| FTBL can we turn the corner and have a winning season in 08?
- Thread starter McTider
- Start date
Are we not going to have a winning season this year?
G
Guest
'08 is a beast of a schedule, but if we are patient '09 will have the favorable home schedule, a second full season under Saban's system, and yet another great recruiting class.
A solid season next year can be our springboard in '09.
A solid season next year can be our springboard in '09.
TerryP
Staff
I guess I'll find myself standing alone on this one as well. I simply don't see the schedule as "brutal" as some here keep saying it is.
Road schedule doesn't look to daunting at all to me. Two games are going to be tough; Georgia and LSU. We have UT and Arkansas on the road. Arkansas is going through a complete identity change with a new staff top to bottom. UT, isn't having the same drastic change as Arkansas, but they are losing the starting Ainge, Cutcliffe, Trooper Taylor and there's a good chance they'll lose a few more off of that staff. I know Fulmer interviewed the OC from Clemson yesterday and he's a good one. But, that said, moving from the offensive scheme they have had the last two years to a spread scheme is going to be a huge adjustment for the OL, not to mention the questions of whether the new QB will be able to adjust within a few games to a spread attack.
Vandy drops off the schedule and UK comes to T-town for our other East opponent. We have MSU, Ole Miss, Auburn, Western Kentucky, Tulane and Arkansas State at home.
Even with the majority of our SEC games at home this past season I'm tempted to think the '07 schedule is more difficult than what we'll end up facing in '08.
Road schedule doesn't look to daunting at all to me. Two games are going to be tough; Georgia and LSU. We have UT and Arkansas on the road. Arkansas is going through a complete identity change with a new staff top to bottom. UT, isn't having the same drastic change as Arkansas, but they are losing the starting Ainge, Cutcliffe, Trooper Taylor and there's a good chance they'll lose a few more off of that staff. I know Fulmer interviewed the OC from Clemson yesterday and he's a good one. But, that said, moving from the offensive scheme they have had the last two years to a spread scheme is going to be a huge adjustment for the OL, not to mention the questions of whether the new QB will be able to adjust within a few games to a spread attack.
Vandy drops off the schedule and UK comes to T-town for our other East opponent. We have MSU, Ole Miss, Auburn, Western Kentucky, Tulane and Arkansas State at home.
Even with the majority of our SEC games at home this past season I'm tempted to think the '07 schedule is more difficult than what we'll end up facing in '08.
G
Guest
Hate to tell everyone that thinks Bamas schedule is brutal next year....it is brutal every year...it is the SEC.
G
Guest
Road games shouldn't worry us. I know we aren't quite there yet, but it shouldn't matter whether games or on the road or at home. Look at teams like Georgia and Auburn. I would like to emulate their road success.
There is no reason with Coach Saban and the talent that we'll soon have that a game's outcome won't depend on the venue.
There is no reason with Coach Saban and the talent that we'll soon have that a game's outcome won't depend on the venue.
I se us winning 7 games next year with a good possibility of 8 games in the victory margin.
G
Guest
Yes, I can see Bama winning 7-8 games next year. CNS MUST have a couple of years to rebuild a very thin team, especially in some areas. Remember, this will actually be CNS's first recruiting class, most of the ones signed last year had already committed to Shula.
8-9 wins will be a good year for us next year; however, the only game I see that we would outclassed talent wise will be Georgia. LSU won't be nearly as tough next year because their best players are seniors and I assume a junior or two is going to the NFL. Arkansas will be considerably weaker next year because the will lose their best two players. UT will be about the same (even though they are losing their QB).
In fact, I only see 3 teams actually getting better than they were this year and that's Ole Miss, Miss State, and Georiga. Kentucky will be a engima again, they might come out strong like they did last season, or they might be the UK of old and claim back their rightful spot at the bottom of the SEC. Lastly there is 3 games that we should win easily and I feel confident that next year we won't drop any of them.
In fact, I only see 3 teams actually getting better than they were this year and that's Ole Miss, Miss State, and Georiga. Kentucky will be a engima again, they might come out strong like they did last season, or they might be the UK of old and claim back their rightful spot at the bottom of the SEC. Lastly there is 3 games that we should win easily and I feel confident that next year we won't drop any of them.
G
Guest
Yes we can, whether or not we will remains to be seen. :wink:
TerryP
Staff
alabama mike said:
That's actually not the case. Chris Underwood, Demetrius Goode, Nick Fanuzzi, Marquis Maze, Tarence Farmer, Luther Davis, Jeremy Elder, Jeramie Griffin, Darius Hanks, Kareem Jackson, Chavis Williams and Josh Chapman all came in Alabama and were never on the board under the Shula staff.
24 signed, 12 of those were Saban's recruits. In fact, if you look at the actual number that ended up making it on the team, it's a much larger number. 3 of the committments Shula had aren't with the team...although, Murphy very well may be on campus in June.
G
Guest
TerryP said:
I hope you're right Terry, but my feelings are that by the Third Saturday in October the squad will have seen enough of the system to where the question for them will be will they execute. They will have had the system for Spring, Summer, and half the season at that point. That should be enough time to no use "the changes" as an excuse.
If we beat them, and they claim that is why, it will be laughable.
C
CrimsonPirate
Remember what the predictions are. This time next year, whatever our record (7, 8, or 9 wins), people will be saying that we were expecting an undefeated season, SEC championship, and a shot at the Big Game.
Gah, Bama fans still expecting undefeated seasons. You're stupid.
Juuuuust kidding.
7 or 8 win season should not be a stretch at all, I think ya'll could probably do better than that. It seems to me every one forgot ya'll were in it this year when you played LSU. You should have won that game, and if you had the season would have looked a lot different IMO. While I don't think Bama has a shot at the NC, I think ya'll have as good a shot as LSU, and Auburn. I'd say UGA or Florida are shoe ins for the East, but the west is open in my eyes.
G
Guest
Bishop said:
Usually on the even years we have some big away games, I think that's what he meant basically. When you look at the away games however, they don't look as hard as they may seem.
09/20 at Arkansas
09/27 at Georgia
10/25 at Tennessee
11/15 at LSU
Out of the 4 big away games, we have a legitate shot at winning two of them(Arkansas and Tennessee). The Georgia and LSU game will of course be the harder two, but with a win over Arky and Tenn...a upset against the Dawgs or the CornDawgs would be huge.
I'm not so quick to write off the 08' season as a 7, 8, or 9 win season...but I definitely won't predict any better. We still have a lot to see before now and next season.
