Lowered expectations: Saban on AL OL

[real turf fan]

When Saban was asked about the fifth spot on the OL:


"We don't have a starting offensive line," he said. "We don't have any starters on the offensive line. Not one. So we have five spots that are up.


The last thing an Alabama fan wants to hear from the Alabama coach in any discussion of this offensive line is the adjective "God-awful."

"So you can speculate any way you want, but I really don't know. I'm telling you the God-awful truth. I don't really know."



Now, Saban didn't say the line was "God-awful" Saturday. On the contrary.

He noted that the first offense drove down and missed a field goal on its first possession and scored a touchdown the second time it touched the ball.

"I was pleased with the way the first offense moved the ball," he said. "We didn't do as good a job on third down. We did a good job in the red area. We did a good job on the goal line.

"So I was pleased in most situations with what we did offensively. The offensive line certainly contributes to a large degree to that success."

Not a ringing endorsement, but neither was it a stinging rebuke.



Limited media access:

For about 10 minutes -- 20 of drills before the scrimmage -- the only action we, the media, were allowed to watch -


http://blog.al.com/kevin-scarbinsky/2009/08/scarbinsky_what_does_alabama_c.html

[bluegrassvol]

There was an Alabama fan that posted on one of the other boards, and he said their offense has looked awful this fall. He claimed to have watched the last scrimmage, and said that they had major issues at quarterback. He concluded by saying it was the worst he had felt about Bama's offense since around the 2000 season. Perhaps he was exaggerating a bit, or maybe Bama's defense is making them look worse than they are.

[LynchburgVol]

There was an Alabama fan that posted on one of the other boards, and he said their offense has looked awful this fall. He claimed to have watched the last scrimmage, and said that they had major issues at quarterback. He concluded by saying it was the worst he had felt about Bama's offense since around the 2000 season. Perhaps he was exaggerating a bit, or maybe Bama's defense is making them look worse than they are.

I think any time you have a new starter at QB, there will always be an adjustment (unless you are USC and there are 5* guys waiting). Bama will win with Defense and a good running game, but this year they do not have that Senior QB with all the experience and poise.

I think UGA will have similar problems.

[SoftballVol]

I think any time you have a new starter at QB, there will always be an adjustment (unless you are USC and there are 5* guys waiting). Bama will win with Defense and a good running game, but this year they do not have that Senior QB with all the experience and poise.

I think UGA will have similar problems.
Bama is probably about where we are only 3 years ahead. If we don't get a top QB for next year then we could be where Bama is today 3 years down the road. Bama has plenty of young talent but no great QB that we know of. We have even younger and more scarce talent and apparently no QB at all. This isn't necessarily a negative view though because Bama demonstrated what can be accomplished with a great defense and a decent but not great QB last year. I think we will have a near-great defense as early as this year although lack of depth could kill us by season's end. The key then becomes whether we can train someone to play QB at a level that doesn't require the hazmat team to come out to help people overcome with the stench.

[Little Dipper]

Bama, like UT, has excellent coaches. I expect they'll do just fine on the OL.

[MagicDust]

As Clay Davis says, "shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit"


I will gladly trade their assortment of 4 & 5 star QB's for what we currently have at the position. Hell, I'll help the fuckers move. Rent then a van, and feed them and take them to a whore house on the way to K town.

[LynchburgVol]

Bama is probably about where we are only 3 years ahead. If we don't get a top QB for next year then we could be where Bama is today 3 years down the road. Bama has plenty of young talent but no great QB that we know of. We have even younger and more scarce talent and apparently no QB at all. This isn't necessarily a negative view though because Bama demonstrated what can be accomplished with a great defense and a decent but not great QB last year. I think we will have a near-great defense as early as this year although lack of depth could kill us by season's end. The key then becomes whether we can train someone to play QB at a level that doesn't require the hazmat team to come out to help people overcome with the stench.

I am guessing that UT will land a good prospect at QB this year and 2011, Stephens will be the starter in 2010, and there will be a battle in 2011 between a RS and true freshman for the starting job. I'm not sure that will be much worse than the situation this year.

[bluegrassvol]

I am guessing that UT will land a good prospect at QB this year and 2011, Stephens will be the starter in 2010, and there will be a battle in 2011 between a RS and true freshman for the starting job. I'm not sure that will be much worse than the situation this year.

I think they will take two this year if they can get 'em. Probably Bray, and maybe Brunetti.

[rocketcityvol]

... It'd be hard for me to believe they're better on offense without Andre Smith, Antoine Caldwell, and breaking in a new qb, but they still have Julio and a boat load of talent. They're defense is supposed to be better than last year's.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20090816/NEWS/908159950/1067/NEWS?Title=CECIL-HURT-Saban-likes-where-Tide-

[kptvol]

If I recall correctly, Urban Meyer made similar comments about his OL in the 2006 preseason.

[partsmaaaaan]

Our OL is still searching for a RG. The other positions seem to be set for the most part. In oractice, the staff has been moving players around on the OL to find the right combo.
As for our QB, IMO there will be not much of a difference between him and JPW. McElroy doesn't lock on to his WR like JPW did. The goal for this years Offense with McElroy as the QB is to have a more balanced attack. McElroy will end up being the suprise player for Bama this year iyam.