Max
Member
At some point, people, at least the wise ones that follow Alabama football, will look back on this season with gratitude.
On Thursday night, it was hard not to temper that with frustration.
It was a paradox of the 2014 Crimson Tide that it combined amazing talent with obvious, sometimes glaring gaps. Part of the enjoyment of watching Alabama this season was seeing how it overcame its deficiencies and found ways to win that were not, despite the national perception of the Crimson Tide, based on overwhelming talent.
But the painful part of the 42-35 loss to Ohio State was how the deficiencies seemed to rule the day and, suddenly, a great season ended and great careers stopped a bit short of a national title.
The list of those frustrations was long. Where was Derrick Henry, especially with T.J. Yeldon clearly at less than 100 percent? Where did Blake Sims' savvy go? Why was Ohio State able to contain Amari Cooper? Why was a season-long struggle to keep opponents from hitting big plays in the passing game still a problem in Janaury? Disappointment made those questions bite more sharply, but it wasn't just unhappy fans who were asking. Nick Saban himself said he was āapologeticā to the team because the coaches did not do a better job of getting them into a position to win.
Sims, the consummate team players, sidestepped a question about Lane Kiffin's play-calling.
āI don't think it's my job to decide if the coaches make the right call or not,ā Sims said. āI try to run whatever they call and get the ball to the playmakers.ā
That wasn't a ringing endorsement. But before the blame gets piled to thickly on Saban, or Kiffin, or missed tackles, or foolish penalties, remember games can turn on small things. Was the game ever the same after a taunting call against Maurice Smith on a kickoff return tackle-explosion by Reuben Foster, when Alabama seemed to have all the momentum? Would Ohio State have scored a crucial touchdown just before halftime if DeAndrew White had not dropped a pass that would have been a third-down conversion.
That's not to blame players. It's just to say the margin of such things is thin.
On Thursday, an inch here or there would have made a big difference, but Alabama ā blame it on coaches, or players, or karma ā couldn't find those inches.
It also fails to give ample credit to Ohio State and Urban Meyer, who found those inches using a third-string quarterback.
But we come back to the paradox. Is there disappointment, because this team could have gone further. Yes, absolutely. Whether the Crimson Tide Would have beaten Oregon is a question no one can answer now, but perhaps they couldn't.
That doesn't mean Alabama didn't want a shot. But at the same time, alongside the disappointment, there is the fact Saban mentioned. This Alabama team did make the playoff, and keep the Crimson Tide squarely in its place as the most-recognized program in college football.
That, I think, is what Saban meant when he said you don't have to get a trophy to be a winner.
On Thursday night, it was hard not to temper that with frustration.
It was a paradox of the 2014 Crimson Tide that it combined amazing talent with obvious, sometimes glaring gaps. Part of the enjoyment of watching Alabama this season was seeing how it overcame its deficiencies and found ways to win that were not, despite the national perception of the Crimson Tide, based on overwhelming talent.
But the painful part of the 42-35 loss to Ohio State was how the deficiencies seemed to rule the day and, suddenly, a great season ended and great careers stopped a bit short of a national title.
The list of those frustrations was long. Where was Derrick Henry, especially with T.J. Yeldon clearly at less than 100 percent? Where did Blake Sims' savvy go? Why was Ohio State able to contain Amari Cooper? Why was a season-long struggle to keep opponents from hitting big plays in the passing game still a problem in Janaury? Disappointment made those questions bite more sharply, but it wasn't just unhappy fans who were asking. Nick Saban himself said he was āapologeticā to the team because the coaches did not do a better job of getting them into a position to win.
Sims, the consummate team players, sidestepped a question about Lane Kiffin's play-calling.
āI don't think it's my job to decide if the coaches make the right call or not,ā Sims said. āI try to run whatever they call and get the ball to the playmakers.ā
That wasn't a ringing endorsement. But before the blame gets piled to thickly on Saban, or Kiffin, or missed tackles, or foolish penalties, remember games can turn on small things. Was the game ever the same after a taunting call against Maurice Smith on a kickoff return tackle-explosion by Reuben Foster, when Alabama seemed to have all the momentum? Would Ohio State have scored a crucial touchdown just before halftime if DeAndrew White had not dropped a pass that would have been a third-down conversion.
That's not to blame players. It's just to say the margin of such things is thin.
On Thursday, an inch here or there would have made a big difference, but Alabama ā blame it on coaches, or players, or karma ā couldn't find those inches.
It also fails to give ample credit to Ohio State and Urban Meyer, who found those inches using a third-string quarterback.
But we come back to the paradox. Is there disappointment, because this team could have gone further. Yes, absolutely. Whether the Crimson Tide Would have beaten Oregon is a question no one can answer now, but perhaps they couldn't.
That doesn't mean Alabama didn't want a shot. But at the same time, alongside the disappointment, there is the fact Saban mentioned. This Alabama team did make the playoff, and keep the Crimson Tide squarely in its place as the most-recognized program in college football.
That, I think, is what Saban meant when he said you don't have to get a trophy to be a winner.
