Something that concerns me about the Florida/Alabama game...
First thread, and this might come off as somewhat negative (i think its more of an important question), so, please, bear with me...
alright, so meyer runs the same zone-read-option offense as rich rod, right? he's got one of the best defensive coordinators in the game in charlie strong, right? he's had top five recruiting classes since he's been there, right? he's got the closest thing there is to god in college football at the most important position, right? so, in other words, he's sort of "maxed" out rich rod's coaching philosophy.
but alabama pounded them with a basic nfl pound it to set up the pass offense, a basic nfl 3-4 defense, and a similar level of talent.
now, i think that rich rod is going to build us into the powerhouse of the big10. i think that we are going to have multiple 12-0 seasons. i think that we are going to multiple national championship games.
but nick saban is going to be at alabama for a long time. is rich rod ever going to put together a team that can beat him? or are we going to be limited to hoping that alabama has a mishap or two each season in the sec?
December 5th, 2009 at 11:00 PM ^
Are you Nick Saban/emo guy? You just joined about an hour ago, and posted a lot in a short time span. You also don't capitalize like him.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:06 PM ^
but I doubt it. This is actually a pretty well thought out question that we don't see 10937365 times a day.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:09 PM ^
i dont know who that is. i just joined because i am sick of scout. i posted this same thread and it got removed by their idiot mods. i tried to post it here, but read that i needed to get 20 "mgopoints" so i posted a lot in a short span, sorry. is that something thats frowned upon here?
also...i dont like caps because they make things too formal, and i start worrying about sentence structure and all that garbage, lol.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:12 PM ^
That's a load of crap. I can see the email and time you joined. Checked the IP, it's in the same range. It's still everyone's favorite thread starter.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:15 PM ^
As long as he stays civil its fine with me.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:17 PM ^
You'll notice he is still active for just that reason. The only reason the others (after the original were banned) was the incivility.
December 6th, 2009 at 12:02 AM ^
So this guy is just the latest incarnation of kemo601 or whatever his name is?
December 5th, 2009 at 11:51 PM ^
I appreciate the unbridled optimism, but I don't think we will have multiple 12 - 0 seasons. Just don't see it.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:53 PM ^
why not?
...also, nice name and picture! :)
December 5th, 2009 at 11:03 PM ^
Florida's OL was mediocre this year, they still don't have a good RB, and their WRs were slow and pedestrian. Plus they lost their OC, Dan Mullen, to Mississippi State. A dropoff was expected this year, offensive wise. Florida will be fine. Oh, and Florida won 2 MNC in the last 3 years. I'd take that anyday.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:11 PM ^
oh alright, thanks. i didn't realize that this was a down year at any position. or that they had lost their offensive coordinator. i've just noticed the top 5 classes piling up. not a big florida "follower."
and good point, two out of three ain't bad.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:22 PM ^
Also the loss of Percy Harvin was big. I think last year's Florida team would classify as the juggernaut team that demonstrates the full potential of a spread team.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:48 PM ^
that's true...but how often can you expect to have an absolute stud like that? i mean, denard might be one for us. antonio bass probably could have been. breaston, not quite. they are certainly rare.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:56 PM ^
Seriously? I mean Harvin was a great player, but he was by no means a once in a blue-moon spectacular player who cannot be replaced. Depending on who you ask, he probably wasn't even the best player on his team.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:57 PM ^
maybe true. he's the best athlete i've ever seen in college football though, along with reggie bush maybe.
December 6th, 2009 at 12:24 PM ^
He was the best player on that team, that is not up for debate. When Tebow made terrible reads the entire first half of the NC and cut the playbook into a fourth of its full potential in the second half, Percy saved them. Tebow choked again today, and didn't have a super star to save him this time.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:03 PM ^
Meyer beat Saban last year. The spread isn't a be all end all that guarantees a win every team. It's just like every other system. You win some, you lose some.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:12 PM ^
in regard to this line of thought, i was thinking...
that was only saban's second year of program building at alabama. he's really rolling now. is he going to stop?
December 6th, 2009 at 1:02 AM ^
It's just like any other program that has been successful. The players are always changing and it's never the same every year. It's not like Alabama is going to win the NC every single year. That's just a ridiculous thing to think.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:04 PM ^
the best team in college this year. I'm pretty sure we won't have to worry about Alabama being the best team every single year. Look at USC. They usually have the best players but that doesn't always mean you win.
If it comes down to Alabama becoming a USCesque power, it will just take what it does to beat big time teams; A great game plan, great motivation, and inspired play.
In the end of the day it doesn't matter what kind of offense you run. It's about who executes better.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:15 PM ^
good points, but honestly, that sort of proves the point i was making. i don't know about you, but the last time we were a national championship contender (lloyd's second to last year), i know that i was hoping usc would slip up once or twice in the pac10 so we wouldn't have to face them in the national championship game.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:26 PM ^
that plays the best will win 99% of the time. Doesn't matter what offense/defense you play. I don't care who we have to play in a MNC game, we just have to play well.
BTW, I don't see Alabama going on a USC like run. Its very hard to stay at the top for that long, especially with the prospect of having to beat Florida to get to the MNC game.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:47 PM ^
agree with the first point. sort of disagree with the second. i think alabama is going to have a better run than usc...as far as how good their teams are. the pac10 was a joke for a number of usc's golden years though. the sec never will be.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:06 PM ^
the top 25 teams. How many run some variation of the spread? Most of them - definitely more than those that run a pro-style offense. Case closed.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:16 PM ^
but could any beat an alabama team like this? and its actually a relatively young alabama team.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:27 PM ^
Don't be too influenced by one single game. It's easy to think Team X is so good after watching them put in a good performance. Florida hasn't been exactly blowing people out this year anyway. I think many teams (e.g., Oregon, Utah beat this same team in last year's bowl game and I think Boise State could do the same) could beat Alabama. The key to beating Alabama is to get an early lead and force them away from the run game.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:33 PM ^
very true.
while i disagree that oregon, utah and boise could beat bama this season, i do agree that bama is a team that is designed to get a lead and hold it.
...also, florida's run-oriented spread, like ours, is also designed to get a lead and hold it.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:43 PM ^
an example from last year. Oregon and Boise State are spread teams that could beat them this year.
It's not Alabama's type of offense that is the reason for their success, it's their defense. They would've easily lost a couple games this year if it wasn't for their defense.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:45 PM ^
true. i guess we all just have to hope that rich rod is going to be able to put defenses like that together here.
December 6th, 2009 at 12:40 AM ^
A quick scan of the Tide depth chart shows 5 seniors in the defensive front seven and 7 total senior starters on D. This year's rebuilding SC team has 4 senior starters on defense and Michigan only had 2 on the entire defensive roster. On offense they'll return a number of players next year, but they don't have any freshmen starting either. This is a very experienced Alabama team.
It would be a lot easier to put up with your constant posting if you didn't spout nonsense so often.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:07 PM ^
Florida beat Saban's (literally) pro-style team last year. Nick Saban is also a genius. He was poised to be very successful in the NFL before he came back to 'Bama. This isn't to say Rich Rod will never be able to beat him, but to use Saban as a benchmark is a bit unfair.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:17 PM ^
like i said to someone else above, that was just saban's second year. but i hear what you are saying, i'm probably asking for a bit too much, lol.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:08 PM ^
Right now I think I could live with a season like Florida has turned in.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:18 PM ^
me too, lol. good point.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:10 PM ^
And I am a Go Blue Die Hard but this expectation;
"rich rod is going to build us into the powerhouse of the big10. i think that we are going to have multiple 12-0 seasons. i think that we are going to multiple national championship games"
just goes to show the Bo Bobblehead was never intended to be converted into some kind of Michigan water bong. How about we find some charcoal, pump tour stomach and reset those expectations to some B10 Championships and BCS appearances then start thinking the NC?
December 5th, 2009 at 11:22 PM ^
my expectations might be a little high, but honestly, when i look at the big10 right now, i only see one major obstacle - jim tressel and ohio state (penn state's solid too, but...), and i think that rich rods going to be able a team that can beat him every single season. the bigger question will probably be if we can be consistent enough not to have any hiccups agains teams like iowa, wisc, and msu.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:14 PM ^
Nice post, remember moderation is the key, don't start 50 new threads a day just b/c you can. And to your original question, West Texas Blue probably answered it best.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:24 PM ^
oh alright, what about a lot of posts?
December 5th, 2009 at 11:59 PM ^
Not trying to be a dick but you need to get a life. Quit hitting refresh and responding to every single comment. I enjoy reading the comments but when every one is from you it ruins the thread. Just f'n relax guy.
December 6th, 2009 at 12:01 AM ^
oh alright, thanks for letting me know. i wasn't sure if over-posting was frowned upon. i thought i was supposed to respond to all of the responses to my post. that must be why i'm getting negative rankings. i'll calm down starting now.
...no offense, but telling me to get a life isn't the least dick-ish way you could have said that. seems like you have good intentions though!
December 6th, 2009 at 12:48 AM ^
Get a life dickhead. I wasn't trying to be non-dickish with my post.
December 6th, 2009 at 12:48 AM ^
Get a life dickhead. I wasn't trying to be non-dickish with my post.
December 6th, 2009 at 12:48 AM ^
Get a life dickhead. I wasn't trying to be non-dickish with my post.
December 6th, 2009 at 12:49 AM ^
Get a life dickhead. I wasn't trying to be non-dickish with my post.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:19 PM ^
Ehh I don't think it really works like that. Florida and Utah pounded Alabama just last season and Florida has won the national championship twice with the zone-read offense. Putting together a team as good as Alabama's current team every year is almost impossible, every program has down years. So yes, I do think RR will be able to put together a team that can beat Bama.
edit: also, as someone else above me said, I would say Florida's offense was better last year. Percy Harvin deserved the MVP imo
December 5th, 2009 at 11:27 PM ^
true, but last year's bama team was just saban's second. and the thing about this year's bama team is that it's relatively young.
the other thing, saban's scheme doesn't really require any 'special' individuals like tebow or harvin. just a lot of good players, like usc. only sabans teams are usually much more disciplined than his.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:23 PM ^
i would take a team that is in the top 10 every year and wins the NC every other year.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:29 PM ^
me too, lol.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:36 PM ^
Honestly can we get over this "OMG A SPREAD TEAM WON WE'RE SET!" and the "OMG BAMA STRAIGHT GAVE IT TO FLORIDA, WE'RE DOOMED!" phase? Bama won because Florida got away from the run, and could not tackle to save their lives. Bama wanted to play tonight, Florida didn't. Football is played by the players, not by lines on paper.
And how is Alabama just "basic?" I would say their defense is about as good as it gets (Playbook is also 300 pages plus deep), and the offense attacked all the holes in the Florida defense. Seems quite creative to me.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:42 PM ^
sorry, i just saw what i thought was a 'maxed out' spread team getting hammered by a 'maxed out' prostyle team and had some concerns about our limitations that i wanted to voice.
turns out they may have been unfounded, fwiw