| FTBL Like '99, Bama True Freshman Will Make an Impact

[TerryP]

Our own StepL of Bamasballradio has put together a really good piece on this incoming class and making comparisons to the team we had in '99. It's amazing the similarities with the team itself, but thank God there are no similarities with the two coaching staffs other than Lance Thompson.

Ok, Let’s talk history.

I know, I know, Bama folks are always talking about the past. You will just have to
trust me on this one. This is some good stuff.

Now that the Tide has landed the nation’s #1 recruiting class, more of Bama’s rivals now
contend that true freshmen rarely make a difference on a competitive team.

Just looking back to Bama's last championship team ('99 SEC, its 21st) there were four
true freshmen starters from a top 5 rated class. One on offense with Dante Ellington
at right tackleand three on defense; end Kenny King, Linebacker Saleem Rasheed and
Cornerback Gerald Dixon.

So what does this have to do with anything? Don’t get your urnge panties all in a bunch. I’m getting to that.

Comparing that recruiting class, that also featured RB Santonio Beard and Florida killer, wide receiver Antonio Carter, to this years recruiting coup is not necessarily the point here, but, how do we determine the potential impact a true freshman can make
since its been done before?

Read the rest here at the RollTideBama blog

 

[TerryP]

That's nice work on this Step. The more I put pieces together the more I'm liking what I'm thinking. (not that liking what I'm thinking has been a problem for me in the past)

 

[Kirk Van de Graaff]

Good stuff Step, appreciate the write up my man.

 

[Guest]

Great write up. I can see a lot of simularities between this team and the 99' one. It's on the three year cycle and we're about due anyway.

 

[aMAZEnFan]

Good Stuff, Step!!! With nearly a decade past since our last championship, it is definitely time. I was just thinking back to something.

How has getting the #1 recruiting class really impacted a team?

Let's look back at 2002:

2002-Ohio State won-Ranked #5(Rivals)(Texas-#1)
2003-LSU won-Ranked #1(Rivals)
2004-USC won-Ranked #1(Rivals)
2005-Texas won-Ranked #20(Rivals)(USC-#1)
2006-Florida won-Ranked #2(Rivals)(USC-#1)
2007-LSU won-Ranked #4(Rivals)(Florida-#1)
2008-???-???(Alabama-#1)

There doesn't appear to be a definite pattern on what will take place. USC has shown that getting the #1 or #2 class consistently doesn't guarantee you a National Championship. They have only won once outright in the last 3 decades-yes only one in 2004 since 1972(I don't count AP championships).

Hopefully, we will match what the 2003 and 2004 champs did, but it appears that their accomplishments were a result of great recruiting over a period of time.

Time will tell.

 

[TerryP]

Great write up. I can see a lot of simularities between this team and the 99' one. It's on the three year cycle and we're about due anyway.

That is the exact conversation Step and I were having on the phone yesterday...along with the Sr. QB points and 10 win seasons.