Worst 3 week stretch in ALL of college football...thanks LT!

[maroonmania]

Was just reviewing our schedule and reminded again that after the KY game we get the following 3 week stretch (showing the USA Today preseason ranking) :

@ #7 South Carolina
@ #6 Texas A&M
#1 Alabama

This would have to be by far the worst back to back to back games of anyone in college football. :(

[Johnson85]

Somehow missed this. Going to be extremely tough for the team to stay upbeat through that stretch.

[starkvegasdawg]

Something tells me that 2 of those 3 teams will not be ranked nearly that high by the time they roll up on our schedule. I think USCe will have lost a game or two by then and A&M may have had the wheels come off by the time we pay them a visit. I really think Saban is going to show JFF every blitz package ever conceived and some that have never been thought of before and hit him hard and often. That is, if he is still eligible to play. If he is playing I feel pretty confident he is limping pretty severely off the field after that Alabama game...if he leaves it under his own power at all. Saban has had all off season to think of ways to make JFF wish he had never been born. Plus, he has the athletes on his team to execute his plans.

[FISHDAWG]

2 out of three is on the road

[dparker]

To me it's not if we win those games, it's if we look competitive. In previous years, we didn't look like we belonged on the same field. As long as we can make a game of it I'll consider it a vast improvement.

[engie]

To me it's not if we win those games, it's if we look competitive. In previous years, we didn't look like we belonged on the same field. As long as we can make a game of it I'll consider it a vast improvement.

What previous year(S) do you speak of? I don't recall them. Just one bad stretch last year...

[SignalToNoise]

What previous year(S) do you speak of? I don't recall them. Just one bad stretch last year...

I was thinking the same thing.
Just going off the top of my head...
In 2011 we all remember Auburn and the goal line, kept LSU close until late, had our chances to be South Carolina. Thrashed a hapless rebear team.

In 2010 we had our chances to knock off AU, took Upig to double OT, beat UGA, beat FL on the road, beat OM on the road.

In 2009 we all remember LSU, we gave Ga. Tech all they could handle, got jobbed by the refs in the Houston game, thumped the bears.

2012 is the only season I can think of that we looked totally outmatched by teams with a pulse since we hired Dan Mullen.

ETA: Two exceptions come to mind: Arky 2011 was a blowout I think, and Alabama has beaten us soundly every year of the Mullen era.

[dparker]

What previous year(S) do you speak of? I don't recall them. Just one bad stretch last year...

Maybe last year just left such an impression but...

2012:
Bama 38-7
aTm 38-13
LSU we lost but looked good
Ole Miss 41-24

2011:
Georgia 24-10
Bama 24-7
Ark 44-17

2010:
LSU 29-7 still looked pretty good if I remember
Bama 30-10


Now maybe that's not too bad but my impression (by no means an expert nor have a photographic memory) we looked worse than the score showed in most of those games. And I know you can say these are the cream of the crop we are losing to and I agree, but if we are going to be talking about taking the next step we need to be a lot more competitive in those games IMHO.

[Political Hack]

A&M isn't that good.

[Pollodawg]

Maybe last year just left such an impression but...

2012:
Bama 38-7
aTm 38-13
LSU we lost but looked good
Ole Miss 41-24

2011:
Georgia 24-10
Bama 24-7
Ark 44-17

2010:
LSU 29-7 still looked pretty good if I remember
Bama 30-10


Now maybe that's not too bad but my impression (by no means an expert nor have a photographic memory) we looked worse than the score showed in most of those games. And I know you can say these are the cream of the crop we are losing to and I agree, but if we are going to be talking about taking the next step we need to be a lot more competitive in those games IMHO.

The only bad loss in 2011 was the Arkansas loss. We looked and played like shit in that game. The others weren't that bad. Hell, we played Bama as close as anybody except for LSU their first go around.

[dparker]

A&M isn't that good.

They sure whipped our ass. :)

102

[Political Hack]

They sure whipped our ass. :)

102

we weren't that good. a crappy OM team beat us too.

[dparker]

The only bad loss in 2011 was the Arkansas loss. We looked and played like shit in that game. The others weren't that bad. Hell, we played Bama as close as anybody except for LSU their first go around.

I get what you're saying. I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't expect us to beat the top tier teams YET. But for me to feel like we are progressing I'd like to put a little bit of a scare into them every now and then. Basically like we've been playing LSU. It just seems to me that, especially last year, we beat the teams we're supposed to even though it's sometimes closer than we'd like (Troy) and then get totally outclassed against the big boys (except LSU). I want to see that improve.