Alabama Handicapping Positives Prior to Start of 2014 Season: Nick Saban; the great recruits Saban and Alabama had coming into 2014 ( the Tide's 3rd string players are better than most mid-level program's top players ); every starting RB and Rec. from '13 came back with the exception of one starter; exceptional punt- and kick-returner in Christion Jones; HC Nick Saban.
Alabama Handicapping Negatives Prior to Start of 2014 Season: Big loss of 3-year starter A.J. McCarron; No standout leader back on defense. 'Bama had a 3rd team SECer and 2nd teamer at MLB and FS, respectively. That is an unusually small amount of star, returning defenders; only 10+ starters in total returned from '13 squad; the loss of a great punter and a very good FG kicker; new O-Coor in Lane Kiffin.
EdgySam Sums Up Alabama's 2014 FBS Season: I thought at the beginning of the season that Alabama would be good simply because they have Saban as a coach and because of the great recruits Saban always gets. I did not think they would win the SEC West, and I did not think they would win the national championship. Despite the loss to Ole Miss., my confidence in that prediction started to waver as Alabama strung together seven straight wins, including three consecutive over LSU, Miss.St, and Auburn.
They eventually did make my national prediction correct when they lost to Ohio St., but, as usual, considering Saban had a new starter at QB, and a fairly inexperienced, returning defense, I thought he did a great job.As usual, every unit on the field performed way above average. Despite a good year from new QB Blake Sims, I thought it very significant that in two of his wins, vs. Arkansas and LSU, Sims did not play well, throwing for under 50% collectively, for those two games. Sims' production in those two wins was one of the major reasons I picked Ohio St. in their semi-final, national championship contest.
Saban is judged by National Championships. Lots of people probably think the Tide's HC had a disappointing '14 season. I'd disagree. EdgySam thinks Saban did a very good job this year.
EdgySam's Very Preliminary Outlook for Alabama in 2015: I'm really stepping out on a limb: The Crimson Tide will contend for the National Championship in 2015. It almost doesn't matter how many starters Saban has coming back. That speaks very clearly to the quality of the recruits Alabama has in the program.
Regardless of that perennial contention to win it all, Saban will have to decide on who the new starting QB will be, and he may have to deal with the loss, due to early departures, of star, junior RB Yeldon and junior Heisman candidate Omari Cooper. The rest of the contending teams in the FBS better hope the Tide has a hard time replacing their top QB, RB and WR because the best defense in the country may reside in Tuscaloosa in 2015. NINE starters will return from this year's defense, including both starting cornerbacks.
If Alabama comes up with a star QB next season, I'll make the Tide and Ohio St. the favorites to win it all in 2015.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
@EdgySam Sums Up #Vanderbilt 2014 FBS Season
Vanderbilt Handicapping Positives Prior to Start of 2014 Season: There were not many positives for Vandy fans to look forward to prior to start of the 2014 season. Trying hard, I was able to come up with only a couple decent positives: the #1 RB from '13, Jerron Seymour, returned ( okay he only had 700 yards rushing), 4 of the top five offensive linemen from '13 were back, and, well, the top four starters in the defensive line were seniors.
Vanderbilt Handicapping Negatives Prior to Start of 2014 Season: new freshman starter at QB; top 3 receivers gone, including #1 receiver and All-SECer Jordan Matthews( 112 catches!); only four starters back on defense, including no returning defensive backs; the loss of a HC in James Franklin who accomplished the near impossible: 24-15 record in his three years as a HC, including a stellar 25-14 record vs. the spread. For perspective, prior to Franklin's arrival, the Commodores had a 27-56 straight up record for the 7 years prior to Franklin's term as HC. I will make this point: believe it or not, despite the seemingly bad 27-56 record, the HC at the time, Bobby Johnson, did a pretty decent job at the Nashville school.
EdgySam Sums Up Vanderbilt's 2014 Season: With the loss of an outstanding coach in James Franklin, and his replacement, Derek Mason, having NO HC experience entering this 2014 campaign, things would have been grim for the Coomodores. The return of only 9 starters total from '13 would probably make things worse. They did! In my preseason notes, I wrote only 2 words which summarized succinctly my feelings for Vandy's chances in 2014: " Big Trouble." I thought the Commodores would be the worst team in the SEC. They were.
Vandy was 0-8 vs. the SEC. Collectively, the 'Dores were horrible rushing the ball, horrible passing the ball, horrible defending the rush, and horrible defending the pass. Ostensibly, Vanderbilt might be right back in the spot they held before HC Franklin came to Nashville. Will Mason, a HC with no proven track record, be able to return Vandy to the successes of the Franklin era? It will be VERY hard.
EdgySam Very Preliminary Outlook for Vanderbilt in 2015: Quarterback McCrary had a horrible year, but, he is returning and he was the 31st rated QB of his HS class. That should be a positive, right? It should help that McCrary will have eight other starters back on offense from this year's squad.
The Commodores lose most of the D-Linemen from this year's team, but, 7 of the 8 linebackers and D-Backs will return in '15.
Vandy will have a decent amount of starters back from '14, which is usually a good sign. The problem is the returning starters played horribly in '14. I have no confidence that these same starters will not be horrible again in 2015. If Franklin were still the HC, I'd be extremely confident for big things in the new year. He's a proven commodity. Is there any person reading this who has confidence that a HC with only 1 year of experience coaching in the FBS will get results from the upcoming 2015 Commodore team? Speaking only for myself: I don't.
Vanderbilt Handicapping Negatives Prior to Start of 2014 Season: new freshman starter at QB; top 3 receivers gone, including #1 receiver and All-SECer Jordan Matthews( 112 catches!); only four starters back on defense, including no returning defensive backs; the loss of a HC in James Franklin who accomplished the near impossible: 24-15 record in his three years as a HC, including a stellar 25-14 record vs. the spread. For perspective, prior to Franklin's arrival, the Commodores had a 27-56 straight up record for the 7 years prior to Franklin's term as HC. I will make this point: believe it or not, despite the seemingly bad 27-56 record, the HC at the time, Bobby Johnson, did a pretty decent job at the Nashville school.
EdgySam Sums Up Vanderbilt's 2014 Season: With the loss of an outstanding coach in James Franklin, and his replacement, Derek Mason, having NO HC experience entering this 2014 campaign, things would have been grim for the Coomodores. The return of only 9 starters total from '13 would probably make things worse. They did! In my preseason notes, I wrote only 2 words which summarized succinctly my feelings for Vandy's chances in 2014: " Big Trouble." I thought the Commodores would be the worst team in the SEC. They were.
Vandy was 0-8 vs. the SEC. Collectively, the 'Dores were horrible rushing the ball, horrible passing the ball, horrible defending the rush, and horrible defending the pass. Ostensibly, Vanderbilt might be right back in the spot they held before HC Franklin came to Nashville. Will Mason, a HC with no proven track record, be able to return Vandy to the successes of the Franklin era? It will be VERY hard.
EdgySam Very Preliminary Outlook for Vanderbilt in 2015: Quarterback McCrary had a horrible year, but, he is returning and he was the 31st rated QB of his HS class. That should be a positive, right? It should help that McCrary will have eight other starters back on offense from this year's squad.
The Commodores lose most of the D-Linemen from this year's team, but, 7 of the 8 linebackers and D-Backs will return in '15.
Vandy will have a decent amount of starters back from '14, which is usually a good sign. The problem is the returning starters played horribly in '14. I have no confidence that these same starters will not be horrible again in 2015. If Franklin were still the HC, I'd be extremely confident for big things in the new year. He's a proven commodity. Is there any person reading this who has confidence that a HC with only 1 year of experience coaching in the FBS will get results from the upcoming 2015 Commodore team? Speaking only for myself: I don't.
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