Enough is enough! Stop making excuses!!!

Every week, it is the same old thing out of our coaches: "We did some things really well" or "We're really close". Well, I've been told since childhood that close only counts in horseshoes and grenades. I might buy the "close" comment after week 1 or 2, but after week 8? HELL NO! We are not close at all. If not for our defense intercepting 3 first half passes, we would have been scoreless at halftime, instead of having a 3 point lead. Oh, and let's talk about that 3 point lead. Your team is on the road with a first year starting QB in front of 107,000 fans and you kick a field goal from 4th and goal on the 1? If ever there was a time to go for the kill, that was it! I realize there was another half to be played, but that field goal was a victory for Tennessee, not us. They were fired up and clapping about OUR field goal! We would not have given them any more momentum and joy had they stopped us on 4th down. Besides, did you really think 3 points would hold up AT Tennessee? Come on Coach! Be realistic.
I, for one, am sick of "playing the percentages" and the NFL mentality. This is NOT the NFL, where "you win some, you lose some" is acceptable. This is Alabama football! We are supposed to win them all!
I want you to think about something honestly. When has Alabama had a better QB, better tandem of receivers, and better running backs and full backs than right now? NEVER! We have never had more weapons than right now, yet we have an anemic offense. Hey folks, that's coaching! I don't know whose fault it is, whether its Rader or Shula. Whoever is calling the plays has got to recognize the problem and ask for help from the other. Don't let your pride get in the way of winning football games.
Oh, and speaking of bad coaching decisions and making excuses, why wasn't Jimmy Johns on the field more Saturday?

"Jimmy was not full speed [against Tennessee]," Rader said. "He was limping around [sprained ankle].

"We played him about the right amount as far as what he could do. We're not going to jeopardize his whole season to get him in there if he can't hold up."

Excuse me? If he wasn't full speed, then why was he our leading rusher on just 3 carries? Maybe we should think about not jeopardizing Darby's future in the NFL by sitting his ass down, too! I'm sure we have some no-name scout team running back that is expendable, let's play him!

Our special teams were also terrible on Saturday. Our punting and punt coverage was atrocious. Our kickoff coverage was terrible. Our gunners don't understand the concept of "breaking down". They just fly right past the returner and barely get a finger on him. It's like they are trying to get that big hit that makes the crowd go "Ooh!" But special teams coach Dave Ungerer said both of those units are "very, very close" to success. I guess I'm supposed to get a warm, fuzzy feeling because Coach U said we were close. Damn it, that's not enough!

One last thing. If you haven't read Cecil Hurt's article from this past weekend, please do so. It is on point and very true. At one place in the article, he talks about Alabama's inability to win on the road.

Alabama didn’t score enough points to win on the road against a quality opponent in Knoxville on Saturday. That happens to every team from time to time – but in the past four years, it has happened to Alabama every time. That’s Every Single Time. The Crimson Tide hasn’t gone away from home and beaten a team worth beating since Dennis Franchione’s 2002 team went to Baton Rouge and blew LSU out of Tiger Stadium.

Whole Article

Overall, Alabama has become an average football team.

Roll Tide Roll!