What is the true cure for inconsistency?

[HogShat]

Inconsistency seems to be the issue at hand. We score the second most number of points allowed against the number one team in the nation (bama), and then beat the team that scored the most against them (Ole miss). aTm handles us, gets beat by State and we beat State soundly. Awbarn throttles us, then gets throttled by bama. Then look around the rest of the country. Louisville laying eggs down the stretch after playing so well. The list goes on. It isn't only us. It is everyone except Alabama. What is the cure for this disease? Is it not getting the players up to a level of emotion and excitement for each game? I mean barring a major injury to a key player, your talent pool does not change much throughout the year. If anything it should get deeper with experience and units gelling as the season progresses. How do we keep the keel even and keep our guys playing at a high level? They have proven they are capable, what keeps stopping them?

[tophawg19]

you are right , it happens to everyone but most here don't want to admit it . they can't see or grasp a bigger picture beyond Arkansas lost a game they should have won. it's happening all across the nation

[BroyledNutts]

In my opinion only ...

Part of the inconsistency comes from lack of emotion - I watched a lesser talent Vandy team beat Tennessee this weekend because they played with passion and determination.
Part of it comes from a potential lack of football IQ at many positions ...
The largest part of it comes, to beat a dead horse, from highly rated and evaluated recruits ... as much as people try to avoid it, stars do matter. You can only coach a kid so much at the collegiate level. Highly ranked recruits exhibit the natural instincts that produce highly consistent play, a natural disposition for fundamental football, a situational aptitude for the movement of the game. They can recognize and anticipate plays, formations, and schemes based on game experience and natural football IQ. They have a natural and highly developed skill set that allows for instinctual play, and an ability to make plays in space and beyond the scheme they operate in.

Coaches can take those attributes and hone the player to his maximum potential, but a coach cannot take a player who does not have this capability and teach him to have it - he either does, and is consistent in his play, or he does not...and we know what that produces.

[PorkSoda]

Muselex?

[BroyledNutts]

Muselex?

That's incontinence ... or is it constipation?

[ErieHog]

Stability and experience.    Sadly, they're not replaceable, when you don't have supreme talent.   We lose a few key guys, and it becomes a real setback across the board.

[Sho Nuff]

Consistency

[RebelW]

Consistancy is coached. It's what the players listen to and situations they get put in by the coaches. You don't have to have loaded 5 stars rosters to have consistancy. Look at Vandy's Defense.. ITS COACHED!

[Torqued pork]

I'll ask Saban and get back with ya.

[RebelW]

I'll ask Saban and get back with ya.

Have you noticed he's constantly chewing somebody out for not doing something right. Even if it's after a game when he's taking his head off. He expects perfection and expects those results every time.. Lots of coaches talk about holding people accountable but I don't think they do to the point in needs to be to form a habit

[Torqued pork]

Have you noticed he's constantly chewing somebody out for not doing something right. Even if it's after a game when he's taking his head off. He expects perfection and expects those results every time.. Lots of coaches talk about holding people accountable but I don't think they do to the point in needs to be to form a habit

Yep. A good butt chewing is pretty good at getting a player's attention and keeping 5* egos in check.

[PorkSoda]

Well it would be nice to have a head coach that well coaches.  When has anyone seen BB talk to his players during a game?  Or hell even the assistant coaches? I can't recall even 1 time in 4 years.  It's beyond bizarre. 

When you don't have an HC that's engaged with his team during a game how can they possibly be consistent?  It's like they are going out their with no leader to help them.  BB has the same dumb look and occasionally breaks up that look to argue with the officials.

Yeah, I noticed the same thing.  the lack of game time engagement is odd to say the least.

[Deep Shoat]

Well it would be nice to have a head coach that well coaches.  When has anyone seen BB talk to his players during a game?  Or hell even the assistant coaches? I can't recall even 1 time in 4 years.  It's beyond bizarre. 

When you don't have an HC that's engaged with his team during a game how can they possibly be consistent?  It's like they are going out their with no leader to help them.  BB has the same dumb look and occasionally breaks up that look to argue with the officials.

I guess you missed the shot of CBB talking to TJ about how to carry the ball more securely in the MSU game.

Just because that's all you see on TV doesn't mean that is all that is happening.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Inconsistency seems to be the issue at hand. We score the second most number of points allowed against the number one team in the nation (bama), and then beat the team that scored the most against them (Ole miss). aTm handles us, gets beat by State and we beat State soundly. Awbarn throttles us, then gets throttled by bama. Then look around the rest of the country. Louisville laying eggs down the stretch after playing so well. The list goes on. It isn't only us. It is everyone except Alabama. What is the cure for this disease? Is it not getting the players up to a level of emotion and excitement for each game? I mean barring a major injury to a key player, your talent pool does not change much throughout the year. If anything it should get deeper with experience and units gelling as the season progresses. How do we keep the keel even and keep our guys playing at a high level? They have proven they are capable, what keeps stopping them?

I think that teams that tend to be younger, rather than having more upper-class leadership, typically have a hard time maintaining an even keel throughout the season. Younger teams tend to ebb and flow between being really motivated and focused to having moments when the motivation and focus (and execution) tends to lag. Mature teams, or at least teams with a strong infrastructure of upper-class leadership tend to not allow themselves to get too high, nor get too low. They just go out each game with a confident mentality, put it in the same gear every game and execute as they have been taught to do.

Our offensive line is a perfect example of this with the majority of the two deep (and starters) being younger, more inexperienced players. QB leadership should have been (and may have been) a strong point though I am not sure that merely having been in the program all this time, yet this being really the first time to see any meaningful snaps, really counts. TE's, one mature, the rest young. WR's, a good sampling of more senior, experienced leadership, but JC doesn't count in some cases.

Defensive line-One DT that is older, everyone else young. DE's-really should have been a strong point of leadership. LB's-One very senior guy, everyone else still developing. Secondary-More mature than other position groups on defense and most of the season, they showed that, though they really blew it at times this year.

I can't speak for the other teams that you mentioned but I know that this team (like any other team) needs and requires leadership on the field that is respected because of their decision making and play and it is these guys who help carry the team through emotional wins and emotional losses, that help re-charge the batteries of the team every week, that help them re-focus their effort every week on the field, in meeting rooms and in the film rooms.

Coaches can coach technique all they want to but if they don't help develop mature leaders that everyone else looks to for focus, demeanor and how they handle and react to adversity as well as success, the rest of the team has no one to follow.

To me, this is what often leads to the unpredictable winning and losing performances that sometimes are associated with a lack of consistency.

[luke hawg]

Style of play has a lot to do with it. The spread offenses are designed to eliminate the significance of line play. On the other side of the ball, you run a highly aggressive defense with lots of blitzes and stunting hoping for turnovers. It's high risk, high reward and increases the number of plays significantly. If you get a run of good luck with a great QB, there is a chance of beating anyone. The minute that QB is injured or has a bad game. You can lose to anyone. Louisville blasted FSU which came back from over 20 down to beat Ole Miss which gave Bama its best game of the season only to finish 5-7. Louisville then lost to Kentucky. The interesting dynamic is watching power schools adopt the system because of the lose 1 and your done setup of college football. It's created an insane amount of parity.

[12247]

Everywhere I have watched or played, the coach's involvement is very important.  If its important to the HC, it should be really important to me.  Its mental.  One of the first things every coach wants from his players is their attention.  You wouldn't be texting while the coach is trying to teach you.  You respect the coach and he should respect you by giving you all he has to give to attain the highest level of success the team and therefore, each of you can attain.

BB from day 1 seemed detached from his team.  In the early seasons, he would actually stand away from the players as if he didn't want anyone knowing they were his.  I doubt he actually thought that but that is what it looked like.  Remember the definition of personality, "you, as others see you." 

I doubt Saban has more knowledge of football than all others.  What he has is a great requirement for attention to detail.  Nothing is ever good enough.  It can always be improved upon.   Exactly, not just about.  Never take a play off.  If you are the coach, you always lead by example.  Don't show up looking like you just got up after a 3 day drunk.  Be sure every player knows you are looking on every play.  He encourages and he teaches 24/7.  That is why you hear Saban say how rough the occupation is.  90 percent of coaches think coaching is easy or that it is so difficult cause I have to work somedays nearly all day.  Saban never leaves work in his mind.  Saban achieves more because he gives more.