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Nick Saban's Tenure in Review: Season #16 - 2022 Alabama Crimson Tide
Posted on 7/23/24 at 1:51 pm
Posted on 7/23/24 at 1:51 pm
The beginning of the end.
I think it can be safely argued that it was in 2022 that many Alabama fans began wondering if the Alabama Standard was slipping a little bit. Many former players from earlier teams in the Saban Era were among those questioning where the program was heading. Be that as it may the Crimson Tide still had a strong showing in 2022, coming just four points shy of finishing the season undefeated and SEC Western Division champions. Bryce Young's performance against Auburn in the Iron Bowl and against Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl were some of the season's best highlights.
2022 Alabama Crimson Tide
Overall Record: 11 wins, 2 losses
SEC Record: 6 wins, 2 losses (2nd in SEC West)
AP Poll Finish: #5
Coaches Poll Finish: #5
Offensive Coordinator: Bill O'Brien
Defensive Coordinator(s): Pete Golding/Charles Kelley
Permanent Captains: Will AndersonI Jr., Jordan Battle, and Bryce Young
Consensus 1st Team All-Americans: Will Anderson Jr. (LB)
1st Team All-SEC: Emil Ekiyor Jr. (G), Will Anderson Jr. (LB), Kool-Aid McKinstry (CB), and Jordan Battle (S)
Heisman Trophy: Bryce Young (CANDIDATE - #6)
Total Offense: 477.2 YPG (#11)
Total Defense: 318.2 YPG (#13)
Average Talent Ranking on Roster: 2.00 (Per Rivals)
Schedule
vs. Utah State (W) 55-0
@ Texas (W) 20-19
vs. Louisiana-Monroe (W) 63-7
vs. Vanderbilt (W) 55-3
@ #20 Arkansas (W) 49-26
vs. Texas A&M (W) 24-20
@ #6 Tennessee (L) 49-52
LINK ]vs. #24 Mississippi State (W) 30-6 [Homecoming]
LINK ]@ #15 LSU (L) 31-32 [OT]
@ #11 Ole Miss (W) 30-24
vs. Austin Peay (W) 34-0
LINK ]vs. Auburn (W) 49-27 [Senior Day]
LINK ]vs. #9 Kansas State (W) 45-20 [2022 Sugar Bowl]
Passing Leader
Bryce Young
245-380 64.5 Pct 3,328 Yds 32 TDs 5 INTs
Rushing Leader
Jahmyr Gibbs
151 Att 926 Yds 6.1 Avg 7 TDs
Receiving Leader
Jermaine Burton
40 Rec 677 Yds 16.9 Avg 7 TDs
I think it can be safely argued that it was in 2022 that many Alabama fans began wondering if the Alabama Standard was slipping a little bit. Many former players from earlier teams in the Saban Era were among those questioning where the program was heading. Be that as it may the Crimson Tide still had a strong showing in 2022, coming just four points shy of finishing the season undefeated and SEC Western Division champions. Bryce Young's performance against Auburn in the Iron Bowl and against Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl were some of the season's best highlights.
2022 Alabama Crimson Tide
Overall Record: 11 wins, 2 losses
SEC Record: 6 wins, 2 losses (2nd in SEC West)
AP Poll Finish: #5
Coaches Poll Finish: #5
Offensive Coordinator: Bill O'Brien
Defensive Coordinator(s): Pete Golding/Charles Kelley
Permanent Captains: Will AndersonI Jr., Jordan Battle, and Bryce Young
Consensus 1st Team All-Americans: Will Anderson Jr. (LB)
1st Team All-SEC: Emil Ekiyor Jr. (G), Will Anderson Jr. (LB), Kool-Aid McKinstry (CB), and Jordan Battle (S)
Heisman Trophy: Bryce Young (CANDIDATE - #6)
Total Offense: 477.2 YPG (#11)
Total Defense: 318.2 YPG (#13)
Average Talent Ranking on Roster: 2.00 (Per Rivals)
Schedule
vs. Utah State (W) 55-0
@ Texas (W) 20-19
vs. Louisiana-Monroe (W) 63-7
vs. Vanderbilt (W) 55-3
@ #20 Arkansas (W) 49-26
vs. Texas A&M (W) 24-20
@ #6 Tennessee (L) 49-52
LINK ]vs. #24 Mississippi State (W) 30-6 [Homecoming]
LINK ]@ #15 LSU (L) 31-32 [OT]
@ #11 Ole Miss (W) 30-24
vs. Austin Peay (W) 34-0
LINK ]vs. Auburn (W) 49-27 [Senior Day]
LINK ]vs. #9 Kansas State (W) 45-20 [2022 Sugar Bowl]
Passing Leader
Bryce Young
245-380 64.5 Pct 3,328 Yds 32 TDs 5 INTs
Rushing Leader
Jahmyr Gibbs
151 Att 926 Yds 6.1 Avg 7 TDs
Receiving Leader
Jermaine Burton
40 Rec 677 Yds 16.9 Avg 7 TDs
This post was edited on 7/23/24 at 4:26 pm
4
Posted on 7/23/24 at 3:40 pm to RollTide1987
This team was a frustrating watch for sure. I think Saban still could have won a national title post 2020, but I do think he’d lost enough of a step that he couldn’t overcome bad coordinators.
Steele and Rees, who I’d view as just an okay set of coordinators, win it all or finish #2 with this group.
Unfortunately the ‘23 team was less talented than the ‘22 team.
Steele and Rees, who I’d view as just an okay set of coordinators, win it all or finish #2 with this group.
Unfortunately the ‘23 team was less talented than the ‘22 team.
This post was edited on 7/23/24 at 3:41 pm
Posted on 7/23/24 at 4:16 pm to RollTide1987
I agree with both points you made -- that 2022 was the beginning of the end, and that we were a hair's breadth away from playing for the SEC (and possibly national) championship.
It's a testament to Nick Saban and our overall program's history that we, as a fanbase, look at a season like 2022 as a disappointment. I'd bet more than 98% of teams in the country would see 11-2 and a top-five finish as an outstanding accomplishment.
The season was marred by incredibly inconsistent play, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, and a sense that we wasted one of the most talented Alabama rosters in recent years.
It's a testament to Nick Saban and our overall program's history that we, as a fanbase, look at a season like 2022 as a disappointment. I'd bet more than 98% of teams in the country would see 11-2 and a top-five finish as an outstanding accomplishment.
The season was marred by incredibly inconsistent play, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, and a sense that we wasted one of the most talented Alabama rosters in recent years.
Posted on 7/23/24 at 4:23 pm to TomRollTideRitter
Team wasn’t what it seemed.
BY was a shadow of his former self after the injuries until the bowl game. He couldn’t push the ball downfield and other teams knew it.
OL was mediocre, the RB crew wasn’t anything special after Gibbs got dinged and there wasn’t an elite WR1 to keep teams on their heels so we didn’t really have anything to hang our hat on when Bryce couldn’t run the full offense.
There were some huge names but people will look back and not remember how flawed that team was at times. I actually was very proud of how they finished rather than upset they didn’t make the playoffs even though healthy I thought they could play with just about anyone.
BY was a shadow of his former self after the injuries until the bowl game. He couldn’t push the ball downfield and other teams knew it.
OL was mediocre, the RB crew wasn’t anything special after Gibbs got dinged and there wasn’t an elite WR1 to keep teams on their heels so we didn’t really have anything to hang our hat on when Bryce couldn’t run the full offense.
There were some huge names but people will look back and not remember how flawed that team was at times. I actually was very proud of how they finished rather than upset they didn’t make the playoffs even though healthy I thought they could play with just about anyone.
Posted on 7/23/24 at 5:44 pm to RollTide1987
Young's injury was killer. The injury affected him greatly against LSU.
Should have beaten Tennessee, even with everything that happened. Had a first round pick RB drop a pass that hit him in his hands, then had the NCAA scoring leader miss a field goal.
That team had 2010 vibes. Super talented, but injuries and bad luck was their undoing.
You could take one injury from the 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 teams and they are all probably National Championship Teams.
Saban won 6 titles, but he was so close to winning seven more.
Should have beaten Tennessee, even with everything that happened. Had a first round pick RB drop a pass that hit him in his hands, then had the NCAA scoring leader miss a field goal.
That team had 2010 vibes. Super talented, but injuries and bad luck was their undoing.
You could take one injury from the 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 teams and they are all probably National Championship Teams.
Saban won 6 titles, but he was so close to winning seven more.
Posted on 7/23/24 at 6:43 pm to tide06
quote:
I actually was very proud of how they finished rather than upset they didn’t make the playoffs even though healthy I thought they could play with just about anyone.
I was proud of them for not sitting out the bowl game, and their subsequent performance did a lot to redeem the players.
That said, the ‘22 team was 129/131 in penalties and had very poor fundamentals on defense with inconsistent effort, arm tackles, and no one rallying to opposing ball carriers. It looked like a poorly coached team for most of the season which is why it was so frustrating to watch.
Posted on 7/23/24 at 7:12 pm to TomRollTideRitter
quote:
It looked like a poorly coached team for most of the season which is why it was so frustrating to watch.
The amount of NFL talent on that team made it so much worse. We knew how much talent was on the field, but to see them look lost on both sides of the ball all season was inexplicable.
As frustrating as the loss to UT was, the LSU game may have been even more strange due to Saban going for two twice. Kick either of the extra points and Bama wins in regulation. That and letting Daniels score so easily at the end of the 4th was classic Golding.
But still, even with all the bonehead coordinators, they were two plays away from going into Atlanta undefeated and probably making it into the CFP. Pretty amazing when you think about it.
Posted on 7/24/24 at 12:04 am to RollTide1987
Friendly reminder that LDU got away with a block in the back directly in front of the head official on their game winning touchdown in 2022.
Fitting that both losses came at the expense of godawful officiating but of course the gaping cunts who baselessly cry "muh refs benefit muh Bama" were unsurprisingly quiet.
Fitting that both losses came at the expense of godawful officiating but of course the gaping cunts who baselessly cry "muh refs benefit muh Bama" were unsurprisingly quiet.
This post was edited on 7/24/24 at 12:09 am
Posted on 7/24/24 at 9:34 am to PuertoRicanBlaze
quote:
Friendly reminder that LDU got away with a block in the back directly in front of the head official on their game winning touchdown in 2022.
I don't have any confidence that defense was getting a stop even if LSU was pushed back 15. They had folded completely by that point.
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