OT: Bama-LSU game really showed how Goodell has changed the NFL

[chicowalker]

I appreciate good defense, but after last night I can't decide if Alabama is a great D or LSU is just one of the worst offenses in college ball. I guess they had another QB on the sidelines they could have used and gone to a passing game if not for his 1-7 TD/INT ratio.

I can't watch college ball because the talent is so thin and the schemes are so skewed to take advantage of that. It's no wonder the translation at the next level is such a crap shoot.

Alabama is a great defense that also played great.

LSU actually had one of the better offenses in college football, as did Alabama. But they (LSU) played poorly and did so in the face of the wrong defense.

I thought Miles screwed up when he went to Jefferson full time. While there are difficulties in doing so, I would have stuck with a combination of Jefferson and Lee (their other primary QB). may have hurt them a bit against other teams, but would have been another look Alabama would have needed to prepare for.

 

[Snake Eyes]

The sad reality is that if the NFL doesnt self-regulate the Feds will step in and do it for them

 

[Wolfpack]

Unfortunately, the NFL is a fat target for the litigation industry. They have little choice but to go out of their way to minimize injuries.

This is 100% accurate. The NFL knows they will be defendants in courtrooms for years, if not decades, to come. They will have to defend against claims of concussions, brain injuries and other football related maladies.

What the NFL needs to do, and what Goodell is implementing, is prove that they did everything they could possibly do to minimize the chances of such injuries occurring. They need to be able to prove, in a court of law, that they erred on the side of caution. And that's why, for all the complaining about how "wussified" the league is becoming, they are only going to move towards making stricter and stricter rules.

 

[Wolfpack]

I wonder why that game wasn't on one of the major networks instead of ESPN.

I think the powers-that-be at Disney have decided that they get better total ratings by having regular programming on ABC and the big game on ESPN instead of the big game on ABC and some crappy afterthought sporting event on ESPN (which nobody would be watching since everyone is watching the big game).

 

[Wolfpack]

I appreciate good defense, but after last night I can't decide if Alabama is a great D or LSU is just one of the worst offenses in college ball.

LSU is the only team in the history of the SEC Championship to play an entire half in that game without getting a single first down. That should help answer your question.

And don't let the fact that they scored 42 in that game fool you. 28 of those points were scored by (or at the very least set up by) special teams and defense.

 

[WelshPat]

Miles coached scared. The full back run on 3rd and 4. There were no shots down the field. Alabama, on the other hand, threw the ball on 1st down, did a lot of rollouts, challenged the strength of LSUs defense, the corners, and played to win.

Funnily enough I think that's whats going to be the difference in our matchup with the Broncos. Fox all season long has been conservative with his calls. While they threw the ball last week, at some point Fox will go back to coaching scared. You can't change your DNA, your either aggressive or your not.

 

[letekro]

Unfortunately, the NFL is a fat target for the litigation industry. They have little choice but to go out of their way to minimize injuries.

For the same reason, I expect college ball to follow the NFL lead.

This is exactly right. If the upside is "save a bunch of money" and the downside is "purists will be upset", it's not a tough choice for the powers that be.