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Nick Saban's Tenure in Review: Season #12 - 2018 Alabama Crimson Tide
Posted on 5/4/24 at 9:14 pm
Posted on 5/4/24 at 9:14 pm
If I could sit Saban down and have a drink with him, this season might be the first one I ask him about. When you look back at this team and see how dominant they were in the regular season, it's very jarring to see how they fell apart down the stretch. The second to last game against The Citadel should have been a warning sign of the things to come, but our thorough domination of Auburn kind of masked that performance. However, as we all know, things fell apart in the national championship game against Clemson. Josh Pate has alluded to tension in the locker room down the stretch. I really want to hear exactly what that tension was and how that affected this team as it entered the final phase of the season.
2018 Alabama Crimson Tide
Overall Record: 14 wins, 1 loss
SEC Record: 8 wins, 0 losses
AP Poll Finish: #2
Coaches Poll Finish: #2
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Locksley/Josh Gattis
Defensive Coordinator(s): Tosh Lupoi/Pete Golding
Permanent Captains: Damien Harris, Hale Hentges, Christian Miller, and Ross Pierschbacher
Consensus 1st Team All-Americans: Tua Tagovailoa (QB), Jerry Jeudy (WR), Jonah Williams (T), Quinnen Williams (DT), and Deionte Thompson (S)
1st Team All-SEC: Tua Tagovailoa (QB), Jerry Jeudy (WR), Ross Pierschbacher (C), Jonah Williams (T), Quinnen Williams (DT), and Deionte Thompson (S)
Heisman Trophy: Tua Tagovailoa (FINALIST - #2); Quinnen Williams (CANDIDATE - #8)
Total Offense: 522.0 YPG (#6)
Total Defense: 319.5 YPG (#16)
Average Talent Ranking on Roster: 2.75 (Per Rivals)
Schedule
vs. Louisville (W) 51-14 [Orlando, FL]
vs. Arkansas State (W) 57-7
@ Ole Miss (W) 62-7
vs. #22 Texas A&M (W) 45-23
vs. Louisiana (W) 56-14
@ Arkansas (W) 65-30
vs. Missouri (W) 39-10 [Homecoming]
@ Tennessee (W) 58-21
@ #3 LSU (W) 29-0
vs. #16 Mississippi State (W) 24-0
vs. The Citadel (W) 50-17
vs. Auburn (W) 52-21 [Senior Day]
vs. #4 Georgia (W) 35-28 [SEC Championship Game]
vs. #4 Oklahoma (W) 45-34 [2018 Orange Bowl]
vs. #2 Clemson (L) 16-44 [2019 CFP National Championship Game]
Passing Leader
Tua Tagovailoa
245-355 69.0 Pct 3,966 Yds 43 TDs 6 INTs
Rushing Leader
Damien Harris
150 Att 876 Yds 5.8 Avg 9 TDs
Receiving Leader
Jerry Jeudy
68 Rec 1,315 Yds 19.3 Avg 14 TDs
2018 Alabama Crimson Tide
Overall Record: 14 wins, 1 loss
SEC Record: 8 wins, 0 losses
AP Poll Finish: #2
Coaches Poll Finish: #2
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Locksley/Josh Gattis
Defensive Coordinator(s): Tosh Lupoi/Pete Golding
Permanent Captains: Damien Harris, Hale Hentges, Christian Miller, and Ross Pierschbacher
Consensus 1st Team All-Americans: Tua Tagovailoa (QB), Jerry Jeudy (WR), Jonah Williams (T), Quinnen Williams (DT), and Deionte Thompson (S)
1st Team All-SEC: Tua Tagovailoa (QB), Jerry Jeudy (WR), Ross Pierschbacher (C), Jonah Williams (T), Quinnen Williams (DT), and Deionte Thompson (S)
Heisman Trophy: Tua Tagovailoa (FINALIST - #2); Quinnen Williams (CANDIDATE - #8)
Total Offense: 522.0 YPG (#6)
Total Defense: 319.5 YPG (#16)
Average Talent Ranking on Roster: 2.75 (Per Rivals)
Schedule
vs. Louisville (W) 51-14 [Orlando, FL]
vs. Arkansas State (W) 57-7
@ Ole Miss (W) 62-7
vs. #22 Texas A&M (W) 45-23
vs. Louisiana (W) 56-14
@ Arkansas (W) 65-30
vs. Missouri (W) 39-10 [Homecoming]
@ Tennessee (W) 58-21
@ #3 LSU (W) 29-0
vs. #16 Mississippi State (W) 24-0
vs. The Citadel (W) 50-17
vs. Auburn (W) 52-21 [Senior Day]
vs. #4 Georgia (W) 35-28 [SEC Championship Game]
vs. #4 Oklahoma (W) 45-34 [2018 Orange Bowl]
vs. #2 Clemson (L) 16-44 [2019 CFP National Championship Game]
Passing Leader
Tua Tagovailoa
245-355 69.0 Pct 3,966 Yds 43 TDs 6 INTs
Rushing Leader
Damien Harris
150 Att 876 Yds 5.8 Avg 9 TDs
Receiving Leader
Jerry Jeudy
68 Rec 1,315 Yds 19.3 Avg 14 TDs
This post was edited on 5/10/24 at 6:21 pm
6
Posted on 5/4/24 at 9:33 pm to RollTide1987
Tua was absolutely robbed of the Hesiman that season.
Posted on 5/4/24 at 9:35 pm to RollTide1987
This team could never really get a tough yard on a traditional handoff. Had to go wildcat with Josh Jacobs just to consistently make 3rd/4th and shorts. The defense struggled quite a bit all year too but the offense masked the issues.
Not very many teams could hang with Alabama in 2018 but they struggled with the 2 teams that could...got blown off the field by one of them.
I think this was the beginning of Saban's problem with maintaining a coaching staff. This was a supremely talented roster with two bad coordinators. The two years with Sark and Flood masked this somewhat but really this was the point where staff quality began declining and it almost certainly cost Alabama at least 2 national titles if not 3 between 2018-2023.
Not very many teams could hang with Alabama in 2018 but they struggled with the 2 teams that could...got blown off the field by one of them.
I think this was the beginning of Saban's problem with maintaining a coaching staff. This was a supremely talented roster with two bad coordinators. The two years with Sark and Flood masked this somewhat but really this was the point where staff quality began declining and it almost certainly cost Alabama at least 2 national titles if not 3 between 2018-2023.
Posted on 5/4/24 at 9:36 pm to RollTide1987
Tua would have walked away with the Heisman had Alabama not been so dominant.
He basically played half a game every game.
Alabama got the tougher game in the semifinals.
He basically played half a game every game.
Alabama got the tougher game in the semifinals.
This post was edited on 5/4/24 at 9:41 pm
Posted on 5/4/24 at 9:45 pm to remaster916
The 2 Clemson NC game losses included the most heartbreaking loss (2016 NC) and the most puzzling loss of the Saban Era. One game...1...during the entire Saban Era where Bama was just completely spanked.
Posted on 5/5/24 at 5:06 am to Chad4Bama
Was the LSU game that year the last time Bama played a truly great defensive game against a high tier opponent?
Posted on 5/5/24 at 2:21 pm to CrimsonCrusade
quote:
Was the LSU game that year the last time Bama played a truly great defensive game against a high tier opponent?
They held down a high-powered OU offense led by a Heisman winner to help build a 28-0 lead. But other than that, not a great year for the defense.
Having one healthy pass rusher by the Clemson game in Anfernee Jennings was really the death knell for 'Bama. That doesn't explain the offense getting dominated that night (even though we now know something fishy was going on via signal stealing) but Christian Miller going out against OU was a massive deal, and it showed.
Fun season watching Tua do his thing and Hurts making one of the most amazing comebacks I've ever witnessed, but overall just tarnished by that disaster of a title game.
Posted on 5/5/24 at 4:17 pm to RollTide1987
quote:
Quinnen Williams
How bad is that defense without him? He destroyed offenses but was gassed at the end of the year.
Posted on 5/5/24 at 5:23 pm to Marktastic86
quote:
They held down a high-powered OU offense led by a Heisman winner to help build a 28-0 lead.
That was a great start but wound up as not a great overall game.
Posted on 5/5/24 at 5:33 pm to RollTide1987
Always wish they had started Hurts the first half to get ahead of the defensive scheme and reward him for his contributions.
Easily could have pulled him if it stalled or just saved Tua for the second half to ramp up the pace.
Venables had the Tua playcalls down and had Clemson ready. Thought Hurts from the huddle and RPO could have been a good surprise early.
That and the Utah Sugar Bowl games were the only two I really recall where the team looked like there was simply nothing they could do.
I think Utah was poor prep meets a really good, physical team. Just got whipped. Everytime it looked like Bama could crawl back in, Utah just punched them in the face again.
The Clemson NCG asskicking was talent on talent, familiarity (most certainly some sign stealing), some less than dominant front 7 play, and bad decisions by Tua trying to do top much at critical times.
Still, 2018 was a really fun season to watch.
Easily could have pulled him if it stalled or just saved Tua for the second half to ramp up the pace.
Venables had the Tua playcalls down and had Clemson ready. Thought Hurts from the huddle and RPO could have been a good surprise early.
That and the Utah Sugar Bowl games were the only two I really recall where the team looked like there was simply nothing they could do.
I think Utah was poor prep meets a really good, physical team. Just got whipped. Everytime it looked like Bama could crawl back in, Utah just punched them in the face again.
The Clemson NCG asskicking was talent on talent, familiarity (most certainly some sign stealing), some less than dominant front 7 play, and bad decisions by Tua trying to do top much at critical times.
Still, 2018 was a really fun season to watch.
Posted on 5/6/24 at 10:44 am to remaster916
quote:
Alabama got the tougher game in the semifinals.
Without a doubt, and significantly. 2018 Notre Dame was arguably the worst 4 team playoff team ever. Their best wins that year were a 3 loss Michigan and a 3 loss Syracuse.
And while we went up 28-0 on that Oklahoma team, it was a physical dogfight after that point. It was a "chippy" game and guys were playing kinda dirty on both sides. Several of our guys got nicked up or injured. Our defense got ran ragged by Oklahoma's offense in the second half. They gave up so many 3rd and longs.
We were beat up while Clemson was fresh after breezing by a very mediocre ND team. As time has passed, and after watching that Oklahoma game a few times recently, I believe that that was the biggest difference in the game.
This post was edited on 5/6/24 at 1:12 pm
Posted on 5/7/24 at 1:52 pm to Diego Ricardo
quote:
This team could never really get a tough yard on a traditional handoff. Had to go wildcat with Josh Jacobs just to consistently make 3rd/4th and shorts.
Which is what made the decision to use Harris on the goal line against Clemson so puzzling. Jacobs was a wrecking ball.
I think the LSU game was the first sign that our offense wasn’t some invincible machine. We controlled that game but the offense wasn’t having its way with them like they had in every other game. It showed that a good defense could slow us down.
Tua was definitely robbed of the Heisman. Perfect example of Bama fatigue.
That was a great Clemson team but I’m still convinced that they benefited from an easy schedule while we had to go through the SEC, SECCG, and a much tougher playoff opponent. We were exhausted by the time we got to that Championship game.
Posted on 5/7/24 at 4:40 pm to FairhopeTider
quote:
I think the LSU game was the first sign that our offense wasn’t some invincible machine. We controlled that game but the offense wasn’t having its way with them like they had in every other game. It showed that a good defense could slow us down.
We had 576 yards of total offense and put up 29 points. Their defense gave up about 21 ppg that season. If you take out the 7 OT game against A&M their ppg given up would be 17. If you take out the game against us and the A&M game its 12 ppg.
Posted on 5/7/24 at 5:34 pm to Funky Tide 8
Yeah, it was the Mississippi State game the following week where our offense got slowed down both on the scoreboard and on the stat sheet. We had just over 300 yards of total offense in that game.
This post was edited on 5/7/24 at 5:35 pm
Posted on 5/7/24 at 9:45 pm to Funky Tide 8
quote:
We had 576 yards of total offense and put up 29 points. Their defense gave up about 21 ppg that season. If you take out the 7 OT game against A&M their ppg given up would be 17. If you take out the game against us and the A&M game its 12 ppg.
Maybe I’m wrong, but that was the first game where we didn’t come out of the gate scoring. The offense played well against a great defense, but it was the first time all season it didn’t look like we were playing against air. I remember we had a thread on here after the game discussing that.
Not dying on that hill though. Agree that the Miss State game was the first true game where our offense was slowed down.
Posted on 5/8/24 at 11:04 am to FairhopeTider
The 2018 MSU game is a rare game that I have virtually zero memory of. I guess that is why.
On the other hand, the LSU & MSU games were two of the best back-to-back defensive performances in the Saban era. LSU was ranked 3 at the time, and MSU 16.
On the other hand, the LSU & MSU games were two of the best back-to-back defensive performances in the Saban era. LSU was ranked 3 at the time, and MSU 16.
This post was edited on 5/8/24 at 11:09 am
Posted on 5/8/24 at 12:53 pm to FairhopeTider
quote:All true but I also think they were sign stealing. They did against OSU too. Also tried it against LSU the following year but it didn’t work
That was a great Clemson team but I’m still convinced that they benefited from an easy schedule
Posted on 5/8/24 at 1:46 pm to RollTide1987
I know everyone loves what Burrow did the next season, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen QB play look as satisfying and dominant as what Tua did. CFB GOAT QB to me, he was robbed of the Heisman.
Posted on 5/8/24 at 9:38 pm to RollTide1987
Post LSU letdown game in full force.
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