importantbrian

Well, Saban has forgotten more about football than I will ever know, and everyone thought the Kiffin hire was crazy, but that worked out. That said with the way the Pats use their tight ends I wish OJ had a few more years of eligibility. I would also have liked to see someone who had experience as a QB coach and had a proven track record for developing QBs given how young our QB group is. I think the fear about "regressing" to a pro-style is a bit overblown. I think people only think of the spread in terms of spread option style attacks, but there are at least 4 types of spread air raid, spread option, smashmouth spread, and pro-style spread. The Pats run the pro-style spread to great effect, and it's not exactly like Kiffin was a spread option guy when he came to Alabama, and it's not like Alabama didn't incorporate a lot of pro-style concepts into the spread that they ran. I think they will utilize the talent they have in the best way they can.

So we're bringing in the Pats TE coach as OC just in time to lose OJ?

I think this is a bit of a myth. Alabama under Saban has actually had more coaching stability than most other programs. Kirby was with him 10+ years, Burnes 10+, Cochran 10+. Pruitt was at Bama, left for a promotion, and then came back. Heck, even Kiffin managed to make it three years. There are many more examples of assistants staying for the long term. He certainly demands a lot of his staff some guys flourish under that some don't, but the idea that no one wants to work for Saban is just not true.

I think part of the problem is that the kids down here in South Florida start out with a national focus recruiting wise. I'm not sure being the home state team really gives you much of an advantage. The way social media and the big 5 TV contracts are now they see Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, etc. as much or more than they do Florida. I think school location is becoming a smaller and smaller deal in recruiting with each passing year. The good recruiters can pretty much succeed at any school willing to spend the money.

It would be kinda fun to add a little fuel to the rivalry and have both teams competing for the same guy, but I don't really get the impression that will be the case. LSU wants to make a splashy hire, and they probably need to from a fan base / recruiting perspective. Alabama is pretty happy with their offense at the moment and would probably go with stability rather than bringing in a guy who is going to totally change the playbook and the way things are done. This makes sense given the reports that Saban wants to promote from within. LSU and Bama are two programs, in two very different positions, with very different needs. I doubt the get in a bidding war with each other over a new OC.

Wayner315, I stand by that, if only because of his health. Rember the 2 titles came in the first two years of the last 5 '78 and '79. From 71-79 Bama averaged 10.8 wins per season and won the SEC 8 times, and the national title 3 times. After the stroke in 1980 His teams won 10 games then 9 games then 8 games. His final year Bama lost 4 games in a season for the first time in 13 years, lost to LSU, UT, and Auburn. His health was so bad that he died less than a month after retiring. He even said himself that the reason he was retiring was that the team deserved better coaching and he wasn't healthy enough to give it. Yes, we tied Georgia for the SEC title in '81, but with a 9-2-1 record we go kinda lucky to be able to do that. It was clear the team was getting worse each year after the stroke. He probably should have stepped down in '80 after the stroke.

Wayner315, Didn't realize that their relationship is that bad. I thought he chose Bama because of the relationship he built with Saban and not anything negative to do with anyone else. If that's true, then by all means let's not hire Helfrich.

They actually crushed GA that year, 45-19. So, in the two games I know of Kiffin having coached against Richt, Kiffin's offenses have put up a combined 83 points. FAU is an attractive stepping stone. It's right on the north end of the South Florida recruiting corridor. Win a couple a CUSA title or two and he may finally get another shot at a Power 5 job.

My thoughts exactly, Barners. Although, we will probably take a slight dip in total defense ourselves even with all the talent. It's hard to not get worn down and give up some yards when your offense scores that fast.t.

I could see him being like Bryant, Bowden, Paterno, etc. and hanging on too long, but yeah these last few classes have been so loaded you gotta think he at least sticks it out for the next 5.

Yeah, no one really thinks otherwise, but hiring Helfrich could lock it. Marcus Mariota is one of Tua's mentors after all.

Let's hurry up and hire Mark Helfrich before LSU does. As much as I hate the spread, can you imagine what a true spread guy like him could do with Jalen and then Tua in a few seasons?

We have season tickets, so over the years I have gotten to experience all the opposing fan bases in the SEC, and LSU fans are by far the worst. I'd like to say it's just because of the rivalry and that they are perfectly respectable at Miss St games or other teams that aren't as big a rival, but they were like this before Saban when they had a five game win streak against us.

This kind of thing goes on at every school with a big time football or basketball program that I have ever been around. The most unrealistic part of the skit is that no student in the real world would challenge it.

I don't really understand the no one stays with Saban long myth. Kirby was with him 10+ years, Cochran has been there 10+ years even turned down the chance to go with his good buddy Kirby to stay with Saban. Burns has also been with him over ten years. Pruit was there for four left for a promotion and is back now. He's actually got a longer average tenure for assistants than most coaches at major programs.

He's already the highest paid coordinator in the country, and Alabama can more than match whatever LSU is willing to pay him. Assuming Alabama wants to keep him that badly. He already gets $1.4 million from Alabama, and LSU made Aranda the highest paid assistant at $1.8 million. How much higher are they willing to go for Kiffin? They can't go much past $1.8 without risking alienating Aranda, and they are only paying Coach O $3.5 so you start to get to close to that number and you start to have to worry about what the power dynamic will end up being like. Alabama could easily give him a $400-500k raise to match or beat LSU and keep him around. As for being friends working with your friend and working for your friend are two very different things. Especially when you were that guy's boss at one point. It could end spectacularly badly for LSU.

I never did understand the Kiffin to LSU rumors. Leaving for a head coaching position makes sense. Making a lateral move to work for a guy who the last time you worked together you were his boss makes no sense.

No reason not to take all your official visits.

As great as this Alabama team has been so far, there is way to much football to be played to start this conversation. Even if we win out I'd be hard pressed, as an Alabama fan, to not still give the edge to that 2001 Miami team. I'm not sure we will ever see another team stacked with the number of future NFL all-pros and hall of farmers as that team had.

I don't understand everyone freaking out about Bama only putting up ten points. They covered the spread which was -7. Would it have been a more impressive win if it had been 24-14 instead?

They also don't know much about football outside of what happens out there on the plains. LSU has 3 wins against Nick Saban's Alabama. The exact same number as Auburn. After Bama beats them this year Saban will be 8-3 vs LSU and 7-3 vs Auburn. Not sure that gives the barners any room to boast.

Why? It's tradition both teams have been doing it for as long as I can remember. I guess UT fans have forgotten since it's been so long since they've gotten to partake?

It's really only an issue at QB since only one can play. Most other positions if you are good enough you can see the field even as an underclassman. Especially on defense where the DLine rotates like a hockey line to keep guys fresh against these HUNH teams. When Blake committed the only QBs on the Depth chart were Coker, Bateman, Morris and Cornwell. No reason to think he shouldn't be able to start early in his career with that group. There is no way he could have anticipated Hurts coming in.

Agreed. I hope he is able to be successful wherever he goes.

I figured he would transfer at this point, and I don't blame him for not wanting to sit behind Hurts for 3 years, but to not even make it through the season?

Why would any championship caliber coach in a stable program leave to take over for a program that just fired a guy who won 77% of his games a national and 2 SEC titles. Just look to UT, Texas, or Georgia for examples of what that coaching search will be. LSU will end up with a Lane Kiffin, Charlie Strong, or Kirby Smart level guy.

As a Bama fan. I'm going to really miss Les. I much prefer his smash mouth style to the HUNH offenses that are dominating right now. The LSU v Alabama game has been my favorite game of the year for the better part of a decade. Of course the atmosphere of rivalry games like Auburn and UT is great but the LSU game was where the big boys game to play football. That said. As much as I prefer his style, the reality of the modern game is that even with consistently dominant defenses you're going to have a couple track meet games every year and you've gotta be able to keep up. Even Alabama is starting to put in HUNH concepts now. If he's not willing to evolve his offensive philosophy I'm not sure where he's going to be able to go and not have the same issues that got him run out of Baton Rouge.

Who said this D is the best? We won't see another D as good as the 2011 team for decades.

I didn't think the secondary played badly at all outside of the busted coverage. Almost every big play Ole Miss had was against very good single or double coverage. Kelly just through some great balls and his receivers made plays. Some of thoe were defended perfectly there wasn't anything the DBs could have done better and ole miss still made the play. Gotta give them a lot of credit.

You might wanna rewatch the tape. That wasn't a team playing vanilla offense as an intentional strategy. That was a team playing vanilla offense because they couldn't do anything else. At the end of the game UT got very lucky on a couple of plays and their superior talent allowed them to make a couple plays. They can't rely on that against good teams. Especially an Alabama team that is more talented than UT.