Football coaches are notorious creatures of habit.  Our coach, Nick Saban, is no different.  And though our 9-3 regular season is disappointing when considering the hype with which the year began, as well as the return of what looked to be an offensive juggernaut, it probably should have been expected.  Examining Saban's track record, it's clear that he wasn't suddenly going to abandon his tried and true philosophy in favor of an offensive-minded approach, regardless of whom we had running the ball or catching passes.

Simply stated, Nick Saban plays to win with defense and error-free, just enough offense.  The most telling statistic is this: at both LSU and Alabama, Saban has a 69-6 record when holding opponents to 20 points or less; however, he is only 21-21 when his opponents score 21 points or more.  His teams are not built--physically, fundamentally, or philosophically--to consistently win games in which their opponents score 21 points and up.  They never have been and they likely never will.

As helpless as we felt while watching some of those games, we should have considered the likelihood of a loss once South Carolina, LSU, and Auburn scored 21 points.  Now that's not to say that a Saban team should just quit once an opponent scores 21 or more, and I'm sure Saban would be the first man to say the scoreboard should have no impact on a player's intensity.  But the fact that any opponent was able to gash our defense and create scores was a clear sign--like a four run inning against an elite pitcher--that we didn't have our best stuff.  As for Saban, a .500 record in one set of games, compared to a .920 winning percentage in better defensed contests, is evidence of a coaching comfort zone. 

 In games like the 2007 Arkansas game, the 2008 Florida game, the 2009 Auburn game, and the 2010 SC/LSU/Auburn debacles, winning and losing wasn't a matter of well-conceived gameplans and brilliant strategy.  It was a coinflip, and in these games, Saban is no better than average.  When he cannot control the details, when he can't hold a lead, run the clock, and control field position with overwhelming defense he's not going to be successful.

That said, perhaps our 2011 worries shouldn't begin with replacing Julio Jones and Mark Ingram and finding an NFL-caliber quarterback to replace Greg McElroy; they begin with fixing a defense that yielded un-Saban-like performances throughout the 2010 season.  The philosophy will not change.  Saban will not concede scores or yards so the offense can get the ball back.  He will never become Gus Malzahn, Mouse Davis, or Chip Kelly.  The Alabama defense must live up to Saban's intense expectations if they/we are going to be successful.  For 2011 and beyond, that is where we first need to improve.  That is where--as long as Saban's our coach--we/Alabama will need to show most improvement if we are going to win, because that is how Nick Saban teams win. 

On the other post I commented:

Does anyone else think

it’s odd that we didn’t offer/strongly pursue many of Auburn’s best recruits last year and now a scandal like this is surfacing? Coincidence?

You know Saban won’t be played by recruits and he won’t deal with the cash requests and third party crap, so IMO that’s a big red flag on their stellar 2010 class, since he didn’t go after some of those guys.

At the time I wondered why we didn’t go after some of them and it’s possible that they were soliciting for extra benefits and Auburn was paying.

 

Their entire 2010 class stank of illegality.

Maybe I'm too loyal to Bama and see us as the superior program, but I'm convinced of the following:

1. Auburn could/can be the better program only while we were on probation or coached by a buffoon.

2. Once off probation, we hired Saban, he started kicking Auburn's ass in recruiting, we went undefeated in 2008 and ended their streak and they panicked.  They knew Tuberville couldn't do it, so they fired him and brought in a man who'd be a puppet for the suits.  In 2009, we signed another great class,  and we won the championship.  They continued to panic. 

3.  Simply stated, they realized they couldn't/can't compete with Saban/Bama on an even playing field so they pulled out all the stops.  They bought Newton and other players in a desperate attempt to compete.  Somewhere in Auburn, Lowder and Chizik and the rest of their brass sat around a table in a dark room with the shades drawn and they said, "All or nothing.  We have to beat Bama and we'll pay any price to do so."

This is the result.  Envy.  Inferiority complex.  Some of them might laugh at this, but I'm a betting man and I would bet that the aforementioned, or a similar variation of it, happened.  It happened.  Auburn knew they couldn't hang with us when Saban became our coach.

Could be ludicrous and just another Bammer Homer's theory, but I believe it.

What do you think?

"Bein' the One"

An 80's Rock Ode to Auburn by White Trash Gary and the Maulers

Hit it boys...guitar!

Oh, little brother, little brother, we got you on the run

You saw our wins, you saw your fate

and you knew nothin' could be done!

You were beat,

Had to cheat,

to stop bein' overrun!

Oh, little brother!  little brother, you knew

it couldn't be done!  So you paid a price,

now you'll pay a price, paper champions!

Oh, little brother, little brother, how's it feel now

that you're on the run?  Is that what you do, little brother,

when Bama's the champion?

Oh, little brother, little brother, you knew it couldn't

be done!  You saw the Saban, you saw the monster

and you knew your days were done!

You played the scam, you stuck with Cam

Good luck gettin' out of this jam!

Oh, little brother, little brother, you know Saban's the one!

Cus you knew you were through,

Desperation spread through, 

you can't beat the Red Legion!

Oh, little brother, little brother

Don't you know you ain't the one?

There's a team in Alabama

and they the only real one!

Oh, little brother!  Little brother, don't you know

it can't be done?  You can buy the players,

you can say your prayers

but you can never be the one!

Tough loss today, guys.  I just want to throw out an idea I've sort been stewing throughout this season to generate discussion.  I'm not trying to call out players or insult the team.

Do any of you think we could be missing a blue collar element on our defense?  We've recruited a lot of four and five star guys and I'm happy for it.  Many of them are developing and will become good players.  But thinking back to 2008 and 2009, we were solid defensively and it wasn't the result of having pure talent all over the field.  Guys like Rashad Johnson, Marquis Johnson, Eryk Anders, Corey Reamer, Terrence Cody, Lorenzo Washington, and Javier Arenas were superstar players for us even though they were all under the radar type guys coming out of high school.  Is it a coincidence that this year's defense has a lot of talent in terms of recruiting ratings, but it's failing to perform up to Coach Saban's standard?

Those aforementioned guys excelled as a result of Saban's coaching.  They bought in to his philsophy and they worked their butts off.  When we recruited big time prospects these players held their ground and won starting positions even though most people didn't expect it. They played each week like they had something to prove and it really helped the team.

Again, I don't want to call anyone out on the current team, but is it possible that we are really missing a few of the blue collar, chip on the shoulder guys on defense?  I like four and five star recruits, but I think they mix in better with a few overachievers (as we saw in 2008 and 2009). 

What do you guys think?

My wife works in management for a big corporation.  As a man who usually despises all things administrative, I give her a pass (she's my wife...kind of have to).  I do, however, overhear some of the motivational strategies that she is instructed to use on the people she manages.

One of the lamest these is what they call a "Celebration Session".  It sounds really juvenile, and maybe even a little cultish, but I think the idle week is a good time for the members of Roll Bama Roll to celebrate one another.  It's pretty simple.  You just go around and say something nice about someone else.

I'll go first.

Outsidethesidelines: You write some of the best football analysis I have ever read.  You are usually spot on with your predictions and breakdowns.  I enjoy your reports tremendously.

Kleph:  You are a very bright man and your passion for the program runs deep.  You are very dedicated to this blog and your endeavors and I admire this. 

Todd: LaTodd is the man.  He is to this blog what Julio Jones is to the offense.  We don't always see everything he does, but he is the straw that stirs the drink.  He is the benevolent dictator of RBR.

Nico: you are the easiest going of the bunch and that's necessary.  Every great team needs balance and your laid back nature gives that to the RBR team.  You are a real fan, yet you don't seem to attack anyone or get upset over minor issues.

Pete Holiday:  If my employer ever tries to fire me for some bogus reason, I'm going to hire you as my lawyer.  You are like Kleinfeld in Carlito's Way except you don't use coke.  You are a master of all things legal and regulatory and you seem like a nice person at heart.

Matt Dover:  you are a nice young guy.  I honestly don't follow basketball but I can respect a fellow UA grad's support of the university.

Bammer:  I enjoy your post-game posts and your opinions.  You are a good dude.

Bamareturns07: You are also a good dude and you're very passionate.  You also agree with me most of the time so I consider you an ally.

Chinesedentist: You make a wicked Caucasian.  I know where I can find a good drink in Tuscaloosa.

5026: You are a really good person.  I can sense that.  You don't curse and you don't say anything negative.  I consider you one of the last good people on earth and regardless of what you think, I can tell a lot about you from what you post.  You are a very good representative of your faith.

Tempebamafan: You have a good sense of humor and a great appreciation of Lebowski.  One doesn't need anything else in life.

Stuck in the Plains: You are a very bright guy and you are extremely loyal to Bama.  I can tell you're very cool.

Mr. Pelicanpants: I like your stories and posts.

Thomas Walker, Esq.  You are very funny and witty.

Queen:  You are a nice lady.

BigSis and LilSis:  Good ladies and loyal fans.

If I'm forgetting anybody I'm sorry.  You're a good bunch.

When you guys aren't watching Alabama games and college football, what shows do y'all enjoy watching on the television?  I've never been a big TV fan and if not for sports I'd rarely turn the thing on.  In fact, I probably don't have the thing on much from February to August.  I just don't get into many shows and I find that sports provide the best drama (for me).  This is probably my favorite time of year to watch with CFB, NFL, and the MLB playoffs.  This weekend, for example, I watched the Rangers blow a 5-0 lead against the Yankees on Friday, followed by Auburn and Arkansas, Lincecum vs. Doc, and Alabama and Ol' Miss on Saturday; and then on Sunday I caught some NFL highlights and Roy Oswalt's shutdown performance against the Giants of San Francisco. 

The only non-sports show I watched happened to be Eastbound and Down, a fictional show about a washed up pitcher, and it's currently my favorite.  In the past I've watched Da Ali G Show, Reno 911, and The Chappelle Show.  I particularly enjoy irreverent comedy, in case you haven't noticed.

So out of curiosity, what non-Alabama and non-sports shows do you guys watch?

First off, let me apologize for making fun of Greg McElroy.  I was being a little hostile (albeit tongue in cheek, but I had momentarily forgotten I live in an overly sensitive world without a sense of humor so any ribbing--no matter how hard or soft--is unfair).  Sorry to those I offended.  Greg will be okay.  I'm a complete asshole and I deserve to be locked in a tower with an iron mask on my ugly face.

That said, here's my issue, here is the reason I get so frustrated with our quarterbacks sometimes.  I've always believed that a great quarterback can bring the best out of an average team and an average quarterback can bring the worst out of a great team.  Right now, we're not a great team and we have a number of problems in several areas.   It's truly wonderful, however, that the guys are playing hard and giving it their all and I'm very proud of them.  We lost a lot of great players, yet we're still in the thick of things halfway through the season.  That's proof of our coaching staff and character.  Still, I get frustrated.  Again, I'm sorry if my opinions offend some of you.

We are Bama.  We are an elite program, yet we have had a shortage of elite quarterbacks in the last forty years of our history.  Joe Namath was elite; Ken Stabler was elite; Scott Hunter was elite; Richard Todd was elite.  Since then we have not consistently produced NFL caliber quarterbacks.  I wish this were different, and I know I'm not speaking alone on this,  I get frustrated because I have watched--as a walk-on and fan--our program pass up or fail to adequately recruit great quarterbacks.  I have watched us sign quarterbacks who were not elite, whose ability was questionable, and I supported those quarterbacks, and I'll continue to root for Greg McElroy no matter how well he plays.

Honestly, we should have signed at least two of the following: Philip Rivers, Major Applewhite, Pat White, Jamarcus Russell, Tee Martin, et cetera.  It's unrealistic to say we should have signed all those guys.  But I remember some of the rationale behind not recruiting some of those guys and frankly, I thought it was stupid.  None of our quarterbacks during the time period in which each of those quarterbacks played was better. 

The idea that we're not a team that needs a big time quarterback is silly.  And I get frustrated--sorry--when I follow Bama football and we never have an elite quarterback.  I know I'm not alone in this thinking.  I get frustrated when players like Rivers go to NC State, or when Major Applewhite isn't offered a scholarship or when Tee Martin goes to Tennessee.  I get frustrated when I watch teams load the box without fear against our offense.

I get frustrated when I watch our opponents sign better quarterbacks.  And I get frustrated that we are an elite program that doesn't produce NFL quarterbacks or top NFL prospects at quarterback.  I hope this changes. 

I'm not going to criticize McElroy again.  My lips are sealed.  I hope we can grow as a team and I hope he can play as well as he played against Florida last year.  We're going to need to play great to beat LSU and Auburn.

• Not an inspiring effort by any means, but it's better than a loss.
• We're still showing most/all of the same problems and I personally think this was why Coach Saban was so displeased at halftime and at the end of the game.  In the first half, for example, we ran approximately 70% of our plays in Ole Miss territory, yet we scored 16 points and kicked three field goals.
• We have no vertical threat/ability at all.  None.  What was it, 2 of 8 on attempts over ten yards?  Don't forget about the sacks.  Maybe it was really 2 of 10.  Who knows and who cares?  It was crappy.
• Our defensive backs still don't use their eyes as well as they should.  If Masoli passes a little bit better and if their receivers could catch, we really might have lost that game.  They had us beaten on several occassions.
• McElroy is not built to quarterback this team.  We're all aware of his "Game Manager" title and inability to make quick decisions and live with both the good and bad, but without a knockout defense, Greg's ability stands out.  Our opponents see it and they're going to continue to force him to beat them.  Sure, we stopped Ole Miss last night.  But will we score in Baton Rouge?  Will we be able to score with Auburn?
• I think we should continue to play a 40 front with two tackles and two defensive ends.  We have not played well in the 30 front this year and the biggest reason, in my opinion, is that we don't have three linemen who can control the point of attack/Line of scrimmage as well as Cody and Company controlled it last year.
• I was thinking before the OM game that the best way to play Auburn will be with a 40 front.
• As of this moment, if we do not improve greatly, we will lose to both LSU and Auburn.  I'm not saying it will happen or that I want that to happen, but we need to get better.  Our inability to throw the ball is maddening and it's horrible seeing crappy defensive teams hold Ingram and Richardson to low yardage totals.  If we don't get this right, we will not score enough points to beat LSU in Baton Rouge and we will not beat Auburn--even with a good defensive performance--kicking field goals three out of four scoring possessions.
• Football Gods...we grovel before thee, we come in supplication and implore thee to stop the injuries.  We are the walking wounded.  Have mercy, oh ye Gods!
• McElroy: I'll be honest, your attitude bothers me.  You are the kid Barry Switzer was talking about when he said, "Some guys are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a triple."  Remember one thing, if only one thing, you are a C- quarterback on an A team.  We have won a lot of games so you have been sheltered from the truth.  You are Brian Bergdorf with a better supporting cast.  You are Brian Bergdorf with a side of Lance Tucker.  Remember that, Greg.  You are the moderately bright student in the AP or Honors class (not a good analogy for Greg, but you get the point) who got a spot because his father threatened to sue the school and the principal is too conscious of his job to take a stand.  Remember the next time you question your teammates' commitment or talk arrogantly to a reporter or state that you'd rather be called "Field General".  To quote my QB Guru friend--who sends me texts MotherF'ing you every game (except for the SECCG in 2009)--Julio, Ingram, and Richardson laugh at you when you're not around (I don't know if that's true, but I found it funny when I read it).  Remember that Saban wanted to burn a true freshman quarterback's redshirt at halftime of the LSU game last year because he doubted we could win with you at quarterback.  He did.  Without screen passes and checkdowns you'd complete two passes in ten attempts for eternity.  So get a grip on yourself, brother.  Your job has simply been not to screw up.  This year, without a knockout D, you're going to have to be a real quarterback.  So let's see something, Bergdorf/Tucker. 
• McElroy: please get this right.  Please.  At some point you are going to have to win another game and you're going to have to go vertical to do it.  Everyone is on to you now.  Fix it.  Dude, fix it!
• The run defense played well.  Efforts like that will be good enough to beat most teams.  We still are struggling to defend the pass, though, and if you watched closely the same coverage breakdowns and mental mistakes appeared last night.
• This is the angriest I've been after a win in a long time.  I'm going back to bed.
  
  
  
  

I was upset when South Carolina lost tonight.  I really was.  My issue is simple.  South Carolina is lame.  Before I explain, let me say that the BYE week controversy has been well-chronicled here, so there's no need to give that any additional discussion.  We expected to receive every team's best shot, so there's no need to talk about that either.

In terms of flattery for beating us last week, I say congratulations.  You played a great game.  As for tonight...go to hell.  You are lamer than lame.  You are a joke. 

Against us you pulled out all the stops.  Great play calls.  Aggressive defense.  Big time conversions and stops.  You didn't hold anything back.  You played like that was the last football game you'd ever play.  No tomorrow.  No holding back.  No regrets.  Lay it all on the line.  During the game your coaching staff looked prepared and ready.  You had an answer for everything. You really went all out to beat us and you achieved that feat.  Again, congratulations.

Yet you followed this performance up with a halfass effort against Kentucky.  And you lost.  Did you prepare as hard for them?  Did you get up for them?  Did you scout them and analyze them as hard as you analyzed us?  Did you pour as much of your collective soul into that game tonight as you poured into last week's game against us?  I don't think you did.

On Kentucky's game-winning touchdown pass, you weren't lined up correctly.  You allowed a receiver to find the end zone without a defender anywhere in sight.  With a 28-10 lead, your offense went to sleep.  And then you blew both a chance to win or tie the game at the end of regulation.

For this, you're lame.  You're just as lame as Tennessee and Auburn were in 2009.  Both those teams pulled out all the stops to beat Bama, yet Tennessee played a horseshit game against Mississippi a few weeks later and Auburn lost five of their last seven regular season games, but managed to throw everything they had against Bama.

Amateurs.  You guys put more emphasis on your game against us than you did on your game against Kentucky.  That's disgusting.  Yes, we were number one and the defending champ.  But if you really want to be a great team, you don't lose games like you lost tonight.  And you play for more than the spoiler's role.

I'm not upset that you wanted to beat us and that you tried your hardest. I'm not upset that South Carolina actually pulled off the feat; I'm upset that you lame asses put all your concentration, energy, and strength into beating us, yet you give halfass performances against other opponents.  That's lame.  That's despicable.  And that's why you--collectively--don't have many championships.

Coach Spurrier: that was halfass.  Let's be honest.  That sucked.  Did you prepare as hard for Kentucky?  Were you as motivated to beat them as you were to beat us?  Any team who holds back against the Kentuckys and Mississippis and Georgias of the world while putting in overtime for Alabama is lame in my book.  Why don't you play for a championship season instead of putting all your eggs into beating us. 

Don't misunderstand.  You should want to beat us.  But it's pretty damn lame to shoot your load against us and then follow up with a loss to Kentucky (just like it was lame of Tennessee to get blasted by Mississippi and Virginia Tech and lame of 2009 Auburn to lose to Arkansas, Kentucky, play lifelessly against LSU, lose to Georgia, and then put their entire existence into beating Alabama (including taking a BYE in the middle of November).

Play every opponent the same.  People criticize Jim Tressel and Nick Saban for their approach, for not taking any opponent any more or less seriously than the next, but they coach to win championships.  They coach to win every game.  They don't coach to go 8-4 with one major upset victory.

Your approach is lame.  That is all.  I feel better now.  Good night.

I've never been a guy to talk trash.  It's not my style.  The people around me should know this by now.  I try not to be obnoxious with my fandom.  I realize that most of my peers like other teams or don't like Alabama.  Good for them.  Jump on the popular team's bandwagon, root for the local team, root for your old college, et cetera.  It's their business.  I try to be the good guy.  We win, I show my appreciation quietly.  And I root for one team.

And yet, the moment we lose, every dickhead--sorry, but there is no other way to refer to them--I know has to walk up to me with an obnoxious grin and say, "Hey, what happened to Bama?" or "Hey, Bama lost!  Did you see it?"

No, dickhead, I had no idea.  They played Saturday?  Against who?  Why didn't you tell me sooner so I could have cancelled my assclown lessons to watch my Alma Mater?  Oh, pardon!

 
So, my question is directed at everyone, but especially those in God's country.  How are y'all handling the haters today?  Has anyone broken a bottle over anyone's head?  Anyone pushed someone through a window?  Vomited in someone's face?  Has anyone smiled at their obnoxious question, subtly grabbed them lovingly behind the head, and then violently smashed their nose into your knee before they could comprehend you weren't coming on to them?  In other words, how are we doing today? 

ed.- bumped from the fanposts

Chopping, cutting, chop blocking...call it whatever you want, but the act of hitting a defender in his shins to nullify him is as dangerous now as it ever was.  Every coach I've ever encountered has spoken of its perils.  And some, have gone as far to say that while chopping is dangerous, it's not even the most destructive blocking technique.  That honor, it should be noted, goes to the practice of Roll Blocking.  Don't be surprised if you haven't heard of it.  Officials would refer to it as tripping.  But old timers...they know all about it.

We don't see roll blocks anymore because they're even more dangerous and deliberate than chop blocks and no one, no matter how stupid, would attempt to do something that would so easily earn a penalty.  The only reason I even know of this block is that I once coached with an old school guy who showed me the technique on a blocking dummy.  Basically, a player would try to cut off a defender at his side (think edge of shoulder to thigh and knee) and then, while the defender tried to fight through him, the blocker would literally push his body into the defender's.  Engaged with the defender, he would quickly drop and roll around, thus latching onto the defender's leg and foot, and tripping him (as well as likely injuring him).  If someone did this now, they'd likely earn a tripping penalty and whatever else the officials deemed appropriate.

Still, chopping is one of those things that football coaches acknowledge as dangerous.  Teams don't chop their own players at practice.  In drills, the block is performed on bags.  In scrimmages, offensive players usually tell the scout team defender, "Hey, it's a quick slant...you're getting cut" and both men will engage and kneel at the snap.  In scrimmages between first team units, the offensive players will usually use a different technique.  Offenses do this because they know exactly how dangerous hitting a man below the knees can be.

It takes very little for the procedure to go horribly wrong.  And coaches are aware of it.  I can remember going to a MLB baseball camp when I was a teenager.  The middle infield coach from the Cincinnati ("Cincinnata" to the Kentucky Kinfolk) Reds demonstrated how a second baseman or shortstop should be positioned at the bag on a double play.  He stressed to keep the knees bent and weight on the balls of the feet because the sliding player could likely chop out your legs.  He said if you weren't ready your knees would be ripped apart.  And that was in baseball.

So imagine in football, where the players are much bigger and stronger, how damaging this can be.  As an offensive player, the only safe way to cut is to hit the defender when he's straight in front of you.  Anything to the side is dangerous and frowned upon.  That said, the fact Arkansas players and Auburn players in the past (don't forget about Glenn Dorsey and Dan Williams) have earned a reputation for using these blocks in unsafe situations warrants some suspicion as to what their motivation is.  And it warrants some line of questioning for their coaches.  Was Wade Grayson really just trying to block Marcell Dareus on that slip screen?  When two players "high and low" a defender, is it really an accident or missed assignment?  And how can professional coaches--regardless of the pressure to win and disappointment of losses--stand behind players who have arguably tried to injury other players with impunity? 

I personally think Wade Grayson should be questioned about what he did to Dareus.  He should have to stand before a crowd and explain what he was doing as footage of that play runs continuously.  I think Ryan Pugh should be questioned in the same fashion for some of his past blocks.  It's only appropriate because there is no place for that kind of play in football.  It's dirty.  And if they're going to protect quarterbacks and receivers with hitting restrictions, they damn sure better protect defensive players.  If that means chopping is outlawed altogether, so be it. You'll have to block a man on your feet.  Oh, no! 

Everyone wants to win, but deliberately blasting into the side of a player's knee to hurt him is tantamount to shooting a fawn or a man punching a woman.  It's cheap, low class, and completely uncalled for.  I don't care if it's a heated rivalry and you don't want to lose and you're envious of the attention heaped upon another player.  You don't do something like that.  Bring Wade Grayson and Bobby Petrino to the podium.  Now.

One of the issues I've recently seen debated amongst the fine people at Roll Bama Roll is the Crimson Tide's pass rush (or statistical lack thereof).  In simple terms, sacks get a lot of attention.  They're easily recognized and often provide iconic images of some unsuspecting quarterback being contorted painfully by the shoulder of an edge rusher.

But sacks, like interceptions--or strikeouts in baseball--are not always a great indication of great defense.  The primary purpose of a pass rush--as some of you have indicated--isn't to get sacks.  The purpose of the blitz isn't to get sacks.  It is, as Saban has articulated, to affect the quarterback adversely.  Don't misunderstand, sacks are great and we all enjoy seeing a quarterback not in an Alabama uniform getting knocked on his back, but the real reason defenses want to get pressure is to hurry the throw.  And by hurry the throw, that literally means all of this:

1. Make the quarterback throw before the receivers have finished their routes

2. Make the quarterback throw before he's set his feet (when he's off balance, affecting his accuracy)

3.  Force the quarterback to step away from his protection

4.  Force the quarterback to throw into the teeth of your coverage, thus raising the chance for a turnover or stop

5. Force the offensive coordinator to call predictable plays, limit his receivers, and use hard to execute two and three step drops.  This is usually the way teams have to play us, which means their line will be cutting the defenders and the ball will be coming out of the quarterback's hand quickly.  Against calls like this--which we've seen a lot of recently--a front seven of Howie Long, Deacon Jones, Lawrence Taylor, Rickey Jackson, and Jared Allen isn't going to get any sacks.

Two and three step drops might seem safe, but against good press coverage they're not going to yield much of a gain consistently.  At some point, an offense will have to use a longer drop and beat the coverage vertically.  When they do this, they will have to protect AND execute a good throw.  Saban, like many defensive minds, knows this, and he knows that the deeper routes are harder to throw and he knows they have a lower chance of success. 

 That's why he insists his players cover the middle of the field and jump the flat.  Simply stated, if you're going to beat Saban's Alabama, you're going to have to go down field which means you're going to have to drop back, protect your quarterback, and execute a precise pass down field.  You can use Play Action to buy time, but that means you have to have had some success (or threat) of running the ball.  You can also hope for a breakdown in coverage, but again, that's hoping  for too much and it forces you to protect your quarterback.  You can convince yourself you can throw quick slants with continuous success, but against a Saban defense, that's highly unlikely, and at some point he'll anticipate it and force the quarterback to throw a slant into some variation of cover two, thus eating it up.

Remember, a defense wants an offense to run a lot of plays to score.  By doing this, a defense increases the offense's chances of making penalties, turning the ball over, and failing to execute by their own account (overthrows, drops, et cetera...make an offense put together long disciplined drives because truthfully, most can't do it consistently).

Again, the more a defense can force an offense do to be successful, the better.  So I wouldn't worry so much about the low sack numbers until it's time to worry.  We're still keeping teams out of the end zone.  We're still forcing them to execute at a high rate to beat us (with a few exceptions).  If Ryan Mallet can drop back, set his feet, and fire without defenders affecting his feet and balance, we'll have problems.   But I'll tell you right now he's not built to throw the quick stuff continuously without misfiring (especially when it's 100 miles per hour).  He's certainly not renowned for his footwork. 

So we don't need to sack him.  We need to affect him because he has yet to show he can move in the pocket and throw against a disciplined defense.  If he has protection and can drop back unencumbered, he'll beat us downfield the same way Florida and Utah beat us down field in 2008.  We need to rush him in every sense of the word.

Think of me as you will, but I balance my life around Alabama football games.  Sure, it might seem stupid.  Yeah, it's just a game.  I would never argue otherwise.  It's entertainment.  It won't affect any world conflicts or feed any starving people.  And while it's insignificant in that regard, it's important to me.  I want to see all twelve to fourteen games.  If there’s work to be done, I’ll work around the Bama game.  If that means I need to wake up at 4:30 AM so I’ll be free by noon, I’ll do it.  If there is work to be done, I’ll stay late on Friday.  I want to see the Bama games whether they're undefeated, winless, or something in between; is that too much to ask?

Really?

For starters, they only play twelve to fourteen games a year (for three to four hours at a time) so I don't think it's unreasonable to expect people not to bother me during any one of these twelve to fourteen days.  If you do bother me, hey, live with the beast.  Move your own furniture; paint your own house; enjoy your wedding; take care of your stuff without me.  I’ve told you when I can help.  I’ve explained my boundaries.

From a moral and philosophical standpoint, I work hard every day.  I take care of things as soon as necessary.  I pay my bills.  I try to be a good man.  Aside from that, I don't have a lot of interest in much, so yeah, I get rather pissy if people schedule events at the same time as an Alabama football game.  It's one of the few things to which I look forward.  If you do this, I’m probably not going to be there.  Call me rude, childish, or whatever, but I’ve given my boundaries.

If you’re my employer…I’ll work around the game.  If there is twenty hours of work to be done, I’ll do ten before the game and ten after.  That’s me.

So…that said, if you put your wedding on a Saturday in the fall, good luck and God bless.  Congratulations, but I won't be there until the game's over.

If you have a problem with that reread the first few paragraphs of this post.  If you still have a problem...tough.  I guess I'll just have to miss both the wedding and the reception. 

Usually when people talk about Alabama's connection to Super Bowl III, they mention Joe Namath, the game's MVP.  He led the New York Jet offense in the monumental upset of 13-1 Baltimore with precise playcalling and several blitz-beating completions.  He didn't throw a touchdown but he had zero interceptions and fumbles and he put aside his massive ego to manage the lead maturely.  But unrelated to Namath, there's one interesting tidbit about the game that I've never seen mentioned anywhere else.  Two of Alabama's future coaches--receiver Ray Perkins and center Bill Curry--played in the game for Baltimore.  It's also worth mentioning that Baltimore's coach was Don Shula, whose son Mike later coached the team.  I didn't realize this until I watched the NFL Network's America's Game feature on the 1970 Baltimore Colts (if you like NFL Films stuff you'll love these programs). In the 1970 AFC championship game Ray Perkins caught the decisive touchdown pass from Johnny Unitas.  I don't know, it's interesting to me, anyway.

Summer vacation, a teacher's best friend, and a great time to fix up the house, get in shape, and win a national championship in EA Sports 2004.  Sorry, Dwayne Walker, your services will not be needed at New Mexico State.  And step aside Ron Zook.  Your Gators just lost to the Aggies in an epic  2006 BCS Championship game.  You met your match in coaching wunderkind Lionel Richie and his infamous mullet.  Richie bravely led a motley cast of characters even Al Davis would fear.

Oh, 2006 was truly a season to remember.  After finishing 2005 12-1 with a victory over Vince Young and Texas in the Houston Bowl, expectations were high for the underdog Aggies, ranked #10 in the pre-season.  Prior to beginning Sun Belt play, the Aggies took out #1 USC in Los Angeles and #2 LSU in Death Valley.  The Aggies climbed to #3 in the nation before blasting Ohio State and hated rival New Mexico at home.  And they didn't slow down from here, maintaining a blistering style of play that proved too much for all opponents.  The rough and rowdy Aggies smashed conference rivals Louisiana-Monroe, North Texas, and Middle Tennessee State by a combined score of 184-17.  After a down performance at Arkansas State, the boys from Las Cruces returned to form against Utah State, winning 77-0.  They carried this momentum into their BCS showdown with the Gators.

And who can forget powerful tailback Elijah Fisher and his 1800 yards rushing?  The Napa Valley product finished third in the Heisman race.  And what about tight end Jonas Hunt whose 1672 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns earned him the "Best TE" award?  The Aggie offense was as deadly as it was diverse. 

On the other side of the ball a dominating defense held opponets to fewer than six points and less than 100 yards per game.  Nightmare defensive ends Matt Anderson and JT Samuel each recorded over a dozen sacks, and cornerback Deon Mackey intercepted eight passes.

And let's not forget the team captain, quarterback B.J. Higgens and his single-bar helmet, orange visor, giant cowboy collar, and defensive line styled arm pads.  The 5-star recruit from Sandusky, Ohio surprised many by rejecting Ohio State in favor of Lionel Richie and the Aggies.  After a long recruiting battle, the beautiful location of the Las Cruces campus proved too much for Jim Tressel and the home state Buckeyes to overcome.  With 3500 yards passing, 31 touchdowns, and almost 900 yards rushing, he earned first team All-American status enroute to leading the Aggies to the BCS championship.  Way to go, New Mexico State!  The fine people of New Mexico will never forget you.

Perhaps I've read too many books by Cormac McCarthy, or perhaps I've watched, read, and thought about Alabama football too much, but I just had the most awesome dream ever.  Less than four minutes ago, I had a dream that resembled a version of The Road.  In my version, there was no little boy and the man's character was played by our very own Mark Ingram, Jr.  As I awakened, Mark was on the boat (the part towards the end when he finds the flare gun) but some white trash guy jumped on the boat with a gun.  Ingram disarmed the man with a series of punches and finished him by pulling his arm over a metal railing and breaking it (way to go, Mark!).  Then I woke up, actually disappointed that I wouldn't see the rest of the movie.

Rick Reuschel, the former Pittsburgh Pirate, Chicago Cub, and San Francisco Giant, was also in the dream playing one of the cannibals.  Ingram managed to gun him down at an airport shootout that resembled the mall scene from Commando (you know, the one where Arnold beats up a dozen cops, swings through the sky on a stream of balloons, and finally tears and lifts a telephone booth off the ground).  Reuschel was playing Sully's character; Ingram was playing John Matrix's.

Looking at the final AP rankings, I wanted to ask, if anyone knows, is Alabama the first team to finish number one in the AP poll with victories over both the number two (Texas 13-1) and number three team (Florida 13-1) in the final AP poll?  I know we're the first SEC team to go 14-0 and we've posted victories over five top 20 teams (Texas, Florida, Virginia Tech, LSU, and Mississippi), but has anyone ever defeated both the final number two and number three teams?

I think it's time, friends.  We really pulled out all the stops, revealing things we should have taken to the grave, for the SEC Championship Game against Florida and we received the exact outcome we wanted.  Now is not the time for complacency!  Now is the time to circle the wagons, embarrassing admissions style!  Let's hear it, folks.  Spill the beans, humiliate yourself, and spur the Tide to a dramatic victory in the BCS Championship Game against the Powerful Texas Longhorns!

To quote the Zodiac Killer in a 1978 letter to the San Francisco Chronicle, I'm back with you.  That's right, folks.  You thought I died?  Wrote me off as a has been?  As a dilettante of the internet who wouldn't return after receiving only a black sweater and cookbook for Christmas?  To quote Vernon Wells's Captain Bennett, the antagonist in Commando, you thought wrong.  I'm back, damn it.  After an eight day sojourn into the ethereal land of post-adenotonsillectomy bliss miserymindlessness, I'm back.  And I'm bad, sans tonsils, adenoids, an abscess, and a chunk of rotten tissue in my throat.  My breath has never been fresher and swallowing has never been more miserable.  And I can even breathe through my nose, and talk again (sort of) but I don't because I sound like a total pederast.  Perhaps they severed part of my vocal chords, in which case I'll need to accept my Truman Capoteish voice as the new thing.  Or perhaps I received gender reassignment surgery instead and gaping pit in the back of my throat is just a trick to keep my mind off the real changes I've experienced.  I can only hope for the best.  By the way, my dog never left my side.  That's loyalty.

So what have I missed?

• Urban Meyer resigns and then un-resigns to take an indefinite leave of absence?  Methinks this is a bad decision on Urban's part.  Of course, didn't Mike Krlukljlj Coach Kryskenski Coach K at Duke do something similar?  Perhaps it can be done, but I think it might hurt the Gator program enough to give Lane Kiffin the boost he needs.  This is pivotal.  I don't want to see Meyer push himself to the brink of death, but that's exactly what he's doing.  I don't see how he can continue to coach at any capacity and be the indefatigable coach that he is without exhausting and killing himself.  I hope he makes the right decision and I am extremely curious to see how this all plays out for the Gators and SEC. 
• UASports has removed the highlight videos of Alabama's 2009 games from Youtube?  Methinks Coach Saban had something to do with this because Youtube didn't.  UASports still has a channel.  They pulled the videos for a reason.

In other news, I see a lost all my bids on tickets to the big game.  Good thing I slept through this and didn't put down an illogical sum of money to win a ticket.

• Mike Leach locked Craig James' son in a closet following a concussion?  This is bizarre, like the time one of my friends overdosed on Ecstasy and tried to teabag a guy sleeping on the floor at a party.  The guy on the floor woke up and promptly beat my friend's ass, and no one stepped in to help because 1) it was funny 2) he deserved it 3) the guy on the floor was sort of our friend too 4) it was funny.  Mike Leach has done something even more bizarre. Perhaps he thought Adam James was faking the concussion and needed to toughen up.  Perhaps he wanted to send a message.  That said, I didn't understand a coach could be so stupid to pull a stunt like this and think he'd get away with it.  Not in this era, coach, and certainly not when the player's dad is a former NFL great and current CFB analyst.  Big mistake, Pirate Boy.

That's all for now...I'll be back with more commentary as the days move on.  The past week is nothing but a hazy memory to me.  I have consumed a daily diet of creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, Ensure, Gatorade, water, and Chocolate Milkshakes.  My weight before surgery topped off at 219.  Now I am somehow 221.  God bless ice cream.  Ice cream, you scream, Ice Kareem Jackson.  Okay, that was really gay.

I know the popular mantra at Alabama is that we're all about winning championships instead of individual awards, but I am seriously rooting for Mark Ingram to win the Heisman and for some of our other players to win the awards they're in competition to win.  I think Coach Saban could and would use this to help recruiting.  Despite hiring Coach Saban and our accomplishments of late, we're still making up ground nationally with recruits and there's no better way to gain exposure than to win championships and to have high profile players.  I know some of you will disagree with me about Alabama needing to make up ground nationally, but I think it's true.  While we've come along way since 2006--we are recognized as a monster program again--we're honestly only two years removed from being a team that most teenagers outside of the Southeast knew nothing about, and a team few teenagers outside of Alabama knew nothing about.  We were knocked for promoting our tradition, which is why Coach Saban said the focus was not on what we've done but what we're doing to prepare to be champions in the future. 

So I say, Go Ingram!  Win the Heisman.  Let's get some hardware, increase our exposure, and attract even more recruits than we're already attracting.  It will only help the Alabama program.