🏈 ***CFP Bowl prep news, notes, & previews thread**,
- Thread starter Sgt. Lincoln Osiris
- Start date
Cool. May pick up that issue. Thanks @Sgt. Lincoln Osiris
Huh?
I could have got you one.
I appreciate it Ricky but it was the first thing I thought of.
You dont have a Wal Mart? or Walgreens? or like any convenient store? lol
He doesn't live around here! So none of those store would have this great Mag with Hurts on it!
I thought I got this one! But, what I really got was the Touchdown Alabama. But I can still go out and get the Sport Ill. mag. at this local wally world!
I guess this COULD go in the Kiffin thread, but it's a summary of the CFP summary in ATL today:
TideSports.com - Nick Saban clarifies Lane Kiffin's status
TideSports.com - Nick Saban clarifies Lane Kiffin's status
Alabama17Tide
Member
Saban also addressed Cooper Bateman and David Cornwell transferring. Bateman, a redshirt junior, has one year of eligibility and Cornwell, a redshirt sophomore, has two.
“They have every intention of finishing the season,” Saban said. “I think these are situations when a younger guy won the job this year that these guys want to play someplace, and we want to -- Cooper is a graduate, so he'll be a graduate transfer, and we're very supportive of these guys.
“They've done a fantastic job for us, and we hope that they get a good opportunity and a chance to play someplace. But they will be with our team, and they're all anxious to finish the season with us.”
Saban and Petersen did give their impressions of the others team with Petersen speaking glowingly of the Crimson Tide defense and Saban dishing out high praise of the Huskies’ offensive skill players.
Recruiting in California on Wednesday, Saban watched film of the Washington offense and quarterback Jake Browning.
“I was very, very impressed with their offense in terms of how they execute, the balance that they have and their ability to run the ball with some very good backs, some very talented receivers,” Saban said. “But a quarterback who really understands his offense very well, executes it very well, gets the ball out of his hand quickly, knows when to throw the RPOs and when to hand the ball off and can make plays down the field, as well, and is athletic enough to scramble, extend plays and make plays with his feet.
“This is probably as good an all-around player at that position that we've played against all year long.”
Likewise, Petersen said Alabama’s defense, which ranks first nationally in scoring, rushing and total defense, is depressing to watch as an opposing coach.
“I watched them a little bit, so I was coming out here today on the plane, and I know about their offense, and I know about their defense. Didn't get real excited about watching them, so I put on their special teams, and I was even more depressed showing up here today. So I think that puts it in context for you,” Petersen said.
“I think you put that tape on, and they've got really good players and they don't give you anything. I mean, they're excellent. There's a reason that they're ranked how they are.”
TideSports.com - Nick Saban clarifies Lane Kiffin's status
“They have every intention of finishing the season,” Saban said. “I think these are situations when a younger guy won the job this year that these guys want to play someplace, and we want to -- Cooper is a graduate, so he'll be a graduate transfer, and we're very supportive of these guys.
“They've done a fantastic job for us, and we hope that they get a good opportunity and a chance to play someplace. But they will be with our team, and they're all anxious to finish the season with us.”
Saban and Petersen did give their impressions of the others team with Petersen speaking glowingly of the Crimson Tide defense and Saban dishing out high praise of the Huskies’ offensive skill players.
Recruiting in California on Wednesday, Saban watched film of the Washington offense and quarterback Jake Browning.
“I was very, very impressed with their offense in terms of how they execute, the balance that they have and their ability to run the ball with some very good backs, some very talented receivers,” Saban said. “But a quarterback who really understands his offense very well, executes it very well, gets the ball out of his hand quickly, knows when to throw the RPOs and when to hand the ball off and can make plays down the field, as well, and is athletic enough to scramble, extend plays and make plays with his feet.
“This is probably as good an all-around player at that position that we've played against all year long.”
Likewise, Petersen said Alabama’s defense, which ranks first nationally in scoring, rushing and total defense, is depressing to watch as an opposing coach.
“I watched them a little bit, so I was coming out here today on the plane, and I know about their offense, and I know about their defense. Didn't get real excited about watching them, so I put on their special teams, and I was even more depressed showing up here today. So I think that puts it in context for you,” Petersen said.
“I think you put that tape on, and they've got really good players and they don't give you anything. I mean, they're excellent. There's a reason that they're ranked how they are.”
TideSports.com - Nick Saban clarifies Lane Kiffin's status
Alabama17Tide
Member
CNS's Monday 12-12-2016 press conference
Highlights:
OPENING STATEMENT
"It's certainly an honor and a privilege for my team here at the University of Alabama to have the opportunity to be in the College Football Playoff, especially in a first-class venue going back to Atlanta being part of the Peach Bowl. Atlanta's a great host city. We've certainly enjoyed the opportunity to go four times to the Kickoff Classic. Gary and his staff and the Peach Bowl folks do a marvelous job in terms of hosting, and we've had a great experience there in the past, and we're looking forward to having a wonderful experience in the future. Even though this is our first time playing in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, we certainly feel very comfortable with the folks that are our host because we've had the experience of being in four of their Kickoff Classics and that's been very helpful in exposing this program and helping to build this program to what it's become.
"I have to mention that I'm very, very proud of our team for what they've been able to accomplish, the opportunity that they've created for themselves. That team includes the coaches and players and our athletic administration. Coach Battle and all he does to help us have a chance to be successful. Our administration here at the University of Alabama. Our president Dr. (Stuart) Bell has created a great opportunity for our student-athletes to be successful here, personally, academically and athletically, and I think creating that value for our student-athletes is what helps us be successful.
"This is an opportunity that I'm so proud to be a part of, relative to what our team was able to accomplish this year. We're obviously playing one of the outstanding programs and outstanding teams in the country this year. Coach Petersen has obviously to me one of the best coaches in the country. He's done a marvelous job at the University of Washington. Their team has done an outstanding job this year of creating some big numbers on offense and being very tough to score against on defense. This is a very well coached, all around really good team that's going to be very, very challenging for our team. It should be a great game.
"I know you're going to ask me about coach Kiffin, so I'll just go ahead and make a statement about that. Lane's done a phenomenal job for us the last three years. We appreciate the impact that he's made on this program. We think that this is a wonderful opportunity for him to be a head coach again. I think FAU has selected someone that is going to do a great job for them. He's done a great job here molding our offensive players to what they can do to have the best chance to be successful, and I think that's always something that is very telling about the quality of a coach. Lane will stay here and serve as offensive coordinator through our playoff. We're pleased for him, but anything else that is said about this, I think, Florida Atlantic University ought to have the opportunity to do that. They've made a great hire and I think that that should be up to them.
Do you have a timetable to replace Lane?
"No."
How valuable is this time for Jalen and his development?
"I think it's a big time for all the players on our team. We like to build our quality control work during this time so we can take each individual player and say, 'OK, we're going to have some practices that are pretty much like camp practices when we get started on Friday and these are things that we would like for you to focus on improving on. It's not just Jalen, even though he gets noticed a lot because he gets the ball every play and distributes it to every one on each play, and there's certainly opportunity for him to do some things to improve. I think that would be true for every player on our team at every position. That's something that we're working on this week as a staff, to try to do the best job of organizing so that when we do practice we can impact and help our players improve.
How much have offenses in college football evolved?
"I think offenses have gotten more and more difficult to defend. I don't think the running plays have changed that much and I don't even think the passing plays have changed that much, but I do think the combination of the running plays and the passing plays that make what we refer to as RPOs, run-pass options, have created a whole different dynamic in college football that has made the game more exciting, but it's also made it more difficult to defend the run and the pass. Teams that do a great job of executing these things and quarterbacks who know when to throw the RPOs and when to hand the ball off are guys that are very, very difficult to defend. I would say that the team we're playing probably does it as well as anybody that we've played all year long."
How important has Atlanta been for the program with some of the games you've had there?
"We were a relatively unknown program when we played Clemson, I guess it was 2008. They were ranked in the top 10 if I recall correctly. We had a pretty dominant performance in that game and I actually think that game probably did as much to launch this program forward as any game or anything that we ever did. We took a little bit of a risk in playing in a game like that against a very, very good team and a good program that was highly ranked. We were happy to have the opportunity to do it. Gary and the Peach Bowl folks, the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl folks gave us that opportunity and that's something that really had a tremendous impact on this program. I think they were one of the first people to start this kind of kickoff game. Now they're all over. People play them all over but in those days there weren't many, so we were very fortunate to be a part of one, especially one that got our program the exposure that it did. It certainly was a real positive to us moving forward and improving as a program."
This is the first time you've talked after all the awards shows. What was it like seeing Jonathan and Reuben and Cam get all those awards?
"We're really happy for our players. It's like when your children do something to make you proud. You're happy for what the guys have contributed to the team and you're always extremely pleased and proud when they get recognized for all the hard work and contributions that they've made. I think the guys that got awards this year, whether it's Reuben getting the Butkus, Jonathan getting several awards that he got including the Benarik and the Nagurski and the Ted Hendricks, Cam winning the Outland, which I think is the premier award maybe for a lineman in the country. These things make us very, very proud. We're very happy for the players and their parents and their families. I know every one of these guys are happy to be a part of a team of people that support each other and help them grow and develop so they have opportunities like this to get recognized. It's very exciting for us."
You had a couple guys banged up after the championship game; where are you from an injury standpoint especially with guys like Marlon?
"Well, we haven't had practice since then. So we're rehabbing the players that have any kind of injury issues. Marlon would be one of those guys that we're trying to get back. With the type of injury he has, I'm not sure that we'll know for sure what his status will be until we start practicing again. But we're hopeful that this is the type of injury that just rest will be very beneficial to him and he will able to participate fully when we get back to practice."
When you were with the Browns, how did you come up with the pattern matching scheme? Did you go through a trial basis in preseason?
"Look, I didn't invent this. A lot of people do it. I just learn from other people how to do it. So we did it prior to going to the Cleveland Browns to some degree. I think the players there did a very good job of being able to do it. We don't always do it. But it is something that I think is helpful. There are also things that… Look, I don't care how you cut the mustard when you play pass defense. There's eight zones, there's five guys that you've got to guard. You usually like to rush four guys so you have seven to play pass defense. So you're always kind of one short. Everything that you do on defense, whether it's play zone, play man-to-man, or play pattern match, are all things that have deficiencies. I think the idea that you do them all and disguise them and hopefully the quarterback doesn't know exactly which one you're doing is hopefully something that is beneficial to helping the players gain a little bit of an advantage. I think that's probably a better way to explain it than 'Hey, pattern matching is the end all,' because it really isn't."
What have you learned personally from the last two years in the playoff? Is the leadership on this team built to sustain this run?
"I can't really answer that question. I can only say that the leadership on this team has done a really, really good job of playing these games one game at a time. We don't have any runs to play. Every team in the playoffs now may be 0-0. They're all very good teams. So you're kind of in a winner-take-all kind of mentality in terms of how you've got to play these games and how you need to approach these games. We've had good leadership on the team. I would expect that we would continue to have that. But that's sort of up to the players. I think when you get to this time of year and you're not on a regular routine, the team and the players make a determination to how they want to approach the 27 days until the next game, relative to how they worked out last week, how they worked out this week, how they're going to practice and prepare for this game. I think when those things occur, it tells you a lot about the intensity and readiness of the team. We'll just have to take these things day-to-day and try to help our players get the best position that they possibly can to have success in a very challenging game."
Ben Jones
TideSports.com Editor
Nick Saban press conference notes and transcript | TideSports.com
Highlights:
- Saban confirmed the many, many reports that have Lane Kiffin going to FAU. "I think FAU has selected someone that is going to do a great job for them. He's done a great job here molding our offensive players to what they can do to have the best chance to be successful, and I think that's always something that is very telling about the quality of a coach."
- Kiffin will remain with the team through the playoff. Saban did not give a timeline for replacing him when asked. A recruiting dead period started today, so it might not be critical to have someone in before it ends on Jan. 11.
- No update on Marlon Humphrey's injury, though Saban sounded hopeful that he'd be OK to go when they return to the practice field. Friday will be the first day of practice.
- Talked about how much Atlanta and some of the games there have meant to the program in recent years as well, especially the Chick-Fil-A kickoff games (run by the same folks who do the Peach Bowl). "That game (against Clemson in 2008) probably did as much to launch this program forward as any game or anything that we ever did. We took a little bit of a risk in playing in a game like that against a very, very good team and a good program that was highly ranked."
OPENING STATEMENT
"It's certainly an honor and a privilege for my team here at the University of Alabama to have the opportunity to be in the College Football Playoff, especially in a first-class venue going back to Atlanta being part of the Peach Bowl. Atlanta's a great host city. We've certainly enjoyed the opportunity to go four times to the Kickoff Classic. Gary and his staff and the Peach Bowl folks do a marvelous job in terms of hosting, and we've had a great experience there in the past, and we're looking forward to having a wonderful experience in the future. Even though this is our first time playing in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, we certainly feel very comfortable with the folks that are our host because we've had the experience of being in four of their Kickoff Classics and that's been very helpful in exposing this program and helping to build this program to what it's become.
"I have to mention that I'm very, very proud of our team for what they've been able to accomplish, the opportunity that they've created for themselves. That team includes the coaches and players and our athletic administration. Coach Battle and all he does to help us have a chance to be successful. Our administration here at the University of Alabama. Our president Dr. (Stuart) Bell has created a great opportunity for our student-athletes to be successful here, personally, academically and athletically, and I think creating that value for our student-athletes is what helps us be successful.
"This is an opportunity that I'm so proud to be a part of, relative to what our team was able to accomplish this year. We're obviously playing one of the outstanding programs and outstanding teams in the country this year. Coach Petersen has obviously to me one of the best coaches in the country. He's done a marvelous job at the University of Washington. Their team has done an outstanding job this year of creating some big numbers on offense and being very tough to score against on defense. This is a very well coached, all around really good team that's going to be very, very challenging for our team. It should be a great game.
"I know you're going to ask me about coach Kiffin, so I'll just go ahead and make a statement about that. Lane's done a phenomenal job for us the last three years. We appreciate the impact that he's made on this program. We think that this is a wonderful opportunity for him to be a head coach again. I think FAU has selected someone that is going to do a great job for them. He's done a great job here molding our offensive players to what they can do to have the best chance to be successful, and I think that's always something that is very telling about the quality of a coach. Lane will stay here and serve as offensive coordinator through our playoff. We're pleased for him, but anything else that is said about this, I think, Florida Atlantic University ought to have the opportunity to do that. They've made a great hire and I think that that should be up to them.
Do you have a timetable to replace Lane?
"No."
How valuable is this time for Jalen and his development?
"I think it's a big time for all the players on our team. We like to build our quality control work during this time so we can take each individual player and say, 'OK, we're going to have some practices that are pretty much like camp practices when we get started on Friday and these are things that we would like for you to focus on improving on. It's not just Jalen, even though he gets noticed a lot because he gets the ball every play and distributes it to every one on each play, and there's certainly opportunity for him to do some things to improve. I think that would be true for every player on our team at every position. That's something that we're working on this week as a staff, to try to do the best job of organizing so that when we do practice we can impact and help our players improve.
How much have offenses in college football evolved?
"I think offenses have gotten more and more difficult to defend. I don't think the running plays have changed that much and I don't even think the passing plays have changed that much, but I do think the combination of the running plays and the passing plays that make what we refer to as RPOs, run-pass options, have created a whole different dynamic in college football that has made the game more exciting, but it's also made it more difficult to defend the run and the pass. Teams that do a great job of executing these things and quarterbacks who know when to throw the RPOs and when to hand the ball off are guys that are very, very difficult to defend. I would say that the team we're playing probably does it as well as anybody that we've played all year long."
How important has Atlanta been for the program with some of the games you've had there?
"We were a relatively unknown program when we played Clemson, I guess it was 2008. They were ranked in the top 10 if I recall correctly. We had a pretty dominant performance in that game and I actually think that game probably did as much to launch this program forward as any game or anything that we ever did. We took a little bit of a risk in playing in a game like that against a very, very good team and a good program that was highly ranked. We were happy to have the opportunity to do it. Gary and the Peach Bowl folks, the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl folks gave us that opportunity and that's something that really had a tremendous impact on this program. I think they were one of the first people to start this kind of kickoff game. Now they're all over. People play them all over but in those days there weren't many, so we were very fortunate to be a part of one, especially one that got our program the exposure that it did. It certainly was a real positive to us moving forward and improving as a program."
This is the first time you've talked after all the awards shows. What was it like seeing Jonathan and Reuben and Cam get all those awards?
"We're really happy for our players. It's like when your children do something to make you proud. You're happy for what the guys have contributed to the team and you're always extremely pleased and proud when they get recognized for all the hard work and contributions that they've made. I think the guys that got awards this year, whether it's Reuben getting the Butkus, Jonathan getting several awards that he got including the Benarik and the Nagurski and the Ted Hendricks, Cam winning the Outland, which I think is the premier award maybe for a lineman in the country. These things make us very, very proud. We're very happy for the players and their parents and their families. I know every one of these guys are happy to be a part of a team of people that support each other and help them grow and develop so they have opportunities like this to get recognized. It's very exciting for us."
You had a couple guys banged up after the championship game; where are you from an injury standpoint especially with guys like Marlon?
"Well, we haven't had practice since then. So we're rehabbing the players that have any kind of injury issues. Marlon would be one of those guys that we're trying to get back. With the type of injury he has, I'm not sure that we'll know for sure what his status will be until we start practicing again. But we're hopeful that this is the type of injury that just rest will be very beneficial to him and he will able to participate fully when we get back to practice."
When you were with the Browns, how did you come up with the pattern matching scheme? Did you go through a trial basis in preseason?
"Look, I didn't invent this. A lot of people do it. I just learn from other people how to do it. So we did it prior to going to the Cleveland Browns to some degree. I think the players there did a very good job of being able to do it. We don't always do it. But it is something that I think is helpful. There are also things that… Look, I don't care how you cut the mustard when you play pass defense. There's eight zones, there's five guys that you've got to guard. You usually like to rush four guys so you have seven to play pass defense. So you're always kind of one short. Everything that you do on defense, whether it's play zone, play man-to-man, or play pattern match, are all things that have deficiencies. I think the idea that you do them all and disguise them and hopefully the quarterback doesn't know exactly which one you're doing is hopefully something that is beneficial to helping the players gain a little bit of an advantage. I think that's probably a better way to explain it than 'Hey, pattern matching is the end all,' because it really isn't."
What have you learned personally from the last two years in the playoff? Is the leadership on this team built to sustain this run?
"I can't really answer that question. I can only say that the leadership on this team has done a really, really good job of playing these games one game at a time. We don't have any runs to play. Every team in the playoffs now may be 0-0. They're all very good teams. So you're kind of in a winner-take-all kind of mentality in terms of how you've got to play these games and how you need to approach these games. We've had good leadership on the team. I would expect that we would continue to have that. But that's sort of up to the players. I think when you get to this time of year and you're not on a regular routine, the team and the players make a determination to how they want to approach the 27 days until the next game, relative to how they worked out last week, how they worked out this week, how they're going to practice and prepare for this game. I think when those things occur, it tells you a lot about the intensity and readiness of the team. We'll just have to take these things day-to-day and try to help our players get the best position that they possibly can to have success in a very challenging game."
Ben Jones
TideSports.com Editor
Nick Saban press conference notes and transcript | TideSports.com
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