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Tomorrow's game is going to tell us a whole lot about this football team moving forward
Posted on 9/30/22 at 9:20 am
Posted on 9/30/22 at 9:20 am
Post-Texas a lot of us said that we'd really find out if we fixed mistakes and grew in 3 weeks after Arkansas. Well, that game is here. I think we'd all agree that we've seen some really nice improvements in different areas of concern the last 2 weeks - but those were home games against overmatched teams. We saw what we needed to see, which is positive, but now we have to take it on the road.
A whole lot of people - both Alabama fans and national media types - have just kind of decided post-Texas that this Alabama team is the same as last years. A very good team with lots of chinks in the armor that struggles on the road and isn't a dominant group anymore. This weekend is our second opportunity to either play to those low expectations or blow them out of the water.
- Can we dominate a good not great opponent?
- Can we go on the road and play at a high, consistent level like we did in years past?
- Can we step on a teams throat when we have the opportunity instead of letting off the gas and keeping them in the game after we take a lead and have an opportunity to put the nail in their coffin?
I honestly feel like this team is ready to go out and show that they are a dominant unit again. But I have a hard time completely buying into that until I actually see it on the field - especially after the Texas game on the heels of the road outings last year.
Thoughts? Feelings on this weekend?
A whole lot of people - both Alabama fans and national media types - have just kind of decided post-Texas that this Alabama team is the same as last years. A very good team with lots of chinks in the armor that struggles on the road and isn't a dominant group anymore. This weekend is our second opportunity to either play to those low expectations or blow them out of the water.
- Can we dominate a good not great opponent?
- Can we go on the road and play at a high, consistent level like we did in years past?
- Can we step on a teams throat when we have the opportunity instead of letting off the gas and keeping them in the game after we take a lead and have an opportunity to put the nail in their coffin?
I honestly feel like this team is ready to go out and show that they are a dominant unit again. But I have a hard time completely buying into that until I actually see it on the field - especially after the Texas game on the heels of the road outings last year.
Thoughts? Feelings on this weekend?
17
Posted on 9/30/22 at 9:24 am to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
I honestly feel like this team is ready to go out and show that they are a dominant unit again. But I have a hard time completely buying into that until I actually see it on the field
My exact feelings.
Posted on 9/30/22 at 9:26 am to SummerOfGeorge
I think the defense will be fine. Arkansas doesn't really have the athletes outside to challenge our secondary and their running scheme plays into our strength up front.
So, that leaves the offense.
Hopefully we go tempo and pick apart their weak secondary. Sprinkle in some RPO stuff and then hammer them once we've jumped out to a lead.
I'd also like to see us start out on defense first. Let them set the tone and go from there.
So, that leaves the offense.
Hopefully we go tempo and pick apart their weak secondary. Sprinkle in some RPO stuff and then hammer them once we've jumped out to a lead.
I'd also like to see us start out on defense first. Let them set the tone and go from there.
Posted on 9/30/22 at 9:32 am to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
I honestly feel like this team is ready to go out and show that they are a dominant unit again. But I have a hard time completely buying into that until I actually see it on the field - especially after the Texas game on the heels of the road outings last year.
This is where I'm at to. It's like I am waiting on them to break it open, but through the first few games and miscues on both sides of the ball it leaves me wondering. Games like this is where I want one of those "make their arse quit games", and they live up to that potential.
Posted on 9/30/22 at 9:38 am to TideSaint
On WJOX yesterday, Cole Cubelic predicted Arkansas would win (or at least, he said they should be favored by 1). He hosts a segment called "Rubik's Cubelic" that supposedly uses a variety of stats to predict the outcome.
He listed things like turnover margin, home field advantage, rushing offense and defense, and penalties. Turnovers and penalties were the glaring areas of deficiency for Alabama.
However, he neglected to discuss the passing game at all -- and Arkansas is amazingly bad at pass defense this year. I think Cole is usually pretty even-handed when it comes to discussing football, despite his Auburn roots, but that omission just stunned me.
Vandy (AFTER we put up 400 yards passing on them) has the 124th-ranked pass defense, giving up 299 yards per game.
Arkansas' pass defense is worse. They're 126th in the country, giving up 302 yards passing per game.
He listed things like turnover margin, home field advantage, rushing offense and defense, and penalties. Turnovers and penalties were the glaring areas of deficiency for Alabama.
However, he neglected to discuss the passing game at all -- and Arkansas is amazingly bad at pass defense this year. I think Cole is usually pretty even-handed when it comes to discussing football, despite his Auburn roots, but that omission just stunned me.
Vandy (AFTER we put up 400 yards passing on them) has the 124th-ranked pass defense, giving up 299 yards per game.
Arkansas' pass defense is worse. They're 126th in the country, giving up 302 yards passing per game.
Posted on 9/30/22 at 9:40 am to Sauron
quote:
He hosts a segment called "Rubik's Cubelic" that supposedly uses a variety of stats to predict the outcome.
I like Cole a lot but there is absolutely no rational combination of stats or metrics out there that is spitting out Arkansas by 1.
Now, I could understand something making that pick based on the Texas game, feeling like we might struggle on the road again, Arkansas is due for some bounces or something, etc. But ain't no set of stats from 2022 from what Alabama has done and what Arkansas has done spitting out "Hogs by 1".
Posted on 9/30/22 at 9:42 am to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
Thoughts? Feelings on this weekend?
Pretty much everything about how we match up with Arkansas is to our advantage, and this should be a classic joyless murderball performance by us that ends up with a 38-14 type final, but at this point I can't bring myself to expect anything different than what we have seen lately on the road.
Posted on 9/30/22 at 9:44 am to Robot Santa
quote:
but at this point I can't bring myself to expect anything different than what we have seen lately on the road.
Seems that is the feeling we all have. I mean, I want to be righteously indignent about all these sportswriters and national media types just off the cuff talking about us as if we are a shell of our former selves all because of a close game in Austin............but then I think of this game and all I can think about in the end is "but with all that said I remember Florida, A&M, Auburn and Texas so I dunno".
Nothing would make me happier than an old school robotic murderball python squeeze of a performance. And yet deep down I expect Bryce to be running around throwing passes behind his back to Gibbs on a game winning drive tied at 23 late in the 4th
This post was edited on 9/30/22 at 9:47 am
Posted on 9/30/22 at 9:53 am to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
I honestly feel like this team is ready to go out and show that they are a dominant unit again. But I have a hard time completely buying into that until I actually see it on the field - especially after the Texas game on the heels of the road outings last year.
I feel like we'll put it together tomorrow. But Arkansas is a good team, and its a somewhat tough road environment, so I still don't think that it will be easy. I'm not going to be upset if we win a close game, but I will be annoyed if we have a bazillion penalties again, and look sterile on offense for several drives again.
I don't really care what the national media and sec rantards say about the team either way. Everyone wants us to fail, so if there is a sliver of hope of us failing, they are going to attack it. There is a reason why you aren't hearing the same things about Georgia after they struggled pretty much the entire game with mighty Kent State. People hate Bama.
This post was edited on 9/30/22 at 9:58 am
Posted on 9/30/22 at 9:55 am to Funky Tide 8
quote:
I'm not going to be upset if we win a close game, but I will be annoyed if we have a bazillion penalties again, and look sterile on offense for several drives again.
Absolutely. I think we all know what a solid all around effort looks like and we all know what a discombobulated scattershot effort looks like.
If we play the first and the game is close and we win, fine by me. I might have some concern about what our ceiling is, but that's fine. If we play the second, I don't really care how much we win by, it will be a big disappointment.
Posted on 9/30/22 at 10:07 am to SummerOfGeorge
It's a trend now no matter how you look at it. We struggled on the road against a couple of awful teams and lost to a mediocre one last year. We struggled with what appears to be a pretty bad Texas team already this year. Highly talented teams that usually kick arse at home and have struggle wins and infuriating losses on the road sounds an awful lot like Urban/Day Ohio State to me. That's concerning because I have always thought they get away with playing like shite on the road a lot of the time simply because half the venues in the B1G just aren't places where the environment can cause things to snowball on you if it goes a little sideways early. If you let the home team stay in it, much less dig yourself an early hole, anywhere in the SEC besides Vandy and Mizzou you're in for a rough ride.
Posted on 9/30/22 at 10:08 am to SummerOfGeorge
Fully expect the same shite from both sides of the ball that we’ve seen for the past year and a half on the road. Hope I’m wrong, hope this team shows up hungry and angry and plays that way. But I fully expect defense to look it just learned how to read a playbook and offense to implode anytime there is any noise in the stadium. This coaching staff has taken my joy of playing on the road
Posted on 9/30/22 at 10:12 am to SummerOfGeorge
They had a former Arky QB on wjox a few days ago (Clint Storner). He said Alabama should have a easy time between the 20s. Said BY should roll up a lot of yardage, because the Arky pass defense was just bad. Storner said Alabama hasnt had that go to receiver so far this year but that doesnt mean one wont emerge. Storner said Arky will have to be able to run the ball to have a chance. He said he didnt think they could, but if they can run the ball, they could beat anyone including Alabama. They only other thing he mentioned that gave Arky hope was that BY has not played well on the road.
Posted on 9/30/22 at 12:09 pm to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
Thoughts? Feelings on this weekend?
A lot of what you guys are saying. We have struggled including last year in 5-6 away games. I feel like the team is working to turn the corner on away games and mindless penalties.
My gut says we show the world what we are this weekend and win by 2 TD’s.
Stopping KJ run is important, keep turnovers down, make the throws. Same as any game.
Side note with Earle coming back this weekend and maybe Harrell we might get to sprinkle them in and see what we are working with.
Our best formation by far is empty set, throw the ball to play makers in space and let them be who they are. Georgia is making a killing doing just that.
Posted on 9/30/22 at 12:18 pm to SummerOfGeorge
A&M taking the breath out of Arkansas's momentum is a huge blessing. I still think it will be a tough game, but it's a winnable one even if everything goes horribly wrong tomorrow
Posted on 9/30/22 at 1:06 pm to Robot Santa
quote:
I can't bring myself to expect anything different than what we have seen lately
Yep. The proof isin the pudding. We've had multiple road games niw of inexplicable poor play to average level teams.
Florida, Auburn, Texas, A&M all were close wins or close losses, where the offense just seemed to stagnate for a large portion of the game.
Until I see differently, I expect similar results tomorrow
Posted on 9/30/22 at 1:21 pm to East Coast Band
Cole Cubelic roots for AU as much as Greg McElroy tries not to root for Bama.
Posted on 9/30/22 at 1:40 pm to SummerOfGeorge
I still think it takes elite QB play to beat Alabama.
No team is going to run roughshod on the defense, which means Arkansas will have to pass to win.
Alabama offense is finding bits of success with up tempo, spread formations, #1 in space, and more experience for WRs. They will only get better and Arkansas isn’t good enough defensively to stop Bryce and Co.
Also, feel last weeks loss for Arkansas takes away a bit of momentum for them, as opposed to them coming into the game at home and undefeated.
Nick still very positive and high on this team, that’s good enough for me!
Roll Tide
No team is going to run roughshod on the defense, which means Arkansas will have to pass to win.
Alabama offense is finding bits of success with up tempo, spread formations, #1 in space, and more experience for WRs. They will only get better and Arkansas isn’t good enough defensively to stop Bryce and Co.
Also, feel last weeks loss for Arkansas takes away a bit of momentum for them, as opposed to them coming into the game at home and undefeated.
Nick still very positive and high on this team, that’s good enough for me!
Roll Tide
Posted on 9/30/22 at 1:59 pm to East Coast Band
I have only seen flashes of what I'd call a 'dynamic' offense with BoB at OC.
Posted on 9/30/22 at 2:00 pm to SummerOfGeorge
I believe the defense will play well. I hate Bill O’Brien’s offense and philosophy, especially on the road, and I’ll believe necessary change and adjustments have been made when I see it. Until then, I’ll watch the offense with through my hands tomorrow
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