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Nick Saban (ex-HC Alabama Crimson Tide)

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Alabama is a great program, no doubt. Can’t be denied. However, as I watched them struggle last night in California, it dawned on me that I rarely see them play outside of the SEC footprint – and I wondered if that might have something to do with their success overall, and, possibly, their struggles last night.

Alabama has played 9 games outside of the SEC footprint in the last 20 years – and that’s if you include a game they played against Duke in Durham. Only 4 of those games (if you include Duke) were regular season games. They posted a 2-2 record in those games. The other 5 games were bowls where they posted a 3-2 record.

Conclusion? Alabama is really good when they play in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. They are less good when they play somewhere else.

Imagine Ohio State playing all their regular season in the B1G footprint and their bowl games in Indianapolis, Detroit, Chicago, etc. There might be some advantage to that.

Ohio State has played 31 games outside of the B1G footprint in the last 20 years. 12 of those were regular season games vs. Miami (Fla), Arizona, UCLA, NC State, Texas, Washington, USC, Cal, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, and TCU. Ohio State has posted an 8-4 record in those regular season games outside of their footprint, and an 11-8 bowl/playoff games record.

Then we have to throw in two more factors – one is that Alabama is only playing 8 conference games a year, and they are playing the Sisters of the Poor every year before their rivalry game.

Alabama and Nick Saban are very, very good. But they also schedule to have a great record and advantage themselves at the end of the year. It’s nothing they have control over, but they also tend to go to the Sugar, Peach, or Orange Bowls, and the Cotton Bowl is also in their footprint. Don’t see them much at the Fiesta or Rose Bowls for a variety of reasons. The point is that a part of the mystique and success of Alabama is related to who they play and where they play them.

You have to also consider that the SEC is ALWAYS over-rated. Alabama was elite. Georgia was somewhere between very good and elite. Kentucky and LSU were good to very good. Florida was good - kinda. A&M is coming. Miss State was just OK. Auburn - never know what you are going to get. Then you have some decent to barely average teams: Missouri, S Carolina, Vandy, Tenn. And then you have the hot garbage of Ole Miss and Arkansas. That is not a bunch of world-beaters, but when Bama thrashes Miss State we are all supposed to recognize that this conference is "brutal".

Saban’s greatness is pretty well-established, but it’s not beyond some criticism. Alabama is somewhat similar to a boxer who is hardly ever put into an environment - or against an opponent - that disadvantages him. In the latter part of his career, if Saban wants me to bow down, play 9 SEC games, play someone with a pulse in game 11, and go play in Columbus, Happy Valley, Ann Arbor, Madison, Norman, Austin, @ Clemson, @ Notre Dame, @ Washington/Oregon/USC etc a few times. Win those kinds of games and it removes all doubt.
 
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OSUK said:
Alabama is a great program, no doubt. Can’t be denied. However, as I watched them struggle last night in California, it dawned on me that I rarely see them play outside of the SEC footprint – and I wondered if that might have something to do with their success overall, and, possibly, their struggles last night.

Alabama has played 9 games outside of the SEC footprint in the last 20 years – and that’s if you include a game they played against Duke in Durham. Only 4 of those games (if you include Duke) were regular season games. They posted a 2-2 record in those games. The other 5 games were bowls where they posted a 3-2 record.

Conclusion? Alabama is really good when they play in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. They are less good when they play somewhere else.

Imagine Ohio State playing all their regular season in the B1G footprint and their bowl games in Indianapolis, Detroit, Chicago, etc. There might be some advantage to that.

Ohio State has played 31 games outside of the B1G footprint in the last 20 years. 12 of those were regular season games vs. Miami (Fla), Arizona, UCLA, NC State, Texas, Washington, USC, Cal, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, and TCU. Ohio State has posted an 8-4 record in those regular season games outside of their footprint, and an 11-8 bowl/playoff games record.

Then we have to throw in two more factors – one is that Alabama is only playing 8 conference games a year, and they are playing the Sisters of the Poor every year before their rivalry game.

Alabama and Nick Saban are very, very good. But they also schedule to have a great record and advantage themselves at the end of the year. It’s nothing they have control over, but they also tend to go to the Sugar, Peach, or Orange Bowls, and the Cotton Bowl is also in their footprint. Don’t see them much at the Fiesta or Rose Bowls for a variety of reasons. The point is that a part of the mystique and success of Alabama is related to who they play and where they play them.

You have to also consider that the SEC is ALWAYS over-rated. Alabama was elite. Georgia was somewhere between very good and elite. Kentucky and LSU were good to very good. Florida was good - kinda. A&M is coming. Miss State was just OK. Auburn - never know what you are going to get. Then you have some decent to barely average teams: Missouri, S Carolina, Vandy, Tenn. And then you have the hot garbage of Ole Miss and Arkansas. That is not a bunch of world-beaters, but when Bama thrashes Miss State we are all supposed to recognize that this conference is "brutal".

Saban’s greatness is pretty well-established, but it’s not beyond some criticism. Alabama is somewhat similar to a boxer who is hardly ever put into an environment - or against an opponent - that disadvantages him. In the latter part of his career, if Saban wants me to bow down, play 9 SEC games, play someone with a pulse in game 11, and go play in Columbus, Happy Valley, Ann Arbor, Madison, Norman, Austin, @ Clemson, @ Notre Dame, @ Washington/Oregon/USC etc a few times. Win those kinds of games and it removes all doubt.
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You can say all of that for about any conference. The big difference is the media love fest of sports in the south. Happened in the early 2000's with Texas, LSU, Miami, and has continued with Bama.
 
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Hstead said:
I just wonder how many times we would have had to watch the reply over and over and over of Urban breaking his headset and screaming the F Bomb had it been Urban not Saban with the tantrum?
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It's clear to me that Saban's retirement for health reasons is imminent. I fully expect the sports media to be dissecting his sideline behavior for the next year searching for any and every sign that he's done.
 
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OSUK said:
Alabama is a great program, no doubt. Can’t be denied. However, as I watched them struggle last night in California, it dawned on me that I rarely see them play outside of the SEC footprint – and I wondered if that might have something to do with their success overall, and, possibly, their struggles last night.

Alabama has played 9 games outside of the SEC footprint in the last 20 years – and that’s if you include a game they played against Duke in Durham. Only 4 of those games (if you include Duke) were regular season games. They posted a 2-2 record in those games. The other 5 games were bowls where they posted a 3-2 record.

Conclusion? Alabama is really good when they play in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. They are less good when they play somewhere else.

Imagine Ohio State playing all their regular season in the B1G footprint and their bowl games in Indianapolis, Detroit, Chicago, etc. There might be some advantage to that.

Ohio State has played 31 games outside of the B1G footprint in the last 20 years. 12 of those were regular season games vs. Miami (Fla), Arizona, UCLA, NC State, Texas, Washington, USC, Cal, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, and TCU. Ohio State has posted an 8-4 record in those regular season games outside of their footprint, and an 11-8 bowl/playoff games record.

Then we have to throw in two more factors – one is that Alabama is only playing 8 conference games a year, and they are playing the Sisters of the Poor every year before their rivalry game.

Alabama and Nick Saban are very, very good. But they also schedule to have a great record and advantage themselves at the end of the year. It’s nothing they have control over, but they also tend to go to the Sugar, Peach, or Orange Bowls, and the Cotton Bowl is also in their footprint. Don’t see them much at the Fiesta or Rose Bowls for a variety of reasons. The point is that a part of the mystique and success of Alabama is related to who they play and where they play them.

You have to also consider that the SEC is ALWAYS over-rated. Alabama was elite. Georgia was somewhere between very good and elite. Kentucky and LSU were good to very good. Florida was good - kinda. A&M is coming. Miss State was just OK. Auburn - never know what you are going to get. Then you have some decent to barely average teams: Missouri, S Carolina, Vandy, Tenn. And then you have the hot garbage of Ole Miss and Arkansas. That is not a bunch of world-beaters, but when Bama thrashes Miss State we are all supposed to recognize that this conference is "brutal".

Saban’s greatness is pretty well-established, but it’s not beyond some criticism. Alabama is somewhat similar to a boxer who is hardly ever put into an environment - or against an opponent - that disadvantages him. In the latter part of his career, if Saban wants me to bow down, play 9 SEC games, play someone with a pulse in game 11, and go play in Columbus, Happy Valley, Ann Arbor, Madison, Norman, Austin, @ Clemson, @ Notre Dame, @ Washington/Oregon/USC etc a few times. Win those kinds of games and it removes all doubt.
Click to expand...
CFB has created this monster, and it ain’t ending soon. If it ain’t Bama, then it’s going to be Clemson(led by a Bama alum). CFB has shown a blueprint and is provides a clear path to the NC, and begins with Bama being able to get the best recruits in the nation annually. Why would they have to change their schedule when they can get to (and usually win) the Nc as is? They don’t need our validation for NCs, they just keep filling their trophy case. And tbh, none of us would have any problem if Urban and OSU had the same benefit from the media, and thought of scheduling a soft schedule if it meant yearly appearances in the NC and winning a good number of them. OSU is probably the only northern team with a chance, and we can hang our hats on that. But with the best recruits being in the south, and the biggest bowl games played in the south(for the most part), it is what it is. The game is stacked, it’s CFB, the rich will always get richer, college sports(at least football and basketball) were never meant for parity. Be glad that we’re Buckeye fans, and not fans of MSU, Arizona, Baylor, etc who have virtually no chance
 
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