Seems like some of the bama players didn't buy into Saban's "process." This had been rumored near the end of the season but was dismissed by bama faithful as Auburn fans spreading false info. But the author of this article is a bama beat writer for the Huntsville Times. I couldn't help but wonder if this was ever the case when he was at LSU. www.al.com See Huntsville Times/Sports then article "Division Subtracts from Tide." There is also an interesting article there on this year's BCS voting.
I think any division in the program is due to poor team leadership at Bama. That team quit after the Arkansas loss last year and after your game with them this year. I think Saban has done what he could with the physical talent that he had, but at some point the players have to step up and police themselves and have an attitude of "getting better each week," and paying the price for becoming a "winning" program. I think the guys Shula recruited lacked heart and character, as a whole...
I heard/read that too but Shula's complacency compared to Saban (Course, many are complacent compared to him- and that's not meant to be critical, necessarily) has to be a big contrast. It's like when someone gets a promotion in a company, some subordinates will leave but after a couple of years and you have the ones who do buy in, better chance for even keel. When Saban gets his recruits in, the loyalty will follow.
They are mostly seniors, and Saban has alluded to this before. Some are still stuck inside of the Shula mentality. There is a reason Alabama is recruiting thirty people when they dont have nearly that many spots.
I don't think the problem is physical talent, mental toughness is more likely the problem.I agree that once the new guys get in and have a firm foundation for the team to build upon they will be greatly improved.
I see nothing alarming here. I am quite happy with the state of the Alabama football program. May they enjoy Shreveport for many years to come.
Not really. Nick dismissed a half-dozen or so grumbling players at LSU in his first spring for not getting with "the program". Everybody else got right aboard Nick's bandwagon. Gerry Dinardo's players, for the most part, bought into Saban's work ethic and saw instant progress. People I respect on the Bama board suggest that Nick wasn't able to clear house last spring at Bama because of the new APR rating that the NCAA introduced. He couldn't afford to let some players go.
I don't remember this being a problem at LSU. I think our record and success the first 2 years proves that. I have to guess that Bama's team talent is better then what ours was Saban's first year. I'm guessing Saban is not the same coach today at Bama that he was here at LSU. The reason I say this is all the pressure he has put on himself with his compensation package coupled with the intense pressure from the Bama fan base. This is a very explosive situation for any college kid to be in. If you look at Bama's road record next year it will only get tougher to win next year. If he can post a 4 loss season or better then he deserves every $100 he earns. I just don't see how anyone in their right mind would create all the added pressure for that job at Bama. I guess that is why he's always trying to lower expectations so he can make it to year 3.
As Saban gets his own players in, they'll buy into his system. The big question is, will Bama give him time? I think Bama fans are expecting LSU timeline success, (SECC by year 2, NC by year 4) and I think Bama is further away than that. Saban is notoriously thin skinned, will he bolt if the Bama power brokers (who are also notorious for interfering) begin to question and criticize him?
