Ummm, I think that is at the very root of what's being discussed here. People see bama get away with fouls all the friggin' time (most notable in recent times, the cheap shot by Dial on Murray). This isn't a recent thing; I've witnessed it my whole life.
it is odd that 3 of the top 4 teams in the conference lead in penalty yds/game. Some say if you ain't cheatin you ain't tryin. But I guess if you are cheatin and not getting called on it then you are really tryin hard.
"One of these things is not like the otherrr..." That's a good observation. I guess you could attribute it to the big game atmosphere, pressure, stakes, etc. Players get jumpy, maybe try a little too hard, or seek that minute competitive advantage subconciously.
Some of it just depends on the type of penalty. Some penalties root from aggressiveness on defense (unsportsmanlike, roughing the passer, late hit out of bounds, etc.) and others are just lack of preparation (offensive formations, false starts). I would think the top 3 teams suffer from more of the first group although it still does show a lack of discipline. I can't tell you how many times Mingo being offsides pissed me off the past 2 years though...some of it he didn't jump early, he just lined up across the line. Stuff like that needs to be addressed.
LSU helps with this in a way, the White jerseys help. If you look the bama players have white tape/White gloves on their hands, this allows holding. A ref can say I didn't see a hold because of this. Watch the film. This is taught by OL coaches all the time.
You would think that seeing the jersey stretch and physically holding the defender back would be a good enough indication.
Believe me, they're not missed. They're just not called. I know Gump fan will say that it's because an <Alabama Head Coach> team is so disciplined, but when he was here, we were near the top for most penalties per game, so something suspicious is definitely afoot.
