perfect play for the 3 & 1 with 2:00 in the Iron Bowl

[Eisenhower_1952 87]

https://youtu.be/9-0-_6K9OXc

[AUloggerhead 2,267]

Possibly.  That is a great play.  The only objection is the way Finley was hobbling around on his ankle, I don't think anyone would have seriously thought he would try to muscle forward on a QB sneak.   

[jj3jordan 2,081]

1 hour ago, AUloggerhead said:

Possibly.  That is a great play.  The only objection is the way Finley was hobbling around on his ankle, I don't think anyone would have seriously thought he would try to muscle forward on a QB sneak.   

Exactly why we should have run one.

[Eisenhower_1952 87]

or the throwback screen to Shenker in the first OT.

[AUght2win 6,883]

I can't bare to think about that IB anymore. Too painful. Trying to forget it.

[zeroforwinger 445]

I just don’t think you can do that to a college kid on a bad ankle. Maybe the Shenker throw back. If a knucklehead doesn’t let himself go out of bounds, we win. That’s the one that gets me. 

[JBiGGiE 2,488]

58 minutes ago, zeroforwinger said:

I just don’t think you can do that to a college kid on a bad ankle. Maybe the Shenker throw back. If a knucklehead doesn’t let himself go out of bounds, we win. That’s the one that gets me. 

It's been explained ad nauseam but that knucklehead almost won us the game had he made that extra yard and a half before getting yanked out of bounds by the defender.

But back on topic, I still believe that in a situation where your QB is broken, you know your only option is to run the ball, the stands know it, your opponent knows it... Even if your opponent's strength is stopping the run, your best bet is to line up, put your heavy package in, and call your shot.

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 hour ago, zeroforwinger said:

If a guy who fought his ass off all night doesn’t let himself go out of bounds, we have a much better chance of winning.

FIFY

[zeroforwinger 445]

16 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

FIFY

I’m not taking away from how hard he played or what kind of player he is. But, if we can’t call that a bad play, we’re not being honest. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 minute ago, zeroforwinger said:

I’m not taking away from how hard he played or what kind of player he is. But, if we can’t call that a bad play, we’re not being honest. 

It was absolutely a bad play. He made a huge mistake. But him staying in bounds doesn't guarantee us the win and I think you'll find life easier on this website if you channel the criticisms more constructively.

(Honestly just trying to offer advice- as it appears you're new here- in a friendly way and not in a patronizing or condescending way. I hate talking explicitly about board rules and such.)

[gctiger 939]

Heck, line J.J. Pegues up behind center and let him sneak it!  

[McLoofus 35,182]

4 minutes ago, gctiger said:

Heck, line J.J. Pegues up behind center and let him sneak it!  

Imagine the freakout if he'd fumbled it. 

Strategically it's very sound but I'm with the school that says you have to keep the ball in your playmakers' hands. 

[Didba 5,282]

The best playcall, imo, for that situation is the gronk fake block play but a route into the flat instead of straight downfield:

https://twitter.com/TBTimes_Sports/status/1436160034539462661?s=20

 

This is slightly different but the same kind of concept:

 

Edited December 22, 2021 by Didba

[EastAl_Tiger 228]

I have a feeling that someway, somehow, the D line would have gotten to Finley.

[AUx 3,016]

(Hero) "You see that play that didn't work? Well, you should have called a different play."

(crowd) "Thank you Captain Hindsight!"

 

[steeleagle 2,945]

12 hours ago, jj3jordan said:

Exactly why we should have run one.

Nope. The one thing Alabama was not going to allow was anything thing between the tackles. That's the first rule when on defense. And our OL blocking there was not their strength. We were not going to a push between G/C/C.

As someone said, Finley had no ability to push off that ankle to try to get that 1 yard. 

I would have rather the call been a quick hitter with Tank up the middle. 

[Didba 5,282]

7 minutes ago, steeleagle said:

Nope. The one thing Alabama was not going to allow was anything thing between the tackles. That's the first rule when on defense. And our OL blocking there was not their strength. We were not going to a push between G/C/C.

As someone said, Finley had no ability to push off that ankle to try to get that 1 yard. 

I would have rather the call been a quick hitter with Tank up the middle. 

Alabama was selling out to beat the run, I'd have liked a quick play action to a TE running a delayed fake block route.

[hqsi99 103]

3 hours ago, JBiGGiE said:

It's been explained ad nauseam but that knucklehead almost won us the game had he made that extra yard and a half before getting yanked out of bounds by the defender.

But back on topic, I still believe that in a situation where your QB is broken, you know your only option is to run the ball, the stands know it, your opponent knows it... Even if your opponent's strength is stopping the run, your best bet is to line up, put your heavy package in, and call your shot.

I agree with this except take Finley out of the equation.  Put Tank in wildcat where he can see holes develop or bounce outside and get an extra blocker in there.  As you said, everyone in the State knew Tank was getting the ball, so just snap it right to him and let him get the yard.

[USATiger 741]

4 hours ago, zeroforwinger said:

I just don’t think you can do that to a college kid on a bad ankle. Maybe the Shenker throw back. If a knucklehead doesn’t let himself go out of bounds, we win. That’s the one that gets me. 

Sorry but only a knucklehead would blame Tank for not going out-of-bounds, when play-calling is what cost the game.   Multiple instances of piss-poor play-calling throughout.  None are worse than after picking off bama, Bobo decides to throw the ball, giving it right back to bama, good field position with only a few seconds off the clock.  
 

Let’s see: bama down 10, and backed up to goal line, as Siposs had done all game.  Now they have roughly 7 minutes to score twice.  Instead, again due to very poor play-calling, bama has 11 minutes and good field position.  
 

This is just one instance of mis-management and head-scratching decisions throughout.  We had great field position most of the day, better than could’ve been expected.  Got nothing out of most of those drives, many ending without a fight.  
 

For instance, red zone, short yardage, with an immobile QB and no real threats at WR.  Bobo went empty backfield on a couple of crucial 3rd downs.  Finley sacked.  Yet, a kid making a split-second decision to get the 1st down, and win the game, is the knucklehead?  Maybe Tank knew with the idiotic play-calling and tired defense he had to get that first or it was over.  Good grief. 
 

 

[JerryAU 1,694]

All these comments about what the offense could've done with 2 minutes left.  The defense could've just stopped them from going down the field & scoring. 

[steeleagle 2,945]

43 minutes ago, Didba said:

Alabama was selling out to beat the run, I'd have liked a quick play action to a TE running a delayed fake block route.

No, play action was going to take too long. Their LBs were going to blitz the gaps, and TJ would have been a dead duck. They figured 99% of the play option was going to be run/play action.

I think the TE pass was a good option as you said, but I would have used the Lutz play to do it. We did it in OT, and it would have got us a 1st down, and run the clock out. That's all we needed.

[ad9182 14]

There's no winning. Everyone griped the times we passed on 4th and 1, and so we run it, and everyone complains again

[Didba 5,282]

8 minutes ago, steeleagle said:

No, play action was going to take too long. Their LBs were going to blitz the gaps, and TJ would have been a dead duck. They figured 99% of the play option was going to be run/play action.

I think the TE pass was a good option as you said, but I would have used the Lutz play to do it. We did it in OT, and it would have got us a 1st down, and run the clock out. That's all we needed.

Yeah, play action may not have even been necessary to sell it but the fake TE block into a release in the flat would still have worked even without play action

[Didba 5,282]

7 minutes ago, ad9182 said:

There's no winning. Everyone griped the times we passed on 4th and 1, and so we run it, and everyone complains again

No, people complained about low percentage passes 15 yards down the field on 4th downs.  A high percentage pass to a tight-end faking the block then releasing out of a run formation on 4th and 1 with the defense stacking the line is a passing play-call I will never complain about whether it works or not.

[sevenlee36 1,654]

You know Harsin wasn’t calling the play because only one play would have been called…. The Statue of Liberty