re: This was Saban's best coaching job at Alabama

Im giving him 2015 before i want him out. Here's who we recruited for him to work with. (Guys that were here before him)

2013:
4* OG Grant Hill
4* OG Leon Brown
3* OT Brandon Hill. Too fat. Processed himself.
3* OG Bradley Bozeman

2012
4* OT Brandon Greene: Now a TE
4* OT Alphonse Taylor
3* OT Caleb Gulledge (Not on the team)

2011
5* OT Cyrus Kouandjio He gone
4* OT Aaron Douglas RIP
3* OG Isaac Luatua

2010
4* OT Arie Kouandjio
3* OT Austin Shepherd

I think hiring Stoutland screwed us over. Mario is cooking with Stoutland's groceries. Stoutland wasn't allowed to go to the store. So...

By contrast, here is who Cristobal has recruited:

2014:
5* OT Cam Rob
4* OT Ross Pierschbacher
4* JUCO OT Dominick Jackson
4* OC JC Hassenauer
4* OC Josh Casher

2015:
4* OG Lester Cotton
4* OG Richie Petitbon
4* OG Brandon Kennedy
3* OT Matt Womack

I'm going to wait until Cristobal has his guys in place before I judge him. Pendry was fricking awesome, and Stout looked good because of Pendry's evaluations. Cristobal had jack nothing to work with when he got here.

Oh I agree that 2008 is in the argument. It is either this year or 08. That 08 team had better OL play and a better defensive backfield in coverage, didn't turn the ball over as much, and got more turnovers.

It was also hungrier than this team as a whole. And all this is just my opinion. But to sustain what we did this season, without a pure QB, with one of Sabans weakest OLs and DBack fields, to win the SEC and make the first playoff just makes me feel like it was his best job.

I question d bringing in Kiffen, but it turned out to be genius. Saban deserves credit for that. He has coached at Bama long enough to see football really change in favor of the offense and he has abated to that, especially this season.

quote:

---

Is it just me or did we quietly over-cull our herd on the O-Line, too?

---

I don't know. When you have followed recruiting like I have, certain things stick out. The fact that we signed 5 oline in one year, (and wanted to sign more btw) should have been a warning sign as to the current state of the guys on campus. Add in that we are signing another 5 oline in 2015, and Cristobal's opinion of what Stoutland left him is crystal clear. Cristobal is bringing in 10 oline in two years. That is what Stoutland brought in 3 years.

The last time we signed this many oline in one year was the 2009 class. Not coincidentally, our best oline came three years after that class.

quote:

---

It was also hungrier than this team as a whole.

---

I don't think that is fair to this group tbh. There is a reason Saban constantly spoke about how much he loved coaching this year's team.

I think this team that just had holes that they were able to overcome all season. I don't think it is a coincidence that the team with almost a month to prepare for us was able to expose those holes.

quote:

---

But to sustain what we did this season, without a pure QB, with one of Sabans weakest OLs and DBack fields, to win the SEC and make the first playoff just makes me feel like it was his best job.

---

This ^^^