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

[crimsonaudio]

Is Riley Leonard from Alabama? Did CNS not recruit him?

He was a 3* out of HS - Bama didn't offer him (few schools did - only Vandy and OM from the SEC offered).

Saban took Milroe (4*) instead.

 

[Slowpoke Catracho]

Bama would have been more competitive, but I don't think the OL was good enough to win against these elite DLs.

I agree. Probably the only reason that we didn't have "more" QB sacks this year is because JM called his own number on running plays. I'm not sure if any other pocket passer would've survived. I've been impressed with the pass rush of OSU and ND. The other 4 or 5 top teams in the playoffs weren't bad either.

 

[gtgilbert]

We haven’t been innocent here either. Whether it be the NIL era or the transfer era we’ve always been active…Coker…Jamo…etc…

The Bama standard has changed from winning championships to being more worried about their personal brand and NIL money than doing what it takes to win championships now.

Sad, but since the end of the 2022 season, 100% true and is THE factor in where we are now.

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

I agree. Probably the only reason that we didn't have "more" QB sacks this year is because JM called his own number on running plays. I'm not sure if any other pocket passer would've survived. I've been impressed with the pass rush of OSU and ND. The other 4 or 5 top teams in the playoffs weren't bad either.

The sacks are purely on Milroe. If the defense knows (Milroe's stance) that the play is absolutely a pass play, they simply pin their ears back and pursue without worry of being...

THAT is why the opponents DLs were so effective against our OL.

 

[rtr90]

The sacks are purely on Milroe. If the defense knows (Milroe's stance) that the play is absolutely a pass play, they simply pin their ears back and pursue without worry of being...

THAT is why the opponents DLs were so effective against our OL.

Is that not on coaches? How stupid are they?

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

Is that not on coaches? How stupid are they?

No, THAT is on Milroe.

You can lead a horse to water...

Milroe was simply uncoachable. Not that he had a bad attitude, but you (ANY coach) can only do so much.

 

[B1GTide]

No, THAT is on Milroe.

You can lead a horse to water...

Milroe was simply uncoachable. Not that he had a bad attitude, but you (ANY coach) can only do so much.

I agree, but the coaches decide which players to put on the field. Can't let players decide.

 

[gtgilbert]

Is that not on coaches? How stupid are they?

They tried to correct it. Couldn't be coached out of him.

 

[gtgilbert]

I agree, but the coaches decide which players to put on the field. Can't let players decide.

well, coaches shouldn't let players decide, and the last 2 years are a case study, a proof point if you will, of why that's a horrible idea.

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

well, coaches shouldn't let players decide, and the last 2 years are a case study, a proof point if you will, of why that's a horrible idea.

Exactly!

We don't know what exactly happened, but there has been enough speculated to get a general idea.

Thankfully, that episode is over.

 

[editder]

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.

Yet most of those players will end up in the NFL.

Last year’s line was much maligned as well. Latham was a first round draft pick. Seth will probably be a first round pick as will Booker. Roberts will probably be drafted, and Proctor was supposed to be the next big thing, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he goes in the first round eventually.

point is they’re all potentially highly regarded individually, which makes me believe it’s either Milroe or poor coaching, or both.

 

[Rocky Mtn Bob]

I don’t think Texas has a gripe on officiating last night compared to Ohio State.

We must not have watched the same game. I was astounded at how OSU's DBs were mugging Texas' receivers and getting away with it.

<snip>

Ohio St was about to kill Texas early but one call changed the entire momentum of the game.

We saw that differently, too. Henderson's foul changed the momentum ... and he did it three feet from the zebra. OF COURSE the Ref called it.

 

[81usaf92]

We must not have watched the same game. I was astounded at how OSU's DBs were mugging Texas' receivers and getting away with it.

<snip>


We saw that differently, too. Henderson's foul changed the momentum ... and he did it three feet from the zebra. OF COURSE the Ref called it.

instead of cherry picking the quoted text, how about reading it in its entirety. The point was never to say “Ohio St was getting robbed” it was saying “Texas got the biggest calls that ultimately made it a far closer game than it had any right in being”. Meaning for all this “well last night was worse for Texas than it was for ASU” it really doesn’t hold up since EVERY single big call went Texas’s way in BOTH games. Yeah we can hyper analyze every “could’ve, should’ve, or outta be” holding or pass interference that didn’t get called but at the end of the day the calls that went against Ohio St influenced the game far more than the ones that didn’t get called for Texas, and it’s not the refs fault that Sark just one upped Pete Carroll for the dumbest play calling on the goaliline.

 

[B1GTide]

instead of cherry picking the quoted text, how about reading it in its entirety. The point was never to say “Ohio St was getting robbed” it was saying “Texas got the biggest calls that ultimately made it a far closer game than it had any right in being”. Meaning for all this “well last night was worse for Texas than it was for ASU” it really doesn’t hold up since EVERY single big call went Texas’s way in BOTH games. Yeah we can hyper analyze every “could’ve, should’ve, or outta be” holding or pass interference that didn’t get called but at the end of the day the calls that went against Ohio St influenced the game far more than the ones that didn’t get called for Texas, and it’s not the refs fault that Sark just one upped Pete Carroll for the dumbest play calling on the goaliline.

I agree, but those calls against us were legit. We just kept shooting ourselves in the foot, which kept an overmatched Texas team in the game.

 

[Rocky Mtn Bob]

instead of cherry picking the quoted text, how about reading it in its entirety.

Because *you* post as if you're paid by the word. I employ parsimony.

<snip>

... the calls that went against Ohio St influenced the game far more than the ones that didn’t get called for Texas ...

Again, we saw different games.

... Sark just one upped Pete Carroll for the dumbest play calling on the [goal line].

Ah! Agreement.

 

[CB4]

Certainly our Oline play was far below par this year. And we must develop quicker, more agile linemen.

But let’s also realize that QB that can call protections, make pre-snap reads, and get the ball out quickly can make an oline look a heck of a lot better than the actually are. It is a two way street.

What one throw was JM most comfortable with? The deep ball. And because he liked those throws, he would revert to holding the ball too long, instead of taking the quicker, easier throw, or taking the check down.

How many times the past two years have we remarked “what I wouldn’t give to hit a slant pass?” or “Receivers running wide open underneath”? It is one thing to hold up under a rush when not as skilled as in years past. It is even worse when you add in confused protection calls and a QB that holds the ball.

 

[81usaf92]

I agree, but those calls against us were legit. We just kept shooting ourselves in the foot, which kept an overmatched Texas team in the game.

Generally when people complain about calls they are big moment calls or moments that change the game. The only call I recall Texas really getting called against them was when their TE got called for taunting. But if I recall correctly that was still a TD drive.

My point is that 95% of the big calls went totally against OSU. It’s not that they weren’t warranted because they were, it’s that they went against Ohio St. I mean we can have this “basketball fan” attitude in which we complain about every instance there was a hold or interference all we want but at the end of the day we gotta admit that Texas wasn’t screwed by the refs in this game.

 

[B1GTide]

...but at the end of the day we gotta admit that Texas wasn’t screwed by the refs in this game.

 

[TDBama78]

Is that not on coaches? How stupid are they?

If the player is not coachable then no it's not totally on the coaches.

 

[Krymsonman]

and, nobody got hurt, so I don't want to hear about Colt again.