It was a tense, low-energy appearance at the podium
Yesterday was the weekly Football coaching staff podium appearances. And to say they were odd does a disservice to the word. Both KDB and Ryan Grubb seemed tense, and Grubb in particular was low-energy.
Most objective Alabama fans understand the scope of the challenge facing ‘Bama on Saturday: The Tigers are healthier, they’re already more talented, they enjoy some favorable matchups (most notably at running back and defensive back), they’re at home off a bye, and it’s the first time Wommack has called a defense against Lane Kiffin. That said, there is a path to victory there for the Crimson Tide, and we will cover that in our preview. But yesterday didn’t fill a lot of us with much confidence that some of the coaching staff necessarily believes that…or if they do, they are just so dialed-in that the weekly presser was an annoying requirement of the job they were begrudgingly undertaking. We devoutly hope it’s the latter.
Ryan Grubb
Here’s everything Ryan Grubb and Kane Wommack had to say:
Kane Wommack
Kalen DeBoer
Here is everything KDB had to say, but I know we were most concerned about the status of crucial ‘Bama injuries: Racin, RCW1, ZB, Green etc. We still don’t know very much, unfortunately:
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer provided an update Monday on several injured players for Saturday’s game at LSU.
“A lot of these guys from Zabien Brown to Ryan Coleman-Williams, EJ [Crowell], Racin [Delgatty], Terrance Green in particular — those guys are all working onto the football field,” he said. “They’re not all in the exact same spot, but they’re all out there going through workouts. Some are taking team reps, some are taking non-contact reps.
“But I think the progress by all of them is headed in a good direction. We’ll see — I think a lot of it has to do with how their bodies respond after they’re out there being pushed a little bit more at the end of the last week, yesterday, as well. And that will continue to happen throughout the course of the week.”
One of the interesting things that Kane Wommack said is that he likes to watch opponents live on television, so he can get a feel for the tempo and the rhythm of the game.
I know Nick Saban did that too. Jason Eck @ New Mexico does that as well. But I know (or at least I’ve heard of) far more coaches who usually just hit the film.
I wonder how often “live” scouting happens? Or if it primarily is a defensive thing, because you want to be able to time your substitutions as well as see how fast in real time the offenses are moving?
Whereas OC scouting is solely about the looks that they give you?
In any event: Buckle up, guys. It’s going to be a tense week, and a very nerve-wracking three hours on Saturday.
Roll Tide.
I know I’m not the only one who noticed how weird the press conference conferences were
Kyle Henderson @Bama on YouTube at the same observation.
https://x.com/bamayoutube/status/2117296101749387392?s=46&t=uKLhZRR3jnWnzErHjuwEag
Best reply: I think he was just tired from being out late trick-or-treating. His costume was a good offensive coordinator.
Lol.
I am picking LSU to win this game. However, I really hope to be wrong.
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HAHAHAHAHA LOSERRRRRRRR!1!!
Kidding. I picked LSU as well.
I doubted the rumors that Kiffin 1000% wanted the job after Nick’s retirement. Then came the 2025 situation in Tuscaloosa where fans and boosters wanted DeBoer to leave (preferably for the surface of the sun), and Kiffin not only made LSU wait during SECCG week, but made Ole Miss wait for a further commitment from him. He was waiting for the call from Alabama, if rumors are correct.
Anyone who thinks Cignetti had something to prove by using this piss-poorly coached team and its amateurish staff as a punching bag may want to take notes at what Kiffin will do with his motivation this Saturday.
I fully expect Kiffin to empty his bag of tricks against us. And I also expect us to completely derp the game away. On the flip side, I could also see Alabama playing a great game and beating LSU in a close contest.
My gut tells me this one is going to get ugly. Both teams’ playoff hopes ride on this game, barring some crazy chaos.
I do have that “we could just…” feeling, but for reasons that happened last 2 years, I just don’t expect anything from an Alabama run by DeBoer. Dude is a kindergarten teacher compared even to Heupel, much less Kirby or Kiffin.
Maybe this is me being an optimist but it really feels like the coaches are super focused this week.
Grubb got really specific about establishing physicality and making sure the running backs are taking the 4 yard gains instead of going for the flashy stuff. Josh over at RBR did point out that Grubb also needs to be willing to stay patient and not go for the flashy stuff too lol, which I found funny.
Wommack seems to have confidence in his familiarity with Weis and Kiffin’s offensive style, and it seems the depth we built in the A&M game (Chuck, Henry, etc) gives him confidence especially with Green and Zabien hopefully coming back.
I enjoyed how Kalen referenced 2024 LSU Game which was an absolute beatdown and it seems that they are drawing off that and Knoxville this year as learning experiences. Also, I know this stat is going to be thrown around a lot but KDB is 8-0 coming off traditional bye weeks, and Kiffin is 9-6. That’s not nothing.
I keep seeing everyone talking about lsu has a better roster, better qb, better coach, etc. and I’m just not sure all those things are true. Better roster? Maybe, if we are comparing lsu to the Alabama team that took the field against A&M then yes they have a better roster, but the team that took the field against Georgia was a completely different team, and I feel like that Bama team can beat anyone in the country. I doubt many unbiased people would take Leavitt over Keelon, and on the coaching side of things what has Kiffin done that DeBoer hasn’t. I’d argue DeBoer has done a lot more with a lot less in his career.
Here’s to hoping we look more like the bama team who started the Georgia Game and not the team we’ve seen the past two weeks. I think I speak for a lot of fans when I say that this coaching staff needs to earn the trust back of the fan base and I think they do that on Saturday.
bama by a million. RTR
The coaching staff has been emphasizing all year about taking the plays that are there instead of trying to play heroball.
But that goes both ways. Grubb has to be willing to call plays that are only going to generate three or four or 5 yards, to be willing to play for a fourth quarter in the second quarter.
That’s why I don’t put this shit solely on execution. He is not putting them in position to win the game down the stretch.
every last one of these coaches can talk a big talk about being patient, about establishing the run, about taking what the defense gives you. But at the end of the day guys aren’t doing it, and the calls aren’t allowing them to.
And frankly, I’m tired of the talk
I need more proof on the field, unless hot wind coming from their lips
We can win this. I don’t know if we will but we can. Its going to take the injured guys coming back and playing full speed and the offense not spending a half screwing around with mistakes.
LSU hasn’t beaten anyone I would call “good”
They have beaten an excellent offense, and they have beaten an excellent defense. But they have not beaten a team with a good defense and a good offense at the same time, much less one that’s elite on either side of the ball.
of course we can win it. We can literally beat anyone in the country. And if the team gets hot and healthy and plays smart and executes on the field — and the coaches don’t have their head up their ass — it can go on a three-game run and win the national title.
But I need to see a lot more than what I’ve seen in the last three weeks.
FFS, I would settle for just Alabama playing one complete game. They’ve yet to do so.
Allow me the time to look in my Deborah bag of excuses…
“But just wait until he has HIS guys! Whoooooa man!”
or…
“If they players execute what Debbie & Co. call, then they’ll be champions.”
IMO, these players are ill served by this staff and due to the UT game planning, I have no confidence in Wommack now.
pffft. The QB has to be able to hit 7 yard passes and throw the check down when its open.
The Tennessee game plan was to hit the flats to exploit Knowles cover-3 , avoid Gilliam and avoid the UT pass rush.
That game was rife with bad reads, missed throws, missed blocks, and dumb penalties.
Heck, if Mike C just doesn’t step on Keelon’s foot on the 4th down play, we probably win that game. Huge leverage moment.
Basically, like the last few times Bama has played in that shithole of a stadium.
Who is the excellent offense they beat? Kamario Taylor and Bothwell didnt play.
Heck I’m not sure who the excellent defense is they beat. Clemson?
I’m looking at LSU’s schedule and I genuinely do not understand what excellent offense they beat?
Maybe 6-2 LA Tech?
We certainly have the players, but they require the coaching. There’s something about this staff that isn’t instilling confidence in the players to take a game by the horns when down by 10 to overcome a good opponent.
Whatever Saban instilled in the players to “play fast” hasn’t taken and that’s squarely on the staff because that confidence is born from players knowing their jobs up, down and sideways. When Debbie’s teams get punched in the mouth, they typically stay flat on their asses.
It’s both players and coaches…..and sprinkle in a
fewlot of injuries to key position groups.Some important news for the site
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