College Football

Agree to a point. The FSU defenses post Bowden have been hocked full of shut down type corners and beef in the middle. The year they won the title they had speed on the outside and the inside at the line backing spot. In turn they had beef in the middle. They are no young at the corners and a step slow at the linebacking spot. No one was fast enough/quick enough to fill holes on the read opton. The ball skills of Jackson were not that deceptive just no one could get there.

S

 

Watching him last year I just considered him a running back who was playing quarterback. I did not see any skills as a passer, footwork was horrible and it was a one receiver set. 1st receiver covered he took off. Much like Herbstreit said yesterday. From the couple games I saw last year to this year may be the biggest margin of improvement I have ever seen.

This kid made all the throws. He made all the reads. He checked down. He waited for routes to open. He delivered the ball to the exact spot.

Like all running quarterbacks their biggest opposition is the schedule, not "the opponents" but "the number of opponents". It is a lot of games and the way he runs he will take a beating. Why he was taking snaps in the fourth quarter was beyond me. Clemson pulled theur QB at haltf time. Coaches have to sit these QB's when up big to minimize the beatings.

S

 

I said this before and I will say it again. Nick Saban will go down as arguably the best college coach of all time. But there will always be argument. Where there is no argument is recruiting. Every one gets top picks coming out of high school. Lots of teams have 4 star and 5 star recruits. But Alabama and Saban get the kid they want 98% of the time. They spot fill positions with the kid they are looking for to fill that spot.

Every other school in America is drooling over any five star recruit that will choose that school. And Alabama too with the big exception. Alabama is so deep at every position they do not have to shoot their wad on the 5 star kid because they can fill two more spots with four star kids that fit, and the key is that their recruits fit a spot. They are brought their to fill a certain spot not brought their because they are 5 star recruits and can be fitted in somewhere. If that makes sense. He has built depth.

The only thing that will diminish his name is three years after he leaves Alabama. The first two years they will be just as good. And people will fade on Saban as a coach. That third and fourth year they will truly miss Saban the recruiter.

S

 

Should have happened earlier. LSU has the talent pool, the facilities and the money to compete every year.

When the defense is not the best in the country you have to open up the offense a little to keep the D off the field. Average to above average defense and happy with 3 inside runs and a punt. I do not know what is in the play book but I know what is put on the field. If you do not go deep at all, and even the intermediate routes are suspect I am putting 9 in the box for Fournette. No running back can beat 9 in the box for four quarters. Cameron has a more wide open style, was brought in for that reason but in turn played a 1970's '3 yards and a cloud of dust' program.

8 or so passes in the 15-25 yard range, maybe a couple shots deep and Fournette is the Heisman last year, and barring injury again this year. But he and the offensive line did all they could facing 9 in the box on near every play.

In the end Les Miles has to own all that.

I'm hoping Art Briles from Baylor lands the job.

S