If there ever was a year where College football needed a playoff format, this could be that year... The BCS is broken.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by RPMPIRE

Keep in mind, if USC wins against UCLA this weekend, we meet Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship game. As much as USC is out of the title game and how much I'm not a big fan of the SEC, redemption (and playing spoiler) feels good after a lost season. So in the meantime, I would root for USC as a 'Bama fan. haha...

No way ... Go Bruins!!!  (OK, that may be because I am a UCLA fan though)

I would still like to see Oregon face off against Alabama though.  Here are my crazy and guaranteed-to-be-totally-wrong predictions:

UCLA beats USC this week and clinches the Pac-12 South.  Oregon loses to Stanford this week (and Stanford wins the division).  Notre Dame loses to USC next week and is out of the picture.  Kansas State loses to Texas, leaving us with zero undefeated teams not named Ohio State.  UCLA beats Stanford two weeks in a row (last game of season and P12 champ. game) to clinch a Rose Bowl berth.  And, drumroll please, ..........................  Georgia upsets Alabama in the SEC champ. game leaving the final BCS standings looking like:

1.  Georgia

2.  Oregon

3.  Florida

4.  Kansas State

5.  Alabama

6.  LSU

7.  Texas A&M;

8.  Notre Dame

9.  Texas

10. UCLA

You heard it here first.

[RPMPIRE]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

No way ... Go Bruins!!!  (OK, that may be because I am a UCLA fan though)

I would still like to see Oregon face off against Alabama though.  Here are my crazy and guaranteed-to-be-totally-wrong predictions:

UCLA beats USC this week and clinches the Pac-12 South.  Oregon loses to Stanford this week (and Stanford wins the division).  Notre Dame loses to USC next week and is out of the picture.  Kansas State loses to Texas, leaving us with zero undefeated teams not named Ohio State.  UCLA beats Stanford two weeks in a row (last game of season and P12 champ. game) to clinch a Rose Bowl berth.  And, drumroll please, ..........................  Georgia upsets Alabama in the SEC champ. game leaving the final BCS standings looking like:

1.  Georgia

2.  Oregon

3.  Florida

4.  Kansas State

5.  Alabama

6.  LSU

7.  Texas A&M;

8.  Notre Dame

9.  Texas

10. UCLA

You heard it here first.

Some bold predictions there, GDad. I wouldn't be surprised if UCLA wins this weekend, but USC damn better play spoiler for Notre Dame. I don't mind Georgia in the title game, but I still think it will be KState vs. Oregon. Nonetheless, Go Trojans!

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by RPMPIRE

Some bold predictions there, GDad. I wouldn't be surprised if UCLA wins this weekend, but USC damn better play spoiler for Notre Dame. I don't mind Georgia in the title game, but I still think it will be KState vs. Oregon. Nonetheless, Go Trojans!

Yeah, there is, admittedly, very little analysis behind those predictions (just like my WS predictions several weeks ago, although I did correctly pick the Giants going to the WS - just had them losing to the A's ... whoops) because I haven't seen even one play of a K-State or Georgia game this year.  I think most LIKELY (although not as fun as my bold predictions) is what you said ... SC knocks of ND, Oregon v. K St. in title game.  Also probably more likely than mine, though still not as fun, is Alabama working their way back in IF Oregon or K State loses (just like they did last year)

(I'm figuring a Notre Dame loss to SC as a foregone conclusion)

[x129]

Bama didn't panic. They keep running the ball on first down up until midway through the 4th quarter. Now early on a lot of those first down runs resulted in <3  yards gains which encourages the team to pass on 2nd+3rd down.   Bama just didn't make a couple of plays.  If the guy doesn't fumble when they are at the A&M; 30,  the plays out different. If AJ doesn't throw that interception, maybe they don't go down by 14. And maybe they should have tried running it in from the 6 4 times.

Should be a fun last couple of weeks. I would find it pretty funny if we ended up with something like a GA vs FL national title game.

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

I think people tend to panic when they're down by 20 points and it's not the end of the first quarter. As you stated, there was plenty of time to run, the average per rush attempt was 3.9 yards - not bad.

As to adjusting to A&M;, they did, but it takes several possessions to adjust to what A&M; puts on the field. Bama adjusted. But I think they got caught in a "catch-up" syndrome. Patience may have won the day ultimately and kept A&M; from doing further damage in the second half. But who knows? A&M; did adjust to Bama's defense to open up the passing game a bit after being stifled.

Bama got caught up in a passing panic...

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by x129

Bama didn't panic. They keep running the ball on first down up until midway through the 4th quarter. Now early on a lot of those first down runs resulted in <3  yards gains which encourages the team to pass on 2nd+3rd down.   Bama just didn't make a couple of plays.  If the guy doesn't fumble when they are at the A&M; 30,  the plays out different. If AJ doesn't throw that interception, maybe they don't go down by 14. And maybe they should have tried running it in from the 6 4 times.

Should be a fun last couple of weeks. I would find it pretty funny if we ended up with something like a GA vs FL national title game.

Maybe "panic" is the wrong word. Just stick to the run and wear down your opponent with that line.. A&M; doesn't have depth. They may have worn down.

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by bwdial

Actually, we ran the ball 26 times and attempted to pass it 39 times. McCarron's "rushes" were not planned rushes.  That's a 40/60 split, and that is why we lost.  Our first scoring drive - if memory serves - was eight rushes versus four passes.  Our second scoring drive was virtually all through the air.  Manziel's rushes were mostly designed rushes... McCarron's were decidedly not.  He's nursing knee and back injuries, so I am pretty certain he doesn't feature in our rushing offense.

Our offense dug our defense a hole early on by not staying on the field.  Our first three drives were as follows:

3 plays - 2 yards and a punt

4 plays - 23 yards and an interception

3 plays - 1 yard and a punt.

Those brilliant drives took less than four minutes off the clock.  Not only does the defense not get a chance to rest, but they don't get to make any adjustments.

Regardless, with first and goal from the six - and the game on the line - we made some horrendous play calls.  We went away from who we are and tried to throw the ball.  The play on fourth down was ridiculous.  Kenny Bell isn't a receiver that you generally want in the game in that situation.  Yeldon was only averaging 2.9 yards per carry and Lacy was dinged from a helmet to helmet/defenseless receiver hit that wasn't called, but at even two yards a pop, we get in the endzone, and the media is talking about Alabama surviving another close one.

In both the LSU and Texas A&M; games, we got away from who we are and didn't run the ball enough.  Alabama's formula is simple.  Run the ball and eat up the clock.  We have strayed from that.  But now we've got a couple of "bye" weeks to get healthy before the SECCG.  All that has to happen is a Notre Dame loss to USC - a real possibility - and either a Kansas State loss to Texas or Baylor or an Oregon loss to Stanford or Oregon State... and take care of business against Georgia and we're right back where everyone wants us. ;-)

Yeah... This aligns itself with the blurbs I heard on Cowherd and other talking heads.  I'm surprised Saban didn't get it done... I really thought you would run the table.

[x129]

And if they still  would have lost the game, people would be saying Saban wasn't willing to abandon the run when it wasn't working in favor of a passing game that was tearing A&M; apart. It wasn't like the Tides passing game was bad.   The Tide lost because they turned the ball over and got a couple of field goals instead of touchdowns.

Quote:

Maybe "panic" is the wrong word. Just stick to the run and wear down your opponent with that line.. A&M; doesn't have depth. They may have worn down.

[bwdial]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

Maybe "panic" is the wrong word. Just stick to the run and wear down your opponent with that line.. A&M; doesn't have depth. They may have worn down.

Gary Danielson was saying the exact same thing.  In fact, he said that A&M;'s defense looked tired at one point and wondered why we weren't running right at them.

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by x129

And if they still  would have lost the game, people would be saying Saban wasn't willing to abandon the run when it wasn't working in favor of a passing game that was tearing A&M; apart. It wasn't like the Tides passing game was bad.   The Tide lost because they turned the ball over and got a couple of field goals instead of touchdowns.

Quote:

Yes, but you dance with the one who brung ya'.

[x129]

Thats the pass right?  After all 2 of the 3 touch down drives to beat LSU were pretty much pure passing ones and the other one was a mixture.  I am sure for the year AL tends to run the ball more than in these last 2 games. Of course they are up by 20 in the second half during most of those games.

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

Yes, but you dance with the one who brung ya'.

[jgreen85]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

I think people tend to panic when they're down by 20 points and it's not the end of the first quarter. As you stated, there was plenty of time to run, the average per rush attempt was 3.9 yards - not bad.

As to adjusting to A&M;, they did, but it takes several possessions to adjust to what A&M; puts on the field. Bama adjusted. But I think they got caught in a "catch-up" syndrome. Patience may have won the day ultimately and kept A&M; from doing further damage in the second half. But who knows? A&M; did adjust to Bama's defense to open up the passing game a bit after being stifled.

Bama got caught up in a passing panic...

I don't understand this incessant apologizing for Alabama. They should've lost to the two good teams they've played this year (obviously, actually lost 1 of them). They absolutely do not deserve to be in the NC game. They didn't deserve to be there last year either. They have a very good defense that is made to look statisticallly oustanding by the completely inept SEC offenses. Alabama finally played a team with a good offense, though it was led by a redshirt FRESHMAN, and were beat.

[dsc123]

So, everyone agrees that ND is now the best team in the country, right?

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by dsc123

So, everyone agrees that ND is now the best team in the country, right?

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by jgreen85

I don't understand this incessant apologizing for Alabama. They should've lost to the two good teams they've played this year (obviously, actually lost 1 of them). They absolutely do not deserve to be in the NC game. They didn't deserve to be there last year either. They have a very good defense that is made to look statisticallly oustanding by the completely inept SEC offenses. Alabama finally played a team with a good offense, though it was led by a redshirt FRESHMAN, and were beat.

Who is apologizing?

It's a discussion of strategy - on both sides.

And I went to A&M.; The Ags with whom I've spoken, have all agreed that A&M; has had skill players - they haven't had a line on either side for years. They now have a better line - but it needs depth. The point is for Bama to keep on using their highly reputable Alabama O line at a depth-thin A&M; line, and you wear them down by the 4th quarter. And yes, mix in some passing, too. That's all.

[x129]

I would be fine voting them #1. I don't think they are the best team in the country (I think in a neutral field game they might be 6 or 7 on my list) but at least they schedule teams (other than maybe Navy) who have a chance to be decent. Now a lot of the teams are down this year but schools like purdue (heck even in this crappy year they took OhSt to overtime), Miami, BYU, Mich, Mich St, BC, and Pitt are decent schools every 3 or 4 years at worst. I am not sure if Missouri St, North Texas, Ark St, and Tennessee Tech have broken the top 25 in the last 50 years. I will not even talk about the SEC and the FCS schools they schedule. Alabama should be embrassed to play Western Carolina.  A simple rule: You play a FCS team, you are excluded from the BCS.

Originally Posted by dsc123

So, everyone agrees that ND is now the best team in the country, right?

[ditchparrot19]

Was going to jump into this one, but there's too much "we" being thrown around in reference to specific teams. That just kills a good sports thread for me (unless, of course, the poster is directly associated with that team, which is extremely rare on message boards).

[Harmonious]

Originally Posted by ditchparrot19

Was going to jump into this one, but there's too much "we" being thrown around in reference to specific teams. That just kills a good sports thread for me (unless, of course, the poster is directly associated with that team, which is extremely rare on message boards).

I agree totally. Unless A.J. McCarron or Matt Barkely are on this forum, then it's OK to say "we" for Bama or USC.

[dsc123]

There was an interesting article that I read on Yahoo today but I can't find it now.  One point it raised is that ND is likely to get left out because they lost to FSU in a bowl game last year .  Had they won the game, they probably would have been ranked higher than KSU in the preseason polls, and both going undefeated KSU would not have jumped ND.  The point of the article is that there should not be preseason, or even midseason polls because they're based on either no information, or incomplete information, yet have significant impact on the final standings.  Its just too hard to move up when teams above you keep winning.