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YOUR BALANCE
2016 Team vs 2018 Team
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2016 Team vs 2018 Team


Oct 22, 2018, 9:03 AM

The 2016 team, in my opinion, is the benchmark. I honestly thought 2017 could have been a better team, and should have been...but the QB play was a bigger drop off than I expected and got exploited vs Alabama. Now, 2018...how does it compare to 2016.

I still have more confidence in the QB play in 2016 vs 2018, but that gap is closing quickly. Come the playoffs, I think we are going to be very close. There's no substitute for experience, and DW4 was far and away more experienced than Trevor, and that fact can't be discounted...but, I think where Trevor excels is his ability to make the throws. The coaching staff will have to manage the game, where as in 2016, DW4 could manage the game. That concerns me a little, because that last drive vs Bama, you just sort of knew DW4 was going to win that game for us. This year, I, as a seasoned fan, don't have that same level of confidence...nor will anyone, including the team...you get that from experience, and we don't have that yet. Will we come the playoffs, maybe, I just don't know.

I think our RB situation this year is better than it was in 2016...I'll take the 2018 version of #9 over the 2016 version...as well as the depth of our backs and the ability to keep them fresh.

I think our WR situation is close. No Mike Williams, but we are deeper. I'd have to take the 2016 group over the 2018 group, at this point.

Special teams...I like 2018 better. Every kickoff goes into the endzone...that is a weapon that we haven't had in the past.

Moving on to defense...I'm back and forth on this one. I'd probably take the overall 2016 D, due to their abilities at LB and corner...but I'm gaining confidence in the 2018 D as well. We are strong up front and get to the ball at the LB spot. I wish we had O'Daniel this year...the one player I'd love to have back there from last year.

If we win another NC, it's going to be yet another Clemson vs Bama game, I'm afraid. I say "I'm afraid" because I'm sick of having to play those guys. They are deeper and better. We beat them in 2016 because they had a freshman QB that couldn't throw the ball. They are much better this year than in 2016. We have to be much better this year than 2016. We aren't there yet...but we could be come January.

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Defenses are similarly rated. I think the 2016 defense


Oct 22, 2018, 9:14 AM

finished slightly ahead of where the 2018 defense is right now, but they have been getting stronger.

We still aren't quite as good offensively though. The running game is better. Etienne is better than Gallman at everything except pass pro and we have much, much better depth behind him. Lyn J Dixon, in his current freshman form, might have been the best runner on that 2016 team.

But our passing attack still can't completely take over a game against an elite team like it could with Watson, Williams, and Leggett. I think we can get to that point, or at least close to it, but we aren't there yet.

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Do you feel, like I feel, that Alabama is probably


Oct 22, 2018, 9:23 AM

7-10 points better this year than their 2016 counterpart? That concerns me.

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Honestly it's really hard to say. The advanced metrics all


Oct 22, 2018, 9:37 AM

think Alabama is worse this year than 2016. Their offense is rated a TD or so better this year than 2016 but their defense is way down so far this year - about 2 TDs worse than 2016's all-time great unit. It certainly doesn't feel like they are worse watching them though and i suspect Vegas is quite a bit more bullish on the Tide right now than S&P+, FPI, etc. Currently S&P+ has Bama about 2 pts better than Clemson and ESPN's FPI has them around 3.5 points better. Yet i think Vegas would have them pretty close to double digit favorites over us right now.

The tricky part of it though is determining whether or not Alabama's defense really is that much worse this year or perhaps the offense has just been so good and they've gotten out to such huge leads so quickly that they've lost focus and slacked off. Maybe that typical Alabama defense is still there ready to flip the switch if they ever get into a competitive game.

The other thing is that their schedule has been bad. They've eviscerated a lot of bad defenses. We've gotten plenty of grief over our schedule, but Bama's schedule to date is rated nearly identical to ours with Texas A&M being the best team that both have played. Bama certainly handled A&M better than we did, but they did get the benefit of playing at home whereas we had to travel to Kyle Field early in the year. I also don't think there's any doubt that Bama in week 2 was much better than Clemson in week 2, but what's important is where both teams are at by the end of the season.

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Yes, but so is there defense.


Oct 22, 2018, 11:40 AM [ in reply to Do you feel, like I feel, that Alabama is probably ]

Errr... their defense is good to give up 7-10 more. Maybe more than that. I do not think the Bama D is anywhere near as good as it was... offense is definitely better though.

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Not so fast on #9


Oct 22, 2018, 9:27 AM

ETN has great vision and acceration. He's exciting and a real weapon. Gallman had tremendous toughness. He could move a pile, protect the passer and CATCH THE BALL. Different runners. What Gallman when he didn't have the ball was A+. I would have to take the 2016 #9 against Bama.

In the passing game, Leggett was practically unstoppable. The freshman version of him is still a freshman. Leggett was a big advantage for the 2016 team.

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The definition of awesome!


I agree with all you have said. I think ET has the ability


Oct 22, 2018, 9:35 AM

to hit a HR every time he touches it, is the main difference in ability.

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Jordan Leggett is the difference in the offenses. Period.


Oct 22, 2018, 9:37 AM [ in reply to Not so fast on #9 ]

Point blank. How many big time catches did that guy make in the clutch?

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Re: Jordan Leggett's


Oct 22, 2018, 9:53 AM

Last catch was legendary.

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My first thought also was that the TE position was not addressed in OP.


Oct 22, 2018, 11:52 AM [ in reply to Jordan Leggett is the difference in the offenses. Period. ]

Leggett was big time in big games. We haven't had that threat since he left.

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null


If you can't run the ball at all, and we haven't been able


Oct 22, 2018, 10:24 AM [ in reply to Not so fast on #9 ]

to in any of the 3 previous meetings with Bama, then Gallman is the better back since he can pass protect better than Etienne. If you are hoping to actually be able to run the ball, and we might actually be able to run on this 2018 Bama defense that seems to be a bit more mortal, Etienne is the better back. Gallman might "move the pile" but Etienne is so quick he tends to not get piled up until he's several yards down field.

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Bama D will not be as good at stopping the run this year.***


Oct 22, 2018, 11:41 AM



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Re: 2016 Team vs 2018 Team


Oct 22, 2018, 10:29 AM

I actually think that the 2015 team was better than both. I also think that we win the championship game and would have had the first 15-0 team if Shaq and McKenzie didn't go down with injuries.

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Go Tigers........Fight Big Cat


I can't disagree***


Oct 22, 2018, 10:38 AM



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Re: 2016 Team vs 2018 Team


Oct 22, 2018, 11:39 AM [ in reply to Re: 2016 Team vs 2018 Team ]

Mike Williams makes the 16 better imo.

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Re: 2016 Team vs 2018 Team


Oct 22, 2018, 11:42 AM [ in reply to Re: 2016 Team vs 2018 Team ]

DL was probably better in 15 tho.

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2015 defense tailed off sharply down the stretch


Oct 22, 2018, 10:15 PM [ in reply to Re: 2016 Team vs 2018 Team ]

Maybe the bye week was too early or maybe some guys lost focus thinking about the NFL, but we did not have a championship level defense by season's end.

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Re: 2015 defense tailed off sharply down the stretch


Oct 23, 2018, 6:07 AM

Key injuries to Lawson and Alexander, and the safeties were looking to the draft. Both Kearse and Greene went from true weapons to almost complete disappointments.

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WL


Re: 2016 Team vs 2018 Team


Oct 22, 2018, 11:37 AM

I think our starting corners are as good as any in Tiger football history.

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Re: 2016 Team vs 2018 Team


Oct 22, 2018, 11:45 AM

I have to disagree with you about bama being deeper this year, on avg clemson has played at least 20+ more players per game than bama, they played 44 in a blow out vs unranked Tenn while Clemson plays 70+ against everyone

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Re: 2016 Team vs 2018 Team


Oct 22, 2018, 11:49 AM

54 in the first quarter, well before the blow out. Dabo knows we need these guys to be game ready next August when we lose so many players on both sides of the ball, but especially defense

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Go Tigers! Once A Tiger Always A Tiger


Re: 2016 Team vs 2018 Team


Oct 22, 2018, 11:54 AM

This years D will end up better in all categories.
Maybe not in TFL but total and scoring D we finish top 3 this season.

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Re: 2016 Team vs 2018 Team


Oct 23, 2018, 5:53 AM

QB - 2016 - TL could make it close by the CFP

RB - 2016 - Gallman blew up so many blitzes; we don’t even win the Auburn game without his pass protection

WR - 2018 - Love Mike et al but give me Higgins, Ross, and Renfrow any day

TE - 2016 - Leggett all the way; not even close, but Williams was a big factor in ‘16 - glad he’s back

OL - 2018 - Hyatt has two more years of experience and more competitive depth around him

DL - 2018 - Power Rangers all grown up with studs behind them

LB - 2018 - Lamar as anchor and no real drop off; miss DOD, but Simmons is good; Boulware was sometimes a liability in coverage and often ran past the ball on blitzes (love his heart though)

DB - 2018 - More competitive balance; depth is developing

K - 2018 - Potter is a weapon and gives Huegel the luxury of focusing on skill without wearing himself out on KOs

P - Even - Renfrow may be our best...

Bottom line for me: 2016 NC team would beat 2018 team THIS week; however, TL’s trajectory could tip the scale the other way by December/January.
2016 Bama might also win right now, as might 2018 Bama, but this year’s Bama team started out so hot there is only one way for them to go. I like the direction and development I’m seeing. This team has staying power for two or three years and could therefor supplant 2016 as the new standard bearer.

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WL


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