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re: Morning after thoughts
Posted on 1/2/24 at 9:45 am to BigFolks6347
Posted on 1/2/24 at 9:45 am to BigFolks6347
I was at the game, so I didn't see a ton of replays. However, with just watching it live, here are my takes...
1. Michigan in 1st half offensively had a good plan, good mix, misdirection, trick plays. Got 13 points..meh
2. Defensively, they had a very good plan, and came another OL and Milroe from everywhere. They were physical.
3. Alabama, defensively, was ok, but once again wasn't disciplined enough with the candy on a few plays, and that bit us. Zero pressure on qb.
4. Offensively, the OL didn't handle anything very well at all. Milroe didn't really either. He had some check downs, but he hasn't done that all season. He had some crosses that he didn't look at, again hasn't done much of that all season.
In the 2nd half, our defense made adjustments and put the clamps down till 4th and 2. Michigan had 2 plays up till that point, the toe touch catch for a first down and the wide open pass play after the Milroe fumble.
Offensively, we settled in and were much better. The snaps on first drive were horrific. But we controlled the half. The fumble was a momentum killer but we got it back. The illegal substitution penalty was bad too. I think that kept us from getting a td or at least getting closer and taking more time off.
After 4th and 2, it was a shite show. Defense left back wide open, and totally disappeared. Got out of position. They went right down and scored. We still had a chance but didn't make a play to get in FG range. I thought we were going to get the muffed punt but couldn't do it.
OT, the D again was gone. Two plays. Offense looked out of ideas. Nothing new or different, when they really needed it. The 4th down call was obvious, even if it was possibly a pass. Poor snap, poor blocking, poor result.
This game to me summed up the whole season as a team and individually. Rough start, better in the middle, but back to a struggle in the end. The OL looked better but they have plenty of issues across the line. Yes, the center snaps are maddening, but it was the complete line. Milroe did improve a little bit but to me, more of just a runner and broken play guy. He doesn't read defenses well and therefore doesn't know where to go with it. Like last night, all season he has had backs out of the backfield or TE in the middle of field and hasn't gone to them and they have been wide open. For as well as he did at times and sparkled and won us over, he still, at the core, isn't good enough yet.
Defense was much improved but still gave up drives in big moments. They got out of position on eye candy. They would lose momentum and wouldn't regain it. But they also gave us opportunities to win when the offense struggled.
Coaching wise, I don't think Rees is as bad as yall think, but he's not great either. Part of it is his play calling, part is OL, and part is Milroe not taking advantage of the play that was called. At times he was good, others not. He doesn't have a lot of creativity. Steele did a good job, but it couldn't have been any worse than Golding. I don't think Steele was aggressive enough, especially last night, but the defense was better this year. Saban is Saban. He deserves some questioning but it was a hell of a job this year. However, he has some decisions to make about staff and players. Will be interesting.
Strength and conditioning coach needs to step it up. We are nowhere near where we were with Cochran both physically and mentally. We need some attitude!
I will not be coming back to California as I am now 0-2.
Roll Tide!
1. Michigan in 1st half offensively had a good plan, good mix, misdirection, trick plays. Got 13 points..meh
2. Defensively, they had a very good plan, and came another OL and Milroe from everywhere. They were physical.
3. Alabama, defensively, was ok, but once again wasn't disciplined enough with the candy on a few plays, and that bit us. Zero pressure on qb.
4. Offensively, the OL didn't handle anything very well at all. Milroe didn't really either. He had some check downs, but he hasn't done that all season. He had some crosses that he didn't look at, again hasn't done much of that all season.
In the 2nd half, our defense made adjustments and put the clamps down till 4th and 2. Michigan had 2 plays up till that point, the toe touch catch for a first down and the wide open pass play after the Milroe fumble.
Offensively, we settled in and were much better. The snaps on first drive were horrific. But we controlled the half. The fumble was a momentum killer but we got it back. The illegal substitution penalty was bad too. I think that kept us from getting a td or at least getting closer and taking more time off.
After 4th and 2, it was a shite show. Defense left back wide open, and totally disappeared. Got out of position. They went right down and scored. We still had a chance but didn't make a play to get in FG range. I thought we were going to get the muffed punt but couldn't do it.
OT, the D again was gone. Two plays. Offense looked out of ideas. Nothing new or different, when they really needed it. The 4th down call was obvious, even if it was possibly a pass. Poor snap, poor blocking, poor result.
This game to me summed up the whole season as a team and individually. Rough start, better in the middle, but back to a struggle in the end. The OL looked better but they have plenty of issues across the line. Yes, the center snaps are maddening, but it was the complete line. Milroe did improve a little bit but to me, more of just a runner and broken play guy. He doesn't read defenses well and therefore doesn't know where to go with it. Like last night, all season he has had backs out of the backfield or TE in the middle of field and hasn't gone to them and they have been wide open. For as well as he did at times and sparkled and won us over, he still, at the core, isn't good enough yet.
Defense was much improved but still gave up drives in big moments. They got out of position on eye candy. They would lose momentum and wouldn't regain it. But they also gave us opportunities to win when the offense struggled.
Coaching wise, I don't think Rees is as bad as yall think, but he's not great either. Part of it is his play calling, part is OL, and part is Milroe not taking advantage of the play that was called. At times he was good, others not. He doesn't have a lot of creativity. Steele did a good job, but it couldn't have been any worse than Golding. I don't think Steele was aggressive enough, especially last night, but the defense was better this year. Saban is Saban. He deserves some questioning but it was a hell of a job this year. However, he has some decisions to make about staff and players. Will be interesting.
Strength and conditioning coach needs to step it up. We are nowhere near where we were with Cochran both physically and mentally. We need some attitude!
I will not be coming back to California as I am now 0-2.
Roll Tide!
1
Posted on 1/2/24 at 9:45 am to Chad4Bama
quote:
He hasn't played a truly good game since maybe LSU.
What? Man, some of you folks need to log off.
Posted on 1/2/24 at 9:50 am to 11and18gggchamp
quote:
. I don't think Steele was aggressive enough, especially last night, but the defense was better this year
I really long for the days of our D breathing fire and pissing lightning. Steele did a good job this year, but I think we are all ready to be great on D again.
Posted on 1/2/24 at 9:57 am to Allthatfades
This is the same Michigan team that lost twice in playoffs before. Experience helps.
Posted on 1/2/24 at 10:20 am to Crimson K
quote:
quote:
. I don't think Steele was aggressive enough, especially last night, but the defense was better this year
I really long for the days of our D breathing fire and pissing lightning. Steele did a good job this year, but I think we are all ready to be great on D again.
Everyone's ready for that, but until we get better in some areas, that's not going to yield good results. The thing that's struck me watching games this season, is the caliber of OL and DL we now have compared to past Bama teams. Did you see anyone that was close to the talent level of Ashawn Robinson, Quinnen Williams, Marcel Darius, or Dalvin Tomlinson (much less multiple players on the same team)? We haven't had bad recruiting classes, but it's striking. Whether injuries, missing on players we were higher on, development issues, or our switch to a more finesse offense making the defense softer, the talent level has changed. I haven't a clue.
Posted on 1/2/24 at 10:37 am to Allthatfades
Saban wasn’t out coached like ESPN says. Harbaugh’s never made halftime adjustments, because he doesn’t have to and since we couldn’t stop their ground game he did not have to. Harbaugh’s only “halftime adjustment” was inserting a dual threat QB for one play. The timeouts called when MI was backed up at their own goal line was smart coaching by Saban IMO. Now, was our play caller outcoached? Say what you want but the receivers didn’t get open, so it’s not like Jalen blew it or something. If our receivers decide to transfer, nobody is gonna want them outside of the fact that they played for Alabama. Couple that with sub par O-line play, especially at the center position, and Jalen has no time to throw. Were we playing Jase for his blocking capabilities? Obviously not because we were in empty a lot…. And since this is our board and not the rant, the refs didn’t help us. There were several obvious holding penalties that did not get called. I am talking free rushers in the backfield getting horse collared from the beat tackles. Pathetic. We win this game with Dalcourt at center, but when you run the guy out of town like we did last year, you get stuck with this. We didn’t run to open up the pass. We passed to begin with which was frustrating. What a crazy gamble. Talk all you want about the LANK and all that, but don’t y’all remember at the “Run the dang ball” hats we wore this summer? What happened to that? It’s like we were searching for someone to provide a spark, inserting Jam & Justice, but then you yank them? RB is our deepest position and Milroe had one more carry than all of our RBs combined. Michigan had a run first philosophy and found that we couldn’t completely stop it, and stuck with it, like any coach would do. I think that settled their QB in some. And the final play, that is not on Jalen, the bad snap ruined that play. You don’t win them all. Roll Tide.
Posted on 1/2/24 at 10:47 am to Bama121212
quote:
and since we couldn’t stop their ground game he did not have to.
They ran for 4 ypc, and most of that was on a few big runs.
quote:
We didn’t run to open up the pass. We passed to begin with which was frustrating. What a crazy gamble. Talk all you want about the LANK and all that, but don’t y’all remember at the “Run the dang ball” hats we wore this summer? What happened to that? It’s like we were searching for someone to provide a spark, inserting Jam & Justice, but then you yank them? RB is our deepest position and Milroe had one more carry than all of our RBs combined.
Couldn't agree more.
Posted on 1/2/24 at 10:59 am to RollTide4Ever
quote:
This is the same Michigan team that lost twice in playoffs before. Experience helps
JJ threw 2 pick 6s last year against TCU, so you are right. Harbaugh was by him all pregame yesterday.
If #4 is the QB next year he needs a QB coach. He is, by all accounts, the hardest working kid on the team. He has some serious yips on the field. Its like his brain is telling him one thing and his body does another. RPOs should be easy by now, but its not for him.
He is like the kid who studies more than anyone and makes a C on the final exam.
Yes our center is atrocious, nothing against the kid, I am just talking about his play.
Posted on 1/2/24 at 11:26 am to Allthatfades
I've said this since last spring.
Jalen Milroe can't read a defense but he came a very long way from that point in time but that's still one of his biggest flaws. I also said that he would make the offense one dimensional and he did plenty of times.
Alabama will lose some players because Jalen Milroe doesn't allow them to run a fully effective offense.
Ty Simpson has made tremendous strides and to be honest with you...if he's the quarterback vs Georgia, we win by 14 or more. If he was the QB yesterday...we win by 10 plus.
Nick Saban will have a difficult choice ahead of him...he's either going to lose skill players because they aren't getting touches because of who he has at quarterback or he's going to make some changes.
The freshman offensive lineman are good. They are way more physical and violent at the line of scrimmage.
Defense: who will step up and be the pass rushers? Will Nick Saban and company stop handicapping these fast linebackers (Justin Jefferson, Jeremiah Alexander, or Buck Robinson). Guys need to be in the game some kind a way on defense.
Secondary: where are the ball hawks at safety? Downs & Arnold (Will be special)
Special Teams: hire another coach period for (KR & PR)
Jalen Milroe can't read a defense but he came a very long way from that point in time but that's still one of his biggest flaws. I also said that he would make the offense one dimensional and he did plenty of times.
Alabama will lose some players because Jalen Milroe doesn't allow them to run a fully effective offense.
Ty Simpson has made tremendous strides and to be honest with you...if he's the quarterback vs Georgia, we win by 14 or more. If he was the QB yesterday...we win by 10 plus.
Nick Saban will have a difficult choice ahead of him...he's either going to lose skill players because they aren't getting touches because of who he has at quarterback or he's going to make some changes.
The freshman offensive lineman are good. They are way more physical and violent at the line of scrimmage.
Defense: who will step up and be the pass rushers? Will Nick Saban and company stop handicapping these fast linebackers (Justin Jefferson, Jeremiah Alexander, or Buck Robinson). Guys need to be in the game some kind a way on defense.
Secondary: where are the ball hawks at safety? Downs & Arnold (Will be special)
Special Teams: hire another coach period for (KR & PR)
Posted on 1/2/24 at 11:33 am to Joka2kold
quote:
Ty Simpson has made tremendous strides and to be honest with you...if he's the quarterback vs Georgia, we win by 14 or more. If he was the QB yesterday...we win by 10 plus.
here we go again lol
Posted on 1/2/24 at 11:34 am to TideWarrior
quote:
UM was able to execute and made very few mistakes.
That has nothing to do with why our players did NOT execute on multiple plays.
Posted on 1/2/24 at 11:35 am to Joka2kold
quote:
Ty Simpson has made tremendous strides and to be honest with you...if he's the quarterback vs Georgia, we win by 14 or more. If he was the QB yesterday...we win by 10 plus.
How do you know and prove this? If you can’t, then it’s speculation and not relevant.
The back up QB is always “better” argument is dumb and rarely true.
Not sure why this fan base is always like that. “Put Star Jackson in, Coach!”
Posted on 1/2/24 at 11:41 am to YStar
I think ppl go too far in blaming Milroe and ppl also go too far in defending him. The truth is always in the middle.
There’s 100% truth in saying Milroe didn’t throw the ball well and didn’t make great decisions. That’s reality. He was bad for the most part. Life goes on. He wasn’t the only one.
Milroe needs a lot of work in the offseason mechanically. He still looks so raw in his play style and throwing motion. Accuracy is rough.
There’s 100% truth in saying Milroe didn’t throw the ball well and didn’t make great decisions. That’s reality. He was bad for the most part. Life goes on. He wasn’t the only one.
Milroe needs a lot of work in the offseason mechanically. He still looks so raw in his play style and throwing motion. Accuracy is rough.
This post was edited on 1/2/24 at 11:42 am
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:16 pm to Allthatfades
quote:
The last play call was shite though. I don’t care about the snap, a seam, etc. Everyone and their mother knew what was coming.
Ultimately, blame for the last play call goes on Saban. Throughout two timeouts, he's on the headsets talking with Rees. Game on the line. His responsibility and his alone. He explained in the post game what they were trying to do. Everyone is quick to throw Rees under the bus for the play call, yet I haven't seen one post blaming Saban, other than mine. Trashing Rees has been a popular hobby with posters. But that final play call is 100% on Nick Saban. Whatever play gets called there has his approval.
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:19 pm to Joka2kold
quote:
Ty Simpson has made tremendous strides and to be honest with you...if he's the quarterback vs Georgia, we win by 14 or more. If he was the QB yesterday...we win by 10 plus.
This isn't an even remotely intelligent comment. What fricking "strides" have you seen since he was unable to win the job when the opportunity was handed to him against a putrid USF team?
This post was edited on 1/2/24 at 12:19 pm
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:42 pm to Funky Tide 8
I mean...it's not a lie!
We run a simple offense Funky because Rees is handicapped.
We literally ran a two man route multiple times yesterday because Milroe isn't good at reading defenses.
We run a simple offense Funky because Rees is handicapped.
We literally ran a two man route multiple times yesterday because Milroe isn't good at reading defenses.
Posted on 1/2/24 at 12:54 pm to Joka2kold
quote:
We literally ran a two man route multiple times yesterday because Milroe isn't good at reading defenses.
That had almost nothing to do with Milroe's ability to read and everything to do with not being able to protect the passer.
Posted on 1/2/24 at 1:36 pm to YStar
quote:
I get yall hate him.
I get yall hate running QBs
I can't speak for others, but I don't hate him. He seems like a great, young man.
I prefer pocket passers, but if you do have a "running QB", it would help if the QB recognized that ability as his strength and wasn't so dead set against running to prove that he is a pocket passer, to the detriment of the team.
Posted on 1/2/24 at 1:40 pm to LittleJerrySeinfield
quote:
I prefer pocket passers, but if you do have a "running QB", it would help if the QB recognized that ability as his strength and wasn't so dead set against running to prove that he is a pocket passer, to the detriment of the team.
Honestly, I think the coaching staff, especially early in the year, didn't want him running. You could kind of tell with all of the "QB is a point guard" talk. I think they eased up on that as the year went along. I didn't see a guy dead set against running yesterday.
Posted on 1/2/24 at 1:47 pm to YStar
quote:
I get yall hate running QBs
I would do anything for Milroe to be a confident, decisive running QB. The guy is an asset when he gets going with the football.
That said, it’s worth noting that we haven’t won a national title with our mobile/athletic/“generational” QBs. 2017, Tua/Hurts being the exception but kind of a weird scenario because of how that played out. Every other title came with a “game manager.”
Don’t know if there’s any significance to that. Don’t know if that the kind of offense that we need to get back to. Just trying to make sense on what works best for our program.
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