All great points especially the talent.
Link: https://fightingirishwire.usatoday.com/lists/tommy-rees-notre-dame-alabama-offensive-coordinator/
Just look at ND's team offensive ratings from last season. Not good and Bama may get better non-student athletes but that's not going to help Tommy in fact it may make him worse because coming from an intelligent program he may not be able to teach ignorant players.
Due to billions of 1st-Round Draft Picks in the last 2 years, they were light on game experience and seniority in the receiving core. Very light. And yet, they opted for a pass-heavy, Q.B.-centric, pocket-focused offensive scheme. The results were underwhelming, especially against good defenses and relative to their talent level.
As for Saban "slipping," they just had one of the greatest teams ever in 2020, lost in the finals in 2021 after their #1 receiver went down, and were 1 game away from the playoffs last year.
But by all means, carry on.
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"... Very light. And yet, they opted for a pass-heavy, Q.B.-centric, pocket-focused offensive scheme. The results were underwhelming, especially against good defenses and relative to their talent level."
You imply here that AL had underwhelming results last yr in deploying "a pass-heavy QB centric, pocket focused offensive scheme."
Rees fits exactly this.
+ You could argue he likes balance though there are plenty of examples of getting very pass happy.
+ Rees absolutely loves a QB centric offense though he's proven terrible at developing or having quality QBs on the whole.
+ Rees absolutely loves a pocket-focused offensive scheme. Outside of Ian Book just being himself every other ND QB was forced to stay in the pocket to our own detriment
+ Underwhelming results - signature Tommy Rees offense relative to talent on that side of the ball
+ Especially against good defenses. ND hasn't played many good defenses and the O has been mostly impaired. The SEC is lightyears tougher than most ND opponents
So you implied all the weaknesses that TR has shown to have, as being why AL wasn't as good last year. My rhetorical, comment was "So you go and hire Rees??? Not exactly a bright idea". Meaning, if you had something that you think didn't work well, then why would you bring in a similar option as a replacement?
His response (what I got when I read it) was targeted directly at the comment stating Bama wasn't in the playoff because Saban is slipping.
He wasn't addressing the 'Rees to Bama portion' just the 'Saban is slipping' portion.
As far as why someone as esteemed as Saban would hire Rees, I would offer two reasons
1) the opinion of Rees as an OC from the outside looking in, is much different than the opinion of us who watch every play of every game, not just the highlights.
2) with the recent QB recruiting success Rees has had (Harrman, Minchey, Carr) Saban probably wants to capitalize on that.
3) bonus reason - with the way Saban handled Kelly while at ND, and Kelly beating him in first attempt with SEC talent, Saban has likely bought into the narrative pushed by Kelly that ND was holding him back and correlates that in his mind to Rees doing better with SEC talant.
It started with the subject line which discussed Alabama slipping because offensive philosophy didn't maximize personnel - We have the same gripes about Tommy Rees at ND. Exact same complaints. Then moved to the change in talent level due to draft and then back to bad offensive strategy leading to poor results - Again a common complaint for the lackluster offenses (outside of Chip Long's) at ND under Kelly and Rees.
It was not until the 5th sentence that Saban "slipping" was even brought up.
I agree with his analysis as to why the Alabama offense slipped. The point I made which I thought was clear is that if you believe the QB centric, etc, then why would a HC go an hire a younger version of a coach that has the same tendencies as what did not work?
Granted, yes, Saban could fix Tommy. But his offense looks a lot like the boring slipping AL offense of last year. Saban isn't getting another Lane Kiffin offensive-minded genius here.
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Not saying Rees will flame loke that, but pointing out the mistake of thinking coaches with laurels are infallible.
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I have nothing but ill wishes for Alabama and, by extension, Mr ‘This Is Where My Heart Is’.
2) by connection makes Alabama a winner.
No thanks! Not pulling for anything that makes things "better" for Bama. Not hoping he fails, but certainly not pulling for him to do GREAT at F'ing Bama just because he used to wear Blue & Gold.
Under the highest of highly unlikely odds we all come out winners, I'll just pull for us to be the ones who come out winners.
professionally is nothing to me.
Bama will keeping winning as long as Nick is there.