Twitter isn’t kind.
https://twitter.com/TheBrockWhaley/status/418982999674220545
Finebaum ought to be classic today.
Me? I’m still wrapping my head around the concept of Nick Saban getting outcoached by Big Game Bob in a BCS game. Will wonders never cease?
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UPDATE: Good read on that last point here.
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UPDATE #2: Winner!
Get The Picture 
Gumps will be calling for Saban’s resignation. The Bear never lost 2 in a row
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Last time he lost a game they increased his salary by $2 mil. Maybe it was all part of the grand design???
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Yep. Another $2 Mil/yr. raise will be announced on Monday.
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…”buy” Texas.
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And Aj was telegraphing his passes and Kirby sucks.
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You think about me way too much. And that makes me laugh.
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I wonder if Saban made his players walk back to Tuscaloosa.
Does anyone think that game will have any effect on the “Mark Richt sucks because he’s not Nick Saban” crowd? Yeah, me neither.
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Negatory, they find Saban faultless at all times. Expecting them to give Saban blame would be like expecting CPJ to take any blame for Tek failures. I assume Saban will take next years team to the Junction to straighten things out. Or maybe he needs to hire an additional 30 analysts. I bet there was some domestic violence in Alabama late last night.
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Well, since you brought it up, I was watching the game at my brother-in-law’s house (the Mayor of Tideville) when a minor altercation broke out between a pro-Auburn faction and a pro-Bama faction immediately following the McCarron fumble that sealed the deal. Both participants were of the female persuasion. The lady Bammer said: “2 losses and both were flukes!” The lady Barner took great offense to that remark and had to be physically restrained as she was shouting something about Malzahn “out-coaching Saban” on the kick return and how Saban now had been “outcoached two games in a row.” Order was soon restored, however, when the lady Barner decided that it was time to leave promising never return to see another game at that location. We’ll see how long that lasts as they provide free beer and wine at that hacienda on gameday.
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And Bama’s NFL S&C program, man they really pushed that undersized DL around didn’t they? And a tackle who’s too slow on the edge then starts moving early? A QB forcing throws? A FG that should have been made? A db gets hurt and there’s concern because their is no quality depth in the secondary? Mark Richt has lost control of Bama.
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+1
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Who with a reasonable opinion established by observing a massive, multiple years pool of data, be effected by a single night?
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that is just, just, just…Shakespearean!
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I loved the reaction of the Bama players when they would actually get called for a penalty.
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I was thinking the same thing. It takes a ref crew from another conference to actually call penalties on the Tide. Fuck off and die, SEC refs.
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I said to my wife on the PI call late in the game that SEC officials would never flag Bama for that. Nick Saban was yelling, “Do you know who the f— I am?!”
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It was good to me to see the penalties being called by a crew that wasn’t dispatched from Birmingham! Holding?? Not ‘Bama, Pass Interference? To see the fury on Nick’s face when they called the P.I. and the way he screamed at the ref was priceless!
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In the midst of this levity is a serious point: Game officials should NOT be paid by the conference but rather by a national body like the NCAA and should be rotated nationally. The SEC has made too much dough off Bama going to BCSNCGs in the last few years. The refs know that causing Bama to lose a game with a bad or marginal call might be bad for their continued employment prospects. So they give Saban the kind of deference NBA refs once game Michael Jordan. The exact opposite is true for CMR. It’s pretty disgusting when you think about it.
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P.S. I’m glad that good ole SEC ref deference blew up in Saban’s face at the Iron Bowl. If there ever was irony in an SEC football game that was it.
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And it was clearly pass interference (holding). Not even a question about it.
~~~
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For a team that started the season with so much promise, in the end the turnovers,red zone production, special team hicups, foolish penalties,and injuries were too much for Georgia… er.. um , Alabama to overcome. roll tide.
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Brilliant deduction! Ain’t it strange how things turn out?
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I could not help thinking about how bad our defense is.
But, I have no desire to have gone to OU.
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Bama’s game plan was to let AJMc show off for the NFL and it bit them in the butt.
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if you weren’t following this game on twitter, you missed some of the best action of the season. everyone was on fire last night…it was glorious.
From the opening drive of Bama done won this Paawwwwwllll…..
To the final Bob HAZ BIG GAMEZ!
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If I turn the sound all the way up, I swear I hear a muffled, “how’s my hair look?” over and over.
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I can’t fault the cameraman for always finding her.
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Thought Bama would be tough to beat after their play on their first possession and score. But on the Sooners first possession I told my grandsons Bama is in for a tussle and possible loss. Congrats to some of my former USMC officer friendw i served with who were Sooner grads. Amazed how many Sooners were in the USMC.
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When I served, it seemed like half the Corps was from Texas.
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It seems most of the guys I serve with are from Texas of Florida. Or maybe I just choose those as my the ones I socialize with.
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I remember a lot of Georgians in the Army from my active duty days.
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Fire Kirby Smart Bama. UGA bloggers want him at UGA. Now is the time. Bama D has coughed up back to back 35+ points to spreads. When the cameras went to the sidelines, mentally I expected to see CMR, TG, and Co.,.line blocking, play calls, defensive players out of position, poor angles, just name it.
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One would suspect this does not bode well for Awbun….even if Jimbo has been slightly distracted by all the buck-waving in Austin…he has a staff to coach em up, right?
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OU flat-out out played the Tide. They looked really good in all phases of their game. That was a team as prepared to play and to execute a game plan as I have seen. Based on that game I’d give OU a good shot at beating the Noles and Tigers. Wanted Bama to win, but that was fun to watch OU execute.
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You had the day’s best analysis in that first sentence, Will
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Bama didn’t seem too focused. Bowl performances of teams expecting to be in the National Title game but falling short are erratic at best. OU played well though. They were pumped to beat the big SEC powerhouse Alabama…but turns out Alabama wasn’t so interested in playing OU.
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Interesting to see how A.J. played when he didn’t have that incredible offensive line protecting him. Maybe now he can understand how Aaron Murray went to work every Saturday. I was shocked at the panic displayed by the Tide OC and QB.
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Bama kept trying the same old schtick on offense over and over, to no avail.
Seemed like they kept leaving the LT on an island and never compensated play calling-wise, whether with screens, TE on that end, FB chip blocking, or just simply shorter faster routes.
Whatever you want to say about Bobo, he would have adjusted well before the 7th sack
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I was thinking the same thing. Give AM AJs O line the last few years and we win a hell of a lot more games.
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+1. Maybe 3 BCSNCs in a row, D or no D.
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Now Bama’s O line was worse the Dawgs at Carolina season before. That was shameful. McCarron and Saban had no answer except Henry. And just think Ou was ravaged with injuries. Amazing what coaching and a hot QB can do when on the same page.
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I honestly do not understand the bitterness and vitriol people are exhibiting toward Alabama. I’m no Bama fan, but it all stinks of a pathetic inferiority complex to me. Like a bunch of little brothers celebrating when their big brother finally loses at something.
Bama’s players looked only a shade or two more interested in playing that game than our guys were to play in the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl. And regardless of the outcome, that’s still the difference between their program and most others in the country, including Georgia. They’re bummed to have to play in the Sugar Bowl. And somehow or other, they’ll be back in the national championship picture next year. Will we?
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Turd that is a pathetic excuse. They used it against Utah a couple of years ago and if that is true, shame on them.
Aux contraire my friend. Everyone was saying Bama was going to pound OU because they were pissed about the loss to Auburn and they remembered the Utah game. Well, they got their butts handed to them. And they had officials that weren’t shy about calling holding on their offensive line.
It has nothing to do with Georgia. As you correctly pointed out, we have our own issues. But you sound like Phyllis from Mugla…stop making excuses for them. Two games in a row Saban got badly outcoached. Period.
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“Turd that is a pathetic excuse. They used it against Utah a couple of years ago and if that is true, shame on them.”
Oh, I completely agree. But the point still stands: Last night, Oklahoma had the attitude of a team pleasantly surprised to find itself playing in the Super Bowl, and Bama had the attitude of a team disappointed to find itself playing in the … well … TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl.
“Aux contraire my friend. Everyone was saying Bama was going to pound OU because they were pissed about the loss to Auburn and they remembered the Utah game.”
I don’t know what channels you were watching, but the chatter on ESPN all day was essentially: “Bama should dominate, but will they have the motivation to do so, after so narrowly missing out on another shot at the national championship?” And apparently they did not.
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That excuse could fly for any team that ever lost a game to an underdog. Was Michigan State upset that they weren’t in the National Championship game? Alabama didn’t seem to lack motivation in 2010 after they lost another heartbreaker to Auburn and two additional games and then took Sparty to the woodshed. Its only when they lack motivation that they lose.
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You don’t seem to understand my point, Bob. First of all, I’m not saying it’s an excuse. I’m saying it’s an explanation. And again, I’m apparently not alone in thinking so, as just about every college football analyst I read or heard talk about Bama over the past few weeks wondered whether or not the Tide would be sufficiently motivated (especially since there was no doubt from anyone that the Sooners would be more-than-sufficiently motivated).
But again, at the end of the day, my point has nothing to do with what, exactly, explains Alabama’s performance last night. The point is this: College football fans all over the world — including many in this comments section — are absolutely reveling in the fact that Alabama lost. When the reality is that we’d all love it if our favored program could consistently compete on Bama’s level. Like I said, it’s like watching a bunch of little brothers celebrating on that rare occasion that their dominant big brother loses at something.
People are terrified of yardsticks whenever they’re not the one that others are being measured against. So whenever those “yardsticks” — and in college football, Alabama is still the yardstick — show the slightest sign of imperfection, people comfort themselves by pretending that those imperfections are the rule, and not the exception. (Deadspin actually referred to Alabama’s loss last night as “the end of a dynasty” … as if they won’t be contending for yet another national championship next season.)
The appropriate response is not, “HA HA! LOOK AT ALABAMA, EVERYONE! THEY LOST A GAME!” At least for the time being, the appropriate response is still, “Okay, what will it take for [insert favored team] to get to the level where they’re so disappointed not to be playing in another national championship game that there’s actually a risk of them coming out a bit flat in the Sugar Bowl.” I sincerely hope that that’s the mindset of the Georgia coaching staff this morning, as opposed to the pathetic inferiority complex on display from some others around here.
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You’re wrong Turd. This wasn’t about Bama not showing up. Bama players played as hard as they could. The Bama coaches coached as hard as they could. They just flat out got beat by another team that played absolutely as well as they could and IMHO over their heads. Oklahoma was the better team last night.
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Oklahoma was the better team last night … because Bama was on autopilot for most of the game, especially when Oklahoma had the ball. And anyone who thinks otherwise only does so because they didn’t watch any of Alabama’s games this season. Last night was the result of the 5th-ranked defense in the country phoning it in, and (as you rightly point out) the 52nd-ranked offense in the country playing out of their minds. If even just one of these things doesn’t take place, Bama wins.
And for the record, there’s a simple explanation for why Oklahoma played so (uncharacteristically) well: they were the more motivated team. From Bob Stoops’ offseason talk about the SEC, to the players wanting to remove the sting of last year’s bowl performance (against another SEC team) team, to the general hatred of Bama and the SEC, the Sooners wanted this so much more than the Tide. Which was my point.
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I’m curious, Turd. Did you actually WATCH the game or just form your opinion based on what all the “experts” said before the game was played?
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What I saw all day was Saban and McCarron being interviewed and saying “Hey, we could still be champions. We can prove to the country WE are the best team. And hey, it has happened before.” Oh, they were motivated alright.
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It’s because every time Mark Richt (or Georgia) falls short, Nick Saban (or Alabama) is trotted out as the foil that exemplifies everything a certain segment if our fanbase thinks we should be. It gets tiring listening to how great someone is, and so it becomes gratifying when they are trolled on a national stage.
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“It gets tiring listening to how great someone is, and so it becomes gratifying when they are trolled on a national stage.”
http://www.mayoclinic.org/self-esteem/ART-20045374
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Hey, I didn’t say it was rational. It’s human nature. And quite frankly, I consider Alabama a rival, and I relish when any rivals struggle. That’s part of sports to me. If it’s not for you, that’s great. Allow me my schadenfreude without questioning my self-esteem.
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Thank you to all of my fellow Dawgs on this string. I LAMO at this and I didn’t think I would ever laugh again after the Taxslayer Bowl. Thanks again.
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Oops, LMAO.
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Lots of similarities to the SEC CG last year, except that in that game Bama adjusted. Early on Jarvis Jones and company were wreaking havoc in the Tide backfield. But they realized that they needed to adjust and they ran the ball straight at us.
Last night they had that initial passing barage, but after that he got so much pressure. When they ran the ball they ran it much like they did against us in that game. But they seemed to panic and they refused to stick with that ground game because with Henry they were ripping off huge gains.
And by the way…Knight played lights out. Lights out for the Sooners.
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It sure would have been nice had Henry came to UGA. This year he would have probably been freshman of the year with UGAs RB injuries.
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+1. That guy is soon to be the best RB in the Nation–after Gurley.
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The way both of those teams were running to the ball and hitting made me glad UGA was not playing either one of them. I don’t think the Bama team was disinterested but Saban may have been.
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I have no bitterness or hatred for Alabama, I wish they had won, wish they had played better. But it again demonstrates that the best team does not always win, OU played out of their minds and deserved to win this game, but that is not the Oklahoma team that played all season. For those who feel the regular season should carry most of the weight, and I do to, that Sooner team struggled several times but got beaten by Texas, yeah, that Texas, and Baylor. I love that about CFB when emotions and determination drives a team to play over their heads. Give OU a slap on the back, and congratulate them for a magnificent effort, but are they in your Top 10? Not mine.
And it further points out that no playoff, BCS or 8 teamer, will ever guarantee the best team will be the National Champion, nor that valid arguments cannot be made every single year about which was the best. But it will give us a champion, one that earned it by having to win multiple, back to back games against quality competition.
The Bama OL had made me think the schedule was covering up their weakness all along, last night they got exposed. And McCarron has always looked panicky to me, the few times he ever had to rush a decision/throw. I have said all along he wasn’t as good as Aaron, now I wonder where he fits in the draft. He won those awards and got to NYC because of what his team helped him achieve, especially that OL of the past two years. The shock wasn’t seeing Alabama’s offense slowed down, it wasn’t the defense get trucked. And it wasn’t just a few plays, OU beat them all over the field. Interesting comment about how spread teams have matched up against Bama versus the traditional offenses. No wonder Little Nicky has been so outspoken and grumbling about the hurry-up.
Go Noles!!
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Most succinct post of the bunch.
In my opinion, Alabama is still the most complete/best team in the nation, but they got beat fair and square last night. It happens. But don’t try to convince me that OU (or even AU, for that matter) are better than the Tide. I don’t agree with Dabo saying it publicly, but I really think you’d need to have two teams play each other 10 times to really determine who is “better”. OU was better on the night. Tough to say what each team’s motivation or psychology was for the game.
Lastly, I thought it was crystal clear who used the past month most effectively from a game planning standpoint. OU really had to prepare to go at that pace on offense – the cameras couldn’t keep up for the first quarter or so.
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This is why CFB is such an awesome sport. It gives us one of these “Wha..??!!!” train wrecks about once a week come November, and they are so much fun so long as it’s not your team staring into the onrushing headlights. CFB is the quintessential schadenfreude sport, and last night was an all-you-can-eat gourmet banquet.
Which just means Alabama comes out next year that much angrier, more focused, and more determined. I bet the game tapes are already up and running on the weight room TVs.
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How many Alabama coaches lost to Auburn, got left out of the Conference Championship, went on to lose the Sugar Bowl and got a hefty raise?
That should be an AFLAC trivia question.
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Agree.. I will have to say this has been the most interesting bowl season in forever!
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i enjoy seeing saban loose so much. is the clinical term for that Sabanfreude?
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Check with Turd. He says its a self esteem issue.
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My husband is a Sooner so we enjoyed last night. I also think it showed that Alabama is human even with all their skirting the rules and that made me happy. I did feel bad for Denny the fan who posts here. He is a class act.
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Yeah Denny is alright. I have a cousin that is a Sooner. Lives and Woodward now. He called me this morning. lol.
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Agreed, Denny is a class act.
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Dang, y’all don’t know me too well.
Thanks any way for the kinds words.
Kinda had a change in my bloggin’ heart so I changed monikers.
Y’all hang in there.
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Best of luck to you BD along your chosen path with the blog.
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So glad I did not spend New Years in B ham! None of my people are talking over there yet. I know…., but in a way, I am loving it!
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Big game Bob wants that NFL job.
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Outcoached? Depends on how you look at it. Take away a couple of turnovers and it’s a different game. On the other hand, the defense looked extremely uninterested in competing.
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Apparently she’s not from San Deeago and didn’t get Ron Burgundy’s message!
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So, since Alabama lost by 14 to Oklahoma, and Oklahoma lost by 29 to Baylor, and Baylor lost to Central Florida by 10 …
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Oklahoma deserved the win. They used their time well and played with intensity. They made every play count. (which is ironically one of the process items Nick Saban preaches the most. i.e. “making every play have a life of its own.” )
Bama’s DB was atrocious. And the left side of the bama line played as poorly as any I can recall.
If kuandijo does declare for the draft this year he will lose buckets of money. He clearly showed he is not ready for the big show.
I am surely a big Bama fan. And the upside is clear. Saban recruits well, has an eye for talent, (normally)prepares well, and wins (a lot). (Need proof, Bama won 11 games this year and its seen as a huge let down by almost everyone associated with the program from the fans, to the players and the coaches.) For those who think the “dynasty” is over. Awe… now come on. Alabama is still ridiculously loaded with talent, coaching and great facilities. Saban will be back in the title hunt by the middle of next year.
The Oklahoma game was a great win for a program hoping to make that next step forward and will surely rank OU high in the preseason next year. I also loved the game because it showed that yes anyone can win no matter what the odds. And to my mind that is a thing that makes the game special.
Well done OU and coach Stoops.
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Good post. I can agree with everything you said except the dynasty thing, don’t believe in those in CFB. No argument that you have great talent and will be competitive every year but no one dominates this conference any more, and won’t in the near future. Last year was your best team, and a clear winner due to that OL but the other years there was always 1-2 teams in the conference as good, or better.
There was something missing all year with Bama, and you can pretty much pin it to the OL weakness. I was surprised at how much fall off there was given the recruiting over the past 5-6 years and time in the system. Both the AU and OU losses go back to that issue. I think we were all shocked at the inability to make adjustments on the defensive side against Oklahoma. The analyst on the game noted that Smart requires time to see the offensive set before making the defensive call. Seems too simplistic but it does appear that the fast tempo complaints from Saban may be more than philosophical as the problems with A&M, Auburn, and OU games on defense were glaring.
Would love to see the Tide in Atlanta next December but we both have some questions to answer before that happens. Lot of competition within our respective divisions to overcome.
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Oh yeah. Go BIG DAWGS, (at least till we see you in the SECCG. )
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