🏈 You're Head Coach. What do you do next?

[PhillyGirl]

Listen folks this aint the end of the world it's just one hick up in the history of this great University's football tradition. We can overcome this .

I normally hate these posters, but ..

 

[Elderfalsedemigod]

He gets pulled after one INT and later it's because he didn't run?!?

Just a note, Cooper Bateman didn't come back in because he got absolutely destroyed on the interception return. He couldn't come back in.

 

[Destiny's Child]

Unfortunately, some changes they need to make don't need to be done during the season. They need to adapt to the HUNH and change their defensive system. Like I said in my thread, they are 6-5 against the last 11 ranked opponents giving up over 26 points/game. Teams that have top level talent like Bama know how to use it to beat this defense. When a team does the same thing for 8 years, good coaches are going to figure out how to handle it.
I disagree with those that said OM didn't have a ton of yards so the defense played well enough to win. OM didn't have as many yards because they didn't have as far to go on many of their drives. We continued to give them good fied position.

Regarding the offense, we can't have a quarterback out there that looks lost half the time and turns it over constantly (yes, that means Coker). The remainder of this year, they need to play the guy with the best understanding of the offense. If it's true that Morris has the best handle of the offense and didn't turn the ball over in fall camp, they need to give him a real shot while working Barnett into the mix. Imagine what happens if Barnett get frustrated with the redshirt and transfers after the season. You know he is watching Rosen at UCLA and other freshmen quarterbacks he beat at the Elite 11 getting their shot and has to be disappointed. It would be different if Coker or another quarterback was doing well but they aren't.

Of course, they need to continue to develop the skills of each player and they need to work in guys that will be the main guys next season. We should see Harris, Barnett, Cotton, etc. more often.

I love some Derrick Thomas too by the way but the defense did fine. They really limited Ole Miss to a 100% passing team and besides for a very lucky break and a cheat play that they were forced into because we had pulled within a touchdown and had them in a 3rd down on their own 20 yard line. They hit a couple long passes to their all world receiver who just made an awesome play on the ball. Besides for that they had very little passing yards for 40 plus attempts and no rushing attack.

On offense,
1) the QB's: Cooper Bateman knows the offense better, knows where to go with the football better and makes quicker decisions. He is also more consistently accurate, that being said Coker did a decent job to bring us back the other night and made some throws that I don't know that Bateman can make. Coker also made many more mistakes getting the play in, miscommunicating with receivers on routes, stared down receivers, threw the ball 10 feet over wide open receivers heads. Bateman should have kept the ball on at least two of his zone read plays. They are very different but I see why they are equal in the coaches eyes.

2) Play calling: I am of the mind that we made a mistake not running the ball some with 3:30 left and putting it on Jake to win the game instead of getting it to our play makers. Not every play but some draws, screens and sweeps with a tired, cramping defense would have opened up throwing lanes for Jake, relaxed the rush some and taken some of the pressure off of him.

Overall:
We were lucky to be in it at all after 5 turnovers, 3 inside our own red zone, every bounce and benefit of calls and no calls going against us. We saw the enemy and it was US! Even with the 2 Bull Shit TD's, if we don't turn it over 5 times and give up 24 points off of those turnovers the game wouldn't have been in doubt.

I expected a few losses this year so I am not shocked but we still have a great chance to get to Atlanta. We just need some help from the rest of our friends in the SEC West now.

Roll Tide

 

[jdpas29]

good points

 

[DT55FOREVER]

Just a note, Cooper Bateman didn't come back in because he got absolutely destroyed on the interception return. He couldn't come back in.

You are right. He had a concussion and couldn't come back in.

Also, according to Boz, Henry went off on Stewart after the game because of his attitude and route running. He ran the wrong route on Bateman's INT. He said Stewart has been an attitude issue all season. He also mentioned that real issues exist between Kiffin and Saban with play calling. No surprise there, but Saban was going to take more control in that area. Most knew Kiffin would be gone after this year, but this solidifies it. I don't say that he is right on everything but he does have some inside sources. Everyone should check out what a former Bama player who is in the NFL told him about the defense and Saban's stubborness. Not encouraging.

 

[Destiny's Child]

By the way, I have good reason for calling it a cheat play. I help coach WR and CB's for youth football and have for years. It is one of the keys we teach even in youth so they know when to leave their receiver and come make the tackle. If you see linemen run blocking you can get a step on the play by leaving your guy and getting to the ball.

I coached 6th graders so the QB's can actually throw the ball over twenty yards so it matters. There is a reason that when the rules officials tried to make the lineman downfield 1 yard instead of 3 that Gus, Hugh and all the other HUNH guys had a fit. It's like a get out jail free card that they know they can run and get big yards because the officials have a hard time seeing the linemen downfield .

They need to change three rules:

a) It should be where the ball is when it is thrown as it relates to the line of scrimmage. This whole body has to be across the line is too hard to call for the officials or for the defense and it is the only time in the rules where the ball across the line doesn't count. Make it uniform and easy to call.

b) Linemen shouldn't be allowed more than 1 yard downfield on a passing play..period

c) Linemen downfield should be able to be reviewed and changed like targeting and 12 players on the field. It would be a benefit to the officials too because they can't watch everything.

 

[DT55FOREVER]

By the way, I have good reason for calling it a cheat play. I help coach WR and CB's for youth football and have for years. It is one of the keys we teach even in youth so they know when to leave their receiver and come make the tackle. If you see linemen run blocking you can get a step on the play by leaving your guy and getting to the ball.

I coached 6th graders so the QB's can actually throw the ball over twenty yards so it matters. There is a reason that when the rules officials tried to make the lineman downfield 1 yard instead of 3 that Gus, Hugh and all the other HUNH guys had a fit. It's like a get out jail free card that they know they can run and get big yards because the officials have a hard time seeing the linemen downfield .

They need to change three rules:

a) It should be where the ball is when it is thrown as it relates to the line of scrimmage. This whole body has to be across the line is too hard to call for the officials or for the defense and it is the only time in the rules where the ball across the line doesn't count. Make it uniform and easy to call.

b) Linemen shouldn't be allowed more than 1 yard downfield on a passing play..period

c) Linemen downfield should be able to be reviewed and changed like targeting and 12 players on the field. It would be a benefit to the officials too because they can't watch everything.

agree completely. It's stupid that it's not reviewable on a challenge from the opposing coach.

 

['65 Cobra]

While I agree the sky isn't falling and the sun will probably still come up tomorrow, there are some disturbing trends here. Opposing teams have figured out our defense. We have been consistently allowing more points per game each since the HUNH has become more common place. How is it that LSU can defend against it but we can't? On offense, there seems to be clear friction between Saban and Kiffin brewing. Kiffin is trying to be too cute with his clever play calling.

As another poster said, things come and go in cycles. We had an extended cycle of dominance, but we had to know that other teams would be working their butts off to catch us. If you want to stay on top, you have to continuously improve and be willing to adapt as others achieve excellence as well. It takes being willing to look with unbiased eyes in the mirror and conduct a candid root cause analysis. If we are consistently giving up 40+ points per game (or thereabouts) to good teams running some form of the HUNH and that has been the case for several seasons running, well... it's not just about rotating talent - there is something wrong with the scheme and/or how we are coaching our players.

 

[jdpas29]

I didn't know Cooper was injured on that play. I guess depending on how bad his concussion is, they may burn BB's redshirt or would we just mash through the year with Coker/Morris?!??!

 

[JoshB]

Are you sure that'S what he saw or was he watching the quarterback and bit like 99% of corner backs do? Not sure I can believe in that quick of a response he surveyed the offensive line while running with a receiver and turned around to see an offensive lineman up field and came up to play the quarterback. I honestly think he bit, no issues with that, and simply made a mistake, it happens. The only thing I have to question about your theory is that if he has that kind of reaction time and that coached up, he would also easily know to turn his head when making a play on the receiver instead of getting flagged.

Im pretty sure Marlon bit on the receiver, but the safeties, on the other hand, were nowhere to be found because they bit on the run seeing the linemen down the field.

 

[utstnx]

Keep in mind that Ole Miss plays 5 straight SEC teams to finish there season. They will at least lose to LSU maybe more. We are still in this.

 

[DT55FOREVER]

Im pretty sure Marlon bit on the receiver, but the safeties, on the other hand, were nowhere to be found because they bit on the run seeing the linemen down the field.

Correct, Marlon mentioned that the lineman was not an issue but it did effect the safeties playing the run. The lineman downfield gave them those points.

 

[BigCrimson]

Unfortunately, some changes they need to make don't need to be done during the season. They need to adapt to the HUNH and change their defensive system. Like I said in my thread, they are 6-5 against the last 11 ranked opponents giving up over 26 points/game. Teams that have top level talent like Bama know how to use it to beat this defense. When a team does the same thing for 8 years, good coaches are going to figure out how to handle it.
I disagree with those that said OM didn't have a ton of yards so the defense played well enough to win. OM didn't have as many yards because they didn't have as far to go on many of their drives. We continued to give them good field position.

I'm going to be a hypocrite and disagree with you. I agreed with you last week on this. LOL! But bear with me a second. I was on another Alabama message board in a thread that was having this same discussion. This one poster put up some alarming statistics that has changed my stance on our defense. Here's the sad reality. "Ain't nobody" stopping these offenses. Go look at the stats of the teams we think are stopping them. They are giving up the about the same amount as points and yardage we are. Take the pop pass (in which an illegal man downfield assisted the play) and the fluke chuck it up and pray td pass and that's over 150 yards of passing, which would bring their passing yardage down to roughly 191 yards. I did some quick head math so that number maybe a bit off.

These offenses are a product of the rules and refs not implementing the rules that are in place. I got pissed off Saturday night and went into a rant (to myself) about our defensive scheme etc. But in all honesty, no body is stopping these offenses on a consistent basis.

 

[DT55FOREVER]

I'm going to be a hypocrite and disagree with you. I agreed with you last week on this. LOL! But bear with me a second. I was on another Alabama message board in a thread that was having this same discussion. This one poster put up some alarming statistics that has changed my stance on our defense. Here's the sad reality. "Ain't nobody" stopping these offenses. Go look at the stats of the teams we think are stopping them. They are giving up the about the same amount as points and yardage we are. Take the pop pass (in which an illegal man downfield assisted the play) and the fluke chuck it up and pray td pass and that's over 150 yards of passing, which would bring their passing yardage down to roughly 191 yards. I did some quick head math so that number maybe a bit off.

These offenses are a product of the rules and refs not implementing the rules that are in place. I got pissed off Saturday night and went into a rant (to myself) about our defensive scheme etc. But in all honesty, no body is stopping these offenses on a consistent basis.

I don't disagree with you about it being an issue across the country. I really don't expect to stop it or even hold it to the same low numbers we hold regular offenses to, but I do expect to hold them under 35. We were told the coaches had made real changes to better counter this offense and I haven't seen them. With the talent that has come in over the past several years, they should be doing better than they are. My opinion is that the scheme and coaching have a great deal to do with it.

 

[BamaFan334]

Im pretty sure Marlon bit on the receiver, but the safeties, on the other hand, were nowhere to be found because they bit on the run seeing the linemen down the field.

I can definitely understand that a little more since they are there to survey the entire field and react. Plus the lineman would have been right there in front of him.

 

[Teague]

I think the defense actually played very well. Without all of the turnovers and the two BS plays, Ole Miss doesn't score 30 points. This defense is good. It's impossible to completely shut down a GOOD HUNH offense. The D played well enough in this game that we SHOULD have won. They just played in a big hole most of the game. The offense, on the other hand, needs some work.

 

[We All Bleed Crimson]

I just wanted to point out one thing about the yardage that ole miss had. Kelley had, I think, 341 yards passing. 139 of those were on the 66 yard FLUKE, LUCKY, crap reception and the other was the should-have-been-a-penalty 73 yard pass late. I think the D actually did play well against a very good offensive team. It is unfortunate that we had a turnover problem Saturday night.

 

[BigCrimson]

I don't disagree with you about it being an issue across the country. I really don't expect to stop it or even hold it to the same low numbers we hold regular offenses to, but I do expect to hold them under 35. We were told the coaches had made real changes to better counter this offense and I haven't seen them. With the talent that has come in over the past several years, they should be doing better than they are. My opinion is that the scheme and coaching have a great deal to do with it.

To be fair, what system/scheme do you suggest going to? Because there are teams across the country running all different kinds of schemes to stop it and can't. I'm all for changing something if it doesn't work but you have to be able to change to something that works. And right now you can look across the country and there's simply not much (if anything) that is truly "working".

Like I said, when the rules are bent so much into the offenses favor and the ones in place aren't even being enforced by the refs. I'm not sure there is a "scheme" that will truly work.

 

[UAgrad93]

Just a note, Cooper Bateman didn't come back in because he got absolutely destroyed on the interception return. He couldn't come back in.

Coach Homer Smith always told us that if we threw a pick, we had better be in on the tackle. Bateman more or less jogged over that direction and got lit up like a Christmas tree. I guess that is how they are taught today.

 

[psychojoe]

Coach Homer Smith always told us that if we threw a pick, we had better be in on the tackle. Bateman more or less jogged over that direction and got lit up like a Christmas tree. I guess that is how they are taught today.

Kind of like how Quinton Dial lit up Andy Murray in the 2012 SEC CG.