🏈 Bama vs. FSU Score?

[musso]

I really have to question anyone that could argue that Saban looks at ANY game and says "if we lose its okay, as long as its not a blowout." No body in their right mind, that has paid ANY attention the last decade could even fathom Saban thinking that.

You're oversimplifying my post and arguing against a Straw Man. The fact that you have #1 vs #3 is ONE OF MANY FACTORS which both coaches must consider in formulating their game plans. The reality is the loser will not fall much. If FSU was ranked much lower, then there would be greater pressure on Bama to not only win but to win impressively to earn "style points" with the playoff committee. Conversely, if it were Bama who was ranked much lower than FSU, then you'd expect Bama as the underdog to be forced to reach deep into their offensive playbook just to even have a chance to win.

To put it another way, think of how our games against LSU usually go. In Saban's time at Bama, there have been very few radical offensive plays or "tricks." Miles' successful fake punt (or field goal) in 2010 comes to mind, which put them inside the 5 yard line leading to a critical TD. Saban's allowed Maze to do that reverse pass, right? Anyway, my point is the games have been usually conservative and boring (to outside fans), and for the same reasons I expect a conservative, "boring," and low-scoring game against FSU.

 

[JoshB]

You're oversimplifying my post and arguing against a Straw Man. The fact that you have #1 vs #3 is ONE OF MANY FACTORS which both coaches must consider in formulating their game plans. The reality is the loser will not fall much. If FSU was ranked much lower, then there would be greater pressure on Bama to not only win but to win impressively to earn "style points" with the playoff committee. Conversely, if it were Bama who was ranked much lower than FSU, then you'd expect Bama as the underdog to be forced to reach deep into their offensive playbook just to even have a chance to win.

To put it another way, think of how our games against LSU usually go. In Saban's time at Bama, there have been very few radical offensive plays or "tricks." Miles' successful fake punt (or field goal) in 2010 comes to mind, which put them inside the 5 yard line leading to a critical TD. Saban's allowed Maze to do that reverse pass, right? Anyway, my point is the games have been usually conservative and boring (to outside fans), and for the same reasons I expect a conservative, "boring," and low-scoring game against FSU.

I'm not oversimplifying anything. What you said is not in Nick Saban's DNA. You stated that Saban wouldn't "open up the offense" but if he felt like that would be the best way to win (and in my opinion it is) he would damn sure do it. And those LSU games are much different, all of those games (for the most part) have been an Alabama offense that was pretty one dimensional (until recent years where we have seen those games be a bit more lopsided). Florida State's got a pretty stacked defense so I don't expect very many "trick plays" like you mentioned but when has Saban pulled off too many of those at any point? It's VERY few and far between, but I expect to see a bunch of 4-wide sets and spreading out that FSU defense in this game and I fully expect Hurts to have full reign to go deep, early and often.

 

[BamaFan334]

Birdman is on fire today. I actually agree with him a second time. Never would I ever have thought. I guess the University of Alabama can bring us all together.

 

[JoshB]

Birdman is on fire today. I actually agree with him a second time. Never would I ever have thought. I guess the University of Alabama can bring us all together.

Let's not get too far ahead ourselves here, it's still only 1 p.m...

 

[BamaFan334]

Let's not get too far ahead ourselves here, it's still only 1 p.m...

Ha Ha, 2PM over in Georgia so we're running out of time to mess this up.

 

[musso]

I'm not oversimplifying anything. What you said is not in Nick Saban's DNA. You stated that Saban wouldn't "open up the offense" but if he felt like that would be the best way to win (and in my opinion it is) he would damn sure do it.

You're simply not comprehending my posts. Let me suggest something for you. Use the Reply function but intersperse your rebuttals immediately after the parts of my post you're directly responding to.

Like this ...

I expect to see a bunch of 4-wide sets and spreading out that FSU defense in this game and I fully expect Hurts to have full reign to go deep, early and often.

I don't include 4-WR sets in my definition of opening up the play book. Saban has been using 3 and 4 WRs a lot in recent years. However, I would predict that Saban doesn't go deep often in this game. I think Daboll's hire speaks to what we will see more this season and especially against FSU: ball control offense. If we go deep against FSU, I expect it to be of necessity because we aren't moving the chains. So yes, I fully expect us to spread FSU out some to get the ball to our skill players in space. But I also expect us to test FSU's run defense with plenty of 2 TEs. I also expect Hurts to have 2 RBs on both sides of him as extra blockers when we don't have a TE in the game, and then to release for short passes in space.

I think eventually Hurts will be allowed to use deeper routes and to utilize our speed at WR, but against this kind of D front and DBs in the first game in a new stadium on a grand stage ... I expect Saban to wait until game 2 to begin gradually allowing Hurts to stretch his arm. Could be wrong, but I've heard several pundits predict the same in this kind of matchup.

 

[PhillyGirl]

Bama 31-28