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re: Bama fans - Question about Saban's first season
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:25 pm to RebFeBrees
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:25 pm to RebFeBrees
quote:
what were some of yall's own thoughts about Saban and the direction of Bama football?
Knew we were headed in the right direction. As someone said UA didn't lose any games by more than 7. Could have won a few more against Georgia and MSU, and obviously ULM. Played shitty against Florida State but could have won it.
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Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:26 pm to RebFeBrees
quote:
It's crazy really, one 7-6 season with some uncharacteristic losses then BOOMMOTHERfrickER.
It's been a wild ride indeed.
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:26 pm to TTsTowel
quote:
Whatever happened to Terry Grant? I remember his leading Alabama in rushing in 2007, then Glen Coffee, Mark Ingram, and Roy UpChurch jumped ahead of him in carries and yards the following season. Did he just not fit the mold of what Nick Saban sees in a running back or did he get injured?
Grant stayed injured. He just didn't have the frame. Coffee and Upchurch got healthy in 2008, Ingram was signed in the 2008 class. Grant was just passed up. He left the program and played in the CFL for a bit. I think he's back in Mississippi now.
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:26 pm to TTsTowel
quote:
Terry Grant
Watched that kid grow up, he was 3 years younger than me and from a small 2a school near Hburg. Was at several fball camps with him and he could ball. Went to bama over FSU and several other OOS schools and just didnt fit Saban's RB mold, even though he played pretty extensively when Shula was there IIRC. Pretty sure he finished up at West or North Al.
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:27 pm to CapstoneGrad06
quote:
That's the ticket. We were a 7-6 team in 12-2 disguise. 21-0, 2009, 2011, and 2012 were all just a big mirage.
That's not what I said at all. 2007 and 2008 were closer than their records, though 2008 was obviously the better team. 2008 Bama couldn't hang with the last 4 years of Bama's teams.
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:27 pm to TTsTowel
Grant was one of the very original processees. I think he ended up at UNA. In 2008, he was put 4th string behind Coffee, Ingram and Upchurch. I want to say Saban tried to move him to another position (defense maybe?), but I might be wrong.
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:27 pm to townhallsavoy
quote:
Jesus, you're dense.
This is the SECr. You can never be too sure if someone is blowing smoke or actually truthful.
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:28 pm to TTsTowel
quote:
Whatever happened to Terry Grant? I remember his leading Alabama in rushing in 2007, then Glen Coffee, Mark Ingram, and Roy UpChurch jumped ahead of him in carries and yards the following season. Did he just not fit the mold of what Nick Saban sees in a running back or did he get injured?
Injuries, depth, and running style. They tried to make him a slot WR, but he left in '10. Actually does ok in the CFL and owns a restaurant in Fort Walton. Beach.
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:30 pm to TTsTowel
quote:
Whatever happened to Terry Grant?
Had sports hernia surgeries two seasons in a row, and that pushed him waaaay down the depth chart. He left the team before the start of his fifth season.
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:31 pm to CrippleCreek
quote:
That's not what I said at all. 2007 and 2008 were closer than their records, though 2008 was obviously the better team. 2008 Bama couldn't hang with the last 4 years of Bama's teams.
Talent wise, 2007 and 2008 probably were. But that 2008 recruiting class had a massive impact. Most of the head-cases were processed by then as well. That was the biggest difference from 2007 to 2008.
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:31 pm to CrippleCreek
quote:
That's not what I said at all. 2007 and 2008 were closer than their records, though 2008 was obviously the better team. 2008 Bama couldn't hang with the last 4 years of Bama's teams
I don't think you're that off base. Several things happened that led to 2008:
-Glen Coffee returned, we added RB depth with Ingram, DL depth with Cody, and we gave JPW a great receiver in Julio
-The West was pretty weak that year
-Clemson was overrated, but we didn't know it when we beat them. The momentum from that game propelled us until we faced a team we just couldn't beat. When the momentum died, we lost to Utah.
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:35 pm to Bama Bird
quote:
Grant was one of the very original processees. I think he ended up at UNA.
He stayed at UA and earned his masters after leaving the team.
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:36 pm to RebFeBrees
In just about every loss that season, we lost the game in the 2nd half due to a lack of depth and conditioning. Recruiting took care of the former and the 4th quarter conditioning program was instituted to fix the latter
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:37 pm to townhallsavoy
quote:
Well as an Auburn fan, I can tell you the reality of it. Alabama fans were TERRIFIED about the potential 7th straight loss to their #1 hated rival. The only thing that gave them hope was the momentum they had in recruiting, but even then, they WEREN'T SURE THEY WERE EVER GOIG TO CLIMB OUT OF THEIR MID-MAJOR STATUS.
Thanks BAMA fan... Just kidding. All BAMA fans knew, and so did everyone else, that we were about to be out of that "mid-major" status. The recruiting was just further proof of what was coming.
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:37 pm to Bama Bird
quote:
The momentum from that game propelled us until we faced a team we just couldn't beat. When the momentum died, we lost to Utah.
A lot of truth in this. That was legitimately probably only about a 9 win team. They certainly overachieved.
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:38 pm to CrippleCreek
quote:
The jump from 2007 to 2008 was not as great as the jump in records, though the 2008 team was obviously better. 2007 played markedly tougher competition during the season than 2008 did.
True to an extent but that freshman 2008 class really did increase the talent level significantly right off the bat.
Julio Jones
Mark Ingram
Terrence Cody
Dont'a Hightower
These guys and then some freshmen role players / backups had an immediate impact in 2008. The 2007 team had few, if any, players this good.
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:39 pm to CrippleCreek
quote:
That's not what I said at all. 2007 and 2008 were closer than their records, though 2008 was obviously the better team. 2008 Bama couldn't hang with the last 4 years of Bama's teams.
Difference between 2007 and 2008 was depth and conditioning. 2007 just didn't have the conditioning to go four quarters, nor the depth to have talented backups when first teamers did get tired.
2008 recruiting class stepped in and added depth. A full offseason with Saban's 4Q program in place added conditioning.
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:40 pm to PepaSpray
quote:
also felt, at the time, that the La Monroe game was thrown just like UAB at LSU
You think Saban lost these games on purpose, in his first season at each school?
Saban was so furious after the UAB game, he benched Josh Booty in favor of Rohan Davey. He, of course said it had nothing to do with what happened against UAB which was BS imo.
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:40 pm to RebFeBrees
Most Bama fans understood that there were several players (DJ Hall, for example) that just needed to go. Poor work ethic, no leadership, etc. The turning point came in bowl practices that year when rising seniors like Rashad Johnson and Antoine Caldwell took charge.
Also, Caldwell, one other starter on the OL, and Glen Coffee were among the five suspended who missed the LSU, Miss State, and ULM games.
Most Bama fans were excited about the future and where the program was headed.
Also, Caldwell, one other starter on the OL, and Glen Coffee were among the five suspended who missed the LSU, Miss State, and ULM games.
Most Bama fans were excited about the future and where the program was headed.
This post was edited on 5/6/13 at 1:43 pm
Posted on 5/6/13 at 1:41 pm to Bama Bird
Tangential OT question for the fans of both programs:
Is it possible for Auburn and Bama to both actually be firing on all cylinders at the same time? Or does one have to be "down" for the other to succeed on a national scale?
It was just crossing my mind that it would have been very interesting to see what Saban/Bama would do if they were going against the Tubbs Auburn teams when they were rolling out top 10 defenses every single year. Would have been very interesting to see.
Is it possible for Auburn and Bama to both actually be firing on all cylinders at the same time? Or does one have to be "down" for the other to succeed on a national scale?
It was just crossing my mind that it would have been very interesting to see what Saban/Bama would do if they were going against the Tubbs Auburn teams when they were rolling out top 10 defenses every single year. Would have been very interesting to see.
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