Reality Check: Your pre-season predictions??

[BocaLance]

I predicted 7-8 wins, BUT ...
We take UT to the woodshed and then go mano a mano with LSU for 55 minutes, my expecations changed. Losing to MSU a second year in a row never made it to my radar screen.

 

[nathan]

I felt like 8 would be great (definitely showing progress)... and it's still within reach. Even stopping at 7 though, the team looks like it's on the right track. Hey, they beat tn! And if they pull off an iron bowl W I'll be tickled heading into next season. I was surprised by the loss to msu- hopefully that will lull allbarn to sleep? That's the only possible positive I can see coming from it.

I'm still very pleased with the process thus far. I think more wrinkles will be ironed out next spring. The recruits look awesome and the coaches won't waste talent.

 

[2003TIDE]

For all you statistics guys, that's a nice bell shaped curve!

Anyway like I said, most people's pre-season predictions are in line with where we are now.

 

[SimCastilleFan3]

I predicted 9-4 but with a win over State. The frustrating part of the loss yesterday was how we lost. The defense and special teams played great and the "Strength" of the team didnt show up. I dont like to put blames on anyone but like Coach Saban said over and over this week he have to focus and some of the players I guess werent focused.

 

[Displaced Bama Fan]

I predicted 7-5, but I thought we'd beat State, not Tennessee.

 

[crimsonaudio]

I predicted 8-4, with losses to UGA, UT, LSU, & the barn.

We coudl still pull 8-4 off!

 

[Displaced Bama Fan]

I predicted 8-4, with losses to UGA, UT, LSU, & the barn.

We coudl still pull 8-4 off!

I hope you are right.

 

[Tat2]

I predicted we would go 0 fer 12. Now, I`m pleasantly surprised.

I wish I had that kind of optimism... but in reality, this loss hurt. It will quickly be redeemed though... Watch it Tigers!

 

[crimsonbleeder]

I don't think it's unreasonable to be VERY upset with the loss to MSU yesterday. The team came out flat on offense, the QB was not in the game, and the OL was completely outmatched. The team went into halftime trailing by a point, having just turned the ball over on a gimmee touchdown (again...this is getting to be a recurring theme, and I was one of the biggest JPW supporters out there), but had an opportunity to come out and punch the home crowd back down after halftime, but instead, what does our OL/QB do? Give it right back up.

No...MSU is not an "acceptable" loss. Every one to date this year has had some degree of "acceptability"...but not this one. At all. No excuses. This kinda game just cannot happen. Now, MSU played a great game, but we played our worst of the year on offense (defense wasn't too bad), and that just is not the way to finish up a year (there's 2 regular season games left), but unfortunately, this team has had this pattern over the past 4-5 years...I know Saban will change things once he has enough players to offer 3-4 deep competition across the board, but right now, there just isn't enough, and there's too many "sleepwalkers" out there on the field that can't be pulled very easily, and they know it...

That said, I believe in the future. And this program will get better...soon. I just am starting to have my doubts about whether it will be this year or not.

 

[BAMA504]

Even though my expectations were 8 wins it has not been met yet so if you said 6-6 then that is the only possible way for you to be happy... (or not in that case0 but we all have a reason to be mad about a sorry msu team beating us when the game was an easy win even with no TD's thrown or ran in, we could of kicked one or two more FG's and easily one by 12+... So having said 8 wins was my expectations no they have not been met and if we play like we did last week I would expect to be 6-6 not 7-5 cause if we give ulm the same crap we gavew msu we will get beat.........

jpw better find whatever his problem is and sit in that pocket (because there is one there this year) and step into the throws... I would be excited if GM got the start at least I would know CNS is as mad as me..........................

 

[BAMMAR]

I picked 8 preseason, We get 7 this weekend vs Lmonroe, Lose to the barn and win our bowl game. 8 Wins. Next year different story.

 

[bamastan71]

Well I said 10-2 lol, but im not at all upset at the way this team has played overall this year. The future looks good for the Tide, just look at recruting and you know this team is on the way UP!!!!!DT_Armataz_54:

 

[OCtide]

Before the season started I picked every game on the schedule. Our whole family does it each season. Before last week I had every game correct. Now I'm 9 and 1.

 

[bamastarvin]

I was counting on 7-8 wins. Definitely didn't expect MSU loss. Didn't expect to tank towards the end of the season either. Or is the competition getting better? MSU is not back to the level it was in the early 90's but Croom will get them there. Glad for the UT win and the Arky win. Would like to play FSU again but not UGA. LSU....won't even go there. We are fortunate to have few injuries but suspensions have had same effect. Not worried about ULM but dread AU. I think if we win Iron Bowl, the losses will be forgotten.

 

[Pachyderm37]

I picked us to be in the 7 - 8 wins range and overall I have seen improvement throughout the season. Another year in CNS' S&C program and our O line will be much improved. JMHO but I really think that's where we're coming up short at still. We're still not quite strong enough to get the push we need off the line hence the lack of a good ground attack.

We switched to a whole new defensive style and approach and as we get more tallent coming in and learn assignments better our defense will really step it up next year.

All in all I think we're about where most of us expected to be and we're improving in more ways than just wins and losses.


RTR

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I think the Miss. St. loss has been and will be the most disappointing loss of the season unless we really lay down and lose to ULM. We absolutely GAVE that game away. We had so much momentum going into that game and just out right tanked.
I was thinking today that there is now three teams in our division with winning streaks against us.

Auburn 5 yrs(possibly 6)
LSU 5 yrs
Miss St. 2 yrs.

That's twelve years of current winning streaks and all are against teams in our division. Very sobering and the jolt of reality that we've got some catching up to do.

 

[68wRTR]

It's how we lost that sent me into beating my wife, setting my cars on fire and kicking my dog over our six foot privacy fence. After I did that I was still upset.

rofl, i hear ya brother. nothing like getting beat by our states ugly sisster 2 years ina row. i was at that game, the state fans were elated... which only made it that much worse.. that and driving back home.

 

[Roll`92`Tide]

I honestly thought 7-5. But I'm hoping for 8-4!!:biggrin2:
This has been a wierd season. Thought going into the season the offense would be the strength of the team, having to outscore opponents to win. Thought the defense would struggle.
Who would have thought the offense would be in disarray and the defense coming together and playing good!?!
The one thing that CNS kept talking about when he first arrived in T-town was "Player Development". With that in mind I thought that would be a excellent point to judge our new coach on and had the perfect player in mind for it. Wallace Gilberry, as a true FR had 6.5 sacks(i think), his Soph and Jr years added together didn't amount to his sack total his first year. To me WG was proof positive that CMS wasn't a good coach as WG regressed. We all know how talented WG really is and with "Player Development" we would get to see a glimpse at WG's real talents.
Here we are with 2 games left to play and VERY HAPPY to say that WG has 7 sacks already!!!! To me that is "Player Development"!!:biggrin2:
As far as I'm concerned, WE FINALLY HAVE A COACH!!!!!:biggrin2: I will be sitting back with my "Crimson colored glasses" firmly ON and eagerly awaiting the future!!:cool2:
ROLL TIDE ROLL ! ! ! !

 

[alatider]

8 wins would be really nice. It would be a good start to the Saban era. We must remember that Saban has a 6-7 team and a few of his freshman recruits to work with.
Something tells me that he is not happy with the performance of alot of the players. I've come to that conclusion based upon little things that he has said in some of his press conferences.

 

[tidefan39817]

I thought 8-4 or 7-5 a 9-3 season wasn't out of the question but i felt we would have to pull of an upset of UGA or FSU for that. I did expect to beat UT just not like we did. But I never thought MSU would be a problem. I was expecting a win by atleast 2 TD's.

Further more i also thought a one lose LSU would play a one lose OU or USC team. so i still have that going for me also.

however i did not see the record number of top 5 teams being beaten by unranked teams. recruiting is WAY better than i thought it would be at this time.