DEL OLALEYE

Alabama continues to roll; Aggies still can't close out games

Del Olaleye
Nov 7, 2018, 5:50 am
Nick Saban and Alabama continue to roll. Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images

Alabama dispatches LSU   

The only people who thought LSU had a chance to win Saturday night were fans of LSU. They showed up strong inside and outside of Tiger Stadium and with good reason if you’re a...lets just say exuberant(delusional) fan. Their favorite team was ranked 3rd in the first College Football Playoff poll and had already beaten a Top 5 Georgia team in Death Valley earlier this season. Tigers fans had dreams of ending their losing streak to Alabama and Nick Saban as LSU hadn’t beat the Crimson Tide since 2011. Unfortunately, Georgia isn’t Alabama and Jake Fromm isn’t Tua Tagovailoa. There are no positives to take away from getting shut out 29-0 at home. For all the anticipation going into the the game the gulf between the two SEC West rivals appears as large as ever. LSU coach Ed Orgeron says he needs better players on his offensive and defensive fronts to compete with Alabama. While that may be true, the difference in quarterback play can’t be overlooked. LSU has been deficient at the position for almost a decade. With a potential Heisman winner playing the position for Alabama, the lack of productivity for LSU at the position is only exacerbated. Great quarterback play beats the Tide. You are never going to out-recruit them in the trenches. Find that special one at quarterback LSU. It is the only chance you’ve got.

Closing out games remains a problem for the Aggies

The early season optimism from of all things playing Clemson to two points and beating Kentucky has evaporated for Texas A&M.; In the last two weeks, themes that consistently plagued Kevin Sumlin’s tenure at Texas A&M; have re-emerged. The Aggies can’t close teams out. The inability to defend a 3rd and 21 against Mississippi State deep in Bulldogs territory in the fourth quarter changed the complexion of that game. At the time it was a one-point game in Starkville. Jimbo Fisher’s team went on to lose that game by two scores. The misery didn’t end there. Leading by ten points in the fourth quarter over a scuffling Auburn team this past Saturday, Texas A&M; missed a field goal, threw an interception and allowed a huge punt return. All three of those things contributed to a devastating loss that dropped the Aggies to 5-4. Losing to Alabama and LSU had come to be expected during Sumlin’s time in Aggieland. Getting beat by the likes of the Mississippi schools and Auburn drastically changed the complexion of Sumlin’s final seasons in College Station and eventually led to his dismissal. Fisher has all the job security in the world. You just don’t want to repeat the mistakes of the guy who you replaced. A loss to Ole Miss on Saturday would mean paying Fisher about $7.5 million a year resulted in not much changing on the field for the Aggies.

College Football Playoff Game of the Week

10 Ohio State vs 18 Michigan State

The Buckeyes need to be impressive if they have any chance of making people forget about the ass kicking Iowa gave them. Somehow the committee thinks a very average Michigan State team deserves a top-20 ranking. A win for Ohio State over a “quality” opponent keeps them in the race for a playoff spot. A matchup with No. 4 Michigan in The Horseshoe is looming.


 

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A New Role

R.C. Slocum will help decide our National Championship

R.C. Slocum. Wikipedia

Yesterday it was announced that former Texas A&M; Head Football Coach R.C. Slocum will be on the College Football Playoff committee for the next three years. He hasn't coached since 2002 but he hasn't been away from the game. He's been voting in the NFF college football poll and just last year resigned as chair of the American Football Coaches Foundation. He'd been the only president they had ever had. But he decided he needed a new challenge and a few months ago Bill Hancock, the executive director of the CFP committee called. It didn't take long for R.C. to agree to be on board.

"It's a great honor in terms of the committee affecting college football. It's one of the most prestigious committees out there. It's a way to give back. I've spent my whole life in college football. I was wondering which way it would take me. To be at the forefront is exciting."

It'll cut into his golf game but it won't cut into watching his Aggies. The committee meets during the week in Dallas which is a short drive for him from College Station. It's made up of a very impressive group of Athletic Directors, former coaches, a professor and now a four star general.

He's going to watch as many games as possible and do his best to put the best teams in the playoff.

"There's no right or wrong. I want to be able to be able to defend why I voted that way. I expect in those meetings I'll be able to say why I think this team is better than that team. I've always said, 'Look at it like it's a horse race. Which one would you put your money on?' I'll just try to be fair."

As far as changing the system, maybe an eight team playoff? The old ball coach didn't want anything to do with that.

"It wouldn't be very corporate of me to speculate on that. I'm just waiting to see what we do and how we do it. Every argument sounds pretty good while they're making them. This is what we have. We'll just go with that for now."

"I see a game that's as popular as ever. There are more and more games on TV but there's still 100,000 people in the stands and you can't get a ticket. Back when I coached there was a lot more defense. People were running the wishbone. Last week we had two Texas quarterbacks in an NFL playoff game. We didn't have any quarterbacks in the NFL back in the day. 7 on 7 has changed everything. And everyone talks about the quarterbacks but do you see the catches that these guys are making? It's an exciting time."

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