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2019 College Football Season

Kory

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Cecil Hurt's article had me grabbing tissues. Glad I got to see him perform in person many times over the last couple of seasons. Never in my wildest dreams when he trotted onto the Mercedes Benz stadium field on that fateful January night, that he would seal his spot in Alabama legacy with a play that will be replayed for decades to come.

Here's Cecil's article from TideSports:

There is no clear way to remove the sheer tragedy of the situation from the analysis. Alabama did not issue an immediate medical report, but several sources indicated a hip dislocation and fracture, an injury that would require far more rehabilitation than there is time remaining in the season. In other words, the Crimson Tide career of Tua Tagovailoa — nothing short of brilliant and all too short in the end — is over.

No one, not even Alabama’s bitterest rivals, wanted it to end this way. There will be retrospectives to come but consider that Tagovailoa started for less than two full years and shattered school records in every passing category that doesn’t require more career longevity. Whether he was “greater” than Joe Namath or Kenny Stabler can be debated, as can the question of whether he “accomplished more” than A.J. McCarron. But no one has ever been more fun for more people to watch than Tagovailoa was — the sudden use of the past tense stings like an open wound — or seemed so much larger than life from the first time he stepped onto an Alabama field.

Before the debate about whether Tagovailoa should or should not have been in the Alabama-Mississippi State game, be warned. The “Should Nots” are armed with the mighty weapon of hindsight, able to crumple any counter-argument with one swing.

Even Nick Saban acknowledged that in the post-game. Noting that he does not usually “make (football) decisions based on guys getting hurt,” Saban said that had he known Tagovailoa would be injured, he would have taken him out of the game sooner. He would also have removed the other injured players — defensive end Raekwon Davis and wide receiver Henry Ruggs III — before their injuries as well. No one has a crystal ball and it’s doubtful that Saban could have gotten such a precise prognostication even if he had stopped the team bus on the trip over to consult with “Mrs. Lamarr, Reader and Advisor”at her parlor on Highway 82.

Taking hindsight out of the equation, the question of whether to “blame” Saban hinges on a handful of suppositions and surmises. There were people in the football world who cautioned against playing Tagovailoa in Starkville. None were Alabama doctors. Some are part of the bubble-wrap brigade who want Alabama’s best players to appear in only three or four games per year “because they could win against Team X anyway.” Others said that Tagovailoa didn’t appear to be at full speed after the LSU game and should have been rested. Some of those takes were sincere. The ones prefaced with “…’cause Bama can’t beat Auburn without him…” should come with a dose of self-reflection.

Tagovailoa played an entire game on the ankle a week ago. In Saturday’s game, he went in and played well, showing no ill effects, no hindrance from the injury that would prompt Saban to remove him before halftime, a fairly common practice in coaching. You can argue that “the score was enough,” but where was that line drawn? At 14-0? 28-7? 35-7? This isn’t a knock on Mac Jones, put into a tough situation, but he led Alabama to three points in the second half. What if Jones had started and Alabama had lost 14-13? Or, for that matter, won by a field goal? Would Saban have been criticized for that?

There are a thousand other arguments based on outcome, or possible outcome.

What matters today is this. Football is a great sport that can also be a cruel sport. The warriors know the risks. On Saturday in Starkville, it was cruel — and what matters now is how Tagovailoa’s injury can heal, how his future can be as good as possible. Not whether Alabama “beats Auburn” or “makes the playoffs” or any of that. Save the cold calculations, at least for a day. Send hope in your own way, through prayer or simple positive thoughts.

“Don’t be sad because it’s over. Smile because it happened,” the adage goes.

Not today, Dr. Suess. The smiles can come later.

Be sad because it’s over. All football fans should be
 

ghost

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It was fun to watch Hurts lead OU to their comeback victory after being down by 25 pts. Liked the way in his post game interview he took responsibility for putting his team in a hole with his turnovers and then didn't take any individual credit for the comeback win. He will always be one of my favorite (if not my favorite) former Bama players
 

Kory

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I wonder if he will be ready for the combine. I could see him coming back to Bama next year to prove his health.
From what I’ve read, it’s 6 months before he can put full weight. He won’t be playing football for at least the next 9 months. He’s not gonna make the combine. I’d love to see a medical redshirt and he just rehab with the best sports medicine people at UA and then go in 2021. He doesn’t need to take another snap with us though...he’s proven himself enough and shouldn’t risk further injury at the collegiate level.
 

Evan

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From what I’ve read, it’s 6 months before he can put full weight. He won’t be playing football for at least the next 9 months. He’s not gonna make the combine. I’d love to see a medical redshirt and he just rehab with the best sports medicine people at UA and then go in 2021. He doesn’t need to take another snap with us though...he’s proven himself enough and shouldn’t risk further injury at the collegiate level.

The whole situation is incredibly sad. I have nothing but respect for both Tua and Nick Saban. I pray Tua makes a full recovery and can return to football, but I have serious doubts about that. I think even if he makes a "normal" recovery his ability to play football at the highest level will be a serious question mark.

Although medicine, rehab procedures, and surgical techniques have advanced rapidly over the past 20 years (as seen by Tua's remarkable recovery from ankle surgery), a hip fracture no matter the cause -- or one's age -- is a truly devastating injury, and I really don't think anyone can predict how well Tua's recovery will be. He has shown remarkable mental and physical toughness, but sometimes even with such positives this kind of injury precludes someone from recovering to their previous level of elite athleticism.

I surely hope I'm wrong and Tua defies the odds, but I think the entire concept of a "full recovery" is fraught with ambiguity. Full recovery to his previous ability? I have real doubts about that being possible. Full recovery to be able to have a long and active life relatively free of pain and with the full mobility an average person would have? I definitely see that as likely.

Then there's the thought process behind how much this injury will impact Tua's draft value and how NFL teams see him. And, it goes without saying, could his hip joint sustain even a moderate impact 12-15 months after surgery? If I were Tua, I would think long and hard about making sure I was actually FULLY recovered before I even considered continuing to pursue my NFL dreams. And, I'd be getting a lot of second opinions after my surgery as I do my rehab and progress. I hope Tua can take as much as 24 months to recover, and also realize that rushing back from this kind of injury (again, that assumes that he recovers back to the level of an elite athlete) is not advisable no matter what some agent, relative, team, or doctor whispers in his ear.

The young man has his entire life in front of him. I don't think he should consider entering the NFL until the summer of 2021 at the earliest. I think he's an amazing talent and I wish him the best. I hope he takes the conservative route and understands that if he rushes things he may never play again. From what I've seen about this kind of injury, there are poor outcomes in an unfortunately high number of cases. Especially since those with this kind of injury can't even think about putting full weight on the affected hip joint for a couple of months minimum (6+ weeks is what I've seen and that is pushing it).

I know a lot of people are praying for Tua's recovery. I'm one of them. I hope God fully heals him.
 

barcncpt44

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Well Alabama fans are celebrating today. They won big earlier today, and Oregon just got handed their second loss. So, Alabama has a really good chance now in making the college football playoff. They must win in the Iron Bowl, and hope Georgia does not beat LSU in the SEC Championship Game.
 

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Well Alabama fans are celebrating today. They won big earlier today, and Oregon just got handed their second loss. So, Alabama has a really good chance now in making the college football playoff. They must win in the Iron Bowl, and hope Georgia does not beat LSU in the SEC Championship Game.

I still think Bama needs help. Utah needs another loss or they’ll jump Bama, IMO.

I think it is pretty obvious Oklahoma nor Baylor are top 4 quality, but I’d still prefer the Big 12 champ have 2 losses.
 

Kory

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I still think Bama needs help. Utah needs another loss or they’ll jump Bama, IMO.

I think it is pretty obvious Oklahoma nor Baylor are top 4 quality, but I’d still prefer the Big 12 champ have 2 losses.
Yep, we need Oregon to beat Utah now. Or maybe Colorado pulls the unexpected at Utah.

If we can go into Jordan Hare and beat Auburn handily, you can make a case for us to be #4, but I would be very worried about an Ohio State or Clemson. They both look very complete.
 

Mike S

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I kind of hope Bama is left out as I'd rather lose a meaningless bown game to Jalen Hurts than a very meaningful playoff game to tOSU.
 

Kory

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I kind of hope Bama is left out as I'd rather lose a meaningless bown game to Jalen Hurts than a very meaningful playoff game to tOSU.
If we go 11-1 with a solid NY6 bowl win, I’d say this is one of Saban’s best coaching jobs given the slew of injuries.
 

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Yep, we need Oregon to beat Utah now. Or maybe Colorado pulls the unexpected at Utah.

If we can go into Jordan Hare and beat Auburn handily, you can make a case for us to be #4, but I would be very worried about an Ohio State or Clemson. They both look very complete.

I think Bama has a good shot to make it. Mac Jones has looked pretty good, and the team has a chance to get a couple of people back who have been injured or banged up. With the talent UA has at receiver, if Mac can just be accurate and not force too much I think Alabama has as good of a chance as anyone if the Defense continues to mature as it has been.

Ironically, I think the Auburn game will be the biggest thing Alabama needs to fall into place. Yet again Gus is coaching for his job, and he tends to somehow not act like his usual self when in those spots and typically has the team well-prepared for a matchup like this. Obviously Bama is still the odds on favorite, but playing in Jordan Hare with Gus' job on the line is no easy task for any team.
 

Kory

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I think Bama has a good shot to make it. Mac Jones has looked pretty good, and the team has a chance to get a couple of people back who have been injured or banged up. With the talent UA has at receiver, if Mac can just be accurate and not force too much I think Alabama has as good of a chance as anyone if the Defense continues to mature as it has been.

Ironically, I think the Auburn game will be the biggest thing Alabama needs to fall into place. Yet again Gus is coaching for his job, and he tends to somehow not act like his usual self when in those spots and typically has the team well-prepared for a matchup like this. Obviously Bama is still the odds on favorite, but playing in Jordan Hare with Gus' job on the line is no easy task for any team.
Outside of 2011, every Iron Bowl has been a slugfest in Jordan Hare. That place has some voodoo magic that causes even the best Bama teams to crap their pants. 2017 is still fresh in my mind. I remember vividly getting turned to by an Auburn fan and being told "you might want to get out of here before you get trampled" as they rushed the field.
 

skelly

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Outside of 2011, every Iron Bowl has been a slugfest in Jordan Hare. That place has some voodoo magic that causes even the best Bama teams to crap their pants. 2017 is still fresh in my mind. I remember vividly getting turned to by an Auburn fan and being told "you might want to get out of here before you get trampled" as they rushed the field.
One Auburn dan is scared if Auburn wins then Gus will get a lifetime contract!
 
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