Les Miles: "Obviously we weren’t prepared"

YES! FK YES! Here we were totally behind, looking like zombies, and the play calling was the equivalent of us taking a knee! It was as if we could not get off the field soon enough.

Alabama was actually robbed of a definitive, great win, because the game was not an epic contest--it was no contest at all!

 

A short passing game would not work. LSU's offense played in a 10 yard box. That said, LBs and DBs were also within that box...

What one would have to do is roll out the QB and hit the TE. Oops! Saban did exactly that. Never mind.

 

Though I agree that quick throws were a solution(particularly, screens come to mind to tame an aggressive defense), I don't think it would've slowed the pass rush down. This is because 'Bama often only sent 4 pass rushers, which is normal for any normal defensive call. There's no reason to send less than 4 pass rushers. I agree that short passes would have been more efficient, and I don't know what Lee would have done, but short passes wouldn't really slow the defense down, they might just squat on the short routes until we started to throw deep in which case the rush would get to the QB.

As for JLee, I have to believe he wouldn't have done well against that rush. He tends to panic and throw off of the back foot when anyone is remotely near him. I really agree that short passes were the answer to change it up, and I think you saw this in what 'Bama came out and did. They ran play actions and roll outs, but namely I think their line played a hell of a lot better than our line.

 

Yeah. 3 seconds is a LONG time at this level.

They say it all the time: "Inner clock has to tell you after 2 seconds, you need to get rid of the ball".

 

If CM felt JL was not good enough to come in the game, then this game was lost since the 2nd game of the season. This is when he should have started giving Mettnberger significant playing time in the second half of the blowout games. Someone needed to be ready to step in - which is normal . JJ could have been injured on the second play of the game, any game he started. Poor planning. Even Saban started a red-shirt sophomore, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE BEST PLAYER AT THAT POSITION on the team. Loyalty is great until it tolerates incompetence. I can't imagine Saban tolerating incompetence just because of seniority....

 

i want to to be critical of miles, because like everyone, i was frustrated with the offense not being more aggro the other night. but yunno, homie played the hardest schedule i have ever seen and was undefeated, and dominated some really good teams. hard to be critical of that kind of a season, has to be one of the best ever, against a juggernaut schedule.

 

Good reply. But our two QB's could not have made this work. JJ tries to throw through WR's running slants and is very inconsistant beyond 20 yards. JL would not have made it past two series when Bama would have cut off the short passing routes. The rush was getting to JJ in 3 seconds. JL would have been a sitting duck and would have forced passes into coverage resulting in turnovers. Again, the problem was our OL giving our QB's time to pass. This being said, it does not answer the question as to why Les didn't try JL or Mett. Then all of the critics would blame Les for not getting his team ready or motivated. Really?

 

I agree ... I admitted..the O-Line was playing subpar ... but, I don't know how you can say that our two QB's could not have made this work, when it was working ... even with JJ's long windup.

Sure .. Bama would have adjusted to cut off the short pass. But that is what you want them to do. If they adjust to stop one thing .. then another aspect of the game becomes open. E.G. ... linebackers start backing up to cut off short routes .. Run game becomes more effective and pass rush becomes less effective because the LB's no longer are in play. Corners start pulling up to cut off short routes .... 10-15 yard routes begin to open.

It's just the nature of the beast. No defense can shut down all aspects of the game. It is the OC's job to exploit that fact, and to manipulate the defense into opening up other aspects. It's the DC's job to try and anticipate what the OC is doing. It is a chess game.

The problem with the NC game ... the DC didn't have to do anything .. because, as has been talked about ad nauseum by us and the press and everyone else .... CLM [and OC] didn't make any adjustments.

 

I agree with chess game because I do coach. I am a former OL. No way any offense could consistantly move the ball down the field with the way our OL played that night. Truely something was amiss. I did not think that our guys would play that poorly. The got their a$$es handed to them. Our defense and special teams did not give us a short field which they have all year long. This put our QB in the crosshairs. Bottom line: It all starts in the trenches. Doesn't matter what type of talent you have in the backfield.

 

It does all start in the trenches but you can give your O line some help when the defense is pinning their ears back and coming like Bama was. Short quick passes, draws, screens, etc., but Jefferson does none of that well, nor does he do the option well or even play action well. Matter of fact he does nothing well. He can run when he gets going but he is slow off the mark and takes to long too decide to run in the first place.

If you are designing your game plan against Bama around Jefferson, you've got quite a challenge.