| FTBL Overview of The Situation in The SEC

[Guest]

Fatlock - Done
Croom - Done
Pine Box - Done

What is happening? This is very unusual. Allow me to offer my thoughts on what is occurring.

This may sound a little bit out there, but I truly believe this and we are all here to share ideas, correct?

It is no secret that Alabama and it's fans are despised all around the SEC. Sure, a few fanbases say we are nice folks and are polite, etc... but they turn right around and call us delusional inbred's and irrational clowns in the next breath.

I truly believe that many, many fans of many SEC fanbases had convinced themselves that Alabama was doomed to the lower-tier level of the SEC forever. They had really and truly made themselves believe that 'Bama was done for, never to amount to anything again, always to be the beating post.

Coach Saban changed all of that, and in so doing, he genuinely made many people angry and upset.

As these fanbases and these athletic departments and these presidents and these board of trustee's and these boosters from many different schools and teams across the Southeast saw Alabama rise this year, they didn't like it.

Not only did they not like it, but now instead of ridiculing and lambasting us like had been their routine for so many years, now they want to be like us.

They want the next Coach Saban. They are envious of the attention. They are envious of the recruits that we got that they used to take from our state. They are greedy and they want to overhaul their programs just like 'Bama did.

They want to be #1 for 6 straight weeks and #2 for 3 other weeks out of a season and they want to play for the SEC Championship trophy.

Havoc is being wrought at program after program, heads are rolling, pink slips are flying, people want change.

Coach Saban has brought about that catalyst. They want to be on the cover of Forbes, they want to be on SI every time they blink.

Why not them, they say. Why not us, the fans say. If the B**mers can have that kind of success, why not us?

That is just how much they despise us. It is eating them alive to see 'Bama standing tall at 12-0. It is devouring their blackened and soulless hearts to see 'Bama shining.

They want what we captured. It isn't good enough for them to just be decent teams any longer, they have to be as good as 'Bama because to not be as good as we are is tearing them asunder.

Anyway, those are my sort of out there ideas about it. I honestly do not see all of this upheaval this season occurring had Alabama just kept plodding along winning 5-6-7 or 8, if we were lucky, games a year.

 

[bamanaf]

Had Saban not gone 12-0 this season, at least one coach would still have his job, maybe 2.

 

[Guest]

Had Saban not gone 12-0 this season, at least one coach would still have his job, maybe 2.

Exactly. I just mentioned Croom because he happened to be fired this season also. I don't believe his termination was a direct effect of Alabama's success.

We know that baby Bowden was canned because of the beatdown Coach Saban laid on him. They had had enough of him for a long time though. What Alabama did to them just gave them a good opportunity to show him the door.

I feel it is different in the SEC though. Pine Box and Fatlock had very belligerent fanbases behind them that demanded success on par with Alabama, they refuse to be left behind us.

Their irrationality and delusion may harm them in the end. How it will turn out for them has not yet be seen. But, I can almost guarantee you that their new coaches will not be able to compete with Coach Saban any better than their last ones could.

 

[bamafan4ever]

Fulmer lost to a bad UCLA team, Florida and a not so good AU team before we had a crack at him. I'm sure the loss to BAMA didn't help matters but that Tennessee team was hapless way before we arrived at Knoxville. It was also a bad move to bring in the Richmond coach to run his offense...apparently!

Tubbs and his hiring of Franklin, the way that was handled, the general discontent among staff members and getting his butt handed to him by the Tide were all ingredients I am certain. BAMA/Saban alone didn't get him fired IMO.

 

[Guest]

If Tubby had beaten us by 1 point on a bad call, he'd still be employed.

 

[Guest]

Cool post, Altie. I think the bar has been raised around the league, no question. Already there's Auburn and Tennessee, and Miss St.

Schools around the country do not settle for mediocrity and below. Except for ND. Look at the turnaround that Saban has done, and you can't overlook what Meyer did in his second year.

Fans/boosters/AD's around the country are growing more and more impatient. It's not a stretch to say what Saban is doing hasn't added more pressure to coaches around the SEC.

 

[Guest]

You may be on to something here. No doubt our turnaround is shortening some coaches' leashes. I think Tennessee has been looking for a really bad season to get rid of Fulmer for a few years now and Bowden was on the hot seat more than he was off over at Clemson. No doubt, Urban's run at Florida has added to the pressure of "win right now". I agree that nobody outside of Bama fans and players etc....thought that Saban could bring us back so soon or even get us back at all. Just remember what all of the "talking heads" said back when Shula was fired, they all "agreed" that Bama would never be what we once were.

 

[Guest]

Fulmer lost to a bad UCLA team, Florida and a not so good AU team before we had a crack at him. I'm sure the loss to BAMA didn't help matters but that Tennessee team was hapless way before we arrived at Knoxville. It was also a bad move to bring in the Richmond coach to run his offense...apparently!

Tubbs and his hiring of Franklin, the way that was handled, the general discontent among staff members and getting his butt handed to him by the Tide were all ingredients I am certain. BAMA/Saban alone didn't get him fired IMO.

I agree with all of that. I didn't mean to seem as if I meant that these programs were skipping along just fine and then one loss to 'Bama made them disintegrate.

I wanted to just kind of put an overall thought out there that Coach Saban's presence has accelerated things.

People don't like ashes that rise up out of the sand like Phoenixes. They don't like new bullies on the block. They want to fight it and do it quick.

 

[Guest]

You may be on to something here. No doubt our turnaround is shortening some coaches' leashes. I think Tennessee has been looking for a really bad season to get rid of Fulmer for a few years now and Bowden was on the hot seat more than he was off over at Clemson. No doubt, Urban's run at Florida has added to the pressure of "win right now". I agree that nobody outside of Bama fans and players etc....thought that Saban could bring us back so soon or even get us back at all. Just remember what all of the "talking heads" said back when Shula was fired, they all "agreed" that Bama would never be what we once were.

Right, scw, you encapsulated what I was trying to say very nicely. Let's call it the Saban Effect.

 

[Guest]

Cool post, Altie. I think the bar has been raised around the league, no question. Already there's Auburn and Tennessee, and Miss St.

Schools around the country do not settle for mediocrity and below. Except for ND. Look at the turnaround that Saban has done, and you can't overlook what Meyer did in his second year.

Fans/boosters/AD's around the country are growing more and more impatient. It's not a stretch to say what Saban is doing hasn't added more pressure to coaches around the SEC.

You know, Tennessee gets backhanded by Florida. No big deal, that happens is what many of the fans say. Tennessee gets choked out by 'Bama in a brutal and nasty way, that just won't work.

Auburn is brutalized by a resurgent 'Bama, their most horrible dreams come alive and they react foolishly and irrationally and fire what was a good coach.

All I can say is that if coaches keep getting fired for losing to 'Bama, there isn't going to be enough qualified coaches in the nation to fill the empty spots.

 

[Guest]

If Tubby had beaten us by 1 point on a bad call, he'd still be employed.

Bingo.

 

[ORANGEADDICT]

Fulmer lost to a bad UCLA team, Florida and a not so good AU team before we had a crack at him. I'm sure the loss to BAMA didn't help matters but that Tennessee team was hapless way before we arrived at Knoxville. It was also a bad move to bring in the Richmond coach to run his offense...apparently!

Tubbs and his hiring of Franklin, the way that was handled, the general discontent among staff members and getting his butt handed to him by the Tide were all ingredients I am certain. BAMA/Saban alone didn't get him fired IMO.

THE TENNESSEE SITUIATION HAS BEEN ON THE DECLINE FOR A FEW YEARS...i WOULD HAVE FIRED THE oc AND GAVE fULMER ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO TO TRY TO TURN THINGS AROUND...iT WAS HANDLED WRONG,BUT TIME FOR A CHANGE, NOT THAT SABAN DIDNT HELP ,BUT STILL TIME.

 

[Guest]

If Tubby had beaten us by 1 point on a bad call, he'd still be employed.

Bingo.

Good point. If TN, MSU, or Auburn would've been able to pull off the upset, that team's coach would still have a job.

 

[bamanaf]

If Tubby had beaten us by 1 point on a bad call, he'd still be employed.

Bingo.

Good point. If TN, MSU, or Auburn would've been able to pull off the upset, that team's coach would still have a job.

More than likely the case. The humiliating loss to Bama and the after effects of stress brought TT to resign.
'Saban effect'.

 

[Guest]

In the SEC Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn. LSU, Arkansas, Ole Miss and even Mississippi State have lofty football aspirations. Vanderbilt is content with just not being embarrassed, and Kentucky and South Carolina are satisfied with winning seasons and minor bowls. Alabama's resurrection under Coach Saban has had ripples at all of these programs. Not only are there the three fired coaches, but you can bet that Georgia and LSU are very unhappy about losing to us. Richt and Miles are not in immediate danger, but both underachieved this year, at least by their fans expectations. If Alabama continues what it has started this year, there will be more coaching attrition in the SEC.

 

[TerryP]

In the SEC Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn. LSU, Arkansas, Ole Miss and even Mississippi State have lofty football aspirations. Vanderbilt is content with just not being embarrassed, and Kentucky and South Carolina are satisfied with winning seasons and minor bowls. Alabama's resurrection under Coach Saban has had ripples at all of these programs. Not only are there the three fired coaches, but you can bet that Georgia and LSU are very unhappy about losing to us. Richt and Miles are not in immediate danger, but both underachieved this year, at least by their fans expectations. If Alabama continues what it has started this year, there will be more coaching attrition in the SEC.

They are on Spurrier pretty hard right now. And, I can't say I blame them.

After the loss to Clemson his press conference had the same sound bytes as the one after his first season.

They aren't questioning his statements and their validity, they are asking why?

As example, he said "he was outcoached vs Clemson." Why? How?

It sounds a lot like it did the year before Holtz retired.

 

[Guest]

In the SEC Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn. LSU, Arkansas, Ole Miss and even Mississippi State have lofty football aspirations. Vanderbilt is content with just not being embarrassed, and Kentucky and South Carolina are satisfied with winning seasons and minor bowls. Alabama's resurrection under Coach Saban has had ripples at all of these programs. Not only are there the three fired coaches, but you can bet that Georgia and LSU are very unhappy about losing to us. Richt and Miles are not in immediate danger, but both underachieved this year, at least by their fans expectations. If Alabama continues what it has started this year, there will be more coaching attrition in the SEC.

They are on Spurrier pretty hard right now. And, I can't say I blame them.

After the loss to Clemson his press conference had the same sound bytes as the one after his first season.

They aren't questioning his statements and their validity, they are asking why?

As example, he said "he was outcoached vs Clemson." Why? How?

It sounds a lot like it did the year before Holtz retired.

Terry, I am curious about something. Spurrier had an earned reputation as a great recruiter when he was at Florida. Since he has been at USCe their recruitiing has not been terrible, but when he lands a top notcher it is nearly always a defensive player. He's had one or two good receivers and running backs, but no qb that I'd consider even SEC average. Has he just lost his fire for recruiting?

Losing to Clemson the way they did I'm sure aroused the SC nation, but had they won that game wouldn't their fans have been content with their minor bowl?

 

[alagator]

Terry, I am curious about something. Spurrier had an earned reputation as a great recruiter when he was at Florida. Since he has been at USCe their recruitiing has not been terrible, but when he lands a top notcher it is nearly always a defensive player. He's had one or two good receivers and running backs, but no qb that I'd consider even SEC average. Has he just lost his fire for recruiting?

Losing to Clemson the way they did I'm sure aroused the SC nation, but had they won that game wouldn't their fans have been content with their minor bowl?

Actually, pyschojoe, Spurrier did NOT have a great reputation as a recruiter while at UF. In fact, the exact opposite was true.

Spurrier made no bones about how much he disliked recruiting and really was not as successful as he could or should have been given the advantages the UF program offered. Yes, he brought in some very good players, but he was annually outworked by Bowden and Butch Davis. Spurrier outcoached rings around most everyone on the field - when he is 'on' he is the BEST in-game offensive mind EVER, but he could have been even more outstanding had he worked at getting players to Gainesville with the same passion as a Fulmer at Tennessee, Bowden at FSU, Davis at Miami, or Saban at (then) LSU or with us.

Many Gators said when Spurrier took the USCjr job that he would never enjoy even a touch of his success with us. Not so much that 'the game had passed him by,' but that he would not know how to work hard or smart enough at the recruiting game to lure 'Gator level' talent there. Your comments about the lack of a superior QB or set of WRs on their roster tends to prove us right.

 

[Swamptick]

Good post Altie.

 

[TerryP]

To add to what alagator has said...

He hasn't put a staff around him that are what I would call good recruiters as well. He's had a couple of good ones, like Charlie Strong, but they've left for greener pastures.