Bama Game Thread: Official Game Thread - Postgame Thread...

BamaInCummingGA

1st Team
Jun 8, 2017
734
1,028
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Cumming, Ga
I’m not exactly a football savant, but let me pose a question: we were well aware OU’s top five receivers were out. We were aware that the Oline was depleted. Even with a QB that isn’t known for his running abilities and you think his strong suit is throwing….YOU STILL LEAN ON THE RUN GAME. It is easier to get those inexperienced lineman run blocking than in pass protection. Your “pass game” is short throws to the backs as a run game extension. This shortens the game and gives a banged up, beat up team like this OU the best chance at success. Which is exactly what they did.

Question: Given the above, what it the name of all that is holy was Wommack and our defensive staff thinking? I am just absolutely baffled at how often we stayed in a three man front and dropped coverage only to get absolutely gashed. Vandy 2.0…..the recurring nightmare.

Then we ran zone reads and QB runs/counters into their 6/7 man fronts. We would have better off letting 12 year old that plays Madden on the weekends game plan for OU.
Our defense gave up 10 points
 

BamaInCummingGA

1st Team
Jun 8, 2017
734
1,028
162
Cumming, Ga
I think this is a key point. I think the coaches are asking Milroe to do too much. Reduce the number of QB runs and let our RBs carry the load. Reduce the number of reads in the passing game and make it really simple. But, basically, when your QB is struggling, lean on the RBs to carry the weight.
The flip side of that is you and I don't know how many times JM calls his own # when he is supposed to hand it off........
 

AlistarWills

Hall of Fame
Jul 26, 2006
5,194
2,862
187
I’m going to say this… none of the skill players to include RW are too happy with Milroe. Milroe is a ball and glory hog and it’s ran its course with the non lankers on the team.
And I’ll say it again, if MEroe comes back next year any skill player we have that’s worth a durn will bail. I firmly believe we had some leave last year knowing he’d be back and wouldnt/couldn’t distribute the ball.
 

CB4

Hall of Fame
Aug 8, 2011
10,733
16,499
187
Birmingham, AL
Our defense gave up 10 points
Their offense dictated tempo, field position and time of possession. We didn’t put them in negative down and distances and they spent most of the third and fourth quarters on our side of the field. They rushed the ball for 250+’yards. They possessed the ball for 10 minutes longer.

After they scored the second touchdown on the short field to go up 17-3, Venables was going to play to his defense. Offensively he wanted to possess the ball, run it and eat clock. The pick 6 was icing on the cake. Their offense didn’t score after that because they didn’t need to. All they needed to do was play keep away.

When they controlled the game, and played to their defense, they didn’t need to score a bunch.
 
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BamaInCummingGA

1st Team
Jun 8, 2017
734
1,028
162
Cumming, Ga
Their offense dictated tempo, field position and time of possession. We didn’t put them in negative down and distances and they spent most of the third and fourth quarters on our side of the field. They rushed the ball for 250+’yards. They possessed the ball for 10 minutes longer.

After they scored the second touchdown on the short field to go up 17-3, Venables was going to play to his defense. Offensively he wanted to possess the ball, run it and eat clock. The pick 6 was icing on the cake. Their offense didn’t score after that because they didn’t need to. All they needed to do was play keep away.

When they controlled the game, and played to their defense, they didn’t need to score a bunch.

I don't care what their offense "dictated". Our defense gave up 10 points.
OUR offense GAVE THE OTHER TEAM 14 POINTS AND ONLY SCORED 3 THEMSELVES.
This loss was not on the defense.
 

colbysullivan

Hall of Fame
Dec 12, 2007
18,587
18,397
187
Gulf Breeze, FL
He's not better than McCarron, Sims, I'd argue in alot aspects McElroy, Hurts, Tua, and Jones. THE ONLY Saban QB he would be close to being better at (and I think he is) is Coker. Coker had Derrick Henry who was a generational back and wasn't asked to do as much as Milroe.
Idk man, Coker was a heck of a player. I can’t remember him making any dumb decisions, and he certainly never LOST games for us like Milroe has. The TD he threw against the Barn where he evaded the rush and then scrambled to his right was an absolute DART to Stewart.
 

JDCrimson

Hall of Fame
Feb 12, 2006
5,952
5,683
187
51
I would only put JM ahead of Woodson, Avalos, Gullion, Tucker. Literally, all the other QBs could have performed sufficiently with the same supporting cast.

Let's take a long stroll down memory lane and look at the starters (not including those who only started a game or two due to injuries or whatever):

Bryce Young.
mac Jones.
Tua.
Hurts
Coker,
Sims,
AJ,
Gmac,
Jp Wilson,
Croyle
Pennington,
Watts,
Zow
Phillips (replaced by Zow after 4gms)
Tucker (partial year)
Kitchens
Burgdorf
Barker
Woodson
Hollingsworth
Smith

and that's as far back as I have direct memory of.

out of all those, who would you rate behind Milroe?

probably Watts who was only playing because Zow kept getting hurt, but at least Watts was decisive running the option and made the right keep/give decision most of the time, so maybe not.

Phillips - he got beat out.

Pennington? he also only played due to injuries then quit to play baseball

Burgdorf? Only playing significant time due to injury

Kitchens - maybe/probably.

Woodson - maybe/probably.

The rest: All ahead of JM I think. That's not to say they all have as strong of an arm, or could run anywhere close to as fast, but they'd at least read the field, make audibles at the line, know the box count, and mostly (no one is ever 100%) get us to the right play and make the right decisions on the field. Even Kitchens and Woodson were probably ahead of JM in stuff pre-snap; they just struggled with what happened after that
 

colbysullivan

Hall of Fame
Dec 12, 2007
18,587
18,397
187
Gulf Breeze, FL
And I’ll say it again, if MEroe comes back next year any skill player we have that’s worth a durn will bail. I firmly believe we had some leave last year knowing he’d be back and wouldnt/couldn’t distribute the ball.
They wouldn’t even let him throw to them during their Pro Day. How much more evidence do we need?
 

CB4

Hall of Fame
Aug 8, 2011
10,733
16,499
187
Birmingham, AL
I don't care what their offense "dictated". Our defense gave up 10 points.
OUR offense GAVE THE OTHER TEAM 14 POINTS AND ONLY SCORED 3 THEMSELVES.
This loss was not on the defense.
If your offense milks clock, converts third downs and controls the other team’s TOP, then it effects our tempo and play calling on your offense and limits possession.

Here are the rushing totals for the six previous conference games for Oklahoma.

Vs Tennessee - 36
Vs Auburn. - 130
Vs Texas. - 89
Vs. USCe. - 53
Vs. Ole Miss. - 147
Vs Missouri. - 122

Vs Alabama. - 257

Basically our defense gave up almost twice as much rushing yardage as any of Oklahoma’s previous conference opponents.

I agree the defense did a good job of keeping them out of the end zone. But you can’t tell me our inability to stop a team’s running game that had been anemic (or at best pedestrian) throughout this season didn’t contribute to this loss. Yeah the offense was god awful. As was Burnip punting and the gaffs in the punt return game. But the defense and Wommack do not get a complete pass in this game.
 

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