🏈 My 2 cents

[Argo]

Everyone else has a thread, so I figured why not?

I'm probably about to become the disliked poster on this website, but I'm fine with it.

1. Coaches

2008 - 12-2
2009 - 14-0 BCS/SEC Champions
2010 - 7-2

We are really going to meltdown over our coaching staff? Really? So the same coaches who have posted a 33-4 record over the last 3 seasons while winning the SEC and BCS championship can no longer coach? Wow. This doesn't surprise me from some of our posters, but others? I'm shocked to see this rational. Do we want to go back to the 7-5 / 6-6 type seasons? I've said this since the day he was hired, the only way Saban leaves here is if the fan base runs him off. The man has already addressed booing at the games twice in his tenure. He is obviously a coach who thrives on the attitudes of the fans. Not even a year removed from a BCS Championship and we are already bitching and calling for coaches to be fired? Again, the same coaches who have won 33 of the last 37 games.

2. Offense

A LOT of blame heading to McElwain. I've yet to see anyone address the real problem here, so I'll do it. We are getting our asses whipped in the trenches. Maybe that's why we don't run 75% of the time. Last year we could bull our way for 4 yards on every carry. This year we simply aren't as good. But it must be coaching, right? I mean, to suggest that our players maybe aren't as good as we thought they'd be would mean that a lot of us were wrong with our preseason predictions. Has to be coaching. Pendry hit his head during the off season and forgot how to coach.

3. Defense

Wow. Wish Kirby Smart would have taken that Georgia DC job last year. His defense SUCKS this season. Forget that our personnel has completely changed. Forget that some of our players hasn't progressed as much as we thought they would. Forget that we lost a TON of leadership with Rolando leaving for the NFL. Smart just isn't getting it done.

I would also make a note that we are getting our asses whipped in the trenches here as well. And I'll admit, I knew we wouldn't have the same defense as last year, but I didn't expect to have this much of a drop off. But, this is a very young defense. They will improve. But only if we get new coaches. Because ours ain't getting the job done anymore.

I just don't get it. I know we have one of the largest percentages of band wagon fans in all of college football and I realize that it's mostly them making all of the noise as they are jumping off after 2 losses, but I'm shocked by some of the others. We have one of the best coaching staffs (if not the best) in all of college football. To suggest that ANY of them should be fired after losing 4 games in 3 seasons is so far beyond preposterous that I'm at a loss for words.

I don't like to lose anymore than anyone else on this site. But damn people, let's keep it together. We are a young football team, and it shows. Do we have problems? Yes. But honestly, every team I've seen has problems aside from Oregon. We had the same problems last year. The difference is it only last 3 games (Ole Miss, Tennessee, South Carolina) and we didn't lose any of those games. We are still a solid football team, we just aren't a great team like we were last year. And we haven't gotten the bounces we did last year.

In closing, I'll say that I'm not disappointed in our coaches or our players. But I am disappointed in many of our fans. It embarrasses me to hear my friends and Bama family saying our coaches should be fired after the distance we've traveled in less than 5 years. It embarrasses me more that we are perpetuating the stereotype the entire nation has for us when we start calling for coaches to be fired after 33-4.

Flame away if you'd like.

Roll Tide.

 

[Nothing_But_A_Winner00]

+1 :a:

 

[reger60]

bravo. great post.

 

[bamafanforever]

Could not agree with you more...come on people we have not got so spoiled that we can not lose a couple of games and people start yelling fire the coach,I know as a Bama Fan that I am better than that and I am going to stand behind my coach.

 

[tidenumber1]

This is the kind of things that give us a bad name. Bandwagon fans who expect to win every game and when we lose they want to get rid of our coaches. Your post hit the nail on the head.

 

[elbatider]

We had a record number of All American's last year and how many returned?

How many returning starters on defense?

We could have lost how many games last year but we didn't?


We have a good team and will rebound from this season, which by all accounts is not a bad one. If you buy into the Texas fans what if Colt McCoy and put us even with them for the 2009 NC, consider where they are this season. Would you trade places?

If Auburn was 5-5, rather than 10-0 would it be easier for you to swallow this pill?

Get a life, it is a game and we had a helluva a ride last year. If you didn't enjoy it and think our problems are coaching and not youth, then do a you-tube search on Mike Shula, Alabama head coach and pinch yourself.

Maybe next year Athlons and Lindys will give us a preseason #10 or worse ranking and put some desire in our team, rather than a #1 target on their shoulders, followed by a movie about our coach and all the talking heads saying no reason to play the season. Thank God for a coach that knew going into it that it would take all our players buying into the process and if they had, we could be poised differently. As it is, I hope they buy in now and win out.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

I'm sorta glad I had a family reunion yesterday and spent much of today with my folks and one of my sons. Much discontent around, and this is the most logical thread I could find to drop a post. Saban's oft-repeated issue of the players looking to win instead of looking to get better is interesting, and telling, and it's his way of getting his kids' minds right for next year. I've said more than once that anything we got this year was a bonus. If this young team gets its act together, works hard in the off season we may be two for three in NC's. The comments on line play, on both sides, is spot on.

It's Veteran's Day on Thursday. I heard an excellent radio interview at halftime previewing next week's festivities, and I'm glad I'll be at Bryant Denny with my youngest to help recognize our surviving WWII Bama veterans.

RTR,

Tim

 

[joeman546]

2. Offense

A LOT of blame heading to McElwain. I've yet to see anyone address the real problem here, so I'll do it. We are getting our asses whipped in the trenches. Maybe that's why we don't run 75% of the time. Last year we could bull our way for 4 yards on every carry. This year we simply aren't as good. But it must be coaching, right? I mean, to suggest that our players maybe aren't as good as we thought they'd be would mean that a lot of us were wrong with our preseason predictions. Has to be coaching. Pendry hit his head during the off season and forgot how to coach.

Im sure we will incur many changes to the coaching staff over the offseason offensivly and deffensivly. Though it has to be said about pendry: he's getting old. From what I know, he is the most senior member of our staff. Maybe he has lost a little fire.

I still maintain that mcelwain let it fly a little more in terms of actually throwing over 5 yards against lsu, but overall i agree that mcelwain is a problem. He almost lost us the NC last year against texas when he got neo conservative in the second half.

The line thiugh, guys, If we ran it more teams would go back to stacking the box. And hell, we can barely block 7 in the box consistently right now. Even if we get yards, it isnt consistent this year. We gotta pass, but we cant block that either.

I trust Saban to make appropriate changes. He knows better than anyone what this team should be doing.

 

[Argo]

Maybe, through my heavy sarcasm, my point was mistaken. I do not believe that any of our coaches are a problem. If McElwain went conservative in the BCS game last year, it's because Saban liked that idea the most. For those of you who really believe Saban just sits back and gives all control of the offense to McElwain, do you remember the Iron Bowl last year? Remember that timeout we burned right before McElroy hit Upchurch for the game winning TD? Saban took that timeout to make a stronger suggestion as to what we needed to do on the goal line. I don't believe Saban micromanages the offense, but I also don't believe he allows anything to happen that he isn't satisfied with.

And if we aren't throwing it further than 5 yards down field, unless Greg is being told where on the field he can throw it, he has to take his share of the responsibility. If Greg isn't finding the deeper routes, it's not all because of coaching. And that was the central thesis of my post. I love our guys, but the problem isn't coaching. We just haven't performed as well as we did last year. We didn't have any fancy plays last year, so it's not like McElwain has completely changed the way he coaches, or forgotten how to coach. We just aren't executing as efficiently as we have for the last two seasons. And as I've said, 90% of that is because we are getting our entire ass handed to us up front.

Players have to execute the plays. We've struggled some this year, just like we struggled some last year. Difference is, we struggled at home last year and still won, where we have struggled this year on the road and lost.

We have a great group of coaches and players. I don't believe for one second there will be a major shake up in our coaching staff, and after losing only 4 of the last 37 games, I don't see why we should change any coaches. We still have a chance to win 10 games this year and we will have a ton of experience returning next year.

 

[4th-and-1]

i wore my bama gear to work today PROUDLY!!!

 

[joeman546]

Well for me, and I am sure you are this way too, but I feel the blame is shared. There are to many things going wrong rigt now. Our guys can do this, but arent. Some fault has to go to the coaches for no providing proper motivation, but alot also goes to the players for not being self-motivated, a key theme of CNS. The only thing we can do on our end is change the coaches, but players can only be changed season to season less we want a major PR mess.

So maybee next year we will have new leaders and new faces. And a few coaching issues that have to be tweaked. If McElwain were to leave, his very basic offense would luckily be simple for another OC to adjust too, as long as he isnt all spreadoption crazypants.

 

[jdpas29]

agreed. i don't like some of the offensive play calling or lack of creativity, but i think the problem resides with the players on offense and execution. same with the D.

 

[AFF]

I guess I'm not reading the same posts as some others. I've heard a lot of frustration, but I haven't heard anyone calling for the coaches to be fired. Everyone's trying to figure out what went wrong and who to 'blame'. So, it's either going to be the players or the coaches or the fans are going to get fingered. Who should be 'blamed'? I think the short answer is "all of them".

Don't get me wrong. We have great players and great coaches and great fans. We just don't have a great chemistry right now. Success can breed success, but only if you don't become complacent. We've gotten massive amounts of media attention for the past 3 years. We have been the media darlings. And, we haven't handled it very well. We've built a fine program infrastructure. But, our fans are spoiled and our players are complacent. Our coaches know this but have failed to find an effective way to deal with it. We all have a share of the 'blame'.

Coaches can preach all they want, but these players are kids. And, as any parent knows, instilling something in the mind of a kid isn't always easy. Sometimes you have to let them learn the hard way from personal experience. Sometimes telling them that 'they can't do something' is the quickest way to get them to do it.

Look at Boise St. and TCU. They are told they might not be good enough to be in our league. Look at Auburn. Everyone saw them as Alabama's ugly little sister who was put back in the attic while we were once again getting ready to go to the ball. Look at Oregon. They're like a well-calibrated machine. All those teams have all pulled together and found a purpose, they found their chemistry (well, Auburn found Cam Newton). They all have something to prove. They're hungry. They are certainly not complacent.

Our problems come from within. CNS has been warning everyone who would listen ever since he got to Alabama. We can't just 'show up' for a ball game and expect to win. It obviously worked well last year when we won it all. He has been trumpeting the same message this year. But, for some reason, it hasn't taken hold. We have no identity, no purpose. How do you instill these things into a 20 year old's mind? For CNS, that's the 4 million dollar question.

 

[Crimson&WhiteGecko]

Some of you calling for coaching changes have really bad memories. Coaching changes has been in essence one of the biggest problems for Alabama before CNS got here. Then when we get the best coach in college football & lose 4 games in 3 years we need to make coaching changes :headscratch:.

-->Just a note, there hasn't been a season yet w/ CNS where didn't have coaching changes. It is just that they all leave for upgrades to their profession.

Argo, is spot on ALL his points. I must stress that he isn't saying that he is pleased w/ the loses BUT we can clearly understand why they happened of which the last 2 losses have been because of maturity, or lack thereof.

Players have lost their hunger & quite frankly so have we. When you are hungry for wins, you don't belly ache about coaching changes after a losing 4 games in 3 years. If we played in the WAC or lost non-FBS schools then maybe but take a second to evaluate who we've lost to in the last 3 years.

LAST POINT: Our offensive philosophy is to pound teams, wear on them, make their ass quit, & separate in the 4th quarter. This has been our M.O. for the last few years, it is what we do. Teams have hardened up to play us & we have soften up with our success. BUT you don't abandon this philosophy after 3 years of success & working on it all season. Things will go from bad to worse if you do.

 

[psychojoe]

I admit that I am disappointed that some of our young defensive players haven't matured as quickly as I had hoped. But we are comparing them with the people who were multi year starters, many now playing on Sunday.

I think part of the issue is that as the defending NC we had a bullseye drawn on our back, and part of it is that some of the players this year haven't figured out yet all the things they need to do to prepare themselves to win.

Coaches? Who would we want to swap staffs with?

 

[UAgrad93]

I don't want to swap anyone staff for staff. Coaches do all they can to put the players in the best possible positions to win the games. Ultimately, it falls on the players to execute. Some have rested on the laurels from last season while the young ones have yet to have the light switch click on!! We have gotten spoiled the last few years.

Look at it like this, it could be worse. We could be sitting in Texas's shoes right now just praying to get bowl eligible. We are 7-2 and have alot to play for. Is it the NC? Probably not. It is PRIDE and TRADITION that we play for!!! RTR!!!!!!!

 

[kc]

Special teams coach....only coach I have a problem with atm and this goes back to last year. Argo you are spot on.

 

[CrimsonPirate]

This is the kind of things that give us a bad name. Bandwagon fans who expect to win every game and when we lose they want to get rid of our coaches. Your post hit the nail on the head.

QFT.^

Some of our fans sound like LSU fans when they were bad-mouthing Les Miles for a 7-1 record. 'Course, it was Miles' ineptitude they were most critical of. Coach Saban sho' ain't inept. We got beat, pure and simple. I don't think Nick was out-coached. I think it was more of a lack of execution in the second half.

Watch it when some of you jump off the badwagon. You can break an ankle that way.

 

[BamaDelta]

Special teams coach....only coach I have a problem with atm and this goes back to last year. Argo you are spot on.

Argo, scoot over and make room for me. I'm with you. :smile:

I've seen complaints about Bobby Williams now for 2 years. Can I be very stupid and ask why? Was it his bad on the fake punt? Should Saban not have seen it as well?

Our special teams played very good Sat. Mandell has been a very pleasant surprise outside of a punt or two. Peterson was a non-factor in returns.

 

[bamabear323]

Well for me, and I am sure you are this way too, but I feel the blame is shared. There are to many things going wrong rigt now. Our guys can do this, but arent. Some fault has to go to the coaches for no providing proper motivation, but alot also goes to the players for not being self-motivated, a key theme of CNS. The only thing we can do on our end is change the coaches, but players can only be changed season to season less we want a major PR mess.

So maybee next year we will have new leaders and new faces. And a few coaching issues that have to be tweaked. If McElwain were to leave, his very basic offense would luckily be simple for another OC to adjust too, as long as he isnt all spreadoption crazypants.

This is what is driving me crazy, how do you not get motivated after an azzwhuppin like we got from USCe?:headscratch: