🏈 Tyler Booker: "“There’s no if, ands, or buts about it…Alabama wants to be in the SEC Championship [Game]..."

 

[TerryP]

Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin threw several SEC coaching peers under the bus on November 18, though none by name, by claiming several of them don’t want to reach the conference championship game because of the risks.

"The conference championship could have a big impact both ways. I've talked to some other coaches, and the feeling is that they don't want to get in it. The reward to get a bye (in the playoffs) versus the risk of getting knocked out completely....is a really big risk,” Kiffin said (h/t The Rebel Walk).

Rebels head football coach Lane Kiffin dishes out rat poison to Texas, Texas A&M, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee on behalf of Ole Miss | Sporting News

Rebels head football coach Lane Kiffin dished out rat poison to the entire SEC during a press scrum with Ole Miss beat reporters on November 18.

www.sportingnews.com

 

[rick4bama]

These players want to play in the SECCG.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Same for big 10. But 3 losses. Be interesting to see how committee handles

 

[Justneedme81]

If that's what they want then they should go for it.

 

[Kamikazi18627]

I love the competitive attitude.

Could we lose the seccg and miss the playoffs....yup. But, we could win it and get a bye in the first round. I'm confident we can beat the Texas teams.

 

[Rolltide24]

The SECCG killed UGA last year. It’s a different system this year, but the same old animal. Still a group of people making decisions. They could do it again.

 

[musso]

This is the only politically correct stance to express publicly. Impossible to know what they really prefer. Personally, we are too thin at some positions for me to want us to play in it. We know FOR SURE that we will play a difficult opponent for the conference title. We DON’T know for sure if we will play a difficult opponent in the playoff.

 

[Justneedme81]

This is the only politically correct stance to express publicly. Impossible to know what they really prefer. Personally, we are too thin at some positions for me to want us to play in it. We know FOR SURE that we will play a difficult opponent for the conference title. We DON’T know for sure if we will play a difficult opponent in the playoff.

I'm struggling to understand the logic behind that.

We are too thin at some positions for us to play in conference game, and then you went and said we know for sure that we will play a difficult opponent for conference title. Then you follow that up with We don't know for sure if we play a difficult opponent in the playoff. I need a shot of bourbon after processing all of that.

 

[mando]

This is the only politically correct stance to express publicly. Impossible to know what they really prefer.

I would not want a player on the Bama team that thought otherwise and not for polical correctness. That is what competitors do and if you are at Bama you are a competitor.

 

[musso]

I would not want a player on the Bama team that thought otherwise and not for polical correctness. That is what competitors do and if you are at Bama you are a competitor.

Agreed. But as a fan and if I was a coach, I agree with Kiffin. You perform a cost-benefit analysis to every game, especially now that rosters are thinner across the country due to the portal.

 

[musso]

I'm struggling to understand the logic behind that.

We are too thin at some positions for us to play in conference game, and then you went and said we know for sure that we will play a difficult opponent for conference title. Then you follow that up with We don't know for sure if we play a difficult opponent in the playoff. I need a shot of bourbon after processing all of that.

What’s not to understand? I’m saying the odds of facing elite competition in our conference title game is higher than the odds of facing elite competition in the playoff. And due to our depth concerns, I want each game to matter, and I prefer the path to a Natty with the least resistance. If we win our next two regular season games, there’s no doubt we are in the playoff. The only reason to want to play for the conference title is if you need a quality win to become playoff eligible.

 

[TerryP]

The only reason to want to play for the conference title is if you need a quality win to become playoff eligible.

Uh, no.

 

[musso]

Uh, no.

Uh, yes.

 

[mando]

Uh, yes.

I disagree.... Hang another banner on the wall as an SEC Champion. Automatic bye.... As a competitor you want to stake claim to winning the SEC. You are at Bama we do not shy away from competition. Sooooooo many reasons to play for the title most of which do not relate to the playoffs directly but if can win the SEC championship you can win the Natty,

 

[BamaFan334]

I disagree.... Hang another banner on the wall as an SEC Champion. Automatic bye.... As a competitor you want to stake claim to winning the SEC. You are at Bama we do not shy away from competition. Sooooooo many reasons to play for the title most of which do not relate to the playoffs directly but if can win the SEC championship you can win the Natty,

Beating Georgia last year in the SEC Championship meant more to a lot of people than the Michigan loss did. Myself included. That win meant everything to me.

 

[mando]

Beating Georgia last year in the SEC Championship meant more to a lot of people than the Michigan loss did. Myself included. That win meant everything to me.

Not sure if you think I was disagreeing to it meaning anything or not. I think it does so we are aligned. It is about more than the playoffs. It matters to the players and the fans. If we did not make it and then did make the playoffs I can live with that also but we should not shy away from it and actually prefer making the SEC championship...

 

[Crimson&WhiteGecko]

Beating Georgia last year in the SEC Championship meant more to a lot of people than the Michigan loss did. Myself included. That win meant everything to me.

HELL YES!

Those of us who life in GA. . . . . that game meant a lot. Especially to bookend their winning streak with their asses whipped PLUS keeping them out of the playoffs. Hell to the YES!

 

[musso]

another banner on the wall as an SEC Champion.

Who cares if you win a conference title if you're not the last SEC team standing in the playoff?

Automatic bye

So what, you get an automatic bye by not playing in the conference title game.

As a competitor ... we do not shy away from competition.

But WE aren't competitors. We're fans. I already noted how the interests and mentality of players differ from their coaches and fans. Reduced depth and a longer season puts a premium on keeping people healthy. This is analogous to war: you want your soldiers (players) prepared to defeat anyone, anywhere, anytime. But as generals (coaches) and civilians (fans), we shouldn't want to send them into harm's way frivolously when it doesn't matter. Winning a war sometimes requires avoiding fighting every potential enemy and every possible battle. Conserving resources and selecting your battles wisely is crucial.

if can win the SEC championship you can win the Natty,

Not necessarily. After a long season, players are playing impaired and more and more starters are missing snaps. You'll see greater parity in the playoff, I assure you. The health and stamina of starters will matter more in the playoff than how talented each starting roster was at, say, Week 4.

 

[mando]

Who cares if you win a conference title if you're not the last SEC team standing in the playoff?

So what, you get an automatic bye by not playing in the conference title game.

But WE aren't competitors. We're fans. I already noted how the interests and mentality of players differ from their coaches and fans. Reduced depth and a longer season puts a premium on keeping people healthy. This is analogous to war: you want your soldiers (players) prepared to defeat anyone, anywhere, anytime. But as generals (coaches) and civilians (fans), we shouldn't want to send them into harm's way frivolously when it doesn't matter. Winning a war sometimes requires avoiding fighting every potential enemy and every possible battle. Conserving resources and selecting your battles wisely is crucial.

Not necessarily. After a long season, players are playing impaired and more and more starters are missing snaps. You'll see greater parity in the playoff, I assure you. The health and stamina of starters will matter more in the playoff than how talented each starting roster was at, say, Week 4.

Just completely disagree with all of your counter points. I am a fan but also a competitor. Always have been. Can I impact the game on the field? Of course not but I still want to see the SEC banner in Tuscaloosa.. The SEC Championship matters to these kids and the coaches. Think CKD would not want to say he was in the SEC Championship and won it in year 1? I suspect he would get some money from that also. If it doesn't matter to these guys I do not want them at Bama. They are not made of the stuff required to sustain success. They might as well go to the Barn or Viles or any other mediocre program with that mindset.