By Hunter Ford
The focus for Alabama this week has been improving on execution and fundamentals, head coach Nick Saban said during his Wednesday afternoon press conference.
Alabama plays at home Saturday against SEC West foe Texas A&M, 4-2, 2-2, which has lost its last two games after starting 4-0.
“We’re trying to focus on our players…playing hard, competing well, and having fun playing football,” Saban said.
On Monday, Saban expressed frustration with what he deemed a negative reaction by fans and the media to a 14-13 win on the road at Arkansas. Saban said Jay Seawell, the University of Alabama men’s golf coach, paid a visit this week and commiserated with Saban about how high expectations can affect young athletes. Sewell’s golfers recently won back-to-back national championships.
Saban said young people can often experience “anxiety” when “expectations and the reality of the situation don’t meet.”
Sewell was sensing that kind of anxiety in his team recently, according to Saban. Seawell had his team watch the movie “Secretariat.” In the movie, the owners of a racehorse face intense pressure when their horse, which they had invested heavily in, was not doing well. Finally, one of the main characters in the movie said “just let him run,” Saban recounted. And the horse started winning.
Saban said that’s what he would hope Alabama fans can do for their team “just let them run…let them play.”
OFFENSIVE LINE, LINEBACKERS, DEFENSE
Saban said earlier in the week that linebackers would need to read and react quickly against the fast-paced Texas A&M offense. Asked about the progress of the linebackers so far in practice this week, Saban said they were getting better. He added that the Tide would likely have just one linebacker on the field at most times this week, as A&M is expected to have four wideouts on most plays.
Saban said the offensive line has had a lot of changes, due to injuries and “health and continuity” would go a long way towards making that unit better. He said the offense as a whole needs to execute better.
“We don’t always block on the perimeter like we should, or we can, or we have,” he said. “And the quarterback has to take what the defense gives us…we need total execution.”
Saban said he expects A&M to run an eight-man front on defense and force the Tide to throw the ball. The Aggies have one of the SEC’s best defensive ends in freshman Myles Garrett, who Saban described as “long, and difficult to block.”
“Our skill guys will have to play well,” he said. If A&M “splits safeties” and gives the Tide the chance to run, Saban, once again, said execution and “controlling the tempo of the game” would be crucial.
On offense, the Aggies feature four of the SEC’s top 13 wide recivers in Speedy Noil, Josh Reynolds, Edward Pope and Ricky Seals-Jones.
Controlling the ball on offense will help the Tide on defense. “One way they (A&M offense) can’t go fast is if we have the ball,” Saban said.
SEC COMMISSIONER MIKE SLIVE TO RETIRE
Saban praised Mike Slive, who recently announced plans to retire as SEC commissioner. Saban said Slive has meant a lot to the SEC and college football. He said Slive had “foresight and vision” and led the SEC with “honesty and integrity.” Saban said he couldn’t think of anyone who had “greater impact” on college football in the past 10-15 years.
SEC WEST
Asked about the competitiveness of the SEC West, Saban said the SEC has always been tough.
“Everybody in our division has a really good team, and we all have to play each other,” he said.
JK SCOTT
Saban praised punter JK Scott, who kept Arkansas pinned deep in its own territory for most of last week’s game.
“He’s done really well all year long,” Saban said. “His first punt against West Virginia went 60 something yards.”
Saban said the Tide lost a lot of field position against Arkansas because of turnovers, but “we gained a lot of field position with (Scott’s) great punting.”
FRIETAG INVESTIGATION
Alabama reserve tight end Kurt Freitag is under investigation by authorities who confiscated over 100 grams of marijuana and nearly $5,000 in cash from Frietag’s on-campus dorm room.
Saban, in his Monday teleconference, said he has been asked by authorities not to comment on the investigation.
Court documents obtained by the media do not indicate that Frietag has been charged with any crimes at this time.
COKER OR BUSTED
Wow.
Really?
Tell me, what did you see in the TAMU game against Ole Miss last weekend?
It sounds to me like TAMU is planning on attacking our injuries on defense. I guess I can’t put it past Sumlin, but I’m a fundamentals guy, and watching TAMU play football is just abrasive. Here’s hoping Alabama’s o-line, after a bad performance at Arkansas and having since confessed as much, can help give Sims the time he needs (and that Tony Brown isn’t slipping all over that nasty, cheap turf now that he’ll be back on real grass in Tuscaloosa).
to the sims/Coker issue I will say this:
if the ‘bama offense comes out and doesn’t look any better than last sat. (having fun or not) the home crows will get ugly.
coker wont make a difference either way! leave sims alone hes by far the best option! once again im pretty sure if coker was the better option, that coaching staff would play him! theres only 3 things that can happen when you pass the ball and two of them aint good, coker hits the good part of that barely 50% of the time and that has not a damn thing to do with knowing the play book and everything to do with ability!
I want to see Alabama run the ball un the clock, and get 3 or for INTs on D. RTR
ball control offense is our best defense saturday.
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Im sure you guys were going to post this as a follow up on an earlier article you did on Robsinson:
http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Pair-of-Tigers-Making-Offensive-Impact/d4ab8cce-dcf9-4f86-bec4-98148ff356c1
It will follow the first article ever about wrongdoing by an Alabama player. They don’t want to tarnish the record they have going of not printing the truth about them, or us.
We’re all about the truth. Like the truth that Aubie and Oregon finally made it to a #1 vs #2 matchup for all the marbles on the same day. Or the truth that Aubie has only put together back to back 10 win seasons once in their entire history.
How about the fact that Alabama has only beaten a 10 win Auburn team ONCE in their history? in fact, Alabama only has 4 wins all time against Auburn teams that win more than 8 games.
What’s your point, Little Peach? That the history of a series has any bearing on a game yet to be played? Because that will REALLY work against you in this series.
How about the Barn only puts together 8+ win seasons when they have a criminal playing QB? That’s a good one, too.
Your record against teams with a criminal playing QB ain’t so great either, especially whe that game is for a National Championship.
Can’t beat ’em if the motherfuckers don’t have ’em, Slut!
Immediate deflection, and listed in the comments instead of ever actually doing anything. Good grief.
I mean, just plain good grief.
It never, ever ceases to amaze me the obsessiveness some fans have with bashing Alabama. It’s kinda silly.
We’re too busy being happy right now, but thanks for the off-topic deflection (again). Really impressive win by Alabama. Really disappointing elite tiger and peachy, especially this season.
Not a disappointing season by any stretch. Don’t know if you are keeping up, but we are one spot behind y’all, and you jumped over us, because we didn’t play. We win out, and we play for it all. We don’t win out, and we don’t deserve to play for it all. Same for y’all.
It’s not because you (Auburn?) didn’t play. It’s just not that simple.
But what’st he point explaining it when it doesn’t matter until Alabama takes a bye-week…the same week the official playoff committee choices roll in.
Frankly, winning out isn’t enough for both Alabama and Auburn. The only teams that seemingly control their own destinies are Ole Miss, MSU, FSU and Georgia.
Also, people remember November. No month matters more. Think if tOSU had lost to VT in November instead of week one. Alabama and Auburn, at best, have a good opportunity to put themselves in the conversation, but then the logic could pit Alabama against Ole Miss in a potential national title game. I can only imagine the bedlam—–it would make West Virgnia look like a nursery.
You are naive to think that us having the week off, didn’t give them an excuse to have someone jump over us. In the Coaches Poll, it was 2 teams. They look for any reason to pass us over. That is just a fact. It isn’t right, but is the way things are, and we have to overcome that. Part of it, is due to UA being impressive, and they have always given y’all a pass on that. Once again, that is the way it is. I do have an issue with Michigan State passing us more than Bama. We have the chance to play Ole Miss, UGA, and UA. If we win out, there is no way they should leave us out, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they do.
As for you, you better hope you are impressive this week, because if not, after the bye week, you will drop down. Like us this week, out of sight, is out of mind. People have short memories, and tend to forget it, if it happened in the past.
Again, you see things with Auburn-tinted glasses. I understand it’s hard to get away from that, but I didn’t say what you’re upset about.
I said the bye-week isn’t why Alabama jumped Auburn in any poll. The margin of victory was.
For example, if Auburn had played a game, any game, unless they had won by a huge margin it would have been the same result. Personally, Alabama shouldn’t have been rated above Auburn in any poll at any point yet this season, including now. That doesn’t mean Auburn is necesarily a better team, but fortunately for all of us in the SEC, those things get to play out on the field.
But wait. They gave Alabama a pass on the TAMU win, as they “always have?”
Really?
Don’t forget, it wasn’t just a commanding offense, or a dominating offense, and say what you want about zero penalties, but this was all done with a boatload of young players, including fresh meat in this game alone, such as when Alabama lost another offensive lineman who was replaced with a freshman.
Even the seniors don’t all have a ton of experience, such as Blake Sims as a first-year starter. Alabama has been wrecked by injuries, a factor the selection committee allegedly looks at (versus suspensions, such as in FSU’s case had they lost against Clemson).
You can claim bias all you want, but it’s clinical little-brother syndrome to say it’s just a media hand-out simply because it was Alabama, especially considering the polls in relation to these two teams will probably be rendered completely moot for the final game of the regular season.
That’s fundamentally why I don’t even really notice the polls much. They simply don’t matter. Frankly, I don’t look at them, but they’re impossible to avoid. I was having brunch in SC yesterday when my waiter said, “you know y’all are ranked number four now in the AP.” No, I didn’t know, and I guess if I don’t want to be told I’ll stop wearing anything that has a scripted “A” on it, but these are literally not even the rankings that matter one bit for determining a national champion this year.
But truth be told, it wasn’t just a beatdown; it was epic. Saying it’s because of a bye-week that some people put Alabama above Auburn discounts the magnitude of the victory, including Saban’s most-ever points difference against a P5 team, Sumlin’s first career zero, no penalties, precision, blocking, simply put, no team would have beaten Alabama this past Saturday. Consequently, no team plays like that every weekend for the second half of a season, either. But for one weekend, blaming a meaningless poll change on a bye after a loss has to have more to do with Auburn’s loss last weekend than Alabama’s win this past weekend. It may just be a bugger that Alabama isn’t as down this year as you and I might have thought they were, so I can understand the fear and doubt, but it’s still a marginal move in a meaningless poll.
Keep the ranking. As far as I’m concerned, Auburn should be ranked above Alabama. Fun.
As for Knoxville, I’m very much looking forward to a great drive and a fun football game. If Alabama can play like it did this past weekend, I might have to bring two cigars.
Part of your jump was because Bama looked good. Part of it is due to the bias they have against us, and for your team. We have to do more, to get any respect from them. That is why it is so satisfying, when we reach the top. We know we earned it. The problem with the polls is, they don’t hold all teams to the same standard. If they hold us to a higher standard, that is fine, but be consistent. They are not, nor have they ever been.
To give an example, Danny Kanell(yawn) said basically that the committee should count our won against Kansas State as a loss, because they could have beaten us. So Florida State should have Clemson, Notre Dame, and NC State as losses. You should have West Virginia, and Arkansas, Ole Miss should have Boise State, and Bama. Miss. State should have UAB, and LSU and so on. But the only team he mentions is us. Of course he is not the smartest one out there, but you get my point. If he was the only one who felt that way, that would be one thing, but he isn’t. Kirk said Miss. State dominated us. But it was a 8 point game, and we had the ball twice in the 4th quarter to tie it up. We didn’t, but that is not domination. You with A&M, and us with LSU was domination. (Was going to type his last name, but on my phone it auto corrected to her streaky, which might be closer to the truth for the ESPN bunch, but I would get called out for not spelling his last name right.
Yes, yes, it’s “us against the world” for Auburn, I know, you’ll never see it differently no matter how many locals I hear from all over the country about how Malzahn is the #1 coach in the country (or #2 behind Bill Snyder rather than Nick Saban), but, well, good grief.
You’re taught the “us against the world” mentality. It’s not your fault and I certainly don’t expect to change it, but it’s gross when you insist on it in spite of a weekend like that.
Danny Kannell? It’s not like he’s been overly-gracious of Alabama lately, either.
And he’s not on the playoff selection committee. What polls does he contribute to anyway?
I saw the MSU game. I wouldn’t call it dominating, but it’s semantics—-the better team won, just as Ole Miss was a better team when they beat Alabama, albeit as a result of a truckload of relevant, harrowing injuries in the first half.
Domination, too, is one thing. But zero? Against TAMU, of all teams, Alabama’s #1 or #2 “kryptonite” team?
All to argue a single, virtually meaningless poll jump versus media bias? Come on. Let it go.
We see it as an “us against the world”, because it is the way it is. We have to be clearly better than y’all, and that will never change. you can call that little brother syndrome. We call it reality. We also know we finish the year facing three top 10 teams(2 of those currently top 4), and all of those games on the road.If we win out, we will be in the top 4. Facing one of the toughest schedules ever, we still control our own destiny. But I know if the committee can find any reason to keep us out, they will. Facts are facts, and you at Bama are fortunate that they “give you a pass they won’t give us.”
In 2011, LSU should have never had to play you again, but with a 4 team playoff, a rematch is very possible. it could be Ole Miss and UA, or it could be Miss. State and us. We will then find out if the “better” team won either of those games, or did they just play better than both of us that day.
It is hard to say this, but as much as I hate UA, if you get to play Florida State, for the first, and only, time in my life, I will root for Alabama. Of course, I hope we are there to give them payback, and not you, but at this point, I would rather have anyone else win other than FSU.
And as far as Danny Kanell, and the other talking heads go, while they don’t vote in the polls, there is no doubt they influence how people think. I know he hates the SEC, and it would have been nice if someone had came back with my response to his stupid rant. But they don’t care about the truth, they never have, and never will. it is all about ratings. It will be interesting to see the first CFP ratings, and to see if they really intend on making sure only 1 team per conference get in.
Wow.
Just, wow.
I really just plain can’t relate to the way you think.
Then again, I’m not taught to, like at Auburn, tOSU, Oregon, et. al.
As an aside, since you brought up the 2011 title, I still don’t get why people don’t accept that one. Maybe Oklahoma State deserved a chance to beat LSU, but it’s hard to swallow that Alabama team not being the best that year—-they stomped on defense including several shut-outs and scored tons of points on everyone, including after I think 5 or 6 teams took bye-weeks before Alabama.
The poetic justice is the same thing would have likely happened in the playoff that was created as a result of that game, but it’s still “bias” to many and always will be. No wonder they think it’s them against the world.
In 2011, you lost to LSU at home in November. Most other teams would not have been rewarded for that. In 2012, you lost to a lower ranked A&M team at home, and rewarded for that as well. Neither year should you have been in the game, but you were. If they had had a playoff in 2011, you would have been in, and if you had played LSU again, and beat them, a lot less people would have had a problem with it. But as it was, everyone else knew you didn’t earn a rematch. It was handed to you. Very few other teams would have been given a mulligan like that, and not once, but twice.
We are taught at Auburn to overcome every obstacle put in our path. And to lnow those obstacles will be there, though some times they shouldn’t be.Alabama fans are taught to be arrogant, and they have learned that lesson well. I would rather know what I got in life I deserved, instead of wondering did I really deserve it? The sad thing is, most fans of UA think they did deserve it, when most of the time they did not.
Until you have been in someone else’s place, you can’t understand why they think like they do. Maybe they have seen it happen too often where the short end of the stick too often points their way. But the question is, do you accept that is the way it will be, or do you do what you can to have a different result. I don’t accept defeat, or that Auburn can not be successful on a regular basis, because I have seen numerous times where we were as good as anyone else, even if some of the polls didn’t want to recognize us as such. It will be fun to see how it all plays out.
Got it. You don’t think Alabama was the best team in 2011. I still don’t get it, but I hear you and that kinda says everything about how people like you (who most fans are like, for what it’s worth) will always pitch a fit no matter what. They don’t get it.
You don’t get it because you think it’s bias alone and don’t like the end result, but the worst part is you saying to look at it from someone else’s shoes. You didn’t do that for Alabama in 2011 (let alone 2012, but really? 2012?), but try it now. Look back. It happened so it can’t be changed and as a result you get a playoff, so take another look today. Tell me what you see. It’s not to say OKSU didn’t deserve to play LSU once, but whether or not Alabama was the best team in the country being a gift of a national title rather than anything they did at all? I just don’t get that part. Now it sounds like TOTAL bias no matter what Alabama does, and I don’t buy it.
And here we are, 2014, and the same thing might happen again and for the same team you hate and claim gets special treatment. What will you do then if Alabama does get in? That’s the part that bugs. Lately all I hear about is a potential rematch between ND and FSU.
Frankly, I say Alabama was the best team in 2011, but didn’t “deserve” to play LSU a second time for the national title. It would be the same mistake, but the end result wouldn’t be the extra two games in a playoff everyone thought they wanted. Something tells me you wouldn’t be upset if, for example, Alabama didn’t get it at #5 this season under absolutely any circumstance. I’m not even saying you should, but when you say I should be in someone else’s place to understand how they feel. I do that, if it helps. I don’t live in Alabama, I travel all over for lots of football games including games that don’t feature a single SEC team, but you still have to be able to do the same FOR Alabama in spite of your hate. Because like it or not, Alabama has been in this position recently, may be in this position this year, and likely will be in that position the next two years or more.
Okay, I am biased because of my belief you had your chance, and didn’t get it done in the regular season, by losing at HOME. You have every advantage and didn’t deserve a second chance. But you agreed you didn’t deserve it then. In 2012, you lost to a much lower ranked team, and fell half as many spots as any other team that year, when they had the loss.
As for this year, I think you deserve to be in far more than FSU. They have not looked like a top 5 team this year. Just basing it on this year, it would not be a stretch to say it should be the SEC West playoffs to determine the Champ. It won’t be, but an argument could be made we are the 4 most deserving teams. Still hoping the SEC West comes down to our 2 teams, with the loser getting eliminated. I do give the road team more of a pass, regardless of who those teams are. I give both of us a pass for losing on the road, and would not give that same pass to the Mississippi schools, because they were at home. I am consistent in my belief on this subject.
Your hate blinds you.
Again, I said Alabama didn’t deserve a rematch.
But they were the best team in the country, at least arguably compared to the team that deserved as much of a chance. You forgot to look at everything else though, so moving on.
Same with 2012. TAMU was a much lower team? That’s suggesting 49-0 loss is the same as a game-ending play in a close game, but also discounting what everyone else did (or, rather, what they didn’t do). Some say ND didn’t deserve to be in that game either. And I can’t imagine how Georgia fans feel, but I did certainly think about it.
But Alabama deserves to be in the playoff more than FSU?
Ugh.
No.
Alabama is probably a better team than FSU. But Alabama most certainly does not deserve to be in the playoff more than FSU (so far, anyway). Injuries may have contributed to Alabama losing to Ole Miss, but it’s still a divisional loss—-Alabama doesn’t even play for the SEC title without Ole Miss losing two games. That’s not to say Alabama isn’t better than even Ole Miss, but we’ll see more through the season, however, FSU hasn’t lost and they’ve had a target at least as big as Alabama’s.
FSU is the defending champion and hasn’t lost a game including a win over a top-five team (and yes, ND is a good team). Alabama’s best win is West Virginia.
Texas A&M was ranked 15 th to 17th in the polls, hence the lower ranking. Bama fell 3 spots in the polls for that loss. The average was 7.5, and Florida fell 5 spots, and everyone else in the top 10 fell at least 7 spots after their first loss that year. Those are facts, not opinion or hatred, as you want to claim.
As for this year, I(and a lot of other people) have not seen where FSU is a top 5 team. So they don’t deserve to be there. It doesn’t matter about last year. That doesn’t mean they can’t be that good. They just haven’t been that good. They will remain there till they lose, but I believe you should earn the ranking, and not have it handed to you. If we are going to say because they are undefeated, they should be highly ranked, then Marshall should be number 4. But they are nowhere near one of the top 4 schools. Use the same logic for every team, not just the ones you want to, for whatever reason.
Stop.
Yes, the amount they moved are facts.
But weren’t we both just saying the rankings in week 5 are based on limited data and some speculative opinion in the first place, and even then based on no data in the preseason rankings?
So moving against TAMU doesn’t make sense either way no matter what, it’s arguable, fine. But the end result is the bottom line still. More to the point, I didn’t think the way Alabama lost to TAMU in 2012 was enough to say they weren’t the best team in the country at the end of the season, never mind how many people said it might have been one of the best o-lines of all time (but certainly in 2012, yes?).
If FSU isn’t a top 5 team, they’ll lose. They haven’t, including against a ND team everyone seemed to dismiss before the FSU game but now they consider it a win…because it was close against FSU, even though FSU did win the game. For the record, I am a ND fan.
But now I’m really confused.
You’re saying winning for FSU doesn’t matter, but winning for Alabama absolutely should have in 2011 and 2012 and THEREFORE they weren’t the best team in the country or otherwise didn’t deserve the opportunity to put an exclamation point on the opposition in the title game.
Still, isn’t this exactly why we have a playoff? FSU might struggle to remain undefeated this year, but they get into the playoff if they do. Frankly, they have wins against better teams than Alabama does at this point.
Therefore, if FSU goes into the playoff, they either lose a game and miss the national championship repeat, or they beat two of the 3 best teams (arguably) in the nation to claim the national championship, and it would be hard to say they didn’t deserve it, including if they didn’t have to face teams including Alabama, Oregon, Ole Miss, tOSU, Michigan State, et.al.
Just relax and wait until the official playoff committee releases their initial rankings and enjoy the next two weekends in the meantime. Who knows? Maybe we’ll know more after this weekend, like Ole Miss going to Baton Rouge against a resurgent LSU.
And if the argument against FSU is the final penalty against Notre Dame, go back and look at the 2011 LSU v. Alabama game again for Michael Williams’ catch and tell me there’s no way Alabama ever deserved to be in the conversation as national champions (unless you think South Carolina would have beaten them in Atlanta).
The reason I think FSU does not deserve the ranking they have is, they have not played like a top 5 team at any point. Therefore, they shouldn’t be there. It really is not that hard to understand. And it isn’t just about the last call in the game. By the way, by rule, which is what the refs should go by, they got both calls you mentioned right. It would not have hurt my feelings to see FSU lose, but the fact is, when a WR engages a DB, and is an eligible receiver, if they engage at the line of scrimmage, he can block him till the play is blown dead. And yes, that means as far downfield as he can take him. #20 for Notre Dame did not start his block till he got in the end zone. #7 engaged his defender at the LOS, and that is why he wasn’t flagged on the play.
In 2012, A&M wasn’t the 5th game, but the 8th or maybe even the 9th. Losing in November should have a greater impact, because you have less time, and chances for others above you to lose. If you had fell the average number of spots others did, at the end of the year, you would not have been in position to play Notre Dame. But nothing can change what has happened. But it doesn’t make what did happen, the right thing either.
The big difference between you and me, is I am trying to apply the same standard to all teams. You fall into the trap of selective application, depending on the teams involved. Alabama may very well have been the best team, but that doesn’t mean they were the most deserving team out there.
You’re losing me. Again.
You gotta look good to be rated high, in spite of winning or losing.
But Alabama 2011 and 2012 they didn’t?
And FSU has beaten Clemson and Notre Dame, two teams that are arguably better than Alabama’s best win, not to mention Alabama’s loss to Ole Miss, a loss FSU doesn’t have?
Then I tried to do the math and it makes even less sense. So put an undefeated FSU behind two one-loss teams without wins as good as FSU, but if FSU isn’t that good then what do you do with Notre Dame?
But then you again say I’m not seeing the Alabama bias in the rankings. You’re saying a loss is a loss for Alabama, but not for FSU or Notre Dame. That’s what I don’t get. Again, I hear you that Alabama didn’t “move” as much as everyone else did that lost to TAMU, but look at the points difference alone. Look. I’m not asking you to consider anything else in the game the way you are for FSU, ND and Auburn this year. Just don’t get upset about the degree of change in a meaningless poll without considering why anyone might have voted that way. I’d explain it myself but I’m afraid you’d cite bias, and the bottom line is it isn’t needed when you look at the score, but it’s also even more clear when you look at the game itself.
And again, it still doesn’t matter. I just don’t get it. I get “us against the world” logic, but what I really don’t get is “the world is for Alabama” logic not because of Alabama’s relative performance but completely in spite of it. They don’t hate Auburn, either. Good grief.
Before you say the score value doesn’t matter, my point was the difference between other teams they played, including the two other teams TAMU lost to that year. They beat most teams by an enormous number and the only two teams that held TAMU to less points than Alabama also got wins over TAMU. I won’t say anything about the game itself, but I recommend looking at it if you think it really was pure media bias towards Alabama in 2012.
The 3 team (Florida) loses to 8 (Georgia), and drops 5 spots. 2 (Oregon) loses to 11 or 12 (Stanford), and drops 9 spots. 1 (Alabama) loses to 15 (Texas A&M), and drops 3 spots. A different standard applied to one team only. Would like to see same standard across the board. But it is not, and never will be.
But that’s because the losses weren’t the same, not because every loss is identical.
Otherwise, FSU beat Notre Dame by 49-0 just as much as they won from a penalty at the end.
Maybe if Alabama beat TAMU 9-6 I could understand the complete and total belief that it’s all a media bias towards Alabama had they jumped Auburn during Auburn’s bye-week.
Instead, why not complain MSU stayed at #1 during a bye-week when undefeated FSU beat #5 Notre Dame? A different standard?
The only one holding anyone to a different standard here is you. Uncloud your eyes from all the hate.
You prove my point about a different standard by adding MSU in the discussion. They were #1 and had a bye week. They didn’t play, and the pollsters did not have anyone jump them, because of that. Auburn doesn’t play, and while we were good enough to be better than UA and Michigan State the week before, now we are not. Nobody jumped Miss. State, nor should they. We should have went up 2 spots, not 1, but in the end, it isn’t going to matter, because if we win out, that will take care of itself, and if we don’t, that will take care of itself as well.
What is the real issue is the poll that comes out next Tuesday night. We will see who is where, and get a glimpse as to what they are thinking.
Now you’re talking.
Alabama might wreck UT in the game this weekend. Auburn will likely destroy South Carolina, too. Let’s assume both happens.
Now the official, singularly-important poll comes out following those games.
My guess is some will have Alabama and Auburn in swapping places in their polls. I’d say Auburn deserves to be higher than Alabama at this point, but I can’t get mad at the argument anyone could make after this weekend if they put Alabama one spot above Auburn.
Of course, if LSU beats Ole Miss, it’s bedlam. Then Auburn should be ahead of Alabama—-if they aren’t (and the games this weekend are similar) then I’ll consider some of the bias talk, albeit these three games probably won’t be the outlyer for any of these teams.
I’m more curious where they put Georgia. I could understand an argument putting UGA above both Alabama and Auburn (at this point).
Until the poll that matters comes out, and maybe we get an idea what the standards will be, in reality, we both need to win The SEC to make sure we are in. You have a better chance of getting in without winning, or even playing in the SECCG, before we would. Not saying bias, but that is just the way it is.
What?
I completely disagree.
Read what you said again.
You’re saying Alabama has a better chance of getting into the playoff if they win out than if Auburn wins out and neither team plays in the SEC title game.
I just can’t belive you thought that through.
Maybe Notre Dame would have a better chance than either team, but if Auburn beats everyone else on their regular season schedule, which includes Alabama, how can you say the opposite is true for Alabama? Because Alabama would have beaten MSU at home? Maybe, but still, I don’t think it’s different unless the team that gets into the SEC title game is the one that beat Auburn, otherwise it’s Ole Miss, isn’t it? I don’t get it. I think you have a greater fear of bias than anything else.
Just because you don’t believe it, doesn’t mean it isn’t true. The past is always the greatest indicator of the present, or future. However, if FSU, Oregon, and either Ohio State or Michigan State all win out, to insure a spot in the playoff, one of us had better make sure we are SEC Champs. We don’t need to give them any reason not to pick us( not just talking about AU in this instance.) We both have been passed over at various times, and I don’t trust them to not do it to us again. But all we can do, is do our best to win out, and let the chips fall where they may.
They should look at the fact that if we win out, we would have beaten 2 top 5 teams on the road, 2 other teams who were top 10 at one point, and 1 other top 10, and maybe top 5 team. Obviously, that is based on OM,UA, and UGA not losing before we play them. Just not convinced that will be enough, depending on what other conference champs wind up doing.
But your perception of the past is based on your own implication of bias in the first place.
Let it play out. Someone is getting left out and apparently that’s the only way to change things no matter how clear the best team really is this year.
Nah, we jumped over you because you got shit stomped.
And it was an impressive win. Congrats on that.
Epic Beat Down
Yeah. I guess this cements that aTm is a really bad team in everyone’s view, now. If the Boogs had won this game in similar fashion, aTm would be fielding the greatest team in decades, at least according to Alabama media.
Great game.
Agreed. TAMU has lost to three teams in a row that are all in the top 5. We laid an awesome whuppin on them. West Virginia is trending upwards. Arkansas is snake bitten but maybe they will at least make a bowl. We won’t impress anybody by beating Tennessee but For the Vols this game coming up will be a season maker for them… We will see won’t we?
UT’s defense really struggled to stop the run against Ole Miss, which definitely looks good for a resurgent Alabama o-line (including Grant Hill replacing Shepherd for the time being, note to mention Bozeman doing work in place of Kelly).
UT’s offense though might give Alabama some fits.
But to me, the outlyer is UT is a road game. Alabama has performed masterfully at home and questionably bad on the road, even if you try to ignore the problems from injury like against Ole Miss. While I don’t expect the Tide to lose to the Vols this year, it’s going to be a hostile environment, for sure, and what I’d really love to see is Alabama perform well in a hostile environment. Right now, that’s their biggest weakness, and LSU is clearly no longer a joke (that didn’t take long). I’ll be there in Knoxville this weekend. and I can’t wait.
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