SB Nation User Blog: pantsfucious

Rebel Land, Alabam: The Dexateens & Archibalds

pantsfucious — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:41:37 -0000

Meant to post this a few days ago. For those about to rock, or who might consider rocking if appropriately engaged, I recently wrote about a couple bands with deep T-Town connections: The Dexateens and The Archibalds (who actually live near me in Austin, TX). Talked a bit about The Chukker (RIP) and referenced "40-39 in The Swamp." For anyone interested in the electric guitar, Exile On Main Street, The Gourds, barbecue, Crimson Tide football (duh), time machines, and plates of shrimp.

Visit The Adios Lounge

Enjoy, LD

Saban Recruiting Question

pantsfucious — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:12:55 -0000

Can anyone confirm this comment on Dr. Saturday's "For the moment, the Nick stands alone" post?

"Sabans past 5 college recruiting classes are like this. LSU 1st, LSU 2nd, Bama (4 weeks) 10th, Bama 1st, Bama 1st."

For whatever reason, I hadn't thought about it this way, but holy hell that's impressive. I'm curious if that 2nd place finish with LSU is the Feb 2005 class he mostly recruited before leaving for Miami or it's his last complete recruiting class from the year prior. Anyone have any numbers ... going back even farther if possible?

On the bright side ...

pantsfucious — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:33:23 -0000

OK, there is no bright side. But, here's food for thought. Because of the historical propensity to use the bowl game as a measuring stick for next season ... incorrectly, I might add ... there's a very good chance that Bama slips under the radar a bit next season. Because of the way Ole Miss closed out its season and the way LSU dominated Georgia Tech (and seemingly addressed its defensive issues with the hire of John Chavis), that momentum will carry over into the offseason. It's not real momentum. It has zero to do with how those teams will actually perform because the bowl game means nothing with regard to next season. But the perception says otherwise. The Rebels and Tigers will be the theoretical beneficiaries of positive momentum and don't be surprised if they're picked 1-2 in the SEC West next year more often than you might expect.

Bama's tepid performance in the Sugar Bowl, combined with the loss of significant talent on offense, will give the program a sense of negative momentum, especially relative to Ole Miss and LSU. I'm not saying it's fair or correct, just that this is how CFB fans think, especially if you give them 8 months to stew and dissect and froth over the next season. People can talk themselves into anything. Don't be surprised if we're picked to finish with 8 wins and a possible 3rd place finish in the West. All of which could work to our advantage. With diminished external expectations, the Tide will have the luxury of establishing a new identity on offense without the bullseye on its back. While we do figure to have an adjustment period on offense, and 11-12 wins is probably unrealistic, 9-10 wins isn't out of the realm of possibility. Thus, we can use the "lack of respect" angle, let alone the embarrassment from last night, to be a motivating force all offseason. At least this is what I tell myself in between the sobs of rage.

Happy New Year and Roll Tide.

Looking ahead to 2009: Defense

pantsfucious — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 02:27:57 -0000

There's a good chance that next year's defense will be the best we've had since 1992. The only guys we're losing are Rashad (big loss) and Bobby Greenwood (decent sized loss). That's it and I'm talking 3-deep on the depth chart. Going by this year's roster ... and assuming Cody doesn't jump to the NFL ... we could be starting 8 seniors on defense and barring injuries, transfers, or other forms of attrition, we may have 5 other seniors getting significant playing time. That doesn't even include high-impact underclassmen like McClain, Jackson, and Hightower, all of whom figure to improve. Plus, you have to think that 1-2 of this year's other freshmen (Barron, Lawrence, Harris, e.g.) will have a breakout season.

That's why I think we can overcome even a big loss like Rashad. The only place where I see us deficient ... and this could be addressed between now and then ... is a game-changing pass rusher. Assuming even modest improvement across the board, as well as a bit of roster shuffling, and "x factor" contributions from true freshmen, I see an unholy combination of the 2002 D line and the 2005 back seven, with depth all over the field. In fact, I don't think it's far-fetched to think that all 3 of next year's units end up being better than their predecessors. While the QB and O line situation will be suspect until proven otherwise, I cannot wait to see our D lay the wood.

Roll Tide.

In search of preseason preview

pantsfucious — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:06:23 -0000

Specifically, I remember reading an article that discussed the 5-6 elements of teams likely to make the jump to championship contender. It was stuff like "x" number of returning starters, senior QB, etc. and the person writing the article simply checked off which teams qualified and which didn't, irrespective of preseason polls and expectations. Anyway, Alabama was one of the teams and I remember we all sort of chuckled because it was borderline delusional to consider a BCS title game when we were coming off a 7-win season. But now I'd like to read that article again with the benefit of hindsight and see if the issues discussed have indeed been critical to our success and how teams that haven't had expected success fit into these 5-6 categories. Also, it might be fun to project ahead to next year.

If there's one place where I'm sure I can find someone who knows what I'm referencing, RBR is the place. For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure I read this online, so it should be something we can link to.

Thanks in advance, LD

Numbers and streaks and such

pantsfucious — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:46:27 -0000

Putting away LSU got me thinking about the Saban Era. One way to look at his tenure thus far:

6-2
4 game losing streak
11-0

Not bad. Obviously, that 4-game losing streak was painful, but if someone told us in January 2007 that we'd have a period of 6 wins in 8 games followed later by 11 consecutive wins, I'm pretty sure we'd have taken it no questions asked. And right now, no questions asked.

Four streaks worth noting because they recently ended:

5 consecutive losses to LSU
9 consecutive November losses
9 consecutive years without an SEC West title
14 consecutive years since we started a season 10-0

For the sake of not upsetting the college football gods and jinxing our beloved Tide, I refuse to mention other streaks we have that could end soon. Suffice to say, there are a few, and I'm pretty sure you know what most of them are.

Roll Tide.

Bama vs. Auburn: A Lesson In Angst

pantsfucious — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:44:45 -0000

Auburn's recent descent into madness got me thinking how similar in shape and form their shame spiral is to Bama's four-game slide last year. Granted, AU's lackluster win against Tennessee interrupts what would be a perfectly symmetrical quartet of despair, but the similarities are eerie nonetheless.

Bama: Loses to LSU at home despite leading late in the game.
Auburn: Loses to LSU at home despite leading late in the game.

Bama: Loses heartbreaker to traditional SEC doormat (MSU) after leading at halftime. Offensive issues gnaw at fanbase.
Auburn: Loses heartbreaker to traditional SEC doormat (Vandy) after leading at halftime. Offensive issues gnaw at fanbase.

Bama: Loses game to Sun Belt team. Fanbase out for blood.
Auburn: Loses coach from Sun Belt team. Fanbase out for blood.

Bama: Loses game with intense personal connection (Iron Bowl). Fanbase enters full-blown existential crisis. Alcohol cause of and solution to all of life's problems.
Auburn: Loses game with intense personal connection (Petrino). Fanbase enters full-blown existential crisis. Alcohol cause of and solution to all of life's problems.

Merry Christmas! The Stories Behind Alabama Football's Greatest Plays

pantsfucious — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:00:58 -0000

Goal Line Stand ... The Kick ... Run in the Mud ... Takeaway ... 315.

Defining Moments: The Stories Behind Alabama Football’s Greatest Plays is a set of five documentaries profiling these moments and the people who were involved. Each DVD is packed with rare photos, footage, and in-depth interviews. Check out the 2-minute preview on the Defining Moments website and get yourself some goosebumps.

Also, Van Tiffin, George Teague, Barry Krauss, Walter Lewis, and Eli Gold will be participating in the Defining Moments Premiere Event this Friday, October 3, from 6-10 pm at the Bryant Conference Center. Check out The Rap Sheet for more info. Wish I could be there!

Bama-Georgia 2nd half reconsidered

pantsfucious — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:04:24 -0000

ed.- bumped from the fanposts.

I'm reading a lot about how Bama folded in the second half and the 31-10 points differential is held up as evidence. While I think the coaches should use that to their advantage, the reality is a bit different. The 3rd quarter ... OK, we got our asses handed to us there. Three 3-and-outs on offense and we couldn't stop a runny nose on defense or special teams. And yes, Anders was clearly blocked in the back on the punt return for TD, but there were 9 other guys who could've made a play. For the record, I don't count Fitzgerald, who like Tiffin, has been habitually and spectacularly steamrolled on returns this year. The good news is that Coach says the special teams breakdowns are correctable and hey, who am I to argue???

Which brings us to the 4th quarter ... where we reasserted our dominance, despite the pair of scores. We opened the quarter with a 5-minute, 7-play drive ending in a FG. Georgia then got the ball and proceeded to move all of 16 yards, eventually turning the ball over on downs. 5 plays and 3+ minutes later, Coffee break in the endzone. In other words, after 11 minutes of the 4th quarter, UGA had 1 possession where they couldn't get past midfield and their D couldn't stop us from tacking on another 10 points. And looked at from a broader perspective, as we lined up to kickoff, the score 41-17, Bama had dominated 41 of the 56 minutes played to that point. All Georgia could hang its hat on was the 3rd quarter. That's it.

TWO PLAYS

At which point ... and for the first time in the game ... our D understandably went into prevent, giving up a pair of meaningless TDs. And those didn't have to happen, despite our "soft" D. Two plays are the difference between 41-17 and 41-30. If you watch the end of the 4th, Georgia has a 3rd and 5 at the Bama 35, with 3:29 left to play. AJ Green runs a simple hook on the left sideline, Stafford telegraphs it, and Kareem steps in front for an easy pick. At least that's the way it should've played out. The ball inexplicably goes right through KJ's hands, giving Georgia new life. 2 plays later Stafford hits Harris for a TD. If Kareem makes that pick, he has a chance to take it to the house. Worst case scenario is he's taken down around midfield and our offense comes back on the field to run the clock out.

That TD, of course, was followed by Nick Walker's brainfart on the onsides, which led to another TD. It's kind of a good news/bad news thing. The bad news is that we gave up TDs. The good news is we gave up TDs, in part because we were in a prevent D, which we were in because it was a blowout. If it's a closer game, I have to imagine we're not in that D. Also, both of these misplays ... especially Walker's ... are either correctable, or given a tight game, the kind of plays that we'll hopefully make because we have to.

Snake-Oil That Wasn't: Alabama's Roster

pantsfucious — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 04:37:15 -0000

My first fanpost, so bear with my clumsy mimeography. It appears that AOL Fanhouse has itself an answer to Mr. B Cook of Poopypants Lane, Ann Arbor, MI. Pete Holiday has written an impassioned defense of The Saban, which has been followed, perhaps inevitably, by a series of moans and whines from the pro-Michigan, pro-Cook fanbase. They are still up in arms about how Saban obviously threw kids under the bus, despite no evidence to prove that assertion. Gentlemen, start your engines!