Saban forced to play Sumlin and Manziel's game...

[dayhiker]

In the Dan Patrick interview with AJ Dan asked AJ about this. AJ said he had full authority to change in and out of plays and he implied he did it all game.

I would expect that to be the case.

On a side note, I watch little NFL, but happened to catch some commentary by Ray Lewis about Manning. He said it took him awhile, but he finally realized that all of that pointing and yelling Peyton Manning does pre-snap, is often just done to see what the defense will do so that he will then know how to adjust the O.

 

[92tide]

I agree. Your initial post made it sound like AJ was just calling stuff off the cuff in the huddle like in the movies. That's all I was commenting on.

i swear i saw us break the huddle and line up for the 23-skidoo

that was right after the series where he was drawing plays in the dirt

 

[Special K]

If TJ had scored, aTm would have come out and done exactly the same thing they had been doing the whole game. The only thing that would be different is some of their players may have felt victory was hopeless but I doubt that would have stopped them from scoring. Maybe ... who knows. I certainly don't think they were ready to give up.

There was never a point in the game when I felt we've got this one tucked away until the on side kick was recovered.

For me, I didn't see it that way. With the way we were controlling the LOS on offense, I felt like we had them at arm's length from the time we took the lead until Yeldon's fumble.

Let's say Yeldon doesn't fumble and we get a TD on that drive. We're now up 21 with about 8 minutes to play. A&M may have scored again, but our defensive approach would probably a bit different with a 21 point lead and I'm betting we keep everything in front of us. In other words, no way they get a 95-yard strike like they did after the fumble. They may very well start pressing and turn it over. Even if they score again, if we can make them eat just a little bit (2-3 minutes?) of clock doing it, we get the ball back and quite possibly run the clock out with the way we were running it on them. Then again, if ifs and buts were candy and nuts.....

 

[JBama_in_PCOLA]

I don't mean to be rude, but I must ask. Did you watch the game?

They would have given up if we would have punched it it. We had out foot on their necks but we let them back in it.


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[JBama_in_PCOLA]

i swear i saw us break the huddle and line up for the 23-skidoo

that was right after the series where he was drawing plays in the dirt

Lol


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[dvldog]

They would have given up if we would have punched it it. We had out foot on their necks but we let them back in it.


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Pretty much what I said during the game. Guesss I'm puzzled as to why we didn't start out w/the same def. strategy we employed for the last 3 qtrs of last year's game or at least switch back to it once we got up 3 TDs. We really never made them "earn" a score in the second half. But then again, luckily I don't get paid to make those decisions.

 

[JBama_in_PCOLA]

Pretty much what I said during the game. Guesss I'm puzzled as to why we didn't start out w/the same def. strategy we employed for the last 3 qtrs of last year's game or at least switch back to it once we got up 3 TDs. We really never made them "earn" a score in the second half. But then again, luckily I don't get paid to make those decisions.

Not questioning CNS. I've done that a couple of times and lost every time. Really and truly though I think our offense has found something. We went fast and slow and they had no answer. We could have scored 80 if it weren't for penalty yards and costly mistakes and that's with AJ throwing high in the first half. We did what was required and got out of there.

I'm happy.


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[AgentAntiOrange]

To the OP-The only thing I think you missed the mark on was AJ calling the plays. Everything else was spot on. Our defense settled in and I believe CNS had a wonderful game plan. IMHO he believed that, all things being equal, the difference between the 2 defenses was greater(in our favor) than the difference between the 2 offenses(in their favor). So he used some hurry up of his own knowing their defense had less talent, far less depth, and was probably less prepared scheme-wise. I don't mean to cheap shot the players or coaches but I doubt that A&M had the type of meticulously detailed defensive game plan that we did. IMHO he knew their defense, already at a disadvantage, would wear out before ours and that we might be able to just walk right through them in the 4th quarter whereas we rotated heavily in our front 7 all game and would be fresher.

The sole thing that we were not fully prepared for, IMHO, was the presence of WR Evans and his ability to beat our DBs one on one.

 

[92tide]

Not questioning CNS. I've done that a couple of times and lost every time. Really and truly though I think our offense has found something. We went fast and slow and they had no answer. We could have scored 80 if it weren't for penalty yards and costly mistakes and that's with AJ throwing high in the first half. We did what was required and got out of there.

I'm happy.


Sent from my iPhone

yeah, at least two of those overthrows to cooper looked like cooper had a lot of real estate in front of him.

 

[Crimson-Blitz]

The sole thing that we were not fully prepared for, IMHO, was the presence of WR Evans and his ability to beat our DBs one on one.

That's just it. How do you prepare for that? The dude outran everybody in our secondary.

You will see that work for them all season long, unless someone has a 6'7" shutdown corner with track star speed.

 

[JBama_in_PCOLA]

yeah, at least two of those overthrows to cooper looked like cooper had a lot of real estate in front of him.

Yeah, and once he broke no catching him. One pass thrown his way was way behind him. Head scratcher because there was no rush.


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[theballguy]

In the Dan Patrick interview with AJ Dan asked AJ about this. AJ said he had full authority to change in and out of plays and he implied he did it all game.

AJ said pretty much any play.

 

[JIB]

That's just it. How do you prepare for that? The dude outran everybody in our secondary.

You will see that work for them all season long, unless someone has a 6'7" shutdown corner with track star speed.

He won't get 270 yards against LSU, that's for sure.

 

[bamadp]

For me, I didn't see it that way. With the way we were controlling the LOS on offense, I felt like we had them at arm's length from the time we took the lead until Yeldon's fumble.

Let's say Yeldon doesn't fumble and we get a TD on that drive. We're now up 21 with about 8 minutes to play. A&M may have scored again, but our defensive approach would probably a bit different with a 21 point lead and I'm betting we keep everything in front of us. In other words, no way they get a 95-yard strike like they did after the fumble. They may very well start pressing and turn it over. Even if they score again, if we can make them eat just a little bit (2-3 minutes?) of clock doing it, we get the ball back and quite possibly run the clock out with the way we were running it on them. Then again, if ifs and buts were candy and nuts.....

Exactly!!!

A lot of stories around the country (wishful thinking from some I suspect) insinuate a chink in Bama's D and that we were fortunate to escape Kyle Field with a win. The reality is TAMU was fortunate to escape with just a seven point loss...it could've and should've been a lot worse.

In the fourth we possessed the ball twice. The first time was an 8 play 70 yard 4 1/2 minute drive resulting in TJ's fumble at the two. The next was a 9 play 60 yard drive that took 5 1/2 minutes. We controlled the ball for 10 minutes of the quarter, and if TJ doesn't fumble but scores, we're up 21 and kicking off with 8+ minutes left. Sure they may have scored again, but their defense was like a sieve, they weren't gonna stop us.

If they don't make some changes and start playing better D, even great play by JM and their O won't be enough to make up for it. Right now their defense is well below average.

 

[B1GTide]

That's just it. How do you prepare for that? The dude outran everybody in our secondary.

You will see that work for them all season long, unless someone has a 6'7" shutdown corner with track star speed.

The way that Seattle played Anquan Boldin last night - rough him up at the LOS. That was Saban's strategy, but your bigger DBs failed (mentioned by Saban in the presser). Your DBs need to learn how to play physical at the LOS. They cannot let a guy like that run his routes on time. Disrupt him whenever/wherever you can.

 

[Go Bama]

He won't get 270 yards against LSU, that's for sure.

It probable, but far from certain. He had a great game.

I don't like LSU's chances against aTm at all. I've heard the argument about the bigger, more physical DB's LSU has, and I'm just not buying. When the QB scrambles like JM, someone is going to eventually get open and he has a good enough arm to hit his receiver. Or he just scampers up field for 30 yards. I don't think anyone can stop the aTm offense any better than we could.

 

[B1GTide]

It probable, but far from certain. He had a great game.

I don't like LSU's chances against aTm at all. I've heard the argument about the bigger, more physical DB's LSU has, and I'm just not buying. When the QB scrambles like JM, someone is going to eventually get open and he has a good enough arm to hit his receiver. Or he just scampers up field for 30 yards. I don't think anyone can stop the aTm offense any better than we could.

LSU will play him completely differently. They will take chances. They will blitz him and try to lay the wood. They will be more willing to give up big runs than long completions. In short, they will play aTm, and Manziel, very physically.

 

[JIB]

I don't think anyone can stop the aTm offense any better than we could.

I would wager that LSU will not give up 650 yards of offense and 42 points to TAMU when they play them this year.

 

[rolltideallday]

The way that Seattle played Anquan Boldin last night - rough him up at the LOS. That was Saban's strategy, but your bigger DBs failed (mentioned by Saban in the presser). Your DBs need to learn how to play physical at the LOS. They cannot let a guy like that run his routes on time. Disrupt him whenever/wherever you can.

And if I remember correctly Belue had the most success against him after getting a series against him under his belt. Once he got hurt Evans got a ton of yards again.

 

[Go Bama]

The way that Seattle played Anquan Boldin last night - rough him up at the LOS. That was Saban's strategy, but your bigger DBs failed (mentioned by Saban in the presser). Your DBs need to learn how to play physical at the LOS. They cannot let a guy like that run his routes on time. Disrupt him whenever/wherever you can.

I've only watched the game once, but I don't recall a lot of timing routes. IIRC, Evans was running down field when he received the ball. I don't recall him going over the middle a lot or out patterns. At any rate, when Bama was getting burned, he was way down field.

LSU will play him completely differently. They will take chances. They will blitz him and try to lay the wood. They will be more willing to give up big runs than long completions. In short, they will play aTm, and Manziel, very physically.

Is that what LSU did last year? I'm asking because I didn't see the game.

IMO, anyone who plays aTm is going to wind up playing sandlot ball. JM is not giving anyone any options. He reads defenses well and is a good situational player. What will LSU do after they get burned on a few blitzes or give up those long runs? My guess is they wind up playing defend the middle and minimize damage with one on one on the outside.