🏈 The Good, The Bad and The Ugly vs. Rocky Top

[Tidestalker]

Good:
-Bryce Young was unbelievable. To come off that injury and not be throwing all week, and ball the way he did, wow. He's everything you want in a QB.
-Gibbs was pretty special. Brooks had a really good game. Prentice & Bond flashing is a great sign. Might be trending towards those younger guys as the season ages

Bad:
-S/T's. Not even about missing a long kick at the end... The 2 holding penalties to start drives... The awful blunder on the punt. Rough day for that group
-Pass rush was non existent. I really thought that DL was going to change the rhythm of their offense, dead wrong. No one flashed. Schematically they were able to keep the sub packages in that they wanted to play against, and the D had no answer... Just reacted.
-Secondary confusion. Busts everywhere... Don't know if some personnel needs to be shifted around or what, but there is potential for big time improvement with that group.

Ugly:
-Penalties. Even taking away the handful of questionable calls... 17 is nuts. The skill position guys jumping early, the off sides, etc., just an undisciplined group. Didn't think it was possible for this team to make more mental mistakes than they did against Texas, but when it happens again, it's just kind of who they are.
-Game management. Losing that game in regulation was a huge failure in the ability to handle the clock well.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Good - the resilience and consistency of Bryce
Bad - defense and the refs
Ugly - I don't buy Saban's reply about our final 3 offensive play calls, all three passes. NOTHING about the previous 59 minutes should have given him confidence in our pass D to keep UT out of field goal range with 2 remaining time outs. We should have run the ball at least once on 3rd down to force UT to use 1 of their 2 remaining timeouts. Any pass attempts during those final 3 plays should have been short quick easy passes (like the 2nd down pass to Gibbs) to ensure the tackle occurs in bounds. We had 1 or 2 time outs to use for ourselves to ensure a field goal attempt even if UT doesn't use theirs. I realize you can't always fix your defense during a game, but you have to adjust your play calling based on how poorly your defense has performed. I knew exactly how the game would end after I saw we were passing on that final 3rd down.

Game management....i thinkNick taking heat for OC....
Have watched Nick for 16 years....he can manage a game to very end...
I cant see him putting D bkfield in that much free space....at end..
May have...may not....
But not NS like

 

[Tidestalker]

Game management....i thinkNick taking heat for OC....
Have watched Nick for 16 years....he can manage a game to very end...
I cant see him putting D bkfield in that much free space....at end..
May have...may not....
But not NS like

If you've watched CNS for 16 years and give him credit for managing a game to the "very end", how is he not accountable for how this one played out?

That line of thought is lacking consistency, 50.

Regardless - That game management approach ended up being a huge blunder... And it was easily controllable and a self inflicted mistake.

 

[musso]

If you've watched CNS for 16 years and give him credit for managing a game to the "very end", how is he not accountable for how this one played out?

That line of thought is lacking consistency, 50.

Regardless - That game management approach ended up being a huge blunder... And it was easily controllable and a self inflicted mistake.

Oh I must have misunderstood 50. I thought he was blaming Saban, in part at least.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

If you've watched CNS for 16 years and give him credit for managing a game to the "very end", how is he not accountable for how this one played out?

That line of thought is lacking consistency, 50.

Regardless - That game management approach ended up being a huge blunder... And it was easily controllable and a self inflicted mistake.

@musso

I dont blame anybody...especially NS...

What i was alluding to....
Maybe he is taking heat for the way this one finished...and he just let his OC and DC do their thing...i dont know that.... a good boss would make sure he was the one to criticize...no matter what.....

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

@musso

I dont blame anybody...especially NS...

What i was alluding to....
Maybe he is taking heat for the way this one finished...and he just let his OC and DC do their thing...i dont know that.... a good boss would make sure he was the one to criticize...no matter what.....

Nick will never throw a coach under the bus nor a player. If I were a betting man, Bill will be gone (I believe that was understood even this spring) and depending on how one Nick Saban sees the performance of the defense we may see Pete move as well. JMO is the position coaches are the reason for poor player performance.

Oh, and stop trying to run back F kickoffs!

 

[mando]

JMO is the position coaches are the reason for poor player performance.

I believe this is likely. Maybe some recruits that have not developed or have more limitations than the coaches expected.

With all that said I feel like we are still a great team. However at Bama you are measured against the Elite Bama Standard.

 

[jlabit]

Maybe I am not good at evaluating this game. But I see our Defensive Coordinator fired long before O'Brien. We scored a LOT of points!! But we allowed 52 to be scored against us. If we are going to fire someone, fire DC Pete Golding.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Maybe I am not good at evaluating this game. But I see our Defensive Coordinator fired long before O'Brien. We scored a LOT of points!! But we allowed 52 to be scored against us. If we are going to fire someone, fire DC Pete Golding.

BY is why we scored a lot of points....the guy is incredible...

Nick appears comfortable with his coordinators....if they dont move on....they will be coordinating again next year

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

I believe Nick asked Bill for two years so Bryce would have the benefit of the same guy running (Nick's offense) for his career at Bama. That logic is sound, but it's possible maybe it hasn't been so great for Bryce.

This team has too many overhyped, undisciplined individualist. We heard the stories (rumors) how that 2013 splintered and I believe we will learn about this team once the jocks and socks are put away.

 

[musso]

I believe Nick asked Bill for two years so Bryce would have the benefit of the same guy running (Nick's offense) for his career at Bama. That logic is sound, but it's possible maybe it hasn't been so great for Bryce.

This team has too many overhyped, undisciplined individualist. We heard the stories (rumors) how that 2013 splintered and I believe we will learn about this team once the jocks and socks are put away.

Oh I think it's been great for Bryce. Think of how pathetic last year's and this year's teams would have been without Bryce. He was the team's savior when our OL sucked at both run and pass blocking last season. And he's remained our savior this season at Texas with that final drive and his performance at Tenn when our defense couldn't cover anything.

But I have started wondering too about the team unity. Every time I see Bryce appearing in commercials I can't help but wonder how his NIL stardom is affecting team chemistry. The way the defense played at Tenn, my suspicions have strengthened.

 

[NickelDoubleDog]

Good is it took 17 penalties, a terrible ST blunder, 4 blatant calls against that went Tennessee's way, and a missed FG for UT to win this game in Neyland.

Plenty of bad, but given all that, I would anticipate Alabama could win the rematch.

We'll see if Tennessee can take care of UGA

 

[It Takes Eleven]

Oh I think it's been great for Bryce. Think of how pathetic last year's and this year's teams would have been without Bryce. He was the team's savior when our OL sucked at both run and pass blocking last season. And he's remained our savior this season at Texas with that final drive and his performance at Tenn when our defense couldn't cover anything.

But I have started wondering too about the team unity. Every time I see Bryce appearing in commercials I can't help but wonder how his NIL stardom is affecting team chemistry. The way the defense played at Tenn, my suspicions have strengthened.

The D was scorched against UT for a number reasons, I think, for one that they viewed the QB as a running threat and looked to contain him in the pocket over getting to him. He clearly had time, and picked us apart. The few times we got in his face, accuracy suffered. Their pace of play eliminated our situational subs, credit goes to them on that. That being said, the offense and special teams didn't help the D, with UT having drives starting in our territory, another at our 44. The D stopped them twice on downs and got two two turnovers (I think the INT negated by a PI was legitimate, too).

The idea that other players have been impacted by Bryce's NIL income is just that, an idea - and a suspicion. I think we overthink the arcane minutia rather than the impact 102,000 screaming fans have on team communications. That crowd noise bothers this team is on the coaches, but the pesky idea of what Bryce is earning when others are trying o play "to create value for themselves" doesn't resonate with me.

Don't get me started on our fans, and a wholesale refusal to make noise at our stadium. Drives me nuts to get looks when I'm yelling when we're on D.

RTR,

Tim

 

[BamaFan334]

The idea that other players have been impacted by Bryce's NIL income is just that, an idea - and a suspicion. I think we overthink the arcane minutia rather than the impact 102,000 screaming fans have on team communications. That crowd noise bothers this team is on the coaches, but the pesky idea of what Bryce is earning when others are trying o play "to create value for themselves" doesn't resonate with me.

I don't think it makes anyone jealous, but you have to wonder if that focus that was once on football to make money in the future has now been changed to a focus on making money in the present. Seriously, why are these last two years so different than any other of Saban's? NIL is the absolute only difference. You cannot tell me in the early years this team with this talent would not have kicked the tar out of everyone. The talent last year does not lose to Georgia in the Natty in the early years. Even with coaching changes, schedule changes, new recruits, facility construction etc, those teams dominated others and it wasn't even close. The transfer portal has been a major positive for us, and has not hurt us at all. No former players have beat us, and it has only allowed us to shore up shortcomings with our own team, while admittingly it has allowed other teams to do the same and catch up in certain areas. The last two years we have been two undisciplined football teams. Bryce is a once in a lifetime recruit. So polished, mature, unfazed, and any other accolade you can think of, he's it. You can clearly see it hasn't fazed him, but there is a major drop off after him with the results we're seeing. Anderson is having a solid year, but our schedule has not been tough either to say he's doing it against Top 10 teams. Go look at the game logs. Players are playing not to get hurt, playing for endorsements, and whatever else is the difference in my mind. I just can't seem to blame Saban for doing something he has never shown to do, and that's hiring bad position coaches. As smart as he is even as a defensive backs coach, are we saying he doesn't teach them how to evolve with the new rules or do we think it's the players? He has to answer to all of it as he's the head coach, but I do personally think NIL has taken a lot out of our development efforts.

 

[musso]

I think we overthink the arcane minutia rather than the impact 102,000 screaming fans have on team communications. That crowd noise bothers this team is on the coaches, but the pesky idea of what Bryce is earning when others are trying o play "to create value for themselves" doesn't resonate with me.

Don't get me started on our fans, and a wholesale refusal to make noise at our stadium. Drives me nuts to get looks when I'm yelling when we're on D.

RTR,

Tim

I'm confused. How did noise negatively affect our offense? Or are you saying noise harmed our D while not simultaneously harming Tenn's offense?

I totally agree on noise at home games, or the lack thereof.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

I'm confused. How did noise negatively affect our offense? Or are you saying noise harmed our D while not simultaneously harming Tenn's offense?

I totally agree on noise at home games, or the lack thereof.

We don’t play well in packed out away games. Is it illogical to think it’s crowd noise over the players thinking about how much or how little NIL money they’re making?

 

[It Takes Eleven]

I don't think it makes anyone jealous, but you have to wonder if that focus that was once on football to make money in the future has now been changed to a focus on making money in the present. Seriously, why are these last two years so different than any other of Saban's? NIL is the absolute only difference. You cannot tell me in the early years this team with this talent would not have kicked the tar out of everyone. The talent last year does not lose to Georgia in the Natty in the early years. Even with coaching changes, schedule changes, new recruits, facility construction etc, those teams dominated others and it wasn't even close. The transfer portal has been a major positive for us, and has not hurt us at all. No former players have beat us, and it has only allowed us to shore up shortcomings with our own team, while admittingly it has allowed other teams to do the same and catch up in certain areas. The last two years we have been two undisciplined football teams. Bryce is a once in a lifetime recruit. So polished, mature, unfazed, and any other accolade you can think of, he's it. You can clearly see it hasn't fazed him, but there is a major drop off after him with the results we're seeing. Anderson is having a solid year, but our schedule has not been tough either to say he's doing it against Top 10 teams. Go look at the game logs. Players are playing not to get hurt, playing for endorsements, and whatever else is the difference in my mind. I just can't seem to blame Saban for doing something he has never shown to do, and that's hiring bad position coaches. As smart as he is even as a defensive backs coach, are we saying he doesn't teach them how to evolve with the new rules or do we think it's the players? He has to answer to all of it as he's the head coach, but I do personally think NIL has taken a lot out of our development efforts.

Not having generational receiving talent makes a difference.

 

[64Tide]

Agree with 11 100%. Imagine BY with Devonta, Ruggs, Waddell etc. It would 2020 all over again if we had more mature receivers.

 

[Rolltide24]

UT’s receivers this year are ahead of ours this year. They had less trouble getting separation from my view. And dropped less balls. And that was without Tillman who is their top target.

 

[musso]

We don’t play well in packed out away games. Is it illogical to think it’s crowd noise over the players thinking about how much or how little NIL money they’re making?

I suppose it's not illogical. I'm just not aware of how crowd noise harms our D while avoiding harm to the other team's O. And due to our offensive production, it's not evident to me how the crowd harmed our O. I don't understand the ins and outs of sideline communication, so I was just wondering if you could explain yourself.

And fwiw, I didn't single out NIL money in particular, did I? I believe I mentioned Bryce's commercials, which to me signifies how NIL can potentially exacerbate a roster caste system. Popularity and recognition inequities can widen fissures among young people, especially a roster full of entitled blue chips. At a minimum, I don't see how any unequal compensation system will aid the cause of team solidarity. I hope I'm wrong of course.