For the last five years, every time the Coaching Carousel gets fired up, two people in particular have profited handsomely: Jimmy Sexton and Minnesota coach PJ Fleck. For the third time in five seasons, Fleck has been given a raise and extension. So, we won’t see him rowing his boat across Lake Pontchartrain.
But, that doesn’t put the SEC in the clear of his goofy high energy shtick. Fleck has three stated dream jobs — Florida, USC, and Texas. And given the weird implosion in Gainesville, he could easily wind up at Gata. Do sweatervests come in beach varieties?
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One of the fundamentally baffling parts of the 2021 Alabama season has been the flat, uninspired, miscommunicative mess that is the Tide’s offensive line. We’ve pondered whether there were a whole lot of busts? Players out of position? Or just flat-out coaching?
Well, Saban said it isn’t talent. It has been inconsistency. And, well...you know...that’s sort of Doug Marrone’s job. If there were any one coach on the shortlist of who is asked to seek other opportunities, he’d be my favorite with a bullet.
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As far as final words before Robespierre’s National Razor makes the drop on your neck, Orgeron’s exuberant 2019 remarks in our house weren’t exactly poetic:
“We gonna beat their ass in recruiting. We’re gonna beat their ass every time they see us. You understand that? Roll Tide what? F’ You!”
Now, after last season’s 55-17 shellacking that ended all grace with the LSU fan base, Ed O is being shown the door, and deeply regrets saying it...or at least getting caught saying it.
It is it called La Monte-à-regret for a reason, and your noggin is about to be in the basket after this weekend’s very personal beating.
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That seems to be the consensus following the CFP Committee slotting the Tide in at 2nd overall. Look, I’ve been as brutally critical as anyone with this team, and I suspect I’m not done turning the spit either. But it did something then- No. 11 Pitt could not do: destroy Miami. It made Auburn’s back-and-forth with No. 13 Ole Miss look like a JV affair. It walloped No. 23 Mississippi State in one of the season’s most convincing beatings.
Unsteady? Inconsistent? In need of leaders and better execution? Underperforming at times? Poorly coached at others? Sure. I’ll grant all of those (and have said those things, and many worse). But overrated? Nah. The schedule is what the schedule is.
But you know Nick Saban is tickled witless knowing that “overrated” talking point is out there. He gets to control his own destiny, while at the same time hating on his own team and playing the rare underdog role.
Taking a dumb Road L and then being called overrated is 100% the cure for Rat Poison.
Alabama is one of very few teams that actually do control their destiny:
Given how the schedule plays out, only three firmly have a win-and-in: Georgia, Alabama, Michigan State. (Though, I do think that if OSU wins out over the rest of its hella’ nasty schedule, they’ll likely jump all the way to No. 2 — Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, and at feisty Nebraska is as tough a backend schedule as we’ll see this season.)
Meanwhile, teams like No. 6 Cincinnati, No. 9 Notre Dame, and No. 6 Oklahoma can improve their standing, but enough to leap into the 4th spot? Doubtful. And only OU really seems to have the best outside chance to do so.
But McNair was right — the hue and cry about Alabama’s placement should have 100% been anticipated by this point.
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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris is the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for October, the league announced on Thursday.
During October, Harris helped the Steelers win three of their four games by running for 356 yards and three touchdowns on 88 carries and catching 17 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown.
Best all-around Alabama running back in history. Don’t @ me, haters.
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Praise Baby Loki! Drew Sanders is back after a three-week absence. And he’s not only been cleared to play, but has been practicing and looks good at his OLB spot.
But, don’t expect to see Camar Wheaton this weekend, even if this game gets out of hand (as it is apt to do). One of the prizes of the 2021NSD class, is still “rehabbing.” He’s earning praise for putting in the work off the field to get healthy, but it’s very much looking like a redshirt year at this point.
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A lot of bad shit came out yesterday about Henry Ruggs III’s murderous idiocy in Vegas. And players and coaches from across the NFL and Alabama community gave a variety of statements about it.
And I’m not covering a single one of them — everything about this story pisses me off, and I will lose my temper. But you can click this link and read all about them.
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An already-embattled Tigers program with its lame duck coach negging his own staff, and its best player sitting out, will come to Tuscaloosa even more shorthanded than usual. Four of LSU’s five starting DBs won’t make the trip to face ‘Bama.
Yikes.
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What is the goal for Alabama’s passing attack? Yards per attempt.
“But I think the No. 1 thing you want to do is take advantage of what the defense gives you rather than is there some number that you’re trying to get to. I think it’s more important that when you do run it that we have positive runs, which means we’re gonna make 4-5 yards a carry per average and not have negative plays because the design of the plays are well-schemed so that we get a hat on a hat and have a chance to be successful. And I think it’s the same way when you pass it. It’s what is your pass per attempt. You know, that’s probably more important than any final number.”
The rest of Saban’s presser notes are here. Take our poll. And we’ll be back later today with GAM.
Roll Tide.
Poll
Is Alabama overrated in 2021?
This poll is closed
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60%
Nah. Inconsistent, but not overrated.
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14%
Yep. Played great in a few games, but dropped one of their two biggest tests to date.
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24%
I honestly don’t know. Everyone kind of looks bad this year.