Thoughts on QB situation after Game 5?

[selmaborntidefan]

The west is a mess this year. IF we can get past aTm this weekend the path is straightforward and totally doable to get to Atlanta.

I don't disagree that the West is a mess, which ought to give all the "if UGA played in the West, they wouldn't win national championships" folks pause.

We have a nervous norvous QB we have to trust to win on the road in College Station and the House of Horrors (JHS).

He has given me zero reason to have faith in him at this point - and TO BE FAIR to Milroe, neither has the O-line.

 

[BamaMoon]

I think we're dead this year, and it's only a matter of time.

You can win with a game manager who doesn't screw up a lot (Bennett, Cardale Jones, AJ, Greg)
You can win with a quarterback who knows what he's doing (Mac, Burrow, Sunshine, Tua, Watson, Rapist Winston, Cam, Tebow)

The KEY is that the first kind ONLY works if the QB doesn't screw up.

Jalen Hurts's biggest flaw was he was afraid to throw the ball when he should.
Jalen Milroe's biggest flaw is he's NOT afraid to throw the ball when he SHOULDN'T.

How in the Hell did Alabama of all teams get in this kind of predicament?
Four QBs on a roster and not one that the fans can really trust.

How is that even possible?


And spare me the Eeyore nonsense, folks.

I haven't been this resigned to a non-championship year since 2007.

And I HOPE - hope - I'm wrong.

So good to hear from you Selma! You are asking a question that has baffled me too: "How did we get to this point???"

 

[BamaMoon]

I keep hearing people reiterate that Simpson wasn't given chances. He's been given plenty of chances. How about all of the practices, scrimmages, and A day games? If he can't rise above the other competition so much that it leaves little doubt in the coaches mind who should be the starter, then what makes people think he's going to be so much better than Milroe at this point. I will agree he likely has a higher ceiling, but for some reason he's been hanging around the floor for too long and that floor is probably about the same level as what Milroe is doing right now.

That's fair. I know the coaches know what they see.

But did they really see more in Buckner to award him a start? That's the question I have.

 

[davefrat]

I don't disagree that the West is a mess, which ought to give all the "if UGA played in the West, they wouldn't win national championships" folks pause.

We have a nervous norvous QB we have to trust to win on the road in College Station and the House of Horrors (JHS).

He has given me zero reason to have faith in him at this point - and TO BE FAIR to Milroe, neither has the O-line.

It is what it is and we are what we are.

We're going to rise or fall with Milroe under center.

 

[Cruloc]

So good to hear from you Selma! You are asking a question that has baffled me too: "How did we get to this point???"

I think we were all in for Simpson to take over for Bryce this year, he never took the bull by the horns. We lost out on the transfer sweepstakes.....if we had been able to get Hartman, we're in great position right now.

Milroe is the most athletic and the team loves him the most apparently, so we defaulted to him. That's my best guess as a regular guy that's just a fan.

 

[Cruloc]

That's fair. I know the coaches know what they see.

But did they really see more in Buckner to award him a start? That's the question I have.

That decision makes me think Saban gave the decision to Rees for the USF game and he defaulted to familiarity. I'd imagine we'll never see Buchner on the field again.

 

[TideEngineer08]

I think we're dead this year, and it's only a matter of time.

You can win with a game manager who doesn't screw up a lot (Bennett, Cardale Jones, AJ, Greg)
You can win with a quarterback who knows what he's doing (Mac, Burrow, Sunshine, Tua, Watson, Rapist Winston, Cam, Tebow)

The KEY is that the first kind ONLY works if the QB doesn't screw up.

Jalen Hurts's biggest flaw was he was afraid to throw the ball when he should.
Jalen Milroe's biggest flaw is he's NOT afraid to throw the ball when he SHOULDN'T.

How in the Hell did Alabama of all teams get in this kind of predicament?
Four QBs on a roster and not one that the fans can really trust.

How is that even possible?


And spare me the Eeyore nonsense, folks.

I haven't been this resigned to a non-championship year since 2007.

And I HOPE - hope - I'm wrong.

I do not believe things are this dire - yet. But if you are right, it's going to be proven out this weekend.

I don't disagree that the West is a mess, which ought to give all the "if UGA played in the West, they wouldn't win national championships" folks pause.

This was once true. It's not anymore. And it has never been that the West had several contenders... it was that the middle of the West was a challenge. And that the East had NO challenges. Now the West is a glorified dumpster fire and the East is looking a lot more challenging with Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee having some semblance of competence. Florida is still way off but I do think Georgia is going to have to break a sweat to be 12-0 this season.

I'm still not sure if top to bottom the East is the better division, but it's actually a discussion worth having now.

 

[BamaMoon]

If the team "picked Milroe" over the coach, it's time for a new head coach.

Well, there's a lot of debate over the last 6 weeks or so about that. I don't know how much of the board/posts you've read recently, but CNS has always said something to the effect "the team chooses the QB."

We've always understood this to be a metaphoric type of quote to suggest the team usually coalesces around the one QB that gives the team the best chance to win.

I won't rehearse what happened after the USF game that involved a team meeting, but the concept of the team choosing the QB took on a little bit different meaning.

 

[BamaMoon]

It is what it is and we are what we are.

Philosophical but ultimately maddingly true.

There's an opportunity for the narrative to change this Saturday and we hope it does with a "W" at KF.

But confidence is based on past performance. It's hard to feel confident right now IF A&M is the best team we will face up to this point.

 

[TideEngineer08]

So good to hear from you Selma! You are asking a question that has baffled me too: "How did we get to this point???"

For years now, none of these other programs have been sitting around twiddling their thumbs. They've been working and working to kill the Saban monster. Heck, how many coaches in the SEC alone have been fired over the last 15 years? It's an astounding number. How many rules changes have been made in a direct effort to slow down the Alabama machine?

Well they finally figured out to quit trying to restrict Alabama, and instead just take off the common restrictions effecting everyone i.e. legalize what was once bold faced cheating. Oh and as a bonus, let's allow immediate no-restrictions transfers.

The other issue is all of the coaches we've lost. It gets to a point that the pool you are picking from to replace them has dried up. We are still recruiting at a high level, it seems, but we aren't developing like we once were.

 

[gman4tide]

I keep hearing people reiterate that Simpson wasn't given chances. He's been given plenty of chances. How about all of the practices, scrimmages, and A day games? If he can't rise above the other competition so much that it leaves little doubt in the coaches mind who should be the starter, then what makes people think he's going to be so much better than Milroe at this point. I will agree he likely has a higher ceiling, but for some reason he's been hanging around the floor for too long and that floor is probably about the same level as what Milroe is doing right now.

There was a battle during fall camp. But since camp ended, he's been taking (majority)reps with 3's and some with 2's. TB was given an entire week of 1's and showed what vs usf?

 

[BamaMoon]

For years now, none of these other programs have been sitting around twiddling their thumbs. They've been working and working to kill the Saban monster. Heck, how many coaches in the SEC alone have been fired over the last 15 years? It's an astounding number. How many rules changes have been made in a direct effort to slow down the Alabama machine?

Well they finally figured out to quit trying to restrict Alabama, and instead just take off the common restrictions effecting everyone i.e. legalize what was once bold faced cheating. Oh and as a bonus, let's allow immediate no-restrictions transfers.

The other issue is all of the coaches we've lost. It gets to a point that the pool you are picking from to replace them has dried up. We are still recruiting at a high level, it seems, but we aren't developing like we once were.

Yeah, I know the "question" generates a lot of discussions.

It does appear the SEC is leveling out. To be sure, Bama has come back toward the field just as other teams have gotten better. And it's entirely possible the best team in the country is on the West Coast this year! (can't believe I'd ever say that again!)

And you are correct about the coaching situation too. Mark Stoops was hired in 2013 and he's second in seniority to SEC coaches behind CNS. How many coaches who were former CNS assistants are leading SEC teams right now? Kirby, Jimbo, Napier, Kiffin and plenty at other schools like Sark at Texas.

Then you've got NIL and the portal...all these things are impacting the blue bloods and leveling the playing field.

Just speaking of the portal. Right now Oregon is one of the best teams with a transfer from Auburn (and guy a couple of years ago we wouldn't have wanted running our scout team). I won't even ask if we'd be better with him right now, but I think I already know.

 

[TideEngineer08]

Yeah, I know the "question" generates a lot of discussions.

It does appear the SEC is leveling out. To be sure, Bama has come back toward the field just as other teams have gotten better. And it's entirely possible the best team in the country is on the West Coast this year! (can't believe I'd ever say that again!)

And you are correct about the coaching situation too. Mark Stoops was hired in 2013 and he's second in seniority to SEC coaches behind CNS. How many coaches who were former CNS assistants are leading SEC teams right now? Kirby, Jimbo, Napier, Kiffin and plenty at other schools like Sark at Texas.

Then you've got NIL and the portal...all these things are impacting the blue bloods and leveling the playing field.

Just speaking of the portal. Right now Oregon is one of the best teams with a transfer from Auburn (and guy a couple of years ago we wouldn't have wanted running our scout team). I won't even ask if we'd be better with him right now, but I think I already know.

And the thing of it is... I don't think the SEC is just leveling out amongst itself.. the rest of the country appears to be catching up.

NIL/Portal isn't just a blow to Alabama, it's a blow to this entire region of the country. And I fear we've not yet even scratched the surface of the consequences it is going to bring.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

For years now, none of these other programs have been sitting around twiddling their thumbs. They've been working and working to kill the Saban monster. Heck, how many coaches in the SEC alone have been fired over the last 15 years? It's an astounding number. How many rules changes have been made in a direct effort to slow down the Alabama machine?

Well they finally figured out to quit trying to restrict Alabama, and instead just take off the common restrictions effecting everyone i.e. legalize what was once bold faced cheating. Oh and as a bonus, let's allow immediate no-restrictions transfers.

The other issue is all of the coaches we've lost. It gets to a point that the pool you are picking from to replace them has dried up. We are still recruiting at a high level, it seems, but we aren't developing like we once were.

This right here is why I'm done with the sport after this last hurrah season.

Dak Prescott cannot simply IN THE MIDDLE OF A SEASON say, "Well, Dallas benched me, so I'm leaving and going to the Giants."

There were many problems in CFB. It was 100% wrong and unfair that:
- colleges and EA Sports etc could make money off player images but NOT the players
- if a coach was forced to push a redshirt player out for a bowl game in the second half due to injuries, he lost his entire season
- VOTING for the champion was more ludicrous than two soccer teams having a penalty shootout since at least the shootout occurs ON THE FIELD
- the two-point conversion overtime came from the same damaged brain that decided "let's put a runner at second base for extra innings"


They took what was a national holiday (NYD) and turned it into a series of meaningless exhibitions between a bunch of second-stringers and "guy we're going to plan for next year."

BCS? Improvement
Four-team playoff? Improvement but marred by the finagling they can do and then lie about
12-team playoff? Well, I don't watch the NFL regular season for a reason, so why would I watch a bunch of college kids, 25% of whom quit their first school choice anyway

There's a joke making the rounds about how as a kid I was promised flying cars and all I got was all the world's libraries in my pocket and the ability to video chat 24 hours a day for free with my grandchildren on the other side of the world."

THAT'S A GOOD TRADEOFF!!!

What got taken from me with CFB?
A national CFB holiday (NYD) with meaningful games
The most important and exciting regular season in ANY sport due to "do or die"
3- and 4-year TV "relationships" with (mostly) amateur athletes that breeded familiarity
Rivalry games that meant something
Planning my fall Saturdays around when my team's game was on because it mattered
inspirational stories like Brandon Burlsworth, Tim Tebow, Brad Gaines, Brook Berringer, Darian Hagan
players at least SOMEWHAT committed to the school and state that
created legendary heroes (Van Tiffin, Archie Manning)

What did I get in return?
A committee to pick the playoff teams replaced the committee that picked the champion (okay...)
New Year's Day is just another day on the calendar that might have some exhibitions worth seeing
AT LEAST 9 teams are about to make a playoff they have ZERO business making
A benched player learns nothing, he just goes to another school
If a 3-loss Alabama makes the playoff, what do I care about the regular season anyway?
Guys so committed to their state/school they transfer and winning Hesiman trophies as rent-a-players
uniform combos that make me think I'm suffering from retinitis pigmentosa

If you're going to be the NFL, I'm going to either not watch you... or watch the BETTER product.

 

[92tide]

If the team "picked Milroe" over the coach, it's time for a new head coach.

i think the idea that this is what happened is patently absurd and is based on a bunch of armchair coaches making up stuff and that made up stuff becoming "fact"

 

[selmaborntidefan]

It is what it is and we are what we are.

We're going to rise or fall with Milroe under center.

True.
We're probably going to fail and spectacularly.
And I reiterate - it won't be ALL Milroe's fault, either.

But Saban was always the kind of guy to ask how we got to that point BEFORE we got to that point.

I understand we were going to have some sort of regression just based on Bryce's talents.
But we've let go of both coordinators who were deemed to be the problems, too.

We are still making DuBose-Shula era mental mistakes with penalties. One thing we were, particularly 2008-15, was appropriately aggressive but disciplined. You didn't see us drilling guys out of bounds or after the whistle to tack on yards.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

i think the idea that this is what happened is patently absurd and is based on a bunch of armchair coaches making up stuff and that made up stuff becoming "fact"

Yeah, I probably should have used blue font for half of that.

OTOH, you might remember there was a locker room split in 2000 with the whole Zow/Watts thing.
But then again, it was Dubious, so who is even surprised by that one?

 

[tidefan39817]

I agree. I was/am amazed at how much Hurts has progressed. But, it was obvious (at least to me) that he didn't start to really get better until he got benched. Untill a full time QB Coach (Dan Enos) was hired

FIFY.
i still do not understand why a QB coach is not hired for an on field position

 

[davefrat]

Philosophical but ultimately maddingly true.

There's an opportunity for the narrative to change this Saturday and we hope it does with a "W" at KF.

But confidence is based on past performance. It's hard to feel confident right now IF A&M is the best team we will face up to this point.

Texas is the best team we’ve faced so far and probably the best we will see all season outside maybe the post-season.

 

[BamaMoon]

Texas is the best team we’ve faced so far and probably the best we will see all season outside maybe the post-season.

CNS said TAMU was in his presser yesterday. Just quoting Coach.