Other Sports: NCAA Thread v12

[flyershockey]

That four seed is going to be interesting if TCU runs the table. Oregon, Tennessee and Michigan/Ohio State will all be there for that spot. Assuming Oregon wins out and wins the PAC, I don't see how the SEC/BIG schools would jump them after not even playing in a conference championship game.

This is actually the first time in recent memory where there may be more than 4 playoff quality teams. There's also not a wagon at the top that would house anyone by 14+ like we've seen the last three years.

Also, this is the first Sunday morning of the season where I felt good about Georgia and their title defense. They're in the driver seat to play a playoff game in Atlanta.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

The thing for me with Alabama is they went on a crazy run with WR’s over the last five years or so. Jeudy, Smith, Ruggs, Waddle, Williamson, etc. The first four were instant impact guys off the bat as first year players essentially.

Their WR core this year is just okay at best. Some of these guys are young & highly thought so maybe down the line they put it together. But they’re not it right now. Burton was better at Georgia than he is there.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

 

[renberg]

The thing for me with Alabama is they went on a crazy run with WR’s over the last five years or so. Jeudy, Smith, Ruggs, Waddle, Williamson, etc. The first four were instant impact guys off the bat as first year players essentially.

Their WR core this year is just okay at best. Some of these guys are young & highly thought so maybe down the line they put it together. But they’re not it right now. Burton was better at Georgia than he is there.

Alabama doesn't have the game breakers this year that it usually has. After Bryce, the cupboard is pretty bare. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Saban makes some major changes with his assistant coaches. In particular, Bill O'Brien. His offense doesn't take advantage of the possible talent that he has at his disposal.
Most of all though the lack of discipline at all levels of the team is really un-Saban like. That will change in the off season.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Alabama doesn't have the game breakers this year that it usually has. After Bryce, the cupboard is pretty bare. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Saban makes some major changes with his assistant coaches. In particular, Bill O'Brien. His offense doesn't take advantage of the possible talent that he has at his disposal.
Most of all though the lack of discipline at all levels of the team is really un-Saban like. That will change in the off season.

Bill O’Brien is apparently one of the favorites for the Nebraska job according to Bruce Feldman yesterday.

Saban hasn’t typically fired coaches outright. He usually gets rid of them by getting them other jobs elsewhere.

 

[flyershockey]

Alabama doesn't dominate the LOS anymore. That's their hallmark when they're really good. They still have playmakers, but they've become a one dimensional finesse team, which is something I never thought I'd see under Saban. There was a time where teams could practically call their plays out, but couldn't stop them because they would impose their will physically.

I've always wondered why teams don't do this versus the traditional onside attempt with the big hop. Imagine trying to cover a grenade launched football from 30 feet away.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Alabama doesn't dominate the LOS anymore. That's their hallmark when they're really good. They still have playmakers, but they've become a one dimensional finesse team, which is something I never thought I'd see under Saban. There was a time where teams could practically call their plays out, but couldn't stop them because they would impose their will physically.


I've always wondered why teams don't do this versus the traditional onside attempt with the big hop. Imagine trying to cover a grenade launched football from 30 feet away.

That’s true too. They usually have some juice in the middle of the DL but Barnmore was probably their last dude there.

It happened to Penn State a few years ago. I think it was Michigan State. Their kicker shanked a squib kick that hit Parsons on the front line of the return.

I guess teams just in general don’t trust their kickers or coverage unit enough to execute an attempt that. It’s usually by accident if it does happen. A lot of teams in college just look for a kicker that can kick it out of the back of the end zone just to avoid returns in general these days.

 

[renberg]

Alabama doesn't dominate the LOS anymore. That's their hallmark when they're really good. They still have playmakers, but they've become a one dimensional finesse team, which is something I never thought I'd see under Saban. There was a time where teams could practically call their plays out, but couldn't stop them because they would impose their will physically.


I've always wondered why teams don't do this versus the traditional onside attempt with the big hop. Imagine trying to cover a grenade launched football from 30 feet away.

I think that Saban realized the issue on the LOS. He tried to lure Stoutland back to Alabama but fortunately for the Birds, Stoutland declined the offer. When he was at Alabama, the Tide cranked out top grade OL on an annual basis.
The finesse stuff is what the talented H.S. players want to do. Saban allowed Kiffin allowed to go with that when he was the OC as long as it worked.
I suspect during this offseason that Nick will try to beef up his lineman and nab some RBs and get back to smash mouth football. No doubt that he's seen what Smart has done at Georgia with that three TE set and wants a piece of that action in Tuscaloosa.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Their RB Gibbs is pretty good. He’s probably been their best offensive weapon this year. But he was a transfer portal guy from GT. He’s probably off to the NFL draft though.

 

[flyershockey]

I think that Saban realized the issue on the LOS. He tried to lure Stoutland back to Alabama but fortunately for the Birds, Stoutland declined the offer. When he was at Alabama, the Tide cranked out top grade OL on an annual basis.
The finesse stuff is what the talented H.S. players want to do. Saban allowed Kiffin allowed to go with that when he was the OC as long as it worked.
I suspect during this offseason that Nick will try to beef up his lineman and nab some RBs and get back to smash mouth football. No doubt that he's seen what Smart has done at Georgia with that three TE set and wants a piece of that action in Tuscaloosa.

Meh, it was really Locksley and Sark that moved them towards the version of Alabama offense that we see today. Lane was still mostly dependent on ball control with play action deep shots mixed in. Granted, he never had a Tua/Mac Jones/Young level QB at his disposal.

When Alabama started becoming a QB destination, they naturally started moving towards a QB centric offense, but they've also missed in OL recruiting a ton in the last 4-5 cycles. They either got beat by other programs, or they missed on an eval/struggled in development.

The defense is a whole other thing. They've moved towards what most programs are doing; 3-3-5 with an LB on the line of scrimmage, but they've completely whiffed in LB recruiting (thanks to Kirby/Schumann mostly) outside of hybrid edge/OLB's. They've also built their entire defense around edge play getting home out of their base formation. When that's not on, you have a ton of room on the field in the second level, which is how both Tennessee and LSU shredded them. They're also really poor tacklers. The biggest difference between Georgia's defensive performance against UTK and Alabama's was Georgia tackled in space at an elite level. Six yard crossers didn't turn into forty yard plays.

 

[Asnito]

This weeks score

1. @LegionOfDoom91 60
2. Asnito 60
3. @Cody Webster 41
4. @Captain Dave Poulin 23
5. @WeHaveBeenFletched 21
6. @renberg 18
7. @dragonoffrost 6
8. @Beef Invictus -34

 

[Asnito]

Total Score

1. @Beef Invictus 602
2. Asnito 511
3. @renberg 460
4. @Captain Dave Poulin 435
5. @WeHaveBeenFletched 383
6. @LegionOfDoom91 351
7. @Cody Webster 335
8. @dragonoffrost 163

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

It sounds like West Virginia is gonna bite the bullet on Neal Brown’s $16.7M buyout. He’s 3-6 this year & 20-24 overall in his four years there.

 

[Beef Invictus]

This weeks score

1. @LegionOfDoom91 60
2. Asnito 60
3. @Cody Webster 41
4. @Captain Dave Poulin 23
5. @WeHaveBeenFletched 21
6. @renberg 18
7. @dragonoffrost 6
8. @Beef Invictus -34

I told you this week was coming!

 

[Asnito]

I told you this week was coming!

You promised a -80, keep trying

 

[FLYguy3911]

That Dabo coaching tree.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

That Dabo coaching tree.

Tony Elliott isn’t doing too hot in year 1 at Virginia either.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

I guess there’s chatter that Jeff Brohm has one foot out the door if/when Louisville opens up.

It wasn’t looking good for Louisville especially after that loss to BC but they’ve won four straight since then & 6-2 on the year. They finish with Clemson, NC State, & Kentucky though so it’s possible they lose out & go 6-6. Satterfield is 24-22 overall there currently.

 

[Asnito]

@LegionOfDoom91 @Beef Invictus @Cody Webster games of the week incoming

 

[Asnito]

@renberg @Captain Dave Poulin @dragonoffrost games of the week incoming

 

[Asnito]

@WeHaveBeenFletched

Games of the week​

1. Purdue @ Illinois
2. VT @ Duke
3. Louisville @ Clemson
4. Alabama @ Ole Miss
5. ISU @ OK St
6. UCF @ Tulane
7. ASU @ Wazzu
8. South Carolina @ UF
9. UGA @ Miss St
10. Washington @ Oregon
11. KSU @ Baylor
12. KU @ TTU
13. TCU @ Texas
14. UNC @ WFU
15. Texas A&M @ Auburn
16. FSU @ Syracuse

 

[dragonoffrost]

1. Purdue @ Illinois 10
2. VT @ Duke 10
3. Louisville @ Clemson 10
4. Alabama @ Ole Miss 10
5. ISU @ OK St 10
6. UCF @ Tulane 10
7. ASU @ Wazzu 10
8. South Carolina @ UF 10
9. UGA @ Miss St 10
10. Washington @ Oregon 10
11. KSU @ Baylor 10
12. KU @ TTU 10
13. TCU @ Texas 10
14. UNC @ WFU 10
15. Texas A&M @ Auburn 10
16. FSU @ Syracuse 10

Got to go to drastic measures if I want a shot at hitting 0 to end the year.

 

[Asnito]

1. Purdue @ Illinois 10
2. VT @ Duke 10
3. Louisville @ Clemson 10
4. Alabama @ Ole Miss 10
5. ISU @ OK St 10
6. UCF @ Tulane 10
7. ASU @ Wazzu 10
8. South Carolina @ UF 10
9. UGA @ Miss St 10
10. Washington @ Oregon 10
11. KSU @ Baylor 10
12. KU @ TTU 10
13. TCU @ Texas 10
14. UNC @ WFU 10
15. Texas A&M @ Auburn 10
16. FSU @ Syracuse 10

Got to go to drastic measures if I want a shot at hitting 0 to end the year.

If you want to hit zero shouldn't you pick all the underdogs?

 

[dragonoffrost]

If you want to hit zero shouldn't you pick all the underdogs?

That could push me below 0