Brad Lester

[mcgufcm 4,107]

Our defensive linemen rotate regularly as well. Every defensive line rotates regularly. You won't make through the game without it. That's an odd statement to hang your hat on if you're trying to find a flaw with Cody.

Look I'll put it this way: Bama's defense is good, but they weren't nearly as good last year despite having MORE success in the secondary last year. I'll concede that Jackson and McClain are better this year, but Cody is the real difference. Their defensive line is made of marginally talented players. Bobby Greenwood and Deaderick don't scare anyone, but you put them beside Cody and whamo! you have a team strength.

I never said Cody was as good as Sam Adams. I said he was equally important, AND that you don't have to make tackles to be a star player on defense. Adams had 23 tackles, in 16 games, the year the Ravens won the Super Bowl. Big deal. He was still one of the keys to that defense. Cody has only 16 tackles in 10 games. Big deal. Their defense goes to a different level with him. Also it's going to be really tough to support the whole "Cody is fat and overrated" argument after he goes in the top 20 in the draft.

[Eagle86 0]

Our defensive linemen rotate regularly as well. Every defensive line rotates regularly. You won't make through the game without it. That's an odd statement to hang your hat on if you're trying to find a flaw with Cody.

Look I'll put it this way: Bama's defense is good, but they weren't nearly as good last year despite having MORE success in the secondary last year. I'll concede that Jackson and McClain are better this year, but Cody is the real difference. Their defensive line is made of marginally talented players. Bobby Greenwood and Deaderick don't scare anyone, but you put them beside Cody and whamo! you have a team strength.

I never said Cody was as good as Sam Adams. I said he was equally important, AND that you don't have to make tackles to be a star player on defense. Adams had 23 tackles, in 16 games, the year the Ravens won the Super Bowl. Big deal. He was still one of the keys to that defense. Cody has only 16 tackles in 10 games. Big deal. Their defense goes to a different level with him. Also it's going to be really tough to support the whole "Cody is fat and overrated" argument after he goes in the top 20 in the draft.

So let me get this straight... Cody in the game, Bama Rulz... Cody out of the game, Bama sucks wind... I'll hang my hat on the fact that this defense is good because of ALL 11 players on the field. I understand as well as anyone the machinations of line rotation, and yes, everyone does this, but to suggest that Cody alone accounts for the success of Bama's defense is just plain ludicrous. BTW, Gene Stallings said exactly that on Finebaum's show a few weeks back. Simple fact is this: Cody is one player, sized to about one and a half players, who provides a large body on the inside, but can be handled pretty easily by double teaming and simply executing on the O-Line. Not my words, Gene Stalling's words.

[runswithscissors 33]

You can only make that comment about Cody if you didn't see any of the LSU game. They doubled him almost every play. They tripled him at least 4 times. He still held the point of attack. He was fantastic against LSU.

I'll put it this way. In 2000, the Ravens fielded arguably the best defense in NFL history. Their DTs were both widely (and rightly) praised as a major part of the defense's success because they stopped up the run without having to dedicate a lot of players to the job. Sam Adams (one of those two guys) was a Pro Bowler. They made 31 of a possible 32 starts that year. You know how many tackles they made that year? 43 tackles. COMBINED. That's right. The starting defensive tackles for the best defense in NFL history averaged 2.7 tackles per game combined. Sometimes, you don't ask a guy to make the tackle, but that doesn't mean he didn't make the play. Without Goose and Adams, Ray Lewis doesn't have the year he had, and the Ravens don't win come close to the Super Bowl.

Without Cody, McClain doesn't sniff the year he's had, and Bama wouldn't be close to an undefeated season. That guy has been and is a monster. I doubt he'll be back next year.

Watched all of the LSU game. I don't agree with you. Double teams are a fact of life and happen in almost every game. Simply put, one man does not make a defense. Cody's size limits the number of minutes he can effectively play in a game, and any good OC will simply stretch the field away from him. I already know that he can dunk a basketball. Big whoopdee do! He ain't playing basketball. BTW, Bama plays as a team this year and I do believe they have won a game or two with Cody on the sidelines. They are undefeated because of their attitude, not Cody.

then you might want to tell every single team who we have played that all they had to do was simply run it away from TC. wow, i bet you could get hired on somewhere with some fat pay. you have single handedly figured out how to neutralize TC. hey, i bet if you told LSU's DC that all they have to do is jam Julio Jones at the line he will fold up. because, you know, they weren't already doing that either we won against Arkansas St with TC on the sidelines, and while it is true one man doesn't win a game, you can't deny he is a HUGE help to the defense.

its funny how you say that TC's size limits how much he plays. have you even watched a game this season, or have any idea what you are talking about? he isn't limited in how much he plays. he even lined up at fullback a few weeks ago. he plays every defensive down normally with the exception of routine rotations.

Cody's size does indeed limit how much he plays. Check the game and you will see that he rotates pretty frequently. As for knowing what I'm talking about, that's all in how you view football. I might be an idiot or you might be a magnificent bastard with more knowledge of football than anyone on this board. I'm guessing that you probably ain't...

yes, i must be terribly wrong. TC is projected highly in this year's NFL draft because he sucks and nobody has figured out to simply run to the right or left instead of up the middle. boy, he has all those NFL scouts fooled!

your theory is just simply flawed. the reason you want a huge nose tackle is to help free up your LBs to do more things such as stunt, blitz, handle the run, etc. if you have to double or triple team a nose tackle, that is less OL to block a delayed blitz from the LB, CB, SS, whatever. in this case, TC isn't designed to be a tackling machine or a pass rusher. you won't see alot of tackles or sacks on his stats. his job is to simply fill up gaps, force as many OL as possible to block him, and push the pocket back as much as possible. this should make the run go towards the edge, where your OLB pick it up and hopefully you get good run support from your CBs.

in short, TC being there forces the offense to become somewhat predictable and one dimensional. in most cases, teams have abandoned the run against us because our run support is just too good and too fast normally. running east and west on us doesn't work out too well. so, if they abandon the run then you go to a dime package and force them to throw it. true, the secondary still has to cover their guys, but TC does a good job of taking alot of the guesswork out of playcalling.

[BroncoAU 81]

Our defensive linemen rotate regularly as well. Every defensive line rotates regularly. You won't make through the game without it. That's an odd statement to hang your hat on if you're trying to find a flaw with Cody.

Look I'll put it this way: Bama's defense is good, but they weren't nearly as good last year despite having MORE success in the secondary last year. I'll concede that Jackson and McClain are better this year, but Cody is the real difference. Their defensive line is made of marginally talented players. Bobby Greenwood and Deaderick don't scare anyone, but you put them beside Cody and whamo! you have a team strength.

I never said Cody was as good as Sam Adams. I said he was equally important, AND that you don't have to make tackles to be a star player on defense. Adams had 23 tackles, in 16 games, the year the Ravens won the Super Bowl. Big deal. He was still one of the keys to that defense. Cody has only 16 tackles in 10 games. Big deal. Their defense goes to a different level with him. Also it's going to be really tough to support the whole "Cody is fat and overrated" argument after he goes in the top 20 in the draft.

So let me get this straight... Cody in the game, Bama Rulz... Cody out of the game, Bama sucks wind... I'll hang my hat on the fact that this defense is good because of ALL 11 players on the field. I understand as well as anyone the machinations of line rotation, and yes, everyone does this, but to suggest that Cody alone accounts for the success of Bama's defense is just plain ludicrous. BTW, Gene Stallings said exactly that on Finebaum's show a few weeks back. Simple fact is this: Cody is one player, sized to about one and a half players, who provides a large body on the inside, but can be handled pretty easily by double teaming and simply executing on the O-Line. Not my words, Gene Stalling's words.

Terrance Cody missed 2 games this year, Ark State and Tenn.

go look at Tenn's rushing yards against us and go look at their rushing yards against Bama.

[big dude 0]

I absolutely agree with RWS on this (and I really hate to admit that!).

As a nosetackle, one of your primary job functions is to fill gaps. If you do that effectively, like TC does, you've essentially done your job. If they run AWAY from you and do so consistently, you're allowing your LB's to follow the plays because he KNOWS they won't run up the middle (away from TC).

Now, if you are double teamed, that assures that at least those two people won't be blocking on the next level, essentially freeing LB's to make tackles.

He may not be a tackling MACHINE, but I assure you, he makes MUCH more of a difference than you give him credit for. And since he plays for the Bad Guys, that pains me to say!

[Eagle86 0]

You can only make that comment about Cody if you didn't see any of the LSU game. They doubled him almost every play. They tripled him at least 4 times. He still held the point of attack. He was fantastic against LSU.

I'll put it this way. In 2000, the Ravens fielded arguably the best defense in NFL history. Their DTs were both widely (and rightly) praised as a major part of the defense's success because they stopped up the run without having to dedicate a lot of players to the job. Sam Adams (one of those two guys) was a Pro Bowler. They made 31 of a possible 32 starts that year. You know how many tackles they made that year? 43 tackles. COMBINED. That's right. The starting defensive tackles for the best defense in NFL history averaged 2.7 tackles per game combined. Sometimes, you don't ask a guy to make the tackle, but that doesn't mean he didn't make the play. Without Goose and Adams, Ray Lewis doesn't have the year he had, and the Ravens don't win come close to the Super Bowl.

Without Cody, McClain doesn't sniff the year he's had, and Bama wouldn't be close to an undefeated season. That guy has been and is a monster. I doubt he'll be back next year.

Watched all of the LSU game. I don't agree with you. Double teams are a fact of life and happen in almost every game. Simply put, one man does not make a defense. Cody's size limits the number of minutes he can effectively play in a game, and any good OC will simply stretch the field away from him. I already know that he can dunk a basketball. Big whoopdee do! He ain't playing basketball. BTW, Bama plays as a team this year and I do believe they have won a game or two with Cody on the sidelines. They are undefeated because of their attitude, not Cody.

then you might want to tell every single team who we have played that all they had to do was simply run it away from TC. wow, i bet you could get hired on somewhere with some fat pay. you have single handedly figured out how to neutralize TC. hey, i bet if you told LSU's DC that all they have to do is jam Julio Jones at the line he will fold up. because, you know, they weren't already doing that either we won against Arkansas St with TC on the sidelines, and while it is true one man doesn't win a game, you can't deny he is a HUGE help to the defense.

its funny how you say that TC's size limits how much he plays. have you even watched a game this season, or have any idea what you are talking about? he isn't limited in how much he plays. he even lined up at fullback a few weeks ago. he plays every defensive down normally with the exception of routine rotations.

Cody's size does indeed limit how much he plays. Check the game and you will see that he rotates pretty frequently. As for knowing what I'm talking about, that's all in how you view football. I might be an idiot or you might be a magnificent bastard with more knowledge of football than anyone on this board. I'm guessing that you probably ain't...

yes, i must be terribly wrong. TC is projected highly in this year's NFL draft because he sucks and nobody has figured out to simply run to the right or left instead of up the middle. boy, he has all those NFL scouts fooled!

your theory is just simply flawed. the reason you want a huge nose tackle is to help free up your LBs to do more things such as stunt, blitz, handle the run, etc. if you have to double or triple team a nose tackle, that is less OL to block a delayed blitz from the LB, CB, SS, whatever. in this case, TC isn't designed to be a tackling machine or a pass rusher. you won't see alot of tackles or sacks on his stats. his job is to simply fill up gaps, force as many OL as possible to block him, and push the pocket back as much as possible. this should make the run go towards the edge, where your OLB pick it up and hopefully you get good run support from your CBs.

in short, TC being there forces the offense to become somewhat predictable and one dimensional. in most cases, teams have abandoned the run against us because our run support is just too good and too fast normally. running east and west on us doesn't work out too well. so, if they abandon the run then you go to a dime package and force them to throw it. true, the secondary still has to cover their guys, but TC does a good job of taking alot of the guesswork out of playcalling.

Soooooooo. Not only does Cody clog the middle, but he makes everyone's offense one dimensional? Puhleez! I don't have a "theory" as to the reason Bama's defense plays well. So what happens when you play Texas Tech and their little ol' "system" quarterback and he throws first, runs second? How does Mt. Cody, God of Defense, Protector of the Crimson, defend so that he interrupts their flow? That kid gets rid of the ball before Cody can get out of his stance. Please tell me that your "theory" isn't that Bama is only good on defense because of Cody? Please tell me that you do understand that some teams abandon the run from the opening whistle and choose to spread the field and make you beat them with your D-backs? Please tell me that the Bama nation doesn't intend to win a championship based on the premise that they can stop the running game of Florida or Texas Tech?

[runswithscissors 33]

Our defensive linemen rotate regularly as well. Every defensive line rotates regularly. You won't make through the game without it. That's an odd statement to hang your hat on if you're trying to find a flaw with Cody.

Look I'll put it this way: Bama's defense is good, but they weren't nearly as good last year despite having MORE success in the secondary last year. I'll concede that Jackson and McClain are better this year, but Cody is the real difference. Their defensive line is made of marginally talented players. Bobby Greenwood and Deaderick don't scare anyone, but you put them beside Cody and whamo! you have a team strength.

I never said Cody was as good as Sam Adams. I said he was equally important, AND that you don't have to make tackles to be a star player on defense. Adams had 23 tackles, in 16 games, the year the Ravens won the Super Bowl. Big deal. He was still one of the keys to that defense. Cody has only 16 tackles in 10 games. Big deal. Their defense goes to a different level with him. Also it's going to be really tough to support the whole "Cody is fat and overrated" argument after he goes in the top 20 in the draft.

So let me get this straight... Cody in the game, Bama Rulz... Cody out of the game, Bama sucks wind... I'll hang my hat on the fact that this defense is good because of ALL 11 players on the field. I understand as well as anyone the machinations of line rotation, and yes, everyone does this, but to suggest that Cody alone accounts for the success of Bama's defense is just plain ludicrous. BTW, Gene Stallings said exactly that on Finebaum's show a few weeks back. Simple fact is this: Cody is one player, sized to about one and a half players, who provides a large body on the inside, but can be handled pretty easily by double teaming and simply executing on the O-Line. Not my words, Gene Stalling's words.

Terrance Cody missed 2 games this year, Ark State and Tenn.

go look at Tenn's rushing yards against us and go look at their rushing yards against Bama.

UT has consistantly been unable to run against decent teams. UGA and South Carolina shut them down as well as we did.

[Eagle86 0]

I absolutely agree with RWS on this (and I really hate to admit that!).

As a nosetackle, one of your primary job functions is to fill gaps. If you do that effectively, like TC does, you've essentially done your job. If they run AWAY from you and do so consistently, you're allowing your LB's to follow the plays because he KNOWS they won't run up the middle (away from TC).

Now, if you are double teamed, that assures that at least those two people won't be blocking on the next level, essentially freeing LB's to make tackles.

He may not be a tackling MACHINE, but I assure you, he makes MUCH more of a difference than you give him credit for. And since he plays for the Bad Guys, that pains me to say!

I can now sleep good at night knowing that you agree with the Bammers.

[mcgufcm 4,107]

No one has made the assertion that Bama is ONLY good defensively because of Cody. Rashad Johnson is fantastic. Rolando McClain has been great. Kareem Jackson is a wonderful cover man. There are a lot of solid players on that defense. BUT they are all made better by Terrence Cody's presence. McClain in particular. No one benefits more from a space-eating nose guard more than the Ends and Middle backers. Cody's ability to occupy blockers means the ends almost never have to deal with double teams, AND it means the middle backers are allowed to run free through gaps when blitzing or focus on making tackles instead of shedding blockers against the run.

It's like this. In basketball, nothing makes your defense better than a big Center that can change shots and protect the rim. It allows your guards to take more chances. It allows you to try different things against the other post players (like fronting). The big center doesn't have to block every shot, and he might not score a whole lot. But he'll make your whole team better just by his presence. That's Terrence Cody. He might be surrounded by solid players, but he makes them all better whether he racks up numbers or not.

[mcgufcm 4,107]

Atta boy eagle! Don't let people actually talking about the effect of a space-eating nose tackle dissuade the fact that he's fat. Never mind that you haven't said one thing about why he's overrated other than his tackle total. Keep on arguing! If you say the same thing enough times, it's bound to come true.

[stoic-one 1,553]

Oops, my mistake, I came in here expecting a thread about Brad Lester.

How about someone open a thread in the RIVALS forum about TC. If not, I'll split this one and move it. End of thread drift.

[runswithscissors 33]

No one has made the assertion that Bama is ONLY good defensively because of Cody. Rashad Johnson is fantastic. Rolando McClain has been great. Kareem Jackson is a wonderful cover man. There are a lot of solid players on that defense. BUT they are all made better by Terrence Cody's presence. McClain in particular. No one benefits more from a space-eating nose guard more than the Ends and Middle backers. Cody's ability to occupy blockers means the ends almost never have to deal with double teams, AND it means the middle backers are allowed to run free through gaps when blitzing or focus on making tackles instead of shedding blockers against the run.

It's like this. In basketball, nothing makes your defense better than a big Center that can change shots and protect the rim. It allows your guards to take more chances. It allows you to try different things against the other post players (like fronting). The big center doesn't have to block every shot, and he might not score a whole lot. But he'll make your whole team better just by his presence. That's Terrence Cody. He might be surrounded by solid players, but he makes them all better whether he racks up numbers or not.

Dont'a Hightower is becoming a McClain clone as well. how sick are those two gonna be side by side next season? throw in Jerrell Harris and Courtney Upshaw into the mix, possibly Nico Johnson or Tana Patrick, plus hopefully TC will stay at Alabama, and you have a RB/OL's worst nightmare.

[mcgufcm 4,107]

I honestly think it's very, very unlikely that Cody will be back. Look there is usually a reason a guy goes Juco. When you have a chance to make Top 20 money, it's awful tough to turn that down especially when you've accomplished so much on field success. If Auburn had a good year, I'd say Marks was 100% gone. He'll be projected higher than Cody (heck he'll be the first DT taken most likely), but we failed this year. That's the only reason I think Marks is up in the air. Cody got the wins, has the accolades, and to put it nicely, might not be a huge fan of school. (Just to put out the fire: I'm not saying he can't or won't make his grades... juco guys just usually aren't big time school guys.)

I also think you're being a little generous in calling Hightower a McClain clone. Much like playing behind Cody makes McClain better... playing beside McClain makes Hightower better. McClain is a better tackler, is better in space, and makes more big plays. I take your point though.

As for Brad Lester, he's been disappointing this season, but he's still a big play threat. He's still a Bama killer. I like hearing him talk about expecting to win. Maybe we can come out and get a few things going our way early. That might be enough to spark our team. Lester has been under-utilized... maybe he's going to break out over the final two.

[BroncoAU 81]

Good or Bad, Marks still leaves, A. Smith leaves and so will Mt. Cody. Also M. Stafford and possibly Mereno

this is the last year until the NFL implements the salary cap for rookies.

[SouthLink02 8]

Also M. Stafford and possibly Mereno

Mereno will be staying

Moreno may be leaving

[BroncoAU 81]

Also M. Stafford and possibly Mereno

Mereno will be staying

Moreno may be leaving

Should I say or should I go...?!? da da da da da da...

[SouthLink02 8]

Me and mcg went at this before the year

I still say he isn't ready and I think his play showed it

He was far from as great as he was expected to be

Then again, being ready doesn't really matter if teams are ready to draft you and pay you huge signing bonuses/salaries for a top pick

[Duder 238]

Oops, my mistake, I came in here expecting a thread about Brad Lester.

How about someone open a thread in the RIVALS forum about TC. If not, I'll split this one and move it. End of thread drift.

Brad Lester should keep his mouth shut until he does something worth talking about

Happy?

[SouthLink02 8]

“I hate to say hate, but I can’t stand Georgia,” Auburn running back Tristan Davis said this week.

http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports...=7&cxcat=21

[stoic-one 1,553]

Oops, my mistake, I came in here expecting a thread about Brad Lester.

How about someone open a thread in the RIVALS forum about TC. If not, I'll split this one and move it. End of thread drift.

Brad Lester should keep his mouth shut until he does something worth talking about

Happy?

Agreed, and no

[TigerHeat 9]

I don't think AU is going to beat us by a good amount but I wouldn't be surprised to see AU set a scoring high this weekend and win

If people thought I was over-exaggerating our Defensive problems, just take a listen to Richt's PC the yesterday

SLink, better watch out. You're turning into the Dawg version of PowerI-yore.

[SouthLink02 8]

I don't think AU is going to beat us by a good amount but I wouldn't be surprised to see AU set a scoring high this weekend and win

If people thought I was over-exaggerating our Defensive problems, just take a listen to Richt's PC the yesterday

SLink, better watch out. You're turning into the Dawg version of PowerI-yore.

Hell, I didn't know PowerI was such a smart, correct, on-the-money type poster

[Dye Hard AU Fan 0]

Lester has a breakout performance with Tristan as his lead blocker. Personally, with as much hate built up in BL and TD, I would let them play the majority of the snaps. However, I believe Fannin is starting. Lester/Davis need to give a motivational speech to the entire team before the game. If our entire team shares in this bitter hatred we may win.

WDE!!

[TigerfanKM 37]

I love Auburn more than anything, but I am also a realist. I will be rooting and hoping I am wrong,

but I do not see us beating Georgia or Bama. The visiting team usually wins the AU - UGA game and the higher ranked team wins the Iron Bowl over 80% of the time.

We have had all season to get things "fixed". Our system is not working and we are not getting the most out of our players. We have no play makers at WR and inexperienced QBs. Could the Tigers play their best game of the season and win one or both of these, sure. But I just don't feel it. What I do feel is we will be much better next year. Remember, sometimes you have to fail and learn how to win before you can succeed. This is not a pro team we are talking about that has the same players, coaches, and schemes in place every year. It's a different set of players that make up our team every year.

But have faith, we won't be down long. The last thing we need to do at this point is even think about letting CTT go. Now if he has a similar year next year, then it will be time to talk.

For now, just be patient. (Especially all you spoiled, young Tiger fans.) And, it's OK to dream about the best Christmas present ever of upsetting #1 Alabama and preventing them from playing for a NC. Wouldn't that just be something? We can always hope for S-E-V-E-N!!!!!

War Eagle!!

[JB33 1]

I don't think AU is going to beat us by a good amount but I wouldn't be surprised to see AU set a scoring high this weekend and win

If people thought I was over-exaggerating our Defensive problems, just take a listen to Richt's PC the yesterday

SLink, better watch out. You're turning into the Dawg version of PowerI-yore.

Hell, I didn't know PowerI was such a smart, correct, on-the-money type poster

SLink:

Cool sig. But what's going on with guy in the white t-shirt (the one without the cartoon head)? What kind of defense is that? Is that Robert Gibbs, brown-nosing for his cabinet post?

Sorry, random observation. Back to our regularly scheduled programming.