Freeman: In terms of in game stuff, running the clock down when your defense has struggled and there is still 4 - 5 minutes left was stupid. A&M had 3 timeouts. Literally only taking time from ourselves. He managed it for the 2024 defense, not the 2025 defense. A comment/question, are none of the defensive coaches in the booth? Not one? If so this staff is way to inexperienced for that to be the case, unless we have Saban at analyst that I don’t know of. Off field, a lot of the defensive issues he ultimately answers for, to leave it at that.
Offense: They were good! OL was I’ll say the word might be serviceable? There are some nitpicks or plays you could address and certainly not a finished product, but overall, that is a good offense.
DL: Pash rush again not existent. It will get easier opponent OL wise but it’s not good enough basically everyone. Bryce Young is a massive disappointment in two games. Interior was fine I guess against the run. 1H were way too worried about Reeds legs.
LB: Sneed off-season hype another disappointment. Bowen shouldn’t have been on the field for the TD. It’s not his “fault” but it’s 4th and long after a timeout, you don’t him out there compared to the alternative.
Secondary: Here we go. First, Devonta Smith was ruled out. I’m gonna say this loud, THE CONCEPT OF ZONE IS NOT WRONG, THEY JUST SUCK AT IT. The safeties, the corners, the linebackers they are all bad at zone coverage. So where I find issue with Ash is you can’t call it, particularly zone blitzes, if you’ve had how many weeks to realize they can’t play it.
So the next thing is the things everyone loves, Al Golden’s man to man and Mike Mickens. Well Karson Hobbs is awful and gets consistently toasted in man to man. Gray is also average at best. Reed just didn’t throw near Moore after the INT. They struck out on Stroman in the portal, he’s a box safety and you already had Talich. The safety play including Shuler is basically non-existent against the pass. They didn’t portal a CB3 so you have zero depth for a second straight year. Mike Mickens is 1/3 along with Ash and Freeman that have to answer for all of the above. And really something is to be said for the majority of it to fall on Mickens.
So someone is gonna have to answer what the play caller is supposed to do with the above?
The game adjustment seemed to be play man and have Tae be a deep safety. Hobbs still got beat. Gray still got beat. Reed probably missed at least 5 more big explosives. This setup should overall work against not tiny WRs (that are an awful matchup for us) + when Smith returns. I would ride with it as your standard defense.
A circle back to Freeman, does anyone else get the vibe on certain things he’s been coaching for 2026, not 2025? It’s just this odd feeling I’ve had with a variety of decisions.
