Crimson and White Roundtable: Alabama Gameday Edition
by Todd on Jul 3, 2008 10:00 AM CDT
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PrintWhich non-conference home-and-home series would you most like to see?
Two possibilities. First, Miami. I've had Da U on the brain lately after winning a particularly thrilling defensive slugfest in NCAA '08 with the roommate (it was the FSU rivalry game, which wound up being a 10-7 affair with my only TD coming from the defense, much like a real Miami-FSU game these days), and we're both dominating programs fallen on hard times yet trending upwards. Second possiblity, FAMU. Yeah, yeah, they're a 1AA team (and not even a good one at that), but who wouldn't want to see this at BDS?
Which of the following is the most likely win for Alabama this year: LSU, Tennessee or Auburn?
Tough call on this one since they are all rivalry games and there's no telling what might happen between now and then. Personally, I think we can win them all, but we'll need a lot of luck and some miraculous coaching to do it, and there's the very real possibility that we could lose all three of those. But since you asked, the most likely would probably be Auburn. They'll have a ridiculously good defense and offensive line returning, sure, but I'm not buying the Kodi Burns hype just yet (seriously, he couldn't lock down the starting job in the spring despite a new offense that he's supposedly made for?) and I couldn't name you a single wide receiver on the team off the top of my head (wait, Tim Hawthorne, but only because he played for Homewood. Has he even seen the field for Auburn yet?), so until we see how the season starts shaking out, I'm pretty confident the streak ends this season and we'll finally get some blessed peace from our wayward neighbors.
Who will be the #2 quarterback coming out of Fall practice?
There's no question that McElroy is the #2 guy and will be the rest of the season. Saban is a program builder, and he's not going to waist a redshirt year on Star Jackson just to have him out there running some gimmick option plays three or four times a game. That's what Burton Scott is for (oh, snap!). Anyway, I know everyone has had their "how sucky must McElroy be if he couldn't overtake Wilson for the start last year?" say, but I honsetly have some faith in the kid and believe the staff does, too. Texas Tech wanted him to run their Air Raid offense, so you know he can throw, this staff let him switch to the #12 jersey (though I'm perfectly willing to bet that the significance of an Alabama QB wearing #12 probably doesn't really register with them), he was never in any danger from Fanuzzi or Darrah during the spring, and Saban himself singled out McElroy as the guy most able to step in and fill Wilson's shoes immediately should he, God forbid, go out with an injury during a game. So yeah, Star Jackson and all that, but McElroy is the guy, and I wouldn't be one bit surprised if he locks down the start next spring after Wilson has graduated.
 I just went out on a limb for you, you goofy looking son of a gun. Don't let me down. |
If you could swap any two SEC schools for any other schools in the Southeast, which would they be?
Alabama Gameday assumed everyone would kick Vandy out, but as a big fan of tradition I wouldn't dare do such a thing. Instead, so long South Carolina and Arkansas. It's been sixteen years since they joined the conference, and yet I still often forget SC is even in the league, and even though Arkansas has been quite the nemesis for us, I wouldn't be sad to see them go either. They too just feel kind of wrong. So I say we bring back Georgia Tech and also welcome Louisville to the fold. Ga. Tech because there's a ton of history there, and Louisville since, well, the only other options that would fit in the western division I could think of off the top of my head were Memphis and Tulane and both would be a blow to the football profile compared to Arkansas, though Memphis would up the basketball profile, even if they are a bunch of cheaty cheat cheater thugs and I hate them so.
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Great Post!
1. I’m a bit older, so I’m very excited about the revival of the Penn State series supposedly coming in the next 2 years. Other than that, I’d love to see us play a couple of more “big boys”: Texas, USC, Ohio State, even Notre Dame….any of those would certainly get me excited.
2. I agree with you about Auburn, although I’m not sure whether it’s more likely than Tennesse. Home field advantage should be an edge, but I just see UT’s team being a bit more chaotic next year (the loss of Cutcliffe will hurt worse than people think). I’d certainly trade a loss to UT for a win against AU, however.
3. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I seem to recall that Saban has a history of letting the #2 guy see a bit of playing time when the #1guy is a senior. If that’s true , then the second string QB becomes a significantly more important postion this year, since he’ll be being groomed for the future. While I don’t disagree with you about McElroy, I’m guessing that whomever ends up being #2 might not necessarily be the current second best QB, but the one who the staff thinks will be the starter next year….at least as long as JPW stays healthy.
4. LOVE this question! I hate to disagree with you, but Vandy gets sent to 1AA. Arkansas gets sent to the Big 12 (13?). I agree with you that Ga. Tech would be a good pickup, but I’ve wanted Clemson in the SEC for years…just thought it was a great fit (Danny Ford fetish, probably). For Arkansas, I’d swap Southern Miss. They’ve always been a consistent program, and the inclusion into a major conference would only help. Plus, it’s almost like they’re an SEC team already, as often as they play teams from our league.
It will be interesting
to see how Southern Miss does without Jeff Bowers. He has been the glue for that program for 18 years, so hopefully they will remain strong.
Roll Tide, Bitches!!!
by BamaReturns07 on Jul 3, 2008 12:55 PM CDT up reply actions
Very true
They’ve always been a gutty team, and easy to root for when they aren’t playing us. I wish them all the best….besides, who wouldn’t love SMQ’s alma-mater? :-)
#4
I say we bring back Tulane. They are already playing 3 or 4 SEC teams this year. I think it would also be fun to have regular season games at the SuperDome.
Roll Tide!!
Definitely Tulane! How about South Florida?
Not only because the New Orleans / Superdome trips, but another SEC team in LA on LSU’s back porch would be nice. No way Southern Miss, 2 Miss. teams are enough.
USF = Program on the rise + Tampa in the fall (even if it’s only every 5 years or so)
Memphis?!
I would hate to see them in the SEC, but why call them cheaters? The only Memphian I know that has had major NCAA issues of late was a UA supporter (RIP). They have had no NCAA issues and the basketball program has a stellar graduation rate. I would keep SC and just dump Arky in favor of Ga Tech.
I wouldn't piss off the boys from Alabama . . .
Tulane!
Love to have the big easy every two years. Hell we can play LSU & Tualne back to back and spend the whole week in NOLA feasting on some jacqueimo’s fried chicken and alligator cheesecake with Rebirth next door at the maple leaf every Tuesday. Plus, Tulane is a traditional rival. Ga. Tech as well.
I wouldn’t trade a win over Fat Phil and Tennessee for anything. We are a three game win streak away from sending the Blimp to the unemployment line. True Congress have to double food stamp spending but it is worth it. I’m ready to beat Auburn but for me Tennessee is our greatest rivalry.
I think JPW is greatly improved and #2 sees little playing time.
Thomas Darrah
I thought it was widely assumed Thomas Darrah was #2 coming out of spring practice? Was I crazy? Mostly in that Mcelroy in particular performed horribly, and Fanuzzi was nothing to write home about.
Backup
Darrah was playing against the walk-on players. I would have a hard time believing he jumps up to the 2nd string QB. I do not think anybody puts too much emphasis on that scrimmage. Remember, whatever you do, just don’t ask Saban about a depth chart!
I still say its McElroy as backup if JP goes down for a short period of time. I think it could be a different scenario if JP is down for multiple games. It will be interesting to see how the 2009 QB competition goes.
Well said...
Everybody I knew was high on Darrah after the spring game (myself included), but what amounts to one practice isn’t going to catapult him anywhere fast.
The point I was trying to make was that when you talk about the “backup qb” and the “number 2 qb”, we might actually be talking about two different people. For example, if JPW goes down for 2 or more games with injury (God forbid), then I’m betting we’d see McElroy…since he’s been in the system longer and is least likely to “lose the game for us”.
However, let’s say JPW stays healthy and is having an average to above-average season. In that case, we might see (in certain situations) Star Jackson….or whomever the coaching staff wants to groom for the ‘09 job. Again, that person might be McElroy also….but somehow I don’t think he’ll be our starter next year.
The interesting scenario is if JPW is healthy, but struggles. That could lead to anything from a 2-qb system, to the staff saying “screw it: just put Star in there and let him get experience for next year”.
Saban and QBs
Saban’s history with QBs at LSU is a little bit checkered.
2000: Josh Booty, who had earlier in his career led the country in interceptions, started the entire year until he was pulled following 1 1/2 completely ineffective games that saw us lose to Arkansas and then fall behind big in the Peach Bowl at the half. He brought in Rohan Davey at halftime. Davey led us to a victory, and Saban reportedly told Booty to turn pro early. Booty actually was an All-SEC QB, but it was a very weak year for QBs in the league, and Booty was not particularly impressive.
2001: Rohan Davey all the way. He set records for passing yards in a season at LSU, records that still stand. It looks to most people like Davey should have been starting over Booty all along. With Booty having left early, Davey is allowed to start his senior season and has the most productive year ever for an LSU quarterback.
2002: Saban, having not recruited a quarterback, turns over the reigns to over-ager Matt Mauck who he plucked from minor league baseball, who is terrible in his first game, but then comes on. But then Mauck suffers an ankle injury in a big mid-season win against Florida and is out for the season. Marcus Randall finishes the season, and LSU goes 8-5, Saban’s worst record at LSU. Randall is 2-4 as a starter. It could have been worse, as this was the season of the Bluegrass Miracle, where we got a win against Kentucky that we did not really earn.
2003: Mauck is back healthy and leads the team to a great season, winning the national championship. Mauck was pretty-much an average QB with a great team around him, but at least this season we had consistency and stability at the position. Matt Flynn and Jamarcus Russell are true freshmen who redshirt.
2004: The reigns are turned over to Marcus Randall again, who is very inconsistent. Saban flip-flops the QBs quite a lot, never really settling on any of them. Russell stages a dramatic come-from-behind win against Oregon State in his first ever college appearance (it would set the tone for his whole career), but otherwise is inconsistent. Russell is your typical talented redshirt freshman starting at QB, with moments of brilliance punctuated by extended periods of ineffective play. The coaches, to the detriment of the team, never settle on a quarterback, and even 3rd stringer Matt Flynn gets meaningful snaps in the bowl game.
One meaningful thing about that bowl game. Jamarcus Russell had the ball in his hands with less than 2 minutes to play and LSU down by 7 or less and failed to win. Only twice in his career would that happen, and this time it was because Iowa scored a last-second touchdown on a Hail Mary to overcome the touchdown Jamarcus put up. The only other time would be in 2006 against Auburn, when a missed pass interference call stalled a late LSU drive that could have won the game. We got another chance and the game ended with LSU on Auburn’s 5 yard line.
Jamarcus was awesome. Too bad so few people recognized it while he was at LSU. Clutchest player I have ever seen.
So, in 5 years, we have really only 2 years of stability at the QB position, though one of the unstable years was due to injury. The other two years were, at least in part, the fault of the coaches who were unable or unwilling to get the best QB in the game.
Richard Pittman
LSU
That was very informative. I distinctly remember Rohan scorching Alabama in one game.
It was good to read from an LSU fan just how great Jamarcus was for LSU. I have a real good friend who was swearing to me that Matt Flynn was going to be starting for Jamarcus. People forget just how awesome Jamarcus was his junior year. I say if Jamarcus was back last year for LSU, they do not lose a game. I saw him do things that I do not think another QB could do.
I was at B-D stadium when Rohan had his best game ever
Jamarcus was great. It was only some ill-luck that prevented him from ever winning the SEC. I am thoroughly convinced that LSU would have won the SEC in 2005 if not for Hurricane Katrina, and could well have been undefeated. That hurricane screwed up our team like nobody’s business. Because of that hurricane we a) lost an average of 7 pounds per person, meaning we started out the season in poor physical condition, leading directly to our loss against Tennessee, which resulted from our team just being flat exhausted in the 4th quarter and overtime. Then we had to play 11 weeks in a row, meaning that when we finally got the SEC championship game, we really had nothing left. We were completely worn out, and it showed the previous week against Arkansas when we struggled to put away what was a weak team. A relatively fresh Georgia team was just too much for a worn out LSU team.
In 2006, we had probably our best team in my lifetime (better than 2003 and 2007), but just ran into the unfortunate circumstance of getting 4 road games against top 10 teams. We beat Tennessee and Arkansas (now much stronger than the previous year), had a narrow defeat against Auburn, and just didn’t play that well against Florida.
It always perplexed me when people would say that Jamarcus Russell didn’t have a signature win. Sometimes a media or message-board narrative exists completely divorced from all facts. The man had a signature win the first time he stepped on the field. In the course of his career, when LSU was behind by 7 or less with less than 2 minutes to go and the ball in Jamarcus Russell’s hands, LSU’s record was 8-2, and one of the two was when Iowa won the Cap One Bowl on a Hail Mary after Jamarcus threw what everyone thought was a game-winning touchdown.
Think about that. In the 10 occasions when Jamarcus Russell had the ball and needed a last minute drive to win a game or force overtime, he was successful 9 times. NINE TIMES! And the one where he wasn’t successful, our drive ended because the clock ran out with us on the opponent’s 5-yard-line. He was almost a perfect 10 for 10 in those situations.
Richard Pittman
by Richard Pittman on Jul 3, 2008 10:50 PM CDT up reply actions
I never understood...
...people’s criticisms of JaMarcus. I always knew I’d rather have him than any Alabama QB that played during his tenure at LSU.
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