BAMANEWSBOT
Staff
In an interview today on The Paul Finebaum Show, Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said he didn't believe Nick Saban was powerful enough to single-handedly influence the NCAA Football Rules Committee.Saban was reportedly in attendance when the committee drew up its proposal that would slow down hurry-up offenses by allowing defenses to substitute within the first 10 seconds of the play clock. Under the proposal, the offense would be penalized if it snaps the ball within those first 10 seconds.
"I don't think they're the type of men that could be swayed solely based on one man," said Freeze, who added that he knows a handful of the committee members. "It's obvious where coach Saban stands on the issue and it's obvious where people on our side of the table stand.
"I understand from reading today that he may have been in the committee meeting. Certainly he's entitled to do that. Maybe it's my fault that I didn't know. I would have loved from somebody on our side to be there to present also."
Since the days after Alabama's 2012 victory against Ole Miss, Saban has been viewed -- fairly or not -- as one of the faces of the movement against hurry-up, no-huddle offenses. With that in mind, we took a look back at some of his more memorable comments on the subject.
Those who view Saban as staunchly against the uptempo movement might be surprised to see his outspoken willingness to adapt, evolve and even embrace it.
Oct. 3, 2012 - SEC teleconference
"I think that the way people are going no-huddle right now, that at some point in time, we should look at how fast we allow the game to go in terms of player safety. The team gets in the same formation group, you can't substitute defensive players, you go on a 14-, 16-, 18-play drive and they're snapping the ball as fast as you can go and you look out there and all your players are walking around and can't even get lined up. That's when guys have a much greater chance of getting hurt when they're not ready to play.
"I think that's something that can be looked at. It's obviously created a tremendous advantage for the offense when teams are scoring 70 points and we're averaging 49.5 points a game. With people that do those kinds of things. More and more people are going to do it.
"I just think there's got to be some sense of fairness in terms of asking is this what we want football to be?
"You just try to get your players ready to do it the best way that you can. I don't think anybody really ever thought we'd go no-huddle and the coach could control the game from the sidelines and call the plays based on how the defense was lined up. That's a real advantage for the offense.
"You have to adapt on defense, your players have to adapt and it can be stressful in terms of communication and keeping their focus and energy level where it needs to be to play at that pace. It is what it is, so we try to get our players ready to do that."
Nov. 4, 2012 - Interview with New York Times, where Saban admits defensive players prefer working against no-huddle offenses.
"I grew up in old-fashioned execution, blocking, tackling, being able to run the pass route well enough to get open, throw the ball well enough to complete it. Not trying to make the other guy play so fast he can’t even get where he’s supposed to be. But it is what it is.
"I almost feel like a traitor — it’s almost an issue for us to get our players to go in the huddle."
Nov. 5, 2012 - Monday before Alabama faces Texas A&M
"I think everybody misinterpreted what I said about no-huddle. I don't mind playing against no-huddle. We don't mind that at all. That wasn't what I said, it's what you all interpreted it to be.
"I just asked the question, 'Is this what we want the game to become?' That's for you to answer. But that doesn't mean we don't like playing against it. We don't mind playing against it. It is what it is. Our players don't mind playing against it. We played a little bit better against it than when the other team huddled up this past week. That's the worst we've played all year on defense, by far.
"How do you explain that? Can I ask you a question. How would you explain that? Such an insightful question that you asked me. I'm trying to get some insight in what I'm asking you. How do you explain that?"
July 18, 2013 - SEC Media Days
"I don't know that there will ever be any rule changes that affect the up‑tempo teams.
"There's only two questions that I've ever had. You've heard me talk about this before, I'm not going to speak on it now. I don't have the answer to these questions. Should we allow football to be a continuous game? Is that the way the game was designed to play?
"And the second part of it is, and I don't have the answer to this, is an increased number of plays that players play in the game, is there any safety issues in that? They play like 64 plays a game in the NFL. We play over 80 in college. The up‑tempo teams play even more than that. The cumulative effect of that is a player is playing 25, 30 more plays a game. Is there any safety issues in that?
"I don't know the answers. I think these are the questions that need to be asked to know whether there needs to be any rules that affect the tempo of the game."
Sept. 26, 2013 - "Hey Coach!" radio show
"It takes the defensive coaches out of the game. I mean, you can't substitute personnel, you can't play substitution defense on third down, short yardage, goal line. You have to play with the same guys in the game all the time. So, there's some tremendous advantages to it. The only reason we haven't done it to this point is we've played pretty well without doing it and our players have played better without doing it.
"But I think the time is coming where we'll probably do it, too. My question is, you have to look at the big picture. Who still wins the championships relative to what they do? And can you really play good defense if you have that kind of offense. And how does it affect your overall program in terms of developing players."
Nov. 21, 2013 - Press conference heading into game against Chattanooga
"Even though we don't choose to do it as a team that much, I think we are capable to do it, if we wanted or needed to. I really do think our team responded better against those types of teams this year than what we've done in the past. It has been our approach, how we practice, how our offense practices against us. All those things have helped. I think our offense could go out and do that same thing."
Read More Here...
"I don't think they're the type of men that could be swayed solely based on one man," said Freeze, who added that he knows a handful of the committee members. "It's obvious where coach Saban stands on the issue and it's obvious where people on our side of the table stand.
"I understand from reading today that he may have been in the committee meeting. Certainly he's entitled to do that. Maybe it's my fault that I didn't know. I would have loved from somebody on our side to be there to present also."
Since the days after Alabama's 2012 victory against Ole Miss, Saban has been viewed -- fairly or not -- as one of the faces of the movement against hurry-up, no-huddle offenses. With that in mind, we took a look back at some of his more memorable comments on the subject.
Those who view Saban as staunchly against the uptempo movement might be surprised to see his outspoken willingness to adapt, evolve and even embrace it.
Oct. 3, 2012 - SEC teleconference
"I think that the way people are going no-huddle right now, that at some point in time, we should look at how fast we allow the game to go in terms of player safety. The team gets in the same formation group, you can't substitute defensive players, you go on a 14-, 16-, 18-play drive and they're snapping the ball as fast as you can go and you look out there and all your players are walking around and can't even get lined up. That's when guys have a much greater chance of getting hurt when they're not ready to play.
"I think that's something that can be looked at. It's obviously created a tremendous advantage for the offense when teams are scoring 70 points and we're averaging 49.5 points a game. With people that do those kinds of things. More and more people are going to do it.
"I just think there's got to be some sense of fairness in terms of asking is this what we want football to be?
"You just try to get your players ready to do it the best way that you can. I don't think anybody really ever thought we'd go no-huddle and the coach could control the game from the sidelines and call the plays based on how the defense was lined up. That's a real advantage for the offense.
"You have to adapt on defense, your players have to adapt and it can be stressful in terms of communication and keeping their focus and energy level where it needs to be to play at that pace. It is what it is, so we try to get our players ready to do that."
Nov. 4, 2012 - Interview with New York Times, where Saban admits defensive players prefer working against no-huddle offenses.
"I grew up in old-fashioned execution, blocking, tackling, being able to run the pass route well enough to get open, throw the ball well enough to complete it. Not trying to make the other guy play so fast he can’t even get where he’s supposed to be. But it is what it is.
"I almost feel like a traitor — it’s almost an issue for us to get our players to go in the huddle."
Nov. 5, 2012 - Monday before Alabama faces Texas A&M
"I think everybody misinterpreted what I said about no-huddle. I don't mind playing against no-huddle. We don't mind that at all. That wasn't what I said, it's what you all interpreted it to be.
"I just asked the question, 'Is this what we want the game to become?' That's for you to answer. But that doesn't mean we don't like playing against it. We don't mind playing against it. It is what it is. Our players don't mind playing against it. We played a little bit better against it than when the other team huddled up this past week. That's the worst we've played all year on defense, by far.
"How do you explain that? Can I ask you a question. How would you explain that? Such an insightful question that you asked me. I'm trying to get some insight in what I'm asking you. How do you explain that?"
July 18, 2013 - SEC Media Days
"I don't know that there will ever be any rule changes that affect the up‑tempo teams.
"There's only two questions that I've ever had. You've heard me talk about this before, I'm not going to speak on it now. I don't have the answer to these questions. Should we allow football to be a continuous game? Is that the way the game was designed to play?
"And the second part of it is, and I don't have the answer to this, is an increased number of plays that players play in the game, is there any safety issues in that? They play like 64 plays a game in the NFL. We play over 80 in college. The up‑tempo teams play even more than that. The cumulative effect of that is a player is playing 25, 30 more plays a game. Is there any safety issues in that?
"I don't know the answers. I think these are the questions that need to be asked to know whether there needs to be any rules that affect the tempo of the game."
Sept. 26, 2013 - "Hey Coach!" radio show
"It takes the defensive coaches out of the game. I mean, you can't substitute personnel, you can't play substitution defense on third down, short yardage, goal line. You have to play with the same guys in the game all the time. So, there's some tremendous advantages to it. The only reason we haven't done it to this point is we've played pretty well without doing it and our players have played better without doing it.
"But I think the time is coming where we'll probably do it, too. My question is, you have to look at the big picture. Who still wins the championships relative to what they do? And can you really play good defense if you have that kind of offense. And how does it affect your overall program in terms of developing players."
Nov. 21, 2013 - Press conference heading into game against Chattanooga
"Even though we don't choose to do it as a team that much, I think we are capable to do it, if we wanted or needed to. I really do think our team responded better against those types of teams this year than what we've done in the past. It has been our approach, how we practice, how our offense practices against us. All those things have helped. I think our offense could go out and do that same thing."
Read More Here...
