Questions from a Bama fan with 100 posts:
1) How do you expect RB to look during the game on Sat? Will it be a steady diet of Rawls, or by committee? What do you expect of Rawls? Does it fall off dramatically after him, or does the senior have any ability?
2) Do you actually believe that Robinson will run around Bama in the same way he would run around, say, [insert Big10 defense]? (I ask this question fully admitting that he's the fastest player in CFB. If he played at Bama, he'd be starting at Right Corner, returning punts, and would be the first corner off the board on draft day. He's athletically legit.) What are the chances you thnk he will need to help win the game with his arm more than his legs?
3) Do you have any faith in hitting a 52 yarder for the win?
4) Do you think our DB situation is worse than your LB, WR, or Dline situation?
5) How much of a jump do you expect from your D based on your DC having installed more of his blitz package?
6) Do you expect, and I mean expect, to have - at minimum - 2 offensive TD's in the game?
7) What is the general assessment of your new Center?
8) Is mental mistakes at LB, either inside or outside, a concern of yours?
9) Can your starting secondary play man if they had to, each on an island? (I'm not asking about Kovacs. He's a true strong safety. He's a glorified roving mini-linebacker of destruction. I like Kovacs. He could play on my team anytime.)
10) How often do you expect to play bump-and-something with your corners this year?
11) How much has Denard improved his footwork and mechanics this season? Do you expect the same player with simply more maturity and less-forcing, or do you expect him to improve his accuracy to between 60-65% and be a more consistent threat to pass?
12) In your estimation, can you put 3-, 4-, or 5-wide WR set on the field, where every wide receiver is an athletic threat with good hands?
13) Do you have enough talent to rotate 2 groups on your Dline and still play high quality run defense as well as rush the passer, thereby being reasonably fresh for a 4th Q battle?
14) [redacted comment about RichRod's wife].
Thanks in advance for any and all reasonable replies. Roll Tide to all, and I pray for both teams' health and success in Saturday's game, although I'd prefer my boys to come out on top. I have always liked Mich, mostly because I thought your uni's were cool when I was a kid. Howard posing for the Heisman never hurts when your 12, or whatever. I also like and respect Hoke. He does it the right way, with discipline and honor. He poor-mouths his team and gives you genial coach-speak, which is quintessentially (sp?) Southern. Good luck, fellas. It wil be a pleasure to play you. F@ck ohio state. Roll Tide.
[ED:BISB - We try not to make personal attacks on non-combatants here. Rita Rodriguez is a non-combatant]
August 29th, 2012 at 2:52 AM ^
Thanks one and all for your responses. This thread has been quite enjoyable, and I'll check in tomorrow for the inevitable morning crowd bump. As mentioned earlier, here's to a well-played, injury-free battle come Saturday. May the best team win. Roll Tide.
August 29th, 2012 at 11:03 AM ^
Ok, I have some questions for you
1) Will Alabama or any SEC team ever play a meaningful game in the snow? If so, how well do you think that SEC speed will translate?
2) Do you believe Alabama deserved a rematch for the MNC game? (I assume you will answer yes)
a) Do you believe Michigan deserved a rematch against OSU in 2007 for the MNC game?
3) Do you believe the two best teams should play for the MNC? If so, why doesn't the SEC believe that their two best teams should play for their conference championship?
4) How many Alabama "student"-athletes could even survive academically at Michigan? 5) How many of the ultra talented former Alabama players played in the NFL pro bowl this last year?
August 29th, 2012 at 11:51 AM ^
Great questions all:
1) I would love for Bama to play in the snow, and I'm all for Bowl games being played in cold weather climates. I think It'd be great for the sport. Regarding SEC speed in the game, I think our speed would be affected the same as the speed on the other sideline. I think the difference would be in the psychological advantage for the home team, and Bama's performance would be determined by managing the psychological aspect of playing in such conditions. I'd love for Bama to have a home-and-home with a cold weather team, but due to our conference schedule, it's difficult to do that late in the year. Our big OOC game is always early in the season. Excellent question.
2) I believed Alabama deserved to play in the game only after Stanford and OkSt lost. Had those losses not happened, one of those teams should have played against LSU instead of us. Having said that, I never once thought LSU was a better team than us, even after we lost to them, as we outplayed them six ways to Sunday in the first game and it was obvious to everyone, which is why Herbie said so during the Nat'l Champ game. Nonetheless, the scoreboard is the only thing that matters.
I do not think that winning your Conference or Division should have anything to do with playing for it all. If the 2 best teams are in the same conference or division, so be it. The 2 best teams should play, regardless of conference affiliation. And I assume that it was obvious that Alabama was the best team in the country after such a systematic destruction of LSU. Only shutout in a BCS game ever. Never finished a drive beyond midfield. I think it was obvious.
3) There's definitely an argument for that, but I think LSU's resume was better than yours that year even with 2 losses, given who they beat and who you beat. Had your loss come in the beginning of the season, you would have definitely played for it all with one loss. You also lost your bowl game badly, so...
4) Yes, the 2 best teams should play regardless of conference affiliation. The SEC uses a divisional system, not a round robin format. If the SEC used a round robin format, then last year's SEC championship game would have been Bama versus LSU again.
5) I'd say the bottom academic 10-15% of our football team would not qualify for Michigan out of high school. I think that is mostly to blame on the piss-poor high school academic situation in much of the South. I think each and every one of our football players, if they could get into Michigan, would stay academically eligible throughout their careers if they applied themselves. This is coming from a highly educated person who attended both undergrad on full academic scholarship and a world-renowned medical school. Please don't think I don't understand what quality academics are. Michigan is an excellent school, no doubt. But a hard working person of average intelligence can stay eligible athletically at Michigan.
Regarding Bama players success in the NFL, I don't know. I don't follow the NFL very closely and frankly, the NFL's irrelevant to this discussion. But thank you for acknowledging that our players are ultra-talented.
August 29th, 2012 at 1:29 PM ^
The championship game last year should have been LSU / OK State. If Alabama was truly undeniably always better than LSU, they shouldn't have gone 1-1 against them. Maybe 'Bama was statistically better in game 1, but as you yourself said, that's why they play the game.
August 29th, 2012 at 4:33 PM ^
I do not subscribe to the idea that the CFB regular season, as currentlt constructed, should be considered like a playoff. I think that a team should be judged on it's overall resume, and strength of schedule with wins and losses should be paramount.
I don't for a second think OkSt had a better resume than Alabama. They lost to Iowa State, we lost to LSU. Our signature wins were also better than theirs. Simply because we previously lost to the team who happens to be playing in the title game is irrelevant, IMO.
There's definitely an argument for Bama and LSU having to play a 3rd game to crown a winner, and I'd have supported that.
Having said all this, the only way to fix it would be for the 60-70 best D1 teams to form a league, play ra andomly-generated schedule, and then have an 8-team playoff at the end. Until that happens, I think the 2 (or 4 in a few years) teams with the best resumes should vie for it all.
If you continue to disagree with your line of reasoning, then you are destroying your argument for getting a rematch with OSU a half decade ago.
August 29th, 2012 at 1:47 PM ^
August 29th, 2012 at 4:41 PM ^
I answered this question in another part of this thread, but here goes...
I believe in looking at the total resumes of the teams, with emphasis on quality wins - and losses, of course. With this in mind, I think LSU had a better resume than you did, despite having 2 losses, as you had only 1.5 quality wins to LSU's 3 - Iowa counts a a half quality win in my eyes as they weren't ranked by eveyone. Having said that, I remember thinking what a sham it was for LSU to get to the game with 2 losses. Frankly, I don't think either of you proved that you were undeniable the 2nd best team in the land up to that point. Who should have played, I dunno. However, I think it's beyond the universe of a moot point, given that you got smoked by USC in the bowl game.
In summation, you definitely have an argument for getting to play in the game - I don't think you have a leg to stand on in saying you were one of the 2 best teams in CFB that year.
August 29th, 2012 at 4:44 PM ^
2 loss LSU was the year after when we were beating tebow down in the capital one bowl.
August 29th, 2012 at 9:17 PM ^
My sincerest apologies. I mixed up my years. However, in looking at Florida's resume for that year, they beat 4 ranked teams in route to a one loss season, and you beat 2 (I'm giving you Iowa). Their resume was much better than yours. You shouldn't have played in the game. No question about it, and it has nothing to do with the fact of who you lost to. It's who you beat, which wasn't enough.
August 29th, 2012 at 4:42 PM ^
its number 3 though i believe it was a one loss florida that was in the NC game with OSU instead of LSU, LSU got in with 2 losses the year after. And I agree we probably shouldn't have gotten the rematch and I dont think alabama should have gotten one this year because on any given sunday a team could win and if you cant win your conference in the regular season you don't deserve a shot at the NC.
August 29th, 2012 at 9:18 PM ^
Even if the obvious number one team is the team you lost to? Does losing to number 1 in overtime mean you can't be number 2?
August 29th, 2012 at 10:27 PM ^
August 29th, 2012 at 11:29 PM ^
you can't put Okie State in the natty because people at their school died. They lost in 3OT to Iowa State. As a resident of Nebraska, Iowa State is and always has been a pathetic football team. It's like losing to Indiana. Losing in OT to LSU in death valley, however, is nothing to be ashamed of. Losing in Ames is. I mean, c'mon, have you ever been to Ames, IA? It's exactly what you think it is: 15-20 two-story buildings surrounded by cornfields. It's even more dull and boring than Notre Dame. Alabama obviously had the better resume before and after the game.
Regardless, Bama sucks! Prevatt33 is my boy, but he's not going to want to answer that phone late Saturday night.
August 30th, 2012 at 3:03 AM ^
We lost to LSU at home last year. We go to Death Valley this year.
And I'll answer my phone win or lose, and you know it.
August 29th, 2012 at 3:32 AM ^
1) Either guy is capable of doing damage if the OL does its job.
2) Your DC is praying he doesn't get room because he can make any group of 11 in this country look like buffoons. If he was at Alabama, maybe you just won your 3rd National title in a row. Ever think of that?
3) I'll be quite happy if we are lining up for a 52 yarder to win the game.
4) I don't know your DB situation, but our LB situation is outstanding IMO. WR and DL remains to be seen, but if the coaches like it, I love it.
5) If we get turnovers similar to last year's numbers, watch out!
6) Absolutely
7) Slight drop off, but any center at Michigan will be capable
8) Not at all
9) No idea, but I like our corners.
10) same as #9
11) I expect some improvement, but he plays by instinct so mistakes will happen.
12) I believe so and we may see some of that in a few hours.
13) Not sure about 2 groups, but that's what the coaches have been looking for.
14) Who in the hell is RichRod?
August 29th, 2012 at 3:55 AM ^
This game is going to be much more competitive than people think. Michigan is going to move the ball on your vaunted defense. As long as Borges spreads the field like he did vs. Ohio and Neb. last year, our OL is nimble and can pull... we dont need a lot of power running schemes to open up space. Rawls is plenty quick enough to make cuts off of the zone blocks and reads... they will spell him with Smith, Hayes and maybe Fitz...the Michigan run game will get at least a buck fity on you.
The game will be won or lost on: how/if Michigan stops your run. How/if Bama stops Michigan's pass...and most importantly special teams and turnovers.
PS:
3) Brunette Girls.
August 29th, 2012 at 3:59 AM ^
Here are my issues with your post my friend
A)”Do you actually believe that Robinson will run around Bama in the same way he would run around, say, [insert Big10 defense]?”
Translation: You guys cant possibly believe he can do that to Bama or any SEC team…
B) “Do you have any faith in hitting a 52 yarder for the win?”
Like your kicker didn’t lose the LSU game for yall last year…
C)“Do you think our DB situation is worse than your LB, WR, or Dline situation?”
Translation: Bama may possibly have issues in the secondary, but you guys have a lot more issues than us…
D)“Do you expect, and I mean expect, to have - at minimum - 2 offensive TD's in the game?”
Translation: you cant possibly think you’re going to score against us…
E) “What is the general assessment of your new Center?”
See comment “C”
F) “Can your starting secondary play man if they had to, each on an island?”
Translation: you guys are going to need at least 8 in the box to stop our running game
G) In your estimation, can you put 3-, 4-, or 5-wide WR set on the field, where every wide receiver is an athletic threat with good hands?
See comment “C”
H) “Do you have enough talent to rotate 2 groups on your Dline and still play high quality run defense as well as rush the passer, thereby being reasonably fresh for a 4th Q battle?”
See comment “C”
You sprinkle in a few complimentary words and a knock on RichRod and think its okay. ITS NOT! I’m from Bama (my whole family is in the Birmingham area) and your condescending, backhanded questions are the same arguments all Bama fans are using as sure-fire reasons you guys will win the game. I agree with you about safety for all players, but that’s about it. Go to your own board this week…
August 29th, 2012 at 4:28 AM ^
There was all kinds of condescending stuff in his post, even if he didn't mean for it to be. You did a great job outlining all of the things I also took issue with.
Man, what I would give for a Michigan victory on Saturday!
August 29th, 2012 at 11:24 AM ^
completely condescending. The title of this thread should be "I have questions about how crappy I believe your team is".
August 29th, 2012 at 9:37 AM ^
"guys, i'm not being condescending! but of course, you'll note that if you read my original post in connection with some of my responses, you'll see that i refer to our defensive backs as a weakness, but i also later say that none of michigan's defensive backs (save captain kovacs) would even sniff the field in alabama's dime package! but i'm of course not being condescending at all!!!"
August 29th, 2012 at 12:12 PM ^
Me thinking that our starting DB's are more talented than yours is not condescending. It's a declarative statement of the fact of my opinion. Should I just lie and say that all of your players are as good as Bama's just to be polite, when I don't think it's true? Some of you fellas are very sensitive about someone saying a player, unit, or team is better than Miichigan's. Why? We're just talking football. Geez.
August 29th, 2012 at 2:32 PM ^
and say we are just as good as you, but let's be honest....there's believing your team is better and then there's asking if we really believe we can score two touchdowns.
C'mon, Man! (and/or woman)
August 29th, 2012 at 4:46 PM ^
Me not thinking you'll score 2 TD's is neither condescending nor an insult. Games involving certain SEC teams are much lower scoring than you realize for a myriad of reasons, and Alabama is one of those teams. Heck, we lost last year to LSU when they didn't score a single touchdown. I also firmly believe Bama will be the best defense you face this year. Ergo, I don't think you score 2 TD's. I also don't think you'll win, either, but it could happen, as could your 2 TD's. But I simply don't think it will happen, and I'm not trying to insult your team nor fanbase by giving my opinion.
August 29th, 2012 at 4:49 PM ^
we are very familiar with the low scoring, 3 yards and a cloud of dust offenses we have had them for years.
August 29th, 2012 at 2:45 PM ^
"It's a declarative statement of the fact of my opinion. Should I just lie and say that all of your players are as good as Bama's just to be polite, when I don't think it's true?"
No, you should take your declarative statement of the fact of your opinion to a Bama board. You will be generally well received on this board if you use more tact. You started this thread for one purpose and that is to talk junk. If you really watched 7 full Michigan games last year I think you'd have many of the answers you are looking for already.
Go Blue!
August 29th, 2012 at 4:49 PM ^
I'm not looking for answers - I'm looking for discussion, and I've very much enjoyed this thread, and it seems a number of others have also. If you have such a problem with this thread, peruse elsewhere or ask a mod to block my IP. However, I think I've behaved myself well enough to be allowed to stay and talk football, despite the fact that my opinions differ from yours. Take care.
August 29th, 2012 at 11:02 AM ^
Let's hope that the Alabama team and coaches have the same attitude as the OP.
August 29th, 2012 at 11:34 AM ^
And G is just stupid. Who really has 5 starting wide receivers? "Yes, at Alabama Calvin Johnson is playing the 5th Wideout spot..."
August 29th, 2012 at 12:14 PM ^
Utah beat us using 5-wide in 2009, scoring 21 points in 5 minutes, and it's an achilles heel of Saban's. But you have to have talent to do it. It was a legitimate question.
August 29th, 2012 at 3:15 PM ^
the kicking stats, but quick, how many catches and yards did the #5 receiver have in that game? Just having a guy and spreading you out doesn't mean they all have big time talent and athleticism. Which is what you asked. It wasn't legitimate. It was stupid.
August 29th, 2012 at 4:53 PM ^
I'm not sure about exact stats, but I believe he had 2 TD's in the first 3 minutes.
Wow, me asking a question to get info about your WR corps was met with a lot unnecessary derision from you. Jumping to such conclusions and speaking to me as you have reflects very poorly on you. Take care, my man. I will not stoop to your level.
August 29th, 2012 at 11:18 PM ^
August 29th, 2012 at 4:52 PM ^
Utah beat us that year too, but only by 2pts ;)
August 29th, 2012 at 12:08 PM ^
Dude, if you think I implied condescension, I can't help you. My OP was perfectly pleasant, forthright, and honest. I asked those questions of your fanbase given my conversations with one of my best friends whose a Mich grad. The only question you interpreted correctly was my 3rd question. I very much think you guys have more issues than us, despite that fact that you guys have a good football team. I'll address a few others:
A) I do think Robinson will have a modicum of success running the ball. However, I don't for a second think that he will simply have his way running the football, like he's playing Indiana or something, and I disagree with the littany of posts I've seen on this board in the last 2 months implying he'd have his way. I very much think he'll have the statistically worst running game of his season, and potentially his career, as I think this Bama defense is the best defense he'll face in a Michigan uniform. I think he'll have to win it with his arm, which he has the talent to do.
C) No, I don't think you will score 2 offensive TD's. It's not an insult, but rather a prediction based on what I see. If you had an all-American FG kicker, I think the spread should drop by 8 points. I do think that you can score 1 TD, however, and still win the game, assuming you can kick a handful of FG's.
D) I asked this question with no rungame implications. I think we're going to throw it a lot, and was asking about the individual athletic talent of your starting secondary.
And in summation, your angst against me is misguided. They were just questions, and good questions at that, as evidenced by the excellent discussion in this thread. Good day.
August 29th, 2012 at 12:59 PM ^
Your post was extremely condescending. If you didn't mean it to be, then you expressed yourself poorly and continue to do so in all of your condescending responses. If it truly matters to you that you not come across this way, then take this as an opportunity to grow in your attitude and writing style. If you continue to deny that there was anything condescending in your posts when it's simply not debateable that there was, then we'll know that you are mostly just here to troll.
It might interest you to know that around here, it is frowned upon to refer to the team one cheers for as "us" or "my squad" as you frequently do. This enhances the condescending tone by making it seem like you're bragging about qualities and accomplishments that you have no part in.
August 29th, 2012 at 5:08 PM ^
1) I'm perfectly confortable with both the words I've chosen and tone inherent in each and every post iIve made in this thread. I've kept it civil while being obviously confident in what I think. If you expect me to defer to your fanbase with regard to the strength of how I express my thoughts, then you are expecting me to be a different person. This is who I am, and I stand by it and sleep well at night.
2) I do not care what passes for correct vernacular when refering to one's team with your fanbase. That is not the way it is where I come from, and I will continue to refer to my beloved Crimson Tide in any way I see fit. I mean no disrespect by that, just telling you the way it is. I, and most Alabama fans, subscribe to the notion that with donations to the university, purchasing of Bama merchandise, and creating an inhospitable environment during the game with our voices, very much makes us a part of the team, and that sentiment is very much encouraged by the coaching staff and Southern culture as whole. If it's different for you guys, so be it - but that has no effect on me whatsoever.
In life, if what I choose to say is different from what you choose to hear - well, that sounds like a you problem. Keep in mind, however, that reading my words rather than hearing them being spoken allows the reader more room to misinterpret. This is inherent in the internet and cannot be separated from it.
We'll see you on Saturday. Take care.
August 29th, 2012 at 1:44 PM ^
If you had simply come out and said "I think Denard is not athletic enough to significantly outclass Alabama's D" and "I think Michigan's issues on D-line are worse than Alabama's issues with D-backs", I suspect you'd be getting less flack. But instead you tried to lead us to those responses ourselves as if we were misguided schoolchildren.
For future reference, "How many yards do you think Denard will get with his legs?" is just a question. "Do you ACTUALLY think Denard will run around in Alabama like he does against B1G defenses?" is an argumentative statement with a question mark at the end.
August 29th, 2012 at 5:12 PM ^
I don't believe I put "actually" in all-caps, italics, or underlined it. I don't believe I did anything to imply emphasis on that word at all, as you are implyhing I did. If you read it, you chose to. In retrospect, I should have left that word out to lessen the chance of folks here being offended. Nonetheless, your sentence and mine are drastically different, given your caps and my lack of them.
August 29th, 2012 at 3:51 PM ^
will run on you guys. He is from the southeast, he was recruited by SEC teams, he is just as fast as anyone on your team so yes he will run on you guys.
August 29th, 2012 at 11:38 PM ^
I think you're being a touch sensitive. He's asking football questions. You're reading into his questions looking for ways to say he's <insert stereotype>. He certainly has formed his own opinions about the questions he's posed, but would like to know what other people think. Hence, the questions.
When your post virtually boils down to "Be with your own kind," you're no better than they are.
August 29th, 2012 at 4:26 AM ^
1) It will be by committee. Probably equal doses Rawls and Smith with one or two others sprinked in. And there will be a big drop off in talent without Toussant imo.
2) We will need him to use his legs imo. He has always been good on designed runs but rarely takes off on a called pass play. If he can get better at recognising when to take off when there is no throw for his senior year he can be even more dangerous as a runner.
3) Not really. lol
4) Our LBs should be a strength this year, not really a situation there at all. Not sure about your DBs but our DLine is unproven and replacing 2 guys that played basically every snap last year. WR we have a couple guys that have been good over the years and I would hope at least 2 other veteran can step up between Dileo, Robinson, Gardner and Jackson along with a 1 or 2 of the freshmen coming Derboh, Funchess and Chesson.
5) This staff turned one of the most God aweful Defensive units I have ever had the displeasure of laying my eyes on into a top 10 unit last year with essentially the same players. I am optimistic.
6) I expect a Defensive battle personally. I think 2 or 3 offensive TDs would be median.
7) I always liked him. He has always been solid in the past and was a center as a recruit so I expect a fairly smooth transition.
8) No our outside LBs were a redshirt and true freshman last year and had very few mental mistakes considering so I expect even an improvement in that reguard.
9) We have pretty sold starting corners and a solid nickle back. They were unexpectedly good last year besides maybe 3 or 4 breakdowns against Ohio State, a couple against ND and 1 against I think Nebraska, and besides the ND ones those were all on Wolfork tbh. When Gordon was in I can't even remember a big breakdown we gave up.
10) Probably mixed in but rarely.
11) I think (hope) just another year in the system and the coaches learning what he can and can't do will lead to improvement. We have had Senior QBs make big efficiency jumps before (Brady, Navarre)
12) TBH I was really worried about our WR situation coming into camp but the more I think about it the more confidant I am. Gallon will be solid Roundtree will hopefully bounce back after a less productive year last year, Dileo is a nice little tough slot guy. Coaches have been talking up Robinson and Jackson for a while so hopefully they can step up (I'm not so sure, especially Jackson who made some bonehead plays last year) . Gardner is a wild card, could be a big athletic weapon could be just a failed experiment. I really like what I hear about the freshmen and they are big targets unlike our other veterans who are smaller spread type WRs, but hard to count on freshmen game 1. Maybe as the season progresses they step in and contribute. So I guess the answer is I am more optimistic than I was a few weeks ago?
13) I think we will rotate guys in a lot more than last year. I think you will see kind of a jumbo line with Washington who is big and tough to move inside along with Will Campbell on first down then Black and Roh moving in to DT from their ends on passing downs and Beyer, Ryan, Clark, Ojemudia rushing the passer situationally. Pipkins and Brink will get play as well. Coaches have some pieces to mess around with and I think they will find a good combination before the game. We should have 8 or so guys that can rotate. Question is if they can get pressure consistantly especially in the jumbo line.
August 29th, 2012 at 6:07 AM ^
I only see 67 posts counting this one. I feel slighted. Need moar cat pics.
August 29th, 2012 at 6:14 AM ^
August 29th, 2012 at 11:36 AM ^
But Mods don't. They even read the thread and modify the post(!), but yeah, the rest is ok.
August 29th, 2012 at 7:31 AM ^
August 29th, 2012 at 12:24 PM ^
1) I don't think Saban oversigns, as the number of kids you sign on Nat'l signing day depends on the number of schollies that WILL be available come fall, not based on the number of schollies available on that November date. As long as Saban is not forcing kids out, I see no problem, and there's no evidence of that happening, depsite how much you believe it. I can't say the same for the rest of the SEC, but Saban doesn't engage in immoral roster management. Kids leave, usually in search of playing time, and get hurt, etc.. It doesn't make him the devil.
Ovresigning is an isuue in CFB, but Saban is not that issue's poster boy, and in fact is universes from it.
2) There is one Nat'l championship that Bama claims and should not, 1961 I believe. However, there are a few others that wo could and/should count and don't, most notably 1966. 14 is a fair number.
3) I care nothing about protecting the rest of the SEC. I care about discussing the facts as they relate to Alabama. auburn has been paying players for 3 decades, and Les Miles and Houston Nutt have oversigned in the past.
August 29th, 2012 at 1:47 PM ^
August 29th, 2012 at 5:25 PM ^
1) LOI stands for "Letter of Intent". It is not a scholarship. And I didn't say that no one in the SEC has oversigned - I said Saban hasn't. Additionally, Saban has signed and placed a number of kids, many of whom return. A few have played baseball. A few didn't qualify academically. And so and so forth... LOI's mean nothing with regard to scholly numbers.
2) Alabama's medical scholly issue is with our Sports Medicine Department. That question would be better answered by James Andrews, who oversees that program. Saban publicly and repeatedly has said he plays no role whatsoever in medical schollies, and in fact it has bitten us in the butt a few times, most notably when our doctors wouldn't clear a returning all-conference outside linbacker to play after he had a hole repaired in his heart about 4 years ago. His name was Ezekial Knight. We despeartely needed the kid, and he was cleard by some outside physicians, but Andrews and crew ouldn't clear him. Losing that kid was big loss.
Alabama has only had one kid complain about medical schollies since Saban arrived, and he was a lineman several years back who had been physically unable to practice for more than a year due to multiple surgeries. He didn't want to give up his dream, but he couldn't contribute to our team even at practice. If I get my lips cut off, can I keep my same band scholly? Other than him, what evidence do you have of a kid being forced to take one, other than simply looking at the numbers and crying foul on general principle. Where's the hard evidence of abuse of the system?
You guys really hang your argument hats solely on the numbers game, when there's a much, much larger reality at play.
August 29th, 2012 at 7:38 AM ^
August 29th, 2012 at 8:08 AM ^
1) How do you expect RB to look during the game on Sat? Will it be a steady diet of Rawls, or by committee? What do you expect of Rawls? Does it fall off dramatically after him, or does the senior have any ability? If Fitz doesn't play I'd expect to see Rawls and Smith.
2) Do you actually believe that Robinson will run around Bama in the same way he would run around, say, [insert Big10 defense]? (I ask this question fully admitting that he's the fastest player in CFB. If he played at Bama, he'd be starting at Right Corner, returning punts, and would be the first corner off the board on draft day. He's athletically legit.) What are the chances you thnk he will need to help win the game with his arm more than his legs? I expect Saban to load the box and try to force Robinson into throwing the ball more than he wants. Thats how I would play my defense if I were Bama. Our WR's aren't the greatest either.
3) Do you have any faith in hitting a 52 yarder for the win? It's a possibility since the game is being played indoors. The place kicker would probably be the one used in that situation.
4) Do you think our DB situation is worse than your LB, WR, or Dline situation? I think that our LB situation is the strongest and deepest unit on the team. Our Dline is probably similar to the situation that you guys have at DB. The WR situation is interesting. If Devin Gardner is the real the deal at WR and Roundtree is 100% healthy then I think we'll be pretty good. We have a couple of little runts from the RR days that can be dangerous in the open field as well.
5) How much of a jump do you expect from your D based on your DC having installed more of his blitz package? Lasts years defense didn't really get much pressure on the QB's and that was with Mike Martin getting doubled teamed every snap. I don't see this defense getting much pressure either especially against a OL like Bama has.
6) Do you expect, and I mean expect, to have - at minimum - 2 offensive TD's in the game? YES. Alabama lost some great players to the NFL. The guys replacing them might have the talent, but don't have the experience yet especially in the first game to be as good.
7) What is the general assessment of your new Center? He's played a lot of football and should be decent/good.
8) Is mental mistakes at LB, either inside or outside, a concern of yours? Not Really. I'm more concerned about the DB's.
9) Can your starting secondary play man if they had to, each on an island? (I'm not asking about Kovacs. He's a true strong safety. He's a glorified roving mini-linebacker of destruction. I like Kovacs. He could play on my team anytime.) I don't have a lot of faith in our DB's. I think this group might be the worst of our defensive units. Countess played a lot as a freshman, but our secondary was one of the worst in the nation in 2010. Is Countess the real deal or taking advantage of a position that didn't have any talent on the team. JT Floyd blows coverage all the time. That being said this is year two in Greg Mattisons defense and that might make a big difference.
10) How often do you expect to play bump-and-something with your corners this year? Hopefully more than last season. Our corner backs played off the WR's for the most part and this allowed teams to pick us apart with quick throws. Usually it was in the first half and the coaches made adjustments in the second half to counter this.
11) How much has Denard improved his footwork and mechanics this season? Do you expect the same player with simply more maturity and less-forcing, or do you expect him to improve his accuracy to between 60-65% and be a more consistent threat to pass? Its hard to predict if he's improved in these catagories until you actually see him in a real game. I'd imagine that he has worked his ass off to improve in the off season. I'd predict that he'll be better, but how much better isn't known yet.
12) In your estimation, can you put 3-, 4-, or 5-wide WR set on the field, where every wide receiver is an athletic threat with good hands? Probably three. Four if one of the freshman are good.
13) Do you have enough talent to rotate 2 groups on your Dline and still play high quality run defense as well as rush the passer, thereby being reasonably fresh for a 4th Q battle? I don't think we'll have enough talent to go two deep at every DLINE position and have a good pass rush. However, I don't think Alabama is going to be able to just line up and run over our defense. I think our D will be better against the run than people are expecting. I think Alabama will do some damage with play action passes over the top. I don't have a lot of faith with our DB's being left alone on a island. Countess isn't proven in my opinion. I just hope they have improved in one on one situations.
14) Thank you for taking RichRod from us, and thank your moreso for taking his clown-demon of a wife. This is not so much a question, but rather a appreciative declaration of fact. I wonder where Saban would be coaching if RR would have taken the Bama job? I'm thinking USC. Imagine USC with Saban. Thats a scary thought. They pretty much pick who they want in CA for players and have the ability to get the number one recruit out of any other state. Thats tough to beat when it comes to getting talent.