Crimson Red Sports

Some people have expressed that CNS got outcoached the other night.  I for one don’t believe it.   Let me put it this way, if the trick play had been thrown properly then it would have been a TD.  Also it was the perfect time to call it.  Did you see how wide open MW was?   I know the throw was not perfect, but how do we know the rec that Reid came off of did not run the route too deep?  If it had worked everyone would have been saying what a perfect call at the perfect time..  Also, did CNS throw the block in the back?  I can guarantee that player has be taught numerous times, not to make attempt that block in that situation.  As a coach I know the players don’t always do what is taught.  The D dominated LSU and the O was more effective than LSU.  The only thing is the kicking game was not executed.  Yes, you can second guess about punting, but if those FG’s had been made, then it again would have been a great decision.  I have to believe that CF has made kicks from that distance in practice or it would not have been an option.  CNS is my coach of choice and I don’t want anyone else.

Amen and Roll Tide!

I thought the trick play was a great call.  It was not executed properly, but it was a fantastic call.

I think we all need to let CNS know that... yes, we are all deeply disappointed at the final score of this game, but that there is NOBODY we'd rather have as our head football coach.

CNS can be here as far as I am concerned till he retires! RTR!

CNS is THE MAN! 

(I am surprised we have not heard the "dig 'im up" cries)  You old timers will remember that one.

:facepalm:

You know, there are always going to be THOSE fans who believe that if a team stumbles, the coach needs to be fired (yeah I read that yesterday somewhere). CNS can only teach so much - it HAS to be executed on the field. He does not control that at all. I admit, I questioned a few of his calls - but would I ever question his ability to have a National Championship team? NEVER! Do I think he's the best coach? absolutely! :)
The game is a memory now and we need to attack MSU like it's the championship.
I love the integrity and pride that CNS has been able to return to our state.
I am PROUD to be able to call CNS our Coach! :) (and Bro Ricky, I, too, hope he stays with us til retirement!)

I still think Saban is a great coach, but how can you say he didn't ge outcoached? The 3 FG attempts in the 1st qt were poor decisions. We should have punted and played for field position. And why did we call that trick play right then? Trent had just made his best run of the night to get the ball in scoring position. We had momentum. We should have given the ball back to Trent and pounded it. I have always heard that you don't take the ball out of your best player's hands. Well that's just what we did Saturday night. Whenever Trent finally broke a run we would try a trick play or a slow-developing play. I know that the plays were poorly executed, but still; we should have kept pounding away with Trent instead of putting the game in AJs hands or Marquis Maze's hands. I still love Saban, but those were some bad decisions Saturday night, and no amount of white-washing can change the facts.

I think CNS got outcoached in the LSU game. I liked the trick play but thought it came at the wrong time. Sure it was open but you can't count on a wide receiver to execute a perfect pass. And TR had just ripped off a couple of runs. I thought at that time Bama was starting to impose their will on the LSU D. I thought field position was key and Bama should have punted deep in the first half. I just don't see trying for long field goals without a good kicker. And it has been said before but our play calling just never seems to get into a good rhythm. As far as the players making the mistakes, absolutely they did. But the HC takes the blame and gets the credit when they make great plays.

Ali didn't win all his fights. Babe Ruth didn't always hit home runs. So CNS got outcoached in this one, I would still take him over any coach in the country and I'm betting he is already working to insure it doesn't happen again.

I don't think we were out coached......in overtime,we appeared mentally and physically exhausted

I agree.  I think when we decided not to go for that last drive in regulation we took the pressure off LSU and they got their second wind, while we mentally succumbed to the pressure of having to go to OT without a decent kicking game to rely on.

I don't want to take anything away from LSU or Coach Les Miles. They did what they had to do to win the game. But, there is no way Coach Saban was outcoached in that game. CNS put the team in a position to win the game. At some point players have to make plays. I felt during the game, after the game and after watching the replay that Alabama was the better team. I put this loss on the players, not CNS and staff.

When I saw this score I automatically blamed the REF's and anybody but the players. I love this coaching staff and players and they worked so hard I couldn't blame my beloved team but your right. Players have to make plays you have to hold on to the football and you have to take the ball away from  the other guy.
We have to many jaw jackers, it comes a time that talk is ignorant and it is time to knock their helmet off. i.e. win the game like men. RTR!

My two cents - anyone who follows Bama's program closely knows that FGs from 45+ yards we're likely going to be 1 of 3 on or maybe 1 of 4 on a normal day.  It would be an EXTREMELY good day for Cade to hit 2 of 3 from 45-52 yards.  I truly believe Coach Saban would have told you this himself before the game had he been questioned and wanted to give a full, honest answer.

Kicking field goals from the 35 yard line with an expected value (for you stats guys) of .75-1 point for each kick is doing your team a disservice, IMO.  Punt the ball inside the 15 (and hopefully the 10) and make LSU drive the field.  Likely we would've gotten the ball back around midfield with a fresh set of downs and opportunity for a better drive.  If not, keep LSU on their end of the field, which our defense could have done.

I was also pretty livid when we wasted the final 1:30.  That seemed a cowardly move.  Maybe some saw it as smart, but I hate the "playing not to lose" mentality, especially when we were so beat up and our FG kicking was poor.  OT did not make much sense if we could possibly avoid it.  Be aggressive, take control.

I wouldn't trade Saban for any other coach in America, but IMO Saturday was a poor performance for him and the staff.  He's human; it's bound to happen.  I certainly have my share of bad days.

In addition, I'm not sure I'd say that Saban was "outcoached" because I really don't think Miles did anything except let his players play.  The best their offense ever manage was mediocrity, and that was only for brief spurts.  He made no real pivotal decisions that I saw.

I say he didn't get outcoached because nothing Miles did was a true turning point in the game.  The Bama players made mistakes, key mistakes.  I still think it was the right time to call the trick play because I bet all of LSU was expecting TR to get the ball again.  Maybe it should have just been a playaction pass.  If the play had worked would it still have been a bad decision?

^^^ Same with the FGs. While I learned Bama football watching Coach Bryant punting for field position, if those FGs had been made we would never have heard a peep from anyone.

Also CLM made his own mistakes.  But since they won the game, nobody talks about them.  Putting Jarret Lee back in the game to throw another interception is one obvious mistake that comes to mind.  They were moving the ball fairly well with JJ right before the half for the first time all night, yet he decided to put Lee back in there.  Had one of those interceptions been a pick 6, then nobody would be talking about the Bama woulda, coulda, shoulda points and instead would be talking about why in the world did CLM put Lee back in the game.  And one of them almost was a pick 6.

There is nothing wrong with looking back at a loss and trying to think about how things could have been done differently.  The coaching staff does it every week, win or lose.  I think that is all we have really done here on this forum.  I have questioned some of the decisions, but I will be the first to admit that I am just a die hard fan that knows nothing about how to win at that level.  In the end I guess both the players and the coaches probably made some mistakes along the way.

And when I say players I'm not just talking about the FG kickers.  The FG that was blocked was on a 4th and 17 from the 32 yard line.  Why were we in 4th and 17 from the 32 when we just had a 1st and 10 from the 25?  That had nothing to do with the FG kicker.  If we had at least kept the ball at the 25 then that FG would be a little easier, maybe within Shelley's range so that he didn't have to try to kick low and line drive the ball.  The defense also had a busted coverage that led to one of their FG's.  Had it not been for that play we probably would have won 6-3.

The bottom line:  Take a look at what Coach Bryant said about this in my signature below.

Coach Bryant always took the blame for his losses and credited the players for the wins. And he had a pretty good run at Bama if my memory serves me right.

As a coach you should take the blame for a loss and give credit to the players for a win. Fans are different. We call it as we see it. CNS put the players in a position to win the game. A block in the back, a missed FG, a dropped pass that turns into an interception is not coaching. The breaks did not go our way. CNS was not outcoached IMO.

I can tell you that works pretty good in little league too.  :D

If you've been listening to Coach Saban this week (or for the last 5 years) his coaching has been all about execution.  Doing the little things right leads to the big things going right.  The penalties, misalignments, and turnovers were the result of little things not being properly executed.  The players were properly coached.  Unfortunately, they didn't execute.  And Coach Saban took responsibility.

Focus and go BEAT THE BULLDOGS!  ROLL TIDE!!!

^^^ Finally. I was wondering if we were going to make it until Thursday without mentioning Mississippi State. Istephen is a little more disciplined than the rest of us. RTR

I already predicted the score against MSU.  What more do you want?  :dunno:

It seems we/Bama cant get over the hump in some games, I'm one for ride the horse that got you there.JMO.