Nick Saban never misses an angle.
… But where the Crimson Tide really stuck it to the Rebels was with a little inside intel thanks to Tyler Siskey, Alabama’s assistant director of football operations. Siskey was on the Ole Miss staff last season as director of recruiting development. He was in the Alabama coaches’ booth for the game with a set of binoculars, and even though Ole Miss changed up its signals, there weren’t many times that the Tide were fooled by what the Rebels were doing offensively. As ESPN analyst Todd Blackledge noted during the broadcast, Siskey’s knowledge of the Ole Miss offense was a big asset to an already imposing Alabama defense in its preparation for the game. The Tide might not have had the Rebels’ signals, but they were sure locked in to the Rebels’ tendencies on offense and played lights-out in shutting out a Hugh Freeze-coached team for the first time in his college career.
It’s not having the intel that makes Saban Saban. It’s publicizing what he did with it that does.
Get The Picture 
It is hard to say. While I don’t bow at the alter of Saban, I do respect sheer greatness. As outsiders, all we see is a guy who is maniacally focused on doing everything to make sure his program is in position to succeed. While “the process” has become a bit of a punchline at this point, it is hard to argue that there is not substance behind it. He is not Urban Meyer putting on a show for the media. (with the obvious point that every coach is using the media when they do). He is not a coaching genius like Bill Walsh, who invented an offense. He is simply smart enough to build a team that he believes avoids things that lose football games (i.e., by running and playing great defense, by not “losing” the game on offense with INTs or a cold QB, he stands a great chance to “win”)
He certainly appears comfortable enough to offer his opinions on things (his credit to us after the championship game and wondering how you could have “BCS” games without a team of our caliber last year reflected such). He is comfortable enough to push the rules like he did with over signing to gain an advantage. I have no idea how prevelant stealing defensive signs is, but the fact that Grantham is frantically gesturing under a towel leads me to conclude that it goes on. Like everything else, if Saban is going to steal signs, he is not going to do it half-ass, which again, I respect, assuming its within or near the “code” that coaches live by.
that said, when we evaluate him, I wish I did not have a nagging feeling that “all in” at Bama means “all in.” I wonder if, in addition to being able to promise guys a shot a national title and first round money,he may not know the specifics of any boosters coming behind him but knows that that prospects families are “taken care of. “the rumblings of the tuscaloosa police making him the first call when guys get in trouble OR the clothing store where Bama players are rumored to sign autographs in exchange for stuff. Again, I have no idea if ANY OF IT is true or mere internet fantasy, but the fact that I think he is smart enough to be just aware of enough of it to know its helping him but not so much that he does not have plausible deniability makes me wonder about respecting his greatness. Fair or not,
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Would that be a violation of…..
NCAA Article 11: Conduct and Employment of Athletics Personnel:
11.7.2.1 Exceptions to Number Limits FBS – No individual other than coaches designated to fill the coaching categories set forth in Bylaw 11.7.2 may participate in any manner in the coaching of the intercollegiate team of a member institution during any football game, practice or other organized activity….
If not it comes close….. 😦
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Now with the blanking of Blind Sides,
everybody in the SEC West knows you can’t mess with Nick. He’s already put a spell on Brunt during the Hog Walk before the Johnnying.
That was bad #karma for Jen to see because she has a periodic fantasy that this + $3,000,000.00 per is what her Boss Hog looks like
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Is Grantham’s towel see-through?
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+1
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It just seemed that way. According to Gary Danielson, Malcolm Cameron has super-powers such as x-ray vision, reading lips, breaking sign-language code, etc. Of course, Chad Morris and Spurrier also have super-powers. Next week Todd’s towels will experience the super-powers of Mike Bajakian
http://www.utsports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/mike_bajakian_832301.html
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Oh, man… if I were into sock puppetry, you guys would see an occasional post under the name Grantham’s Towel. That’s a good one.
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For a saban protege, Grantham’s D bears little resemblance to saban’s or even muschamp’s (another saban protege). I think CTG needs to take a long look at his defensive schemes – the sooner the better. It seems far less organized when compared to other 3-4’s and considerably more complicated. Why are our players frantically waving at eachother right up to the snap? KISS (keep it simple, stupid) would be a good rule of thumb to follow. CTG needs to show he can grow and refine his game, much the way CMB has.
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Aside from the hand jive, there may even be further potential for distraction this week for Todd because his good friend gets asked about the real USC while Todd does not. It is expected that James will find himself up the del Rio without a paddle or paper which ultimately will provide Todd with some comfort
http://www.coachingsearch.com/article?a=James-Franklin-comments-on-USC–sort-of
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Kind of reminds you of the George Steinbrenner/Yankees mindset that with enough money you can purchase a championship. He liked rubbing his resources in everybody else’s face too.
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Jay Buhner likes this
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