You know I don't care for Bill O'Brien, right? But that said losing as much talent as you did its not surprising that you aren't quite the same machine you were last year. Also hard not to notice that the Gators have played you really well the last 2 times as well.
Yes I did. I saw enough to know that Florida is a very good team and gave you all you could handle. My "Lou" comment was meant more as a compliment than as a chain yanker. You are humble about your team, which is a good thing. Until someone beats you, you're still the best team in the country, playing a legitimately tough schedule, one of the toughest in the country.
The ESPN FPI rankings continue to bumfuzzle me. Longhorns after an epic beat down in the Hills by Arkansas are ranked 8 slots ahead of them. Call me crazy but that makes no sense, I get it that these rankings are some sort of computer assisted model, but if so it's broken. ESPN FPI Top-25 Rankings following Week 3: 1) Alabama Crimson Tide 2) Georgia Bulldogs 3) Oklahoma Sooners 4) Ohio State Buckeyes 5) Clemson Tigers 6) Michigan Wolverines 7) Florida Gators 8) Oregon Ducks 9) Ole Miss Rebels 10) Penn State Nittany Lions 11) Auburn Tigers 12) Texas Longhorns 13) North Carolina Tar Heels 14) Texas A&M Aggies 15) Iowa Hawkeyes 16) Iowa State Cyclones 17) Michigan State Spartans 18) Cincinnati Bearcats 19) Wisconsin Badgers 20) Arkansas Razorbacks 21) Notre Dame Fighting Irish 22) NC State Wolfpack 23) Virginia Tech Hokies 24) USC Trojans 25) Pittsburgh Panthers
I see that Ohio State had it's lowest attendance in years at the Tulsa game, 78K, is that right? Irish had their lowest attendance in years at the Toledo game, 62K. I wonder if fans are starting to say we don't want to spend money to see just any team, and college football tickets and the cost of attending these games has gone up quite a bit. Of course Penn State fans turned out in droves for that Auburn game and I believe the Swamp was swamped with fans, that Ark/Texas game had a huge crowd. So big games still draw big numbers. Irish had a near capacity for the Purdue game.
I think (being Mr. Obvious here) that it's a combination of so-so games, COVID concerns, increased hassle getting screened into stadiums, and of course obscene prices for crappy seats...not to mention how easy it is to get most games on TV...and those damn commercial breaks are twice as irritating in the stadiums as they are at home.
Sid, not really being humble as I try to be as objective as I can. I really think that no team is unbeatable. Alabama has been very good for a long time but when we come up against quality teams our flaws are exposed. In the past few years our offense has been able to score at will. That has covered a defense that was not a strong as usual. I really believe that our receivers in the last 4 or 5 years have been the difference. Hurts, Tagavolua, and Jones all benefited from them. Young does not have the same luxury and I really think that will hurt us this season. I know the "Lou" comments are light hearted but I'd rather I called "Bear". He did the same thing.
We may set another record for low crowd attendance Saturday evening when we play Akron here at home at 7:30 P.M. Buckeyes are favored by 53 -points!
Saban's overall formula hasn't changed since he got to Alabama, just how it is being executed. Originally he built a stifling defense, and a sledgehammer ball control offense. The Tide would methodically grind on the opponent amassing TOP, and building a lead. The opponent would inevitably begin to press which would cause more mistakes that would cash into more TOP and points for the Tide until the clock ran out and it was a win. Somewhere along the line he noticed he had a talented offense that could do the same thing, but with far more points sooner so the pressure mounted quicker. This season so far... for probably many reasons, the offense and the defense aren't quite as efficient as they were in the last few years and now people think there are chinks in the armor. I suppose that might be true, but as Sid said... until you actually lose you get to hold the flag as the best. Not many teams are built to be able to cash in on those "flaws"...
These guys take really good pokes at the SEC and sometimes outsiders. It is a.regular weekly product.
ESPN ranking Michigan 6th makes me even more appreciate that I followed Sid’s recommendation to subscribe to The Athletic. Nice to read actual reporting of sports in detail as opposed to reading clickbait BS.