January 19, 2015 · 8:15 AM

A definite maybe

If there’s one thing you can count on with Junior, it’s stability.

I haven’t the first clue about how much truth there is to the rumor, but I’m sure Saban is happy to make time for that shit in the last few weeks heading up to signing day.

32 Comments

Filed under Don't Mess With Lane Kiffin

32 responses to “A definite maybe”

  1. 3rdandGrantham
    January 19, 2015 at 8:45 AM

    How on earth he continues to fail upward, I’ll never understand. And for our sake, we really better hope that he stays at Bama for at least another year. Not only does Lane flat out refuse to throw to his TE’s, but his adjustments after halftime have always been poor at best. Lane’s strong suit is scripting plays, but his weakness is making adjustments, which again is evident by his O’s lack of 3rd quarter points dating back to the USC days.

    To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if Saban is quietly telling him that he needs to leave (or he’ll be forced to fire him), in which Lane’s agent is starting various rumors to in effort to create the perception that he’s in demand. Other Saban assistants have used this tactic previously, such as OC Doug Nussmeier who “left” Bama for a total dumpster fire at Michigan. Yet it was well known and obvious to all that Nussmeier was forced out at Bama, and his jump to UM was his way of saving face.

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    • Reverend Whitewall
      January 19, 2015 at 8:57 AM

      Guess roster management isn’t limited to the player roster. 🙂

      It seemed like Saban was happy with Kiffin most of the year, but I also wouldn’t rule out the possibile scenario you put out there. This rumor did seem to pop up out of nowhere.

      I hadn’t ever paid attention to Lane’s ignoring of TE’s, but it makes sense, the preseason talk had Howard pegged for a breakout season (and he certainly has the physical tools), but he ended up with 17 catches and had 5 games with zero catches.

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    • Bright Idea
      January 19, 2015 at 10:24 AM

      Finebum is swearing there is turmoil within the Bama staff.

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      • Scorpio Jones, III
        January 19, 2015 at 10:55 AM

        As well there should be. Underachieving bastards. Saban is clearly past his prime.

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        • pete
          January 19, 2015 at 12:12 PM

          🙂 Thanks SJ3, I needed that chuckle. On another note, apparently Saban isn’t as good at recruiting coaches as he is players if indeed he is ready for Lame Kitten to leave after just one year of service.

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  2. gastr1
    January 19, 2015 at 8:53 AM

    I had to wonder if hiring Junior was a sign of things amiss in the factory. With all of the departures and the usual Junior script being written, I’m a little more convinced that Saban’s best days at Tideland could be behind him.

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  3. Scorpio Jones, III
    January 19, 2015 at 9:02 AM

    I noticed a little tibit in one of the stories…”Media Hire” which could morph into “Blog Hire”… I think we can assume Sauron knew/knows exactly what he is doing and has no time for speculation that he does not.

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  4. TheDukeofE
    January 19, 2015 at 9:41 AM

    Come on, Kiffin might suck as a Head Coach, but he’s as good of an OC as there is.

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    • Senator Blutarsky
      January 19, 2015 at 9:58 AM

      With all those studs on the roster, ‘Bama finished 16th in scoring offense and 18th in total offense this season. Let’s just say there’s some room for disagreement with your assessment.

      On another note, I believe I’ve already warned you about changing monikers here. The next name change and you’ll be gone.

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      • Bulldawg165
        January 19, 2015 at 10:35 AM

        Bama under Saban pretty much always has studs on their roster. 16th nationally is the best they’ve been for as far back as cfbstats shows with the exception of 2012 when they were 12th.

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        • TheDukeofE
          January 19, 2015 at 10:54 AM

          You’ll win a lot of games if you score a td 70% in the red zone, and you convert 51% on 3rd down. Bobo didn’t beat either of those

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        • Biggus Rickus
          January 19, 2015 at 1:19 PM

          According to F+, their offense was 4th in the country this year. They were 1st in ’09, 2nd in ’10 and 2nd in ’12. They’ve been in the top five all but two years since Saban made them good again (’08 – 12th and ’13 – 10th). You can make a solid argument that Kiffin got more from less than Nussmeier did his last year.

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      • TheDukeofE
        January 19, 2015 at 10:47 AM

        Kiffin led USC to 2 Natl Championships while he was a part of the offensive staff, and they averaged 49 pts per game and 579 yards of offense per game in 2005, I think Leinart won the Hesiman while Kiffin was coaching there. Pete Carroll (championships in college and NFL) and Nick Saban (4 Natl Championships) both hired him to run their offense, let’s just say he’s a slightly great OC.

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        • Will (The Other One)
          January 19, 2015 at 3:23 PM

          Given that USC in that stretch had more 4- and 5-star players than any school in the BCS/post-BCS era (even more than Bama in their recent run), and that his one year at Bama had a Heisman-finalist WR, two first-day draft pic (barrring injury) RBs, and several 4- and 5-star olinemen, I’d say Kiffin is good when he has a decided talent advantage.
          When he doesn’t, like say his final years at USC, he’s not quite as good.

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          • Bulldawg165
            January 19, 2015 at 6:59 PM

            “Given that USC in that stretch had more 4- and 5-star players than any school in the BCS/post-BCS era”

            Given that Kiffin was recruiting coordinator, shouldn’t he receive at least some credit for that?

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            • Will (the other one)
              January 19, 2015 at 8:30 PM

              I’d say yes, but wasn’t DaCoach O there too? Post-Carroll Orgeron was a great recruiter even at Ole Miss (as a head coach, not so much), whereas Kiffin only landed one decent QB his entire time in charge at USC. But you got from preseason #1 to becoming the first team to lose to Fishfry’s NATS in a bowl game, I’m not going to think a lot of your coaching acumen.

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          • TheDukeofE
            January 19, 2015 at 8:30 PM

            Since 4 of the teams who ended up in the final top 10 (GT for one) did not finish in the top 25 for recruiting, I’ll have to say that isn’t anywhere near as important as coaching. So I’ll give Kiffin credit.

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  5. No One Knows You're a Dawg
    January 19, 2015 at 10:18 AM

    I actually think OC at Bama is a better job right now than OC for the 49ers. The DL coach hired to replace Harbaugh looks to be a puppet of management and ownership. Not someone who is going to be successful. I’d stay away from a Niner’s coaching position unless it was a big step up or I disparately needed a job.

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  6. Comin' Down The Track
    January 19, 2015 at 11:51 AM

    Saban may quietly want Kiffin gone, but I’d be willing to bet that he doesn’t want him gone before NSD… maybe the day after, but not before. The Laner may be a lazy and lousy coach, but he casts some kind of crazy, hypnotic spell on teenagers. I suspect Saban does indeed have time for that.

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    • SouthGaDawg
      January 19, 2015 at 1:26 PM

      I think so too. Junior, even under the careful eye of Saban, is too polarizing. Supposedly, Saban doesn’t get into the offense’s business, but I beg to differ. He learned from Belichick. They both have their thumb on the pulse of their offense – any smart head coach does.

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  7. 69Dawg
    January 19, 2015 at 3:04 PM

    Kiffin did what some on here accused Bobo of doing, he got too cute at the wrong times. There are times to call aggressive plays but then there are times when you have a stud running back that you just pound the damn rock. Both OC’s could not resist the cute play near the goal. It hurt us against USCe and it killed Alabama against tOSU.

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  8. Will (The Other One)
    January 19, 2015 at 3:26 PM

    What’s fun, and is a rumor I wouldn’t mind seeing spread, is that the Falcons, who for some reason already have hired son of Shanahan as OC, are getting former Gator DC Dan Quinn for the HC job. And that Quinn might tab his old buddy coach Boom MF for the DC position.
    Probably won’t happen, but if Auburn were to get Van Gorder’d right before signing day, that’d be great.

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