The University of Alabama Football and Crimson Tide Sports Source
April 25, 2024
February 05, 2015
We’re Number 1 – Again
Alabama’s recruiting class won what I think is the most mythical national championship of them all. ESPN, the kings of hype, bestow the penultimate trophy at the end of the silly season for the team with the number one ranked recruiting class.
According to those who know this stuff this is the fifth number one ranked class Alabama has reeled off in a row. Which if nothing else proves that having a number one recruiting class does not translate into actual championships. Since 2010 Alabama has won two national championships and two SEC championships though not in the same years.
Given all of the talent that was signed to come and play football in Tuscaloosa one wonders how the football team could have such glaring deficiencies. In 2013 and in 2014 the Tide’s secondary was noticeably absent. I mean surely there were some four or five star defensive backs that could have helped that situation and perhaps won another actual national championship.
In general the Tide’s defense has gone south the last couple of years. It was weak last year and practically sieve-like this year. Lord how many yards did they give up to Auburn, Missouri, Ole Miss and Ohio State through the air? What is perhaps even more distressing is the number of yards on the ground this team gave up in critical games in crucial situations. I realize that over half of the rushing yards Ohio State picked up were on two plays and yes there are some excuses for the one long run – but that simply should not happen with this supposed treasure trove of talent that is supposedly on the roster.
The other question is how on earth could a team be as lacking at the quarterback position as Alabama found itself last year? As some writer pointed out last week Lane Kiffin managed to create a quarterback on the fly last year. It’s beginning to look like he may have to pull another rabbit out of his hat this year. So I ask how, how could this recruiting juggernaut fail to have an elite quarterback on the roster?
The long and short answer is that often 18 year old boys who set the world on fire at More Science High School might not make the grade, for whatever reason, at the University of Alabama. Often that happens with all college students they just can’t cut what it takes to be in college.
The point of all of this is that while good recruiting is a good predictor of how a football team will perform. It is not a one for one equation. So, what I’m saying is – it’s OK to be happy that once again Saban and company brought home the bacon. Just don’t melt down if they don’t win the playoff next year.
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