Last years Georgia/Bama SECCG Refresh

....a little of both

Since I can just copy and paste what I posted a few days ago after rewatching this game for the first time, I'm gonna do that and then never visit this thread again:




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Just rewatched for the first time (miserably slow day at work) and recalled this thread. A couple observations:

Didn't really realize at the time how in command of the game we could have been. After the Ogletree return for a TD the score could have easily been 31-7. We missed a field goal in the 1st half and, then, of course, the Murray interception that was badly underthrown being intended for Conley who was wide open and could have walked in for a TD.

I realize McCarron threw an ugly pick as well, but Cooper's back shoulder route was extremely covered and never would have been a completion regardless. Also, Saban's clock management at the end of the 1st half was miserable, but that doesn't guarantee anymore than the 3 points that Bama got. Without the piss poor clock management, we don't let McCarron waltz down the field to get the close to a TD anyway. Bama also managed to fall on a fumble at their own 20, which was quite fortunate.

Our run D was TURRIBLE. Bama's wasn't anything stellar, but better than ours. Our pass rush was better than theirs. I don't think anybody on Bama's front 7 is REALLY intimidating anybody in the pass rush.

Also, anybody know how many passes McCarron completed that he threw more than 3 yards downfield? 2.

One was severely underthrown and Cooper went up over Rambo and snagged it. The other was the big TD pass to Cooper. Don't get me wrong, Cooper was open, but both him and our CB Swann had basically began loafing and giving up on the play because neither expected McCarron to throw it to that route.

That doesn't bode well for Bama's offense this year. I had been giving McCarron the benefit of the doubt, but losing 3 elite college OL, a good blocking TE, and his bowling ball of a RB is going to make him look average in a hurry. I realize that Yeldon is a stud, but he also came out with fresh legs and he'll also need a yin to his yang to step up behind him this year. Unless the 3 OL and TE are replaced (and Bama's 2nd TE was nothing special from what I saw unless he was blocking as part of a double team -- hell, I'm special when I'm blocking as part of a double team with Fluker as my partner), then I think Bama is in for a longer year on offense against above average Ds than most realize. Any injury to Cooper or Yeldon could be deadly.

I was excited to see that more younger guys played well on D for us than I remember. Both of our expected starting ILBs forced a fumble (Ramik Wilson and Amarlo Herrera). Swann got toasted by Cooper once and had one PI, but played really well other than that. Garrison Smith was by far our best DL and Ray Drew played adequately when he received PT. Jordan Jenkins also showed some flashes in a game that only saw the opposing QB complete 2 passes for more than 3 yards down field.

Richt fricked us out of a win by not letting Murray spike the damn ball.

Bama had 350 rushing yards......









































350.

I don't want to cheapen the game by arguing about it and simplifying it down to "If this didn't happen then that would have happened".

The simple fact is, those were probably the best two teams in the nation, and they fought like champions. Each time one team did something that seemed to finally finish the other, someone made a play on the other side and brought their team back. Murray, McCarron, Lacy, Ogletree, Fluker, Gurley, Cooper, King, and finally Mosley were there when their team needed them.

Fantastic game.