Started By
Message
Some harsh realities and harsh questions
Posted on 1/2/26 at 7:09 am
Posted on 1/2/26 at 7:09 am
To say last night was ugly is an understatement but it has forced some very harsh realities and questions that have got to be dealt with quickly.
1. A lot of people are screaming for CKD and his entire staff to be fired. In a perfect world, I think I'd be on board with that but the reality is UA cannot afford to fire him. His buy out is gigantic and then you have the assistants buy out. I'd read somewhere all total, we'd be looking at a total of $100 million. It pains me to admit this but we are stuck with him for probably two more years.
The casual fan thinks we have some billionaire alums like Phil Knight and Greg Byrne can simply pass the hat and come up with that money. Fact is, we have no billionaire alums.
2. With the insane number of coaching changes this year, literally all of the good coaches out there have either just signed new contracts or new extensions. The timing of hiring a new HC couldn't be worse. At this point, we'd be faced with hiring a DC or OC or maybe some FCS coach. IMO, Glenn Schumann would probably be our best bet.
3. I have to think Courtney Morgan's strategy of not getting difference makers in the portal has hurt Bama. Yes, Germie and Parker have been great but I suspect a big part of the reason they came was to follow CKD. We especially need proven difference makers in the trenches on both sides of the ball. We have literally no one who is dominant on either OL or DL. Is this due to strategy of almost solely developing HS recruits or we're broke and can't afford those difference makers in the portal?
4. Ty Simpson. I've been a defender of the guy and I think he's a fine young man but it seems apparent to me that it's time for him to move on. IMO, his confidence is shattered and he needs a change of scenery. I wish him well and hope he can maybe make it in the NFL but I feel like he's probably reached his cieling and his issues will be still there if he stays.
5. What do I THINK happens in the next 30 days and next season? I suspect Greg Byrne will insist that CKD make some changes to his staff. I think/hope Chris Kapilovic will be invited to leave and a proven O line coach will be hired. I think Ryan Grubb will stay but with the caveat that he's got to improve next season or he's out.
CKD's coaching seat will be hot next season. If he doesn't improve in 2026, his coaching seat for 2027 will be molten magma hot and he's probably dead man coaching.
6. Make no mistake, the program is at a critical juncture and there's a possibility Bama is on the verge of driving off a cliff. Greg Byrne gambled on CKD and it seems pretty likely Byrne lost that bet badly. I hope I'm wrong but I don't think so.
Nor meaning to sound like Y star here who hates Alabama and is a 24-7 Debbie Downer but we're in deep doo doo right now and there's no end in sight. Of course, I could be wrong and would be delighted to be wrong.
Sorry for rambiing but I needed to get this off my chest.
1. A lot of people are screaming for CKD and his entire staff to be fired. In a perfect world, I think I'd be on board with that but the reality is UA cannot afford to fire him. His buy out is gigantic and then you have the assistants buy out. I'd read somewhere all total, we'd be looking at a total of $100 million. It pains me to admit this but we are stuck with him for probably two more years.
The casual fan thinks we have some billionaire alums like Phil Knight and Greg Byrne can simply pass the hat and come up with that money. Fact is, we have no billionaire alums.
2. With the insane number of coaching changes this year, literally all of the good coaches out there have either just signed new contracts or new extensions. The timing of hiring a new HC couldn't be worse. At this point, we'd be faced with hiring a DC or OC or maybe some FCS coach. IMO, Glenn Schumann would probably be our best bet.
3. I have to think Courtney Morgan's strategy of not getting difference makers in the portal has hurt Bama. Yes, Germie and Parker have been great but I suspect a big part of the reason they came was to follow CKD. We especially need proven difference makers in the trenches on both sides of the ball. We have literally no one who is dominant on either OL or DL. Is this due to strategy of almost solely developing HS recruits or we're broke and can't afford those difference makers in the portal?
4. Ty Simpson. I've been a defender of the guy and I think he's a fine young man but it seems apparent to me that it's time for him to move on. IMO, his confidence is shattered and he needs a change of scenery. I wish him well and hope he can maybe make it in the NFL but I feel like he's probably reached his cieling and his issues will be still there if he stays.
5. What do I THINK happens in the next 30 days and next season? I suspect Greg Byrne will insist that CKD make some changes to his staff. I think/hope Chris Kapilovic will be invited to leave and a proven O line coach will be hired. I think Ryan Grubb will stay but with the caveat that he's got to improve next season or he's out.
CKD's coaching seat will be hot next season. If he doesn't improve in 2026, his coaching seat for 2027 will be molten magma hot and he's probably dead man coaching.
6. Make no mistake, the program is at a critical juncture and there's a possibility Bama is on the verge of driving off a cliff. Greg Byrne gambled on CKD and it seems pretty likely Byrne lost that bet badly. I hope I'm wrong but I don't think so.
Nor meaning to sound like Y star here who hates Alabama and is a 24-7 Debbie Downer but we're in deep doo doo right now and there's no end in sight. Of course, I could be wrong and would be delighted to be wrong.
Sorry for rambiing but I needed to get this off my chest.
8
Posted on 1/2/26 at 7:17 am to Amarillo Tide
Bryne made a pint to hire someone who's not Saban. These playoffs all have ex Saban assistants. Deboer is soft.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 7:35 am to RollTide4Ever
S&C needs to change. We were getting our shite pushed in on the defensive side the last few years under Saban.
We tried to get that Clemson DL but were outbid. That is going to happen a lot.
Byrne is CKDs boss, if he does not insist changes be made, then its on him. Nate Oats hire can take you so far.
This team, coaches get unusually excited over wins like they won a championship.. I understand being really happy, but coaches just act like kids. Against AU, OU, they get too high.
Good coaches will expose the hell out of ours. We have too much tape that shows our weaknesses. I wouldnt mind both of the coordinators gone. That is unlikely to happen.
Lastly, this team from top down live in this "participation trophy" bubble. Where they pump each other up, are not negative , kumbaya type of stuff. Culture needs to change
We tried to get that Clemson DL but were outbid. That is going to happen a lot.
Byrne is CKDs boss, if he does not insist changes be made, then its on him. Nate Oats hire can take you so far.
This team, coaches get unusually excited over wins like they won a championship.. I understand being really happy, but coaches just act like kids. Against AU, OU, they get too high.
Good coaches will expose the hell out of ours. We have too much tape that shows our weaknesses. I wouldnt mind both of the coordinators gone. That is unlikely to happen.
Lastly, this team from top down live in this "participation trophy" bubble. Where they pump each other up, are not negative , kumbaya type of stuff. Culture needs to change
Posted on 1/2/26 at 8:23 am to Bamadoc
quote:
Lastly, this team from top down live in this "participation trophy" bubble. Where they pump each other up, are not negative , kumbaya type of stuff. Culture needs to change
Have you seen Indiana's players talk? It's all about how much they love each other, how amazing every moment is, how incredible the opportunities are, etc. None of them ever say anything negative. Enough with this stupid trope where everything that young people do or say in any walk of life can be attributed to the trophy policy of little league sports.
This post was edited on 1/2/26 at 8:24 am
Posted on 1/2/26 at 8:25 am to Amarillo Tide
quote:
IMO, Glenn Schumann would probably be our best bet.
Putting aside the fact that he has zero HC experience, some of you still think Schumann is the answer after last night?
This post was edited on 1/2/26 at 8:27 am
Posted on 1/2/26 at 8:30 am to CrimsonCrusade
I agree with everything you said. Firing DeBoer is not even remotely a possibility. He has to find coaches who can instill the meanness not in his dna and get out of the way. We need Pruitt and Bo Davis type coaches on this staff. I’d make Dam Pittman the highest paid OL coach in college football OR someone who makes guys play with an intensity we have not seen since that OP we had in 2020. This dudes played pissed off all the time. We need guys with the same attitude Jonathan Allen had after the Michigan State game. I’m not saying players that have that same ability as him because they don’t come around often but Indiana doesn’t have those dudes and they straight whipped your arse for 4 quarters.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 8:32 am to Sl0thstronautEsq
Dan Lanning, Kirby Smart and Ryan Day had no HC experience when they were hired. Personally, I’d prefer a guy with HC experience but fact is, there are no good ones out there that haven’t just signed with other schools or just signed an extension.
We’re faced with either a promising OC or DC or coaching crumbs out there.
We’re faced with either a promising OC or DC or coaching crumbs out there.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 8:34 am to Amarillo Tide
quote:
We’re faced with either a promising OC or DC or coaching crumbs out there.
Oh, I see, you meant if we had to hire someone new today. The coaching landscape seems to change pretty drastically these days, so it’ll be interesting to see who the hot names are in another year or two if we have to make a change.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 8:47 am to Sl0thstronautEsq
The decision to hire Kalen seemed logical at the time but now not so much. The guy is a good person and a player's coach, but he is soft. He isn't going to make it in the SEC. I would hope the AD and Nick meet soon and put it all on the table.
Grubb needs to go today along with the OL coach. This gimmick strength problem needs to step back and rethink their plan. If you will rewatch the game and focus only on the plays where IU has the ball you will see our DL and LBers got worked over and over. Even when we had a chance to stop the play, they just ran thru our arm tackles.
We're F'ed at this point no matter what. JMO but Byrne should have allowed Go Blue to take the financial obligations much like Kentucky did with Bill Curry. You're screwed now with a bad coach and 70 million.
Grubb needs to go today along with the OL coach. This gimmick strength problem needs to step back and rethink their plan. If you will rewatch the game and focus only on the plays where IU has the ball you will see our DL and LBers got worked over and over. Even when we had a chance to stop the play, they just ran thru our arm tackles.
We're F'ed at this point no matter what. JMO but Byrne should have allowed Go Blue to take the financial obligations much like Kentucky did with Bill Curry. You're screwed now with a bad coach and 70 million.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 8:50 am to RollTide4Ever
quote:
Bryne made a pint to hire someone who's not Saban. These playoffs all have ex Saban assistants. Deboer is soft.
Pretty sure we put out feelers on Lanning and Sark and both used the opportunity to get raises for themselves.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 8:53 am to Amarillo Tide
It all starts in the trenches. All other phases fall in line if you control the LOS.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 8:55 am to Amarillo Tide
Posted on 1/2/26 at 8:56 am to In Hsv
If we get our trenches elite. We will be hard to beat regardless of skill players.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 9:01 am to Night Vision
This table suggests that Alabama's strategy for roster building is faulty. Understand that a lot of those transfers starts are from 3 guys who followed DeBoer here and likely counting Proctor getting cold feet on returning to Iowa too.
I think we're discovering a similar sort of meta strategy as college basketball with the one and done type of recruits. You take those guys if you can get them but the old Coach Cal strategy of making a super team of McDonalds All-Americans every year has been repudiated. Those types of teams usually run into a senior-laden team in the tourney and get out-worked in the situational basketball stuff and lose.
In college football, I think the new meta strategy is "let someone else develop your depth chart because thats hard work."
I think we're discovering a similar sort of meta strategy as college basketball with the one and done type of recruits. You take those guys if you can get them but the old Coach Cal strategy of making a super team of McDonalds All-Americans every year has been repudiated. Those types of teams usually run into a senior-laden team in the tourney and get out-worked in the situational basketball stuff and lose.
In college football, I think the new meta strategy is "let someone else develop your depth chart because thats hard work."
This post was edited on 1/2/26 at 9:02 am
Posted on 1/2/26 at 9:03 am to CrimsonBoz
quote:
If we get our trenches elite. We will be hard to beat regardless of skill players.
I mean, that’s football, right?
We were mediocre to bad along the OL this year and mediocre along the DL.
We need to find some portal guys to help. I like Carroll and Brailsford but everyone else can and probably should be replaced along the OL, and they need a new OL coach.
I would not be saddened if Grubb decided to go elsewhere either.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 9:06 am to Bham Bammer
Would be nice to get Pruitt back on staff. He knows what it takes to win at BAMA.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 9:23 am to Amarillo Tide
You realy need to remove this from your post
Such a personal shot at another poster has no place in your evaluation or the current system. I also do not see a hate of Alabama to be any part of who Y star is.
quote:
Y star here who hates Alabama and is a 24-7
Such a personal shot at another poster has no place in your evaluation or the current system. I also do not see a hate of Alabama to be any part of who Y star is.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 9:46 am to Tw1st3d
quote:
Such a personal shot at another poster has no place in your evaluation or the current system. I also do not see a hate of Alabama to be any part of who Y star is.
Thanks man.
I have always enjoyed talking football with you because you seem close to the program and are knowledgeable about the Xs and Os as if you have played and/or coached yourself.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 9:50 am to Amarillo Tide
quote:
Nor meaning to sound like Y star here who hates Alabama and is a 24-7 Debbie Downer but we're in deep doo doo right now and there's no end in sight. Of course, I could be wrong and would be delighted to be wrong.
Dude what the hell? He loves Bama. He is just analytical as a former player so he is going to hit you right between the eyes and sometimes you don’t want to hear it.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 9:51 am to Sl0thstronautEsq
If we're fping to hire a DC as hc, at least look at Vince Kehres.
Page 1 of 3
Latest Alabama News
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News