re: Jake Fromm vs. Alabama

Don’t go all Jeffer on us rig. We don’t need more backwoods posters, but less.

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Basing it off of production.

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Shoot, yeah, his 3 TDs and 300+ yards against Bama's defense wasn't enough production. I blame Fromm entirely for choking in the biggest game of the season

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We needed first downs. We needed points. We needed 3rd down conversions. By feet or arm, he didn’t get it done in crunch time, 2 years in a Row.

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We had the biggest lead against Bama that they've had against them all season. Our defense couldn't stop Hurts and we gave them good field position with the botched fake punt. That wasn't on Fromm.

Even so, Bama's defense stepped it up at the right time. I already detailed every play in the supposed choking period and how that wasn't on Fromm.

Also, how about the notion that this is a team sport? Fromm doesn't do squat without his OL blocking for him and his receivers getting open and/or catching the balls he throws. The running game shutting down also makes it more difficult to throw because obvious passing downs are obvious.

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Sliding short of a first ain’t the right move in a game of that importance. Only a Fromm homer would defend that move.

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You've got to be kidding me. The slide was definitely the right move. The QB has to protect his body, especially on non-critical-down situations. If he goes down with an injury, the offense likely shuts down.

It was 2nd down and the slide was the right move. If it were 3rd or 4th down, I'd be inclined to agree with you as you need to move the chains, but you don't risk your body to pick up a 1st down when you've already made it 3rd and short and have been able to move the ball for most of the game. Fromm did what every mature QB would have done in that same situation.

Let me guess: if Fromm picks up the 1st down but tears an ACL or gets a concussion out of it, you'd be screaming that he was stupid for not sliding (I'd actually agree with you in that case). You seem to be one of the Fromm contrarians, or a Frommtrarian, if you will.

As much of a "homer" as I am, I can still take a critical look at something and admit when I'm wrong if proven to be so. I've offered you stats, video evidence and a play-by-play breakdown, as well as consensus interpretation of situational football and you've offered little more than an accusation that Fromm choked. Good luck with that.

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When a field goal would have made it a one score game in Baton Rouge, Fromm panicked and took a terrible sack that cost us a potential field goal. Kirby was livid.

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Kirby had every right to be livid. Fromm couldn't take that sack and we paid the price for it. There isn't much a defense that can be offered there other than that he kept looking down field and was hoping to find someone open, but even so, he needed better awareness to throw the ball away if he didn't have a target.

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That sack, and Fromm's decision to slide against Bama, are both worse than Fields' sack against Auburn.

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You really think that Fromm sliding on 2nd down to make it 3rd and short is worse than Fields taking a bad sack in the red zone that led to no points when we were 1st and goal from the 2? Fields was lucky to not lose 20 yards instead of just 16 on that sack because he wanted to make a play instead of cutting his losses. That's the difference between a mature QB and an immature QB. Taking a sack is bad enough but you don't run backwards 10 yards to make it worse.

I just detailed how the slide was the advisable move in that situation. It's almost shocking to me how you think otherwise. It's like you are judging that play based on the outcome of the drive instead of looking at the play by itself.

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Fromm is forgiven for every mistake and turnover.

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Not true. His mistakes are more glaring because he's been so good overall. A bad throw is a bad throw, regardless of who the QB is. The issue is more that people like you magnify the bad and downplay the good in Fromm because you want to see your lord and savior Justin Fields get a shot to justify your faith in him.

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Fields is criticized for every little mistake even though he has never turned the ball over.

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Just like the extreme criticism of Fromm has been misplaced, so has the desire to see Fromm on the sidelines so that Fields can take over. No one wants to trash Fields (at least I don't). He's a part of this team and he's obviously got a lot of promise and a bright future ahead of him. The reaction to Fields is not because of Fields, but because of posters like you who hype Fields and trash Fromm.

The mistakes Fields has made can be chalked up to youth and inexperience. He has done what most young QBs do and it's not something to criticize him for beyond reason because it should be expected. The reason why some like myself nitpick his mistakes is not because we actually care about them (again, I expect them and he needs them to grow and learn), but we want to show people like you why you are wrong to be lobbying for Fields over Fromm before he is ready to take over. There's no point in risking a W just to give the backup some experience, which is why Fields has seen action sparingly though he has seen action.

And yes, he never turned the ball over officially. He had an underthrown ball that would've been a pick had it not been a free play, and he fumbled the exchange on a ball (both against TN) that he was fortunate to be able to fall on. I don't say that to criticize him, but to say that it's likely he would have had some turnovers with more snaps. His decision making wasn't always great and he went one-and-run all season where if his primary target wasn't open, he'd just take off. That's fine for minimizing interceptions and learning on the job but not a great way to move the ball down the field.

And again, that's behavior I would expect from a true freshman, so it doesn't surprise me or annoy me. If your standard is that he's superman and capable of overtaking the battle-tested Fromm, the bar has to be raised for Fields.

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The slide was definitely the right move. The QB has to protect his body, especially on non-critical-down situations. If he goes down with an injury, the offense likely shuts down.

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You might have a point if this were a different game, but things change in a championship game. You might have a point if Fromm were small, but Fromm is a big kid. The chances of him getting knocked out of the game are slim.

To beat bama, You got to take the chance, give it your all, lay it on the line, dive, and get the much needed first down. Teams that beat bama don’t have qbs pulling that move and then punting. Heck, Not Even Eason did that bs in the liberty bowl.

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You might have a point if this were a different game, but things change in a championship game. You might have a point if Fromm were small, but Fromm is a big kid. The chances of him getting knocked out of the game are slim.

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I guarantee you CKS and CJC have been beating it into Fromm's head for the last two years to pick up as much as you can and then slide. That's what QBs are taught to do and that's what Fromm did.

Let me remind you once again: it was a second down run. It wasn't 3rd or 4th down, but 2nd down. By that point we were having fairly good success both running and throwing and the very next play would likely have been a conversion had there not been a completely unblocked defender coming around the edge and getting a hand on the ball.

It's easy to say he should have tried to pick up more yards when you know the result of the drive, but had we converted on 3rd down, this wouldn't have even been a talking point. It's a clear case of hindsight judging the moment and I think it's wrong to do so.

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To beat bama, You got to take the chance, give it your all, lay it on the line, dive, and get the much needed first down. Teams that beat bama don’t have qbs pulling that move and then punting. Heck, Not Even Eason did that bs in the liberty bowl.

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Eason as a freshman is hardly the QB Fromm wants to emulate. There's a reason Eason didn't get his starting job back after he got healthy and it wasn't due to racism.

Like I said, had it been 3rd or 4th down, I seriously doubt Fromm slides short of the marker. He's shown that he can lower his shoulder if he has to, but given the circumstance, he did what he was supposed to do and was trusting in the rest of the team to convert on the next play.

And by the way, had Fromm picked up the first down but gotten injured on the play, I'm sure people like yourself would be saying how stupid he was to risk the game while up by a TD for a couple of yards on 2nd down. That's just how this place rolls.

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I can't disagree more with you.

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For an SEC championship and a shot at the national championship, get the first down.

Kirby talks about this being a game of inches. That is a time when the inches matter. 1st down. 2nd down. 3rd down. It doesn't matter.

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while I do agree with you statisticall

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In the end, thats all that matters. At least you can admit it was a rough ending. Thats more than some others I have encountered. Respect for that.

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What kind of "play" are you talking about?

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Scramble and make something positive happen to keep the drive alive.

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I guarantee you CKS and CJC have been beating it into Fromm's head for the last two years to pick up as much as you can and then slide.

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The same CKS who lost his mind when Fromm ran out of bounds before the 1st down marker vs Vandy in 2017? If he has been advised to slide before a 1st down, and the Vandy game doesnt support that idea, I doubt it was meant to be applied to a do or die game.

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There's a reason Eason didn't get his starting job back

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Having the balls to get that extra yard running certainly wasnt one of the reasons why he didnt get his job back. Besides, thats just one example. Go back and look at the few teams who beat Bama, and you will see QB's who go for the extra yards. Every yard is needed to beat Bama.

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He's a true freshman that's played like one. A very physically talented one.

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If Fields had the mental talent Fromm showed as a true freshman last season he might have been the starter by the end of the season. He needs to improve MENTALLY next year to match his physical skills or he will be the second coming of Lamar Jackson.

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Bama bear us because their QB made the plays with his legs in addition to his arm.

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QB legs are so important, especially when you are playing Bama or are Bama.