Let's just all take a deep breath and relax...ahhhhhhhh As for why SN gave us the nod on coaching, I would have to say it is because of the Auburn and Ky games for you guys, in which things just did not work out very well while you were getting plenty of national exposure. Winning a game with a 75 yard Hail Mary pass as time expires does not generally get the coach much credit, and I think we have all heard that Saban was disappointed in his team's performance Saturday (although I venture to guess he is OK with the final result!). Also, add to that formula the fact that Bama has been considered very much a darkhorse/surprise outside our own fanbase, and how our season has gone. And since the national press only glances at highlights and results of most games, we probably look pretty impressive and well-coached. I, for one, believe we have the two best coaches in the SEC and that this game will not come down to actual coaching. Execution, while influenced by coaching will be the key here, and with two teams VERY evenly matched in most ways, I expect it to come down to which team is most prepared to play hard and with emotion. Now, that said, team preparation is a coaching subset, so the coach who best motivates his players for this game should win. I do think Coach fran has a slight edge here now because of "The I hate the cheaters at Bama speech" that Saban never gave and last year's LSU slaughter and embarassment of Bama, the only truly poorly-played game we had last season. I am looking forward to a good one, with nice cold beer and spicy jumbalaya on the side!
Take a few more deep breaths and relax...ahhhhhhh... EELSU1, you have done an admirable job of trying to make us take the bait on this one! Great work!
Jackie Sherrill wasn't asked to come to Alabama. The first person considered was Tommy Bowden who accepted a larger contract at Clemson but was never offered the job at Alabama formally, next was Frank Beamer who also took a pay raise but was never offered formally by our AD. Then Butch Davis name was in the hat and he was ready to accept but someone close to him told him that it wouldn't be wise for him to accept the job then bail out to the NFL so he did not accept the job. THAT is when Dennis Franchione was offered. You could stand to do a little research. There are not as many as you think that are guranteed a salary of one million or more. Dennis Franchione is eleventh on that list and will be higher when he signs his new contract at the end of the season. There are only 4 coaches in the SEC that make a million or more. Phil Fullmer at 1.3M, Tubberville at 1.25M, Nick Saban at 1.2M and Dennis Franchione at 1.1M. Lou Holts makes 1.049M but 235,000 of that comes from a speaking arrangement that is not part of the university package. Frank Solich at Nebraska only makes 1.0M as well as Joe Paterno, Frank Beamer, lloyd Carr, RC Slocum. Are you saying none of these coaches are elite LOL Dennis Ericson and Mike Bellotti only reach the $1M mark with incentives. So, you can see that not every or even most of the SEC coaches make that much money. Now onto point 2 of your rant. The one about DuBose's juniors and seniors. While you watch the game this week notice that many of the players are not juniors and seniors but soph. and freshmen. Look for players like Brodie Croyle (fr) Clint Johnston (fr) Freddie Roach (fr) Charles Jones (fr) Anthony Msdison (fr) Charlie Peprah (fr) Roman Harper (fr) Greg McClain (fr) Mark Sanders (fr) and Zach Fletcher (jr, juco transfer) all these players are either starting or in the rotation. Franchione is doing just fine at recruiting. We only have 17-18 schollys to give this year but already have commitments for all but 3-4 and the class is rated in the top 10. You may not rate Franchione as elite, but the rest of the world does. Come back Saturday night and tell me you didn't play against an elite coach. LOL
You didn't answer my question: Is Tuberville an elite coach? After all, he makes more money than Franchione, right? What in the world is your idea of an elite coach anyway? You mentioned Frank Solich? Have you followed college football this year? Do you realize this guy's probably gonna get fired? You mentioned RC. Slocum as an elite coach? Hmmmm. As I said, you have a very good coach, and he's doing a very good job Is he elite? Nope. Elite is reserved for only a select few. Yet, if you say Franchione's on that elite level of the Solich's and Slocum's of the college football world, who's to argue with that.
Bayou, DON'T TAKE THE BAIT!!!! LET IT GO... Bayou, don't take the bait! Be bigger than that. EELSU1 is just trying to push your buttons and make you fight an argument he really doesn't believe in but will keep fighting just for fun. He will continue to drag out useless fact after useless fact to shoot down anything and everything you say. He will try to find ways to get under your skin and bash everything you say. He enjoys baiting the hook, throwing it out there, and waiting to set it because of the pain and agony he knows it brings, not because he enjoys the sport of it or the game or even a good debate CDF is focused on how to win in Baton Rouge this weekend, and that only. We should be doing the same. Just suffice it to say that you are happy with our head coach and would not trade him for anyone in the country and leave it at that. Roll Tide!
Who the hell cares???? So some hack over at TSN gives his 2 cents on the matchup. Big deal! The game will be decided on Saturday night.
If we are going to argue over "eliteness," I would say that Franchione is just as elite as Saban. He has a history of rebuilding programs. Franchione took TCU from something like 3-8 to 8-4 to 10-2. 2000 was the first time TCU had been nationally ranked in the preseason poll since 1960 I believe. TCU went from nothing before Fran to four straight bowl appearances. From rolltide.com: "In the six seasons prior to his arrival, the Horned Frogs had won a combined 24 games. Under Franchione's tutelage, TCU won back-to-back WAC titles in 1999 and 2000. Following the 2000 season, the WAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year played for Franchione at TCU. In 1998, Franchione led the Frogs to a win over Southern California in the Sun Bowl, marking the first bowl victory for TCU since the 1957 Cotton Bowl. In 1999, TCU beat East Carolina in the Mobile Alabama Bowl. He led the Frogs back to Mobile in 2000. His 2000 squad at TCU was ranked first in three NCAA team categories, total defense (245.0 yards per game), scoring defense (9.6 points per game) and kickoff returns (28.81 yards per return) and fourth in two other (rushing, 275.64 and pass defense, 160.4). His defense allowed just 10 passing touchdowns on the season, while intercepting 15." Saban has had success at two big name universities, true, but let's be honest here. Where do you think it is easier to win games? TCU or LSU? We were 3-8 in 2000, and improved to 7-5 last year, losing 3 or so games because of mistakes in the fourth quarter. This year, we are 8-2 so far and considered by many to be the hottest team in the SEC. We have had injuries to our starting QB, our best WR, our starting tailback and lost our starting fullback right before the beginning season to career ending injuries. On defense, we have split time with a redshirt freshman MLB and a juco transfer MLB who, combined, lead the team in tackles. We are getting significant playing time from freshmen in 2 secondary positions(1 starter), middle linebacker(starter), fullback(starter, true freshman), tight end, and last, but certainly not least, quarterback. BTW, I read that if the season ended today, the NFL offensive and defensive players of the year would most likely be Brian Urlacher and LaDainian Tomlinson. What do both of these players have in common? They were both coached by Franchione in college. Saban is 61-33-1 all time and Fran is 145-70-2. We have also won our last 4 games, all over SEC teams, by an average margin of 22.7 points. Yeah, I can see where one could say we might have a coaching edge.
Re: i REALLY HATE TO SAY THIS My friend, you hit the nail on the head. I myself reserve the term "elite" for guys like JoePa, Bobby Bowden and Bob Stoops.
BT - I agreed with all your points on the HC search but one. Tommy Bowden was never given serious consideration. He managed to create that impression to use it for bargaining leverage. The reason he was not considered has become abundantly clear with the job he's done this year. But the biggest turnoff with CMM and the Athletic Oversight Committee of the BOT was his offensive philosophy, which they considered unsound. BTW, I had a relative on the AOC.
