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The team nobody wants to play

By Shane from Centerpoint
I remember the first time Nick Saban made the statement. He said that he wanted Alabama to be a team that opponents feared – a physically dominating team that would literally beat others into submission.

He wanted a team that could exercise its will on the field. It was never more evident than last Saturday night in Knoxville when Tennessee players were falling like flies during Alabama’s mauling (31 rushes/150 yds/2TDs.) second-half performance. I know Saban has to be smiling right now because the Crimson Tide is becoming the team that nobody wants to play.

Forget fancy formations and schemes. Anybody who really understands football knows that physicality, when added to speed and execution, is the secret ingredient that allows the great teams to dominate games.

Want proof? Alabama’s total time trailing all opponents is 75 seconds! Yes, through 8 games (4 on the road), countless potential momentum shifts, turnovers, and negative plays, Saban’s Tide continues to stay focused and intense. I have yet to see a team that can break their will, even for a moment.

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Experts who claimed Alabama might win 8 games and no more forgot about Nick Saban’s ability to quickly create a strong, hard-nosed football team. I know I’m about to commit gridiron blasphemy by saying this, but I think this year’s version of the Crimson Tide resembles a Bryant team from the “seventies” era. They play flawless, fundamental football. The offensive and defensive lines are just as dominant as those monsters the “Bear” used. Saban’s innovative defensive style resembles both Bryant’s and Oliver’s to some degree as well. Lastly, much like coach Bryant, Saban has some of the best athletes on the defensive side of the ball.

This season I’ve yet to see or hear a player who doesn’t completely understand the team’s mission. There are numerous leaders at every position. This group of athletes also speaks with one heartbeat in the most important place of all – on the field during the heat of battle.

Great coaches say football teams must be able to run the ball and stop the run to win championships. Alabama has been extraordinary in its ability to do both. Since the running game is by far the most brutal aspect of the game of football and is a key for all other processes, Bama’s success in this area is directly responsible for its victories.

Alabama’s offensive rushing capabilities allow them to control the clock, dictate the pace of the game, and break the will of the opposition. They force the defender to play their game, and they execute run-blocking schemes almost flawlessly. Bama’s stellar running game allows the play-action passing game to have consistent success.

On the other side of the ball there is a brick wall that is hard to break through. Think about what this group has accomplished. They shut down Clemson’s super tandem of Spiller and Davis. They shut down Heisman candidate, Knowshon Moreno. The Tide has taken away the run from everybody and left them one-dimensional. Predictability cripples an offensive attack.

Everything I’ve stated thus far is merely confirming fact. From this point forward, like anybody else, I am issuing an opinion. I don’t think any of the opponents remaining on Alabama’s schedule have the right ingredients in place this year to stop the Tide’s roll. After Arkansas State, the remaining three teams in Bama’s way all have one thing in common – they all have a winning streak against Alabama. Alabama will snap every one of those streaks in fine fashion. Payback is hell. Just ask Georgia.

The Crimson Tide will face Florida or Georgia in the SEC championship game. Both squads have great skill players, perhaps better than Alabama’s, although that is debatable. The problem for these teams is the same faced by every opponent Bama will have eliminated on it way to the Georgia Dome – they cannot win the war on the line of scrimmage. Alabama has already dominated the Bulldogs, and Florida’s line would fare no better against the best linemen (on both sides of the ball) in the nation.

Of course injury luck will come into play, but that is true with all teams in this bone-crunching sport. Barring those sorts of problems, Alabama seems destined for a match-up against either Big 10 foe Penn State, or Big 12 champion Texas or Texas Tech. Neither team leaves me with the impression that it could come close to beating the Crimson Tide for the same reason as I stated above – they can’t whip the Tide up front.

I give former Tide coach Mike Shula credit for the highly talented linemen he recruited. I give Joe Pendry and Saban’s defensive staff credit for developing these men into a dominant force on both sides of the ball. Saban also has a “lead dog” in strength coach Scott Cochran, who is probably the best in the country. In a short time he’s turned a bunch of growing boys into a driven unit of grown men.

Championship football teams get better each game as the season progresses. Alabama’s defense is becoming so good that the offense can afford to make a mistake, never affecting the defense’s mission of just shutting the opponent down.

One other key component to Alabama’s soaring rise to the top is John Parker Wilson. He beat “media darling” Matthew Stafford in his own house (between the hedges). His leadership qualities – decision making, putting his team in the right play, passing-game management, even the way he carries himself – all serve to confirm that he is one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. John Parker Wilson is playing consistent, winning football.

Finally, I’ll sum it up for the rest of the SEC. This isn’t the Alabama you enjoyed kicking around the field during the first seven years of this decade. This version of the Crimson Tide is relentless and will smack you in the mouth for sixty minutes. They thrive on pure physicality and simply have no fear. I looked in their eyes when they entered big games on the road in Athens and Knoxville. Each time they seemed so business-like. The atmosphere around them seemed secondary to their mission at hand – kicking some ass.


72 thoughts on “The team nobody wants to play”

  1. Shane I believe you have written your best article to date. I have nothing I could add, only to say I agree with every word. Roll Tide!!

  2. to those fans of other sec teams, alabama is on a mission under saban. make no mistake its not revenge we are after, its a reckoning!

  3. Wow for once that gay douchebag ballplayinindian wasn’t the first to respond to shane’s article… maybe he’s still crying about the barn getting manhandled by West Virginia lol.

    ROLL TIDE

  4. I didnt even read the garbage…All that would make it worth anything , would be to print it, go take a dump, and then wipe my tail with it.

    You guys are Shanes puppets. He is the puppet master. That is scary.

    Maximus. Its spelled doosh boy.

  5. seems like i called these guys monsters back in july and august in camp.i said coach saban was creating a monster that no one would like and dam look at this team.no one in sec looks foward to playing the tide now.the tide is back and looking very good.RTR GOD BLESS

  6. That is what weve heard for ten years running JW..Blind squirrell/nut applies here.

    Dubose is creating a monster….

    Franchioni is creating a monster….

    Price is creating a monster…..

    Shula is creating a monster…….

    Saban is creating a monster…….

  7. lol ballplay is that all your AU degree is worth? go buy a fecking dictionary. you do know what a douche is don’t you??? try looking up the word “doosh” lol… are you retarded???

    Also, Who is the puppet? The AU fan who feels the need to immediately post an idiotic anti-bama comment on a bama forum… or the actual bama fans who post on the bama forum… seems to me you’re the one who everyone would like to never hear from again. you, my friend are a douche (doosh)

  8. I really like your attitude Shane. I have heard you several times on Finebaum. You have eaten many words over the last few years, but you have been correct more times than not. You are known as a true Crimson Tide believer, and the barneys hate you for it.

    The barneys that have lived for thirty years plus have been knowing what was coming for just under two years. They know their worst nightmare is playing out right in front of them. BAMA is completely back, and they know exactly what this means.

    Its not how many times we beat them. It is how many CHAMPIONSHIPS are won while their jealous rage grows.

    The thirty minus barneys are facing the reality of what ALABAMA FOOTBALL was, is, and will be. The only people they should be upset with is their elders, whom lead them astray. I know it is difficult for those young minds to understand why people they trusted lead them down this path. I am enjoying their lesson.

    I would like to say I agree with your posting, but the Tide does have flaws. One of which is major. You touched on it by saying the play action pass. We have a great run team, and the play action is quite complementary. No arguement. However, we have an issue on throwing downs. We need to be able to throw the ball on third and 6 plus without JP running for his life, and the punt team is horrible.

    And yes this BAMA team will knock your butt in the dirt, and it may be enough.

  9. Ballplay, gettin’ it again man. You have no fear. I like that.

    Anyway, is it me, or is this article a bit over-the-top? It’s certainly not objective. Some of it is, frankly, not true. As an obvious Bama fan I agree with a lot of it but some of it seems to be more excitement than anything else. Fact is, this team has lost it’s intensity. See Kentucky and Ole Miss. Bama is a good team too; however, to compare Saban and this team to a Bryant 70’s team is jumping the gun. Bama is good on offense (because McElwain isn’t asking to much of JP [because he doesn’t have to]) but they still have to face two really good defenses in LSU and AU. They haven’t won anything yet Shane. They still have four games left. Can they win them to get to the SEC Championship? I certainly think so BUT, THE HAVE TO WIN THEM FIRST. Remember Bama fans, it has only been a year since LA Monroe. Anyway, not your best effort Shane, just a little to over-the-top with this one.

  10. On the other hand, I’m glad we kicked the crap out of Tennessee. Fulmer could very well be a bigger piece of shit than Bamasux. Atleast Fulmer isn’t a racist. Anyway, any bettin’ for Auburn this weekend? I know I’m not. Ol Nutt, he’ll beat Tommy…then again, thats a close one because Tub’s is fighting for his life right now and he usually comes out of the hole pretty clean.

  11. BamaBorn: I didn’t read your post until just now but good point. I mentioned some of the flaws Shane overlooked but the one I didn’t see, you pointed it out. Bama’s Specail Teams (mainly Punt and Punt Coverage unit becaue the other areas have been pretty consistent) is horrible. It needs marked improvement before you punt to Holiday down in LSU!

  12. That was an inspiring read Shane.
    This is the roots to the team Bama has waited for.
    I look around the league and I see the value of Nick Saban. The guy knows how to coach and win.

    Ballplay

    CTT IS CREATING A MONSTER THIS YEAR!
    Now just multiply that times ten…

    Ballpplay …. be honest, doesnt it aggravate you that It has taken Nick Saban less than 2 years to reach the highest ranking Auburn has had in 50 years? Or that every week CTT uses up the list of cliches excuses?

  13. shane blows paul daily

    PAUL [SKILLET HEAD] FINEBAUM I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY YOU CANT GET BILL OLIVER BACK.AND I DONT WANT TO HERE THAT BARAC OBAMA SPIN THAT YOU ALWAYS GIVE.BECAUSE SOMEONE NEEDS TO CALL YOU ON IT.I KNOW WHY.BECAUSE YOU TWIST AND TURN HIS WORDS ONCE HE GETS OFF THE AIR.HE GETS RESPECT FROM THE ROUNDTABLE.SOMETHING YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THATS WHY YOUR NEW NAME [SKILLET HEAD]THEN YOU GET A AUBURN GRAD TO REPLACE HIM IN BARBRA DOOLEY AND WHO GIVE YOU THAT IDEA.THAT PITIFULL CALLER JERK OFF JOE!!!! AND THEN YOU HAD TO GET BARBRA DOOLEY TO GET TERRI SABAN.HEY [SKILLET HEAD] ITS ONE THING TO GET SCOOPED BY [IAN & LANCE]BUT GOT SCOOPED JJJJJJOE!!!AS IN JERK OFF JOE ONE OF YOUR 3TIMES A DAY CALLER. AND YOUR TALKING ABOUT TUBBS JOB. MABEY WE NEED TO LOOK AT YOUR SINKING NUNMBERS.IT SUCKS TO BE TUBBS BITCH DONT IT [SKILLET HEAD] TUBBS PLAYS YOU LIKE A FIDDLE AND WHATS SO SAD YOU DONT HAVE CLUE TWO YEARS AGO YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN IT CUMMING.HOW MANY EX COACHES ARE GOING TO FOLLOW SUIT. PAT DYE IS ALL YOU HAVE LEFT.I THINK [KEVEN SCARBINSKY] WOULD BE A GREAT REPLACEMENT OR MABEY I DONT IF I CAN SAY IT. OK SHANE THERE I SAID IT.

  14. The BAMMER from St. Clair

    YO! Been a while, but I’m back. Shane, calm down dude. As far as comparisons to teams from the Bryant Era, I’m 42 and I remember the 70’s. This ‘Bama team has the chance to be remembered like some of those teams are, but let’s let this thing play out. I like the “business attitude” that this team exhibits and I commend Coach Saban & his staff for instilling this within these players, but we can’t get ahead of ourselves. Arkansas State is next on the list and the sole focus of this team must be on the task at hand. Don’t start thinking about Championships YET. We have to EARN THE RIGHT to play for a Championship. We haven’t accomplished that YET. The focus MUST BE ON THE NEXT OPPONENT. Moving on, this concerns that AU-BUM that left the post just after 9PM…dude, why are you so concerned about BILL OLIVER? I respect Coach Oliver but DUDE, WHY ARE YOU OBSESSING OVER THE FACT that a former ALABAMA PLAYER and COACH is confined to another radio show? GET A LIFE! We all know that you STILL listen to the FINEBAUM SHOW! Just another barner CRYING IN HIS BEER over the state of the Auburn program right now. I’ll be back! ‘BAMA NATION REMEMBER…ARKANSAS STATE IS NEXT! ROLL TIDE ROLL!!! Later!

  15. Shane blows, I understand they don’t teach you how to properly type and pronounce words down at The Alabama PolyTECHnic Institute, but knowing that typing in ALL CAPS is rude, is also a rule of thumb.

    Quick, go call in the Finebaum show, live from Wire Road, and show us how big of a man you are by threatening to give Finebaum an “Aubarn country boy ass-whipping” before another Barnie beats you to the punch!

    WHAR EEGLE DAMN HEY!

  16. tmc1………Your dang right it bothers me.

    Maxidoosh……Weve discussed the proper spelling of dooooosh on this blog several times. Only French transsexuals spell it douche’ …..Are you a French transexual ? Never mind, by spelling it douche’ you answered my question.

  17. I think that the Bryant comparison is premature, but I can understand the enthusiasm. It has not been the best of times in Tuscaloosa for a while, and it is truly stirring to see our school gaining some traction. The Tide has already come along further than we could have hoped, and the fact that we have surpassed last year’s win total with several games to go is stunning.

    As far as the Auburn fans who feel the need to demean our success, I can understand that as well. This UA team is a real threat to something many fans have taken for granted. Most of the Auburn fans that I know are in their mid-20’s, and have no real sense of history when it comes to the Iron Bowl. They just think that Alabama has always been this way, and have no idea of the true scope in this series.

    I’m old enough to remember the way things were in the late 70’s, so I am quite familiar with the cycle that occurs between these schools as the years go by. No one school stays on top forever, and how you handle adversity is an excellent barometer of your character.

    To fans of both sides, I would say to exercise some restraint and remain dignified in your dealings with fans of the opposite faction. You never know when the tables have been turned, and all of the mud and vitriol that you spew may come back to haunt you.

  18. Ballplay: Only pu**ies like you would know the proper way to spell it. Have you resolved yourself to the fact that Auburn sucks really bad yet? AND Bama being undefeated? Do you wake up every morning hoping it is a bad dream? It is hard for you to cope, I know, but at least you have Julio’s shoulder to cry on.

  19. That's just silly, Kevin

    I find it hilarious that Auburn basically defines itself by dominating an Alabama team that has been crippled for years. Beating Alabama in this decade is simply not that impressive.

    Your coach has one SEC title in ten years and zero national titles. Auburn hasn’t won a title since my dad was 5, and he’s close to 60 now. Poserville has averaged a little over 3 losses per year, and a total of TWO season with 10+ wins. He is a slave to his employees, and he can’t pick an OC to save his life.

    If Alabama Polytechnic Institute didn’t manage to squeak out close games against the weakest UA teams in recent memory, you would have nothing to hang your hat on. Everyone knows that LSU has been jobbed in your smelly stadium. Funny how Auburn’s road record isn’t so great when they face the same teams.

    Oh, and way to choke to two Big Least teams two years in a row. I guess you are eager to get back to the bottom of the barrel, since that’s where you belong.

    Anyway, now that the end of the streak (which is 50% shorter than the longest in the series, held by UA) is in sight, now that their school is looking at some big-time problems, they have gone from cool confidence to sweaty fear.

    Barners: Desperation is a stinky cologne. But please, keep talking. Talk about that upper hand while you can. Your grip is slipping, and there is nothing you can do about it.

  20. I’ll be the first to admit that Bama is having an incredible season so far, and a far better one than I could have ever imgagined. The comparison to Bear’s teams of the 70’s is freakin hilarious. That’s the mentality of entitlement that has screwed you bammers for the past 25 years. Bama has had 2/3 of a a very good season. As of this day, Bama has done nothing this year that Shula didn’t do in 05. You’ve still got to play LSU (which I think Bama will win), Auburn(you know good and well that games makes you bammers so nervous you could piss yourselves) and probably Fla in the SEC Title game (which I think Bama will lose by double digits.) Next year, Bama will have a lot of young talent returning, but will also be breaking in a new qb. I think Bama will definitely be a contender for both the SEC and NC next year. The problem for Bama is that Pete Carroll will leave USC for the NFL after the 09 season, and Saban is gonna be first on their wish list. As I stated in a reply to a recent article, kinda makes you start thinkin’ about why Saban specifically demanded a “no buyout for leaving for another job” clause in his contract, huh?? Do any of you have any doubt that USC would want him?? Do any of you have any doubt that USC would throw $6 mil per year at him?? Do any of you doubt that Saban (or any other coach in the world) would seriously consider that offer??

  21. Krekstin…….Why on earth would we want to show restraint when Bammers and Barners are feuding ? Thats the reason we love this rivalry. BRING ON THE SPEWAGE !!!!!!!!!! That is why I come here… I love it.

    Brandy……Did I say something wrong ? Why the cursing ? Dude !!!!!!!!

    Naw just kidding Brandy. I know where your coming from. Youve still not beaten Auburn in 6 straight years.

    Silly Kevin. What will your excuse be when Auburn wins ?

  22. 1) Carroll would be a fool to leave USC. He has it absolutely MADE over there.

    2) USC would stick with a West Coast guy when it came time to hire a replacement. They’d promote from within, or maybe try to lure Norm Chow away from USC.

    3) Any coach with a pulse would at least evaluate the scenario. You’d be crazy not to, because that’s a plum coaching job.

    4) Saban may leave for another job one day. However, everything I have seen and read, from his wife in particular, is that they belong in the college ranks, and they like life in the south. Moving to a third SEC team seems unlikely to me.

  23. Ballplay: It is all in fun. This is a big smart-ass contest isn’t it? I know ya’ll won 6 in a row. It is a big deal for ya’ll right? I just think Bama is due. And Auburn hasn’t shown me anything that says they will upset Bama. At least in 03 ya’ll had some players on offense. This year is different, so don’t compare this year to then. Obviously that is where your hope is coming from. But Auburn is Barfield days bad this year. This isn’t the way a program should look after 10 years. It is not like there has been any head coaching changes or probation to deal with, yet they look like a team that has been through that. Auburn is in danger of falling behind Bama for the first time in a long while.

  24. Ballplay Indian,

    I don’t mind a little smack talk, and in fact I enjoy it at times. My issue is that so much of it is riddled with ignorance and poor communication skills that it reads like two mules fighting over a turnip.

    If one is to deliver incisive, punishing blows to the opponent, I think it should be done with verve and skill. Some of these people write like uneducated baboons.

  25. Kreskin…….I sir have the verbal precision of a nuerosurgean. I can singlehandedly smack down a whole bastion of bammers with a single word. I am the epitome of the internet smack talker. Consider yourself honored to have even been on the same blog as I.

    Brandy…..I agree it is a smart ass contest.

  26. Kreskin, Pete Carroll is drawing offers from the NFL every year for a reason, and that’s because they know from his agent that he does have some interest. It’s just like when Saban was at LSU…he got NFL offers every year and when the right offer finally came along, he took it.

    As to thinking USC would hire Norm Chow or promote from within, you’re simply regurgitating what Bama has done over the past 25 years before hiring Saban. Chow is about 65 yrs old, and USC isn’t stupid enough to hand the keys to that program to someone with no D-1 head coaching experience. They can hire just about anybody they want. Why wouldn’t they want to hire Saban? If Saban loves being at Bama so much, why did he insist on the no-buyout clause? That’s unheard of. There’s not another coach in the country that has a one-sided contract like that.

  27. Ballplay: Well then, you FAIL. ‘Single handedly smack down a bastion of bammers’ LOL I give you credit for originality there, but too bad it is not true. You have been owned here several times this year.

  28. Julio: That buyout you are talking about is making Bama look pretty good when you see the situation Tubbs buyout is creating at Auburn. If he leaves, he owes Auburn, and vice versa. Not a good situation. Usually if someone wants to leave, they leave, no matter the contract or the buyout. At least the Saban contract is up front. I wouldn’t want a coach that didn’t want to be there, but couldn’t leave because he would have to pay a lot of money.

  29. Nice spin Brando. The reality is that Saban caught Bama in a psoition where they had no choice but to give him anything he wanted. That’s why he got away with only having to attend about 15 “booster events” every year, that’s how he got the no buyout for quitting but a goldmine for being fired, and that’s how he got 4 mil per year.

  30. Julio: It is not spin, it is a fact. The truth is, these huge buyouts will go away in time. These contracts now are nothing put paper anyway. If a coach wants to leave, he will leave. If they want to fire him, he will be fired. Even 6 months after they are written. You are crazy if you don’t think other coaches are going to see Saban’s contract, and use it as negotiating points. Especially the elite coaches that can go anywhere. Coaches are starting to realize that they don’t have to do all the booster events and commercials and such. And that is great because they spend more time doing the real job: coaching football.

  31. Brandy….By who ? Give me some specifics sonny. I do not remember anyone winning doodly squat when it comes to verbal warfare with me.

    Where is Pete going anywhooo ?

  32. Ballplay: You are much like your Auburn brethren. You are all winners in your own minds. But you have this gay-like tendency to get all huffy when someone says Bama>Auburn. You like to come up with only particular stats to prove your side. Stats don’t mean anything, but trophies do. And the lack of them at Auburn is what you guys overlook the most.

    But you thinking so highly of yourself is funny dude. The only reason I responded to you the first time was because of your excessively stupid comments. So before you pat yourself on the back too much, think about how you are the one coming to a Bama site to talk smack, and that is all I need to know about you. You aren’t as brilliant as you think. You have never got the best of me, but you can keep telling yourself that you have. But just about everyone that has been here for awhile has scored points on you dude. You are about as undefeated as your Tigahs are.

  33. Brando, the coaches will use Saban’s contract, all right…they’ll use it against Bama in recruiting to convince kids that Saban’s days at Bama are numbered. Other coaches will use Saban’s salary in negotiations, but those buyouts aren’t going anywhere. Understand this…Saban has a monster buyout also, it’s just a one way buyout that only kicks in if he’s fired.

    What do you base your statement on that “[c]oaches are starting to realize that they don’t have to do all the booster events and commercials and such”? Tell me one other coach besides Saban that has made such a demand as part of his contract. Trustees and athletic directors won’t usually agree to a clause like that because it hurts fundraising. Like I said, Saban knew he had Bama in a desperate situation and milked Bama for everything it was worth. That’s what Forbes Magazine was talking about when they said he is the most powerful coach in sports. You bammers are so freakin’ blinded that you couldn’t even see that article was an absolute slap in the face to Mal Moore and the Bama administration. The point of the article was that Saban has the most one sided contract in all of sports. What a compliment. Three cheers for Bama!!!

  34. >>>Kreskin…….I sir have the verbal precision of a nuerosurgean.

    Heavens! You’ll be downright deadly when you decide to run a spellcheck here and there!

    Julio: As I said before, he’d be a fool to not consider offers. You don’t ever limit yourself. You must also consider that he might be holding interviews or expressing interest to make sure that the powers that be at USC keep him happy and comfortable.

    Chow isn’t the typical 65-year-old, either. He has enough of a brain to be an HC, in my opinion. Besides, the man is brilliant.

    As far as promoting from within, most schools try to do that first of all. I certainly don’t argue that Alabama has done it, even though it wasn’t the best decision at times. Stallings, yes. DuBose, not really. Shula, what a joke.

    Finally, I don’t think Saban will necessarily stay at UA for 10 years or more. He may very well leave after 5 or 6. Maybe he wins the NC and bails in 3. It’s still business, after all, no matter how much we want to believe otherwise.

    The fact of the matter is that management knew they could not afford another poor hire, and as such had to make the offer they did with Saban in an attempt to make things right. It was a calculated gamble, no question about it.

    Well, it appears that the gamble is starting to pay off. He’s gotten Alabama into national title talk. He’s won big road games, and UA is in the driver’s seat for the west in his second year. His presence has generated an enormous amount of income, news, and interest in the university.

    While the deal is unusual, and there are no guarantees, business is certainly booming.

  35. >>>Brando, the coaches will use Saban’s contract, all right…they’ll use it against Bama in recruiting to convince kids that Saban’s days at Bama are numbered.

    Julio, your argument isn’t supported by facts. The man just had the #1 recruiting class in the nation.

  36. Julio: You are spinning it like you want to see it and that is fine. Saban isn’t going anywhere soon, even if you want him to. I know his contract has really hurt recruiting. Where have you been? Looks like you are blinded dude. If you can’t see what is going on then you are in denial. Is Bama in a desperate situation now? This is not 3 years ago, and things have changed since then. But I will bet a lot of Auburn people are wishing Tubbs didn’t have a buyout about now.

    I don’t consider it a slap in the face. Only Auburn people do. Yes, Saban has ultimate control over the program. That is what Bama needed. It was the lack of someone to take charge that has been a problem.

    So, you spin it like you want, but Bama is happy with the terms, Saban is happy, so it is a win-win situation. You really think Bama has a hard time fund-raising? This aint Auburn we are talking about here. Since Saban has been hired profits are up. You just need to worry about Auburn filling up the stands, and how to pay off all these fired coaches. That buyout stuff is costing Auburn a lot of money.

  37. BamaBrando,

    It seemed like a good idea at first, I’m sure (the buyout). It protects both of them to a degree, and it also encourages both sides to work together to solve problems.

    I would also say that the trustees are a being narrow-minded, and Tubs sounds like he’s suffering from entitlement issues. They need to come to the table and work something out, for the sake of the university.

  38. Bamabrando…..I noticed the gay reference above, when talking about Ballplay. Be careful……UA4Life, the closet liberal, will whine about you being a homophobe if you’re not careful.
    Just a friendly reminder from the “racist.”

  39. I could care less who the ole’ Polytechnic Institute hires as their new head coach, and or offensive coordinator. For some far-fetched reason they tend to think they can land Butch Davis with the snap of their fingers, but if he even publicly turns you guys down, that’ll be the closest you come to contacting him.

  40. maybe les miles would go there after lswho goes down the pipes like he has them going now.tiger fans not to happy with him right now.

  41. Ballplay/Julio
    Didnt tiderinsider bust you for logging in as Ballplay/julio proving once and for all that you are the same guy.

    Man, what in the hell is wrong with you?
    Are you so AUbsessed with Bama you have to log in under 10 different names on a Bama board to give your intellectually bankrupt posts validity.
    Give it up man….
    Either be Ballplay or Julio. But For the love of God at least be man enough to be a man. Not a poser.

  42. You’re right FL Blogger. I really don’t care who is at Auburn. But these Auburn people here twisting Bama’s deal with Saban as a bad thing when looking at their current situation is pretty funny though. They would take the same deal if they could get a Saban type coach. I imagine Auburn would have to offer Butch Davis a similar contract if they want him. Which I don’t think many of the coaches that are in demand right now will seriously consider Auburn. They would be better off to keep Tuberville.

  43. tmc1……..How many times have we had this conversation ? Dude, its getting old. Give it a rest. You know that the only people logging on here as me, are Bama dooshers like you. Grow up.

    If you really believe that I and julio/others are the same, then do you still believe in the tooth fairy / Santa / Easter Bunny ? What gives ? Are you that thick ? Appearantly so.

    I kick your ass at every verbal war that we engage in , so trying to discredit me is the only road left for you. Please let it go and accept the fact that I am infinitly more wise than you. And that I am the one and only BALLPLAY INDIAN BABY !!!!!!!!!!!!

  44. Ballplay: TMC1 owns you too. I have seen it myself. JW has owned you. Man, you just aint getting no respect here. I wonder why? Really man, you haven’t ‘kicked verbal ass’ on anyone. You have just made yourself look stupid on here with your ignorant opinions and predictions.

  45. TMC1 is back a week and hear we go again with all being one! ITS OLD… and ALL CAPS isnt considered rude some dumbass made that shit up about TEN YEARS AGO DUMBASS!!! and Pete Carroll better remember what happened to OL NICKY when he tried to go PUSH MEN Around IT DIDNT WORK!!!

    WAR POLYTECH BABY!!!

  46. CMON NOW BB,

    I really like JW but the only thing he owns is the right to JAW becuase HE IS THE ONLY ONE OF YOU to speak his mind on what was gonna happen this year and right now he looks like NOSTRADAMUS to me….. no disrespect at all JW your the coolest BAMMAR here to me BRO but I mean your just not the VERBAL ASSASSIN that BB said Sir!

  47. Brandy……….You react to my ass kickage like Sara Palin to Katie Couric dude, your clueless. And Im a Republican (sorry Omni) …….Your tired and weak attempts to discredit The Indian (me), only prove that you know Im the man. While at times I go astry on my Alabama /Auburn predictions, I always will and have picked against Bama and for Auburn. Hey, Im loyal.

    Id be all for a pickem ( non Bama / Auburn) to further ingrain my dominance on this board. But you probably dont want any. Right ? I didnt think so.

    Ill go out on a limb and say right now that I would be in the top 5% each and every weak. Put your pride were your mouth is boys and learn that the fear of the Indian is nothing to be ashamed of.

  48. Ballplay, maybe if our players would have saved there energy at the beginning of the W Vir game instead of dancing like a bunch of monkeys we would not have gotten embarassed by a team that is pitiful, even the twenty Tubs slipped the official at the beginning of the game to call a complete pass on a hop off the ground and the intentional grounding and so on didn’t help, we can’t run the spread, we can’t run the ball, we sux! Tubs wouldn’t give our boys any heat, they were cold as school girls, imagine what Ol Miss is going to do to us, we won’t even make the crapper bowl, we really are pathetic posting on here about the mighty Tide with a team that sux like ours. Would you like to come over for brunch tomorrow and talk about our suckage. . . hey, I’ve got an idea.

  49. HEY!! Wait a damn Minute here BI I thought you said YOU LOVED ME??
    What am I TOO RADICAL for you is it my typing in CAPS(rude)THAT RUN YOU OFF?
    I CAN CHANGE well maybe I cant But I think I can convince you I can!!
    OUR TEAM SUX AND NOW BECAUSE I DONT HAVE YOU ……. I DO 2!!!

    WPB!!!

  50. Wow.. I can’t believe you allow such trash language like that of the steaming piece of dog doo named TidusMaximus. How classless. Typical Bama redneck like those that trashed my dad’s car, my car, refused me service in their store cause I wore an AU shirt, attacked my father with a hammer because he wore an AU shirt on the jobsite. Typical. Edit your posts here and remove the terms like “gay” and “douchebag” or I will no longer listen to you or consider you to have ANY class whatsoever. Thank God I no longer live in bama and have to listen to such toothless, redneck, drivel.

  51. Look Julio, you know good and damn well that Pete Carrol is to big of a pussy to try in the NFL water’s again. The fact of the matter is, every coach who has been down that road (Saban, Patrino, Carrol, Spurrier…what a list I might add) doesn’t want to go back. Your Aburn ass wishes Saban would take an offer like that to get him as far away from Lee County as possible. Saban would have no credibility with anyone (recruits, boosters, etc.) if he left Bama after four or five years. Not wanting a buyout is smart on his part. Besides the fact tha it has screwed up Tommy Tubbervilles life at Auburn for years now. You wonder why he looks for jobs every year and doesn’t leave. It’s called the buyout dude. Also, if Saban wants to leave he can. He’ll leave Bama just like he left LSU. They’ve already won two natitional titles because of him. Even a barner would take that wouldn’t you julio? You better get used to seasons like this man because no one in their right mind will take that OC job at Auburn if Tubby stays and just like all the media talking heads, who can Auburn get that will be better than Tubby? That makes me laugh.

  52. Speaking of Auburn pieces of shit, where is Bamasux? Don’t worry you racist piece of shit, I wouldn’t want to come on here and talk mindless crap to people if my favorite team was 4-5 either. I guess you’re waiting to see if Auburn upsets Bama to come talk more shit. Thats what you barners hang the success hat on. It makes me laugh becuase everytime they talk about Tubby’s “body of work” the say “…and he has beaten Alabama six years in a row”. Wow, thats so great. “One SEC title and six over Bama”. What a joke. These clowns couldn’t coach there way out of a wet paper sack. And for one more ironic twist. The greatest coach AU ever had and one that brought them out of the dark ages (Pat Dye), the field is named after him. Dye is a Bear Bryant protege who coached at Alabama for years. He learned everything he knew from Bryant and Alabama hahaha, the one man that got Auburn out of the dark ages came from their bitter rival. You Aubies should get on your knees and thank the good Lord everyday The University of Alabama made Auburn what it is.

  53. William Green are you serious?

    1st… of all you can’t edit your posts here. Unfortunately that kind of technology is way beyond the Capstone report.
    2nd… You’re threatening to no longer listen to me or consider me a classy guy because I called someone gay? lol I don’t give a rat’s ass what you think of me.
    3rd… You went way beyond me calling one person gay by insulting and stereotyping an entire state. Real classy.
    I had nothing to do with your dad’s truck getting trashed and I’m not a redneck, I hate country music and I hate nascar. You need to learn to not take things so seriously on the internet…

  54. The Auburn Family Mourns

    It’s the end of a difficult season that started with such great hope. We really looked good in the LSU game earlier this year. I’d never have guesses we would lose 4 games in a row in the middle of the season.

    It doesn’t help that across the state, bammers are having the time of their lives. They will certainly make the SEC Championship and though I don’t believe they’ll win the NC, their coach will probably get SEC coach of the year. They are having lots of success and they are doing so with a relatively young team. They will certainly start next season off in the top 5.

    And just how long will it take Tubbs to go from this 5-win season to prominence?

    I don’t know.

    The preceding comments reflect the sentiments of this Auburn Fan sometime late in the 1999 season.

    Auburn did go on to only win 5 games that year and Dubose did get the coach of year honors after beating Fla in the SECCG. And they did enter the next year ranked in the top 5. Since then, Auburn rose to the top and won the west the very next year and has beaten bammer 7 out of 8 years. Bammer ended that next year 3-8 and did so with a returning starter at QB.

    Keep your heads up Auburn Faithful. The worm can turn mighty fast in this game.

    WAR EAGLE!

  55. The cow college down the road is sinking faster than the Titanic. Doesn’t it burn to know that it took Saban 20 games to get to #1 and Tubby couldn’t do it in 10 years?

  56. The Golden Age of Auburn football goes out the way it came in: LOSING. Enjoy those 10 years in your Auburn memories. Remember beating all those top 10 teams, and getting the good running backs in the state. It was a special time for all you Auburn people. Tuberville has came back time and time again. But after ten years, he is getting tired, older, and probably less patient with you guys. He gives 9 years of winning seasons, wins 6 against Bama in a row, and one bad year and you guys show him the door. And ya’ll say Bama fans are crazy.

  57. Your piece of crap team will lose two of your last three. If you get to play Florida, three of the last four.

  58. Shane, the title of your article should say” The Team Hasn’t Played No One” Look at Texas – played 4 top ten teams in 4 consecutive weeks. Don’t be so hasty. The strength of schedule is really what matters. I also cant believe you are now speaking out of both sides of your posterior. You actually praised Shula in your post but ridiculed him over and over again on the radio. My My Shane.

  59. Hold on Shane, the team no one wants to play is Texas Tech not Alabama. In the SEC, you dont want to play Florida right now. I guess we will put Shane on a suicide watch if LSU cans that butt first and bring you rednecks back down to earth.

    Georgia is a good team and all I have been hearing is how Alabama dominated Georgia, so did Florida. Alabama still hasnt proven themselves yet. I will give you guys props if you beat Florida in the SEC Champ game, but until then you still have no respect.

    I am an Auburn fan through and through and to prove it, I will be cheering on the Florida Gators in the SEC Championship Game.

    BLOW TIDE.

  60. Hey Julio, I found a piece by Carroll on Sporting News that you might find interesting.

    “We have every advantage here,” Carroll said. “We have a lot going for us. Only a handful of universities in the nation have the makeup, the setting, the historical structure that position them so they have a better chance to be successful than others. So that’s the way it is. That’s why I’m so fortunate to have a chance to be here. I’ll never forget that. That’s why I don’t want to go anywhere else. Why would I ever want to go anywhere else? This is it. I don’t know how else to explain it, to describe it.”

    It might be time to stop insisting that Carroll is leaving for the NFL, and that Saban is going to take his place over there.

  61. njhilliard,

    Your respect isn’t asked for, nor is it required. Frankly, I’d worry about your school’s problems before trying to downplay the success of others.

    Anyone that follows Tiger football knows that this team is rudderless and in serious danger of becoming irrelevant again. Auburn’s downward spiral from near-excellence is like seeing a homely girl get a makeover and become the prom queen, only to watch her get drunk and sh-t her dress in front of everyone. It’s a pathetic thing to watch, especially as her supporters try to make excuses and take shots at anyone who happens to be better off at the moment.

    Of course, Auburn fans that are older than 25 are quite aware of what it’s like to cheer for a totally irrelevant Auburn team, so they will be able to deal with things in a much calmer fashion.

  62. Kreskin,
    I will give my 2 cents like anybody else here. AU is not taking a backseat to anybody. Maybe this year is down but dont worry, we will be back.

    Your senior quarterback leaves this year and you’d better hope he keeps winning cause this is as high as you will be for a while until you get another experienced quarterback, trust me, that is what is our problem.

    GATORBAIT, GATORBAIT.
    BLOWTIDE

  63. You can provide your two cents as often as you like, just don’t be surprised when you find yourself to be completely disregarded in light of your one-sided views.

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