Why was Saban mediocre here?

Great point Red. I don't remember anyone who wasn't dissapointed when he left. As others have pointed out he was very good here and would likely have become great had he stayed. He never stops his "process". He also caught the pefect storm in Alabama and has ridden it well.

 

I think you guys are kind of splitting hairs. 75% versus 82% can almost be explained by Mauck's injury in 2002 alone. Saban was not "mediocre" at LSU. He brought us our first national championship in 45 yrs and a much more solid foundation than we had previously.

I think the Saban/LSU match benefitted both sides. If Saban were still at Mich St. today, do they ever win a national championship? I say no, unless perhaps if you factor in how easy it is to run the table in the Big Ten.

 

If you go back and see how many times that a Big10 team actually ran the table during the BCS era compared to the SEC, you wouldn't make that statement.

 

This is what put them over the top the past two years. Three penalties collectively against LSU & Georgia on the road?...yea right! Coincidence they played the two weakest teams from the East simply by chance?...yea right!

They have a great program, coaching, facilities, fans, etc. - but what separates them from other SEC schools is the HQ located in their backyard. Penalties, scheduling, lobbying, etc...make no mistake, the SEC HQ takes care of their own!

 

With an asterisk(*) indicating college. He was a monumental failure at Miami and bailed on them because he knew his ship was sinking. His little man syndrome works well at the college level but he would never succeed leading a pro team.

 

Honestly? I think it's easier to win at Alabama. The school spends WAY more money (I saw this posted recently; if somebody has those figures handy, back me up), their fanbase is bigger and more passionate overall (they fill their stadium for every spring game, and I can't remember seeing their seats empty at halftime nearly as often as ours do), the residents of the state really have nothing else to root for (no pro teams, no real competition outside of an occassional Auburn team), and a much easier East schedule perrenially, which may or may not be due to the conspiracy theories. On top of all that, they have media love because they are a historical power, and they are situated in the very center of SEC country, making it an easy drive for any potential recruit to go home from time to time.

Someone above said it's a perfect storm. It truly is. We don't have the same advantages.

 

I would love to see what our fourth quarter attendance would be if the traffic clowns ever figured out how to manage the flow.

Contending with the Mississippi River limiting egress to 180 degrees is a problem but the current plan sucks. Unfortunately many would prefer to bail a little early than to be stuck on campus for an additional two hours sitting in traffic.

Let the engineering department propose a few solutions. The baseball crowds may leave a little early if it's a blowout but we don't see the mass exodus like football. Maybe it's because you can wait until the final out and still be off campus within 15 minutes.

 

One additional traffic issue. SCREW ALL STATE OFFICIALS REGARDLESS OF POLITICALY PARTY!!!

We should stop giving them free tickets and DEFINITELY need to put an end to the special treatment like police escorts. Let them wait in traffic just like the rest of the common folk!

 

The perfect storm is even bigger than most people appreciate. Without a massive media campaign led by ESPN, Bama doesn't backdoor into the NC in 2011. If Ohio State isn't on NCAA sanctions, Bama misses out in 2012, also. Saban needed losses from top-rated teams in the final weeks of the season, once in 2011 and twice in 2012, to move into the BCSNC, and all three losses happened. Everyone also remembers the intricate BCS tie-ins that led to our NC in 2003.

Saban is a very good coach, but he's lived something of a charmed life, as well. One that has made the difference between 4 NCs and only 1.