The Alabama Crimson Tide Didn’t Throw The Iron Bowl
November 26, 2010 - 7:35 pm by McD
I’ll say it now: anyone who says that Alabama threw that second half so the BCS wouldn’t have to defend putting a one-loss team in the national title game over an undefeated Boise State or TCU squad is just sick and wrong.
There’s nothing fishy about the Crimson Tide’s performance in the second half whatsoever.
Holding a huge third-quarter lead, Alabama ran 13 plays in the third quarter that were either pass plays or sacks. But it’s not weird at all that the run-heavy Crimson Tide did that, or that their offensive line mysteriously forgot how to block for the entirety of the second half. Their failures did not, repeat DID NOT, directly lead to quarterback Greg McElroy’s injury late in the fourth quarter. Anyone who says that is crazy.
And certainly Nick Saban isn’t a well-known game strategist. Maybe those low expectations he always has for his players had something to do with the meltdown.
Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson getting 20 combined carries for 60 rushing yards isn’t insane either. Ingram sucked in the Iron Bowl game last year too. Richardson’s numbers might have dipped a little bit from last years’s 51-yard, 1 touchdown performance in this same game, but it’s not like he’s that good or an important cog in the Alabama offense.
Really, there’s no reason to get either Ingram or Richardson a ton of carries. Ingram already got his Heisman, and it’ll be Richardson’s show next year anyway. Plus, this is the age of the spread offense. NO ONE just runs the ball with a lead anymore.
Everyone knows this offense is centered around Greg McElroy anyway. Not only is Saban a long-time proponent of the Air Raid offense, but this has been a quarterback-centered offense from the beginning of the year. Besides, McElroy is amazing. Didn’t you watch the game?
Auburn also totally earned that win. Going through an Alabama team that admitted that it hasn’t played a complete game yet this year is totally more worthy than Boise having to play one of the best rushing offenses in the country.
Plus, Auburn’s defense wasn’t totally exposed in the first half. They played great. No idea what game you were watching. They’ve been totally solid all year. That Alabama +4 spread was completely out of line.
And CBS’s announcers were right. BCS conference teams DO deserve to win all the tiebreakers etc. against non-BCS teams because they DO have to overcome road games at Alabama. Oh, except for Oregon. But whatever.
This isn’t about “facts” anyway. It’s about feel. And Auburn FEELS like they deserve a shot at the title even if they lose to South Carolina anyway, right?
So yes, the SEC proved today that they’re better than everyone because people from CBS and ESPN said so, and they don’t have anything that could bias them like, say, a television contract worth $1 billion. See? The BCS isn’t about money after all.
*Photo Courtesy the AP
40 Responses to “The Alabama Crimson Tide Didn’t Throw The Iron Bowl”
if the fix was not on it sure smelled like it
By Robert on Nov 26, 2010
Oh yeah, and Alabama has no financial incentive either to split that BCS title game proceeds. Disgusting.
By Cameron on Nov 26, 2010
I don’t understand all this Boise State love. They are a great team, sure I concede that point. Until they play in a conference that is much tougher than the WAC or play more BCS out of conference teams or there is a playoff system it is difficult to argue they belong in the national championship game.
There are scrubs in every conference, but the rule of attrition is real. I would rather play New Mexico, Tulane, Hawaii, and Neveda than USC, UCLA, Washington, and Arizona State. BTW Washington State belongs in the NAIA so they don’t count.
By Solana on Nov 27, 2010
I can’t find the words to describe how utterly stupid and worthless this post is. Can I have my pageview back?
By Chris on Nov 27, 2010
guess it does not matter cause boise lost. lol
By ken on Nov 27, 2010
This author is smoking crack. He has surely NEVER seen an SEC comeback game before. And has never spent anytime in the South. The football rivalrys down here are unlike anything youv’e ever experienced. I’ve been to 80% of the SEC stadiums for games a few in the ACC and Big East and even some in the WAC and most East Coast pro teams also. The electricity in the air, the atmosphere at any ball game anywhere has never compared even slightly to an SEC rivalry game. These SEC teams love to win! Throwing a game would be a crime almost punishable by death here. I say this and I am a Yankee.
By John on Nov 27, 2010
SEC is so overrated. Play some tough out of conference games. Colorado beat an SEC team for christ sakes hence why the have to schedule pansies.
By Ben on Nov 27, 2010
I agree there was no fix. What are all of you politically correct nuts that want to put a school at the top just because they haven’t lost a game going to do now? AND Nevada isn’t even that great a team. What are you going to say when TCU loses such a game? You can’t beat the SEC, Big 12 and even the Big 10 and PAC 10 are better than WAC and the Mountain West. I’m not going to take space to get into all of the stats but if Boise State, TCU, and the rest want to be ranked with the big boys let them play with the big boys.
By Richard on Nov 27, 2010
Ha Ha, Boise State lost to Nevada. Shut up now and go home.
By Shawn on Nov 27, 2010
alabama beat their self that play a lot better than auburn. if the ncaa was fair with every team instead of some auburn cam and a few other player shouldn’t have be playing anyway. i know tha ncaamake some player sit out games while being investigated where auburn always gets all the break that is not fair to all the other teams, thats not fair to other teams, what fair for one is fair for all teams.
By donna on Nov 27, 2010
Don’t worry when the investigation of Auburn is over the record will read 2010 season university of auburn 0-14
By Lavon on Nov 27, 2010
can not wait for the Aburn Tiger to get what should be coming and that is stripped of everthing they have won this year. They are 12 aand have only played half games all year, superman (2) power’s will run out.. Go Gamecocks
By bamagirl on Nov 27, 2010
I doubt the fix was in but I do think that the larger story of the CBS-SEC money axis totally distorting national rankings is true. The Iron Bowl was poorly played by both sides, filled with errors that a decent team would have exploited ruthlessly. Auburn got lucky yet again against an opponent who choked. None of this is surprising given the sorry quality of SEC out of conference wins this year- Arkansas over OK State is the only quality win for the whole damn conference. The Pac 10 has by far the strongest OOC schedule this year. The fact that the Pac 10 has been overrated at times in past years does not mean it is overrated this year-Oregon is way better than last year, as is Stanford. If the Gamecocks don’t beat Auburn (and I suspect they might), Oregon will destroy them and we’ll see that the mighty SEC is just another conference with some pretty good teams that have a lot of great football tradition.
By Holy Zion, Batman! on Nov 28, 2010
Ben, how can u say the SEC is overrated? We’ve won the last 4 National Championships. I think they’ve proven that they’re one of the toughest conferences.
By T-Berry on Nov 28, 2010
Am I the only one that hears a bunch of whiney babies that got their butt whipped and can’t handle it. Bama didn’t “give” Auburn squat. Auburn took it. Go lay down..
By Thurston on Nov 28, 2010
I can’t wait to see an Auburn and Oregon BSC title game. Two very good coast to coast NW to SE teams. This could be a very similar match as the USC & Texas BSC championship where Vince Young took the ball game over at the end to win it for the Longhorns. I can see Cam Newton doing something similar to win a close game for Auburn.
By Moscanoche on Nov 28, 2010
Nick Saban has the whole College Football World fooled, there is no way and I mean no way in hell you go up 24 points in a football game and do not pound the ball…….this guy is a clown.
By Kevin on Nov 29, 2010
If the game was not rigged, then I dont know what was. Since when does Mark Barron over run an interception that leads to a TD? How does Trent Richardson drop a pass on the goalline with noone around him? McElroy gets sacked in the redzone and the ball laid on the turf for an hour? Julio’s injury? Ingram’s fumble? And to top it off, nobidy on the Alabama sideline was pissed off and yelling when they were losing! Hanks was sitting on the bench like it was practice, sharing a conversation with somebody else. IT WAS RIGGED!
By bamamc on Nov 29, 2010
I suppose the SEC winning the BCS title game 4 years in a row (soon to be 5) is all part of a conspiracy as well? No, they are the dominant conference in college football right now, they haven’t always been and they won’t always be, but right now the SEC is head and shoulders above the rest of the country. Especially non-aq teams like Boise and TCU, if college football claims to have the most relevant regular season in sports, then they have to stop rewarding teams for lining up a JOKE schedule and then dominating it.
By JLHamby on Nov 29, 2010
I agree with bamamc. This was so rigged…I know it will probably never be able to be proven, but rest assured, a lot of young men from the crimson tide team were given some pretty huge incentives to make sure the Tigers didn’t lose. There are some pretty damn influential people that have an unbelievable amount of money to gain by having an SEC team go to the NCG again this year. Just wait and see if the same result doesn’t come out of the SEC championship game…South Carolina WILL lose. That’s guaranteed. It’ll just be interesting to see if they “really” lose or have to pull the old gameplan switcharooski to give back the lead in the game. Hope they can do a better job than Bama did in not making seem so obvious. I lost all respect for Saban and this program.
By oldfool on Nov 29, 2010
Not saying the fix was in, but…. To be winning the way they were and flounder it away seems a bit odd for a Saban-couched Bama squad. After leading 24-0, why change your offensive play calling and defensive schemes? Reminds me of the UNLV-Duke final four game many-many years ago.
By Capt. Rock on Nov 29, 2010
So if this game was rigged, why did Bama jump out 24 points early? A rigged game is supposed to appear as if it were not one-sided, a close game that could go either way, but then swings the way of the weaker team, so as to keep all you conspiricy theorists at bay. Otherwise you have a bunch of sore losers running around shouting “The sky is falling!” as is the case here. Or was a deal just magically reached at halftime or is Saban’s memory so short his HT speech was, “Uhhh oh yeah guys, we’re supposed to lose this one. I forgot to tell you.” Alabama lost, they are not going to repeat, now get over it.
By Eagle on Nov 30, 2010
common of couse they threw da game so tcu doesnt mke it to da champioship nd now dey dont have to worry bout boise cause they loss wait wait wait who did boise beat last year their first game with a quater named jeremiah masoli nd not some sophmore darron thomas oh yea oregon ohhh wait wait who did boise beat last year in their bcs game oh yea tcu nd they had hughes last year one of the best defensive ends in college football last year yea nd i still wonder why tcu was rank higher then them
By hammah on Dec 1, 2010
THE GAME I WATCHED SHOWED AN ALABAMA TEAM THE COULD DO NO WRONG IN THE FIRST HALF, THEN CAME THE SECOND HALF! INGRAM FUMBLES 3 OR FOUR TIMES, RICHARDSON DROPS A PASS ON THE GOAL LINE, THE OFFENSIVE LINE JUST FLAT OUT QUIT BLOCKING AND MADE IT LOOK LIKE THEY WERE BEING OUT PLAYED, AFTER THE WAY THE DEFENSE AND OFFENSIVE PLAYED AND DOMINATED THE FIRST HALF!!!!! COME ON! IT STOOD OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB THAT WAS HIT WITH A HAMMER! BIG #90 WAS OUT OF THE GAME THE ENTIRE FIRST HALF. WAS PUSHED AROUND LIKE A WIMP. THEN HE GETS BETTER ALL OF A SUDDEN AND CAMPS OUT IN THE BAMA BACK FIELD. YOU DON’T POST 24 POINTS AND LOOSE THE GAME WHEN YOU ENTER THE RED ZONE 4 MORE TIMES AND FAIL TO SCORE AND BLAME IT ON BEING OUT PLAYED! THE GAME WAS FIXED FOR CAM. FOR HIM TO WIN THE HEISMAN AND AUBURN TO FINALLY GET A SHOT AT THE NATIONAL TITLE. SABAN WAS TOTALLY OUT OF THE GAME MOST OF THE EVENING. HE LOOKED AS IF HE COULD OF CARED LESS ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE GAME. FOR CHRIST SAKE I CAN WALK A SIDELINE WITH MY ARMS FOLDED, LOOK AT THE GROUND, AND UP IN THE AIR FOR ALOT LESS THAN 4 MILLION A YEAR. HELL I’LL DO IT FOR 1 MILLION. GET THE SAME RESULTS AND SAVE 3 MILLION!! ALL YOU DIE HARDS NEED TO GO BACK AND WATCH THE GAME REAL CLOSE, I MEAN REAL CLOSE AND YOU’LL SEE WHAT ALOT OF US SEEN. NO ONE CAN LOVE ALABAMA FOOTBALL MORE THAN ME BUT I KNOW A RAT WHEN I SEE ONE. ” THE GAME WAS FIXED AND HANDED TO AUBURN! ” ROLL TIDE & SEMPER FI
By 1lane66 on Dec 1, 2010
i glad that everyone sees what i see auburn sucks that it true alabama is a better teamthan auburn but since they could go alabama just let auburn win
By Anonymous on Dec 4, 2010
It’s now official. After seeing Auburn win SEC championship, there can be no doubt that Alabama threw the game for them. Had SC won, I might have backed away from it but not now. I love Alabama but the SEC is dirt! They have let a player remain eligible who clearly should not be and they somehow “convinced” Alabama to lose. All so the conference can have a nat’l champion.
By mark on Dec 4, 2010
They should have had a little consideration for the fans and just put on the scoreboard at halftime that they could go ahead and leave because we are throwing this game. Would only have been slightly more obvious than what actually happened.
By rick on Dec 4, 2010
am a bama fan but if it can be proven i would drop bama in a minute because we owed auburn one they beat us back in the 1980′s we was 10 and 0 number 2 in the nation and auburn beat us so roll tide for now.
By phillip on Dec 5, 2010
Fixed,
Yeh, that makes sense. No one will ever find out. Not one of the 100 or more co-conspirtors will ever talk.
You would have to have an IQ in the single digits to think a fix could be pulled off.
By GVT on Dec 5, 2010
You would have to have an IQ in the single digits to be so naive to think it couldn’t happen. Do you think the mob and sports gambling is just fiction made for tv and movies?
By rick on Dec 5, 2010
There is a lot of history in football. How many times has Bama beaten Auburn over the last 10 years? 2 or 3? What is so unusual about Auburn beating them. Nick Saban is only good for a few years no matter where he coaches. The Alabama offense is so simple that they make the old Vince Dooley offensive teams look like Oregon. Alabama has not had a decent QB in 25 years.
By True Grits on Dec 7, 2010
You would have to be an idiot to not realize that bama did not lose to auburn but for the sec nat championship hunt. I’m just glad our coach made it clear who was the better team in the first half before they laid down and completely quit. Unlike south car that laid down all the way and took an embarrassming beating for the sec. Go Bama 2011.
By bamamaniac on Dec 7, 2010
I totally agree about the game being thrown. I felt the same way when Trent Richardson drop that ball and could have scored.It seen like everything start going down than.It was just like they went in the locker room and said we don’t have anything to play for, except a bowl game. Just let Auburn win and the championship will probably stay in the Sec.They got completely away from the same plan.
I still like Bama, but next year no bull cramp. Let’s win!!
By By blessedhands on Dec 7, 2010
Reading the above, you really don’t need all the players to know just 5 or 6 and the coachs. But bet if this did happen it someone will rat it out. I watched the Game and just could not belive what I saw in the second half, I was screeming so bad my wife went shopping before I had a heart attack, I was so mad I could have chewed nails. I will never trust Nick S. again, hope Oregon beats the crap out of Auburn, but after Oregons game last New Years Day I have no hope, and won’t bet on them either.
By George Murphy on Dec 8, 2010
I am steadily losing my love for what I used to think was the greatest sport in the world. College football is becoming so corrupt it’s not funny. I miss the days when every school had plain uniforms, spray painted the old helmets every week before a game, played for school pride, players focused on “team” - not individual stats, coaches were more loyal and less money hungry…the list goes on forever. Then…enter the BCS! In just a few short years what once was pure and dignified has turned into the most unfair, money/greed driven, corrupt sport on the planet. We the fans have all been screwed yet we continue to support the corruption. I am about to resort to going back to my old highschool, for about $15 a ticket, and getting back to football that is still a little bit pure and honest.
It is soon to be exposed that certain college teams did in fact intentionally lose games to insure a certain other team goes to the championship game.
By oldfool on Dec 9, 2010
Does anyone else on here think that Donna (November 27 post) sounds like Mr. Miyagi from Karate Kid?
By oldfool on Dec 9, 2010
Anyone that feels like there was a fix… is a moron!!! Anyone that knows anything about these two teams, knows that this is the biggest rivalry in the country and if one of the teams must win only one game - it is this one. Coaches are fired with winning records for not winning this one game. If you think it was thrown - seek mental help. You have a conspiracy problem. The games played out just like last year’s game… emotion carried the inferior team for a half - then the better team won. It is a shame that ignorance is so bliss in a world where information is just a few keystrokes away.
By Timothyf on Dec 19, 2010
aub did not beat bama bama beat themselves
let aubby fans do their bragging have nnothing else to brag about 1 n c only…..not much more to talk about………….
By don on Dec 19, 2010
After seeing what they just did to Michigan State, there is no way in hell Auburn would have come back to win without “help”
By rick on Jan 1, 2011
The game was rigged. It is not to say that Auburn was not a better team than Bama, but they were not better that day. No coach that knows anything about football could possibly run the plays that were ran in the second half without trying to give up the game. You can make your players lose hope because of the play calls, and they will start dropping balls and letting up. I’m just saying if it wasnt fixed, Bama needs to figure out what the hell is going on.
By riggs on Aug 1, 2011