SEC West pathetic record in bowl games this year

YEAR?!?! Did you say YEAR? It's been a great decade for Bama and it may not over...yet. What are yall returning, anyway?

 

Considering it very well could have been looked at as a rebuilding year at the beginning of the year your team did really well.

 

I'm anxious to see what decisions a few players make; Reed and Ragland on defense are two of the most important keys.

I'm fairly certain I mentioned in the summer that I thought we were woefully thin at interior linebacker. We'll need some help there much like we could have used it this season.

Other than that, we've got good depth across the board.

I was looking over season ending numbers a little while yesterday and one thing that jumped out at me was the difference in scoring defenses this year compared to 2008. There's almost been a 100% increase in points allowed. (FWIW, 2011 was the exception to that trend.)

I've always loved watching a good defense and those days are seemingly slipping by this "old school fan." In a way, I rue the day EASports, and their ilk, started putting out video games where young football fans could score 50+ points. It's had a part in changing the culture of football as we know it.

 

That's really sad to me because I have always loved defensive games. There was an Alabama Tennessee game earlier in this century that I think ended 6-3 and it was a very exciting game IMO.

 

2005.

One of my all time favorites is from 1990; 9-6 final. Brutal, hard hitting football game.

 

Where SEC teams started often gave them a boost in the quality win component and I can't forsee any team in any other conference starting as low as 18 and thinking they have a right to claim a spot in the NCG when the 1 and 2 teams remained unbeaten.

Total speculation here but I think in the Tide and true BCS way, this season would have had Oregon and Ohio St playing in the Rose for a nice trophy and Bama playing FSU for the NC. And next pre-season everyone crowing about Alabama's dynasty.

 

That's why a playoff is better, but I imagine if we had a playoff the last 10 years the results wouldn't have been drastically different.

 

Ooooo myyy gawd.

That BCS was so flawed, I'm glad we ditched it. That poll that had USC ranked #1, heck, it's still here. Go figure.

 

You could argue this is one of the problems with polls. You "start off" in a subjectively chosen position, don't lose, and end in that same position irrespective of quality of opponent or other factors. This is why playing toward goals such as conference championships, then playoffs, is a much better system/approach. I think the playoffs should be rewarding of accomplishments on the field that include record, but also conf. championships.

Moving forward, I would like to see either 6 or 8 team playoffs. 8 teams would have 6 major conf. champions, and 2 at-large teams that have had good-great seasons and have played their way in. A 6 team playoff would have 2 top seeds getting byes, then the other 4 playing in the playoffs. Either would be fine w/me. Right now, there is one round of playoffs, then a champ. game, and that just seems too short of a "playoff".