Random Notes from a Crank

In what has become normal for the GOP, they focus on stupid issues. 

For example, the Texas Lieutenant Governor, instead of focusing on the measles outbreak in his state, is more concerned about renaming a cut of beef to be called "Texas strip" instead of "New York strip." 

Read about this lunacy in The Guardian: "Texas Republican Focuses on Rebrand of 'New York Strip' amid Outbreak." 

It will always be Gulf of Mexico, people. 

Distractions keep people focused on the wrong issues. 

I know a guy who works in some kind of government program that's linked to Veterans Affairs. He's a big supporter of Moscow Don. I wonder if he lost his job. That'd be ironic.  

The Executive Branch is clearly a puppet of Russia. At least that's what the Kremlin is saying: "Washington Now "Largely Aligns" with Moscow's Vision, Kremlin Says." 

I got a package today from this company. 

As a Star Wars fan and as a big fan of the character Chewbacca, I dig it. 

Sunday Hangover: Texas

There isn't enough beer or bourbon in the world to erase that performance from the Crimson Tide last night from my memory. 

It was a bipolar game from Alabama--mostly on the depressing side. 

The lot was made about the penalties from the broadcasters during the game because of the terrible amount of penalties in the previous matchup. It's true penalties were a factor. 

However, the main factors that lost that game were giving up big pass plays, the state of the Tide's pass blocking, and quarterback decision making. 

Alabama gave up too many explosive plays in the passing game. It's that simple. There are the two bombs for touchdowns, which were great throws by Ewers, but there were also intermediate passes with the TE and other receivers roaming free. 

The Tide has talented personnel in the secondary along with a number of veterans, but Sark, like I expected him to, targeted the green players. 

The offensive line play has to get better, especially at pass blocking. Left tackle Proctor surely has a game that will make him get better by working harder, but he had a horrible game. It was bad. I was surprised he didn't get pulled and replaced in the game. 

While pass blocking was poor, Milroe didn't exactly distinguish himself by passing the ball to open receivers. Sure, he was pressured, but in the first half especially he acted like he was looking to run more than actually passing the ball. 

At least from what I read from the armchair quarterbacks on the Huddle forum of TiderInsider, it sounds like there were receivers open. Milroe was just too quick to run. 

I got frustrated at times from the play calling of both the offensive and defensive coordinators although I wonder how much of the offensive problems last night rest more with the play of the offensive line and the quarterback. 

I got pissed a number of times when we only rushed three on third and long, and Texas easily picked up a first down because Ewers had all kinds of time. Even with rushing four or five, the Tide usually didn't get enough pressure on the Texas QB. 

But what a lot of people will focus on are Milroe's interceptions. They were terrible reads. Texas translated two interceptions to 10 points. 

The Tide lost to the Longhorns by 10 points. 

I don't know if the quarterback competition is back on, but I have to think the coaches are thinking about it based on what they saw Milroe do--both good and bad--last night. 

My son is a big proponent of Simpson getting a shot. 

I agree with him.

Sunday Hangover: Texas

The last time I wrote about an Alabama-Texas game it was the Tide's first national championship under Saban. 

This one was a very different game except that both kind of went down to the wire although yesterday's game went down to the final seconds, not minutes. 

I didn't get to watch much of the game because I was driving for a weekend jaunt during it, so I listened to off an on because we were down in southern Illinois where the service was spotty as hell. I heard most of the game though, and here's what I gathered from what I heard and was told by the passengers who watched the game while I listened. 

The defensive backs played poorly. 

The offensive line struggled against the Texas defense throwing everything at them coupled with a very loud crowd. 

The young receivers struggled to get open. 

Alabama probably should have focused on running the ball more. 

It was the sloppiest game of the Saban era. So many damn stupid penalties...

Bryce Young is an exceptional football player. 

So, in sum, the areas where the Tide had question marks all had issues during a feisty road game. 

My hope is that this game serves as a good-bad win, meaning that Alabama played poorly in so many ways, they won, and the good-bad win works as a reality-anchor on how the Tide needs to work the process and get much better. 

There are all kinds of coaching points that Saban and the assistant coaches will be mining for weeks.