Bama Game Thread: Official PostGame Thread - Bama vs. IU...

[denver]

A lot has been said about Cignetti using the transfer portal and his obvious success. I checked on 24/7 to see exactly what he has done in his 2 years at Indiana. In his 2 years he has brought in a total of 58 players from the portal. He brought in 5 players of this total
who were rated 4 stars, the remaining 53 were rated 3 stars and some were even rated NR(Not Rated). As been said our paltry number of portal players brought in have not, for the most part, have been non contributors. Somebody on this overpaid staff needs to get off their rear ends and aggressively work the portal. I would even consider bringing in an experienced QB who might have 1 year of eligibility to help transition to Russell.

I think star rating is irrelevant once a player has 2-3+ years of experience...IU roster is really OLD...average is somewhere in the 23 yr range...almost all their starters are 4-5 year players some are in their 6th year....by this time they know the game, are stronger, smarter and disciplined...having 50 of those on your roster makes a huge difference!

 

[RammerJammer14]

I noticed their linemen seems more “in shape” then ours. We have a lot of dudes with belly fat.

I get what you are saying but ain’t nobody on this planet 300 + pounds without belly fat.

I mean, you really have to stuff food down your throat all day long to get that big.

Just an aside

 

[Bama Shoals]

It’s just a really bad look to get absolutely blasted by both UGA and IU in 2 of the last 3.

Lose by 35 and 21 and look completely unprepared both times and quit both times.

Pete Golding just beat that same UGA team by the way and they had no problem dropping almost 40 points on them.

There is no excuse for how badly we are unprepared time after time.

3 more just embarrassing losses this year.

To be fair, Georgia’s D got after Ole Miss just like they did us. But Ole Miss had a QB who was making otherworldly plays consistently because he was playing loose and free. They also have a great RB to complement that. We had neither of those. But Ole Miss was not hanging nearly 40 because of some great coaching schemes.

 

[RammerJammer14]

This is all fine and good and KD may not be a long term solution.
But don't pretend Saban never had bad losses. Don't pretend we didn't play like mess under his tenure here.
I remember a certain loss to SCeast under CNS, a major fail against an AU team (we were up by what? 3 scores? and AU came back and won) so don't pretend we didn't have some losses like that under CNS. And we still call him the GOAT (and he is).
Now, who says we didn't reach out to Cignetti (be it officially or thru back channels) and he said no?

Changes in the football staff are needed, for sure. But you can't pull the plug right now one way or another. Like him. Hate him. Willing to give him a chance or not he's gonna be the coach for at least another season.

Now, we got beat by a better team yesterday. Period.
And we're sitting here acting like the AU fans.
We lost. Get over it.
No, it doesn't feel good. It never does. Be it by 1 or 100.
Firing our coach will hurt our program more than him coaching our team another 3 years.

Acting like AU fans? 1948 was the last time we lost this badly. 1948. Were you alive? Not a one of Saban’s losses were this bad. We got blown out in 3 games this year and last year. People have plenty of right to complain and call out the coaches. We all know he isn’t Saban and nobody else is either. And yet we also managed to go nearly 90 years without such an embarrassment.

 

[CrimsonNagus]

This is all fine and good and KD may not be a long term solution.
But don't pretend Saban never had bad losses. Don't pretend we didn't play like mess under his tenure here.
I remember a certain loss to SCeast under CNS, a major fail against an AU team (we were up by what? 3 scores? and AU came back and won) so don't pretend we didn't have some losses like that under CNS. And we still call him the GOAT (and he is).

No one is pretending Saban didn’t have bad losses. Yes, games slipped away, teams underperformed and games were lost. But you are ignoring 1 important thing, and it’s not just you. Saban was only ever blown out once in 17 years.

Bad losses are one thing, getting run out of the stadium is another. 3 times in 2 seasons DeBoer has been run out of the stadium. You have to at least show up and be competitive. 3 times DeBoer’s teams have not been competitive.

No one is pretending Saban did not lose. Getting blown out is a rarity for great coaches, but it’s becoming a pattern for DeBoer.


I also agree that we can’t fire him right now. We are stuck with him for a few more years at least. I’m just expressing my disappointment. I was never sold on hiring him in the first place and nothing has changed my mind. I think we hired the wrong guy and we are stuck. I have no confidence that he will turn things around.

 

[denver]

To be fair, Georgia’s D got after Ole Miss just like they did us. But Ole Miss had a QB who was making otherworldly plays consistently because he was playing loo-e and free. They also have a great RB to complement that. We had neither of those. But Ole Miss was not hanging nearly 40 because of some great coaching schemes.

I think that his houdini escapes in the game are being overlooked...3 or 4 times he did it...if any of them ended in a tackle and not a completion, Ole Miss is looking at a 3 possession deficit vs a close game...but that's football

 

[81usaf92]

Acting like AU fans? 1948 was the last time we lost this badly. 1948. Were you alive? Not a one of Saban’s losses were this bad. We got blown out in 3 games this year and last year. People have plenty of right to complain and call out the coaches. We all know he isn’t Saban and nobody else is either. And yet we also managed to go nearly 90 years without such an embarrassment.

Sometimes I wonder what would be harder for this fanbase to take…

A) getting blown out

Or

B) missing a playoff because you lost a home game to a 4 win team that you just knocked 2 of their qbs out so they were forced to go to a back up running back as a quarterback who can’t throw it more than 5 yards accurately.

1 of those is a multi nc winning coach before he won 1 national championship… not Nick saban.

 

[BamaInCummingGA]

Acting like AU fans? 1948 was the last time we lost this badly. 1948. Were you alive? Not a one of Saban’s losses were this bad. We got blown out in 3 games this year and last year. People have plenty of right to complain and call out the coaches. We all know he isn’t Saban and nobody else is either. And yet we also managed to go nearly 90 years without such an embarrassment.

I don't care if you lose by 1 or 100.
The point is and still stands that some of Sabans teams didn't aways play lights out well disciplined football and got beat for it because of that.
So don't pretend this is the first time in the history of Alabama football that we have played poorly and got beat for it.

You and I likely agree that a few changes need to be made.
We can also probably agree on what most of those changes should be.
But every now and again you're still gonna lay an egg and get beat.

We can agree that yesterday's game was a fiasco. We can agree that as fans we aren't happy about it.
What I won't agree with anyone with is letting CKD go right now. For a couple of reasons and the main one being the buyout.
We talk about buying some players but if you have to use those millions to buy out the staff and then whatever other millions to hire another coach/staff then you greatly deplete the coffers.
Second, give him a chance to make changes ,if he's willing to, and if he does then all good. If he doesn't then we can talk about letting him go. Especially if he doesn't make any staff changes, etc.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

Sometimes I wonder what would be harder for this fanbase to take…

A) getting blown out

Or

B) missing a playoff because you lost a home game to a 4 win team that you just knocked 2 of their qbs out so they were forced to go to a back up running back as a quarterback who can’t throw it more than 5 yards accurately.

1 of those is a multi nc winning coach before he won 1 national championship… not Nick saban.

Who Kirby?

That’s such a strange point.

He’s certainly not perfect and has taken his own fair share of black eyes but he’s also had way more highs that offset some lows.

Despite the 1-2 record vs CKD his teams play tough physical ball and seem to be less prone to getting blown out… not that it hadn’t happened at all but it’s not as frequent.

CKD had his own gaffs vs inferior opponents whether it’s home or away.

3-9 ASU in 2022 at Wash
7-6 Vandy in 2024
6-7 OU in 2024
8-5 Mich in 2024
5-7 FSU in 2025

Those are all away games for full transparency but he shouldn’t be losing not a single one of those games.

He’s lost 4 games two years in a row.

Kirby only lost that many his very 1st season.

There is no all purpose best way to lose a game.

Taking a bunch of double digit butt whippings in two seasons though is certainly not ideal obviously.

I’d rather see consistent preparation and competition than consistently being out prepared and out coached.

 

[gtgilbert]

I’d take some explosive fast twitch 290/300 lbers over the 330/340 belly gang we have.

ok, but that's supposedly the description for Brailsford, and he can't/doesn't move DL out of the hole 1v1 and even when combo blocking, doesn't really create movement.

 

[BamaInCummingGA]

No one is pretending Saban didn’t have bad losses. Yes, games slipped away, teams underperformed and games were lost. But you are ignoring 1 important thing, and it’s not just you. Saban was only ever blown out once in 17 years.

Bad losses are one thing, getting run out of the stadium is another. 3 times in 2 seasons DeBoer has been run out of the stadium. You have to at least show up and be competitive. 3 times DeBoer’s teams have not been competitive.

No one is pretending Saban did not lose. Getting blown out is a rarity for great coaches, but it’s becoming a pattern for DeBoer.


I also agree that we can’t fire him right now. We are stuck with him for a few more years at least. I’m just expressing my disappointment. I was never sold on hiring him in the first place and nothing has changed my mind. I think we hired the wrong guy and we are stuck. I have no confidence that he will turn things around.

I'm not ignoring anything. I just don't have a desire to become AU 2.0 with extremely stupid expectations.
I also don't think it's fair to compare CNS to CKD as CNS, in his hay day, didn't have to deal with transfer portals and NIL and as many spoiled kids.

Is CKD the long term answer? Don't know.
If he is then great. If he's not then we'll move on at the appropriate time.
Right now ain't exactly the appropriate time.

 

[81usaf92]

Who Kirby?

That’s such a strange point.

He’s certainly not perfect and has taken his own fair share of black eyes but he’s also had way more highs that offset some lows.

Despite the 1-2 record vs CKD his teams play tough physical ball and seem to be less prone to getting blown out… not that it hadn’t happened at all but it’s not as frequent.

CKD had his own gaffs vs inferior opponents whether it’s home or away.

3-9 ASU in 2022 at Wash
7-6 Vandy in 2024
6-7 OU in 2024
8-5 Mich in 2024
5-7 FSU in 2025

Those are all away games for full transparency but he shouldn’t be losing not a single one of those games.

He’s lost 4 games two years in a row.

Kirby only lost that many his very 1st season.

There is no all purpose best way to lose a game.

Taking a bunch of double digit butt whippings in two seasons though is certainly not ideal obviously.

I’d rather see consistent preparation and competition than consistently being out prepared and out coached.

I still maintain the 2019 Georgia loss to South Carolina is probably the most embarrassing loss in the SEC in the last 20 years atleast. South Carolina had no business being on the same field with them especially after their quarterback went down.

My point is everyone here celebrates the wins but goes overboard about losses. So if it’s “how we played” would you rather get blown out or find a way to lose a home game to a very very very bad South Carolina team like Kirby did in 19. Not really excusing either but you outta heard Georgia fans on Kirby after that one.

 

[Cruloc]

Who Kirby?

That’s such a strange point.

He’s certainly not perfect and has taken his own fair share of black eyes but he’s also had way more highs that offset some lows.

Despite the 1-2 record vs CKD his teams play tough physical ball and seem to be less prone to getting blown out… not that it hadn’t happened at all but it’s not as frequent.

CKD had his own gaffs vs inferior opponents whether it’s home or away.

3-9 ASU in 2022 at Wash
7-6 Vandy in 2024
6-7 OU in 2024
8-5 Mich in 2024
5-7 FSU in 2025

Those are all away games for full transparency but he shouldn’t be losing not a single one of those games.

He’s lost 4 games two years in a row.

Kirby only lost that many his very 1st season.

There is no all purpose best way to lose a game.

Taking a bunch of double digit butt whippings in two seasons though is certainly not ideal obviously.

I’d rather see consistent preparation and competition than consistently being out prepared and out coached.

To me the answer about what is wrong is simple:

- What is Indiana's culture with Cignetti?

- What is Georgia's culture with Kirby?

Those are easy answers for both. They are tough and physical.

- What is Bama's culture with DeBoer?

All I know is we are finesse passing team....other than that, I have no idea. I've watched this program for these 2 years and all I see is a lack of physicality and toughness and a lack of attention to detail.

 

[BamaInCummingGA]

ok, but that's supposedly the description for Brailsford, and he can't/doesn't move DL out of the hole 1v1 and even when combo blocking, doesn't really create movement.

I would say that some of that has to do with strength and conditioning.
You can be a little lighter and have strength and leverage along with quickness and still win the line of scrimmage.
Now, you can't be 30 - 50 lbs lighter for sure.

 

[KrAzY3]

I’d rather see consistent preparation and competition than consistently being out prepared and out coached.

I think there's clear upside to DeBoer. His teams can be kind of a giant killer, to contrast your list there's wins against Lanning, Sark and Smart as you mentioned. So I think we both get that.

But it's like his entire system is built on taking big swings. They land, he knocks the other guy out, it looks great. He swings and misses, he looks terrible, people are going what happened? Then it's almost like he forgets the fundamentals, run game? What's that, let's try to take big swings against this team we can easily beat if we just play fundamentally sound.

I'd take a couple more losses to great teams if it means less losses to clearly inferior teams. The reason is because that gets you closer to a championship in my opinion. You want to be consistently great, not occasionally.

It isn't just a swap a win or a loss, sure you can say well do you prefer he lose to Georgia and beat FSU? Actually, yes because then Alabama doesn't get demolished in the SECCG and they have a higher seed in the playoff. But that aside, it's not just THOSE games. It's the blowouts.

If he played Georgia and Indiana close the second time, the hope there is just a play here or there, just a little bit better and you can win an SEC or a national champion. This though, it wasn't close, it wasn't competitive, and that takes you from a 10-20% chance of winning it all to a 0% chance.

 

[AlexanderFan]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2007070327529222539

Which if you’re recruiting four and five stars you will never have in the current environment.

 

[gtgilbert]

A lot has been said about Cignetti using the transfer portal and his obvious success. I checked on 24/7 to see exactly what he has done in his 2 years at Indiana. In his 2 years he has brought in a total of 58 players from the portal. He brought in 5 players of this total
who were rated 4 stars, the remaining 53 were rated 3 stars and some were even rated NR(Not Rated). As been said our paltry number of portal players brought in have, for the most part, been non contributors. Somebody on this overpaid staff needs to get off their rear ends and aggressively work the portal. I would even consider bringing in an experienced QB who might have 1 year of eligibility to help transition to Russell.

not sure about that. Sure we have had misses, but we also brought in:

GVDM,
Dewberry
D jackson
Hill-Greene
K Sabb
Brailsford
Bernard
Cuevas
I Horton
K Collins

just in the last two years and they've all been major/regular contributors.

 

[bamamc1]

ok, but that's supposedly the description for Brailsford, and he can't/doesn't move DL out of the hole 1v1 and even when combo blocking, doesn't really create movement.

gt, just by reading your posts on here, you seem to be a coach or someone that played at a high level. That being said, do you think if we widen our splits on the oline that could benefit our running game? We’re cleat to cleat.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

To me the answer about what is wrong is simple:

- What is Indiana's culture with Cignetti?

- What is Georgia's culture with Kirby?

Those are easy answers for both. They are tough and physical.

- What is Bama's culture with DeBoer?

All I know is we are finesse passing team....other than that, I have no idea. I've watched this program for these 2 years and all I see is a lack of physicality and toughness and a lack of attention to detail.

I mean even Lanning’s Oregon teams can run the ball and be physical and have more balance.

*Not saying go get Lanning*

But it’s obvious a lot of these CNS coaching tree HC’s know what it takes to consistently put your team in a position to win.

Kiffin even knows it and runs more than the average fan might suspect.

*Super not saying get Kiffin*

You gotta be physical. You gotta be tough. You gotta be able to run the ball. You gotta have balance so opposing teams can’t tee off on a QB.

 

[gtgilbert]

I would say that some of that has to do with strength and conditioning.
You can be a little lighter and have strength and leverage along with quickness and still win the line of scrimmage.
Now, you can't be 30 - 50 lbs lighter for sure.

True - but with strength and conditioning you can also have guys in the 315-325 range who have the right power to weight ratio and right body fat levels. I don't think an OL made of Brailsfords can be successful. They just don't have the mass and strength. That said, an OL of Proctors also won't be successful. They can't move well enough.