re: Can Milroe manage the game for a Bama win?

My observations:

Defense:
Both DL > both OL, No advantage
Alabama LB > A&M LB, Advantage Alabama
Alabama DB > A&M DB, Advantage Alabama, particularly tackling

Offense:
QB, A&M, Good Passing/average running
QB, Alabama, suspect passing, very good running

Alabama WR = A&M WR, No advantage
A&M TE > Alabama TE, Advantage A&M
Alabama RB = A&M RB, when running, no advantage
Alabama RB > A&M RB, pass blocking, small Alabama advantage

Coaching: Advantage Alabama

Milroe's game to win, or lose. Milroe is a very good open field runner and I think A&M LB/DB will get exposed if the DL loses containment. Texas has good LB that forced Milroe to the sideline when he broke containment. Milroe playing for his hometown crowd (Katy), I think he'll be ready.

Can A&M keep Max upright? A&M pass protection suspect at best, RB's are bad. Miami blitzed A&M's all day. A&M went 5 wide w/ no RB/TE protection when CW got hurt. Ugly game if Max is under constant pressure. If he has time, may be a different story.

I’ll settle for what he did last week. 10-12 for 164 yds, 11 runs for 69 yds and two TDs, win by 23. Tougher competition of course but I think Rees and Saban are figuring out how to use him. Plus we have our secret weapon, the assassin known as Will Reichard, to bail us out. Should be a great game. We shall see.

The idea of Lonergan or Simpson being thrown into a hostile road environment and this not being good is a hollow argument. If Milroe is playing at the same level he's played this season, Saban will have no choice but to play Simpson or Lonergan b/c it will be apparent Milroe simply isn't the guy and the program will only further regress with Milroe.

I don't agree with the argument of keeping an inept player in the game simply because the backups are unproven. In this case, the starter may be proven to not be good enough. So, it makes no sense to keep the starter in the game.

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We aren't beating A&M in College Station with a performance like this from Milroe.

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Maybe not, but if we get 16 points from Reichard and a Pick 6, I like our chances.

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Blake Sims was a QB his one year as a starter. Don't lie. Blake put up some nice numbers.

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Blake Sims was a running back that converted to QB. The year he started at QB his stats were:

Passing - 64.4% comp; 3,487 yards; 28 TD; 10 INT; 157.9 rating
Rushing - 78 att; 350 yds; 4.5 yd/a; 7 TD

Milroe is a LB or TE playing QB. His stats through 4 games.

Passing - 69.9% comp; 838 yards; 6 TD; 3 INT; 177.9 rating
Rushing - 48 att; 189 yds, 3.9 yds/a; 4 TD

Sims threw more no doubt. But Milroe is a better runner. And Blake Sims was a running back. And Milroe’s completion percentage and rating are higher than Sims’. And that is counting the Texas debacle.

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How do you think Texas has a superior DL to A&M? Please let me know something because I doubt that very seriously

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PFF says they are better. That is what they do, score and rank players and units. They say Texas is better.

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Lonergan and Simpson can pass the ball and we will need a passer if this season is to amount to anything.

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I have not seen Lonergan play in a real game since he has not played in one this year. And Simpson could not sustain drives against South Florida. His stats were very pedestrian. He had one good completion in one half of football. His stats were:

Passing - 54.5% comp; 78 yds; 0 TD; 0 INT; 114.1 rating
Rushing - 12 att; -1 yd; -.1 yds; 2 TD

Of note; 45 of those 78 passing yards were on one completion.

In no way do the stats say Simpson is better. And neither does the eye test. You are complaining that Milroe only scored 24 against Ole Miss when Simpson and Buchner scored 17 against South Florida. And 3 of those were set up by a turnover. Alabama had two sustained scoring drives in that game. So I don’t know what you are basing your opinion on other than “the grass is always greener on the other side.” The fact is, there is no grass on the other side. Not this year.

I don’t know if Alabama will win Saturday. But your and the Aggie’s argument that they don’t have a chance is stupid. Even more so if you actually look at what the teams have actually done.

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Our offense isn't good at all. How are we running for 300 yards on NFL bound guys with no creditable passing game?!

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I wouldn't say "at all" but to me it's severely limited in red zone. BAMA isn't getting to ATL or beyond living off 4 FGs a game because they can't throw in a compressed field situation

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We threw what 1 pass in the first half against MSU

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Milroe was 10/14 for 112yds and 1 pass TD in the first half

I know you're critical of Milroe, and I don't disagree with some of your points. Exaggerating like that doesn't help your argument though

Also Blake Sims overachieved what most thought he would. I think we both agree there. How many times did Amari Cooper take a short pass and house it, inflating his stats though? Milroe is operating with much less

Milroe has much better receivers than Sims. Yes, Sims had Cooper. But, Milroe has the best TE duo we've had at Bama that I can recall. And, 17, Burton, Hale, Preston, and Benson are all good players.

The formula for Bama is what the formula was in early Saban years.
Run the ball effectively
Defense limits big plays and gives up no 3rd and longs
Be effecient in the pass game. Not yds but key passes at key times
Not throw it over 25 times
limit penalties
no special teams miscues

If Bama runs for 175 they are in good shape. Milroe is not the key in this offense. the O line is. The defensive line is the key on the other side. Watching Qb's last year stand back there Reading the Great Gatsby was so frustrating. Dart and rogers didn't have time to even set up.

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Bama ranks 122nd in the nation in sacks allowed. A&M ranks 50th.


Yeah, but what matters is how they play this Saturday. They will have their chance to show whether the improvement we believe we’ve seen in the last couple of weeks is real or not.

I’ve gotta say, you’ve been awfully cocky this week. A&M is certainly capable of beating Alabama, in fact, they probably will. However, if Alabama does win, I hope you’ll be here after the game to show that you can take it as much as you can dish it.

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Fair enough but Bama has no shortage of cockiness. That cockiness is based off of performance from previous years and not this one. You guys had a decent win against Ole Miss and that's really all so far. You have more holes than we are used to seeing in Bama and an unreliable QB which is very unusual for you.

If the A&M team from the 2nd half of the Miami game shows up we will lose. If A&M has a lot of turnovers and penalties they will lose.

The main reason for A&M's optimism is the only glaring disparity is the Aggie DL vs the Bama OL, that is not trivial because it is really freaking hard to overcome that matchup. I do think Bama is the best D A&M will have faced as well, nothing is going to be easy.

Straight up talent for talent I like A&M in this game. I also like how it is at home. Still Bama has a lot of weapons, a great D, and the GOAT on the sideline. It's really going to come down to execution and mistakes. I think a lot of Aggies are excited because this is the first time we have played Bama since 2013 that we are going in thinking it is an even game or better and they see the opportunity. Win this and we are in the Driver's seat for the West and this Board will lose its mind. Lose and Bama takes on that role and everything feels like normal.

Should be fun.