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The coaching change Saban does need to make is...
Posted on 1/9/19 at 2:58 pm
Posted on 1/9/19 at 2:58 pm
...figuring out how to get Bama to peak at the end of the season. Sure, we've been destroyed with defensive injuries for 2 consecutive years, and that's certainly a factor, but our teams have seemed to be mentally-exhausted or beat down or somthing at the end of the year, while Dabo has gotten his teams to be their best selves in Dec/Jan 2 out of the last 3 years.
I suspect the biggest changes Saban makes to the Process is figuring out how to help the team psychologically endure the rigors of the season and peak at the right time.
Having said all this, there's never been a CFB playoff that didn't include Alabama, and so I'm talking about tweaks, not wholesale changes. Obviously Saban is getting nearly all of it right.
I suspect the biggest changes Saban makes to the Process is figuring out how to help the team psychologically endure the rigors of the season and peak at the right time.
Having said all this, there's never been a CFB playoff that didn't include Alabama, and so I'm talking about tweaks, not wholesale changes. Obviously Saban is getting nearly all of it right.
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Posted on 1/9/19 at 2:59 pm to prevatt33
Well for one...we have a much tougher November schedule than Clemson does.
Posted on 1/9/19 at 3:00 pm to prevatt33
I think it has more due to the fact the schedule is very back loaded.
Combine all those consecutive tough games with injuries down the stretch.
Combine all those consecutive tough games with injuries down the stretch.
Posted on 1/9/19 at 3:01 pm to mistaken4193
quote:
Well for one...we have a much tougher November schedule than Clemson does.
I certainly agree, but our November schedule will continue to be tough. Ergo, Saban must figure out how to get us to peak despite that challenge.
Posted on 1/9/19 at 3:04 pm to UltimaParadox
I'm not comparing Saban and Dabo, and I'm sorry that it has been taken that way.
The simply fact is that in any sport with a playoff, what matters is that you get to the playoffs and peak in said playoffs.
In CFB, it does no good to make the playoffs but peak in October. Saban waxed lyrical about a month ago about how bad we were practicing and that the mental make-up of the team was bad for all of November. I'd bet both testes that this is at the top of Saban's list of things to fix.
The simply fact is that in any sport with a playoff, what matters is that you get to the playoffs and peak in said playoffs.
In CFB, it does no good to make the playoffs but peak in October. Saban waxed lyrical about a month ago about how bad we were practicing and that the mental make-up of the team was bad for all of November. I'd bet both testes that this is at the top of Saban's list of things to fix.
Posted on 1/9/19 at 3:06 pm to mistaken4193
quote:
Well for one...we have a much tougher November schedule than Clemson does.
Also, the quality of the opponent can affect the outcome, but not whether you a playing your best football. Bama needs to be playing it's best football at the end of the year, and opponent doesn't affect that.
Posted on 1/9/19 at 3:08 pm to prevatt33
quote:
Ergo, Saban must figure out how to get us to peak despite that challenge.
What you're asking isn't really logical though.
We are going to look and play our best against the middle of the road competition at the front of the schedule. When the competition ratchets up it's obviously harder to "peak" on a weekly basis. Doing it once or twice isn't an issue. Getting into 6 or 7 street fights between November and January takes it's toll
Posted on 1/9/19 at 3:14 pm to Riseupfromtherubble
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What you're asking isn't really logical though.
I disagree. Yes, games take their toll. But there's no reason for a team not to get better and better each week, despite the competition getting better. Sure, the margin of victory will go down and the box scores won't be so one-sided, but the level of play can continue to go up. (Obviously, we're excluding injuries from this discussion.)
Think of it in terms of tennis. There are 2 types of errors - forced and unforced. I believe Bama has been making more unforced errors at the end of the season compared to the beginning, and it has been happening for a few years now. And an unforced error has nothing to do with the opponent.
Posted on 1/9/19 at 3:14 pm to prevatt33
I hate to say this, but is there an underlying cause to all the injuries we've had or is it just awful luck?
Wouldn't trade the motivation Cochran brings for anything, but is there something preventive that we aren't doing?
Wouldn't trade the motivation Cochran brings for anything, but is there something preventive that we aren't doing?
Posted on 1/9/19 at 3:15 pm to prevatt33
While our schedule is backloaded, it does seem like we usually peak earlier in the season. 2012 and 2015 are really the only times it seems like we got better as the season went on.
Being Alabama and going undefeated is tough. It’s a lot of pressure having that target on your back. Sometimes a loss in the middle of the season can propel you forward by relieving all that pressure.
Being Alabama and going undefeated is tough. It’s a lot of pressure having that target on your back. Sometimes a loss in the middle of the season can propel you forward by relieving all that pressure.
Posted on 1/9/19 at 3:17 pm to prevatt33
Or let go of some coaches.
Posted on 1/9/19 at 3:18 pm to FairhopeTider
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relieving all that pressure.
I've wondered of late if the weight of being Bama becomes quite hard to bear by November for some of these players. The pressure must be absolutely enormous.
Posted on 1/9/19 at 3:21 pm to Goombaw
quote:
is there an underlying cause to all the injuries
Some of it is the same players getting injured year after year, so there's that. Some of it is just bad luck. That second part is cyclical.
Posted on 1/9/19 at 3:22 pm to prevatt33
One thing that worried me leading up to the game is every time I heard Saban talking, he was talking about mistakes, which I know is his MO, but still I think you get tight players by solely focusing on what can go wrong.
Dabo had his guys loose and having fun and it showed.
Dabo had his guys loose and having fun and it showed.
Posted on 1/9/19 at 3:22 pm to Panthers4life
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Or let go of some coaches.
I'm not in the boat that our coaching staff was insufficient this year. I actually think they did an excellent job, overall.
Posted on 1/9/19 at 3:26 pm to Goombaw
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every time I heard Saban talking
I'm suspicious that Saban has been intimately aware of our deficiencies this year, and has been trying to hide them with perfect play - he wanted to shrink the margin of error because he knew it was the only chance for a title.
I bet when Saban's memoirs come out years down the line, he'll tell us all that the 2018 defense was held together with bandaids and prayer, and that we maybe had no business getting that close to a title.
Posted on 1/9/19 at 3:28 pm to prevatt33
quote:
while Dabo has gotten his teams to be their best selves in Dec/Jan 2 out of the last 3 years.
Did you see Clemson's schedule vs. Bama's last six games of the year?
Outside of Notre Dame, they played absolutely no one.
Posted on 1/9/19 at 3:29 pm to 14&Counting
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Did you see Clemson's schedule vs. Bama's last six games of the year?
Outside of Notre Dame, they played absolutely no one.
I addressed this above. I'm not talking about results - I'm talking about level of play.
Unforced errors have nothing to do with the opponent.
Posted on 1/9/19 at 4:08 pm to 14&Counting
quote:
Outside of Notre Dame, they played absolutely no one.
True but I saw,it argued that it helped us by being more tested and I agree. Regardless, there is a better than good chance that they make it back next year with another gravy schedule and a decent chance we make it back after another rough November so if this is the reason we lost (it's not) we need to develop a lot more depth in September and October.
Posted on 1/9/19 at 4:11 pm to Commander Data
quote:
I saw,it argued that it helped us by being more tested and I agree.
I argued the same, but I was wrong. We apparently had been tested past our stress point and failed with more weight.
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