Category Archives: Commentary

BOOM or Settle Down?

Last weekend saw the Jedi vs Padawan matchup everyone was waiting for when Nick Saban stood across the field from former assistant Will Muschamp. In the end, the Jedi Master’s team crushed that of his pupil, and may have provided Muschamp with another lesson.

You may recall Muschamp’s exclamation while working the sidelines at Auburn. That celebratory moment was meant to fire up his team, and provided Muschamp a nickname that speaks to his style of coaching: brash, intimidating and emotional.

Contrast this with Nick Saban’s own F-bomb last weekend. He dropped it while doing something quite the opposite; trying to get his quarterback to control his own emotional outburst. Saban is a coach that preaches control and poise, and his team reflects this with its discipline.

After the game, there were reports of a Florida player assaulting former Alabama player Reggie Myles. Whatever the circumstances were, clearly emotion governed a player’s decision. This is the type story you don’t hear anymore about Alabama players.

It’s great to have emotion on the sidelines and on the field. But emotion should never be a team’s hallmark or what it counts on. Emotion is fleeting, while discipline remains in times of trial. When the game is on the line, a team is much better off with steady execution than emotional outbursts.

AJ McCarron settles the argument

From our nosebleed seats at the Florida game, we didn’t get to see Nick Saban aggressively coaching his starting quarterback to settle down. We did see what caused the admonishment.

After AJ McCarron scored on a quarterback draw, he jumped up and waved his arms, pumping up the crowd and drawing his coach’s ire. At this point the game was well in hand. Also settled was something that seemed a matter of controversy and doubt just a few weeks ago: whether McCarron would even be Alabama’s starting quarterback.

Fans debated the merits of starting McCarron over Phillip Sims during the offseason. When it was announced both players would split time for the opener against Kent State, the job still appeared to be up for grabs. Each had mixed results in that game, but since then, McCarron has assumed control of the team, and settled the controversy.

McCarron is playing behind an offensive line that seemed questionable in the early season. But the o-line was rock solid against the Gators, opening huge holes for Trent Richardson, and giving McCarron plenty of time to throw.

McCarron made mistakes, to be sure. He overthrew open receivers and on at least one occasion seemed to tighten up when making a short dump pass. But he managed the game well in a hostile environment, and overall his numbers were respectable.

During the 2009 championship run, Greg McElroy had a 60.6 completion percentage and a 179 QB rating. Through five games this year, McCarron is at 62.5% with a 134 rating. If he stays healthy, McCarron will improve as a passer and, more importantly in a Nick Saban offense – as a game manager.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the starting job is McCarron’s. He earned it the old fashioned way: by performing on the field and by learning to settle down.

Alabama vs. Florida postgame thoughts

The ears are still ringing and the voice is gone, but the memory of last nights crushing of Florida are still vivid. Alabama came into the Swamp with some doubters even after crushing Arkansas. Now there can be little doubt the Tide are perhaps the best team in the country. Some impressions from the game and the UF experience:

Gator fans were, overall, a good bunch. We had a few drunken louts yell at us, but overall it was a friendly rivalry. One group shouted derisively, “You sure you guys can find the stadium?” I turned back and replied, “I was looking for some national championship flags, but I can’t see any.”

Alabama’s offensive line played brilliantly. AJ McCarron had protection all night, and was able to go through his reads. He does need to settle down, and Coach Saban obviously agrees.

Trent Richardson is in the Heisman hunt. He’s the heart and soul of the offense, and when he has a head of steam, is impossible to bring down by one man. He’s simply a beast.

The Tide defense is terrifying. They got punched in the mouth on the first play of the game. And as one fan put it, the defense spit out a tooth, smiled, and proceeded to crush the Florida offense. They’ve now dominated two great offensive minds (Petrino and Weis). It’ll be interesting to see what Auburn’s sandlot playcalling can do with this group.

Alabama’s tradition is second to none. Fans at the game listened to the smack all day, and took it in stride. The Gator fans fled the stadium early in the fourth quarter, leaving us to cheer the team and yell Rammer Jammer.

Let us know your impressions of the game, whether you watched it in the stadium or on your couch.

Ready to roll

The family is getting ready to drive up the road to Gainsville this morning. Crimson and white clothing is being set out like combat gear. There’s excitement in the air, but a purposefulness on everyone’s face. It’s gameday.

We’re going into enemy territory today for a game with national implications. Saban vs. Weis. Two SEC powerhouse teams with undefeated records. The Gator fans will be out in force, and we’re expecting no end of trash talk.

The kids have been instructed: no smack, no starting trouble. You’re an Alabama fan, and you’ll show class, right up until the game clock hits zero. Then, along with the other Tide fans, you can yell the Rammer Jammer as loudly as you want.

Let’s get ready to roll.

Post-game impressions – Arkansas

The preseason is clearly over. Alabama opened it up against the Razorbacks, and made a solid case that they’re the best team in the country. We’ll see what LSU does later tonight, but right now, the preseason predictions of a Sooners/Tide matchup look pretty good.

Early in the first half, the game looked like it would be the back-and-forth battle everyone predicted. Alabama unveiled a fake punt play they’d been practicing for some time, after which Arkansas drove the field for a tying score.

After that, the Tide methodically took control, with both a pounding offense and a suffocating defense. The game broke open in the second half with Marquis Maze’s 83-yard punt return touchdown. Richardson followed that up one series later with a 61- yard TD.

Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson was hammered relentlessly. Bobby Petrino threw in the towel with ten minutes left in the game, sitting Wilson. The defense had ten hurries on Wilson but no sacks, which continues to be a problem.

Overall a resounding win for a focused Tide team. We’ll have further thoughts on the game, but we’d love to hear from you. What’s your take on this big Tide win?

Bleary Thoughts – SEC Realignment

“I willingly believe that the damned are, in one sense, successful, rebels to the end.” – CS Lewis

The Twitter feed was blowing up all evening as news of Mizzou’s soft invitation to join the SEC made waves across fandom. Auburn to the SEC East! End of traditional rivalries! At moments like this in the endless news cycle, everyone needs to take a deep breath.

If you’ll recall, last year Texas was a dead lock to join the SEC. It didn’t happen. Now the Aggies are all but in, and a madcap game of musical chairs has begun, with conferences imploding and no school wanting to be left standing when the music stops.

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive has proven time and again he’s about one thing: money. He kept the Cam Newton controversy as hushed as he could during Auburn’s championship run, not because he’s a closet Barner, but because it meant millions in payouts to the conference. Bama fans, listen carefully: the Iron Bowl isn’t going anywhere. It’s one of, if not the most important rivalries in all of sports. And it generates untold dollars for the SEC. I don’t care if we add every college west of the Mississippi to the SEC West; the annual Alabama/Auburn game isn’t going anywhere.

Where’s this all going to end up? Who knows? If I had to make a moderately educated guess, I’d say we end up with a 14-team SEC by the end of next season. Texas A&M is probably a good fit due to the history it shares with Alabama.

I may be proven wrong by the end of the day, but I don’t think Missouri fills the other slot. There’s an argument to be made (@infobabe makes it quite well) that they’re a good fit – financially, if not geographically. But since nobody asked, I’ll make a bleary-eyed morning prediction.

Look for either Virginia Tech or FSU to be the final entrant. Both are cash cows, have rabid fanbases, and in the case of the Seminoles, bring with them a traditional rivalry with an SEC team.

Who would you like to see join the SEC? What potential matchup gets your motor running? Leave us your best guesses in the comments.

Disciples of Saban

Alabama fans bicker; it’s what we do. We argue whether the Tide deserves to be ranked second or third in the polls.

We discuss offensive blocking schemes and personnel. But as we’re puffing out our chests, it’s easy to forget how far the team has come. A look at the landscape of college football makes one realize just what a grand slam home run it was to acquire the services of one Nick Saban.