Playoff Observation (OL Strategy & Play -- no teasers)

[SMOKIESBAMAFAN]

After watching Penn State/Ohio State/ Notre Dame, in these playoffs, Alabama’s offensive line woes are even more obvious. I just watched Ohio State’s OL give Will Howard all day to sit back and throw untouched. All of the Big10/Notre Dame look big and physical. Watching well designed blocking schemes made me think not only of what has happened to Alabama’s rushing game, but what happened to the SEC? Is what CNS talked about coming to fruition? The SEC moved towards RPO/ high tempo offenses and the rest of the football world went to old school smash mouth football? It pains me to watch Notre Dame with well defined blocking schemes like combo blocks to the backer and getting second level. Bama O linemen didn’t have a clue. And Milroe scrambled for his life.

 

[Joefus]

Washington won the Joe Moore award in kd’s last season there

 

[81usaf92]

And Milroe scrambled for his life.

I wish Milroe would have actually scrambled far more than he did.

 

[johnbt]

Observation:

We ain't in em

 

[PA Tide Fan]

And DeBoer wants to go to a passing attack next season but if our OL needs to be more agile for that I don't know how we go from a big, physical and somewhat slow OL to an agile OL in one season.

 

[CrimsonBloodn62]

And DeBoer wants to go to a passing attack next season but if our OL needs to be more agile for that I don't know how we go from a big, physical and somewhat slow OL to an agile OL in one season.

I agree. If this had been Bama playing Ohio State tonight, we would have witnessed one of those Honk if you sacked Milroe moments. Our OL is too big and slow for teams like OSU.

 

[BamaBoySince89]

This format will almost guarantee a 1-seed will hardly ever win it all. You benefit more from playing in the first round than you do having a bye

 

[B1GTide]

This format will almost guarantee a 1-seed will hardly ever win it all. You benefit more from playing in the first round than you do having a bye

Disagree. A bye does two things. 100% guaranteed to make the second round, and extra time to rest/recover from a long season.

 

[AlexanderFan]

Disagree. A bye does two things. 100% guaranteed to make the second round, and extra time to rest/recover from a long season.

It made the second round games more interesting because the weaker teams got the byes and had time to gameplan.

 

[BamaBoySince89]

Disagree. A bye does two things. 100% guaranteed to make the second round, and extra time to rest/recover from a long season.

Don’t you think it’s in the back of some of these teams minds seeing what happened this year with 1-4? And from the looks of it the extra time off didn’t benefit them much.

While it may be a bad comparison, In basketball I think half of the 1’s actually have made it to the Final Four in the last 40 years. The odds would be much greater for football but I guess we won’t fully know until after next season

 

[GrayTide]

I agree with Smokie's comments. Watching all the games I am totally convinced we never belonged in the CFP conversation. Watching all of these games also convinces me how wide the gap for Alabama has become now between tOSU, Texas, ND, and PSU in terms of talent and more importantly, coaching. I realize all the circumstances surrounding our mediocre season, but there is no excuse, even with Milroe, we should have lost to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. The future is a huge question mark for our program and I hope next year is better, but we have to have better coaching on both sides of the ball.

 

[lowend]

Disagree. A bye does two things. 100% guaranteed to make the second round, and extra time to rest/recover from a long season.

I think it was sheer luck that some first round team didn't suffer a key injury that cost them a second round game.

 

[BamaMoon]

I think it's easy to jump to the conclusion these teams are ages ahead of us.

Right now, the only team I think has separated themselves is TOSU and that's only because of the WRs and what seems to be a pretty good OL and defensive backfield (ala Caleb Downs and company).

Unless I'm off my rocker, they'll destroy ND and win by 2 or 3 scores.

Yeah, look at our struggles this year and, no, we wouldn't have competed for the championship, but I'm not convinced Boise St, SMU or Arizona St. had a chance either and that's played out just as we thought.

And not to pile on JM, but when you need 3 to 4 seconds to locate a WR, no OL will be able to give you protection. Everything else goes downhill when you get bad QB play.

 

[rtr90]

And DeBoer wants to go to a passing attack next season but if our OL needs to be more agile for that I don't know how we go from a big, physical and somewhat slow OL to an agile OL in one season.

rather weak too for such a heavy OL .. we were getting pushed around and RB had no chance

 

[GrayTide]

Boise State, SMU, and Arizona State never had a chance to make it to the finals. You could make a case if Texas and tOSU had been on different sides of the brackets, tOSU would likely be playing Texas rather than Notre Dame. I am glad the season is nearly over so we can look forward to spring football.

 

[BamaMoon]

rather weak too for such a heavy OL .. we were getting pushed around and RB had no chance

I wonder how much of this is due to the RPO?

I've heard people who understand OL play talk about leverage and if you don't know if you are supposed to pass block or run block it would seem the whole OL would be playing off balance.

Makes me miss a good ole play action pass OR QB under center to RB handoff!

 

[rtr90]

Now I want ND to win with all the 3 stars who love playing college football and not a bought team. Also they are in state team for me.

I dont like they are getting all money to themselves not being in conference but I can live with it

 

[rtr90]

I wonder how much of this is due to the RPO?

I've heard people who understand OL play talk about leverage and if you don't know if you are supposed to pass block or run block it would seem the whole OL would be playing off balance.

Makes me miss a good ole play action pass OR QB under center to RB handoff!

Texas had RPO too yesterday

 

[BamaMoon]

Now I want ND to win with all the 3 stars who love playing college football and not a bought team. Also they are in state team for me.

I dont like they are getting all money to themselves not being in conference but I can live with it

I don't see it.

TOSU will hound Riley Leonard. I love him/think he's got a huge heart, but I don't think he'll thrive in the manner in which ND uses him.

Now, if RL had TOSU's receivers it might be different.

It wouldn't shock me if this NC game isn't a lot like 2020 Bama vs. TOSU.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

I agree with Smokie's comments. Watching all the games I am totally convinced we never belonged in the CFP conversation. Watching all of these games also convinces me how wide the gap for Alabama has become now between tOSU, Texas, ND, and PSU in terms of talent and more importantly, coaching. I realize all the circumstances surrounding our mediocre season, but there is no excuse, even with Milroe, we should have lost to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. The future is a huge question mark for our program and I hope next year is better, but we have to have better coaching on both sides of the ball.

I agree we didn't belong but that's mainly because of the context of the how's and why's we lost the 3 regular season games and especially the OU game when we for a fleeting moment controlled our destiny.

But I don't think we are as far away from the Top teams as it seems.

We had something in common with tOSU, ND, Texas, PSU, Tenn, and IU...

That was a Top 10 Defense

If you take away the garbage points that teams scored on us because of Milroe just giving them the ball for direct points or placing them in scoring range and it's probably closer to a Top 5 Defense.

But the QB position just killed us period.

It didn't matter who we had a RB or WR because every play was filtered through Milroe.

He constantly made bad decisions and no decisions and became a turnover machine.

We could point situational fingers at some coaching issues here and there or a few defensive lapses here and there or even self inflicted penalties...

But ultimately if we just get Game Manager QB play that doesn't let you beat yourself then we make the playoffs.

Jalen Milroe is THE reason we lost 4 games.