Smoke and mirrors, trick plays, fake kicks...whatever. All of that crap was an act of utter desperation by a team who KNEW they did not have the talent or depth to stand toe to toe with Bama. I find their whole gameplan was pathetic and appalling. Onsides kick in the first quarter?!?! Gimme a break. Did Chizik and Malzhan steal a playbook from Houston Nutt or what?
Sorry to chime in now, but I just noticed this thread.
Where in the recent past have I seen another coach exhibit "utter desperation" by using an onside kick in the first quarter of a game? Somebody help me out?
Oh, yeah, Nick Saban using the surprise of an onside kick on the opening kick of the game versus Tennessee in 2007.
Was Saban sending the message his team could not "stand toe to toe" with that Tennessee team? Or was he sending a message to HIS team that the staff will do anything to win that particular game?
While risky, and I would not like to see my coach do it every game, I liked the idea when Saban did it and when The Barn did it. And, in my opinion, the effort by The Barn was much less a risky proposition than when Saban tried it in 2007. If it backfired on Auburn last fall, they would have still had a one-touchdown cushion and no one expected them to compete against that Alabama team. Had it failed on us in 2007, we would have energized an emotional underdog Tennessee team.
And in the generic, I love it when a coach always has one or two trick plays up his sleeve each and every game. Forces the opposing team to play the game a half-step slower always wondering if their keys are true or leading them into a trap. Forces the opposing team to take valuable and limited practice time to prepare for the trick plays they have already seen and for such plays they MIGHT see.