Bama's Players and Media,...

It appears that some sportswriters and Bama players have already decided the outcome of Saturday's game. I\"ve c&p'd the article and will allow everyone to read and comment on their own accord. It's interesting stuff, the kind of stuff that makes for GREAT inspiration.....

SEC football undergoing some dramatic changes

Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Huntsville Times

In college football, as in life, isn't it remarkable how things can change so dramatically so quickly?

Consider, for example, life in the SEC.

Remember when Les Miles, Nick Saban's successor at LSU, was widely dismissed as a buffoon and a goofball? Critics were saying, \"Wait about three years until he's playing his own recruits instead of Saban's. Then we'll see what kind of coach he is.''

Don't look now, but it's the third year and Miles is playing many of his own recruits and his record is 24-4 and he has the second best team in the country, or maybe the best, and now they're saying the buffoon and goofball may be the next coach at Michigan, the nation's winningest football program.

Remember nine months ago when Nick Saban said he wasn't coming to Alabama?

Remember a few weeks ago when the experts were saying it'd take Saban a year or two to settle in and overcome the recruiting shortfalls and the wild mood swings of the erratic Mike Shula era?

Three games into the season, Saban - playing almost entirely with Saban's recruits - appears likely to be 8-0 heading in the LSU game the first weekend in November.

Remember a year or so ago when everybody was writing Rich Brooks' professional obituary at Kentucky?

Reports of the veteran Brooks' demise, it seems, were greatly exaggerated. Hammered by the NCAA at the same time as Alabama five years ago,

Kentucky won eight games last season and is 3-0 so far this year after shocking Louisville last Saturday.


SABAN, TIDE NOT SATISFIED

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Saban is the school's first coach since Ray Perkins in 1983 to win his first three games. The Tide is in the top 25 for the first time in nearly two years. ESPN College GameDay selected Saturday's Georgia game for its weekly visit, meaning an additional spotlight on a game Alabama is already being favored to win.

Defensive end Wallace Gilberry went so far as to jokingly say about Bulldogs quarterback Matthew Stafford, \"After the game Saturday, I can tell you anything you want to know -- his birthday, his telephone number, his home address. I've got to know where to send the flowers after the game.\"

The Tide got an early dose of reality at Monday's weekly 7 a.m. film study that felt like longer than the 90 minutes. Only class schedules kept the meetings from growing longer.

\"It didn't sound like we won,\" cornerback Simeon Castille said.

Predictably, Saban reportedly didn't spend much time in the offensive meeting. But he made sure defensive players knew that allowing 38 points, 450 offensive yards and 301 rushing yards is not advisable, even if Heisman Trophy candidate Darren McFadden is in the other huddle.

Many times, Alabama's defense didn't line up correctly against Arkansas' formations, according to Saban.

\"We have a lot of teaching to do,\" said Saban, who added, \"Arkansas hurt us worse with regular, most basic things. We adjusted to all the crazy stuff pretty well -- No. 5 (McFadden) at quarterback, whatever it was -- but when they just got in regular formation and No. 5 was playing tailback and they ran it downhill on us, we didn't execute very well.\"

Saban has thrown the word \"coasting,\" at his team, as in, if one starts coasting, he's going downhill. Now isn't the time to pat each other on the back.

More than ever, players now hang on every word.

\"Everyone loves a winner,\" linebacker Darren Mustin said. \"Of course, you're going to listen more to a winner. Of course, you're going to listen more if the philosophy is working. So far, it's working, but we've got to continue. We can't get satisfied.\"

\"Just because we won on a last-second drive,\" quarterback John Parker Wilson said, \"we're not invincible.\"


It ain't Pat Dye, but its DAMN close!!!!!!!!!!!!

GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Invincible??? Good one, John Parker. I don't think anyone's confused 'bama with an invincible team yet. But this whole article's good. I'm guessing it's already found it's way to the UGA bulletin board, especially Gilberry's inane statement. We were the media's red-headed stepchildren against OSU, as well as auburn and GT and VT last year and responded well, and I'll expect, and accept, nothing less Saturday.

I knew that whoever replaced Shula over there would have a good season this year. Shula left a lot of talent at bama, but he just couldn't coach em up. the thing is this....If Arkansas hadn't had to rest Jones and McFadden on the last series they had, Ark wins this game. Bama's defense has a lack of depth, and their guys were sucking eggs by the last of the 4th qtr. If, again, IF we can run the ball and control the clock, I think we can win. Of course, we can't come in there all one dimensional. Stafford and the receivers have got to step up. This game could be the defining game of 07. I expect CMR will have a good game plan. The question is wether or not our guys can execute the way we need to in order to win this thing.

If we can't get up for this game, God help us.

Another thing, underdog, if Ark runs the ball on that last 3rd down instead of an incomplete pass when 'bama was out of timeouts, they run another 35-40 seconds off and win. Didn't understand that coaching move, but I guess that gift helps 'bama feel \"invincible\".

You're right, man. I had completely forgotten that boneheaded call on that play. All Nutt had to do was run the ball, run another 30 seconds or so off the clock, take a delay of game call for the punt, (Bama was out of time outs) and let the D do the rest. If he had done this, Bama loses, and Nutt looks like a genius. However, he goofed, and now Saban, or Satan, looks like the next genius. However, CMR is 2-2 against Satan, and we beat better teams then when Satan was with LSU than he has this season at Bama. I say coaching errors cost Ark that game. also, Ark was way too one-dimensional. We all know Casey Dick can't throw, so why was he trying to throw on such a crucial play? It just doesnt make sense how Ark blew that game.