What we face annually

#27
#27
Y'all think it's bad now, just wait for name and likeness rights to be given to college athletes. With no standard across all schools about regulations, it will be up to what each state allows. Some states may be more compensating than others. I'm sure whatever exists the state of Alabama will be the most athlete friendly when it comes to financial benefits.
 
#28
#28
The really interesting thing about those 2008 and 2009 teams is that Saban was beating teams that were, at best, just as talented as him. It is a ridiculous point of criticism in college sports, but a frequent critique of Saban is that what he's doing isn't as impressive as you think because he never plays a team that is more talented than his. Well, in 2008 and 2009 he was, and he won a title then too. Urban's 2009 Gator squad was more talented and deeper than Saban's squad and Saban dismantled it.

Our 2009 squad lost its best offensive weapon to the draft (Percy) and our best play caller to Mississippi State (Mullen).

As the 2009 season progressed, it was clear we weren’t the same team that won it all the previous season, and Saban was almost obsessed with getting some payback from losing the SECCG.

All this coincided with Urban’s “health” issues, which carried over into out train wreck of a 2010 season when no one was in charge.
 
#29
#29
Our 2009 squad lost its best offensive weapon to the draft (Percy) and our best play caller to Mississippi State (Mullen).

As the 2009 season progressed, it was clear we weren’t the same team that won it all the previous season, and Saban was almost obsessed with getting some payback from losing the SECCG.

All this coincided with Urban’s “health” issues, which carried over into out train wreck of a 2010 season when no one was in charge.
Still had Tebow, Pouncey twins, and at least half a dozen guys on defense who had long NFL careers. Bama was talented and deep too, but I don't think they were more talented than UF that year, and definitely not at QB.
 
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#30
#30
Lot's of truth from OP and others. We attempt to compete yearly with the best coach ever in the game. That's a big ask even if we had stable coaching, recruiting, etc. It is an almost impossible hurdle given our last 20 years.
 
#31
#31
Still had Tebow, Pouncey twins, and at least half a dozen guys on defense who had long NFL careers. Bama was talented and deep too, but I don't think they were more talented than UF that year, and definitely not at QB.

All true statements, but our offense looked completely different in 2008, and we needed divine intervention and some blatantly bogus calls to get past Arkansas at home.

Bama spent the entire off season prepping for a SECCG rematch. They were hungry and we were fat, dumb and happy...right down to Carlos Dunlap getting a DUI a week before the biggest game of the season.
 
#32
#32
All true statements, but our offense looked completely different in 2008, and we needed divine intervention and some blatantly bogus calls to get past Arkansas at home.

Bama spent the entire off season prepping for a SECCG rematch. They were hungry and we were fat, dumb and happy...right down to Carlos Dunlap getting a DUI a week before the biggest game of the season.
I remember hearing McIlroy talk about how they were prepping for Florida in the Spring and in August prior to the season.
 
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#34
#34
It's only "looking too far ahead" if you lose, right? :)
Exactly. I do love when posters get on here and gripe about others posters talking about the Florida or Bama games because they think we the fans should be focused on Week 1. Those guys are my favorite .
 
#36
#36
Exactly. I do love when posters get on here and gripe about others posters talking about the Florida or Bama games because they think we the fans should be focused on Week 1. Those guys are my favorite .
It's funny because even though they might not realize it, they are buying into the coachspeak. The players aren't looking ahead (supposedly), so we as fans shouldn't either. No coach before the season starts is going to admit they are thinking about or preparing for a game several weeks away, and they especially aren't going to admit they are preparing for a hypothetical SECCG game opponent. I think most people know that they probably are, but some don't.

It only looks bad when you're an idiot like Pruitt and your looking ahead to BYU/Florida actually does cause you to lose to Georgia St.
 
#37
#37
Tennessee will never be revelant on a national stage in college football again at least in my lifetime and I’m 42 .
 
#38
#38
Tennessee will never be revelant on a national stage in college football again at least in my lifetime and I’m 42 .
I disagree. All it takes is the right formula of coaching and the right group of guys. If you get a truly special QB your team can change almost over night. Joe Burrow is a good example.
 
#40
#40
You say that like it bothers us. It doesn’t. We’re one of the most consistent programs in the country. We don’t fall off like Tennessee, Auburn, Nebraska, Texas, and so forth. You can always count on us to win 10 games, be ranked high, and contend. If you told me we could win a title but then fall off a cliff I wouldn’t take it.

We own all of our rivals. Great time to be a Dawg.
You thought the same thing we did when you read that paragraph. GA is in the company with all those champions. Biggest let-down program in CFB for years running now.
 
#41
#41
Y'all think it's bad now, just wait for name and likeness rights to be given to college athletes. With no standard across all schools about regulations, it will be up to what each state allows. Some states may be more compensating than others. I'm sure whatever exists the state of Alabama will be the most athlete friendly when it comes to financial benefits.

I believe Florida has ruled for it. I think that will have a large impact on 'cruitin' and transfers until the other states agree to it.
 
#42
#42
I believe Florida has ruled for it. I think that will have a large impact on 'cruitin' and transfers until the other states agree to it.
I think there's a few states that have ruled for it. But even then I don't think they all agreed to the same things. Some may be more beneficial to athletes than others. Last I saw the NCAA was still trying to get the feds to step in and come up with some regulations and they appeared to have little interest. Unless there's some uniformity I think there will be definite recruiting/transfer advantages .
 
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#43
#43
"Heading in to the 2021 college football season, Texas A&M - a team that has lost 10 games over the past 3 years - will boast a roster with 39 Top 300 prospects on its roster. The Florida Gators- fresh off of an 8-4 season - will have 42 Top 300 prospects on their roster in 2021. LSU will have 43. Texas - and their propensity to be in an unending state of “back” - will have 47. Dabo’s boys will be rolling with a roster of 53 Top 300 prospects. Ryan Day’s Buckeyes enter the 2021 season with 57 Top 300 Prospects. The SEC East’s current recruiting hegemon, Georgia, will be fielding 61 Top 300 prospects on their football roster. And Alabama - fresh off of yet another Playoff victory - will have 70 Top 300 prospects on a football roster of 85 players.

Entering 2021, no other team in the nation has more than 30."

We play 3 of these teams annually. Last year we played 4, this is the inequity we face in terms of players.

Let’s Expand the Playoff! Part 3 - Recruiting is an Oligopoly

There was a day, not long ago, when Tennessee had rosters stocked like those. In fact, I’d say at Tennessee’s peak, only Alabama’s roster would be better, and not by much.

But even Alabama can’t make hires of the 3 Stooges and maintain a solid program. A good coach at Tennessee can complete with Mullen, Smart and certainly aTm.
 
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#45
#45
Does anyone remember the 2000's when the Georgia and Auburn games were the most prominent SEC games? I can't remember which team it was but during one of those heightened games, a DB laid the receiver out! When I say out, I mean as cold as a block of ice!
 
#46
#46
Does anyone remember the 2000's when the Georgia and Auburn games were the most prominent SEC games? I can't remember which team it was but during one of those heightened games, a DB laid the receiver out! When I say out, I mean as cold as a block of ice!
I remember watching that. It was vicious. Reggie Brown got dropped cold.
 
#47
#47
What does that mean? All the other SEC schools just rolled over and let Saban win?

What you're seeing now, and have seen for the about the last 5 years, is Alabama continuing to move ahead because of inertia. Saban would never admit that, but it is totally true. Alabama doesn't even have to recruit right now. All of the top players simply want to go there because of the track record, and they choose the ones they want. But the reason why their program has this momentum in the first place is because of what he built during the first 2-4 years.

We've seen this at Bama previously. There was a day Bear would dress out 120 or so players for home games. If the kid was on your sideline he couldn't beat you. Saban has a lot of that occurring at Bama these days as well.
 
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#48
#48
We've seen this at Bama previously. There was a day Bear would dress out 120 or so players for home games. If the kid was on your sideline he couldn't beat you. Saban has a lot of that occurring at Bama these days as well.
Even the traditional "but if you go there you'll have to sit 2 years" argument doesn't really work against Alabama. Look at someone like Patrick Surtain Jr...he started 12 games as a true freshman. That's absolutely crazy, especially at that position.

He recruits kids that are, more or less, 2nd or maybe even 3rd year players right out of high school and get significant playing time right out of the gate.
 
#50
#50
Did we ever find out what the other 13 SEC member schools are allowing Alabama to do that makes them so much more successful?

People think I have a tinfoil hat on when I say it, but I really believe the address of the SEC front office has something to do with it. At the very least, the perception of impropriety can certainly be argued. It makes no sense to be in Birmingham other than geography - maybe. Being in a larger city with a more diverse fanbase at least looks better, if not actually being better.

As it stands now, it is literally right across the street from the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
 

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