Gotta chime in on some of the "observations"...

My apologies for starting another post-game analysis thread, but it's really in response to a lot of the crap analysis going on in several threads and about several topics:

Topic 1:

Sylve did not have a bad game, and all you folks who are decrying him for not turning his head to find the ball don't understand playing db, don't understand the technique Saban teaches, and likely never played the game.

Turning your head to find the ball is a LUXURY that you take advantage of if the route/throw affords you the time and you get the signal early enough from the receiver to do so. WV was not running those kinds of routes. It was all 1-step and 3-step drops, no long developing routes, and a few broken plays. Sylve and the other db's had TIGHT coverage on nearly every completion (not counting crossing stuff, that's another topic).

I'd be much more concerned if they were completing stuff and where the WR's had significant separation. Saban has said multiple times that a perfect route and a perfect throw will beat perfect coverage every time. And let's face it - Trickett had a helluvan accurate day, fitting the rock in tight windows all afternoon.

Secondly, we were getting outschemed in the first half because we were playing bump and run on the slot guy and playing off the outside receiver. Then in the second half, we started playing bump coverage on the outside man, and only gave up 6 points in the second half.

WV's was taking advantage of our alignments and doing a helluva job.

Sylve will be fine. And you f@ckers clamoring for the freshman DB's to start make me sick. Sure, they'll be stars one day, but if Sylve and Jones were in position nearly all night cause they KNOW THE D inside and out, what are freshman gonna do?. Put Humphrey, Brown, or Jones in full time and THEN you'll see folks running free. Can't cover 'em if you don't know what to do. Knowledge of Saban's D is much higher on the list of keys to success than sheer physical talent.

Topic #2:
Sims had an excellent day overall. Completed 73% for 250, had command all night, and couldn't be touched in the pocket.

Question: How many times would AJ have been sacked had he been in the game? 3? 4? Probably. Sims was never sacked and we were very rarely behind the chains or off schedule.

Had a QB like AJ been playing, we'd have had 2nd and 14+ like 3 or 4 times. Sims' legs keep us on schedule and out of 2nd and 3rd and long.

Sims legs are an incredible asset, much more so than I had even anticipated.

Sure, his INT was bad, and he had about 3 other bad throws, low ones usually when he scrambled out of the pocket. Every other throw was ON THE frickING MONEY all night. He was incredibly accurate. Some of you folks will say, "So, it was all short to intermediate routes. He can't throw the deep ball."...

And my answer is "Shut the frick up and let knowledgeable people speak." I agree that Coker throws a PRETTIER deep ball, but by all accounts, Sims has been more accurate on every other type of throw all camp. What good is a pretty bomb if the next two 10 yard hitches are 5 feet too high? There is no evidence that Coker is a more accurate passer on short to intermediate stuff. Sure his ball looks good, but what is the result?

WE run the West Coast offense now. The deep ball takes a back seat by scheme. Get used to it. We don't need to be an incredible deep-ball squad to "loosen up defenses" or "beat FL". If you doubt this, then you don't understand Bill Walsh's genius and never saw Joe Montana or Jerry Rice play football.

Sims also has plenty of arm to make all the throws. And a lack of being able to throw an Elway-type 50 yard double-move nerf turbo laser beam is far trumped by his spider-monkey like ability to avoid the pressure.

Other thoughts:

3) Our LB's did not play well in pass coverage. Mostly related to communication issues. Many or most of the crossing stuff was played correctly by the DB's. Ragland, Foster, and CO. gave little to no help in the middle of the field.

It made our DB's look bad to the casual, idiot fan.

4) Kiffin called a good game. I don't know why we waited until the 3rd quarter to call a designed run outside the B gap (outside the tackles), but when we did, it really opened things up.

5) WV has a helluvan offense and will beat some folks. They also had an incredible game plan and executed it perfectly. As a reference, I think WV would beat Arky straight up if they played.

6) Those of you complaining about a lack of pressure and lack of sacks: because of how quickly Tricket was letting it fly, 3-step drop MAXIMUM, humans can't move fast enough to get there. And they did have some folks getting in our way. Our Dline can't fricking teleport to the QB, geez.

7) Those of you who decry Sims for fixating on Cooper. AJ did too, and both Mac and JP fixated on Julio. Why are you so upset about that now? Every QB we've ever had under fixates on our first-round bad-arse wideout. Why is it a knock on Sims?

8) The QB race is NOT over, but Coker is definitively # 2 right now based on the preponderance of evidence available to the guys getting paid millions to win football games for Alabama.

Get over it. Right now, Sims gives us the best option to win. That is a fact. Coker could end up being the guy, sure, but that will take BOTH a collapse by Sims AND Coker really stepping up his game - accuracy, knowledge, leadership - everything, and the chances of that happening lessen each day.

Sims did a great job and can definitely lead us to # 16. Not saying he will cause that's hard for everyone, but Sims was one of the very bright spots on Saturday.

9) We tackled poorly. Gotta fix that.

10) We handled the hurry up much better than previous years, in terms of not getting frazzled, and lining up quickly and just playing.

11) Our D played poorly by our standards and only gave up one offensive TD. Relax.

WV had some success, but why can't we be big enough sportsmen and give them some credit for playing well and making some really nice plays? Why was every successful offensive snap for WV a chance for some of you to blame our players illogically harshly? The other team made a play. Get the frick over it, be a man, and admit that someone else is playing this sport we love dearly at a high level too.

In summation, we beat a solid (pre-season polls and records from last year mean nothing) FBS team at a neutral site who runs the HUNH air raid while giving up a special teams TD and playing a first year starter in his first game at QB and without our defensive signal caller, and we beat them BY 2 SCORES!

We dropped another TD, and took the foot off the offensive gas in the fourth. We could've easily scored another 14 if Ch. Jones doesn't have a brain fart, and if we throw it at all in the middle to late fourth Q.

WV will beat some folks this year. And lots of you guys are fixating on some molehills and making them mountains, all the while ignoring some fantastically positive stuff.

We'll be fine by SEC play.

Roll Tide.