Directions

This blog is fairly new, as you know. It's not my first blog, or my only one. One thing I've learned about blogging is that it takes focus. The blog needs to have a fairly specific topic, and stay on that topic. The topic of this blog is Alabama football. Secondarily, it is about the SEC and college football in general (if it has some corollary with Bama football).

I bring this up to keep myself on point. Since Saturday I have been very tempted to do posts about the disarray in Arkansas following the game. That's not my focus, however. I talked about Arkansas leading up to the game, because those were points that I felt had some bearing on the game. To talk about any team after the game is beyond the scope of this blog. Posts about the game will necessarily involve the opposing team.

Anyway, this is mostly a note to myself (and anyone else who makes posts, should it get to that point).

Soundbites from Alabama @ Arkansas

These are some quotes that caught my attention:

Brandon Allen, Arkansas QB

"Really, it came down to us beating ourselves, whether it be turnovers or just not making the play whenever we needed to. Obviously, Alabama's a great defense, and they're No.1 for a reason, but we hurt ourselves a lot."

OK, I understand why this quote has to be made. It's a competitor/morale thing. But damn we hear this alot following a big Bama win, don't we? The "we hurt ourselves" and "you can't give a team like that opportunities" mantra gets a little hollow. They didn't hurt themselves, our defense hurt them. They didn't give us opportunities, we outplayed them. I'm not trying to be mean, but to not acknowledge these things is to disrespect the game the Tide played.





Jesse Williams, Alabama NT

"When we hit them, they're wearing the same color jersey."

I like this matter-of-fact quote. Essentially, Jesse is saying that it doesn't matter who the QB is, once the Tide defense is finished with him, he'll be in a stained green jersey.








Nick Saban, Alabama Head Coach

"I told our players that their quarterback situation was not our problem. Regardless of who played, we'd have to play well."

A perfect example of how Coach keeps the boys focused. It doesn't matter who the opponent is, he wants the team to play to the standard that they set for themselves, and not alter their intensity or focus based upon outside factors that they can't control.







John L. Smith, Arkansas Head Coach

"I don't know what to say. I didn't know what to say to our team as well. It's kind of hard to say anything at this point. That's about as bad as I can remember."

Yes, it was bad, and there really is very little he could say. Put this one in the rearview and get ready for Rutgers.

The Helmet Rule

Is it just me, or are we seeing an abnormal spike in the number of helmets coming off? Maybe it seems so since it is being called out more on TV in the wake of the new rule, but I don't think so. Verne and Gary remarked on it during the Alabama - Arkansas game Saturday.

When I first learned of the rule, it occurred to me that it may be done intentionally. Down in a pile, where it is hard to see what's going on. Pop a guy's chin strap and get him off the field for a play. If he is a big time, shut-down corner, the offense can go straight at his one-play back up. Or, following a sack, pop the QB's helmet off, get him out for a play and disrupt the offense's rhythm.

I'm not saying that's happening, just that the rule makes it possible. Add all the loose helmets to that possibility, and one begins to wonder.

Shifting Gears in Fayetteville

Something very subtle may have happened on a rainy Saturday in Fayetteville. We may have seen the Crimson Tide shift into business mode. After a sloppy performance against WKU, I was getting a little concerned with focus. I was further concerned when it became evident to me that Tyler Wilson wasn't going to play. I started worrying that the team may be thinking they could let up. They didn't have to be worried about one of the best QBs in college football. Instead, they would be facing a back-up freshman QB. Then, my concerns seemed to be on the path to confirmation in the first quarter Saturday.  There was some sloppy play, including some shouldn't-ever-happen penalties. Things that a team that is disciplined and focus should never do. Ever.

Then, they settled down. They got serious. They realized who they are. They are the Alabama Crimson Tide. No, that does not mean that opponents give up the minute the team bus arrives. It means that they are held to a higher standard. A standard that they must own, each man for himself, as well as collectively, as a team. It is a standard passed on to them by all who have worn the crimson and white before them. A standard born by a tradition of excellence. They accepted that responsibility Saturday afternoon.

The 2010 team never did. They coasted through thinking that showing up and showing out as individuals was enough. It wasn't, and it never will be. This is a team sport. I'll take a team of average players, that understand what it means to be a team, over a team of individual superstars anytime. Wearing that Alabama uniform is a privilege, and having your name on it is an honor. Never forget, though, that the name is on the back.

This is a team of exceptional talent. The missing ingredient in any team of exceptional individual is that of sacrifice. Each man on that team must sacrifice himself for the greater good. Sometimes he must sacrifice his own desires and needs for the team. Sometimes, he must sacrifice his identity. The guys in the trenches do that. The guys that play on the scout team, week in and out, getting their team mates ready. The whole will only be greater than the sum of the parts if, and when, the parts sacrifice themselves to the whole. That is what it means to be Alabama. That is the sacrifice this team made Saturday afternoon. A sacrifice they can be proud of.

Weekend Preview 9/15/2012

Alright, it's finally almost gameday. I'm not too big on predicting scores, so there won't be any of that from me. In these previews I'll give you my thoughts on who will win and factors that may have an impact on the game. My previews will be limited to Alabama and whoever strikes my fancy. Sometimes it may be just Alabama, sometimes I might preview a Big10 game, as well. Now that you know what to expect, let's get to business.



Alabama @ Arkansas   2:30pm CDT Saturday  on CBS

Where to start? I've got to be honest and tell you that I think it is a real punk move on Coach Smith's part, withholding whether Tyler Wilson will play or not. Is it even a mystery anymore? He had a concussion that knocked him out of a game. There was bleeding in his brain. Why drag this out? He hasn't practiced all week. Is there anybody out there that honestly thinks this kid will suit up tomorrow? I knew when he didn't practice Tuesday he wouldn't be playing. There is no way they can allow him to play without evaluating him at full speed in practice. After the hit he took, it would take a couple of days to even get to full speed in practice. Not to mention that it would be foolishly risky to put him in against our defense.

Having said all that, I am certain Coach knows all this much better than I do. The team has supposedly been prepping for all three of Arkansas' QBs, but I wonder if that isn't just part of the shell-game coaches play.

I have to wonder about Knile Davis, too. I haven't seen him play this year, but his numbers don't speak of the back he was before he missed last season. Maybe it's lingering rust, maybe he's being tentative. Maybe he looks better than the numbers indicate. With the Hogs' QB troubles, Davis will have to carry the offense. That puts a big target on his back from the outset.

I saw in an article last night that Coach has been aware of DJ Fluker's "tells" for a while and it is something they continuously work on. Hopefully he will be more secretive tomorrow.

After all the talk from various guys on the O-line this week, they seem anxious to redeem themselves tomorrow. If they shake off the complacency they had for the WKU game and play with all the intensity and talent they bring, we should score in bunches. I feel pretty comfortable with this game, on the whole. It was supposed to be an early season test, but Arkansas may just be hoping to simply survive without further injuries and cruise into next week's game against Rutgers. If they can get Wilson healthy for that game, it would be like a rehab game before the Hogs have to go on the road to Texas A&M on the 29th, then on the road at Auburn on October 6th.

Louisiana-Monroe @ Auburn 11:20 CDT Saturday on SEC Network and ESPN3

I'll be brief. Most of what I've read on this game is that Auburn is just desperate enough to pull this one out and avoid an 0-3 start. Desperate times may breed desperate measures, but that is no substitute for well-developed talent. Am I the only one amazed by all the talent Chizik has attracted to the Plains, yet his record the last two years is 8-7, including last year's Chick-fil-a Bowl? What is he doing with all these top-shelf recruits?

Anyway, ULM will be swaggering into Jordan-Hare looking to broaden its swath through the SEC, while Auburn will be circling the wagons. The Warhawks will come in with momentum and face a Tigers team on its heels, desperately seeking a way to win. That's not a  recipe for an Auburn victory, if you ask me.

There it is, then. Let's tee it up and get this party started.

Tipping Plays

I've seen a couple of mentions that the Western Kentucky coaching staff had discovered something about Bama while watching film. They were reportedly able to determine whether a play would be a pass or a run based on DJ Fluker's stance. One of the articles said that the WKU staff claimed they could predict this accurately 90% of the time. It supposedly has something to do with his size. They were saying that being 6'6" and 320 lbs means he has to really drop down to get ready to dig off the line to block for a run. If it's a passing play, he has to be ready to shift.

Coach reportedly asked them about it and they told him they didn't know anything about all that. Whatever.

I do know that I was concerned after that game. We have the best offensive line in the game and they let a squad of bottom-feeders drop the quarterback six times. Six times. I don't have the means to review the game repeatedly, but I do seem to remember AJ getting sacked, or at least flushed, from the right side more often than the left. It seemed like their guys were running past poor #76 like he had some sort of stank on him.

I'm actually relieved to know that he may have been tipping plays. We can work on that. Maybe I'm naive sitting here at the computer, but that seems to be a lot easier fix than anything else. The alternatives to why we had so much trouble from the right are far too troubling. The solutions to these alternate explanations are even more troubling. So, let's just be glad that it's something as simple as DJ being mindful of his stance and get back to business.

Red Zone 2012

One of the Tide's problems last year was an inability to finish drives strong. While red zone production was a respectable 88%, only 55% of the red zone scoring was for touchdowns. This year's campaign is off to a much better start.

In five trips into the red zone this season, the Tide has scored all five times. Most importantly, all five of the scores have been touchdowns. Of course, this is only two games in, but it is still a very hopeful sign. Western Kentucky fielded a sporty defense against Bama. Let's break it down and see exactly how the scoring went:

Michigan

Alabama had three red zone opportunities against the Wolverines. They scored two rushing touchdowns, a 9-yard run by Eddie Lacey and a 1-yard by TJ Yeldon. The other touchdown was a 2-yard pass to Mike Williams.

Western Kentucky

Bama had two trips into the zone in this game. They scored touchdowns on a 14-yard pass to Christion Jones and a 12-yard pass to Kevin Norwood.

This is encouraging to me. A mix of running and passing, and a mix of players doing the scoring. Also, take note of the WKU game. The ground game wasn't really getting it done all through that game, but we were able to turn to the passing game to not only move the ball downfield on longer passes, but to punch it in from the red zone.

All in all, these look to be developing trends, and I am very happy to see them. Hopefully they will continue to garner good results.

Rammer Jammer Yellowhammer
Give 'em hell
Alabama!