[Rally]

My plentiful criticisms of playcalling have all been focused in one area:  What does Shaw do to CHANGE the gameplan when the one he had going in DOESN'T WORK???

This game doesn't do anything to address that criticism.  We all know the issues in the games that were lost last year so no need to elaborate.  When it works like it did in the P12 championship, there's nothing to criticize.  They had a gameplan going in worked and that's fantastic.  It's the failure to adjust the gameplan when it isn't working that was the team's downfall last year.

Maybe you cant adjust if the options aren't there?  No reliable short/intermediate targets, how can you "adjust" to them in crunch time?  I still think criticizing play-calling is influenced a lot by hindsight.  MMQ.

Personally, watching the end of the Fiesta Bowl I coulsn't understand the decision to take the ball out of our all-world quarterback and give it to the kicker, that is my right as a fan, safely in the stands or in front of the TV, and events proved me right.  Or did they?  What if the kick had been good?

The only terrible play call I saw last year was Saban calling for a 60+ yard field goal to win the game rather than settle for overtime.  Definition of arrogance, IMHO.

[Rally]

My plentiful criticisms of playcalling have all been focused in one area:  What does Shaw do to CHANGE the gameplan when the one he had going in DOESN'T WORK???

This game doesn't do anything to address that criticism.  We all know the issues in the games that were lost last year so no need to elaborate.  When it works like it did in the P12 championship, there's nothing to criticize.  They had a gameplan going in worked and that's fantastic.  It's the failure to adjust the gameplan when it isn't working that was the team's downfall last year.

Maybe you cant adjust if the options aren't there?  No reliable short/intermediate targets, how can you "adjust" to them in crunch time?  I still think criticizing play-calling is influenced a lot by hindsight.  MMQ.

Personally, watching the end of the Fiesta Bowl I coulsn't understand the decision to take the ball out of our all-world quarterback and give it to the kicker, that is my right as a fan, safely in the stands or in front of the TV, and events proved me right.  Or did they?  What if the kick had been good?

The only terrible play call I saw last year was Saban calling for a 60+ yard field goal to win the game rather than settle for overtime.  Definition of arrogance, IMHO.