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Trickle Down Economics and Pigskin Prognostication Week 2
Alabama v/s Tulane
By Big_Fan
By now, much has been written concerning whether the 2008 edition of the Alabama Football Team is really good, or if Clemson is just that bad; it would be easy for a casual observer to see the statistics and final score of the Alabama versus Clemson game and arrive at the conclusion that Alabama overwhelmed a hapless Clemson team - such a conclusion would be wrong. Alabama’s victory over Clemson could be described as many things, however the Crimson Tide did not “overwhelm” Clemson, the Tide simply overpowered them. Make no mistake, Clemson’s defense is very good, and Alabama did not have any plays that Coach Fran would have categorized as “explosives” - plays gaining over twenty yards; current staff measurement of explosive plays is anything over 15 yards. The simple reason for that statistic was the closing speed of Clemson. Alabama was able to line up and run right at Clemson, physically pounding the ACC favorites with a relentless combination of power running and ball control passing. The speed of Clemson allowed them to close in the open field and minimize the damage - however Alabama was able to relentlessly grind out yards.
In the trickle down category, it was quickly evident (as we suspected would be the case) that strong line play with inexperienced skill players beats the inverse. Another noteworthy issue from the Clemson game involves the 2008 signing class. Alabama played somewhere around 10 freshmen against Clemson. Most recruiting publications ranked Alabama as having the top class in 2008, with the exception of ESPN. The Alabama Clemson outcome prompted Cecil Hurt to ask Finebaum to inquire of ESPN’s Tom Lugenbill “If Clemson’s signing class was better than Alabama’s, where were they?” Hurt commented that he certainly did not see the evidence. Had Alabama’s defensive unit lined up across the ball from Clemson’s, the Tide may have been in trouble, however Clemson’s offense was a different story, and their porous line offered little resistance to the bigger-stronger-faster Alabama defense.
Perhaps the most significant bit of information garnered from the Clemson game was not in the form of a measurable. One of the unfortunate hallmarks of the Bama teams over the past six seasons has been the tendency to wither in the face of adversity. Time and time again Alabama would fold late in games if the opponent gathered the least bit of momentum. When Clemson returned the second half kickoff for a touchdown, a collective “uh-oh” could be heard to echo from the Bama nation. Visions of countless comebacks by Arkansas, LSU, and others flashed before fans’ eyes. Thanks to a Clemson highlight, the character of the 2008 team is now apparent. The rising Tide shook off the return and went to work, dominating the rest of the half in the same fashion they had the first half.
This upcoming Saturday Alabama meets the hurricane evacuee Tulane team - currently housed on the Samford campus. Tulane head coach Bob Toledo is a name that should be familiar to Alabama fans - he was at the helm of the 2000 UCLA team that shocked the number three ranked Alabama team, sending them into a downward spiral that culminated in the firing of Mike DuBose at the end of the season. Tulane is not UCLA, and Saban is not DuBose. Tulane is another study in trickle down theory of College football. They are a team normally lacking the big name athletes, that found itself with a running back who finished number two in all the land in 2007. That runningback (who accounted for most of their offense) is no longer there, and his replacement tallied just 14 carries for 97 yards in 2007.
On offense Tulane has considerable youth in the depth chart, including six freshmen or sophomores in the offensive line two-deep. The starting center is RS Senior Michael Parenton, who at 6’2 287 will have his hands full trying to slow down the presence of Terrence Cody in the middle. That factor alone does not bode well for the Tulane offense. Tulane does have some experience at wideout, and a quarterback who stands in at 6’5 235 - how the sophomore triggerman will handle the alignments and blitzes thrown at him by Saban’s Alabama defense is a big question mark.
Defensively Tulane is somewhat undersized at almost every position. The Alabama offensive line will likely have little trouble getting to the second level (regardless of the status of Andre Smith), and almost any receiver Alabama sends in will be a mismatch for whoever Tulane puts on him. For Tulane, it is pick your poison. They cannot cover Alabama one-on-one, and lack the closing speed and athleticism to play an adequate zone (probably what they will try). Look for some "youtube-eque" Julio highlights in this one. Alabama will have significant yards after catch against an undersized secondary. While I hate to sound overly optimistic (and I will probably draw criticism for being so optimistic), from a physical standpoint this is the biggest mismatch I have seen Alabama walk into in quite some time.
While many people are asking the question “how will Alabama respond coming off of a big win?” perhaps a more important question is “how many points will Alabama score in the first half against Tulane so they can get the starters on the sideline?” This outcome goes back to the character issue revealed by the way Alabama responded to Clemson’s kickoff return, and the work ethic displayed by the team. This team has a killer instinct and will not look past Tulane. Unlike Clemson, Tulane does not match up well against Alabama at any position - at all. Where Alabama overpowered Clemson, Alabama will simply overwhelm Tulane.
A blowout win has been a long time coming for Bama fans. Look for reserves to play most of the second half as Alabama builds a 30+ point lead in the first half. Whatever Alabama tries offensively will work, and Alabama will literally be able to name the score.
My call - Alabama 55 - Tulane 6
Don’t be surprised if the Tide approaches 600 yards of total offense, but trails in time of possession due to quick scores. Lots of duplicate numbers will play this Saturday.
Alabama v/s Tulane
By Big_Fan
By now, much has been written concerning whether the 2008 edition of the Alabama Football Team is really good, or if Clemson is just that bad; it would be easy for a casual observer to see the statistics and final score of the Alabama versus Clemson game and arrive at the conclusion that Alabama overwhelmed a hapless Clemson team - such a conclusion would be wrong. Alabama’s victory over Clemson could be described as many things, however the Crimson Tide did not “overwhelm” Clemson, the Tide simply overpowered them. Make no mistake, Clemson’s defense is very good, and Alabama did not have any plays that Coach Fran would have categorized as “explosives” - plays gaining over twenty yards; current staff measurement of explosive plays is anything over 15 yards. The simple reason for that statistic was the closing speed of Clemson. Alabama was able to line up and run right at Clemson, physically pounding the ACC favorites with a relentless combination of power running and ball control passing. The speed of Clemson allowed them to close in the open field and minimize the damage - however Alabama was able to relentlessly grind out yards.
In the trickle down category, it was quickly evident (as we suspected would be the case) that strong line play with inexperienced skill players beats the inverse. Another noteworthy issue from the Clemson game involves the 2008 signing class. Alabama played somewhere around 10 freshmen against Clemson. Most recruiting publications ranked Alabama as having the top class in 2008, with the exception of ESPN. The Alabama Clemson outcome prompted Cecil Hurt to ask Finebaum to inquire of ESPN’s Tom Lugenbill “If Clemson’s signing class was better than Alabama’s, where were they?” Hurt commented that he certainly did not see the evidence. Had Alabama’s defensive unit lined up across the ball from Clemson’s, the Tide may have been in trouble, however Clemson’s offense was a different story, and their porous line offered little resistance to the bigger-stronger-faster Alabama defense.
Perhaps the most significant bit of information garnered from the Clemson game was not in the form of a measurable. One of the unfortunate hallmarks of the Bama teams over the past six seasons has been the tendency to wither in the face of adversity. Time and time again Alabama would fold late in games if the opponent gathered the least bit of momentum. When Clemson returned the second half kickoff for a touchdown, a collective “uh-oh” could be heard to echo from the Bama nation. Visions of countless comebacks by Arkansas, LSU, and others flashed before fans’ eyes. Thanks to a Clemson highlight, the character of the 2008 team is now apparent. The rising Tide shook off the return and went to work, dominating the rest of the half in the same fashion they had the first half.
This upcoming Saturday Alabama meets the hurricane evacuee Tulane team - currently housed on the Samford campus. Tulane head coach Bob Toledo is a name that should be familiar to Alabama fans - he was at the helm of the 2000 UCLA team that shocked the number three ranked Alabama team, sending them into a downward spiral that culminated in the firing of Mike DuBose at the end of the season. Tulane is not UCLA, and Saban is not DuBose. Tulane is another study in trickle down theory of College football. They are a team normally lacking the big name athletes, that found itself with a running back who finished number two in all the land in 2007. That runningback (who accounted for most of their offense) is no longer there, and his replacement tallied just 14 carries for 97 yards in 2007.
On offense Tulane has considerable youth in the depth chart, including six freshmen or sophomores in the offensive line two-deep. The starting center is RS Senior Michael Parenton, who at 6’2 287 will have his hands full trying to slow down the presence of Terrence Cody in the middle. That factor alone does not bode well for the Tulane offense. Tulane does have some experience at wideout, and a quarterback who stands in at 6’5 235 - how the sophomore triggerman will handle the alignments and blitzes thrown at him by Saban’s Alabama defense is a big question mark.
Defensively Tulane is somewhat undersized at almost every position. The Alabama offensive line will likely have little trouble getting to the second level (regardless of the status of Andre Smith), and almost any receiver Alabama sends in will be a mismatch for whoever Tulane puts on him. For Tulane, it is pick your poison. They cannot cover Alabama one-on-one, and lack the closing speed and athleticism to play an adequate zone (probably what they will try). Look for some "youtube-eque" Julio highlights in this one. Alabama will have significant yards after catch against an undersized secondary. While I hate to sound overly optimistic (and I will probably draw criticism for being so optimistic), from a physical standpoint this is the biggest mismatch I have seen Alabama walk into in quite some time.
While many people are asking the question “how will Alabama respond coming off of a big win?” perhaps a more important question is “how many points will Alabama score in the first half against Tulane so they can get the starters on the sideline?” This outcome goes back to the character issue revealed by the way Alabama responded to Clemson’s kickoff return, and the work ethic displayed by the team. This team has a killer instinct and will not look past Tulane. Unlike Clemson, Tulane does not match up well against Alabama at any position - at all. Where Alabama overpowered Clemson, Alabama will simply overwhelm Tulane.
A blowout win has been a long time coming for Bama fans. Look for reserves to play most of the second half as Alabama builds a 30+ point lead in the first half. Whatever Alabama tries offensively will work, and Alabama will literally be able to name the score.
My call - Alabama 55 - Tulane 6
Don’t be surprised if the Tide approaches 600 yards of total offense, but trails in time of possession due to quick scores. Lots of duplicate numbers will play this Saturday.
