Wow.
In fact, it is difficult to think of other appropriate words
and phrases. We spent a decent amount of
time on a cloudy Sunday afternoon reading reviews, professional and otherwise,
of the LSU vs. Alabama game on Saturday night.
Apparently the press box was filled with not only the local Alabama and
Louisiana media, but also representatives from the New York Times, USA Today, Fox,
CBS, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, etc. All
of their excellent analysis more or less boiled down to: “Wow. Alabama beat the
etouffee out of LSU.”
The Commissioner has done an even more excellent job than
usual of summing up the statistics that tell the story of this game. Several are telling. That Derrick Henry had more carries than
Leonard Fournette had rushing yards is one.
That the much-maligned Adam Griffith has hit eight straight field goals
and now shares the record for the longest field goal in Alabama history without
a kicking tee is another (not to mention making such a kick in the rain off a
sodden field). That Kenyan Drake had
over 150 yards of all-purpose yardage and looked like himself for the first
time since he was seen being carted off the nasty surface that the University
of Mississippi calls a “football field” is another. Perhaps the most revealing is that LSU
possessed the football for less than three minutes of the fourth quarter. Doing that to your opponent is going to win
lots of football games, y’all. It also
sends a message to the rest of Alabama’s opponents -- if you are down two
scores with 10 minutes left, you might ought to consider that on-side kick, because
you may not get the ball back.
We think the turning
point Saturday was a series of four plays, two before the half and two right
after, featuring unlikely stars. LSU
seemed to have grabbed the momentum heading to the locker room. Then Griff hit the 55-yarder. On the ensuing kickoff Tony Brown delivered a
devastating hit on LSU’s returner, Derrius Guice, who probably wished he’d
gotten a nice case of flu before Saturday night and stayed in Baton Rouge. After the kickoff, Dillon Lee intercepted an
LSU pass. You could just feel the game
change. However, this was, no mistaking
it, a team win. A learned friend and
regular reader said it best: “Alabama’s offense kept Fournette on the bench,
the defense made him wish he had stayed there”.
Offense: Yes, an Excellent
plus. Sure, we made some dumb mistakes
again. Coker’s spin move when he feels
pressure has been analyzed now to the point that defensive ends are expecting
it. Going to have to trust it and step
up in the pocket a few times. We failed
to finish a couple of drives. On the
whole, though, it is to be remembered that this wasn’t exactly the Little
Sisters of Perpetual Sorrow out there.
LSU has a very good defense. VERY
good. They practice weekly against what
is generally conceded to be the premier running back in college football. And though the Commissioner has already done
him justice, we can’t miss a chance to compliment Derrick Henry (and his
grandmother who raised him and did a heck of a job). After the game, they asked Coker if Henry was
the best running back in football. He
said, “Coming from me … you’re damn right he is.” I may disagree with some of Jake’s decisions
during the action, but there’s no questioning his judgment on football talent. Want to know how good Henry was? Nick Saban actually smiled, not once but
twice, when asked about him in the post-game interview.
Defense: I’m not just
sure this isn’t the best defense of Saban’s Alabama tenure. That’s saying a lot. We will wait to see when the season is all
over. Saturday night was an
awe-inspiring performance. The defense
was disciplined. It is not a one-man
show. No player reached double digits in
tackles. Reggie Ragland did not get his
name called a lot in this game. As the
defensive signal caller, he was magnificent.
LSU’s two best plays of the night were on the coaches -- one, a
questionable blitz call (though we understand a safety may have misunderstood
his assignment) and one overthinking a personnel package on a third and 12 out
of the LSU end zone. Those are
quibbles. It seemed like everyone on the
defense got turn tackling Leonard Fournette.
Special Teams: Hurrah
for Adam Griffen-Grif-fon’-Griffith. It
took a lot of grit given this season and the fact that the coaches clearly
distrusted him early in the game (though we agree with the decision to go for
both of the fourth-and-ones) to go out there and even try a 55-yarder in the
rainy slop. He had five more in it. The special teams play of the night was
highlighted by the Commissioner. If you
haven’t seen the clip of a 312- pounder executing a triple jump PAT block, use
Google to find it. Ask yourself,
seriously, if you could do that in street clothes. If you weigh 155 pounds, ask yourself if you
could do it carrying yourself on your back.
Coaching: The team
was ready to go. A week off undoubtedly
helped. He says to the contrary, but I
think Coach Saban takes a special pleasure in coaching against LSU. This team, especially the defense, was
perfectly prepared. They stopped
Fournette, which is something no other team has done and we were told all week was
and in the pregame was impossible. How
about another example? Re-watching the
game, we saw Cyrus Jones defense a double move route by the LSU wide
receiver. It’s not just that he resisted
the fake, he knew it was coming. The
receiver turned slightly inside and as soon as he did, Jones swiveled his hips and
started up field. Within 10 yards he
looked more like the receiver than the receiver did. Maybe that’s why LSU’s quarterback decided to
start chucking it to his offensive guards.
Broadcast. Hoo boy. Where do we begin? Perhaps the beginning is an appropriate
spot. I don’t know how ESPN goes about
deciding who will be the “Guest Picker” each week for the morning Game Day show. We thought that it was usually someone with a
tie to the host university -- alumnus, former player, former coach, etc. At least that is what it seems like at other schools. Last time they were in Tuscaloosa for LSU, it
was an LSU alumnus, which just felt wrong. At least there was some connection to the
colleges whose teams were playing the game.
This Saturday, it was a “rap” star whose apparent tie to the
University was that he was willing to pick Alabama to win. Otherwise, we are
somewhat at a loss as to why ESPN chose to let him have a 15-minute commercial
for his career. Maybe it’s a new
policy. Why we couldn’t have Lee Roy
Jordan, Gene Stallings, Joe Namath, Bill Battle, any former player now in the
pros (from Roman Harper to A.J. -- some NFL player was probably off this weekend)?
We honored Snake before the game, maybe
someone associated with him? Or maybe
Condi Rice, maybe one of the many captains of industry, finance, the mayor, the
governor, doctors, lawyers (ok, I don’t think we have any Indian Chiefs) or
similar noteworthy graduates, Dean Karr from the Engineering School -- shoot,
how about the guy who empties wastebaskets at ten Hoor in the evening --
someone, anyone, with a connection to the University that makes us proud to
make football predictions? Instead, we
get a rap star with a criminal record whose connection appears to be that he
roots for Alabama. Sheesh. At least he made a more accurate prediction
of the evening’s outcome than any of the professional commentators.
And then for ESPN to pout about whether the signs in the
crowed were funny or properly analyzed the Star Wars franchise (which would be
a big deal, since Disney owns it, and coincidentally owns ABC, which owns ESPN),
or whether enough people showed up in the rain and mud to pay proper homage to
the ESPN luminaries…. Maybe it’s time
to face up to an unpleasant fact Worldwide Leader in Sports -- maybe your show isn’t as good and entertaining
as it once was.
Fortunately for the Disney/ABC/ESPN/Star Wars conglomerate,
the CBS crew made you look stellar by comparison. We have lost interest in the game of listing
how many names Verne gets wrong. If you
play that as a drinking game, you don’t get to see the second half. CBS has done numerous games this year. And yeah, a few of the players’ names are a
challenge. But you can’t get our place
kicker or our quarterback right?
Really? After how many stinking
times you have replayed the luckiest play in college football history that he
began? I’m sure Adam Giffin-Griffith
doesn’t care, but I’ll bet his mom does.
And Jake “Cooker”? Maybe that one
just slipped by. He’s only been here a
couple of years and you’ve only called his name a few hundred times. So what’s the excuse with his hometown? It’s “Mobile” -- ends like kneel, not fumble. Been that way since about 1702, as far as we
know.
And we aren’t really sure why it is important during live
game action to go “up to the booth” to see Verne and Gary instead of what is
happening on the field. We are sure
their ties are very nice, but there’s just not really a play in the game that I’d
prefer to miss in favor of seeing them chat with each other -- bad enough to
have to listen to it. To their credit,
they don’t seem all that happy about it either, even Gary looked back over his
shoulder to see what was happening on the field. We thought that there was some limit to how
many times a team could be on CBS each year.
Maybe not, since next Saturday the CBS broadcast, commercials included,
will run from 2:30 till past bed time.
To be brutally honest, I think Gary and Verne are tired of Alabama -- it’s
mutual, boys.
On to Mississippi State in Starkville. Vegas thinks the Tide is a six-point
favorite. We shall see. We were a 6.5 point favorite over LSU. Roll Tide, everyone.
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