Tigers > Tide ?

[SU94]

Game Observations….

Fun game. No cheap hits (Bama might have had one on Watson’s knee area, but the way that kids moves, hard to know for sure). No head shots. No crown-of-helmet tackles. No late hits. Do you think there were more than 10 penalties called? I just looked, there were 6 in the whole game, and I bet 3 were in the game’s initial 10 minutes.

Bama hit HARD. Clemson tackled. And this made a big difference.

I don’t remember one Bama player being affected by injury or even dinged up. Not a single one. And conversely, so many notable Clemson players struggled with some sort of game-related injury. Happened to Watson, CB #2 (Alexander) RB #9, LB #10. I also think that as good as Renfrow (#13) played for CU, the Tigers really missed having their top 2 wideouts (injury, drug suspension). That would have made a big difference for the Tigers in my estimation.

I thought the Clemson D-Line was at least Bama’s equal. Other than the 50-yard run early, they shut down Henry. He was a 2-2.5 yard per carry running back for 55 minutes in this game. Alexander’s injury really was the difference it the game, well, along with special teams (hey, they count).

Clemson is likely a slightly better team, IMHO, but Bama deserved to win the game. They won the last 12 minutes. But it took everything they had to hold off Watson and Co. (Watson was amazing).

And all of that credit should not necessarily go to Saban (who was great) and blame should not be hung exclusively on Dabo, sometimes the cookie just crumbles that way.

Clemson will be right back in that game next year. They are quite young from what I understand.
Well, unless Dino-Ball REALLY catches on quicker than we all imagined!!!

 

[PAcuse]

Clemson might be the better team, but Bama has the better coach.

 

[orangecuse]

Clemson might be the better team, but Bama has the better coach.

Yep...their special teams coach definitely won it for them.

 

[longislandcuse]

Specials and the Alexander injury decided that game.

Both teams healthy.. Clemson is the better team.

Agree with you that Clemson will be back in the title game next year unless FSU can knock them off. Deshaun Watson and that offense are going to be scary good.

 

[cuseguy]

Specials and the Alexander injury decided that game. Both teams healthy.. Clemson is the better team. Agree with you that Clemson will be back in the title game next year unless FSU can knock them off. Deshaun Watson and that offense are going to be scary good.

Clemson has to go FSU next year and FSU will be loaded as well. But, yes, Clemson will be loaded.

 

[SWC75]

If a healthy Clemson plays a healthy Alabama ten times, Clemson wins 7-8 of those games.

 

[SU94]

If a healthy Clemson plays a healthy Alabama ten times, Clemson wins 7-8 of those games.

I'd go 6-4, advantage Clemson. But I largely agree.

I'll also say this ... Kiffin really is shining. He's a ++ offensive mind and he had every answer last night.
He should get another shot at a HC gig.
And really, other than leaving Tennessee after one year, what was his real indiscretion?
Was he a bit immature? Probably (yes!). But in the end, who in the coaching game is perfect? Everyone has warts.
Even Urban. Even Saban. Belichick too.

 

[TheCusian]

I'd go 6-4, advantage Clemson. But I largely agree. I'll also say this ... Kiffin really is shining. He's a ++ offensive mind and he had every answer last night. He should get another shot at a HC gig. And really, other than leaving Tennessee after one year, what was his real indiscretion? Was he a bit immature? Probably (yes!). But in the end, who in the coaching game is perfect? Everyone has warts. Even Urban. Even Saban. Belichick too.

He's a turd.

 

[SWC75]

I'd go 6-4, advantage Clemson. But I largely agree.

I'll also say this ... Kiffin really is shining. He's a ++ offensive mind and he had every answer last night.
He should get another shot at a HC gig.
And really, other than leaving Tennessee after one year, what was his real indiscretion?
Was he a bit immature? Probably (yes!). But in the end, who in the coaching game is perfect? Everyone has warts.
Even Urban. Even Saban. Belichick too.

He's been head coach of the Raiders, Tennessee and USC. Where has he had real success? Maybe he's just a good offensive coordinator?

 

[upperdeck]

his best play calling comes with an elite oline and having some NFL talent, the big play last night was the TE showing WR speed on a play that was poorly blocked.

 

[HtownOrange]

With Alabama's talent, any of use would be a "good" offensive coordinator.

 

[PhatOrange]

The observation that struck me was how big both teams were on the defensive front 7. Huge. Bama’s OLBs would start at the MIKE for us. Both teams pretty much rushed 4 the entire game and those 4 lived in the backfield for both teams.

and Special Teams. Bama won the game because of specials. (they blocked a fg in the game to that nobody talked about) . The return and block, 10 point swing with those 2 plays. specials wins games. put your best players on specials. no walkons. no 3rd stringers.

 

[SU94]

He's been head coach of the Raiders, Tennessee and USC. Where has he had real success? Maybe he's just a good offensive coordinator?

I have no tie or hidden affinity for Kiffin, but let's look at this objectively...

One full year with the Raiders. 4-12. Fought with (a crazed) Al Davis the whole time. Those facts are about par of the course there the last 15 years.
One year in Tennessee, went 7-6. That's above-grade work at UT, at least since the fall of the Fulmer administration.
He went 28-15 at USC in 3+ seasons. Won 10 games in 2011. And that was with severe NCAA sanctions IIRC (from the Bush days).

Honestly, people don't like him and I get that. I'm just going to chose to dig a bit deeper, factor in that he was hired by Nick Saban (who seems good at what he does) and offer this opinion: Kiffin should get another turn running a CFB program at the Division I level. I mean, to me, he's a better HC candidate than James Franklin, Muschamp, Dan Doreen, Cubit, the Purdue guy who has 4 career wins, the Kansas HC, the new Minnesota HC, Mike Riley, and about 10-12 other D-1 head coaches.

 

[Chip]

Clemson might be the better team, but Bama has the better coach.

Ironically, Clemson's coach will one day become Bama's coach. Once Bama's coach decides, on his own terms, that he doesn't want to be Bama's coach anymore.

 

[TheCusian]

I have no tie or hidden affinity for Kiffin, but let's look at this objectively... One full year with the Raiders. 4-12. Fought with (a crazed) Al Davis the whole time. Those facts are about par of the course there the last 15 years. One year in Tennessee, went 7-6. That's above-grade work at UT, at least since the fall of the Fulmer administration. He went 28-15 at USC in 3+ seasons. Won 10 games in 2011. And that was with severe NCAA sanctions IIRC (from the Bush days). Honestly, people don't like him and I get that. I'm just going to chose to dig a bit deeper, factor in that he was hired by Nick Saban (who seems good at what he does) and offer this opinion: Kiffin should get another turn running a CFB program at the Division I level. I mean, to me, he's a better HC candidate than James Franklin, Muschamp, Dan Doreen, Cubit, the Purdue guy who has 4 career wins, the Kansas HC, the new Minnesota HC, Mike Riley, and about 10-12 other D-1 head coaches.

Problem is when you hire a coach he needs to be good at coaching and be someone who represents the university well. His problems have started in that quadrant. I'm not sure he's good enough at coaching to overcome the other stuff.

 

[skurey]

Disagree strongly with Clemson being the better team.

 

[TheCusian]

Disagree strongly with Clemson being the better team.

Explain.

 

[Madbiker]

Two huge special teams plays won it for Bama. Otherwise I thought Clemson had a slight edge on them. But chmpions make big plays...and Bama did in the 4th quarter.

 

[PhatOrange]

i can't say clemon was the better team. they made mistakes on special teams and 3 or 4 blown coverages. all of which lost the game. the better team doesn't make those mistakes.

Credit to Kiffin, 2 of those long passes (on the blown coverage's) were set up. He knew the safety was looking into the backfield.

and credit to Saban for the onsides kicks. He called it and that's out coaching Dabo. who was not ready for it at all.

And not that it mattered much but in the 2nd half Saban put a spy on Watson. Like i said, it didn't change the game much, but the spy did get to Watson a couple of times in the backfield and contained him slighty. The trade off was the clemson RB was able to get some yards instead.

Anyhow, it was a great game by two pretty evenly matched teams. Most people were picking Bama in a route and they were wrong. Clemson would've destroyed all 3 big ten teams (michigan st, iowa or ohio state)

 

[SU94]

Problem is when you hire a coach he needs to be good at coaching and be someone who represents the university well. His problems have started in that quadrant. I'm not sure he's good enough at coaching to overcome the other stuff.

What did Kiffin do that was so terrible? Seriously. Would love to hear why he should be disqualified from being a head coach.

There are plenty of current college head coaches right now that are not terribly well fit to represent a college or university. I named a few above. Do you think that Bobby Petrino is worthy of that? How about Franklin at Penn State? Solich at Ohio Univ. had a DUI. Heck, Urban had about 25-30 Gators arrested in Gainesville and he's treated as a messiah. O'Leary lied on his resume. How about college hoops? Tom Crean, Larry Eustachy (sp?), Tark back in the day. Gimme 20 minutes and I will think of 15 more.

I just think you imply some standard of perfection that is not necessary. Kiffin is a really good football mind. He'd do a very good job IMHO. I simply hope he gets a chance someday from someone with a capacity to objectively analyze him as a candidate.

 

[SWC75]

I have no tie or hidden affinity for Kiffin, but let's look at this objectively...

One full year with the Raiders. 4-12. Fought with (a crazed) Al Davis the whole time. Those facts are about par of the course there the last 15 years.
One year in Tennessee, went 7-6. That's above-grade work at UT, at least since the fall of the Fulmer administration.
He went 28-15 at USC in 3+ seasons. Won 10 games in 2011. And that was with severe NCAA sanctions IIRC (from the Bush days).

Honestly, people don't like him and I get that. I'm just going to chose to dig a bit deeper, factor in that he was hired by Nick Saban (who seems good at what he does) and offer this opinion: Kiffin should get another turn running a CFB program at the Division I level. I mean, to me, he's a better HC candidate than James Franklin, Muschamp, Dan Doreen, Cubit, the Purdue guy who has 4 career wins, the Kansas HC, the new Minnesota HC, Mike Riley, and about 10-12 other D-1 head coaches.

Kiffin was fired from two of those jobs and jumped ship after one year on the other one.

I'm glad it's not our problem any more.

 

[orangepassion]

I'd go 6-4, advantage Clemson. But I largely agree.

I'll also say this ... Kiffin really is shining. He's a ++ offensive mind and he had every answer last night.
He should get another shot at a HC gig.
And really, other than leaving Tennessee after one year, what was his real indiscretion?
Was he a bit immature? Probably (yes!). But in the end, who in the coaching game is perfect? Everyone has warts.
Even Urban. Even Saban. Belichick too.

The funny thing is even with Bama scoring 45 points, I don't believe they drove the length of the field once.

 

[TheCusian]

What did Kiffin do that was so terrible? Seriously. Would love to hear why he should be disqualified from being a head coach. There are plenty of current college head coaches right now that are not terribly well fit to represent a college or university. I named a few above. Do you think that Bobby Petrino is worthy of that? How about Franklin at Penn State? Solich at Ohio Univ. had a DUI. Heck, Urban had about 25-30 Gators arrested in Gainesville and he's treated as a messiah. O'Leary lied on his resume. How about college hoops? Tom Crean, Larry Eustachy (sp?), Tark back in the day. Gimme 20 minutes and I will think of 15 more. I just think you imply some standard of perfection that is not necessary. Kiffin is a really good football mind. He'd do a very good job IMHO. I simply hope he gets a chance someday from someone with a capacity to objectively analyze him as a candidate.

Yeah I hear you. I'm not saying he'll never get another look. Guy just won a NC as OC. Just that the combo of his mediocre results as HC and off field missteps make him less appealing. If he matures, keeps getting better? Sure. But there are reasons to stay away too.

 

[MikeSU02]

What did Kiffin do that was so terrible? Seriously. Would love to hear why he should be disqualified from being a head coach.

There are plenty of current college head coaches right now that are not terribly well fit to represent a college or university. I named a few above. Do you think that Bobby Petrino is worthy of that? How about Franklin at Penn State? Solich at Ohio Univ. had a DUI. Heck, Urban had about 25-30 Gators arrested in Gainesville and he's treated as a messiah. O'Leary lied on his resume. How about college hoops? Tom Crean, Larry Eustachy (sp?), Tark back in the day. Gimme 20 minutes and I will think of 15 more.

I just think you imply some standard of perfection that is not necessary. Kiffin is a really good football mind. He'd do a very good job IMHO. I simply hope he gets a chance someday from someone with a capacity to objectively analyze him as a candidate.

Take my word for it, Kiffin should not be a head coach. He shouldn't be an OC either, but that's life, unfortunately, in big time sports.

He should not be representing a university. If he ever became SU's HC, I would immediately stop supporting the team.