First real post since the game, my take

Jan 13, 2016, 10:03 AM

1) First and foremost, congrats to Bama. They played a great game and are a dang good team who proved themselves capable of taking advantage of our mistakes. Even the little ones like a missed tackle 5 yards behind the LOS were exploited into big plays. Hats off to them.

2) We were very bit good enough to win that game. That makes me smile. It isn't a moral victory, we lost, I get it. But we went toe to toe and outplayed them for much of the game on the biggest stage.

3) Hats off to the Bama coaching staff for seeing something they could exploit on kickoffs. It wasn't the "gutsy" call folks are making it out to be because we had proved we were going to move the ball at that point, but it was a great call and excellent execution.

4) It 100% was not why we lost, but some mechanism has to be put into place to be able to correct the timing issues at the end of the first half. There is no recourse but to call the timeout and complain, but at that point there is no mechanism in place to correct the issue and then give the TO back. That's a problem in the rules. Again, not why we lost, but if we pick up even 5 more yards, that's a majorly different kick that likely doesn't get blocked.

5) Watching Wayne get it going on the ground and on the swing passes reminds me just how good a player he is.

6) That interception was a great play on their part, but man that play was still there. Watson puts air under that and it's a sure TD. That hurts to think about.

7) The TIgers simply don't quit. Down double digits very late and the O still went out there and pressed on. That's a good thing to see, even if they came up short in the end.

8) On Bama's last TD, they definitely 100% scored. But the timing of it being called was odd. A good 10 seconds after the play was over they signaled TD. Again, they scored, and it would've been reviewed, but the call does matter. Had it been inconclusive on replay then the fact it was called a TD would've stood. That was weird officiating mechanics on their part.

9) 3 great plays made by their runners (1 by the QB), proved to be the deciding factors. The TD, the 3rd down run and the swing pass on that last drive. We were in position to make the play, but couldn't. Give them credit, but those are plays we make almost all season.

10) It's obvious, but losing Alexander hurt us immensely. We did a good job of covering for him (and covering for Kearse who just didn't seem to have the speed he had for most of the season), but in the end they exploited it as championship teams do.

11) It feels like this is the sort of team and program who is capable of making this run again. For the most part we are a "next man up" sort of team right now, and I look for next season to be another great chance to make a run.