Seems like the popular, risk-averse pick for SEC favorite is Auburn and Bama. I don't buy either. There's already a thread comparing Auburn to A&M, so here's my biggest opinion of Bama.
The biggest step back they have taken in the past 3 years was when they hired Lane Kiffin. They aren't nearly as physically dominant as the teams that won 3 National Championships in 4 years, and I attribute that to the no-huddle system they've started implementing.
It's just as likely that the gap is closing between Bama and the rest of the SEC in terms of physicality, but last years game vs. Bama was the first time since 2006/07 with DMAC that I felt like we matched them physically and for the majority of the game looked like the better/stronger/dominant team.
It may be just me, but it seems to me that Nick Saban has wavered in his conviction/approach to his teams overall philosophy. I don't feel the impending beat-down I feared every time we faced Bama from 08-13. Even when we almost beat them at home in 2010 with Ryan Mallett, I still felt like on any given run they would break it for 80yds up the middle (and they did at least once).
I really just don't buy it this year, so long as Lane Kiffin is having his way with the offense.
The biggest step back they have taken in the past 3 years was when they hired Lane Kiffin. They aren't nearly as physically dominant as the teams that won 3 National Championships in 4 years, and I attribute that to the no-huddle system they've started implementing.
It's just as likely that the gap is closing between Bama and the rest of the SEC in terms of physicality, but last years game vs. Bama was the first time since 2006/07 with DMAC that I felt like we matched them physically and for the majority of the game looked like the better/stronger/dominant team.
It may be just me, but it seems to me that Nick Saban has wavered in his conviction/approach to his teams overall philosophy. I don't feel the impending beat-down I feared every time we faced Bama from 08-13. Even when we almost beat them at home in 2010 with Ryan Mallett, I still felt like on any given run they would break it for 80yds up the middle (and they did at least once).
I really just don't buy it this year, so long as Lane Kiffin is having his way with the offense.
