SEC OPINIONS - THE BIG ONE

TIDE FACES THE BIG ONE...
Tide faces it's biggest game of the season...    

 Remember Michigan State?

  I'd like to be able to write that the Tide faces another big game.  The one on Saturday is a little more than that isn't it? Saturday, Alabama faces a game which will define what this Crimson Tide team is all about. Will the Tide put their noses to the grindstone and come away with a win which will validate the season?  Or, will the Tide mush it around on offense and look like some sort of used car? I have no idea, but it's going to be one or the other. It's not going to be anything in between in my opinion. This is going to be big boy football. This isn't going to be San Jose State. I feel pretty good about our chances, but it would be a lie to say I'm full of confidence. I really feel like a cat on a hot tin roof. Tomorrow will never come, and my anxiety level is just hit ten.  

The Running backs and Quarterbacks...

Lambert has put us some impressive stats...

      In the SEC you will find a some great match-ups.  You won't find one any better than Derrick Henry vs. Nick Chubb. What two outstanding running backs to see on the field in the same game. I can't say which one is better. It is enough to say they are top shelf backs. Chubb seems to be the heart and soul of the Georgia offense. I don't know exactly what Alabama is going to do on defense, but it starts with trying to stop Chubb. I believe Georgia will do the exact thing with Henry. Both teams will try to get the opposing quarterback to beat them. That's where things get a a little dicey for the Tide. Despite the gaudy numbers put up by Greyson Lambert a lot of people aren't sold on him yet. The 6-5 junior transfer recently set an NCAA record for percentage of completed passes in one game. The competition has been less than stellar.  Don't think for a minute that Jake Coker is lighting up the affection of Tide fans, however. Coker has shown a few good things, a few bad things, and a lot of "what the hell" was he doing type things. He is, for better or worse, the Tide quarterback. If Coker can find a little Blake Sims magic this team could be a great one. Otherwise, it's like living paycheck to paycheck.

   

         

Henry is the Bell Cow of the Tide offense

I'd give the nod in the running back department to Georgia but only begrudgingly. You can't overlook the two backups either. Michael and Drake would start for a lot of teams. That pair is very similar in makeup. I'd give the quarterback edge to the Dawgs as well. Lambert seems more composed and he is playing at home. Coker is the wild card. For the Tide to have any hope of winning it will be if Coker can play well. That is going to be problematical for 'Bama. For whatever reason Coker seems to put so much pressure on himself he is not able to use his considerable ability. Lambert, on the other hand, has less talent but seems to fit in well with his offense, and has confidence. I think that the opposition has allowed Lambert to play well. Whether or not his offensive line is a great one will be answered on Saturday as well. Alabama's inability to find steady play at right tackle has hurt the cohesiveness of the line. In the L.Monroe game it was clear that the defense would stack the box on Bama's left side with an extra defender.  Georgia is going to be a lot better in the box than LM. Size vs. Speed on defense is going to be interesting.

 

     I believe the Tide has the strong edge on the defensive front. Look for Georgia to try to run it outside. Alabama's safeties and corner-backs better be solid.  Georgia is going to pass because of the stout run defense of Bama. I think our linebackers and secondary are on the verge of being very good. The punter JK Scott needs to come out of his slump. This is going to be a field position game,and given the weather forecast the sophomore punter needs to be spot on. It looks like Adam  Griffith seems to be healthy for the first time in a year. We'll need him. So do we win? Can Alabama put together a great offensive game despite what has happened in the past. Numbers wise the Tide has put us some 500 yard games in spite off turnovers, dropped passes, and iffy quarterback play. The weather could dictate a lot of what happens this weekend. Will the Tide be ready? I think so. Will they win? That's a different question. No turnovers will help. Hanging on to passes from Coker will help. Smart play from Coker will be key. I heart says 'Bama while my head says Georgia. I love Alabama. 

TIDE FALLS TO UNLUCKY 13?

MAKE IT OR BREAK IT GAME...


     

Does Saban  have a plan?

   When your only goal is to win a national championship it makes each game important. That's what we like to tell ourselves. This Saturday, in Athens, that will be shockingly true. At the  end of the game the University will either continue their quest for a national championship, or they'll be looking for motivation for the rest of a season which has become meaningless. If you are playing for the University of Alabama or just a fan that's just a fact. You either win a national championship or the year is a failure. Of course, that's not really fair, or even true. It just seems true. If Alabama falls short in their quest for national championship #15 the world will not end, life as we know it will not vanish, and suicides will not be mandatory. It will be optional for those of us who have completely lost perspective of life its own self. That is probably true for most Alabama fans, me included. 

        The Tide will go between the hedges in Athens with a lot on the line. Alabama is a two and half point underdog. That  status is rare for the Tide. Someone told me that 70 odd games has been played with Bama being favored. Maybe a little humility will good for the team. Perhaps it will give the players a little something to give them focus and rile them up, even though this team has showed very little to prove they should be favored. 
Talk of the end of the Tide dynasty, and Nick Saban being over the hill is heard by national writers.  Fan boards are full dribble about who will be the Tide's next coach. Are they serious? Name a single coach who you would rather have than Coach Saban. Some people are graduates of the Chicken Little school of common sense.   

        How many times has a Nick Saban team bounced back from a loss. Ask Kirk Cousin and Michigan State how that works out. Ole Miss has poked eye the bear in the eye. That is probably not a good idea for next big game. I think Bama has as much change to win than lose. Alabama has a lot of good things going for them. Start with the defensive front. Go on to the linebackers. And I don't think the defensive backs are run of the mill either. Jones and Washington have proven their worth in the past. Talent can trump inexerience at crucial times. If Bama wins this game we will look back and see a couple of players made great plays to turn the game.  Unlucky 13?  I'd bet Coach Saban is not much of proponent of luck. 

        I know that Lane Kiffin is not going to line up in the I formation and the jumbo package an entire game. I wish we would. Throw in the occasional play action pass and see what happens. The offensive line has appeared to be pretty meek to date. Give them the mano y mano challenge. Let Derrick Henry run the ball 25 times. Let the defense try to rule the day. I like Bama in a close one. I'm not sure East is up to snuff.                           



         
     

CAN BAMA'S RUN DEFENSE STOP GEORGIA?

ALABAMA'S DEFENSE IS GOING TO BE UNREAL...

     

'Bama's defense could save the season ...

        In the day of unmanly offenses, Alabama showed the rest of the SEC what real football was meant to be. That is one of those statements which separate different generations and eras. To me, football was more about looking your opponent in the eye and letting him know how long a day he will be facing. Football was being the strongest, meanest, and toughest hombre in the neighborhood. Don't get me wrong, I still love football. It's not the same as before. I'm sure it will be different in the future. For now, we have decided that entertainment value is more important than skill. Who ever knew that magic and trickery would be so important than lining up face to face with the opponent and seeing who is the best? A thief can pick your pocket. He can get away with it more often than not. If that same thief had to look a an in the eye the outcome would be different. When we see this season's defensive team it feels like a throw  back to a different time. It may be this old fashioned type of blue collar defense that saves the Tide this season. Perhaps the defense can give the offense a time to find themselves. I think that with the ability to stop the run, the Tide is going to be harder to score on than last season. 

Which brings us to Auburn...

   

and Gus Malzhan. If you think that Alabama fans are unrealistic,  you haven't been to the Loveliest Village on the Plains in the last two seasons. Last season's blowup will seem mild to the upcoming meltdown known as 2015. The demotion of their starting quarterback was stunning. The head man made a decision to put the remainder of the AU season on the shoulders of a red-shirt freshman. He played pretty well, but the Tigers couldn't get the ball in the end zone. The opening drive which seemed like the answer to AU's problems ended as a cruel joke. The fan's support of Malzhan had been almost Bear like. Well, Bear like minus the decades of excellence. Now the AU fans are asking themselves if they have a real head coach or David Blaine. The Tide's rush defense isn't going to succumb to the rush game of the Tiger smoke and mirror show. Here's an interesting question. The new QB played a good game. Better than Johnson had played to date. What rationale does Gus have to re-instating his old starter? Does he say that I thought Johnson was better before I thought he worse ? I was right the first time. 

Credit to Kirby Smart...

   

Smart had the Defense ready...(cmp.Tide Sports)

  Meanwhile, the Tide has an unimpressive win over the Warhawks. At least it was unimpressive on one side of the ball. The defense held a trick and shoot offense to less than 100 yards in total offense. If you can hold any team to less than 100 yards you have played a great defensive game. The Tide defensive line played the best game I can remember in the past since round two versus LSU a couple of seasons ago. The Warhawks couldn't run. Then they couldn't  pass because they didn't have time. Or they couldn't get the ball past the Defensive line. Once again the Tide knocked down several passes. Credit Kirby Smart for a new wrinkle in how to stop the wide open passing attack. The young defensive backfield had no breakdowns. They stopped most receptions short of first down yardage. All in all it was a very impressive performance, and scary for future opponents. The Tide's run defense will get a major league test in Athens against Nick Chubb and company. 

Finally, it was nice to see Adam kicking with confidence. Field goals may become very important this season. Let's hope that confidence is contagious and that spreads to punting as well. 

OFFENSIVE PLAY OF THE GAME:  Coker's roll-out TD pass to Stewart was a thing of beauty. It almost seems that Coker is harder to pin down when on the move. He doesn't lock in on a receiver. 

DEFENSIVE PLAY OF THE GAME:  No one play stands out. The front seven were deadly all day long, and it was a team effort. Nice to see Harrison pick one off. 

'BAMA NOW FACES UPHILL BATTLE...

TIDE TURNOVERS HELP THE REBELS WIN...

'Bama offense puts up 37 in loss...
     

BAD START ONLY GOT WORSE...

            I'm not taking one thing away from the Rebels. They won, they played like winners, and the deserved the win. One thing I doubt Ole Miss expected was a gift wrapped present in the form of five Alabama turnovers. That number will get you beat every time you tee it up. Alabama is not exempt from that fact. Now, the Alabama and their coaching staff have to dissect the reason why it happened. Two fumbles on kickoff returns were a simply the lack of securing the ball close to the runners body. As Paul Bryant once said you can't carry the football like a loaf of bread.  I couldn't help but think of Trent Richardson holding on to the football like it was the most valuable possession in the world.  Little things lose games. Alabama is going to look back and find out that's true. 

      Was the game wacky and bizarre? It sure was. Does the passing rule about crossing the line of scrimmage need review? Of course. Auburn got away with one against LSU earlier on Saturday. Ole Miss executed that pass play exactly in the manner that defensive coaches have complained about for years. It was was made even worse when the review showed at least one Ole Miss lineman five yards down field. Here's a fair question - if can review the one about crossing the line of scrimmage why can't you review to see if someone was too far down field. But that play didn't beat the Tide. Sure it helped the Rebs. Alabama can only point their finger at the man in mirror to find the guilty party. 

QUARTERBACKING NOT GREAT BUT IT DIDN'T BEAT THE TIDE..

   

Bama quarterbacks didn't lose the game

Earlier in the week I wrote in my blog about the absolute idiocy of Alabama putting themselves their current quarterback situation. . I got burned. The nicest thing anyone said that I didn't know anything about football. The Tide quarterbacks are having trouble, but it would be unfair to flat out say the duo lost the game. Each was put in a situation of having to create plays that neither could pull off. They just don't have the experience or the talent to win on their talent. That isn't their fault of course. You still have to wonder about a world class program that can't recruit an All-American type QB. Blake Sims was the exception that proves that general rule. Alabama was extremely lucky in the phenomenal  season BS6 put together. He had the best supporting cast of receivers a quarterback could have, or ever hope to have. Bama's new bunch is going to be great, but they lack experience. It didn't help to lose Robert Foster. From all reports his season is over. Let's keep this in mind - the Tide offense just put up 37 points on a good defense. Alabama's superior depth really gave the Crimson and White a chance to win the game. Henry rushed for a 127 yards. Coker and Bateman combined for a total of 288 yards, The Tide had over 500 yards in offense.

SEASON IS NOT OVER...

        Alabama has won several national championships with one loss. That means the season is not over. The new playoff format might actually help the Tide if they can run the table. The problem i is that the will have to run the table. There is no margin for further error, and the competition is the hardest in the nation. I just don't think that Alabama fans should expect that will happen. The problems this team showed against Ole Miss can be corrected, but not easily corrected. It is hard to envision the quarterback situation getting a lot better in a short time. The offensive line showed some severe liabilities in my opinion. That means that the 'Bama backs could expect to find the boxed stacked, and teams will bet that Coke cannot beat them.  There is one redeeming factor for the Tide...

THE DEFENSE COULD BE GREAT ...

       Seriously great. It's hard to see anyone running against that Crimson Wall of Death. The linebackers are very, very good. The defensive backs seem much better than last season. The got beat couple of times, but it took perfect passes to do so. I'm not counting the line of scrimmage pass mess the NCAA finds itself in once again.  If Humphrey and Fitzpatrick can get better in the next few games, then the Tide is looking at a return to great defense. The Tide gave up a load of points against Ole Miss but the defense had little to do with a lot of those points. Turnovers, improbable bounces, and that silly rule hurt the DB's a lot more than Ole Miss did. Except for two passes mentioned above the Tide defense had good night. Let's be honest and accept the fact that shutouts are a distant memory. The deck has been purposefully stacked by the NCAA to raise scoring averages. Alabama is not immune. 

      The defensive line is a killing machine. They go at least eight deep without an appreciable drop off. NFL scouts are licking their chops over this bunch. The program is not falling apart.  The sun came up the next morning. Life as we know it is not over. Teams and programs have their ups and downs. This team is likely to lose again, but just as likely to upset a couple of teams. Let's sit back and relax. I'm really interested in how the coaches and our fans handle this little setback.   

       

TIDE DEFENSE TO FACE A RED-HOT OFFENSE...

IS THE TIDE SECONDARY READY FOR A REAL TEST?

Humphrey is looking good...

      THE Tide secondary will face its first big test this weekend. After a shaky start in half one against Wisconsin, the Tide seems to have settled down and has been playing some pretty good ball. No doubt in today's high octane and sophisticated offense throwing a shutout is almost impossible. If I had to label what defensive backs really do these days, I'd call it damage control.

       I believe Tide coaches have the right formula to minimize damage. They have enough depth to keep fresh bodies in the game. Alabama has plenty of great defensive linemen. They also have a lot of depth in the secondary. The experience might be a little lacking with the DBs but they have some physical talent. If you look at the adjustments that the coaches made for the second half it had to be reassuring. The young backs like Marlon Humphrey upped their game and held Wisconsin without a touchdown. At least until the second and third teams played. One area that continues to concern me is that the line hasn't put a great pass rush on the field to date. It may be that Tide coaches were playing it close to the vest against Wisconsin and Middle Tennessee State.

   

Fitz is getting a lot of PT

  You can argue that the Tide sack attack has been lacking for a while now. As the DB situation proves itself we will likely see more blitzing from Kirby Smart. The pieces to have a really great defense are on the field. Now they need some playing time and success to build on. Ole Miss has proven they can score points. Two games with over 70 is remarkable. Granted, they were not facing top defenses. One thing that impressed me about the Ole Miss offense in games one and two is that they didn't stop themselves. Chad Kelly, who was recruited twice by Alabama, is a good quarterback. How he does against great athletes remains to be seen, but you don't get the feeling that he'll panic.

      We all keep reading that the defenses will catch up with these new fast paced offenses. I haven't seen any proof of that yet, have you. Historically, the Rebels have had a tough time against Alabama. In 2013, Ole Miss had a super signing class. It was the class that Hugh Freeze believed would take Ole Miss to a different level in the SEC West. If the first two games are any indication this weekend is going to be one heck of a game.  I caught a great deal of heat about questioning the Alabama quarterback situation. Fair enough. I'd like to think that one of our two quarterback candidates had put up numbers like the Ole Miss quarterback did in his first two games. 

   

Bama wanted Kelly 

   I have to believe that the Tide has better talent top to bottom. Will that be enough to beat a red-hot Ole Miss Rebel offense?  I hope so. For the Rebels this is the most important game of the season. For the Crimson, it is just another opponent that would rather Alabama than any team on their schedule. It might turn out that this is the most important game for Alabama  this season. Obviously, the talent in the SEC West is evening out among all the teams. There are no more easy games in the SEC. Talent is better overall now than in my lifetime as an Alabama fan. Ask an embarrassed and humbled Auburn about the distribution. There are no more easy games. If Jacksonville State University can embarrass the Barn then anything seems possible. I think it will take 'Bama's best effort.  Will the Tide need to play a perfect game to win? I don't so, but they better play better than last week. 

     History suggests that Alabama should win this game. I've checked the roster and can't find anyone named History suiting up on Saturday. I think this is going to be one heck of a game against a much underrated Ole Miss.       

THE TIDE HAS SOME QUARTERBACK QUESTIONS...

TIDE STILL SEARCHES FOR QB

Coker and Bateman struggle in latest audition...

 

Coker looked pretty shaky at times...

   In watching the Alabama quarterback play against Middle Tennessee, one thing is certain - 'Bama hasn't found the quarterback play Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin expect. Last week Jacob Coker made some great strides toward nailing down the QB position. Cooper Bateman didn't look that far behind behind Coker.  It seemed as if the Tide was going have a good quarterback after all. In one week, the Tide signal callers took a stumbling step in the wrong direction. I have no idea if all this talk about the confidence level of Jacob Coker is true or not. I would throw this out for discussion - if his ego is that is so  fragile, maybe playing quarterback at the University of Alabama isn't a good place to be. Of all the places to play football you better have nerves of steel to be an Alabama quarterback. A lot of people might argue that Coker has had more than a fair chance to prove himself. Perhaps, just perhaps, it is time to move on to a quarterback who will have a couple of seasons to play in the future. But, we all said that last season as well, and up jumped BS6 and a senior season not to soon forgotten. 

WHAT'S HAPPENED TO THE TIDE'S QUARTERBACK DEPTH?

Bateman played a decent half but...

     The short answer is maybe nothing at all. The longer answer raises a lot of questions in the minds of Tide Fans. For the preeminent college football program in the NCAA, you'd like to think that the Tide would be able to replace quarterbacks without a tremendous dropoff in performance. It might be better just to find a game manager who can hand off to Derrick Henry. In all fairness to the quarterbacks, Saban said at halftime that it was the entire offense playing poorly. I'll say that the difference between the current QB and wide outs is not just a gap, it's a canyon. To a lot of fans it seems like Alabama has a long way to go. It doesn't help to watch a freshman at South Carolina come in for an injured starter and look so composed and so ready to play.  No doubt that freshman threw one bad pass. It wasn't any worse than some of the wounded ducks that Coker put up. Coker is a fifth year senior. He has two years in Coach Kiffin's system and is still struggling. I can't help but remember what Bobby Jones said about golf. The really big tournaments are played in an eight inch field between your ears. If that is what is troubling Coker it's probably not going to get better. 

BAMA FAVORITE OVER THE REBELS....

      Now,  Alabama must play Ole Miss. Don't look now, but Ole Miss has scored over 70 points in each of their first two games. They also have done so without their best offensive lineman and a quarterback who had played exactly zero minutes in the SEC. No way the Tide wins this game without some real help from the offense. The real question is whether or not any Tide QB can do that. The QB's are not going to be able to just hand the ball off to Henry and Drake next Saturday. Alabama plays the toughest schedule in the nation. The Tide is like a Maserati without a steering wheel. It's tough to look at the Tide as the better team at this point in the season. Ole Miss will give the young Tide defensive backs a real test. The test will be of the pass/fail variety. The line is now at 7.  This is going  to be a stern test for 'Bama.

TIDE STARTS THE SEASON AT #3 IN AP POLL

POLLSTERS GIVE TIDE TREMENDOUS RESPECT...

Nick Saban will have 'Bama ready

          How many teams in the NCAA could garner a #3 in the preseason rankings when they return only three starters? One of the missing 8 is the all time leading offensive quarterback in Tide history. That's quite an accomplishment for any quarterback given the history of Alabama football. Is that ranking realistic? I have no idea which quarterback will start against the Badgers of Wisconsin. I also think it doesn't matter. Sooner or later a quarterback will emerge who can do more than hand off the football to Derrick Henry and company. You remember that the Tide wasn't sure who their starter would be in game number one  last season. Then the sky opened up and heaven delivered Blake Sims via the help of Lane Kiffin. Do not minimize the effect that Kiffin has with the offense. 

THE LONGEST WEEK OF THE YEAR...

Compliments of the Birmingham News

      I don't know about the remainder of Crimson Tide fans but the next two weeks will be the longest week in history. The countdown to kickoff seems like an eternity from today. But we all know that Nick Saban will  have the team ready. Ready by Alabama terms means  you are about to have your number taken and your body turned into sawdust. The sports Guru's on the SEC network had a final consensus that Alabama would finish 10-2 in the regular season. 10-2 by other school standards is exceptional. At Alabama that would be considered mediocre even though it isn't. Alabama fans don't have high standards. They have the highest standards that the most avid football fans could imagine. One publication said that Alabama fans are a combination of "stupidity, arrogance, and unlikeability" That was attributed to the blog with the name of THE FIFTH QUARTER.  Alabama fans may be a lot of things but stupid is not on the list. Arrogant? Perhaps. Unlikable?  Alabama fans are very generous to the opponent. They realize that those opposing fans are on their way to a funeral. One thing that that blog left out is the Alabama fans understanding of football history. Alabama is the most storied program in NCAA history, and if the school were located anywhere but the State of Alabama, the football writers would bow and pray to the program. The predictor of history is past history. That gives the Tide a huge leap over secondary programs like Wisconsin and Auburn.

   

   I think that the AP voting to give the #3 spot with only three starters, an unsettled quarterback situation, and a defensive backfield which haven't proven they can play, is very generous. It also shows a great deal of respect to Alabama, the players, and the coaching staff. My bet is that Wisconsin won't be able to score unless there is a turnover, a field goal, a fluke, or a heavenly saint has a bet on the line. I'm going to say - Bama 28 Wisconsin 0. My bet is that Jake Coker has earned the right to succeed  or fail at the starter at quarterback. One thing that Alabama fans love to do is argue with their fellow fans. The other thing fans like to do is pull together when things get tough. Wisconsin loves to run the ball. Alabama loves to stop the run. It's going to be an interesting game. In the long run the Tide has better depth on the line, and better skill players. Isn't it great being a Tide fan?