| FTBL Alabama vs Michigan -Bama Football Falls to UM in ReliaQuest Bowl, 19-13

I doubt it. When I went to the ER they gave me NSAIDs...I have surgery on Tuesday, but I doubt they give me any good stuff.

Off topic: I had a route canal last Monday, and I'm pretty sure one of the numbing agents had some type of synthetic opioid in it, because I felt amazing when the doctor shot me full of that stuff.
Tough deal. They putting metal in it?
 
Good deal.I broke my right ankle my freshman year of high school football. They put 2 pins in it. Got to tell you, if they still do those pre-ops shots, oh man, hurt like hell, but only take a few minutes to kick in. The nurse gave me mine and told me to hurry and put my op gown on, I asked her why the hurry? She said, because in about 5 minutes you wont care if you have one on or not, she was not lying.
 
Good deal.I broke my right ankle my freshman year of high school football. They put 2 pins in it. Got to tell you, if they still do those pre-ops shots, oh man, hurt like hell, but only take a few minutes to kick in. The nurse gave me mine and told me to hurry and put my op gown on, I asked her why the hurry? She said, because in about 5 minutes you wont care if you have one on or not, she was not lying.
Well administered (legal) drugs make you understand how people can get hooked. I recently had the artery in my right leg drilled out (3 complete blockages) & they had to hit me with fentanyl 5 times (4 hour procedure). That stuff is scary as hell!
 
Well administered (legal) drugs make you understand how people can get hooked. I recently had the artery in my right leg drilled out (3 complete blockages) & they had to hit me with fentanyl 5 times (4 hour procedure). That stuff is scary as hell!
Shit I once took 30mg of Adderall and felt like I could chew glass and run through a wall. I understood why people get hooked on meth after that lol
 
We have had some pretty good individual OL the past few years. But, as a group, we have played poorly the past 3 or 4 years. Why?
Three reasons come to mind. #1 Poor coaching. Inability to develop the guys physically and mentally, into a cohesive unit. To instill the importance of their play. #2 We recruit guys as big as a house and slower than a snail. Most every play, opposing DL beat them off the snap. #3 Our OL practices against our poorly coached DL. There are winners and losers on each side of the ball every snap in practice. They are NOT making each other better. They are making each other mediocre. There does not look to be much self pride in many of the individuals or in the units play.

As a human being, I think Milroe is a damn good dude. But I don't know him, never met him. He is fast afoot, but not very quick to get out of trouble. And trouble finds him quite often. As his sieve of an OL unit gets beat frequently. But, on the occasion that he has time to scour the field for an open receiver, he either does not see open receivers or does not trust himself to get them the ball. He does not seem to be able to read the defense at all and has myopic vision as if he is has pre determined who he is throwing the ball to no matter what or get tackled for a loss.

In my view, football is really a simple game. Some coaches seem to make it much more complicated than it really is. Look at the NFL. It has become a highly evolved form of backyard football , played by the worlds best athletes. Schemes? The game will always be the same as far as running, throwing, tackling, catching and trying to out score your opponent. Many coaches out coach themselves.

Football is like most any business. Whereas, owners, managers, bosses or coaches have to know their employees or players strengths and weaknesses. They should know what each employee or player does best. Put your best all around players on the field and game plan to their strengths and against the opposing defenses weaknesses. Our offenses game planners, analysts and OC, do not seem to be able to figure this out. Our OL is not a strength. Our QB reading the defense on slow, down the field pass plays are not his strength.

In my view, a solid running game by the RB's should be developed in the spring and fall. The QB should not be relied upon to carry any load in the running game. Only run to escape trouble. Make your OL work to establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Instill a sense of pride in their play to beat their man on each play. Of course, the passing game also has to be developed at the same rate. A well developed offense should be able to run or pass on any given down on any part of the field. As long as the players are well coached and take pride in their own play, their team mates play, The University, and have respect for their coaches and their opponent.
 

TAMPA, Fla. - No. 11/11/11 Alabama football fell in a hole early and was unable to finish the comeback, falling 19-13 to the Michigan Wolverines in the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium on Tuesday. The Crimson Tide seemed to be driving for a potential game-winning touchdown in the final seconds but could not find the endzone deep in Wolverines' territory on the game's final drive.

Jalen Milroe finished the afternoon 16-of-32 through the air, tallying 192 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Germie Bernard led all UA receivers with 80 yards on four catches, while Robbie Outzs hauled in a 25-yard touchdown catch to mark his lone reception.

Defensively, the Tide held the Wolverines to just 190 total yards of offense and 2.9 average yards per play in the loss. Jihaad Campbell managed 11 total stops, while Justin Jefferson and Bray Hubbard each recorded nine tackles. Zabien Brown also notched his third interception of the season, which finished tied for the team lead (Hubbard).

Notes

  • Head coach Kalen DeBoer closed his first season at Alabama with nine wins, tying him with Frank Thomas (1931) for the most victories by a first-year head coach in program history
  • The Tide's opening four possessions included two fumbles, an interception and a turnover on downs, resulting in 16 points for the Wolverines
  • For the game, Alabama's defense allowed 2.9 yards per play (66 total plays) and 2.3 yards per rush, however, Michigan dominated time of possession (38:12 compared to 21:48) and finished 4-4 in redzone opportunities
  • With 11 total tackles, Jihaad Campbell finished the 2024 campaign having recorded 10-plus stops in five of 13 games
  • James Smith's quarterback sack in the third quarter was the first sack of his collegiate career
  • Robbie Ouzts' touchdown reception in the second quarter was his second receiving score of the year, creating a new single season career high
  • Daniel Hill's three-yard reception in the fourth quarter was the first catch of the running back's career

How It Happened

First Quarter

  • 8:15 - UM | Following an Alabama turnover on downs, Michigan opened the scoring with a 45-yard field goal (3-0, Michigan).
  • 5:52 - UM | A Crimson Tide fumble set up the Wolverines deep in Alabama territory, eventually converting a 30-yard field goal (6-0, Michigan).
  • 4:15 - UM | An Alabama interception once again gave Michigan a short field, as the Wolverines found the end zone with a 13-yard touchdown pass (13-0, Michigan).
  • 2:04 - UM | The Crimson Tide's second fumble of the quarter paved the way for a 21-yard Wolverines field goal (16-0, Michigan).

Second Quarter

  • 4:06 - UA | Alabama closed a quick four-play, 71-yard drive, as Jalen Milroe found Robbie Ouzts for a 25-yard touchdown pass (16-7, Michigan).
  • 0:04 - UA | With 58 seconds remaining in the first half, Alabama covered 90 yards in 54 seconds, allowing Graham Nicholson to convert a 24-yard field goal just before halftime (16-10, Michigan).

Fourth Quarter

  • 7:21 - UM | The Wolverines concluded a nine-play, 47-yard drive with a 37-yard field goal to create a two-score lead (19-10, Michigan)
  • 4:38 - UA | Graham Nicholson's second field goal of the day, a 51-yard kick, ended an eight play, 42-yard drive to cut the lead to one score (19-13, Michigan)
 
We have had some pretty good individual OL the past few years. But, as a group, we have played poorly the past 3 or 4 years. Why?
Three reasons come to mind. #1 Poor coaching. Inability to develop the guys physically and mentally, into a cohesive unit. To instill the importance of their play. #2 We recruit guys as big as a house and slower than a snail. Most every play, opposing DL beat them off the snap. #3 Our OL practices against our poorly coached DL. There are winners and losers on each side of the ball every snap in practice. They are NOT making each other better. They are making each other mediocre. There does not look to be much self pride in many of the individuals or in the units play.

This really sums up my sentiment too. The OL performance at 'Bama since 2020 has been average. There have been spurts of great potential (see 2021 SECCG, 2023 SECCG, or 2024 LSU game for example) but there hasn't been consistency across the board. Side note, all of those games where the OL dominated, 'Bama was an underdog & outperformed the opponent DL. And we are flat out kidding ourselves about championship contenders IF we don't have true mean ass leaders on BOTH lines of scrimmage.

Interestingly enough, July 1st 2021, the NIL was formally a part of the recruiting word, as well as retention of college football rosters. This challenge has eroded certain aspects of the "Process" that CNS operated under. And in time CNS grew tired of trying to really coach guys as to what was going to really matter about football. And it is my opinion, CNS realized that his approach to the game was not going to hold water like it used to. It still held water but not like it used too when the Texas A&M's of the world capture elite talent over & over again only to throw them into the black holes of irrelevance after fattening them up (literally & figuratively) with NIL bloat.

Georgia, under Kirby, & Texas, under Sarkisian, is figuring it out so far. I think we will know just how well after these playoffs.

To that end, I hope DeBoer see's very clearly that he better make this roster EXACTLY like he wants it. And I hope that he does not wilt to any player who tries to exert any entitlement that creates animosity or indifference (Milroe seemed very withdrawn from this team after the Vandy loss). Jawja ran into the indifference effect of Carson Beck who has carried himself apart from his team.

I'll say it again . . . . . To Hell with 2024 🖕🖕.

Hello 2025, here's to a brighter year! 🍻
 
This really sums up my sentiment too. The OL performance at 'Bama since 2020 has been average. There have been spurts of great potential (see 2021 SECCG, 2023 SECCG, or 2024 LSU game for example) but there hasn't been consistency across the board. Side note, all of those games where the OL dominated, 'Bama was an underdog & outperformed the opponent DL. And we are flat out kidding ourselves about championship contenders IF we don't have true mean ass leaders on BOTH lines of scrimmage.

Interestingly enough, July 1st 2021, the NIL was formally a part of the recruiting word, as well as retention of college football rosters. This challenge has eroded certain aspects of the "Process" that CNS operated under. And in time CNS grew tired of trying to really coach guys as to what was going to really matter about football. And it is my opinion, CNS realized that his approach to the game was not going to hold water like it used to. It still held water but not like it used too when the Texas A&M's of the world capture elite talent over & over again only to throw them into the black holes of irrelevance after fattening them up (literally & figuratively) with NIL bloat.

Georgia, under Kirby, & Texas, under Sarkisian, is figuring it out so far. I think we will know just how well after these playoffs.

To that end, I hope DeBoer see's very clearly that he better make this roster EXACTLY like he wants it. And I hope that he does not wilt to any player who tries to exert any entitlement that creates animosity or indifference (Milroe seemed very withdrawn from this team after the Vandy loss). Jawja ran into the indifference effect of Carson Beck who has carried himself apart from his team.

I'll say it again . . . . . To Hell with 2024 🖕🖕.

Hello 2025, here's to a brighter year! 🍻
On that brighter year note:
 
Back
Top Bottom