September 9th, 2023 at 10:48 PM ^
Alabama doesn't have a QB and they don't have the defense they've had in the past. They could lose 2+ more.
September 9th, 2023 at 10:59 PM ^
Dude's got all the physical talents but probably needs a year or two to learn how to QB. Joe Milton Jr.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:09 PM ^
Milroe is more like Denard than Milton. Fast as hell but the arm talent isn't there. I agree with others that Alabama could be a 3 or 4-loss team if they stick with Milroe. My guess is Saban makes a change at QB soon.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:23 PM ^
No. Denard wasn't just fast, but super elusive. Milroe just doesn't have that combination- NOT EVEN CLOSE. This comparison would be disrespectful to Denard.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:49 PM ^
Avoiding being a homer and trying to forget the years of painful mediocrity (and a 3-9 season, oof), it's easy to forget how electric a player like Denard Robinson was with his feet.
His sheer acceleration + deceleration, cutting ability (which would tear any other players ACLs & High Ankle ligaments if they attempted), top-speed, and vision were, to this day, arguably the most spectacular feats of running athleticism ever seen on a football field.
Sadly his QB skills (almost as many INTs as Throwing-TDs) were not in the same galaxy as his running skills, nor was his build/body-type, really anything like a running-back's would be.
He was a unicorn, fun to watch, and unanimously a very kind human being from everyone who met him.
September 10th, 2023 at 12:41 AM ^
If we are being honest, his best chance at being a great NFL player considering body type, etc. was probably either at DB (which most schools recruited him at) or at slot receiver, neither of which he practiced for 1 second at Michigan.
September 10th, 2023 at 12:01 AM ^
I never said Milroe was as good of a runner as Denard. I just said he's "more like" Denard when the comp with Joe Milton ("Jr") was posed. I agree with you that Denard had the speed and a touch of Barry Sanders' elusiveness.
September 10th, 2023 at 1:16 PM ^
He's actually not quite Milton and he is not Denard. Which is why I've said Bama will lose 3 games this season.
He's a better version of Alex Orji, lol.
September 9th, 2023 at 10:49 PM ^
It's always good to see 'Bama go down. Their QB does not look good at all. Even with all those 5*s, to win the big games you need a good QB.
Ewers looks like a good QB but in that Favre gunslinger mold. He makes some dangerous ass passes and doesn't hesitate.
Of all the college QBs I've seen this year, J.J. still looks the best..
September 10th, 2023 at 12:01 AM ^
Ewers looked pretty amazing despite those drops
September 10th, 2023 at 12:08 AM ^
JJ looks great. But man, Caleb Williams has been lights out in this Stanford game.
September 10th, 2023 at 12:56 AM ^
I flipped over to that game for like 2 minutes and Stanford's offense was on the field looking about as competent as an FCS team. I just couldn't bring myself to watch it. I think the last time I saw Williams was in a loss to Utah.
If he's looking better than J.J. then I hope SC hasn't learned to play defense this year!
September 10th, 2023 at 12:40 AM ^
I love JJ and expect a 3rd B1G title this year, but agree that Caleb Williams is superhuman. Also, let's see what Drew Allar does when he has to face a real team - but going to the two games this year, it is wonderful watching this guy play! And Roman Wilson looks to be a Day 2 pick (I hope).
September 9th, 2023 at 10:49 PM ^
I was struck by Bama's horrible offensive line.
They'll get better. They'll win their 10. But ... I won't be terrified of having to face them in the playoffs, if for some reason that comes to pass.
September 10th, 2023 at 7:13 AM ^
That was my takeaway too. Texas’ d-line waa living in the backfield. Milroe wasnt good, but he also had like zero time back there. Eye opening to see Bama without an elite OL
September 9th, 2023 at 10:51 PM ^
You love to see Bama lose, but when Texas does it - it’s hard to know how to feel.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:07 PM ^
Feel great. UM will whip them round one.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:10 PM ^
Sark is a decent offensive coach, but is also the epitome of privilege.
Decent coach, but showed up to meetings drunk, and somehow failed up. When it finally caught up with him, had his buddy Saban to bail him out and give him a cushy coordinator job, as a stepping stone to another elite job.
Yeah, there's few things that make me root FOR Bama, but dudes like Sark are one of them.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:30 PM ^
So someone with a drinking problem who admits his mistakes and gets cleaned up in rehab shouldn’t get a chance at his profession? Also where do you get that Saban and him were “buddies”? They’ve never coached together as far as I can tell. Saban has a knack for rehabbing down on their luck coaches and Sark is a good offensive coach. Not sure what all the sanctimony is about. He got run out of USC, got cleaned up, and worked his way back up to a good gig.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:36 PM ^
Sarkisian has coached under Saban two times. In the 2016 season Sark was an offensive analyst for Bama and then in 2019 and 2020 he was Bama's OC.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:43 PM ^
Right he went to Alabama right after USC. I’m not sure how he “ran to his buddy” to bail him out in the first instance when they didn’t work under each other previously. By the second stint he was a known commodity and has always been a good offensive mind.
September 10th, 2023 at 8:35 AM ^
As the OP said, he’s epitome of privilege. Never worked his way up. Never coached a MAC team or Sun Belt team. Just go blue blood gigs because of his time at USC. Was totally mediocre in those gigs. Alcoholism notwithstanding, the guy is essentially the definition of mediocrity. He also seems to be an awful human being. After 10 years of HC he finally gets win #2 against a top 5 team. But his teams aren’t consistent and will implode like every year (although their schedule is a joke).
September 9th, 2023 at 11:34 PM ^
I don’t know Sark’s full story and I do think he failed upwards, but addiction isn’t because of privilege.
September 10th, 2023 at 3:27 AM ^
Getting clean and becoming a better person after going through dark times should be celebrated, not poked fun at. Terrible take by the original commenter.
September 10th, 2023 at 9:19 AM ^
For real. My best friend has been sober 7 years now, turned his life around and just got married to a wonderful person. He finds sark inspirational and I'll be damned if I'm going to rip on a guy who's struggling with that demon and winning.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:40 PM ^
Bama loss is ALWAYS good as they've been annoying as hell for their dominance in the past decade+. We'll just have to worry about Texas later.
But, I have a feeling Texas will find a way to self-destruct. They alway have.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:49 PM ^
A Michigan - Texas - USC playoff would be fun. Those monster brands were down for so long, to see all 3 logos in the final 4 team bracket would be neat.
Georgia is not neat they will not be mentioned further.
September 10th, 2023 at 12:37 PM ^
I want Georgia to lose to bama, an undefeated Texas, usc, fsu and Michigan.
September 10th, 2023 at 12:19 AM ^
Why? Still bitter about Vince Young?
September 10th, 2023 at 12:35 AM ^
Isn't that enough reason?
September 10th, 2023 at 8:37 AM ^
I’m still bothered that 6’4” safety Earnest Shazor didn’t move his hand slightly to the right and block Texas’ last FG. He had the angle.
September 9th, 2023 at 10:51 PM ^
Glad Ewers is in Austin and not Columbus.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:46 PM ^
No doubt the fucknut fan base will also claim him as one of theirs, just like when Burrows won the NC.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:58 PM ^
The way JJ is playing, I don't care who's playin QB at Columbus.
First 2 games- 48/55, 558 yds, 5 TDs, 0 Int. These are insane numbers no matter who the opponents are.
September 10th, 2023 at 6:45 AM ^
Sanders vs TCU went 38/47, 510 yds, 4 TDs, 0 int.
September 10th, 2023 at 8:39 AM ^
Colorado playing sandlot football against garbage defenses. If they run into anyone competent with real lines, they’re going to be smothered.
September 10th, 2023 at 11:33 AM ^
Minnesota's 4-star QB in a real offense went 24/44 for 196 yards with a TD and an INT against that garbage defense, so that Sandlot football must be good for something.
You are also wildly undervaluing Sean Lewis, Colorado's offensive coordinator, who is a rising star in college football and likes to run a high-powered, fast-paced scheme. That was a really savvy hire, and I'd wager he's going to be a hot name for some P5 HC jobs in the next few years.
September 10th, 2023 at 12:43 AM ^
I listened to the UT-Bama game on the way home, with Bama announcers trying not to say anything bad about Milner, but oozing over how good and poised Ewers looked, especially when the pressure increased. EXACTLY my thoughts - glad he didn't stay around to back up CJ last year and start now.
September 9th, 2023 at 10:52 PM ^
With Bama and LSU already with losses, it's going to be difficult for the SEC to get 2 teams in the CFP this year.
September 9th, 2023 at 10:57 PM ^
I think I now understand why the SEC steers away from meaningful non-con games. Ain't looking so good in them this year.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:53 PM ^
They play meaningful non-con games. They just also schedule tomato cans, specifically in the week before major end-of-season rivalry games. And they've scheduled an extra tomato can non-conf game instead of an additional conference game, which is the big issue.
Bama has always, under Saban, sought out big-time non-conf opponents. And you'll note teams like LSU and Auburn doing the same. Florida has a premium non-conference rivalry, and Georgia could as well, theoretically, if Georgia Tech weren't a dumpster fire.
I don't mind Michigan not risking an early ding too much, especially with Harbaugh's suspension this year, but we don't have ground to stand on here.
September 10th, 2023 at 1:05 AM ^
I’ve chronicled just how bad the top teams in the SEC non- conference scheduling is multiple times over multiple years. It’s bad, and when you really dig into it, it’s really bad.
Yes Michigan’s non conference schedule this year is awful, but let’s not start saying it’s anything close to what the big boys of the SEC do year after year after year.
September 10th, 2023 at 4:15 AM ^
Saban since 2007 is 3-0 in non-conference road games. [Duke, Penn State and Texas.] Saban will play some top teams, but he is not known for the traditional home and home format. Usually, it's a one-off somewhere in the south.
September 10th, 2023 at 2:18 PM ^
Next year Michigan ups the non conf. game stakes a bit playing Texas then Oklahoma the following year, but it wont be a shot in the gut if they lose since the playoffs expand. If anything it will be a good early season muscle flex for them without really hurting either team much.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:16 PM ^
With the big 10 yet to register a signature win, it’s going to be difficult for it to get 2 teams in. Which is fine with me as long as we are the 1 from the B10. It would be nice to see some new faces in the playoffs.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:43 PM ^
Don't think it would be too hard - it happened last season. Ohio St has the premium non-con game (ND), if they win that and lose to us, there's your 2 teams.
September 10th, 2023 at 1:44 AM ^
OSU is losing thrice this year my friend. ND, PSU and The Game
September 10th, 2023 at 8:45 AM ^
Taking Frames in a big road game? Bold prediction.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:57 PM ^
Getting a second team basically requires two other conferences to fall apart, too. Worked fine last year, but you only need two of the Big 12, Pac 12, and ACC to produce a competitive one-loss team to make a second team from either of the "big" conferences less likely. Texas and Florida State both have huge wins over SEC teams that probably give them the privilege of enduring a conference loss and still making it if they win their conference title, and USC could put things together this year, too.
Last year that we have this kind of calculus, of course.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:31 PM ^
Oh, they'll figure it out.