Crimson Red Sports

First, let me send congrats to the Bama players and coaches on a record setting performance for the 14th National Championship for the University of Alabama.  It was a great game plan for both the offense and defense.

Offense:  The coaches put together a great game plan and it was executed by the players.  Players stepped up for those who were injured players and Bama did not miss a beat.  

1.    I had AJ throwing 20 times on first down and completed 13.  This was huge for the success of the team.
2.    Center WV had an outstanding game.
3.   Bama had 7 negative plays on offense however they were not huge losses.
4.   The OL provide very good pass protection.
5.   Bama finally threw the flag route, something I have wanted and mentioned all year.
6.   I would have love to have seen a screen pass down near the goal line early on 2nd or 3rd and goal.  
7.   The score could have been worse if there had not been the two overthrows and the drop by BG near the goal line.  
8.   Bama’s offense controlled the ball which enabled the D to sit on the sideline and stay fresh.

QB:  I consider this the best game AJ has played.  He made very good decisions.  I will say he was helped out by a few outstanding catches by his rec.  His decision making did not hurt Bama.  One thing I want to point out especially.  It was 3rd down and AJ had to scramble.  Bama was looking to throw a wide rec screen it appeared.  AJ got pressure and scrambled and got what he could.  He didn’t throw the ball which was important because there were linemen down field.  I also think he showed more leadership in this game.

RB:  Both running backs ran hard.  Both hit the holes extremely hard, especially TR.  Also, I did notice the flair the back out once, something else I have mentioned before.  There was at least once TM came off of the edge and TR picked him up so he was NO factor.  

REC:  The rec had a good game.  KN showcased the type of talent he could be.  A couple of those catches were not easy.  Also, it looked to me like he just glides when he runs and when TM was trying to cover him he was have to really push himself.  BS made big catches and runs after the catch as did many others.  Also, I did see them blocking downfield a little more.   I hate that MM got hurt, but he has been a true leader all year.

OL:  Too me he was the biggest difference.  The OL sustained their blocks longer and did a very good job on the combo block.  There were only a few of complaints that I have. First, I could be wrong, but it looked like the pulling linemen were a little hesitant at times instead of taking their path and getting up in the hole.  Second, on the first drive Bama missed picking up a stunt and forced AJ to get rid of the ball early. Third, the RG and RT miscommunicated and allowed the D lineman to come in untouched.  I stated above, WV had an outstanding game and most of the mistakes were minimal.    

Defense:  This, in my opinion, is the best defense Bama has ever had.  I say this because of how offensive football has progressed.  They totally dominated LSU and I have to say JJ looked scared from the start.  I want to give you my perspective on how dominant this game was.  First, I don’t really know how many tackle the safeties got credit for, but I only counted a couple and one was when MB was up around the LOS.  Another was when RL got the rec and took him out of bounds.  The front 7 along with the corners dominated this game.  Not only did they hit them, and I was watching on TV, but it looked as if they were bringing the wood every time.
  
1.    I have Bama creating 10 negative plays which include a fumble and an interception.  Three in the first half and 7 in the second half.
2.   The option was good for -2 yard if my stats are correct.
3.   Total domination, is the best I can say.
4.   They played great assignment football.

DL:    They all played well.  They beat the OL of LSU.  Each player was in on numerous plays or was controlling the LOS where the LB’s could run and make plays.  

LB:   Again like the first game, I thought JH had a very good game.  Of course so did all the other backers.  TD came in and did a very good job after CJ got hurt.

DB:  The corners played very well.  They kept their leverage and did not allow a wide rec screen or the option to get outside.  This is huge because it allows the inside pursuit to get to the ball.

Penalties:  1 for 5 in the fourth quarter, this is focus.

Special teams:  What was supposed to be the weakness of the Bama team, help win this game.  First, the kick off cover team did a great job.  It looked like the cover team I saw at the beginning of the year.  There was no return past the 28 yard line.  
CJ did a great job filling in for MM.  I think he could be special in the future.
 
Finally, I would like to thank all the players, especially for those who will not be back next year,  and coaches.  You have done an outstanding job and have made us Bama fans proud.  You seniors have set the standard high for those new and returning players.  Congrats for National Championship number 14 and looking forward to the next one.   I wish you continued success and God Bless

Please feel free to comment.

Good Luck and Roll Tide Roll  
14 and counting

:clap:

Great notes coach.  You are right about the kickoff cover team, I had forgotten about how well they played at the beginning of the year.

If AJ stays healthy, I believe he will hold most of the QB records by the time he leaves.  He is going to be a good one I do believe.  There is no doubt he has the skills, but he grew up on Monday and has taken over this team.  I especially loved seeing him in Trent's ear on the sideline.  I can only imagine he was getting him fired up for the TD that happened not long after that.

What a great game!

very good Coach , I can't help but agree with your great assessment ...
the lsu folks have been on miles the last couple of days about yanking JJ putting JL in ...
I believe the way miles put it was "I didn't want to get him killed"   :clap: 

our D was awesome and our O weren't to bad either !  ROLL TIDE !

Great observations, Coach. You are right, we all watched it. Probably the greatest defensive performance ever from a Bama team, especially in a game of this magnitude. I still can't believe what I saw. This was a very special year!

Great notes coach. I can't wait for the your A day notes! :clap:

Great job all year Hscoach. I too think I saw the best defense in Bama history and not underrate the 2009 team. A shutout in the NCG, that is big time good. RTR!

Thanks, Coach, for the insight every week, and especially for bringing it home with this thread.  Roll Tide.

What's your pick for the spring game?  :P

Coach,

Thanks again for an excellent review of the game.   I have enjoyed these all season and have shared with other members of my family that aren't much interested in hitting forums...they have enjoyed as well !!!

One thing I thought that was awesome in the game was how the D stretched out the option plays and never really attacked it.  Instead they just kept pursuing Jefferson making him move more toward the sideline.  When the play got stretched out, JJ couldn't toss to the RB, no room...and the DBs had converged on the play.  The D stuffed that all night long !!!   Excellent game plan on that !!!

Also, thanks to all the players, coaches and other members of the staff that made this a truly unforgettable season !!!

Looking forward to next season !!!   Roll Tide !!!!

Very nice, I too get a kick out of the people saying he should have put Lee in the game.  If Jefferson was being pressured almost every play by the front 4, all Lee would have done is not move and get killed.  Jefferson did complete the passes he could, they just didn't have the opportunities due to the fact they simply couldn't get the running game started at all.

Great remarks, Coach. Thanks for your hard work all season breaking down each game. I really learned a lot.

It occurs to me that after watching this game, a number of media compared our defense to an NFL caliber defense. As good as they have been all season, I was reluctant to really believe that. However, after watching the BCS game, I now believe that this defense could compete effectively in the NFL with some teams.

This is such a special group.

Amazing analysis as always, coach. I have gotten used to seeing these notes since September and I don't know what I am going to do for the next eight months without them. Maybe come on once a month and put some notes up on a faux game, just to keep all of us happy?  :D

Somewhere around 2 minutes left in the 1st half, BATR started running at about 5 yds. a clip. This continued after the start of the second half. Their adjustments at halftime did not work. It wasn't too much after that, maybe halfway in the 3rd, that LSU quit.

Thank you HSCoach!

Roll Tide  

I agree AJ can be very good.  Maybe that one little butt tap by Saban help straighten out this head.  One of his best throws was the one BG dropped near the goal line.

You are correct the LB/DE did a great job stretching out the option and the corners did a good job keeping them inside. 

Miles' reasoning was that JJ could do something with his feet.  But he didn't, looked shaky and nervous from the first snap, and missed some open receivers.  I can't think Lee would have done any worse.  Maybe not any better, given the awesome defensive play, but JJ was done and it might have given them a spark.  Either way, Bama wins.

Thanks HSC. We have enjoyed your notes all year long.

The offense played great against a very good LSU defense. AJ looked very confident from the first play and I think the rest of the offense feed off that.

The defense whipped LSU all night. Jefferson had a look on his face that I have not seen in a big game since Miami's Vinny Testaverde in 92. Most of the night we were getting pressure with only 4 rushers which allows the LB to run free and make plays. The whole LSU offensive scheme appeared to be option runs and wide receiver screens. We played the option to perfection. The LB not only made JJ pitch the ball but the same LB normally made the tackle. Dre and Menzie played great on the WR screens. They not only held the edge they made the tackle or turned the play inside. The safety's could have stayed on the bench no more than they were needed.

Kick-off and punt coverage was excellant. We had two good punt returns and a 15 yard penalty. We had 66 punt return yards. LSU had only 6 return yards all year. Shelly looked much improved on the long field goals. I am sure he has worked hard but it is easier to kick in the dome and on fake grass. But 5 field goals is pretty good under any curcumstances.

Great game plan by the coaching staff. McElwain saved his best for his last game. You could tell our entire team was focused, prepared and ready to play.

Did you see AJ and CNS in the press conference after the game?  They talked about that moment.  They were great together.

I did see that and thought they did a great job.

I watched the interview and they both did a good job. I wish AJ would say our OL, our receivers rather than my OL and my receivers but ithat is getting picky.

The butt slap was in the Georgia State game last year when AJ replaced GMAC late in the game. In the press conference they laughed about CNS getting on AJ for getting too excited in this years Florida game.

Right, I forgot about the one from last year.

Thanks hscoach! Great  insight.

 :tinfoil:

Thanks, hsc, for all your insights this season.  I look forward to your game notes next season!  ROLL TIDE!!!!   :clap: #+

Coach,
Excellent Notes! A few of your quotes from this season are in my scrapbook.I was going to post a funny picture to thank you, but I did my normal when I started cropping and pushing buttons. :-[

Too all, I am glad you enjoy the notes.  It is fun for me to do and it enables me to talk Bama football with a lot of Bama fans.    I do wonder this, do the notes make you watch the game a little differently?

Simple answer is yes. I am a fan and not a coach so I am going to be bias with my favorites. When I read your notes I do not see you pushing favorite players. So in return I am willing to listen to you and learn something.

it sure makes me re-watch it more closely , without the , you know , clutter 
thanks for all you do for so many , awesome thing you do for everyone Coach !

Same here. I record all the games and watch the replay after your notes. I spend that time going "Son of a gun, he was right!". Drives Wifey crazy.

:lol:

I have learned a lot from your notes.  It helps me to see things in the next game that I may have overlooked before.  For example, in this game, I picked up on the fact that we were generally getting our tails handed to us when we tried to run to the right on 3rd and short, typically getting hit behind the line of scrimmage.  I kept telling everyone here that if we are going to run the ball on an obvious run down, at least run it to the left where our OL is better.  Then later on, guess which side we ran to when Trent scored the TD.  I felt pretty good about that.

I didn't track it, but it would be very interesting to see how many yards we got going to the right, up the middle, and to the left.  I would bet there is a huge difference on runs to the left.  Before I started reading your notes, I probably would not have noticed details like that.  In my mind I would have lumped all the runs together.

I have a much better eye for details now, even to the point were I look at the formations and notice when there aren't enough guys on the line of scrimmage.  A lot of times I tell everybody watching with me what the penalty is going to be before they even throw the flag.

Yes.  You are a great teacher!

I've enjoyed your analysis and input of the games all season and I'm looking forward to more of the same next season. Roll Tide!!!  :clap:

You got me thinking and I watched the O again.  It looked like many of the successful runs started between the guards and the running back would break it to one side or the other.  I do think when they broke to the left they had more success.  I left this out of the first note, but I did comment on how well WV played, but if you watch again, in the 2nd quarter at about 5:51 watch the great block WV makes that allows EL to gain big yardage.  I also noticed that when AJ overthrew BS he also had an open BG deep in the middle of the field.

I mentioned the great play of the front seven in the first notes which means the safeties didn't make many tackles.  RL had 1 solo and 2 assist while MB had 1 solo and 1 assist. 

I've screamed Turn Left so many times my wife thought I was watching nascar

 :lol:

:lol:
I finally got to watch some of the game on tv...a guy had made a 27 minute youtube "highlights" montage.  Brent Musberger was talking some serious TM7 smack.  He said "the honey badger better care about that...that's 26 yards!".  He also said "the honey badger fears no man but he better fear THE TIDE!".  Makes me think the rumors about BM and Les having a tense, unfriendly relationship are true.  DANG...seemed almost unprofessional.  I expect blatant favoritism from Eli Gold...he is the voice of the tide...not from a national pundit.  Maybe there is honey badger backlash from other people being sick of hearing about him, too. 

BTW, my sister says honey badger's daddy is on death row for murder.  Now I will not hold that against him...he can't help it.  What I will complain about is that I have JUST now heard about it but meanwhile Mark Ingram couldn't make a play without his jailbird daddy being brought up (and his daddy didn't kill anybody!).  I always felt they should have let Mark Ingram's behavior speak for itself instead of bringing up his dad's mistakes.  Wish they would have been as discreet w/ Mark's family issues as they have been with TM7. 

Somehow, I missed this thread when it first got posted.  Thanks for your work all year on posting the game notes, hsc.  I enjoy those threads every week.  You offer a great insight on our team's performance.  Your notes are always a good read.

here are some game notes from a guy in NOLA

Jim Kleinpeter, a writer for The Times Picayune  
I have lit Jim up a few times in the past few weeks on his blog , (for BAMA BASHING) ,
so to say his latest article title is a surprise to me would be understatement at the least .

or maybe I rubbed off on him with my sharp witty comebacks to his garbage lsu stories ?
Naw , it was our Crimson Tide that made him see the light, but I can dream I played a part in it ...    


his game notes .... (not as good as our High School Coaches) ... titled ...
LSU film study: Tigers outcoached, outplayed, out quarterbacked  

http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2012/01/lsu_film_study_tigers_outcoach.html
if you laugh , get a crap , or bruise a rib ? blame Jim not me ...

staying away from the playmakers Tyrann Mathieu

I think I remember at least 3 completitions over the honey bonger.  What game was this guy watching?

now you see why I lit him up ... but the title alone I'll consider a victory of sorts , ever
how small of one it may be ... these people are reminding me of the Village on the Plains
more and more everyday ....   

I'll take the HSC version of what happened before the Kleinpeter interpretation.

Kleinpeter:

Biggest defensive play for Tigers was the tipped (by Norwood) ball they almost picked off.

Reason for big Maze return: gunner blocked OOB by Menzie.

Kleinpeter calls for passing. I guess he figures the .76 seconds of time was plenty for JJ OR JL to enjoy a leisurely drop back and go through his receivers progression, and get a adequate pass off. "Hey son, make sure you step into that pass!"

The officiating: I would have gone with holding since it is subjective, but this dumbazz chose the faircatch play where there is actual video evidence that the correct call was made.

About JJ: Kleinpeter must think JJ should have dropped to his knees begging not to go back in or simply refused.

Anyway. This is one more article of one sentence of "the Tide deserves the credit but..." Then the whole argument boils down to coaching, officials, and bad luck. Give the Tide its due! They flattened your team twice in the same season!

Also in the two games TR alone almost have as many yards as LSU did in the combined game.  He outgained LSU in the second game by himself.

Always enjoy your takes on the games, Coach. When you get a chance, would you give an outlook on the 2012 roster and season?

LSU says he was held in check if you throw out his 2 big runs. LOL.  LSU was "held in check" if you throw out their 2 FGs in game 1.

:lol:

They almost won the second game too, if they could have just kept us from scoring and kicked just one little ol' FG.

The only thing that held them in check was the overthrows to BS a DH, along with the drop by BG.