Bama Schadenfreude thread

Submitted by crg on

This thread is purely for trolling the ESS!  EEE! CEE!

... because, it just means more ;)

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bluinohio

January 10th, 2017 at 1:27 AM ^

I didn't say he sucked, but the best ever? No. He took two programs with elite talent and won titles with them. Don't kid yourself, the talent was there before he showed up. All they needed was someone competent. Look at Les miles, not exactly in the top tier of coaches. Why couldn't he win it all at msu? That's right, couldn't get the players. You give ANY good coach elite players and they will win. Do you think if Harbaugh coached Alabama they would've lost tonight? Highly doubt it. That's what a great coach is, someone who takes average talent and performs at an elite level. That's what has happened here at um the last two years. We've never had talent like Bama has had in the past decade and never will, so if we win a title that will be great coaching.

Joined: 08/24/2015

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jmblue

January 10th, 2017 at 8:56 AM ^

Before Saban, LSU hadn't done much for about 40 years.  There is a lot of talent in Louisiana, but it wasn't staying home. (That benefitted us, BTW - think Anthony Thomas, Chris Howard, James Hall, Leroy Hoard...)  He convinced it to come and won a national title in his fourth year.

At MSU, Saban had to deal with scholarship restrictions from 1995-98.  In 1999 he got the full 85 to work with and went 9-2.  

I don't care for the guy but he's unquestionably a great coach.  He had a true freshman QB this year and was seconds away from a national title.  No matter how talented the rest of the roster, that's not easy to do.

 

  

 

Joined: 11/07/2008

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pescadero

January 10th, 2017 at 12:12 PM ^

Don't kid yourself, the talent was there before he showed up.

 

Alabama average recruiting rank 4 years before Saban: #26.5

Alabama peak recruiting rank 4 years before Saban: #13

Alabama low recruiting rank 4 years before Saban: #52

 

 

Alabama average recruiting rank with Saban: #2.5

Alabama peak recruiting rank with Saban: #1

Alabama low recruiting rank with Saban: #11

 

In 10 years under Saban, Alabama has had the #1 class 7 times.

In 10 years under Saban, Alabama has had a class outside the top 5 one time - and it was #11.

 

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Squash34

January 10th, 2017 at 2:12 AM ^

It is not as crazy as it may seem. people just look at his accomplishments and forget he got there by using loopholes in the sec recruiting bylaws to get around achollorship limitations set by the NCAA. Lsu and bama have 2 big things in common. The conferance allows you to sign as many kids as you want on signing day and you have to get down to the 85 limit by summer. He built his roster to what it is now by signing a dozen or more players than he had spots for. He would then make room by forced greyshirting and medical redshirts on kids. He did so to the point that every 3 or four years he would gain a full class on teams in the big that are only allowed to have 87 signed schollorshiped players after signing day. I mean, he only became this demigod of coaching when he got to a conferance known for these practices and had a culture that bragged about having bagmen. He had like one good year at MSU before going to lsu and sucked in the NFL where you can't get advantages in the talent level he has now. It is not like these practices are unknown. So, I am not sure why people call him the greatest coach ever. Afterall, he only won championchips when he effectively started cheating, while screwing kids over in the process.

Joined: 09/13/2016

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jmblue

January 10th, 2017 at 9:05 AM ^

Of course, it's not like Alabama is the only oversigning school in the SEC.  His program is certainly shady but it's dominating a league full of shady programs.

In the NFL he went 9-7 and 6-10 in his two seasons.  Whether he would have succeeded there long-term, we can't say, but to say that he "sucked" there is probably overdoing it.

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Squash34

January 10th, 2017 at 12:02 PM ^

Yea, "sucked" was a little much. When I think about saban in the NFL I tend to compare it to harbaugh and specifically the narrative that Jim did not win anything in the NFL because he lost the Superbowl in a close game. By those standards sabans career sucked, but it is not far to say that from a realistic viewpoint because it was two years. You are right most of the sec does this and he beats them too. The conferance allows for unethical recruiting/ roster management because they care about winning at all cost. Moreover, saban in the undisputed champion of this. However, to me, by doing these types of things which gain you a pretty extreme advantage over conferances that follow the 85 schollorship rule more closely, you should not be in the running for greatest coach of all time. This is not to say he us not a very good coach. But again, he was not this dominate force until he was able to build rosters by shady means.

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Wolverine Devotee

January 10th, 2017 at 12:38 AM ^

When are we going to experience this? Being the last team standing with confetti falling and hoisting the national championship trophy. We deserve it. We don't cheat.

Joined: 06/29/2009

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lhglrkwg

January 10th, 2017 at 12:46 AM ^

It took Saban a few years to get cooking and took Dabo like 5-7 years of struggling to reach the Elite and this year finally break through. If we keep the gang together, we should be right in it 2018 and on. The talent and coaching is there

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Wolverine Devotee

January 10th, 2017 at 12:53 AM ^

I know no one cares but a lot of you experienced 1997 consciously. I was 2. Even a B1G title I'd celebrate for days. I was 9 the last time we got one. It's just tough. I literally dream of us winning the national championship. In multiple sports, but I have a dream about winning one in football at least once every couple months. Honest to God's truth.

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M-Dog

January 10th, 2017 at 1:17 AM ^

I do feel bad for Michigan fans who started following the team in the 2000's.  Sometimes I'm surprised they are still fans.  They've been given nothing to chew on.

Since I started following Michigan, I've seen a football NC, three Rose Bowl victories, several other "BCS" Bowl victories, countless Big Ten championships, countless wins over OSU, MSU, and ND, and 2 Heismans.  And I still bitch about the program.

I can't imagine how I'd be if I only experienced Michigan football in the 2000's.

 

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bo_lives

January 10th, 2017 at 2:04 AM ^

but the first college football season I really followed and cared about was 2001. I pine for the "Glory Days" when we went 10-2 and lost the Rose Bowl. Boy it's great to be back!

In all seriousness, I have seen Michigan go 2-14 against OSU in that stretch. I am 26 years old now with 2 degrees from U-M, and I was in 7th grade the last time Michigan beat OSU in a game that actually meant something. I honestly don't fucking care anymore, because I realize that shit happens and I don't control what the football team does. But it sure would be nice to beat OSU for once.

Joined: 04/10/2011

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Wolverine Devotee

January 10th, 2017 at 8:52 AM ^

No, I was watching games in 1997. I just don't remember any of them. My earliest memory of a game was the 2000 Orange Bowl when Alabama missed the PAT and the celebration at our house. Hockey and Football both broke 30+ year droughts just two seasons after I was born. Hockey broke theirs the season I was born.

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Squash34

January 10th, 2017 at 1:45 AM ^

I don't know why but I always pictured you as older than me (I just turned 35) but in reality you are much younger. Not saying it as an insult. Just kinda thought you were so obsessed with Michigan being back on top because you miss the old days when they were. Turns out you have never really witnessed them. But don't worry, Michigan is back to being in the hunt every year. They may fall short, like this year but they will be there.

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newtopos

January 10th, 2017 at 1:27 AM ^

Couple thoughts.

When was the last time a Saban-dynasty Alabama team (#1 recruiting class) lost to a pro-style team? 

Harbaugh is a huge blessing for the program, but compared to Alabama, Ohio State, Florida State, we will likely always have several disadvantages for recruiting: 1) clean program (far fewer, if any, impermissible benefits, etc.); 2) not a top football recruiting location, with a shrinking population (vs. Fla, GA, TX, CA, etc.); 3) cold environment; 4) slightly higher academic standards. 

Without the additional weapon of a QB who can beat you with his legs, creative offenses with RPOs, etc., it just seems like it will be very, very difficult to beat Saban.  Saban even complained about the one thing that could threaten his overly talented, overly deep defense -- the hurry-up offenses that prevent substitutions.  But when he couldn't get the rules changed, he adopted this advantage for his own offense.  How many times have you seen Alabama huddle the past two years?  I know Harbaugh is very creative within a pro-style scheme, but I wonder if he will ultimately be limited in college because of his NFL-centric approach.  Just as there are things you cannot translate from college to the NFL (there was a good article about Chip Kelly and tempo, among other things, before the prior season), if you only exploit the advantages that can be gained in a NFL-appropriate offense and don't take advantage of the possibilities within the college system, you might never get over the hump to beat a team with better athletes (Alabama has had the top recruiting class every year for the past seven years, I think?). 

To state the obvious, if we want to beat an 2016 Alabama-type team, I think we're going to need a great QB (like Luck), a few great skilled players (WRs), some luck, and a very, very good OL.  I think Alabama would have destroyed our OL and Speight this year. 

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Squash34

January 10th, 2017 at 2:04 AM ^

Is overplayed and not accurate. Bama's advantage has always been in the front seven. I don't think it is the spread offense that gets bama, like most people think. Sure, years ago it did but that was largely because saban had a roster full of lb's and NT that where massive for their prospective position. When he started going after smaller players at these position he became more consistent against these teams. You just need a very good passing game to beat bama. It's that simple. It does not matter if it's prostyle of spread. You need to be able to pass. Look at the games they lose and you will see teams that can throw. It is not like these loses are because the duel threat qb's are winning with their legs, look at Watson he had like 43 yards and 2 ypc. They win because they can stretch the field because Watson was talented enough to make them pay for selling out to beat the run. Now with that said. When Michigan plays bama harbaugh will be in the gun more and not run as much smashmouth stuff. However, Michigan can win if the line is good enough at pass pro to give the qb time. And if that qb is an NFL caliber guy who can stretch the defense.

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Dallas Walmart…

January 10th, 2017 at 12:41 AM ^

Seriously, they killed OSU and then broke Bama's heart.  Yeah, we wish it was us that did those things, but if not us, we should show proper gratitude and respect for the team that did it.  Someone start a Clemson appreciation thread.

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BernardC

January 10th, 2017 at 12:39 AM ^

F you and your $300k Clemson, but good for you Desaun Watson. You've been the best player in college FB for two years now and haven't won the Heisman. You've lost the N.C.last year. You seem like a great kid, very God fearing and I'm glad you finally can celebrate

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Squash34

January 10th, 2017 at 2:20 AM ^

I gave you an up vote. I was going to just go to the next comment because this should not make us feel better about the fsu loss. I, personally, did not feel bad about it. Fsu is a very talented team and it was a great one point game. No reason to feel bad about that. Can't win them all and atleast it was not a lose because of one-sided officiating. Clemson winning had no impact on how I saw the orange bowl lose. However, the last sentence made me laugh out loud, so you get a up vote lol

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The Man Down T…

January 10th, 2017 at 12:40 AM ^

Incredible battle and won in a very gutsy call at the end.  He drops that ball and maybe that second ticks off and the game ends.  This was two great teams pounding each other into goo for 60 minutes.  Just awesome.  But yeah, Fuck Alabama!!  :) :) :) 

Joined: 12/04/2008

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lhglrkwg

January 10th, 2017 at 12:41 AM ^

but I like DeShaun Watson a lot. Happy for him.

I'm just wondering now how this Clemson team that lost to Pitt at home and had scares vs Troy & NC State crushed OSU and beat the Tide. They're like that crappy 9-7 NFL team that gets it together for the playoff. This wasn't the same team we saw in weeks 1-13

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