Ed. Note: Josh is outta’ pocket today, so Brent and I will be tag-teaming your JP. I’m posting things from Thursday evening, and he’ll catch you up with anything after then. If other stories crop up, feel free to share them below in the comments. -EE/BT
From Nick Saban’s press conference yesterday, here is the always-outstanding verbatim transcript from BOL’s Charlie Potter. I really enjoyed Saban’s discourse on using motion in the offense. This is only part of his answer, but it’s as good a jumping-off point as any.
Sometimes you use motion to create an advantage in terms of overloading the formation so you can actually block better. Sometimes you motion as -- I’m going to call it -- eye candy, aight, for the defense because the guys come rocking through there, and they’re thinking, ‘Do I have to adjust with this guy? Slide adjust? Or if they slingshot the safeties, I can just stay one on that.’ And then you just run a regular, basic play that you run all the time without motion, but yet they might get confused as to what their fit is. Sometimes you use motion to put guys in better position to get open, whether you create stacks or bunches or whatever. Sometimes you start motioning one way and turn around and come back the other, depending on how they’re adjusting to formations to try to get people open.
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Chris Hummer at Rivals has his preview of the Aggie-Bammer game, and, as a bonus, he also previews the Red River Shootout.
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Anonymous coaches break down some of this week’s important games; the preview of Alabama is outstanding. Check it out in Yahoo.
We felt we could manipulate their inexperience with curl routes and option routes and put them in predicaments with formations and motions that they hadn’t seen. We were trying to mess with them personnel-wise, but they never got rattled. Shane Lee and Christian Harris are freshman, but we felt like we could pick on Lee. To be honest, we really couldn’t as much as we hoped.
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The seemingly-great redshirt rule is now becoming a whack-a-mole game of creative interpretation and loophole implementation. Ross Dellenger at SI has a good look at the ripple effect created by D’Eriq King and others taking a mid-season redshirt, and what administrative response is likely (if any) from the NCAA:
Last week, ahead of its game against Maryland, Rutgers announced a new starting quarterback. Redshirt freshman Johnny Langan would make his first collegiate start. The reason behind the move was anything but ordinary: Artur Sitkowski, the starter in the previous two games, was choosing not to play while considering a redshirt this season.
Two weeks ago in Houston, the same happened. Starting quarterback D’Eriq King chose not to continue playing this season in order to preserve a year of eligibility. One of his receivers, Keith Corbin, made the same decision, as both of them used a rule the NCAA passed last year to allow players to redshirt while competing in as many as four games in a single season. King’s decision has sent a ripple effect through college football.
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In celebration of CFB’s 150th anniversary, their CFB guys have created, what is almost certain to be, a controversial list of the 10 best college football movies. No. 1 is going to make you physically ill. Meanwhile, Junction Boys checks in at No. 7.
Excerpt:
This ESPN film — based on the book “The Junction Boys” by Jim Dent — is football grit at its core. It details the real-life 1954 Texas A&M football camp under coach Bear Bryant, who is convincingly portrayed by Tom Berenger.
No word on whether Gary Busey’s 1984 tour de force The Bear was even given the weight it should have. It is, I dare say, the Citizen Kane of college football movies.
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Rewinding Nick Saban’s radio show before Texas A&M
-- Asked about making extra points less automatic such as the NFL’s recent rule change, Saban chuckled and laughed, “I hate to say this but our extra points haven’t been automatic.” Saban joked that he is “shaking his leg” on the sideline and “I have some [anxiety] sometimes” about kickers. “After coaching eight years in the NFL, I always favored -- and I know people in the NCAA will hate me saying this -- I really liked the overtime rules we had in the NFL better than just putting the ball on the 25 yard line. Because you just keep playing the game.” He said the red zone can be an advantage for some teams.
This is a great piece with a whole lot topics covered by Saban. I won’t get into all of them, so go check it out yourself. I just thought this answer about the extra points was easily his funniest response, in a self-deprecating kind of way.
Alabama football fans: Things to do in College Station if you’re catching the Texas A&M game
Heading to College Station this weekend?
Alabama has come away with victories the last couple of times they’ve visited, so you can bet Crimson Tide fans have enjoyed their time at the still-new Kyle Field in College Station.
But aside from the football, you’ll find just how cordial the Aggie fans really are. You’ll see smiling faces and hear “Howdy!” pretty often from fans who have a lot of respect for Alabama’s program. So travel safely, enjoy the game, and check out what you need to know about the weekend in the Bryan/College Station area.
If you’re going to the game this weekend, here’s a piece with many of the essentials you’ll need to know.
Roll Tide!