🏈 It happens every year

[Kirk Van de Graaff]

Alabama comes out and lays a egg and every fan, sportscaster and opponent lick their chops at how vulnerable they are now. I happen to like it when they play like shit one week, that means everything Saban has said to them, "Rat Poison", hits them in the backside and gets them understanding the process. I am not worried, they will get it together, or they will pay dearly. Coach has them right where he wants them now. Watched it time and time again. Roll Tide

 

[Tidestalker]

Alabama comes out and lays a egg and every fan, sportscaster and opponent lick their chops at how vulnerable they are now. I happen to like it when they play like shit one week, that means everything Saban has said to them, "Rat Poison", hits them in the backside and gets them understanding the process. I am not worried, they will get it together, or they will pay dearly. Coach has them right where he wants them now. Watched it time and time again. Roll Tide

Agreed. I'm actually less worried about this bunch than in previous years... Because despite the young QB & receiver turnover, the defense has a chance to be special. FLA exposing a few things wasn't the worst thing in the world!

 

[BamaFan334]

I definitely don't mind a close game, I just have issues with us continuously getting beat on the same damn play multiple times, or variation of the same play. By multiple I mean 5-10 times, if not more. It's one thing to play a hard fought game and win, but it's another to look out of sync and unprepared.

All that being said, I hate all of the blowout games as I lose interest by the 3rd quarter. I watched everything very closely all the way through this past weekend and glad it was a good ball game. I get nervous like everyone else due to the standard the team has set over the years, but it's a good nervous. Keeps you from getting arrogant and cocky. Also makes you feel like you're getting your money's worth.

 

[64Tide]

Important to remember, we are not playing "because we are the best" but to be the best. There is a tendency to expect that because of how we have recruited and having the best coach in today's game that all games should be blow outs. Each week presents new challenges and growth opportunities for the team. A well coached talented team will progress week to week which is a reasonable expectation. All issues will not go away immediately but we can hope that there will be improvement in the areas addressed and that we don't regress in others.

 

[Kirk Van de Graaff]

Important to remember, we are not playing "because we are the best" but to be the best. There is a tendency to expect that because of how we have recruited and having the best coach in today's game that all games should be blow outs. Each week presents new challenges and growth opportunities for the team. A well coached talented team will progress week to week which is a reasonable expectation. All issues will not go away immediately but we can hope that there will be improvement in the areas addressed and that we don't regress in others.

Bingo

 

[JoshB]

My concern is more the offense looked pretty awful against Mercer and then for about 2 and 1/2 quarters against Florida. Lots of inconsistency and the defense as much as I was excited about this group had their asses handed to them against Florida. I agree that one bad game doesn't spell disaster but I don't think I've ever seen a front seven get abused quite like that in a while from Bama. The injuries have not helped matters either. The plus side is that I think most of it can be fixed, not so sure about the front seven just getting bullied, though.

 

[NickelDoubleDog]

My concern is more the offense looked pretty awful against Mercer and then for about 2 and 1/2 quarters against Florida. Lots of inconsistency and the defense as much as I was excited about this group had their asses handed to them against Florida. I agree that one bad game doesn't spell disaster but I don't think I've ever seen a front seven get abused quite like that in a while from Bama. The injuries have not helped matters either. The plus side is that I think most of it can be fixed, not so sure about the front seven just getting bullied, though.

I think this is simply wrong as it pertains to the offense

The offense had an amazing 1Q. Bad 2nd Q.

In the 2nd half the offense did it's job each drive. The offense had ONLY 3 second half drives! TD, FG that should've been a TD, then a drive that ran out the clock and secured the victory

 

[JoshB]

I think this is simply wrong as it pertains to the offense

The offense had an amazing 1Q. Bad 2nd Q.

In the 2nd half the offense did it's job each drive. The offense had ONLY 3 second half drives! TD, FG that should've been a TD, then a drive that ran out the clock and secured the victory

No, you're right. The offense definitely played better in the second half than I gave them credit for (though Bryce not simply running that TD in on the FG drive is just nuts) and more than likely the incompetence of the second quarter skewed my view on it. The bigger issue was definitely the defense allowing three straight 10+ play TD drives.

 

[Crimson&WhiteGecko]

Alabama comes out and lays a egg and every fan, sportscaster and opponent lick their chops at how vulnerable they are now. I happen to like it when they play like shit one week, that means everything Saban has said to them, "Rat Poison", hits them in the backside and gets them understanding the process. I am not worried, they will get it together, or they will pay dearly. Coach has them right where he wants them now. Watched it time and time again. Roll Tide

Fair enough. And its not like CNS didn't point out the defensive issues at his after game press conference. Admittedly, I am ready for our world beater Defense. It just feels better shall I say. And we haven't had it in a while & we are seeing some the same issues repeatedly by the same D-coordinator. I would have lost the entire kit & ka-boodle betting that there is no way UF would have its way with our front seven, specifically the A & B gaps. Shocked frankly. But I do know its driving CNS nuts more than it is me. Thank God he is the one in the position to get it fixed. Roll Tide

 

[NickelDoubleDog]

No, you're right. The offense definitely played better in the second half than I gave them credit for (though Bryce not simply running that TD in on the FG drive is just nuts) and more than likely the incompetence of the second quarter skewed my view on it. The bigger issue was definitely the defense allowing three straight 10+ play TD drives.

I wonder if that play where Bryce didn't run it in is a nice teaching moment that in the end, didn't hurt the team?

Bryce isn't going to scramble much to avoid injury which I agree with. But on goal to go in a tight game, you tell him to go and score and try to protect himself as he crosses the goal line.

He does that, and the game is not dramatic down the stretch.

 

[JoshB]

I wonder if that play where Bryce didn't run it in is a nice teaching moment that in the end, didn't hurt the team?

Bryce isn't going to scramble much to avoid injury which I agree with. But on goal to go in a tight game, you tell him to go and score and try to protect himself as he crosses the goal line.

He does that, and the game is not dramatic down the stretch.

I hope so. I agree that I like that when he scrambles he keeps his eyes down the field better than most QBs I've ever seen BUT like you said, at certain points, you just have to make the play that's there available to you. Even more frustrating is that he scrambled and took off for like a 10-yard gain on third down a couple of plays before that.

 

[Crimson&WhiteGecko]

I hope so. I agree that I like that when he scrambles he keeps his eyes down the field better than most QBs I've ever seen BUT like you said, at certain points, you just have to make the play that's there available to you. Even more frustrating is that he scrambled and took off for like a 10-yard gain on third down a couple of plays before that.

I am pretty sure that I read somewhere the speculation or rumor that Bryce has been told to very rarely run the ball because there is such a disparity between him & Tyson that if he got hurt the season is pretty much toast. I thought he should have ran too but running into an open field 10 yards for a first down is a lot different than making it 10 yards to the enclosed endzone. I think he would have made the endzone but not without contact. After the freek injuries to Tua that we've seen, I can see why CNS has told him to NOT run into obvious contact.

 

[BamaFan334]

I wonder if that play where Bryce didn't run it in is a nice teaching moment that in the end, didn't hurt the team?

Bryce isn't going to scramble much to avoid injury which I agree with. But on goal to go in a tight game, you tell him to go and score and try to protect himself as he crosses the goal line.

He does that, and the game is not dramatic down the stretch.

I totally understand now after the fact that we have very little to nothing behind Bryce, so I get him not running and maybe even coaches telling him not to. I don't like it, but I can understand it a little. BUT, we gotta score points and trading touchdowns for field goals will get us beat against Ole Miss. You gotta let the guy be great at what made him the #1 quarterback in the country a couple years back, and that was his movement and decision making. I think they are handcuffing him. Like you said, hopefully it's something Bryce and the coaches can learn from with whomever is pulling that string.

 

[NickelDoubleDog]

I totally understand now after the fact that we have very little to nothing behind Bryce, so I get him not running and maybe even coaches telling him not to. I don't like it, but I can understand it a little. BUT, we gotta score points and trading touchdowns for field goals will get us beat against Ole Miss. You gotta let the guy be great at what made him the #1 quarterback in the country a couple years back, and that was his movement and decision making. I think they are handcuffing him. Like you said, hopefully it's something Bryce and the coaches can learn from with whomever is pulling that string.

Yep, there will be a game - or 2 - this year where Bryce is going to have to run for the team to get a first down that will lead to 3 points instead of 0, or will lead to 7 instead of 3. And that point differential will mean the difference between a W and an L.

The coaches have smartly advised Bryce not to run much and not to expose himself to hits. This particular Goal to go play may be the nuance the coaches can use to give Bryce the go-ahead to run in circumstances like this - if it gets you 7 in a close game, you do it.