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Why Does Saban Always Wait
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:19 am
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:19 am
Until we’re in panic mode to start playing his best cards?
We get down by 20 in the second half, and all the sudden we start seeing exotic blitzes, and different personnel with more emphasis on rushing the passer.
On offense, we start playing balls to the wall trying to score TDs on every possession.
It reminds me of the 2017 National championship where in the second half he puts in all the freshmen - the best players, and lets it rip.
I don’t understand why he always tries to hide his hand or something. Generally by the time we go into defcon 3 mode, it’s too late
We beat LSU by 15 in the second half. We actually looked like a good football team. I wish we had that sense of urgency in the first half
We get down by 20 in the second half, and all the sudden we start seeing exotic blitzes, and different personnel with more emphasis on rushing the passer.
On offense, we start playing balls to the wall trying to score TDs on every possession.
It reminds me of the 2017 National championship where in the second half he puts in all the freshmen - the best players, and lets it rip.
I don’t understand why he always tries to hide his hand or something. Generally by the time we go into defcon 3 mode, it’s too late
We beat LSU by 15 in the second half. We actually looked like a good football team. I wish we had that sense of urgency in the first half
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Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:24 am to uofarolltide
I'm just trying to figure out we ALWAYS come out tight and play sloppy and stupid and the beginning of every big game. ( 2012 v. Notre Dame, notwithstanding)
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:26 am to uofarolltide
Really good question. You are definitely gonna piss off the "don't question the goat Saban" and "how many games have you coached" crowd but I am with you. Saban has always been a better recruiter than coach and you certainly can't argue with his results.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:35 am to uofarolltide
The change in offense to a spread RPO notwithstanding, Saban is a pretty conservative coach, and moreover this team has been on an unprecedented run, so he isn't generally inclined to change what has worked.
Our defensive front seven is mostly young and inexperienced, and the secondary has a lot to cover, and a blitz is a gamble. Being a mostly conservative coach, with a mostly inexperienced front seven, he is less likely to gamble than when we have more experienced players. Not even to mention the topic of the D.C.
I'm pretty sure that Saban would like the offense to score a td every possession, but that other defense would like to preclude that from happening. Our offensive line and run game hasn't been as good as we'd like it to be, and that impacts the entire offense. Speaking of impacting the offense, Tua's injuries have certainly done that.
Hey, there has never been a team, at least not since the 1800s, that has won as many national titles in the same time frame as this program has the last 11 seasons. I guess we need to be thankful for what we have accomplished, and still hope we can add some more.
Our defensive front seven is mostly young and inexperienced, and the secondary has a lot to cover, and a blitz is a gamble. Being a mostly conservative coach, with a mostly inexperienced front seven, he is less likely to gamble than when we have more experienced players. Not even to mention the topic of the D.C.
I'm pretty sure that Saban would like the offense to score a td every possession, but that other defense would like to preclude that from happening. Our offensive line and run game hasn't been as good as we'd like it to be, and that impacts the entire offense. Speaking of impacting the offense, Tua's injuries have certainly done that.
Hey, there has never been a team, at least not since the 1800s, that has won as many national titles in the same time frame as this program has the last 11 seasons. I guess we need to be thankful for what we have accomplished, and still hope we can add some more.
This post was edited on 11/12/19 at 10:43 am
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:37 am to Commander Data
Coach Saban is a conservative guy. A conservative person. What's cool is that football has always been a conservative game with strong fundamentals ruling the day.
The 40-sec clock, HUNH spread offenses have changed these long-held truths. These days, what's up is down and what's left is now right. The bigger the game the more inclined he is to resort to what comes most natural.
The 40-sec clock, HUNH spread offenses have changed these long-held truths. These days, what's up is down and what's left is now right. The bigger the game the more inclined he is to resort to what comes most natural.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:37 am to uofarolltide
quote:
We beat LSU by 15 in the second half. We actually looked like a good football team. I wish we had that sense of urgency in the first half
the team came out tight, didn't play well, halftime adjustments are a thing. I am sure Saban also wishes the team had come out and played like that in the first half.
ETA: we did drive down to the red zone and have a fluke fumble > LSU marching on our defense. That most likely took some confidence away from the team. I'd also assume that LSU threw some things that we weren't ready for on both sides of the ball.
This post was edited on 11/12/19 at 10:40 am
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:40 am to uofarolltide
He's just a conservative coach at heart that wants to minimize risks and trust the "process" preparation and talent to whip the guy across the line. I do agree that occasionally he seems to wait a little late to realize that he has to change the game plan and go balls to the wall (i.e., take more risks). To his credit he has adapted and is much less conservative in game than he used to be because he realizes that the game has changed. Still he has decades of a certain style ingrained in him.
Also wanted to point out that this does cut both ways and doing this at the end of the first might have cost Alabama the game.
quote:
On offense, we start playing balls to the wall trying to score TDs on every possession.
Also wanted to point out that this does cut both ways and doing this at the end of the first might have cost Alabama the game.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:46 am to Commander Data
Even going back to his days at LSU, in games where the talent is on equal footing, Saban always comes out conservative, tight, and playing not to lose, not to make the first mistake. But we did anyway. And we continued making mistakes. By the time he let go and started swinging away, we were down by 20. As previously stated, throw out the Notre Dame game, and you see the pattern repeated over and over. Quite often, it gives the opponent the opportunity and advantage to jump in front, putting more pressure on Bama. Saban needs to self scout his tendencies in these big games and adjust.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 11:02 am to phil4bama
I generally agree with the OP, as Saban does tend to sit younger and more talented players who are higher on the risk/reward scale and that is frustrating at times. Barmore is a great example of that this year.
That said, Saban is in no way responsible for Tua fumbling the ball in the air inside the 10 yard line with no one around him, or the punter dropping a punt that hit him in the hands. Those two plays alone, are likely a 10 point swing. We lost by 5. Sometimes a loss is on the players more than it is the coaches.
That said, Saban is in no way responsible for Tua fumbling the ball in the air inside the 10 yard line with no one around him, or the punter dropping a punt that hit him in the hands. Those two plays alone, are likely a 10 point swing. We lost by 5. Sometimes a loss is on the players more than it is the coaches.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 11:04 am to uofarolltide
Teams typically take on the personality of their coach. If the coach is the type to thrive on tension, that tension will be passed down. It's just like any other environment...classroom, business, etc.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 11:45 am to phil4bama
quote:
Saban always comes out conservative, tight, and playing not to lose, not to make the first mistake
Always is a little hyperbolic. We faked a punt against Texas in the first quarter. We threw in a true freshman QB against USC in the first quarter. We threw a seam route to a left tackle on the first play of overtime against LSU. We faked a punt in the third quarter against LSU in 2013 in a close game. He’s actually always been pretty open to risk.
I agree that we should’ve taken more shots than we did in the first half. Derrick Stingley is going to be an elite player, heck he already is an elite player, but he absolutely could not cover Devonta Smith. That’s as bad as I’ve seen a WR whip a specific DB in a long time, yet we targeted him like 9 times in the game. If we were to see them again this year by some stroke of luck, Fulton will follow Smitty like stink on shite and they’ll see if Stingley can handle Ruggs.
When we get down to brass tacks though, we had no answer defensively in this one. You need more than 3 stops to win a football game. LSU managed that by blitzing from the jump. Sure, they couldn’t cover us, but it doesn’t matter if a guy is in the backfield before the receivers are into their route. We really should’ve done the same. Game plan should be get to Burrow before his guys can create separation. That’s what they did to Tua in the first
Posted on 11/12/19 at 11:58 am to Riseupfromtherubble
I know we got some sacks but it was frustrating to watch a a lot of plays where we had the mush rush and receivers had plenty of time to get separation not to mention the back out in the flats
Posted on 11/12/19 at 12:49 pm to uofarolltide
Two things of note here:
1) Saban is not the best in-game X's and O's coach. It takes him longer to adjust than some of the better ones.
2) Teams take on the personality of their coach. Saban is always uptight in big games and the players follow suit usually. That's pretty universal across sports.
1) Saban is not the best in-game X's and O's coach. It takes him longer to adjust than some of the better ones.
2) Teams take on the personality of their coach. Saban is always uptight in big games and the players follow suit usually. That's pretty universal across sports.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 1:03 pm to Commander Data
quote:
Saban has always been a better recruiter than coach
This sounds like the same thing most of the other fanbases say all the time on the Rant trying to downplay Saban's accomplishments; recruiting is not separate but rather a part of coaching. But even if you do separate 'em, while Saban is not infallible, he's a pretty damn good coach in addition to his recruiting. In his 13 years here, we've been in the national championship conversation deep into November every year except for two (2007, 2010); you don't do that just by recruiting only.
While I agree he's conservative by nature, how many conservative coaches adapted both offensive and defensive systems to keep up with the changes to college football? How many conservative coaches would call for an onside kick in a tie game midway through the 4th quarter during a national championship game? How many conservative coaches put in a true freshman QB for the returning SEC Offensive Player of the Year at halftime of a national championship game?
No college football coach in history has ever won 5 national championships in 9 years in the poll era...hell, other than the Bear, no coach has ever won 5 national championships period. Saban has done that playing conservative and he's also done it by opening things up. He's done it by recruiting well and he's done it by coaching well. We lost a game fellas, it's not like Saban forgot how to coach...
Posted on 11/12/19 at 1:05 pm to uofarolltide
I don’t know about that. He’s,taken plenty of chances in high stakes games. Onside kick vs Clemson that turned the game. Putting Tua in vs Georgia. Those were gutsy calls. Yes, they came in the 2nd half and could have been too late, but at least he was willing to gamble. Not to mention, he’s completely adopted the spread offense he hated and is recruiting dual threat QBs. His willingness to adapt is what has kept him on top.
This post was edited on 11/12/19 at 1:08 pm
Posted on 11/12/19 at 1:11 pm to uofarolltide
quote:
Until we’re in panic mode to start playing his best cards?
We get down by 20 in the second half, and all the sudden we start seeing exotic blitzes, and different personnel with more emphasis on rushing the passer.
On offense, we start playing balls to the wall trying to score TDs on every possession.
It reminds me of the 2017 National championship where in the second half he puts in all the freshmen - the best players, and lets it rip.
I don’t understand why he always tries to hide his hand or something. Generally by the time we go into defcon 3 mode, it’s too late
We beat LSU by 15 in the second half. We actually looked like a good football team. I wish we had that sense of urgency in the first half
Our players played better in the second half and made fewer mistakes. That is all.
Any offensive and defensive schematic changes were to combat what the opposing team was doing. What? Do you think LSU was playing the same offense/defense the whole game?
Posted on 11/12/19 at 2:34 pm to prevatt33b
quote:
Our players played better in the second half and made fewer mistakes. That is all.
Yeah, after going a quarter and a half with no adjustments...
Posted on 11/12/19 at 3:22 pm to stomp
quote:
Yeah, after going a quarter and a half with no adjustments...
I think it's very hard to make in-game adjustments; you just don't have a lot of time and space to get everyone together and on the same page. That's why I think you see most adjustments made at halftime...
Posted on 11/12/19 at 3:26 pm to TiderNAL
quote:
Saban is not the best in-game X's and O's coach. It takes him longer to adjust than some of the better ones.
Just curious...who do you think are some of the better ones?
Posted on 11/12/19 at 3:44 pm to OldPete
quote:
I think it's very hard to make in-game adjustments; you just don't have a lot of time and space to get everyone together and on the same page. That's why I think you see most adjustments made at halftime...
Then how, pray tell, are other teams so easy to adjust to us prior to halftime?
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