tattoo

It seems to be clear that the CFPC is considering SOS in a major way. This and the 24 team playoff are ways of encouraging tougher OOC scheduling and interest in the regular season.

In their minds Alabama has 4 ranked wins (UK, USC, MSU (pre Taylor injury), LSU). They also have a razor thin loss, with egregious reffing vs their #1 team. The other loss was the next week vs #7 and seriously injured (#1 player RCW, game-changing NT, shutdown corner, key center, others). It’s also important that the injuries are not season-ending, most returned by LSU, yielding a big road win.

They are sending a clear message - and IMO, the correct one. This is a welcome major development.

In light of the 24 team field, these developments help the regular season to retain much of its relevance but for different reasons than the past. Games, rivalries will lose some or much of their intrinsic importance, but will gain playoff related importance in the form of seeding. I.e., getting byes and hosting games will be of great importance going forward. This had already begun. even in the 4-team playoff format, e.g., while Bama fans certainly care about beating AU, one of the fiercest rivalries in college athletics, the 2017 loss is almost an afterthought in view of the playoffs made and the NC won that year.

Different things will be the focus, ultimately the playoffs and all related to that. It will be much more like the most popular sport in the country - the NFL, and will give hope to most of the entire country. They may have stumbled into a good thing. Some things lost, others gained.

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the coaching staff woke up

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No - key players healed up. And anyone paying attention knew that Alabama was better than many of their own fans were saying and that LSU was not as good as most were saying. (Many were reading away too much into the LSU beat down of a bad AU team and BAMA’s bad loss to UT with several key players missing and the hangover from the UGA game - UGA lost to a bad AU team).. I.e., that the teams were close and the determinant would be, “how healthy were Alabama’s teturning wounded”, and which QB would play best.

Alabama had “control” of the game from the beginning, leading almost the entire game, then DOMINATED from the latter 3rd qtr on because they are mentally tougher and better coached. LSU played OK and Leavit was fine but KR was better and Alabama is a better and tougher team and program. Alabama was meaner and tougher in every key moment in the game the way most of his teams have been in any big game when they physically had a chance. It portends well for the future. DeBoer is not what many of his critics say - “soft”. And he never has been. Like all he is flawed and like a few he is learning. This is only his 5th year as a P4 coach, much less the SEC.

You are a charlatan, most rightly don’t believe a word you say. Who cares what you believe.

Stats are for losers. Alabama controlled the play from start to finish, leading almost the entire game. Then when winning time arrived, they DOMINATED play the last 17 minutes of game time. Yet another impressive performance by the players and coaching staff under Kalen DeBoer. And make no mistake about it, he runs the show in his light-handed, understated way.

Alabama is fortunate to have him, even with the inevitable flaws. If they were to lose him, they would likely be in a world of hurt that could send them in a downward spiral from which it would be difficult to withdraw. Hopefully, the small but vocal critics from his own fan base who seem to be clueless about the current world of SEC and college football, don’t get their way.

9-0 after a bye in his career. 4 of the 9 are vs UGA & LSU, who also had byes. Don’t know who the other 5 are vs. This is only his 5th year as a P4 coach.

Oh, so you are the expert? You know when he had a bad streak? The hubris some of you have is mind blowing and you are convinced that you know. It’s embarrassing.

You are stubborn and stupid to ignore that both Ala and UGA were sucking wind after their game. UGA lost to a pathetic AU team at HOME, Bama lost to a ranked and primed UT with a very good DL and the best NT in the country vs a backup center on the road.

Well, you’ve covered the whole spectrum quite well: anything from a 28 point win to a 21 point loss. My guess is that it will be within that range too :-). I.e., you are just as clueless as most.

Much depends on how “back” are Ryan, Brown, Green, Delgatty, Carroll, Crowell, 70%, 80%, 100%; did Pierre heal up over the break? Are Taylor and Edwards ready to contribute a lot now, will Wommack let them; can X make a meaningful contribution; was Henry just a momentary flash, can his shortcomings be hidden for a game? Has Russell improved enough over the break? Etc.

Schemes and strategy matter, but player availability and selection matter more, IMO. If Alabama can run the ball like Grubb said, that will likely go a long way in determining the outcome.

Having RCW and Delgatty back, if they are truly healthy, will make a big difference. Same with Green and Brown on D - 2 of the 3 best players on D - if they are fully healthy or close.

Ryan doesn’t get nearly the credit he deserves as one who distorts the opposing D. Helps the running game, as well as the passing game.

My experience has been dramatically different than yours, though I agree that many who profess to know the Lord fall short in this area. But that criticism has often been leveled with little acknowledgement of the sacrifices many genuine believers have made from both the US and Europe on behalf of those who “look nothing like them”. Many I know and have known over the years.

Many were gifted people who left or could have had very prestigious and lucrative careers but along with others they left such comforts to live in primitive housing or thatched huts. Always in societies totally foreign to anything they had experienced - in my experience mostly Africa and South and Central America and India. This to proclaim the simple gospel of the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ crucified, or in some cases to provide support to those who were more directly involved, though they also would be directly involved as any normal believer would, but it isn’t their primary role.

There have been many thousands over the last 2 or 3 centuries, especially from Great Britain, the US and Scandinavia. (Though GB is now an apostate nation and has been for decades, as well as all of Europe. We, the US, are usually about 50 years behind but are catching up quickly.)

These believers have been a wonderful expression of the true love of God. And they have been a living example that all are on universal ground, seeing that all are sinners and all in desperate need of a Savior. And He is the same Savior for all. “There is one name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”. The context makes it clear that it is Jesus Christ. It’s the same message to a pygmy living in the dense jungles of the Congo or the King of Siam (Thailand prior to 1939), or to be perfectly clear, an Anglo Saxon President of the US.

These “people of faith” should be acknowledged too.

Frankly, though the numbers supposedly range from 45% to 65%, as those who know the Lord in the US, IMO, it’s probably closer to 2-4%, maybe on the low side, though i hope I’m wrong.

It made great sense. For Alabama to go through a coaching change at this time would be devastating. This staff has proven it knows how to build a roster with less than optimal funds. It is great at evaluating offensive and defensive players and linemen as well as skill position players. It knows how to beat teams in big games vs superior personnel, having done it more than once.

Yes, the staff has shortcomings, but DeBoer has made significant changes that have proven to be beneficial. I.e., he’s not afraid to make changes and he’s usually good at it.

Only an imbecile would want to change at this time even if it were not cost prohibitive. Some of you are being jerked around by frauds who want Russell and DeBoer gone and so too have a few genuine but dull Alabama fans who do not understand the times. They are not only changing but there has already been a seismic shift. Even prime Saban or Bryant or anyone would have been far less than they had been in these days.

True fans are somewhat understanding about the loss to UT on the road but bewildered by the ineptitude. But they ignore the UGA loss to a far inferior AU team AT HOME. The Alabama/UGA game took a LOT out of BOTH teams. They expect Alabama to be immune to such vagaries. Saban and Bryant could weather such letdowns with a massive talent disparity - DeBoer can’t. CNS & CPB could motivate with the bench, CKD, et al., can do that no more or at best, are greatly restricted - the players can and will often leave. On and on… Not excuses but reasons. To pretend they don’t exist means you are not facing reality and the need to address it, which is the only possible path to overcoming.

DeBoer may not be the long term solution, but he appears to be the only viable short term solution. Hopefully, he is both.

Metz is having a nice year for a first time starter but please don’t go overboard.

Multiple defensive players are better and more important than Metz: Brown, Tompkins, Green, Pierre. Others are essentially just as good and important: Woodson, Morgan. The only starters to whom he is superior: Lee, Hubbard, Saab.

Why captain?

He would be one of the lesser missed starters because his backup is so good.

What is “that NFL look”? Square jaw, etc.? I hate to ask, but why is he such a welcome sight?

He looks like a future 4th or 5th round pick - not bad for an inside LB.