Sunday, September 22, 2013

Bama has lackluster win over CSU 31-6

Tide must improve to win number 3 in a row...

 
Tide needs to get some starters well       
 
 
   I have to admit that this Crimson Tide team has me confused.  Yesterday seemed like a big step backwards.  Alabama has six starters not playing and that had to hurt.  It seemed like the offensive line was mired in muck.  If the Tide cannot run the football you have to wonder about the team's future as far as the three-peat is concerned. You have to give some kudos to CSU for playing good hard nosed football. The Rams came to Tuscaloosa as a 38 point underdogs and left with a lot of respect in my book. Maybe the combination of injuries, and inside information on the Alabama team by Coach Mac made some difference.  Let's hope that's the case. 

             Aaron Davis and Calvin Tonga are great players.  Davis was all over the field, and Tonga made the Tide's offensive line look bad at times.  As much as I love Alabama it just doesn't seem logical that a team can win a third national championship without running the ball.  Saturday revealed (IMO) just how far the line has to go before becoming a dominate force.  Right now they are not even close.  Steen did not play. That meant the O line was full of rookies.  Rookies and the term national championship are rarely used in the same breathe.  Alabama is not immune to that simply because they won the last two championships. This Tide is riddled with problems and questions. Yesterday brought more questions than answers in my mind. Here is what concerns me:
 

  • The secondary is a LONG way from being good. The safeties are fine. The cornerbacks are missing in action.
  • The Offensive Line is showing it's inexperience. Just because you wear that Crimson Jersey doesn't mean you can dominate.  On Saturday, the Tide couldn't even break even with a very average CSU Defensive line.
  • If the O-line can't block the backs can't run. Take out one 38 yard run by Yeldon and the Tide mustered only 28 yards rushing. 66 yards won't cut it in the SEC.
  • The Defensive line plays the run well. The pass rush is missing. Tomlinson's injury hurt the pass rush, and someone needs to step forward. The Tide is going to get burned on blitzes because the corners cannot play man to man like last season.
  • McCarron, gifted as he is, must shoulder  even heavier loads, and make good decisions.  Throwing that interception was an example of things he can't do and hope we beat good teams. Hard to knock him for trying to create some offense.  

      Ole Miss has a lot of offense...

         Alabama is now 3-0 and Ole Miss is up next. The Rebels are playing hard and will have some potent weapons on offense. They run the ball well and have an excellent passing game.  The Tide defense isn't like to fall apart, but the Tide Defense is going to see an offense that has talent and is very diversified. The Ole Miss quarterback isn't Johnny Football but he isn't chopped liver either. Look for him to give the Tide defense fits.  Despite the fact the secondary is hurting you can't deny the fact that CSU didn't get in the end zone. In fact, they didn't even cross midfield until the third quarter.  Honestly, Bama could have scored a couple of more TD's had Saban wanted to do so. His style isn't to embarrass a colleague,  particularly one who worked with him in the past.  All in all it was a night that left a bitter taste in the mouth of Tide fans.  There is a lot of bravado among a lot of Tide fans that seems misplaced to me.   You an bet that the Ole Miss coaching staff is going to have something new for the Tide defensive secondary
 
 Landon Collins looks ready for the big time...
     
             Luckily, the Tide should be able to win all their games and improve while waiting for a big game with LSU.  It seems to me the SEC is not as strong as in the recent past.  Maybe it seems that way to me because  the Tide isn't rolling yet.  Three games are not an entire season. The Tide can get better. They better do so or a couple of losses are looking them dead in eye.
 
              The best thing in the CSU game?  How about Landon Collins announcing his coming out party?  He is going to be a monster this season. This is going to be a better game than a lot of fans hope. Ole Miss isn't a bad team, but it doesn't seem to me that Bama is a great one either. It seems fair that the national media should begin questioning just how good the Tide the really is right now.  Or perhaps it might be better to say how average they appear?  One thing that is unthinkable. Lowly Auburn, for all their faults and lack of talent never quit against LSU. They hustled until the very end. I didn't see the same type of attitude on Bama's part against CSU. I have faith that Saban can straighten out a lot of those problems. I bet he can get enough fixed to beat Ole Miss. How about 28-14?


 

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