Tide suspend left tackle Andre Smith

by JazzyUte on Dec 29, 2008 1:12 PM MST in Sugar Bowl Comment 37 comments

Nick Saban has sent home Andre Smith, the Alabama All-America left tackle for an undisclosed team violation, the AP is reporting. Who knows the impact this will have on Friday's game, but it should be a big loss for the Crimson Tide, as he was one of the anchors to their stellar offensive line.

Earlier this month, Smith was named the winner of the Outland Trophy, an award given to the nation's top interior lineman.

via d.yimg.com

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Well that certainly won't hurt he Utes any.

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates

by slc ranger on Dec 29, 2008 1:17 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

I'd rather have Alabama's best team present.

No excuses.

by Ute in DC on Dec 29, 2008 2:24 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

They were going to make excuses anyway.

Might as well give them an easy one.

Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.

by displacedute on Dec 29, 2008 3:51 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Make excuses?

seriously, our tradition doesn’t need excuses.

I am looking forward to playing you guys. Most of the Ute fans I have dealt with have been outstanding, and I hope it will be a great game. Best of luck next year, but I hope you guys lose Friday!

"With a girl - I-HOP; with the guys - Waffle House; with a girl you are pulling wingman on - Taco Bell." Comer, on his favorite place to eat at 3 a.m.

by BamaReturns07 on Dec 29, 2008 4:03 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I think if 'Bama loses, there would be excuses.

And it isn’t just a ‘Bama thing. We’re used to teams making excuses for losing to Utah.

Navy was jobbed by the refs.
Georgia Tech didn’t want to be there.
Pitt wasn’t a true test and had Utah played anyone decent, they would’ve lost.

It’s something we’re used to and even though I have no doubt the Tide are excited to play Utah, there are going to be excuses if the Utes somehow win. I can bet on it.

by JazzyUte on Dec 29, 2008 5:17 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Just to agree with what Jazzy said:

First, all programs have fans that will make excuses about losses. I think Alabama probably has a lower ratio of such fans, but they exist.

Second, the excuses don’t necessarily have to come from Alabama to be annoying. Despite Utah making its second trip to a BCS game, we the fans still feel the condescension. After beating the snot out of Pitt in 2004, many of us thought that would prove that teams like Utah can compete with any program from any conference.

We want to prove Utah has arrived. The national media (read ESPN) will be looking for an excuse if Utah wins. This is a great one.

by Ute in DC on Dec 30, 2008 2:03 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

GOD!!

This “we are disrespected” card is starting to sound a lot like whinning! You guys are undefeated, #4 in the country, playing in a BCS game, on that note have a chance to win a BCS game…again, are the pride of your conference, and everything else that comes with that. Yet all i hear is “nobody likes me”. If you win you win. No excuses.

Now if your DE has like 10 sacks against our backup LT and we lose by like 1…then you might hear some cries of “If Andre was there we would have won”. But besides that if you win you will hear no excuses coming RBR. If you do slap them for me.

When you are an Alabama fan you are expected to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because I want to.

by bammer on Dec 30, 2008 8:23 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Utah is #4? In which Poll?

I am reading the wrong polls. The ones I see are BCS #6, Coaches #7, AP #7, and Harris #7. Yes I do think it is disrespect for the only undefeated team in the nation to not even be in the top five.

College football is the only sport in the nation that chooses its champion through a vote. You call it “whinning.” I call it persuasion.

by Ute in DC on Dec 30, 2008 12:53 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

OH MY GOD!!!!

This is college football….this is how it has been for over 100+ years. Every NC has been decided this way. But if your confused let me tell you how to get into the NC game.

Yes I do think it is disrespect for the only undefeated team in the nation to not even be in the top five.

You don’t have to be in a BCS conference but it would help. Now i know this isn’t Utah’s fault but you guys could make a push to join a BCS conference you know. If you aren’t going to be in a BCS conference you HAVE to schedule elite Non-cons. THIS IS A MUST! Now i give you a pass this year due to Michigan being so terrible but you guys barely beat them this year and they were just god awful. I don’t care if it was on the road. TCU and BYU aren’t going to be consistent enough to gain you a high enough RPI. So you must go out and get Ohio States, mid to high level SEC teams, try some good Big 12 teams like Texas, Texas Tech, or Missouri. Hell try ND. Go play the Big East…any of them.

So once your schedule is not a laughing stock and yes playing Utah State, Weber State, Wyoming, Colorado State ,New Mexico, San Diego State and UNLV all in the same season is just pathetic. Again, you now have 4-5 ELITE legit BCS teams on your schedule EVERY YEAR. Now you have to beat those teams. Also, you have to do that consistently for many years. Say 3-4.

If you can do that and do it consistently then you’re golden….

Yes I do think it is disrespect for the only undefeated team in the nation to not even be in the top five.

Ok you’re undefeated but that automatically doesn’t mean anything. 20 years ago you guys don’t sniff a bowl like the one you’re about to play in. If you guys keep it up in 20 years you will have played in a lot of BCS bowls and perhaps a BCS NCG. Who knows?

When you are an Alabama fan you are expected to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because I want to.

by bammer on Dec 30, 2008 1:25 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

shoot

stupid copy and paste…

When you are an Alabama fan you are expected to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because I want to.

by bammer on Dec 30, 2008 1:25 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

This is college football….this is how it has been for over 100+ years. Every NC has been decided this way. But if your confused let me tell you how to get into the NC game.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

I started out this discussion by saying I wanted Utah to beat Alabama’s best team. I do not want any excuses. You apparently want excuses? I want Utah to earn respect. You are annoyed at that for some reason.

So once your schedule is not a laughing stock and yes playing Utah State, Weber State, Wyoming, Colorado State ,New Mexico, San Diego State and UNLV all in the same season is just pathetic

I don’t see why. It’s no worse than playing Tulane, Western Kentucky, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas State, and Mississippi State all in the same season. Alabama also had one more home game than Utah plus a neutral site game.

There was one and only one game between a MWC team and an SEC team – Wyoming versus Tennessee. Wyoming, tied for last place in the MWC at 1-8, beat Tennessee on the road.

by Ute in DC on Dec 30, 2008 1:46 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

ok

So you compare one really down year for the SEC to Utahs schedule every year?

When you are an Alabama fan you are expected to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because I want to.

by bammer on Dec 30, 2008 1:52 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Uh - no.

I compared Utah’s schedule this year to Alabama’s schedule this year. I don’t see anything about past Utah schedules.

by Ute in DC on Dec 30, 2008 1:57 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

But thats just it.

Having just one tough season isn’t good enough. Sure Alabamas schedule seems tough this year. But like i have said a dozen times. Those teams that took dramatic steps back this year are usually in the top 25 if not top 10. YOu have to play tough schedules EVERY year. Thats why ND has taken such a hit (well besides just being terrible). You can’t beat the sister of the blind 8 of your 12 games and expect to be respected. Hate it if you must but thats college football.

When you are an Alabama fan you are expected to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because I want to.

by bammer on Dec 30, 2008 2:00 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

sorry need to proof read

Sure Alabama’s schedule WASN"T that tough….

When you are an Alabama fan you are expected to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because I want to.

by bammer on Dec 30, 2008 2:01 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

What?

You’re not even making sense now. The polls are only supposed to be about this year. What happened last year, or fifty years ago is meaningless.

by Ute in DC on Dec 30, 2008 2:04 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes

The polls are but we are also talking about gaining respect. Call it respect…tradition or whatever. Proving you can play with the big dogs every year is what Utah has to do. So

Do i think Utah has already done that…YES. To certain degree. Do i think Utah will ever get into the BCS CG in their current situation…No…

Under the current system not being in a BCS conference is your biggest hurdle.

NOW!!! If you beat us, return most (75%) of your starters, play another semi tough schedule next year and blow everyone out….you guys might have a chance. But you’d have to do it in convincing fashion. No 35-23 squeakers to bad teams.

When you are an Alabama fan you are expected to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because I want to.

by bammer on Dec 30, 2008 2:11 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

damnit....25-23 squeakers...

When you are an Alabama fan you are expected to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because I want to.

by bammer on Dec 30, 2008 2:12 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Come on man

I gave you a pass for Michigan being bad…ok…Give bama a pass for Clemson, Auburn, Tennessee, and Arkansas for taking a step back this year. Usually those teams are in the top 25 if not the top 15 or 10. When was the last time Utah State, Weber State, Wyoming, Colorado State ,New Mexico, San Diego State or UNLV were ranked?

Now for the sake of argument i don’t agree with Bama or anyother team for that matter getting teams like Ark St, West Carolina or any team like them. Sure throw in some no name for home coming but if you claim to be the best…play the best. But doesn’t that hurt teams like yall. If Alabama never schedules a Ark St., how are they supposed to “prove” anything?

When you are an Alabama fan you are expected to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because I want to.

by bammer on Dec 30, 2008 1:56 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

oh and just to clarify (cause im sure you'd take it wrong)

Im not comparing Utah to Ark State.

When you are an Alabama fan you are expected to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because I want to.

by bammer on Dec 30, 2008 1:58 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Just because people call you paranoid doesn't mean someone isn't out to get you.

We play the disrespected card because it keeps getting dealt to us. No one has given us due credit. The 03 team didn’t play good offense, the 04 team played a weak schedule, the 05 team played a team that brought the wrong cleats, the 06 team should have won by more, the 07 team got the benefit of a ref mistake, etc. etc. etc. If people would look at Utah and go: “Hey, that’s a good team.” then we’d stop doing this.

Look at Louisville. They played multiple 10-win seasons before getting a decent ranking, after moving to the Big East conference. Next year we’ll start with a low 20s ranking, if any. But if we were in the PAC 10 and returned the same talent we have returning, after a Sugar Bowl performance, we’d be ranked in the top 10. See the difference? It’s all perception, and we have to point it out because it matters.

Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.

by displacedute on Dec 30, 2008 1:15 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Heres the thing

People are saying “Hey, that’s a good team”. You’re in a BCS bowl. Besides the NC, what more do you want? Do you want to be favored in the game? What? Like i said above. Utah will always have a uphill battle to climb if you continue to play in a non BCS conference. You can hate it all you want but there is a reason why teams like LSU with 2 loses get the benefit of the doubt.

Look man. Utah is a good team. You played the toughest regular season probably in the history of your program and made it out 12-0. Great. Good for you. Do it every year, and then you’ll have an argument.

When you are an Alabama fan you are expected to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because I want to.

by bammer on Dec 30, 2008 1:29 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Nobody does it every year.

Who goes 12-0 every year with 2 or 3 top-25 teams on the schedule? if we were 11-1 would we still be in the Sugar Bowl?

And we’d LOVE LOVE LOVE LOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEE to be in a BCS conference. If I give you Tom Hansen’s office number, will you call him and let him know that we’d like to join the PAC 10? Or if you could put in a good word for us with Dan Beebe of the Big 12, maybe we could take Iowa State’s or Baylor’s place.

Bottom line, they’re not adding Utah without some outside force pressing their hand (like when the ACC raided the Big East). If it weren’t for the ACC, Louisville, South Florida, and Cincinnati would still be average CUSA programs playing in crappy CUSA bowls. Instead they get to go to the orange bowl even with two losses. Must be nice.

Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.

by displacedute on Dec 30, 2008 11:05 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Ill make the call im just not sure it will do anything :)

I know its not your fault that you’re not in a BCS conference…just cause i talk slow doesn’t mean im stupid….

I don’t see the Pac-10 adding any news teams anytime soon. Neither will the Big Televen. So i agree you’re kinda stuck in the mud.

I also understand you had 2 or 3 top 25 teams on your schedule and you went undefeated. But that SoS you guys like to use so much wasn’t nearly good enough to put you over the top. Whats dumb is that Boise played TCU in a bowl this year. What does that prove? The mid majors needed those teams to play other top 15 teams from BCS conferences. That way you guys could show the world what you got. Instead its just another Mid Major matchup.

I know there isn’t much you can do about it but it is what it is. Sooner or later the system will be fixed and you guys will get your shot.

When you are an Alabama fan you are expected to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because I want to.

by bammer on Dec 31, 2008 9:48 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I hope you're right.

I would love an 8-team or 16-team playoff. Give us a shot. If we lose on the field, no bitching from me. But with the system the way it is we don’t even get to play the game. Seems unfair.

Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.

by displacedute on Dec 31, 2008 12:31 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I apologize ahead of time

For all the cleat marks on the Utes DLine.

Stew

by Stew1001 on Dec 30, 2008 11:20 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Blow ot O line

Too bad, wanted to see him play and play their best.

Stuff like this can fire up a team, make the replacement lineman play better, pull the line together.

I reckon Bama won’t lose too much as a team on account of one man, regardless of how good he was (and yes, he was quite good). The one matchup we can’t make, no one can make, is Cody. He’d of gone down I’d suggest a change in their line might be seen, but not on their O line, guarantee you Saban has someone ready to play.

The Bama fans are good and classy fans, they will give us our due, win or lose.

by MeanBobMean on Dec 29, 2008 8:45 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

If Cody went down

That would bring in his backup at 6’3" 310lbs, benching 480.

by Stew1001 on Dec 30, 2008 11:23 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, but teams can matchup with him better than Cody.

Scary isn’t it?

by MeanBobMean on Dec 30, 2008 3:05 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Actually, I think an OL is the worst position to lose.

For a game like this. Unlike any other unit, the OL functions as a group. They need to know where the other players are going to be, what their tendencies are, what their weaknesses are, when they need to pull a block to shore up a teammate, etc. DL is a unit, but not in the same way the OL is. Lose a DL, you can send someone in and give him an assignment. Lose an OL and it affects the chemistry, especially when it’s someone like Smith. For a one-game situation, losing a great OL is the worst thing that could happen, IMO, except maybe if you have a great QB (nobody likes to lose a QB). Every other position is largely affected only by their own performance, but an OLineman affects his whole unit, plus the play of his RBs and QB.

One of the best predictors of success for a college football team is the number of snaps the OL has taken together. So if you have 3 returning OL and 2 backups that played quite a bit with them, that’s a good or a pretty good OL. If you have 4 returning OL, that’s a great OL. If you have 1 returning OL (see 2009 BYU) then you’re going to struggle on offense. Losing an OL early is easier, because you can plug in and get comfortable. Losing one for the bowl game, only 3 days before the game, could be disastrous.

Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.

by displacedute on Dec 29, 2008 10:47 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

To illustrate your point

we lost Andre to injury early in the season. It was only for two games but we struggled – 172 yards (I’m going on memory here rather than checking the facts) of total offense against Tulane. This is a big loss.

If it were up to me, I'd blitz on offense too.

by The Heffalump on Dec 30, 2008 10:26 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes . . .

But I htink Saban is a good coach and you guys have better talent overall.

by MeanBobMean on Dec 30, 2008 3:08 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I doubt all of that rests....

…solely on Andre. There were all sorts of variables that could’ve contributed to that. Andre being gone, it was Tulane’s first game (meaning they had weeks to solely concentrate on us), emotional letdown after stomping Clemson, just a bad day, etc.

RollBamaRoll.com

by Nico2.0 on Dec 30, 2008 3:32 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Losing OL Smith

Might not be too disastrous, given it is impossible to replace an Outland trophy winner. His replacement at Left Tackle is the left Guard, at 300+ and a Soph (300+) slides into left guard where he started two games this year… When Smith went down with an injury earlier this year. There is lots of continuity on the left side. Something to look for is short yardage and Mt Cody (370) lines up behind the LT as a blocker.

If the Utes can win this game I’ll tip my hat to you, I’m thinking that the bottom line will be our size, speed and depth, against your speed. Bama doesn’t try to run up the score, simply RUN the ball, wear down the defense and close the deal in the 4th quarter.

by Stew1001 on Dec 30, 2008 11:39 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Like I said (and like some of your fellow alabama fans have said)

The offensive line is just about the only place where you can’t just send in the backup. The chemistry of that unit is so important, and Smith was not just an OL, he’s a great OL and a leader. That matters. If I were picking players to have to lose to injury, I’d start with wide receivers (even a playmaker), followed by safeties, followed by linebackers, followed by cornerbacks, followed by running backs, followed by DL, followed by OL, and followed (just barely) by QB. Every position is important, but to have the ability to just plug in and play it’s easiest as a WR and toughest as a QB. Right behind QB is the OL, in my opinion.

Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.

by displacedute on Dec 30, 2008 1:18 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs