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Empire Strikes Back: How Nick Saban adapted to help Alabama get Iron Bowl revenge
http://sports.yahoo.com ^ | November 30, 2014 | Pat Forte

Posted on 11/30/2014 9:51:45 AM PST by NKP_Vet

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – If you could tap into Nick Saban’s fondest football dreams, you’d probably find the Alabama football coach fantasizing about shutouts and cartilage-rattling tackles and a relentless pass rush.

Touchdowns would be down the wish list.

But on a surreal November night when the Iron Bowl scoreboard read 55-44 – an abomination to the Pat Dye generation – Saban could deal with it.

Because his team had the 55, and Auburn had the 44. His team has the Southeastern Conference Western Division title, and the Tigers don’t. His 11-1 team should still be No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings this week, and 7-4 Auburn will be well down the list.

Those are the overarching truths that make the discomfort of winning this way tolerable.

The Crimson Tide gave up more yards than it ever has before (630) on more plays than it ever has endured before (90). The Tide withstood a barrage by Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall, who set school records for total offense (505 yards) and passing yards (465). When a reporter tried to tap dance around those facts when asking Saban about a defense that “seemed” to struggle, the coach called him on it.

“There wasn’t any seemed like it,” Saban said, poking at the stat sheet before him. “You’re not going to hurt my feelings. They passed for 465 yards. I’ve got it right here on paper.

(Excerpt) Read more at sports.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: collegefootball; rolltide
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To: piytar

Ah yes, the ol’ dump on the Seminoles by the SEC...one interesting thing is happening though as the season has progressed...the FSU defense seems to be learning to actually play, defense...Against Notre Dame, Louisville and then the mighty Florida, FSU gave up a total of 23 points in the second half against 2 nationally ranked teams with FSU giving up only 3 points to the reptile-ville representative of the SEC...for the common core abled amongst us that is just less than 8 points per half against mostly quality competition...Seeing as how Alabama is unable to stop a high powered offense, I don’t think that FSU is exactly soiling themselves today thinking about the possibility of encountering the Tide in the playoffs...Of course, with this selection committee made up of Ensure abusing seniors, it would not surprise me if FSU ends up getting dropped completely out of the bowl picture...That would probably be the only way that the SEC would win the national championship this year...it would not be the first time of course...


21 posted on 11/30/2014 12:35:16 PM PST by Delta Dawn (Fluent in two languages: English and cursive.)
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To: Qwackertoo

Those two incredible fumbles near the end of the A&M game did their season in


22 posted on 11/30/2014 1:34:40 PM PST by A_Former_Democrat (Get ready St. Louis . . . Guns Up . . .LnL . . .STK)
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To: RightFighter

Charles Nelson is the best wide receiver that no one it talking about.


23 posted on 11/30/2014 1:34:44 PM PST by weston (As far as I'm concerned, it's Christ or nothing!)
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To: Delta Dawn

Your foolish post is duly noted. I’m making a note to call you out in January. And of course, if FSU has to play Oregon inn the semi-finals, your jameis junkhead may not even be in the final game.


24 posted on 11/30/2014 3:10:28 PM PST by MHGinTN
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To: A_Former_Democrat

Those were BAD. The missed/fumbled snap and the other one. I thought my husband and 17 yr old son were both gonna throw something at the TV.


25 posted on 11/30/2014 3:16:50 PM PST by Qwackertoo (Worst 8 years ever, First Affirmative Action President, I hope those who did this to us SUFFER MOST!)
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To: MHGinTN

Last time I looked, FSU was 3 - 0 against the vaunted SEC during Jameis time in Tallahassee. Looking forward to January when once again the puffed up chests of the SEC faithful will be deflated...Let’s face it, the SEC went 3 - 6 yesterday, 1 - 4 against the ACC...So much for the super conference.

If facts embarrass or inflame you, I apologize in advance...


26 posted on 11/30/2014 3:40:50 PM PST by Delta Dawn (Fluent in two languages: English and cursive.)
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To: weston

His recruiting was very quiet. We all knew how fast he was on both sides of the ball, but he hurt his knee during his junior season and missed the whole year. I think he was a 3 star because of that, but if he’d played his junior year the way he did his senior year, he’d probably have been a 5 star prospect. Really, really nice kid, too.


27 posted on 11/30/2014 4:29:03 PM PST by RightFighter (It was all for nothing.)
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To: weston

The ducks will be roasted by any SEC team. Look at their schedule...

South Dakota
Michigan State
Wyoming
Washington State
Arizona
UCLA
Washington
California
Stanford
Utah
Colorado
Oregon State
Arizona

They’re lucky to be in the top 20 with that weak schedule let alone top 4.


28 posted on 11/30/2014 4:37:18 PM PST by Textide (Lord, grant that I may always be right, for thou knowest I am hard to turn. ~ Scotch-Irish prayer)
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To: Qwackertoo

Yep, Auburn blew it after making a comeback. That one snap hit the center in his rear end..Incredible bad play by a team that highly ranked


29 posted on 11/30/2014 5:23:37 PM PST by A_Former_Democrat (Get ready St. Louis . . . Guns Up . . .LnL . . .STK)
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To: Delta Dawn

Smarm, just what one expects from an FSU jameis worshipper.


30 posted on 11/30/2014 7:03:27 PM PST by MHGinTN
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To: weston

Arizona has beat Oregon the last two times they played. Not a sure thing Oregon will make the Final Four, anymore than it’s a sure thing Alabama will beat Missouri.


31 posted on 11/30/2014 8:21:24 PM PST by NKP_Vet ("Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus")
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To: Delta Dawn

FSU is not a high powered offense, Oregon is. FSU would have lost 5 games if they were in the SEC.


32 posted on 11/30/2014 8:23:45 PM PST by NKP_Vet ("Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus")
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To: NKP_Vet

I recommend that you put the bong down now...Oh yeah, and if FSU had played an SEC team last year in the national championship...wait, what?


33 posted on 12/01/2014 6:05:00 AM PST by Delta Dawn (Fluent in two languages: English and cursive.)
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To: MHGinTN

I take solace in the fact that Lane Kiffin is trolling the sideline for Alabama...


34 posted on 12/01/2014 6:12:15 AM PST by Delta Dawn (Fluent in two languages: English and cursive.)
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To: Delta Dawn

Alabama was the best team in the SEC last year, too bad they didn’t get the chance to prove it against Florida State. Bama lost to Auburn on a fluke play seen maybe twice in 50 years. Then Auburn and FSU looked like two high scoring high schools, with NO DEFENSE whatever in the title game, with the team having the ball last winning. There NO WAY Florida State wins the title this year. Alabama and especially Oregon will beat them. They get behind Oregon a couple of touchdowns there is no coming back. Mariotta is better than Winston and the Oregon team is due a national title.


35 posted on 12/01/2014 6:16:29 AM PST by NKP_Vet ("Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus")
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To: NKP_Vet

Thanks NKP_Vet...I was hoping to encounter some really good comedy writing this morning and your post was just what I was looking for...You do realize that Winston has never lost a game in college, right? Can Marizona say that?

Alabama will lose this weekend to Missouri, so there won’t even be an SEC team in the playoffs this year...Heck, Manti Teo has a better chance of getting an actual girlfriend than Alabama has of winning the national championship...


36 posted on 12/01/2014 6:38:38 AM PST by Delta Dawn (Fluent in two languages: English and cursive.)
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To: Delta Dawn

Now THAT note hit a nerve ‘cause I too think that in the long haul he is a disaster for Bama.


37 posted on 12/01/2014 7:23:48 AM PST by MHGinTN
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To: Textide

The SEC went 0 for 4 this weekend against the ACC.


38 posted on 12/01/2014 7:25:03 AM PST by dfwgator
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To: Textide

The SEC went 0 for 4 this weekend against the ACC.


39 posted on 12/01/2014 7:32:28 AM PST by dfwgator
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To: dfwgator

Yeah, they didn’t do real well this weekend. Was hoping for an FSU loss to give Alabama a dominant first.

Oregon, on the other hand, doesn’t play anyone.


40 posted on 12/01/2014 8:34:34 AM PST by Textide (Lord, grant that I may always be right, for thou knowest I am hard to turn. ~ Scotch-Irish prayer)
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