Tide Coming In

[Crimson Surfer]

Tide Coming In

The tide is changing in the SEC and looked what washed up on shore - Alabama football. Lost in the turbulent seas of probation, scholarships restrictions and injury has been a program that once dictated the ebb and flow of college football's top conference. Fresh off a bowl appearance, it looks as if the days of irrelevance are now gone - and expectations are back.

Head coach Mike Shula has his best team since arriving to Tuscaloosa back in 2003. A healthy Brodie Croyle and one of the nation's best and most experienced defenses, not to mention a full allotment of scholarships, means that Shula and his staff can no longer lean on the crutch of prior indescretions and must make his team a contender come November.

 

[Rook]

Thanks. Good read. Agree with much of it, however, I am not sure why 3 new offensive line starters would equal a more wide open attack.

 

[Crimson Surfer]

It is a pretty good take on the current situation. The only glaring error in the article is that it said that Mike Ford is coming in this year. We wish. lol Other than a few minor details it was a good read.

 

[davefrat]

Thanks. Good read. Agree with much of it, however, I am not sure why 3 new offensive line starters would equal a more wide open attack.

yeah. especially considering the fact that two of the guys being replaced were drafted into the nfl.

 

[Tubama]

Someone explain to me

why having a full allotment of scholarships automatically means that Bama "Must contend in November"? Does this guy expect incoming freshmen to make up the last few year's depth problems?

Tubama

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Someone explain to me why having a full allotment of scholarships automatically means that Bama "Must contend in November"? Does this guy expect incoming freshmen to make up the last few year's depth problems?

Tubama

AMEN to that, Tubama. What so many people miss out on is the fact that we've never been that many down from what other schools actually operate with. The problem was twofold. First, we had precious little senior leadership because of the recruiting classes decimated by the endless years of rumors. Second, everybody knows about the recruiting restrictions. But that doesn't affect scholarship awards to walk-ons, provided they've been in the program a specified period of time (two years, I think, but am not sure).

Bottom line is that, while we weren't that far down in terms of numbers, we were way down in terms of talent. Walkons sweat and bleed and work just like the scholarship players. Oftentimes more. So please don't take this statement as knocking those guys. They have my undying respect, especially if they stick it out enough to earn a ride.

But the fact remains that, apart from the rare find (Marcus Spencer, for example), there's a reason they weren't offered a scholarship by another major program. And usually, that reason is that there's a flaw somewhere in their game -- too small, too slow, not strong enough, not able to see the field, bad footwork, not able to move laterally....whatever. So we had a lot of guys on scholarship that, for one reason or another, simply wouldn't be there in any other era of Alabama football.

Cripes, if having a full complement of qualified scholarship players were the primary determinant of success, Vanderbilt would be a perennial Top 5 team.

 

[Big tide fan forever]

great read thanks