) offense. They played for a national championship in 1999.
Then gradually, almost imperceptibly, Beamer lost the edge. Recruiting slipped, on the field results dropped. Each year, the record seemed to be worse than the previous one. Hope would spring eternal in Blacksburg every spring and summer, and then reality would slap the Hokies in the face each autumn and the downward spiral would continue.
The authorities had a very difficult call to make. Do they fire their legendary head coach? What would that say about their gratitude for the wonderful program Beamer had once built?
Beamer, for his part, could not quit. Va Tech was paying him way too much money for anyone to quit that kind of job, regardless of how bad things got. So Va Tech slouched forward year to year, and Beamer and Va Tech saw the dismantling of the edifice Beamer had constructed. Eventually, the Va Tech came to an arrangement with its alumnus and most famous coach, and Beamer bowed out.
The Hokies have had numerous coaches, but have slid into football obscurity. In the Covid year, even though eligible, the players voted not to go to a bowl game. The damage to the program had been done.
CNS has earned the right to stay on in Tuscaloosa for as long as he wants. Nobody has done more to make Alabama football great. I hope he cleans house this winter and brings in a group of coaches with fire in the belly and builds a team that strikes fear into the opponents, a team other teams say that they hate playing against.
Only Coach Saban knows what his expectations and desires are and how much gas he has left in the tank. Coach could hire some additional coaches that can leverage the truly great athletes already on the team and forge them into a great football team.
I really hope he does not choose the Beamer route. He has every right to do so, based on what he has already done in Tuscaloosa, but it will be as sad to watch for CNS' reputation as it is painful for the University of Alabama.
Saban said he would quit when it’s not fun anymore. Is he “there “ yet? Two losses by a total of four points, either of which Bama could’ve (and maybe should’ve) won - I don’t think he’s there yet, and yes we are an entitled, spoiled bunch.
So many factors, not the least of which is NIL, are likely pushing him “there” sooner rather than later. Another loss, close or not, may do it, I dunno; he has a job waiting for him on TV but is that something he wants? He’s already in commercials, so maybe - only he knows.
But I believe- and have from the start-that the portal would create “chemistry” problems. Bama doesn’t appear to be playing “as one” on either side of the ball. A portal entry does not have the same time to assimilate as a high school recruit does. JMO but I think it matters relative to the overall team psyche. I think everyone agrees the team is underperforming, and the responsibility for that is shared.
Next few weeks will tell the tale; win out and it’s an outstanding season. Two last play losses, both on the road, to top 10 teams?
Now, will that happen? We’ve seen mixed results in bowl games in this situation. Here’s to hoping the coaches and players have enough pride to make it happen.
Truth is, throw the analytics out the window, you would need a sheet for going for 10, not for two, for this alleged defense protecting a lead.
The 3rd-and-7 play where the walk-on RB ran through the frightening embrace of Two Left Toes and No Tackling and left him in the dust encapsulated everything amiss with Golf Swing-and-a-Miss's defense.
Even when in position to make a stop, they find a way to fail. Cannot protect a lead. (Cannot protect any lead when a game is in doubt.) Cannot play the position (LBs). Cannot manage to get out of their own way, especially when the pile's being pushed 10 yards downfield because the one (1) DL playing hand in the dirt is getting pile-driven to a 1st down - and your main 'backer is a marshmallow taken for that ride. What kind of demoralizing must that do to an OL that cannot even protect their own QB, much less establish a run game. It's all-encompassing, this softness and unpreparedeness - and irrefutably this "out-of-positioness."
In Saban we still trust - in 100% of the coordinators, and about 85% of the program, we don't.
The best predictor of future success is past success. Until the coordinators at Alabama change, this team isn't going to get better. It will likely get worse. Next year, without BY's heroics, could be painful.
Going back to last year's LSU game, this team is just a few plays away from having 6 losses in that span. 6 loses with Alabama's talent is almost criminal.
I thought I'd wake up and have a new perspective this morning. NOPE.
Still feels like the Twilight Zone.
The only thing I've got this morning is to say nobody should be surprised at the loss last night.
The "hope" we had that the bye week would offer a reset was a slim one and we knew by the middle of the 1st quarter we are who we are. We are a poorly coached, mistake-laden, weak-minded team who has a QB that's bailed us out of a couple of losses or it would be even worse.
Still feels like the Twilight Zone.
The only thing I've got this morning is to say nobody should be surprised at the loss last night.
The "hope" we had that the bye week would offer a reset was a slim one and we knew by the middle of the 1st quarter we are who we are. We are a poorly coached, mistake-laden, weak-minded team who has a QB that's bailed us out of a couple of losses or it would be even worse.
Stayed off the board last night, for the most part. I had a bad feeling about this game all week. Haven’t and won’t read through all the posts. We all see what’s happening here. CNS is getting tired. He doesn’t have the same energy and demeanor. His staff and players are a reflection of that. We’re simply not a championship team right now. The dominant run we’ve enjoyed is fading. We’re a mediocre SEC program right now. I don’t like it. I hate it. It’s time for wholesale change. Will that include CNS? I don’t know but I won’t be surprised by it. But my fanhood is still intact. That will always remain.
ROLL TIDE!
ROLL TIDE!
He has always saved his wrath for his most talented and successful teams. He, more than anyone else, sees the limitations of this one.
According the the preview from Jess, Bama had the advantage at QB, running backs, offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, defensive backs, and special teams. LSU had advantage only at wide receivers. I don’t disagree with any of that. As somebody said above, Kelly inherited a disaster from Orgeron.
The under-performance of this team is unreal.
The under-performance of this team is unreal.
I wasn’t referring to Saban. I consider replacing both coordinators and other position coaches major changes.
Yes there are some parallels to the Bryant 1982 team and Saban’s 2022 edition. But there are some caveats.
Brysnt was age 69. Saban is 71. Bryant’s health had been in extreme decline for the five years previous. He was 69 going on 89. Saban is in very good health. Outside his hip replacement and Covid, he has had very few health issues.
Bryant had reached the point where “his staff was his staff” the last couple of years. And Bryant was loyal to a fault. Saban has always been willing to “pull the trigger” on showing someone the door. (Which makes the Gol*ing situation so perplexing).
In 1982, Bryant was a physical wreck. He couldn’t have made the changes that were needed. He wasn’t capable. In 2022, I think CNS still has the chance to bring another championship to Tuscaloosa. But he knows that will require changes, lots of changes. New Coordinators, a complete re-evaluation of the program and “re-tool”. The question isn’t “can he do it”. The question is “does he want to do it”.
A personal example; I’m age 62. Back in the summer I explored an opportunity as Regional executive director for a company in the healthcare sector. Went through multiple interviews and basically the position was mine to take. I asked the regional VP for the names of some of the colleagues I would work with to get their “perspective”. Several were very candid. The job wasn’t just going to be “adjust and move forward”. It was hot mess. It was going to be a complete revamping. And not many folks pulling in the same direction. I knew almost immediately I wasn’t going to be empowered to get the job done. At age 42, or age 52 I would have most likely taken it because I would have welcomed the challenge. At age 62, I didn’t need the aggravation.
Question: Does Saban “want” to accept this challenge in the last years of his career?
Brysnt was age 69. Saban is 71. Bryant’s health had been in extreme decline for the five years previous. He was 69 going on 89. Saban is in very good health. Outside his hip replacement and Covid, he has had very few health issues.
Bryant had reached the point where “his staff was his staff” the last couple of years. And Bryant was loyal to a fault. Saban has always been willing to “pull the trigger” on showing someone the door. (Which makes the Gol*ing situation so perplexing).
In 1982, Bryant was a physical wreck. He couldn’t have made the changes that were needed. He wasn’t capable. In 2022, I think CNS still has the chance to bring another championship to Tuscaloosa. But he knows that will require changes, lots of changes. New Coordinators, a complete re-evaluation of the program and “re-tool”. The question isn’t “can he do it”. The question is “does he want to do it”.
A personal example; I’m age 62. Back in the summer I explored an opportunity as Regional executive director for a company in the healthcare sector. Went through multiple interviews and basically the position was mine to take. I asked the regional VP for the names of some of the colleagues I would work with to get their “perspective”. Several were very candid. The job wasn’t just going to be “adjust and move forward”. It was hot mess. It was going to be a complete revamping. And not many folks pulling in the same direction. I knew almost immediately I wasn’t going to be empowered to get the job done. At age 42, or age 52 I would have most likely taken it because I would have welcomed the challenge. At age 62, I didn’t need the aggravation.
Question: Does Saban “want” to accept this challenge in the last years of his career?
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Maybe I just need a break from the site. Maybe I’m just a bit emotional right now, especially living here in South Louisiana.
But to lose 2 games on two Plays regardless of how/why, and to have “fans” calling for Saban to step down is one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever seen.
We mock the fools in Lee County for far less. Coach Bryant had love and admiration until the day he died (and even beyond). But our spoiled brat fan base can’t deal with a two-loss team? So we push out the 71 year old who is about to sign the greatest recruiting class maybe ever?
Navigating new recruiting rules. A portal. And other changes. A Coach who played for a NC less than 11 months ago?
Who in the Hell do we think we are? we don’t deserve him, apparently
Very sad day in the Bama Nation. Embarrassing
But to lose 2 games on two Plays regardless of how/why, and to have “fans” calling for Saban to step down is one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever seen.
We mock the fools in Lee County for far less. Coach Bryant had love and admiration until the day he died (and even beyond). But our spoiled brat fan base can’t deal with a two-loss team? So we push out the 71 year old who is about to sign the greatest recruiting class maybe ever?
Navigating new recruiting rules. A portal. And other changes. A Coach who played for a NC less than 11 months ago?
Who in the Hell do we think we are? we don’t deserve him, apparently
Very sad day in the Bama Nation. Embarrassing
I have mixed ideas about the portal and how many players to take. Other teams like Ole Miss and LSU, etc don't seem to have chemistry problems when they use the portal. I'm not sure what the stats are on how much it would hurt recruiting to use the portal more. Guess it depends on the position. I do know that Bama needs to "hit the portal" with the OC and DC and maybe the WR and DL coaches. Get some D Linemen from the portal who are more physical.. same for O linemen.
This off season will be pivotal for the direction of the program. I knew last season would be the season to win it all, but injuries prevented that. I thought at the time that it would be at least 2 more years before we win another one. Other teams are getting better. If Saban does not fix things, it will hurt recruiting, especially at key positions. It is already tough now anyway. RTR
I wouldn’t trade CNS for anyone else in the country. I trust that he’ll get this fixed.
Meh.
I'm not calling for Saban to step down, but I'm also tired of glossing over the obvious issues that have existed for the last two seasons. He's not doing this as a favor to us or the university - he's the highest paid coach in CFB and has been paid handsomely for all that he's accomplished in T-town.
There is no 'deserve' at this point. And while expectations are (naturally) high, those of us complaining aren't doing so because we're "spoiled" - we're simply expecting what we've been told over and over are the most import aspects of the coaches jobs: preparing the players to be successful and making the calls to put them in that position. We're getting NEITHER of those fundamental things from this staff, and the only person who shoulders the blame is Saban.
One cannot accept praise then shun criticism. This is 100% on CNS and he needs to fix it.
Several years ago, Coach Saban did an interview on 60 Minutes, and in that interview he said, “high achievers don’t like mediocre people, and mediocre people don’t like high achievers.” We all know what a high achiever Saban is, so it completely befuddles me that hasn’t pulled the plug on the members of the coaching staff who appear to be mediocre.
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