Sports
Link Gumbo: Let’s set some records straight
Alabama Fans are terrible at record keeping. I would highly suggest checking the degree of your C.P.A. and ensuring it doesn’t come from Tuscaloosa.
On Monday night as I watched Mac Jones throw another atrocious interception causing him to be benched for Bailey Zappe I noticed the same thing I’ve always noticed on the New England national broadcast games. NOBODY in the booth or on the broadcast mentions the 2020 Bama offense. Or at least not nearly to the levels we heard last year when the Bengals made their Super Bowl run. And I thought, you know, maybe everyone finally realized that fans in the stands makes a huge difference and the Mickey Mouse/WWII natty that Bama gets to claim from 2020 is tossed to the side like it should be.
And then I went to RBR as I love their writing and also love peering behind enemy lines for perspective…and still see them wanting to scream from the mountaintops the straight up subterfuge that is trying to compare 2020 Bama to anyone. Let alone 2019 LSU. I recommend their site, Jumbo Package is an awesome daily read, Random Thoughts is a fun weekly sit rep, and Meltdown was appointment.
But Bama week is nigh, the message is still being tossed around, and as a purple blooded Tigah fans we really need to clear some things up to prep ourselves from the incessant propaganda that is BAMA FAN. Specifically, the thought that we as LSU need to get over 2019 and move on because Bama went out and did the same thing in 2020. They broke every record we set. Messages like this.
(clears throat). And I quote
“In 2021, O’Brien was hired and asked to reload perhaps the greatest offense in college football history, as evidenced by the Heisman, Maxwell, Manning, Doak Walker, Biletnikoff, Outland, and Rimington trophies. Five members of that offense went in the first round of the NFL Draft that April and another the following April. Included in that group were both tackles in Alex Leatherwood and Evan Neal, and center Landon Dickerson went high in the second despite a severe knee injury suffered late in the season. It was probably the best offensive line Nick Saban has had, with a first round caliber QB and skill talent to boot. As a result, Mac Jones set the all time season single passer rating record that still stands currently. Talk about a tough act to follow.”
There is no perhaps here folks. There is no debate. It’s not even close and their season didn’t really matter. This is tame take from their end, but just an easy one to correct and bolster our responses as we lean into a battle for 1st place in the West and the smack talk that comes with it.
First off, it’s an impressive awards list. I’ve seen one just like it that includes more accolades than that (slap in the greatest margin difference in Heisman voting history, the #1 overall pick, and more top 5 draft picks from a team)., but still, very nice. But here is my point, I think it’s easy to be nominated for an award when 30% of the sport doesn’t even play a season, 70% of the sport plays less than 10 games, and you happen to be a team that can build a massive stat advantage compared to others. All the while playing defenses that had no spring ball or had 20% of it’s roster out due to Covid Protocols. But, ya know, good for them. They beat a 7 win team for a mythical natty.
Second point, 2019 LSU had a lot of players drafted from their offense as well. It looks like Bama did too. But don’t you have to recognize the difference in performance in the league? What is moving LSU light years away from comparison is the absolute force they have reckoned on the highest level of the sport. They broke rookie records. They took teams to Super Bowls, they earned more pro bowls, more all pros, and ROTY. Our players played like Pro Bowlers against College players in 2019. Then one year later, played like Pro Bowlers against professionals. There is no debate on who has performed better. None.
Finally, let’s stop giving Mac any chance of being compared on any Tier to Burrow. I won’t even call him “Big Lots Burrow”. And I’m not comparing the NFL dude who is about to lose his starting job after being spotted the biggest silver spoon draft placement in recent memory. I’m talking comparing 2020 Mac to 2019 Burrow. Do you realize Mac doesn’t even hold the BAMA single season record for TD passes?? That belongs to Bryce, then Tua, then Mac. But folks are gonna scream he set every NCAA record. Even the article above is incorrect, The single season passer rating belongs to a Coastal Carolina QB. But who in God’s green earth cares about that stat and who on earth ever references that??? Mac set two records. Passing rating and completion percentage. Playing 3 defenses in the top 40. With few fans in the stands. Against teams with no spring practice.
My word. Let’s remind the world the records that Joe Burrow Broke. Playing 8 defenses that finished in the top 20 overall. Two #1 overall defenses. Against 57 draft picks that played defense. And the two dynasties of the time:
Most TD Passes in a Season (he beat Mac by 20 TDs). Most Yards Passing in a Season (he beat Mac by 2,000 yds here). Most TDs responsible for-Season. Most Points Responsible for Season. Most TD passes in a Bowl Game. Most TD passes in 1 half. Most Points in a season. Most total Offense in a Season. The first FBS player to account for 8 TDs in a bowl game.
He then went #1 overall in the draft.
This is just a blurb, I can’t list them all.
Look folks, Bailey Zappe came in and took some of these records. That must be acknowledged. But all I’m saying is 9-15 records is a lot more than 2.
So let’s just put this one to bed. There is no perhaps. There is no debate.
Bama is on a great run. They can have their legendary coach, I’ll keep my legendary team.
Geaux Tigahs
