re: Hate to admit it but I really miss Saban's defense...

I just don't see the aggressiveness. The first game against Appy St. proved that we have some mean dudes who want to hit some people but it seems since then the defensive playcalling is not giving them opportunities to lay the wood. Saban's Defense was fun to watch because we would always try to lay the wood on people.

I like to see the blitzing too. You have to remember that in order to blitz you must have great corners that we do not have(they will get better too). I think it is fear that keeps these DC's from blitzing. To have an awesome defense you have to be able to get pressure with the front four at times. This is something we have not proven we can do.

quote:

---

deuce985: After seeing last night and watching Bama all season, I have to say I really miss that style of our defense. Long gone are the days we use to be dominant and aggressive. Saban has already turned Bama's defense in a absolutely dominant form

---

deuce985,

You weren't impressed with our D under Pelini from 2005 to 2007!?!?!?!?

When it came to yards/play, LSU's D was #2 in the nation in 2004, #3 in 2005, #2 in 2006, and #4 in 2007. (we were #11 in 2008 as of 10/04)

When it came to ypg, LSU's D was #3 in 2004, #3 in 2005, #3 in 2006, and #3 in 2007. (we were #14 in 2008 as of 10/04).

You are an idiot for thinking "Long gone are the days we use to be dominant" and that it only happened under Saban.

As for how you say Saban has "turned Bama's defense in a absolutely dominant form" ...

When it came to yards/play, Bama's D was #2 in the nation in 2004, #5 in 2005, #48 in 2006, #32 in 2007, and #11 in 2008 (as of 10/04).

When it came to ypg, Bama's D was #2 in 2004, #2 in 2005, #22 in 2006, #31 in 2007, and #16 in 2008 (as of 10/04).

Yeah, Saban and his staff are turning things around, but he has a good DC, Kevin Steele. Before joining Saban at Bama in 2007, Steele was Bobby Bowden's DC at Florida State. In 2006, 2005, and 2004 FSU was #18, #14, and #7 in the nation in total defense (ypg). In 2006, 2005, and 2004 FSU was #13, #12, and #4 in the nation when it came to yards per play.

Saban's got a good DC, just like he did when he was at LSU:

2001 -- DC Gary Gibbs -- After LSU, was LB coach for the Dallas Cowboys (2002-2005), then DC of the New Orleans Saints (2006-present). He used to be the DC at Oklahoma (1981-1988) and the head coach of Oklahoma (1989-1994).

2002-2004 -- DC Will Muschamp -- Was Saban's DC with the Miami Dolphins (2005), then become Tuberville's DC at Auburn (2006-2007), and Mack Brown's DC at Texas (2008).

Miles had a good DC with Pelini, now Pelini is head coach at Nebraska. Miles was smart enough to get Pelini in the first place, so he knows how to find a good DC. When Pelini was DC from 2005-2007, Pelini's assistants included his LB Coach Peveto (2005-2007) and his DB Coach Mallory (2005-2007). Petrino and Mallory were good enough assistants to Pelini for Pelini to have Top 4 defenses every year, why would we not promote them to DC? They were part of the staff the whole time, so you'd think Miles and Pelini would know if they knew what they were doing or not, right? Or maybe it will turn out that they just aren't DC material. If that's the case, Miles will get rid of them or demote them. Miles isn't going to ruin his career just to be nice to some guys that don't have what it takes to be DC.

Also, as for promoting from within, that is what Saban did with Muschamp in 2002 -- Muschamp had been Gibb's LB coach. Saban moving an assistant up to DC is the same thing Miles did. Worked with Muschamp.

quote:

---

Miles' promotion of Mallory and Peveto is like Saban promoting Bobby Williams and Stacy Searles as co-OC's in case Jimbo had left and letting them have a free reign over the offense.

---

Or, it's like Saban promoting Muschamp to his DC. What's the difference? An assistant promoted to coordinator. Sometimes it works, some times it doesn't.

You make fun of the idea of Saban promoting Bobby Williams to LSU OC, but after Saban left Mich State, he recommended Bobby Williams to replace him as head coach of Mich State. Yeah, Saban turned out to be wrong about that one, but Saban took Bobby Williams on at LSU as his WR coach, took him on his NFL Dolphins coaching staff as RB coach, and on his Alabama staff as tight end and special teams coach. Apparently, Saban thinks very highly of this guy.

As for Stacy Searles, he stayed as the LSU OL coach from 2003 until 2006, before taking the same position at Georgia in 2007.

quote:

---

Miles is so loyal, no way he fires or demotes them any time soon

---

Then he'll go down with the ship, a la Dinardo, Archer, & McClendon.

quote:

---

all Saban's schemes

---

Yeah his schemes never produced blow outs.

The only thing I miss about a Saban Defense is the fact that he prepared his defensive personel on what they could do and didn't strategize on the offense each week. THIS MENTALITY is what I feel we've lost on D.

Pelini's D's got the job done in the clutch. So far this year, we've lacked the intensity of the past. Although I felt early on we were a great tackling team, we've quickly become wreckless.

I have a great feeling about our D this week. We've got 5 games to see what our new personel can do and we must now use them accordingly.

quote:

---

Hate to admit it but I really miss Saban's defense...

---

agree, but I don't miss his offense and all his losses......

quote:

---

I have a great feeling about our D this week. We've got 5 games to see what our new personel can do and we must now use them accordingly.

---

I do not as we have had the spring, fall and two bye weeks to implement what was touted to be a "similar style" defense to the one Pelini left behind. It has not happened. Pelini was the CEO of the Defense. He is now gone and for those who answered Pelini would be the biggest loss in the offseason (as opposed to RP), you are correct.

Someone mentioned Saban anointing Williams when he left MSU and Pelini anointing Mallory when he left for Nebraska. Loyalty can sometimes blind as some coaches are just not suited to take the next step forward. Their (Saban and Pelini) ego wanted to believe that they did a great job grooming them. This made it easier for them to move on as it addressed any guilt or loyalty that lingered by convincing themselves that they left the program in capable hands.

If you have watched Notre Dame this season, Tenuda doesn't appear to be the answer either. However, if Les want to continue to build upon his Les Miles resume and persona and not morph into Les Coker, he will take swift action in the offseason to upgrade the Defensive Coordinator position. He did this with Fisher and Searles, so the precedent is there, but the prior coaching ties were not.

I agree the D has gradually deteriorated... even last year we saw this.

Other than at the LB spot, we have as much talent as any team in the country on that side of the ball, so it's not the ability of the players IMO

Clearly you have to put it on the coaches at this point. Schemes are bad, intensity is bad, personnel matchups have been bad, etc.

...our DL got blown off the ball by a very, very average Florida OL Saturday... depressing and inexcusable. We just don't get the surge we used to and the energy and intensity level is just no longer there like it once was.

We don't fly to the ball and tackle as well as we have the last 5-6 years, and CLEARLY the DBs aren't nearly as fundamentally sound as when Saban was coaching them... we have more talent back there in the secondary than probably at any point when Saban was at LSU, but they just don't understand what they are doing in coverage.

sad to see this but it is a reality.. we went from a head guy who emphasized D and was good at coaching it, to a guy who has really helped our OL play but has let our D fall into the incapable hands of 2 goons in Mallory and Peveto.