Alabama Crimson Tide

[AlabamAlum]

Saban can control NFL players as much as any NFL head coach can.

[T Dot O Dot]

I thought Pete Carrol was a pro coach first, then he went to college & came back to the pros with Seattle

[Jungle Rat]

Saban can control NFL players as much as any NFL head coach can.

No he can't. That's why he left Miami. He couldn't intimidate. That's his way.

[GBJs]

I wouldn't so much call it intimidation... he has a mind set of how the player will play as far as effort and discipline. In college they either give the effort and display the discipline or they don't play. In the pro ranks, you can't just sit you starting left tackle.

But if intimidation is what you want to call it, Hey! I'll take two outta three and a real strong chance at three outta four.

[AugustWest]

Saban to San Diego!!!

Nope Rivers will end up playing for Jim Zorn.

[KeviNole]

I thought Pete Carrol was a pro coach first, then he went to college & came back to the pros with Seattle

He was, but he wasn't particularly successful in New England or New York. It wasn't until USC that he had any real taste of success.

[AlabamAlum]

Saban can control NFL players as much as any NFL head coach can.

No he can't. That's why he left Miami. He couldn't intimidate. That's his way.

No.

(1) That's not why he left Miami.

(2) If he wanted to intimidate, he could as much as anyone. I remember him making the big Miami O-lineman cry like a baby.

(3) intimidation does not win ball games on its own. If it did, you could hire any number of USMC drill instructors and have them be a head coach. Saban wins because he has adapted. His offenses have gone from a veer to a power I to a two-back pro-set to a single or empty set. His D has gone from a 5-2 to a 3-3-5 to a 4-3 to a 3-4. He adapts easily and out works everyone around him.

[Professor Tiger]

Whatever he's doing, it's working extremely well, at least at the college level.

I think he succeeds because he recruits a lot of highly talented players, then gets them to buy into his "process", then his assistants coach them to execute near perfection.

By contrast, Tubby could coach, but he couldn't recruit. Chizik, Richt and Fulmer can recruit, but they can't coach. Especially Chizik.

[hedge]

Great players make coaches look good...

[10ac]

Correctomundo! See Phat Phil. But it's up to the coach to get those great players.

[GBJs]

I don't buy the "Chizik can't coach" speak... his AU defense '04 was good enough to win a championship, his '05 Texas defense did win a championship, and AU won it in '10 under Chiz. He can definitely recruit, or at least Troopa and Loopa can, but what is the charachter of the team they've brought in and how do they develop those kids into men AND players?

Perhaps Chizik is a good / great coordinator but has no business as a head ball coach. Those do exist. And I surely didn't see AU one game away from perfect right now. But I think AU should give Chiz at least as long as T gave Fulmer to straighten the mess out. He is after all just two years removed from a national championship. The first one since 1957. That's gotta count for something....

[GBJs]

(3) intimidation does not win ball games on its own. If it did, you could hire any number of USMC drill instructors and have them be a head coach.

I would pay money to watch 4 Marine Corp DIs turned loose on the top 100 high school players during 2 weeks of the summer before they entered college. Nothing they can't do to the men and women who enlist. I'd bet the same money 99% of them would come away more ready for the rigors of college football practice, would be better leaders, and eventually better men.

Plus it would be funny .

[Jungle Rat]

Maybe at 16 all kids need a year off of school for a year of boot camp and training.

[Professor Tiger]

The difference between Chizik and Fulmer and Richt is, Fulmer and Richt routinely win 9-10 games a season on their talent alone. Their battalion of 4 and 5 star players automatically blow through the Ole Miss's and Vandy's and GA Southern's on their schedules. They get into trouble when they run into the Bama's and LSU's and Florida's, who have talent equal to theirs. Then coaching becomes the difference maker. When that happens, Fulmer and Richt teams fold up like lawn chairs.

By contrast, after three years of stockpiling top notch talent, Chizik can't even beat the Ole Miss's and the Vandy's on his schedule. That's why he is done at Auburn by season's end.

[crashcourse]

if you had to pick the game today who would it be and why

bama notredame

bama oregon

bama kstate

my choice is obvious. saban vs snyder with both a month to prepare would be epic. we'd lose by 10 plus but i bet it would be close and even surprising for 3 quarters

okiestate/LSU/USC all might make the discussion moot anyway

[AlabamAlum]

Bama-ND.

We have some scores to settle with the Irish from long ago.

[10ac]

As bad as I would hate to see ND even considered for the NC game, it would be worth it if they got the beat-down they deserve. I remember watching a game years ago when ND was getting rolled and Ara was doing the color. He was crying about the other team running up the score. Like ND isn't the champ of score running up.

[Professor Tiger]

Bama-ND.

We have some scores to settle with the Irish from long ago.

[youtube]Tyx0K4WrElo[/youtube]

[GBJs]

Bama-ND.

We have some scores to settle with the Irish from long ago.

Agreed but... I pick Bama v K-State. Why you ask?

If you were alive and pulling for Alabama football on Dec 31, 1973...

Fuck ND. Fuck their golden dome. Fuck thier stadium. Fuck their field. Fuck their helmets. Fuck their four leaf clover. Fuck their helmets when they put the four leaf clover on the side of it. Fuck thier blue or green home jersey. Fuck their piss ant leper mascot. Fuck ND ever having anything good happen to them again. They cannot suffer enough and the only good that could come from them making it to the MNC game is the opportunity to get ran over rough shod. I am an Alabama fan and I pull for Tennessee when they play ND. I pull for AUBURN when they play ND.

Fuck ND.

[GBJs]

The difference between Chizik and Fulmer and Richt is, Fulmer and Richt routinely win 9-10 games a season on their talent alone. Their battalion of 4 and 5 star players automatically blow through the Ole Miss's and Vandy's and GA Southern's on their schedules. They get into trouble when they run into the Bama's and LSU's and Florida's, who have talent equal to theirs. Then coaching becomes the difference maker. When that happens, Fulmer and Richt teams fold up like lawn chairs.

By contrast, after three years of stockpiling top notch talent, Chizik can't even beat the Ole Miss's and the Vandy's on his schedule. That's why he is done at Auburn by season's end.

Fold up? I haven't forgotten 28-27. BTW, I don't think Alabama's players have either.

Chizik deserves 4 more years to straighten the mess up more than Obama does.