Before the season started, I too had high hopes for the season. I felt like we were a talented team with a great home schedule. I was concerned about a new coaching staff and maintaining a top 5 program. Coach Saban had built us some of the best facilities in the counrty. Tiger Stadium is second to none. The thing that we needed to do this year was win. I felt like we had to win 8 or 9 games to insure that our recruiting would stay at the level we needed to maintain a top 5 team. I felt like 8 or 9 wins would send a signal to recruits that Coach Miles was keeping the program on the same level. I am happy to say that we are right were I had hoped we would be. The recruiting class is shaping up to be a very good one. When we win at Alabama, it will be our signature win of the season and send us to another SEC championship. Coach Miles reloads with a great class and the MO continues. GEAUX TIGAHS!!!
I pretty much agree. Before the season, I picked us 9-2, if our soph QB played like a soph, and our coaches did a basic good job. If Russell surprised to the upside, played like a jr. instead of like a soph, or the coaches did a particularly good job, we could end 10-1. We should find out the end of the story Saturday. We have to show up and play well to beat Ole Miss and Arky, but Bama is the last test out of Tenn, Fla., Auburn, Bama. After Saturday, I hope we're lookin at 10-1. And if we are, it does not look to me like its because JaMarcus played like a jr. We'd have to give some credit to the coaching staff for doing a particularly good job, IMO. Not to get ahead, we gotta play Bama first.
I think JR has played like a Junior--whatever that means. 2nd in the conference in QB rating (despite my thread that says he's 1st).
The season isn't over, so I will wait a few weeks before trying to determine if we are at the leve we should be. I'm very happy with 7-1 of course, but we could end up 7-4 the way this season has gone for several teams. That wouldn't make me happy but I do realize it is a minor possibility. My opinion was that we would finish 9-2, anything within 1 game of that would be basically the same thing IMO. Coming into the season I saw a team that was going to have a fairly inexperienced QB and a good running attack if the offense could block like they were supposed to. The oline is what I was concerned about toi tell you the truth, even though getting back almost all of the starters was supposed to be our strength. We had trouble running the ball last season against all of the good teams but I felt that if the passing game would develope we would be much more successful this year. Then Alley got hurt and JA has had to assume the bulk of the carries and I think that has hurt us in that department more than we all realize. And I think that although teams cannot put 8 in the box any longer, we are not running the ball real effectively, not as I had hoped, and I pin most of this to the run blocking. we're good, just not as good as I had hoped we would be vs the good teams especially. I thought we would be running the ball like AU ran it on us. So I think we have taken a step back on offense from where I thought we would be, although the protection is much better this season and the passing game is much better. JR has progressed very well IMO, we've talked about him enough. On defense, I had a lot of suspicions about corner back and LB as well as the DE's. I think all 3 of those positions have stepped up and performed much better after the first 2 games and that we really have no obvious weakness on our D at this time. Our biggest problem lately has been the ability to grab the RB's and bring them down, which is very surprising to me and hopefully only due to a lack of focus. But overall I am really pleased with where the defense has come to this point and like the calls that Pelini is making. Special teams are great except for the kickoff return team, which is average, and the FBG unit, whic is once again inconsistent. We've made the big kicks and CJ has had a lot of long attempts, but I was hoping he would be more accurate. His punting has been the best in the nation bar none. The coverage units have been outstanding. Hopefully this leads us to a 10-1 season and a shot in the SEC CG. We'll see.
