Football Joys and Concerns
In our Sunday School class, we had a period called joys and concerns. It was a time for members to share good news ( a clear medical report) and concerns (remember the preacher as he goes through a medical procedure). In football, the same can be true.
A joy would be Bama’s second half play against Kentucky. A concern would be the offense’s first half woes. Before getting into Monday AM quarterbacking, it’s time to do some preaching.
Last week, Dabo Swinney questioned a reporter who had asked a legitimate question with his own question: “Have you ever played football before?” When coaches resort to this tactic, the thin skin starts to show. The next step is to start getting rid of assistant coaches. By the way, Clemson did beat Georgia Southern 22-7 on Saturday but didn’t score after the first quarter.
In defense of reporters: you do NOT have to have a football playing background to be a reporter. Many of the top journalists couldn’t put on a jock strap without directions and pictures. Analogy: I could criticize a doctor’s bedside manners, even though I couldn’t get into med school myself.
Here is my pet peeve: fans who GIVE UP and join the “Fraternity of the Miserable” before the end of the first series. On Saturday, too many Tide fans were jumping ship and ready to fire everyone on the sideline when Kentucky went up by seven after the third offensive play.
As a former coach, I KNOW how much goes into a game plan. There is a reason that games are 60 minutes, divided into 4–15-minute quarters. (Wimp Sanderson said it best: in case you don’t know, THEY have scholarshipped players also.) Because of a play clock, plays and adjustments have to be done quickly. It’s always humorous to me to ask naysayers, what play would you have run instead of a quick bubble screen? The answer: I don’t know but it wouldn’t have been that interception. Great answer Knute Rockne.
Want to have a good laugh? Go back and read a few comments from some keyboard warriors when Alabama looked inept, offensively, in the first half. They later were screaming Roll Tide and bragging about the second half comeback. Every fan base have those who get joy in saying: “I told you so.”
Don’t get me wrong, I get concerned just like any fan. The sign of a good team and staff is being able to make adjustments when facing adversity. Coach Bryant at a coaching clinic made a point to a bunch of young coaches: “Will you have a plan IF you are down 14 points after 3 minutes, your starting quarterback just broke his ankle, it’s raining and the phones from the press box have gone dead?”
Alabama 45-Kentucky 17. In athletics, never confuse emotion with enthusiasm. The Wildcats came out playing with emotion. The crowd was in it. Early breaks went their way then they realized, the Tide had a counterpunch and the defense looked like one of Kirby’s when he was standing next to Saban.
Kane Wommack, defensive coordinator, has the defense playing with confidence, physicality and solid schemes so that athletes can make plays. The defense will continue to give Keelon Russell time to develop at quarterback. See if this Saban formula looks familiar: suffocating defense, no mistakes on offense (every series ends with a kick) and a solid kicking game. Beating an SEC team on the road, 32-0 in the second half and only giving up one third down conversion out of 14, will win every time. This weeks Florida State revenge game could get ugly.
Auburn 43-Southern Miss 8. Auburn jumped out front on a pick-6 on the second offensive play and the rout was on. Quarterback Byron Brown showed why he was considered one of the top transfers, throwing for 3 touchdowns and 319 yards. After the game, you saw a different and welcomed response from Coach Golesh.
Instead of making a big deal out of his first win in Jordan-Hare, he said straight up: “I am not at all happy with the sloppiness that we played. We have a lot of work to do.” For the players, that message should come through loud and clear and get them ready for a toss-up game on Saturday against Florida. Saban would refer to it as “anti-rat-poison.”
To me, Golesh is showing why he was so successful at South Florida and will continue to do so on the Plains.
Texas 24-Ohio State 23. This is another example of early ship-jumping when the Longhorns got behind 20-3. I, for one, felt as though the Buckeyes and Georgia were at the top of the heap and a 3-score lead was too much to overcome against the number one team. Arch Manning proved the critics wrong. Also, new Texas defensive coordinator, Will Muschamp, was an average head coach but an elite DC.
Texas held OSU to a field goal after the 20-3 lead and Sarkisian showed why he is one of the top coaches in the business, creating mismatches.
Michigan 17- Oklahoma 10. Remember last week? Michigan beat Western Michigan on a Hail Mary after being rewarded another phantom second. Wolverine rats were jumping ship and the hand wringing was furious, even with the win. On Saturday, Michigan beat Oklahoma and their fans are celebrating a double eagle: their win and the Buckeye’s loss.
It’s early but the SEC has the top 2 ranked teams and numbers 7,8,9 and 10. On top of that, there are 3 other teams, flying under the radar: Tennessee, Missouri and Mississippi State. If Auburn beats Florida this weekend, that would make four.
Before your family has to talk you off the ship’s rail, remember, it’s a long season.
There are a lot of joys and concerns to go around.