Alabama vs Notre Dame: BCS Championship

Originally posted by jrg:
Oh boy. This conversation is still going on.

Slow sports day. Bottom line is... it isnt impossible. Just incredibly unlikely. I would bet my house and bank account against it.

Originally posted by strickac:
Go back and check out Bama's 2010 depth chart. Looking at the starters and the the backups (then), it's loaded with early round NFL talent. The players currently on the roster are no different. Guys like Lacy and Yeldon are just as talented as the Ingrams and Richardsons, they're just not as we'll known yet. Bama is as deep as any team in the nation. They scoop up a handful of the best players in the country every year.

I understand the argument that NFL players are the best draftable players in the country and better than standard college kids; however, your average NFL team may only have about 5 first round picks on the roster. Alabama is pumping out 3-5 1st-2nd round picks every year. The talent is there.

Personally I think the huge difference is professional preparation and Bama is unique in that they are basically an NFL training school. Lets face it, an 8th grader has the smarts to get a degree in Alabama. They are the closest thing to a professional team in the NCAA. Saban has them ready every week and out smarts opponents every week. It's rare that they have a competitive game. If Alabama kept they're players (rather than sending them to the NFL), they'd have a Pro Bowl team caliber team in a few short years.

Look at an older roster as a snapshot of how many current/projected NFL players you see. It's pretty remarkable how well Saban has recruited. His team is loaded with NFL-caliber talent. Most of his starters go pro. On any pro roster there's a few guys that are just there for lack of a better player. Thankfully, we've purged the roster of our Snyders and Rachals. Plus, while the general perception is that NFL players were star college players, that's far from the truth. After the 2nd round, the vast majority of players selected were good, not great college players.

as you put it, the the alabama players are still "in training." even though talented, most aren't ready to face an NFL team right now. like with most rookies, the talent is just potential until they can prove it.

You're basing your entire premise on the fact that superior talent (or even superior talent, speed and experience) ALWAYS AND WITH NO EXCEPTIONS EVER beats inferior talent. That's been proven incorrect on more than one occasion in just about every sport or endeavor known to man, so that's pretty flimsy (but a premise that most people use when they don't want to really examine something thoroughly). I would also argue that the Bama squad might not be so inferior to the worst NFL teams (since they're bad for a reason, and mostly because they lack REAL NFL talent) especially in terms of size, speed and overall athleticism.

And your boxing example is so irrelevant that it's almost not worth commenting on, but I'll do it anyway.

Boxing is an individual sport where it's just you and your opponent in the ring...similar weights (at least as close as possible) are critical not only for the competition, but for the pure safety factor. They purposely and for good reason set up actual weight classes, for the very obvious reason that a fighter like Leonard at 168 lbs doesn't have much of a chance against a man like Tyson who fought at 215-235. In that particular sport, and with the strength, punching power and 40-60 pound weight advantage, Leonard would be physically unable to compete against Tyson and his life would actually be in danger more so than against a normal opponent.

Not so with the Alabama, say, against the Titans defensive front (just as an example):

T - Cyrus Kouandjio, 6'6", 311 (Alabama)
DE - Kamerion Wimbley, 6'4", 255 (Tennessee)

OG - Chance Warmack, 6'3", 320 (Alabama)
DT - Jurrell Casey, 6'1", 300 (Tennessee)

C - Barrett Jones, 6'5", 305 (Alabama)

OG - DJ Fluker, 6'6", 335 (Alabama)
DT - Sen'Derrick Marks, 6'2", 294 (Tennessee)

T - Anthony Steen, 6'3", 305 (Alabama)
DE - Derrick Morgan, 6'3", 275 (Tennessee)

Let me be clear about this. I'm not saying Alabama could beat Tennessee because I don't think they could. I'm merely saying that your analogy falls flat since there is no CLEAR AND OBVIOUS PHYSICAL mismatch between the opposing fronts in this case, as there is in your example of the 168 pound Sugar Ray fighting the 215-235 pound Tyson. Tennessee has other advantages that would stop most of what Alabama would try to do, but there wouldn't be the physical mismatch that you're stating.

Originally posted by 49erfeeeever808:

as you put it, the the alabama players are still "in training." even though talented, most aren't ready to face an NFL team right now. like with most rookies, the talent is just potential until they can prove it.

Yet guys like Watt, Aldon and Miller step right in the league and dominate. The gap isn't as big as people make it out to be.

Originally posted by jrg:
Oh boy. This conversation is still going on.

I know....I need to know when to quit.

Originally posted by strickac:

Originally posted by 49erfeeeever808:

as you put it, the the alabama players are still "in training." even though talented, most aren't ready to face an NFL team right now. like with most rookies, the talent is just potential until they can prove it.

Yet guys like Watt, Aldon and Miller step right in the league and dominate. The gap isn't as big as people make it out to be.

They didn't play for the same college team

Now if the 1st 52 picks were from the same school , it would be believable

Originally posted by IWASATTHECATCH:

Originally posted by blizzuntz:
I want to smoke what you guys are smoking

That's where we differ. The last thing I'd want to smoke is something that makes me so absurdly delusional.









Just kidding. Puff puff pass!

Originally posted by blizzuntz:

They didn't play for the same college team

Now if the 1st 52 picks were from the same school , it would be believable

They didn't, but but NFL teams only get 2 picks in the first 2 rounds. Bama is sending more 4+ players every year in the first 2 rounds. Plus, there were plenty of rookies that had a big year in the NFL.

Originally posted by strickac:

Originally posted by blizzuntz:
They didn't play for the same college team

Now if the 1st 52 picks were from the same school , it would be believable

They didn't, but but NFL teams only get 2 picks in the first 2 rounds. Bama is sending more 4+ players every year in the first 2 rounds. Plus, there were plenty of rookies that had a big year in the NFL.

the argument isnt if NFL rookies are NFL talent.

The argument is that Alabama can beat an NFL team when only 4-5 players are NFL starter material right now (1st rounders) and only about 10 or so players are NFL ready (draft wise).

The rest of Alabama may one day be NFL ready, but at this point in time they are not ALL ready

Originally posted by blizzuntz:

the argument isnt if NFL rookies are NFL talent.

The argument is that Alabama can beat an NFL team when only 4-5 players are NFL starter material right now (1st rounders) and only about 10 or so players are NFL ready (draft wise).

The rest of Alabama may one day be NFL ready, but at this point in time they are not ALL ready

By the same standards, the Chief, Raiders and Jags aren't NFL-ready either. They're not even competitive most weeks and a lot of their players wouldn't start on Bama's team.

Originally posted by strickac:

Originally posted by blizzuntz:
the argument isnt if NFL rookies are NFL talent.

The argument is that Alabama can beat an NFL team when only 4-5 players are NFL starter material right now (1st rounders) and only about 10 or so players are NFL ready (draft wise).

The rest of Alabama may one day be NFL ready, but at this point in time they are not ALL ready

By the same standards, the Chief, Raiders and Jags aren't NFL-ready either. They're not even competitive most weeks and a lot of their players wouldn't start on Bama's team.

exactly!!!

and these teams are made up of a bunch of 1st round and 2nd round talent

Simple question, and one I can't answer because I don't follow the draft prospects closely enough.

How many players on Alabama would make KC's 53 man roster today? I'm not talking about guys with potential that may turn out to be something, I mean guys that would take another man's job today if they could.

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
Simple question, and one I can't answer because I don't follow the draft prospects closely enough.

How many players on Alabama would make KC's 53 man roster today? I'm not talking about guys with potential that may turn out to be something, I mean guys that would take another man's job today if they could.

Today? Top 13 players IMO on Alabama

QB A.J. McCarron - honestly don't see much difference between him and KC's 2 other starters who I think are awful. He'd probably start since he isn't a turnover machine like Brady Quinn.
WR Amari Cooper - #2 WR behind Bowe
LT Cyrus Kouandjio - would make the team as a backup tackle
LG Chance Warmack - would start
C Barrett Jones - would start
RT D.J. Fluker - would probably move inside and start
RB Eddie Lacy -would be the #2 RB, splitting time with Charles
RB T.J. Yeldon - if Lacy's on the team, he would make the roster as #3 RB, if Lacy isn't he would split time with Charless
NT Jesse Williams - would start over Dontari Poe
ILB Nico Johnson - start over Siler
LB C.J. Mosley - start over OLB Justin Houston
CB Dee Milliner - hmmm, I'd say nickelback
S Robert Lester - compete with Kendrick Lewis to start, probably back him up in year 1

edit: Anyone look at KC's depth chart recently? That is really depressing, lol. I mean I just said a college true FRESHMAN would be the Chiefs #2 WR, and honestly I think he would

Originally posted by SunDevilNiner79:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
Simple question, and one I can't answer because I don't follow the draft prospects closely enough.

How many players on Alabama would make KC's 53 man roster today? I'm not talking about guys with potential that may turn out to be something, I mean guys that would take another man's job today if they could.

Today? Top 13 players IMO on Alabama

QB A.J. McCarron - honestly don't see much difference between him and KC's 2 other starters who I think are awful. He'd probably start since he isn't a turnover machine like Brady Quinn.
WR Amari Cooper - #2 WR behind Bowe
LT Cyrus Kouandjio - would make the team as a backup tackle
LG Chance Warmack - would start
C Barrett Jones - would start
RT D.J. Fluker - would probably move inside and start
RB Eddie Lacy -would be the #2 RB, splitting time with Charles
RB T.J. Yeldon - if Lacy's on the team, he would make the roster as #3 RB, if Lacy isn't he would split time with Charless
NT Jesse Williams - would start over Dontari Poe
ILB Nico Johnson - start over Siler
LB C.J. Mosley - start over OLB Justin Houston
CB Dee Milliner - hmmm, I'd say nickelback
S Robert Lester - compete with Kendrick Lewis to start, probably back him up in year 1

edit: Anyone look at KC's depth chart recently? That is really depressing, lol. I mean I just said a college true FRESHMAN would be the Chiefs #2 WR, and honestly I think he would

KC was in the playoffs 2 years ago. Man, things change fast in the NFL...

ND got beat down, doe.