Quote Originally Posted by topspeed
Meh. Why should I care if Michigan gets the number 2 spot? Been there. Done that. Trust me, it didn't make me feel any better after last year's Rose Bowl.

You're a Tide fan, right Dean? So tell me, how does a school go from praising it's 10-2 coach to firing him after one 6-6 season? That firing made almost as much sense as Nebraska giving Solich the boot.
Duh, I don't know. I could go either way on the decision to fire. His overall record (26-23) was unacceptable. His record against Bama's biggest rivals was unacceptable. His team's lack of discipline was unacceptable. (I've never seen Alabama teammates get after each other during a game until this year. That's what I observed. The rumours are much worse.) His offense's red zone performance was too predictable and thus pitiful. Why he didn't send the other field goal kicker into the Ark. game I'll never know or understand. His play calling with an ineffective running game was highly questionable. He was given a few days to evaluate after the season and he decided to continue calling his own plays. I think most were looking for him to fire his offensive coordinator and turn over the play-calling to a new hot-shot coordinator. Shula decided to do neither. I think his decision to maintain the status quo sealed his fate - that, and he's not Bear Bryant.

OTOH, his #1 quarterback going into the Spring (who eventually left) got beat out by Wilson, a sophomore. Of course Wilson took over for Alabama poster boy Brodie Croyle. Wilson played valiantly, but he's not ready to carry a team on his shoulders, especially with an offensive line that never got it together consistently. Ken Darby was supposed to carry the team offensively and he had a terrible season. Like last year with Tyrone Prothro, Bama suffered injuries to its biggest playmakers - receivers DJ Hall and Keith Brown and Darby started the season banged up. Shula has recruited some top-notch skill players. He had a flock of running backs who were either redshirted or sat out the year due to injury. When healthy, Hall and Brown are dangerous receivers and both make big plays. Most SEC prognosticators had Bama going 8-4 or 7-5 this season. Shula didn't fall too short of those predictions. The Miss St. loss was overblown. Kinda like the UCLA/USC game. Miss St. played inspired ball for their coach who was dissed by Bama in favor of Shula. Also, Bama has two Mississippi high school Mr. Football players on its team and one of them had to open his mouth with bulletin board material during the week of the Miss St game. The team had great senior leadership last year which had a lot to do with their 10-2 record and after going through the hardest period of sanctions, that team probably peaked too soon. Shula really needed another year with a full allotment of scholarships. Finally, I'm just not comfortable with Mal Moore as AD. He hired Mike DuBose who was never more than a linebackers coach. Moore either stirred up things behind the scenes that caused Fran*#@e to run off to Tex A&M or Moore was duped by Fran. Then he hired Price whose style didn't fit Alabama football. Should Price have been forgiven for going to that dive of a topless bar in P'Cola? Was Price set up by those questionable dancers (and the football powers that be) who claimed they went to Price's hotel with him? I'm not sure on either of those. The diversity-in-coaching folks are watching Bama closely after basically giving Moore a pass on passing up Sly Croom last time. Moore is in over his head this time.

My preference for new coach at Alabama: Rich Rodriguez. He already has recruting inroads in south Alabama. Pat White won a state championship and played for another at Daphne High School and he's got a couple of commitments from the same area for next season. But Coach Rod is at his Alma Mater and I couldn't really blame him if he decides to stay. The shame of it all is the investment that the University and alumni have made in the athletic facilities within the last 2 years. The facilities and fan base are there for a nice, long, cozy relationship with a coach, but Bama's recent history with sanctions and coaches could scare off the best candidates.