re: Alabama At Full Health

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Then we can agree that game planning and team chemistry factors in but nothing else, such as production.

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No, I think anything that can negatively impact expected production (which planning and chemistry do) is up for discussion. Expected production is at the heart of this entire discussion.

The reason why WR injuries have been such a topic of discussion for the last 8 months is because fans believe that the loss of those players negatively impacted production, and thus, the outcome of the game. There would be no point to mention it otherwise. Likewise, players that were expected to play for UGA that were unavailable to provide the production expected of them could likewise be included in the discussion.

You are making an arbitrary distinction between players missing for their own fault compared to players missing who were not at fault, as if the reason matters for the rest of the team and the outcome of the games. The lack of expected production is the material point, given the timing of the absences, not the reason for the absences.

Take the recent and increasing trend of players sitting out of bowl games so that they don’t risk injury for the draft as another example. They are opting out on purpose, yet their lack of expected production can and does affect the team chemistry and preparation, which certainly can influence the outcome of the game. Opt-outs are used as excuses for losses and near losses regularly, because the reason for their absence doesn’t matter but their lost expected production does.