'Bama's bad snapping

Submitted by BlueChitown on January 3rd, 2024 at 1:09 PM

How much of Alabama's bad snapping was that the center was just awful at basic football, and how much of it was Michigan D-line induced?

His snapping was never sharp, but the real mistakes didn't seem to really come into play until later in the game. I am wondering if our DTs' unusual quickness and ferocity was getting the center to blink when he should have been focusing on his job.

I am seeing on the Tide boards people moaning about "if only our guy knew how to snap the ball!" as if he didn't have line up directly opposite Mason Graham. I know their center has been iffy all season, but was it worse than usual on Monday?

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RedHotAndBlue

January 3rd, 2024 at 2:19 PM ^

I have been thinking a lot about this too.  Undoubtedly they have someone else who can snap, but the combination of snapping, blocking (particularly after having to snap) and calling protection/diagnosing pressure is all part of it too.  Alabama must have come to the conclusion that a couple of bad snaps a game was less of an issue than taking a step down in those other areas.

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lhglrkwg

January 3rd, 2024 at 3:22 PM ^

but I also think the dude was getting the yips as the game went on. Its a huge stage and Michigans D-line was terrorizing them. His snaps were absolutely all over the place and it seemed to be getting worse as the game progressed

Somewhat shocking Alabama didn't have anyone else who could play the position better

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GoWings2008

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:14 PM ^

Didn't seem to be a problem when they gashed us for a good amount of yards in the third and part of the fourth quarter. 

But honestly, as I heard on one of the analysis on tv say, our team speed isn't just speed, it's being prepared. If their center was prepared, confident and skilled...it wouldn't have been a problem. Their boards are whining.... like, "Gosh, how good would we be if we didn't suck?"

Good D line play can have an effect all over the place, like inducing false starts, etc.

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CompleteLunacy

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:31 PM ^

If the bad snaps don't happen, Bama probably wins. But that cuts two ways...take away the dropped punt, the missed XP, and the missed FG on Michigan's side, and they're up a lot more than 3 points at half. Shoot, what if their FG kicker misses one of his 50-yarders (as good as he is, it's hard to hit those consistently). 

But at the end of the day,  they had as much of a chance to win despite their poor snaps as Michigan did despite their special teams. The mistakes sort of evened the game out. And Michigan rose to the occasion at the end while Bama flinched. The better team won.

 

 

 

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ShadowStorm33

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:37 PM ^

In a similar vein, I'm actually kind of shocked at how good Bama's kicker was (and punter too). It used to be that despite the peak Saban Bama teams having otherworldly talent, they never seemed to have a decent kicker. For example, remember the 2011 1v2 LSU 9-6 win over Bama that should have kept Bama out of the BCS championship game (because in 2006 the thought of a rematch was sacrilegious)? Bama's kickers combined to go 2/6 on FGs in that game...

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dbrhee

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:16 PM ^

I think it is a mixture of all...

1. The field's grass was going to be challenging and we could see it even on our side (i.e. the PAT). And both schools had to be accustomed in that week... 

2.  Alabama center and Milroe had history of challenges in prior games 

3. Defense was pressuring the line... 

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Mich1993

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:20 PM ^

How can a top team not be able to field a center that can reliably snap the ball?  This seems both like something that could be fixed/improved and if not that you would find someone else.  To me, snapping the ball is an important job for a center.

I don't know the guys history/background, but maybe Saban should have recruited a 'lowly' 3* that is able to consistently hike the ball.

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Monk

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:20 PM ^

Honestly, I thought Michigan's snapping on s/t was, a little off as well, along with ball placement, there could be some field issues as well, or just nerves as the announcers said.

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1VaBlue1

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:24 PM ^

Been doing it all year.  But in fairness, if I had to snap the ball with Jenkins, Grant, and Graham exhaling into my facemask, I'd be fucking terrified.

So yeah, I get it...  That guy will be buying his own drinks in Tuscaloosa whenever he comes back.

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CompleteLunacy

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:24 PM ^

Both?

Bama's center had a history of iffy snaps. So it's nothing exactly "new" for him. 

But I mean Michigan's DL was clearly a disruptive force. And the constant blitzing made it more of a nightmare for them. When you are put under pressure, you may revert to bad habits and tendencies. Like snapping the ball poorly. Or panicking on a bad snap and running straight into the line on the last play like Milroe did.

 

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energyblue1

January 3rd, 2024 at 2:35 PM ^

Yep, I thought the center was rushed and the quick but low snap that was happening a lot was the result.  I think he felt the pressure of the all out blitz trying to get the ball back to fast without good follow through on the snaps. 

6 sacks, 10 tfl's and many pressures will do that to an offense, qb and center. 

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sdogg1m

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:36 PM ^

Jalen Hurts commented on Jason Kelce's snapping technique and how fast the snap took place. He said he had to get into the "athletic position" in order to take the snap. Kelce responded with "I need my hand back."

I think their center had his hands full with our defensive front and he was visibly frustrated.

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Amazinblu

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:40 PM ^

Bama has 19 OL on their roster.  12 of the 19 are 4 or 5 star prospects.

The center needs to do more than just snap the ball.  Recognizing the defense and calling out adjustments is a major responsibility of the center.

There are pretty basic techniques involved in the snap.  Maybe .. just maybe… the coaching staff should have focused a bit more on his technique.   I’m not calling him out - if this has been an issue for a while - then, what actions / coaching. / development / help did their staff provide?

A question, since I don’t recall.  Bama first series - or in the first half - did any “good snaps” wind up as a sack?   The core issue - Bama was not prepared for Michigan’s slow and undersized DL.  (Yes, sarcasm - I was sick and tired of hearing how big and fast everyone on Bama’s roster was - and, that Michigan couldn’t match up with them.)

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joegeo

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:43 PM ^

He did what he always does, so they’re basically saying “if only we had a better team.”

Michigan’s special teams mistakes were highly uncharacteristic (maybe characteristic for bowl season).

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Amazinblu

January 3rd, 2024 at 2:00 PM ^

I heard “if we had better players.”   I can’t figure that out… Bama has had the most talented roster in seven of the last nine seasons - and, in the two seasons they weren’t the most talented - they were ranked second.

Maybe they think Bama should have the roster of the 49ers, Ravens,or another NFL team.

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LSAClassOf2000

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:49 PM ^

It is an amazing technical glitch, if you will, for a team such as Alabama to have, although on one of those snaps, Milroe was looking somewhere the ball certainly was not, a credit to how distracted Michigan had made him. 

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Mr. Elbel

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:51 PM ^

It's a bad center. He did get the cyan circle for a reason. But damn, you figure that Alabama could find someone, anyone who could snap and block decently on a consistent basis. Especially on the OL, you can move people around to different positions to fit the current needs of them team. I just can't believe they aren't deep enough to shift things around to find a college-level center. Or is Saban too stubborn to make moves like that? It just doesn't make any sense at all to me.

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SF Wolverine

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:55 PM ^

Previews covered this at great (and accurate) length.  They've had this problem all year long.  Better question is why a team like Alabama is unable to plug someone in who does not have this problem.

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lilpenny1316

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:57 PM ^

He was iffy all year. 40% of his snaps were at the knees or below. Saban didn't have Milroe under center for a reason, and I think it was to cover up some significant flaw that we'll hear about next year when the kid is benched mid-season for Justin Sayin.

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Maul

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:58 PM ^

Bama's center has not been great this year, and this happened to be the worst game.  Because it's the center position, the poor play had an outsized impact to the game.

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Needs

January 3rd, 2024 at 2:18 PM ^

Amazing story from Kris Jenkins. 
 

Michigan defensive lineman Kris Jenkins witnessed it from the trenches and had the same question as any Alabama fan watching: what is going on?

"I was kind of surprised," Jenkins said in the locker room after Michigan's 27-20 overtime win in the College Football Playoff semifinal. "I was like, what happened bro? I was genuinely, like, confused. I wasn't even trying to talk trash. I was just like -- what's going on?

"He ain't say nothing."

https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/18wy62d/michigan_dl_kris_jenkins_on_alabama_center_seth/

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