The bama game today was perfect for us

[BanditVol]

disclaimer: don't get me wrong, I rooted hard for A&M to win

but...the conventional wisdom, led by Alabama spokesperson and saban taint sniffer Paul Finebaum, was repeatedly stated during the week as "bama doesn't need Bryce Young to beat Texas A&M by 2-3 TDs".  After all, 'they are bama', they are at home', 'satan is pissed at jimbo", ad naseum

That was emphatically and decisively shown to be wrong tonight by the aggies, who, btw, were shorthanded themselves at QB (though truth to be told they are shorthanded even when healthy  ).

So, bama limps out with a victory that literally went to the last play, with uncertainty still hanging over whether Bryce will play vs us or not (I suspect he will...whether he has fully recovered or not).

let me tell you, I live among the gumps, and they were worried about our game even with Bryce 100%.  Our resounding defeat of LSU today shows that we are for real. 

Even Roman Harper stated this week that UT is bamas toughest remaining game, with or without Bryce. 

IF...and it's a big if...Bryce does not play, then we are the favorites after what I saw tonight. No other way to slice it.

If Bryce plays, then I am still more confident about this game than any since 2006 (hint...that's pre-saban!)

Either way, their game with Tamu tonight was a confidence crusher.  Just exactly how I hoped it would play out.  Bama was a TWENTY FOUR POINT FAVORITE in this game.  Let that sink in.

This game has to increase their anxiety level over our game.  I don't see how it could not.

WWFDT 

[tshadow]

Heisman v Heisman. The media will foot the medical bill to see Young in the game.

[Coupe De VOL]

We ain’t man enough to beat BAMA….

[SmokeyJoe]

We ain’t man enough to beat BAMA….

Volboy is that you?  I'm not getting my hopes up. I'll believe it when I see it, but damn UT is due!

[BanditVol]

Volboy is that you?  I'm not getting my hopes up. I'll believe it when I see it, but damn UT is due!

psssst...he is being ironic! 

[volsboy]

Volboy is that you?  I'm not getting my hopes up. I'll believe it when I see it, but damn UT is due!
[/quote It wasn't me. We got our best chance of beating them in years. Let's go all out to get it. We are better than aTm, so there you go. I still don't trust our D. If Young don't play, Bama will try to run, run, run the ball.

[SmokeyJoe]

psssst...he is being ironic! 

If so, then I don't get it  IDGAF. I'm just message boarding, too. 

[BanditVol]

If so, then I don't get it  IDGAF. I'm just message boarding, too. 

It's what Pat Dye said about his alumnus Uga back in the...IDK, 00s or 90s or something. It paid off. Uga went to tuscalooser and whipped the tide's arse.

It was 2002

https://www.onlineathens.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2015/10/01/remember-when-uga-proved-it-was-man-enough-beat-alabama/15481206007/

This is a  pretty well known story in SEC lore, I thought "everyone" knew it, but I guess there are exceptions.   

[SmokeyJoe]

It's what Pat Dye said about his alumnus Uga back in the...IDK, 00s or 90s or something. It paid off. Uga went to tuscalooser and whipped the tide's arse.

It was 2002

https://www.onlineathens.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2015/10/01/remember-when-uga-proved-it-was-man-enough-beat-alabama/15481206007/

This is a  pretty well known story in SEC lore, I thought "everyone" knew it, but I guess there are exceptions.   

Ha! I may have been aware of the comment back then, but I literally have zero recall. Oops! 

[Creek Walker]

It wasn't me. We got our best chance of beating them in years. Let's go all out to get it. We are better than aTm, so there you go. I still don't trust our D. If Young don't play, Bama will try to run, run, run the ball.

Good, good, good! Our run defense is pretty damned good.

[Coupe De VOL]

Ha! I may have been aware of the comment back then, but I literally have zero recall. Oops! 

Yep, I post that in the spirit of reverse mojo.


However, I do wonder if we are thick enuff on defense to stop them from running wild on us.  They seem to be having some ‘O’ problems, so that really works in our favor. 

[PirateVOL]

Yep, I post that in the spirit of reverse mojo.


However, I do wonder if we are thick enuff on defense to stop them from running wild on us.  They seem to be having some ‘O’ problems, so that really works in our favor. 

Stopping their run game?
Good chance, need the backers to plug the gaps like Beasley did on that 4th and 1 yesterday.
He flat stoned that back.

[BanditVol]

Stopping their run game?
Good chance, need the backers to plug the gaps like Beasley did on that 4th and 1 yesterday.
He flat stoned that back.

Run D has been good in every game this year.  We held all of the "real" teams on our schedule to far below their typical rush average.  Part of that no doubt is somewhat that they got behind and threw the ball, but in the case of Pitt and Florida it was close to the end so that doesn't really apply.

We are 11th in the country in rush yards defense.

To check and see if that's distorted by teams just not running because of how we score so much, we can look at the yards per carry.  We are 7th in that statistic.

All of Pitt, Florida and LSU were considered to have good run games, particularly Florida.

I am wondering now if Tim Banks philosophy has not been to stop the run and keep the passes short and in front of us.  We haven't given up a lot of long passes this year either I don't think.

In fact, although we are 128th in passing yards allowed, we are 42nd in yards per attempt.   In fact, we are 52nd in pass efficiency defense. 

Our pass D may be a bit better than it literally looks.  Lots of completions and yards, but few big plays.  I think maybe Banks has been doing the best with the cards (players) he has been dealt.

Having said that, I am not saying we can't be better at pass D.  We definitely can.  But on a closer look being 128th in pass yards allowed is not the whole story either.