Ah, The Ole "Look at Me" Writers Have Returned

[Townhallsavoy]

It doesn't bother me as much as last year for some reason.  Can't figure out what's changed. 

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.—It’s right there if you look hard enough. Beyond the blowout victory and the ridiculous highlights and the march to another national title.

Alabama is in trouble, everyone.

You wouldn’t know it by Saturday’s 38-14 rout of Arkansas, and wouldn’t know it with Tide blinders on. But at some point, the quarterback position at Alabama will become a critical flaw.

I don’t want to be the negative guy, I really don’t. But how can you ignore the huge, flashing yellow caution light in the sea of crimson?

“A.J. did a great job of managing our offense,” said Alabama coach Nick Saban.

Ah yes, the game manager. The all-encompassing, ever-damning statement of a quarterback’s ability.

Look, A.J. McCarron does what he’s told to do by Team Saban—from not making mistakes, to playing within the offensive scheme, to not making mistakes. That’s right, I said, not making mistakes.

What’s the easiest way to accomplish that No.1 priority? Take the ball out of McCarron’s hands.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The loss of Greg McElroy has been incredibly overlooked. The funny thing is, McElroy was called a “game manager” too.

Now he’s a game manager on an NFL roster.

“Greg was so important to what we did,” said Alabama offensive tackle Barrett Jones. “A.J. is getting there; his confidence is building. We have complete faith in him.”

Even if it’s blind faith.

You see an overwhelming, suffocating Alabama defense; I see a Tide offense hiding its glaring weakness.

You see special teams gymnastics and the third special teams touchdown of the season; I see an uncomfortable quarterback who can’t get rid of the ball and takes too many sacks.

You see the most devastating runner in the country and all he can do in the run and pass games; I see a quarterback who can’t get the ball to vastly underrated receivers.

You see a national championship team; I see an offense begging to be exposed—and a loss waiting to happen. Maybe as soon as next week in Gainesville.

“It’s a different game next week,” said Alabama tailback Trent Richardson, whose 211 total yards (126 rushing, 85 receiving) carried the offense. “Florida’s defense will be ready.”

And you better believe there are concerns about McCarron being ready, too.

It’s not McCarron’s fault. He’s just the inexperienced quarterback trying to find his way in the meatgrinder SEC—with an All-American wrecking ball (Richardson) protecting the offense and making everything right.

The passing game consists of screen passes and slants and drags—and rare completions (if any) of intermediate or deep throws. It hasn’t been a problem the first month of the season because Alabama hasn’t played a defense with enough pop to make a difference.

Even when the Tide was placed in an adverse situation at Penn State, the Lions’ ineffective quarterback combo of Rob Bolden and Matt McGloin dramatically increased McCarron’s margin for error. He couldn’t have given away that game with mistakes if he had to.

That all changes next week at Florida, where the Gators’ defense will be the best the Tide has seen this season—and the environment will be nothing like McCarron has experienced. Remember, he still hasn’t played on the road in the SEC; still hasn’t had to make big plays in third-and-long situations with the Tide trailing.

Against the Hogs, McCarron completed 15-of-20 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns. An impressive line until you realize that three of those passes went to Richardson on screens (where he picked up 85 yards and a touchdown), and another throw went to Michael Williams on a fake field goal—a 37-yard catch and run touchdown where Arkansas looked like it had never seen a fake field goal before.

Take away those four throws, and McCarron was 11-of-16 for 78 yards.

“He made plays he needed to make to put us in position to win,” Jones said. “That’s all we ask of anyone on this team.”

Minutes after the game, Saban praised McCarron in his post-game press conference, three times stating he was an effective “game manager.” Richardson said McCarron “gets the play call” and “gets us lined up right.”

And McCarron? We’ll never know.

He wasn’t allowed to come to post-game interviews.

“There’s going to come a day when we struggle on defense,” Saban said, “and the offense is going to have to do it for us.”

That day could be next week at Florida.

The game manager better be ready.


Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2011-09-24/arkansas-alabama-trent-richardson-tyler-wilson-greg-childs-aj-mccarron#ixzz1Z0fcQ4Y2

And of course, Bama fell for it.  Don Kausler wrote a response.  Bama fans flooded the comments section with "fuck you Matt Hayes!" comments. 

I think I'll call it the Finebaum Syndrome.  Piss a group of people off and rake in the dollars.

[jmar]

the pet word for Bammer is DOMINATING. I heard some of the radio replay of the Arky game on JOX this morning and Eli and Tyler Watts were fawning over the Tahd just short of proclaiming them an NFL francise. The pompousness was unbearable.
Barker will say the word in his opening comments about the game on the OD.
It is the exact same word repeated last season until they met up with South Carolina.

 

[The Prowler]

If you constantly stop Richardson and Lacy, you win the game.

[Token]

If you constantly stop Richardson and Lacy, you win the game.

First they have to score.