The arm tackling against Georgia was ridiculous :angryfire, the Tiger D made that new Georgia tailback look great. I wonder what all the arm slapping sounded like down on the field. Don't they go through drills to correct problems like that? :sob::sob::sob:
While I agree that the O-line has been dissapointing, at least we knew that there could be a drop off after loosing Peterman. Webster and Daniels are returning staters. Webster in particular has been dissapointing for more than one game, IMO...
I went with other. The inablility to shed blocks is one issue. The lack of fundementals in tackeling is another. I thought with the SPEED we had on defense that I would see more gang tackles. Not true and even with a gang tackle the pile move the wrong direction. I beleive out QB situtation is not lack of talent as much as lack of oportunity. JR was running for his life against UGA. SO the inability of the line to block is another. But defense is by far the biggest disappointment. I know with the exception of UGA not many points have been scored but we gave up many big plays when we should have shut them down. Besides that the teams we beat were crap. OSU should have not scored and AU should not have had out d on the field so long. To many 3 and longs ended up being first downs. I can take the losses but not the way we got them.
O-line gets my vote. Opposing teams defenses have spent way too much time in our backfield this season.
Poor tackling, fumbling (especially the way MSU was able to strip the ball), bad play by the cornerbacks, poor use of the quarterbacks, lack of adjustments (constant pressure from Georgia DE's and staying in the spread formation and not going to 2 TE's to give us a chance to protect). Predictable play calling on offense, continuing to blitz when we aren't getting there on defense etc., etc., etc. I voted other because this all goes back to coaching, whether it be position coaches, coordinators, or the head coach, that's what it all boils down to. This team has beaten MSU and ASU and got a gift from a very ordinary PAC-10 team. I still say Auburn was our best game, but coaching lost it. Yeah it's a team game, but if you aren't going to hold 18 - 22 year olds responsible, then it has to fall on the coaches.
I vote "other" because of the attitudinal deficiencies of this team. I can accept "brain fart" kinda stuff out of the young guys--like Xavier's knee-down at the one--those things happen. What I can't accept as a fan---and, apparently, neither can Nick Saban---is the lack of intensity and the "fat cat" kind of mentality that this team has exhibited through last Saturday. Saban has been warning against this all along, talking about young players acting as if winning is preordained for them because they're the champs and "look how high we're rated", when a number of key players who had the attitude that really fueled this team last year (Clayton, Mauck, Lavalais, Hunt) are now gone. In other words, guys who are not resting on *their* laurels but those of guys who really did the heavy lifting in 2003 and are now gone. That's disappointing, but not too surprising. There is a reason why repeating is difficult, doubly so for such a young team as this one. Now, start Russell from here on out, get Flynn plenty of snaps, and let's get back on track for a Rose Bowl run in 2005.
My vote went to the OL with the DL coming right in at 2nd. We have had some great plays by Williams and Spears but overall it has been quite poor at times. Our OL has fallen apart. How did Pollack make us look so bad? Anyone remember Whit falling on his back with Pollack? Wow
The offensive line was supposed to be one of the strengths on this team this year. There are two pre-season All-Americans on this line! Their chances for post-season honors aren't looking too good, right now. Major disappointment.
