[Bamabeachlivin]

It was the kind of question that's been known, on occasion, to light Nick Saban's fuse.
Someone - OK, it was me - asked him late Saturday afternoon to compare his Alabama football team's status after this spring game to where the team stood after A-Day 2007.
Saban likes comparisons as much as recruiting restrictions, but he must've felt good about something, because he didn't spontaneously combust.
He talked about how his second Alabama team is different from his first team from a personnel standpoint. And then, as often happens, the more he talked, the more insight he provided.
"There's more players on our team right now that understand the expectation of how important it is to do their job and the level we want that job done on a consistent basis," he said.
"We have more players here who understand the importance of how they represent the organization ... in terms of what we do and how we do it. That's on and off the field."
In other words, more Mike Shula players are starting to act like Nick Saban players. Perhaps everyone can look forward to a summer and a football season with fewer suspensions and arrests.
"For the first time," Saban said, "I've seen leadership emerge this spring from some of our players to affect other players. That's not something that we've had a lot of here."
What? Players leading players? In the right direction?
Continued

[Stoney]

I thin Saban is playing oppossum. Which is the smart move right now these kids don't need the big head because pride goes before a fall.

[JRL]

I think Saban knows talent - he also knows he needs more of it to make noise in the SEC. When this years recruits are juniors, if he keeps bringing in talent, Bama may be a real contender in the SEC West.

[Stoney]

Does your dog bite?

[JRL]

Time will tell.

Seriously Stoney Saban won big at LSU because he had more talent than most - it had very little to do with some kind of Saban magic. Go back and look at the players LSU signed. Since 02 they have signed 88 4 star and 12 5's - anybody can coach that kind of talent.

Another interesting fact - Miles has done a better job recruiting top talent than Saban did

[bears9]

I'm with JRL here, honestly if you put together a great team, anyone who knew anything about college football could coach it.

[Stoney]

While that may be true how do you measure the heart of the players? That is what matters and how to get the players to play with heart is something Saban has accidentally discovered by being around Bear's boys. You will see when they pop a knot on Georgia and knock them off their perch at #1.

[Mudbug]

Originally Posted by Stoney

You will see when they pop a knot on Georgia and knock them off their perch at #1.

I dont belive that will happen soon. Georgia has a gr8 team commin back this year & will be hard to beat.

GEAUX TIGERS

[Stoney]

Originally Posted by Mudbug

I dont belive that will happen soon. Georgia has a gr8 team commin back this year & will be hard to beat.

GEAUX TIGERS

You're welcome to jump in on our 2008 Alabama Football bet! Geprgia will be good no doubt but they are not invunerable Alabama took them to the wire last season with less talent. JRL was sweating bullets going into overtime. I expect a similar game with a different outcome.

[Bamabeachlivin]

Originally Posted by JRL

Time will tell.

Seriously Stoney Saban won big at LSU because he had more talent than most - it had very little to do with some kind of Saban magic. Go back and look at the players LSU signed. Since 02 they have signed 88 4 star and 12 5's - anybody can coach that kind of talent.

Another interesting fact - Miles has done a better job recruiting top talent than Saban did

Well JRL I guess the same can be said about Mark Richt If you go back and look from 2002 Georgia as had 17 5 star and 56 4 star recruits sign with Georgia Two SEC titles 02, 05. (The 02 Title Richt's second year)So I guess anybody can coach a team with that kind of talent. But to say Miles has done a better job recruiting don't know Miles has been living off of what Saban left him. Its kind of walking in a kitchen and having every thing you need to make a five course meal (meaning LSU) and having a kitchen and only finding a pack of sardines and crackers to work with (meaning Alabama) And as far as Saban, You are right Time will Tell. But The numbers are already getting better from 2002 to 2006 recruiting only 2 5 star and 21 4 star recruits since Saban 07-08 3 5 star and 22 4 star recruits. And You say 5 losses for Bama I don't think so 2 or 3 at most. Bama's on the way back so Georgia, LSU move over Baby!!

[Tuck4Bama]

Originally Posted by bears9

I'm with JRL here, honestly if you put together a great team, anyone who knew anything about college football could coach it.

Tell that to Lloyd Carr.

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by Tuck4Bama

Tell that to Lloyd Carr.

Or John Cooper. How he never won a national title with the talent he had is beyond me.

[azrael492]

I think Saban is a tool, but I think he had a pretty good season with players he inherited. They will be much better when he gets his guys in there. They will be back soon enough.

[Stoney]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

Or John Cooper. How he never won a national title with the talent he had is beyond me.

Now that is truly side splitting funny... Lefty you made me spill my drink now I got a sticky keyboard....