Tide falls to Mercer 66-59

tide humiliated at home by mercer
loss sets the stage for a long and miserable season

       Mercer? Seriously?  Alabama losses at home to Mercer? I don't want to hear any of this analysis about the Bears having a lot of upperclass leadership. For those who say my negative articles are annoying go be annoyed. We can talk about a momumental upset. That didn't happen. The best team won. This loss makes the VCU game pale by comparison. This is not one of those losses that will cause a head coach to lose his job. It is one of those games that people are going to seriously question whether Anthony Grant is the man for the job In my mind he still is the coach we need. If he can find a couple of decent JuCo inside players things will change quickly.


          Let me be clear about this loss. It wasn't the loss that was so bad, but rather the manner in which we kicked away a win. Alabama had to reach deep within themselves to find a way to lose this one. In the last 30 minutes the Tide gave up 32 points to a decent mid-level team. Last week it was blowing a 20 point lead on the road to Texas Tech. I'm well aware that home teams like Tech can make comebacks.  This game it was a twelve point lead at home, and we had the ball. We couldn't mount a comeback.  This type of loss is simply unacceptable for our program. Tide fans will not be patient with the type of effort they saw in Coleman on Saturday.

        I didn't post this blog yesterday. I wanted to give  some long reflection and try to put it  observations into some type of perspective. This loss is as bad as it gets for a major division one program. Mercer was just a better team. They made  fewer floor mistakes, they moved the ball well on offense, their defense was good, and their game plan was excellent. You have to lay this one on Grant.  No question about it. His team just didn't seem ready for a slugfest.  Here are two words that Tide fans never want to hear - "Bama choked". Two games in succession the Tide has gagged. Earlier we had a big enough lead to hang on. On Saturday we just gave up. We gave up 34 points in the first 30 minutes and then quit, or fell apart. I know our team is young, we have gaps in our recruiting, one player quit, two are injured, and we have no inside game. All of that is understandable, if not liked. But what I witnessed in the last 10  minutes of game was almost inconcievable. We got run off our home floor by a team that had one player who might make our starting five. A local sports announcer and I had a long talk before the season started. He has been watching Alabama basketball for a long time. He laid out the perfect storm which would sink this team, and he got it exactly right.  The problems have started coming through - no inside game, poor shooting, Pollard isn't advancing  quickly enough to help, and we have defensive lapses. I could see all of those things, but honestly I didn't foresee the poor defense. Anthony Grant just teams don't play bad defense. For ten minutes last night I was correct. The Tide didn't play bad defense, they played horrible defense. For those who are counting that is two of the worst halves an Alabama basketball team has played in my memory.

         The game will cause a lot of anti-Grant sentiment to grow. I believe Grant owes the Tide fans an explanation of how he intends to dig his team out fo this mess. In retrospect, this all started with the loss of Carl Engstrom. It wasn't that Engstrom is a great player but he filled a need Bama hasn't filled. I doubt they can this season. Help is on the way, and one season doesn't define a career or a program. No doubt this is highly disappointing to Tide fans. Tide fans will accept losing.They can't and won't accept in the half hearted sloppy manner we all saw yesterday. Losing to Mercer is just not acceptable. The scary part is that this may be the start of something truly awful. For Grant, the goal is not to win a division championship or even make the NCAA. The new goal is to help the team find themselves and then we'll see what happens.

BCS has one crowing jewel...

National Championship Game saves the BCS this season...

Northern Illinois is a controversial selection

Northern Illinois a party crasher?

      In college basketball the post season championship gives us several teams unlikely to win the tournament. We don't call those teams terrible selections. We call them Cinderalla teams. I've often wondered why the same doesn't hold true for the BCS games? I think it is because football is about money. Don't get me wrong, the NCAA Tournament is about money. A lot of money, but not sinfulfully big money like what has happened in "amateur" college football. The money is so big that the sport is getting lost in the gold rush. I have to say that I was gratified to see that poll voters didn't vote down Northern Illinois to insure they were left out. I personally remember cheering for Boise State against Oklahoma when the Bronco's selection was questioned.  That is still one of the best games I have ever seen. The last play of that game is on instant replay in my mind. But one thing college football and big money television will not allow. Cinderella will never have a chance to play for the national championship. It simply will not happen. Northern Illinois playing Florida State for a national championship would draw ratings equal to a paint drying contest. What does Florida State have to gain from a bowl game. The short answer is nothing. A loss would be embarrassing but hardly fatal to the program as both Oklahoma and Georgia can attest. We all remember the  Huskies the Tide 16-13 in 2003. So it would be unfair to say the NIU doesn't have some credentials to play in the BCS. I bet it wlll be the least watched of the BSC games this season.

 

Alabama/Notre Dame is dream pairing for college football

 

     I know that every fan thinks there school is special. Ohio State fans are bragging they could beat either Alabama or Notre Dame. Oregon is saying the same thing. Alabama and Notre Dame could easily be considered the top programs in college history. The Fighting Irish and the Crimson Tide are the benchmarks of NCAA football. Midwestern fans will say it is the Irish and Southern fans, some begrudgingly, will say it is 'Bama. Between the two schools they claim a total of 25 national championships. The Tide has 14 and the Irish lay claim to 11. In recent years the Irish had fallen victim to some tough seasons. The truth is that a lack of conference affiliation  and modern facilities took their toll. The dead period lasted so long that most high school players outside the Midwest really know nothing about the Irish. To most top players they were another team. That's why this season has been so important to their program. The Irish are second in some national recruiting rankings.

 

        Alabama went through a period of solid but not spectacular football. Here's an interesting fact. Every coach since Paul Bryant has had at least on 10 win season. 10 wins seems  to be the entry level to excellence. So in some ways the Tide retained a lot of their historic importance when their program was considered down. Down is a relative term. Most colleges would have loved to had Alabama's record during that period. To  a lot of younger fans the Nick Saban era is what it is all about. But in truth the legacy of Tide football goes back 8 decades. Alabama football was just as important before Bear Bryant . I think a fair statement would be that Alabama's consistency dates back to the 1920's and has rarely fallen since. There are several programs that would argue th ey belong in the top two, but Michigan, Southern California, Texas, Penn State and Ohio State just don't have the championships. After all it is about championships isn't it. Here's how great Bama's program is - we win the SEC Championship and would have "bad" season if we don't win the national championship. In fact, any season when Alabama doesn't win the national crown is disappointing and suspect.
 
        Bowl games have been reduced to almost nothing. They really don't matter. I guess the winner of one of the bowl games in the BCS rota could move up to #2. I am not sure any coach could sell being second or third. But I have to give credit to the BCS selection process. There have been very few arguments about who should be playing in the big game. There have been a plethera of arguments about how the two teams got to number 1 and 2, but really no dispute they deserved being there. If the BCS goal was to get the top two teams on the field it has been mission accomplished.

       When you look back at the history of the BSC this year's game has to be the best match up ever. All you fans at other teams can start your arguments right now. And you know what?  You'd be wrong. You'd be very wrong. There has never been a BCS championship game with this much hype. This is the game where the bery best two teams in college football are going to strap on their chin straps and settle matters about who has been the all time best in college football history. Alabama is still a 9.5 point favorite. Favorites generally win this game. Alabama hasn't played a team like Notre Dame this season. But I believe Alabama has played several teams as good or better than the Irish. I know that Notre Dame hasn't played anyone in the same zip code of the Tide. One thing is certain - this game is one for the ages.
       
 

      



    

    

one of saban's best...
reality is better than luck...

 

               I've been giving a lot of thought to where the Alabama win over the Georgia Bulldogs ranks in the Tide's storied football history.  I'm not going to try compare wins in different eras. In reality there is no way to "prove" what the best Alabama win. I don't think the win over Georgia was anywhere near one of the most important wins in school history.It certainly was one of the most important wins in recent school history, but in all fairness to other teams it probably doesn't compare with the Tide's historic win over Penn when eastern football was considered the best in America. It isn't has important as Alabama's win over Washington in the 1930 Rose Bowl. Those two games took Southern football from an afterthought to the forefront of American college football. Those two games were settled on the field, and no longer could biased football writers claim that Southern football was inferior. Alabama went from being a team of a "swamp rats" infested team to the King of College football history. This last SEC Championship would not have happened if it had not been for the landmark wins of the past.

Saban's best win under pressure at Bama...

              In placing the win in importance of the modern era football wins I still don't think it is the best 'Bama win. Under Nick Saban it is almost assuredly the greatest win of all. Why would I say that?  Three times the Tide got up off that canvas and finally prevailed to win the SEC Championship and the opportunity to win national title number 15. Alabama found itself in the rare position of the entirety of college football hoping for a Georgia win. For a time in the game itself it seemed that even Fate itself was on the side of the Bulldogs. Nicki Saban doesn't believe in fate if my guess is correct. He believes that his process trumps fate at every turn. A.J. McCarron, who was considered the second best quarterback on the field in Atlanta that night brought his Crimson teammates from the brink of defeat to a conference championship. Eddie Lacy, who has always been the second violin to other Tide running backs proved he has a rightful place with the elite of the elite. T.J. Yeldon shows every sign of joining that group in the future. Barrett Jones, fighting through pain and adversity of a leg injury knock down Georgia's defensive line time and time again. C.J. Mosley, surely the most underrated linebacker in the NCAA, made a monumental play to deflect a pass that beat the Dogs when it seem for all the world that fate might beat process. Jesse Williams, decorated with more tattoos than humanly possible came back on the field to stop the Georgia running game. Most players would have called it a day with his injury. Not the Aussie. Excuse me, the Alabama nose guard who proved that football players come from all points and directions to play at the Capstone.

the luck of the Irish...


       Alabama didn't play its best game of the season. Georgia probably did play their top game and the Tide still won. In the final analysis it doesn't matter that the game was tighter than a tick. Only the score matters.Alabama players won a lot of personal victories on the field that afternoon, but more importantly the cohesion of their effort produced a win. I bet that a 15th National Championship is going to follow. I don't believe in the luck of the Irish. I believe in blocking and tackling. There is no better coach in America than teaching his players those things. Alabama has a method to win called the process to get them where they are today.  The Irish have had a magical season. We need to remember that in the end magic isn't real. Luck isn't real,  but Nick Saban is. 

C.J. Mosely gets it done

c.j. mosley, an all-american...



Crunch Time for Tennessee

       C.J. Mosley wasn't in the running for the Heisman Trophy. He didn't grow up in an exotic state like Hawaii. There isn't much surfing down in Theodore, Alabama. I'm not saying the C.J. grew up the hard scrabble life, but Mobile County is not exactly exotic. Two great linebackers from diverse backgrounds are going have a little showdown in the BSC National Championship game. I've watched Te'o play a couple of games on television. He's good. According the rest of the world he is the greatest thing since Kava. If you have been to Hawaii understand what I mean. Let me tell you that C.J. Mosley isn't chopped liver. He has all the skills of a great linebacker. I seem to remember him intercepting a few passes. He has run three back for touchdowns. He has one thing that Te'o that doesn't have. Mosley has blazing speed for a linebacker. Heck, he's got speed that wouldn't be bad for running back. Te'o might be better than Mosley but I've got see it myself.

              By all accounts, this will be a game within a game. A little bit country and a little rock n' roll? Theodore, Alabama has 6100 hardy souls. Honolulu has around 900,000. In Honolulu you have Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, and one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Theodore has Bellingrath Gardens and C.J. Mosley.


The stats:

• 2 interceptions,
• 2 fumble recoveries 
• 99 tackles
• 8 tackles for losses
• 4 sacks
• 5 pass break ups

         Those are beyond just being solid. Keep in mind that C.J. doesn't play in certain packages, and is not a middle linebacker. Bama has a legacy of great linebackers. Mosley does credit to that lineage. Nico Johnson and Trey DePriest make a formidable trio for Notre Dame. The big guys up front will fight the Irish offensive line to a standstill and the linebackers and corners will hopefully finish off the job of bringing down the running backs. Evertte Golson, their quarterback, has scrambled to some big plays in key situations. If Te'o is considered the best linebacker in college football what does that make Mosely?  Here's what I think - after the national championship game is over their will be great deal of reconsidering exactly who is the best linebacker. I suspect a lot of sports writers will think he is wearing Crimson and White. They might never admit it. Mosley won't care. He'll be holding up the Crystal for all the world to see.

    

 

Saban to leave Bama?

rumors push ratings...

     Mike and Mike in the mornings?  How about Mike and Mike in the land of make believe? Remember the days when sports reporters actually reported sports? Now, many reporters push themselves to be the story. It has long been my personal belief that any reporter who will not reveal a source should not be allowed to spread rumors as news. It's not like sports are on the level of Watergate. If I have someone who gives me information and doesn't want his or her name divulged it puts you in a tough spot. What I do (if I believe they have told me the truth) is to give the reader some direction of where I got the information. For example, if an assistant coach gives me some inside information it is easy to say "someone close to the player or the program". That gives the reader an understanding of where the information might come from. Close to the program or player might mean coach, the player himself, a trainer, a mom or dad. Sometimes it might be a girlfriend, or teacher. I'll tell who it never will be. Someone who says they no something but can't tell we who or how they learned a fact.

       After reporting on basketball recruiting do you have any idea how many people I've met. Literally, that means hudreds of coaches, assistant coaches, and players. Of course, you have to remember that often someone tell me something to see what the public reaction might be. The other day I had a person tell me that they knew for a fact that Rueben Foster had flipped to 'Bama. Hey, that's a big story. When I pressed him for details he said "I promised not to reveal". You can forget that. If a coach tells me the same thing,  I write about it. I am not saying that any player is flipping to Alabama and that needs to be made perfectly clear.

        Nick Saban to Cleveland and the Browns? It's someone pushing a rumor, a falsehood, or whatever society calls lies and liars these days they should be called out. . You could name thousand reasons why Nick Saban would not leave Alabama. If you could name a million more reasons for Sabin to stay at Bama, some broadcasters would spread a lie to improve their ratings. Mike and Mike in Morning is merely a lie from two has  beens and wanna be's.  That's the real story here,and it is one that will never find it's way to the news or airwaves.

Cooper in a freshman league of his own...

copper has given alabama the offensive balance they need...
is there a better receiver in the sec?

     One by one the Alabama wide outs starting falling. DeAndrew White, Chris Black, and finally Kenny Bell. When Bell broke his leg against Auburn it placed Cooper in awkward position. No longer would he get the single coverage the coaches anticipated. Bell was the speed burner that Alabama used to get behind defensive backs. Cooper responded with his top performance of the season. It included two spectacular plays - the winning touchdown on a bomb from McCarron. The other was out leaping all conference Biccari  Rambo on jump ball. It was the best catch an Alabama made all season long. The play was so superlative that Gary Daniels and Vern Fleming were finally and thankfully rendered speechless. I know that Johnny Football just won the Heisman but he isn't any better at his position than Amari Cooper. Not only can Cooper go deep, he'll go across the middle without fear for a possession catch. He can also get the wide out screen and create yardage out of nothing. Blink or look the wrong way and Cooper is long gone. Cooper has given Alabama a passing game that cannot be ignored. He has become MCarron's go to receiver.


great hands and he can fly...

     Cooper runs precise routes and has soft hands. The kid can fly. You have to admire his use of catching the ball with his hands, and not always against his chest. All Alabama receivers are taught how to catch the ball with their hands.  This is one reason why Tide wide outs drop so few passes.  Cooper is going to be on the biggest stage in college football. I have no doubt he'll play a starring role. One thing is certain - if Cooper has a bad night, then Alabama might have long night. I'm betting he has a good night. The play action pass thrown vertically down field is becoming a big part of the Tide's offensive arsenal. Cooper and Christian can catch anything thrown their way, and McCarron is the delivery system. For the season Cooper's numbers are impressive. 53 receptions for 895 yards, and he's just a freshman. But he doesn't play or act like a freshman. He plays like a senior. I get the feeling that when the game is on the line Amari Cooper wants to be a major part of the action. How good is Cooper. He's so good that Alabama builds their passing attack around him. To think about Jones, Norwood, Bell, Black, and Cooper on the same team is exciting. When you throw Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon in the mix you are talking about more offensive firepower than we believe possible. Now consider, the Crimson Tide's offenisve line. You think Alabama is going to lose to Notre Dame? Fat chance.

Heisman goes to Johnny Football

how do you determine the best player in america?
sec wins the award once again...

     There is no way to ever pick the best football player in the NCAA. I'm always happy for whoever wins, and sometimes disappointed  when a favorite player doesn't.  To be selected is something that I cannot even imagine. How can you compare a linebacker to quarterback? The obvious answer is that you can't compare the two. I honestly think the Heisman rarely goes to the best player in America.  RGIII better than Trent Richardson? Not in my mind. Is Johnny Manzeil the best football player in America.? And he'll be wearing that Bulls eye on his back next season. Opposing coaches will be better prepared. Alabama looked lost in the first quarter against him. They Aggies only scored nine point in the last three. I wonder if Manzeil would have won if Alabama scored and won the game? I doubt it very much. The memory of that game would  have been the comeback of Alabama and not the start of Texas A&M.  

 

       Johnny Manzeil is unique. I've heard the phrase lighting in bottle all my life. Now I know exactly what that means. Lightning in a bottle is some kid from Texas who looks like a pin ball bouncing off the walls.  Will he be the first four time winner of the Heisman. Probably not. It really doesn't matter who the best player in America. It's the idea that someone could be named  the best player in the NCAA despite the flaws involved in the voting system. It is great symbolism.  If you watched Johnny on the stage in New York it was hard not to cheer for him. What about Manti T'eo? Talk about a heartbreaking story. It makes you want t go give him a hug and express your thanks for such a profile in courage. Collin Klein wasn't going to win. He didn't have the Golden Dome's press machine behind him. He wasn't lightning in a bottle. He was the Rock of Gilbrater. He is Tim Tebow with real talent and none of the drama queen stuff. If any of these guys won it could have been supported by facts. I think the Bama game won that Trophy for him. He had great stats before and after. T'eo seemed to be walking on the yellow brick road until he lost. Collin was relaxed. He probably knew he wasn't going win but don't you know that somewhere deep in heart was thinking "maybe".

 

      One untold story needs to me mentioned. This is America. We are the greatest country in world in my opinion. Our diversity is what makes us so flexible and adaptable. Those characteristics are what makes us great. Last year a young black man with dreadlocks won the award. This year a young white a young white man won.  Both are from Texas, but both come from different worlds. It shows me the voters may be bias in someways as the vote, but in more important ways there is no bias.  Man, is this a great country or what?

 

     

     Back to Tider Insider

heart of a champion

a look back at the sec championship...
some things we should all remember

       Now that some time has passed since the SEC Championship game I thought it was time look back at some of things we viewed. This was Alabama football at its best. It was an afternoon where four raised fingers symbolised what Tide football is all about. I don't know how or where to rank this game in terms of great Alabama wins. It certainly deserves our attention because of all the moments where the Tide fought back like a champion.

1. The Team Leaders stepped up and made the difference. Barrett Jones played through a painful injury that required the use of crutches after the game. He could have quit during the game but didn't. Jesse Williams was double-teamed on almost every play. As if that wasn't bad enough he suffered a knee injury. With Williams out of the line Gurley ran with great success. . Williams iced his knee down and sucked it up, and when he returned the Dawgs were put on a leash. Eddie Lacy was hurt. His return to questionable. His injury has yet to be publicly disclosed, but Lacy trotted back on the field and along with T.J. Yeldon ran roughshod over the Georgia defense. He had over 180 yards before the game was over. A.J. McCarron was patient and bided his time. When the moment was right he used a play action pass to beat the Bulldogs.  Robert Lester kept the defensive backfield together when things got tough. He'll be missed.
2. New leaders emerged for Alabama. Amari Cooper isn't going to be at Alabama for more than three years, but he showed that freshmen can lead. He has become the prime target in the passing game.T.J. Yeldon is well... amazing. Before he is finished at the University, he is going to have an S on his jersey. When he was able to talk with the media since his freshman season was officially over, he deferred saying instead the night belonged to the seniors. Where does Saban find these guys?
3. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. The Tides ace in the hole is running the football. In an era of cheap thrills and non-existent defenses, the Tide is a throw back to old time football. Saban has shown the nation that Alabama can roll up their sleeves and go to work the old fashioned way. What 'Bama chooses to do on defense and offense is not really a trick  - it is in your face and be a real man football. Alabama is the Rock of college football.

      Do I think Alabama will be Notre Dame?  Does an Indian beat a drum?  You give Nick Saban 5 weeks to prepare for anyone you are probably beat. The pressure is on the Irish. The world is hoping Notre Dame beats us. How much better can it get than that for all of us Swamp Rats? I admire Georgia for the play. The better team  won. This could have been a blowout if Bama had eliminated some mistakes. Sometimes greatness is measured not when things are going well. Perhaps they are best measured when things are looking grim. I know that Notre Dame has the Golden Dome and Football Jesus. That dome is going to be torn down, and if Jesus makes an appearance it will be to heal the pain of the Irish players when Bama walks off the field.


Bamabasketball.net click here

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And the beat goes on in Lee County...

malzhan named new auburn head coach...
same old same old for the Tigers...

Coach Malzhan was the unanimous choice
to lead the Auburn Tigers next season

             And some Alabama fans were worried about who the next head coach might be. Gene Chizik = Gus Malzhan = the same old song, just a new verse for Auburn. Let me be the first to say how happy I am that Kirby Smart is not going to Auburn. He may go somewhere but not to the Plains. 

 

           In a somewhat shocking statement Auburn named Gus Malazhan as the "unanimous" selection for their next head coach. I'm sorry that just isn't the truth. It is more likely that Malzhan was the only unanimous choice the board could agree on after the Petrio blood letting had coagulated. However, it is not unusual for a group to come together in a show of unity after a bitter fight on a candidate. Let me say this - I think Malzhan was the "peoples choice" for the job. Perhaps this will bring some happiness for the Auburn fans who have genuinely suffered after at 3-9 season. All this makes me wonder why the Tigers didn't select Malzan in the beginning. Gene Chizik brought a national title to the Plains, but the Board of Trustees hope that Gus can bring something needed even more - peace of mind.

 

        Malzhan was the offensive coordinator behind the 2010 Auburn BCS National Championship. Behind the multi-talented Cam Newton, the Tigers used the Malzahn offense with great success. Whether it will work with the same success with someone like Jonathon Wallace. Wallace ran a similiar offense in high school. So did Keihl Frazier, who was given the opportunity to win the AU starting job this season. Frazier didn't win, neither did Clint Mosely.

 

           Malzhan was head coach at Arkansas State this past season where the school enjoyed a 9-3  record.  No immediate details regarding his salary or future of current assistants has been released at this time. Reactions to his hiring were mixed, but many AU fans are happy to see him named as head coach. More as details are available.

Tide Wins a Classic over Georgia 32-28

Rammer Jammer down their throats...

A grown man and a full load...

 Atlanta, Ga. -   The highly touted Alabama offensive line rolled up their sleeves, took names, and knocked the upset minded Georgia Bulldogs on their collective rear ends. In a game where Georgia bared their teeth for four quarters, the Crimson Tide showed the Dogs that an elephant never forgets. In this case they didn't forget the running game. The Tide returned to a vicious ground game behind running of Eddie Lacey and T.J. Yelding. Time after time the offensive line opened up gaping holes for the two backs.  A.J. McCarron didn't play his best game, but he saved his absolute best for a play action pass to freshman Amari Cooper which covered 45 yards,  and into the lore of Alabama Championship Football. That touchdown gave Alabama the 32-28 victory.  The Tide ran the ball against a great Georgia defense, which according to Dawg defensive back Ricardo Rambo, said was man for man better than Alabama for 350 fifty yards. I had to wonder what Rambo thought when Eddie Lacey leveled him on a 32 yard gallop in the third quarter. Perhaps he has rethought his earlier position by this time.

 

 

effort, effort, and finally a win

 

 

        You cannot say enough about the effort of Alabama. After Georgia blocked a third quarter field goal, and returned it for a TD, and a 21-10 lead it might have been over. Alabama wouldn't  quit. They doubled down on their game plan of running the ball and wore down a gallant Georgia defensive into submission. You have to admire Georgia as well. They got the breaks, won the kicking game, ran the ball with authority, and Bama still beat 'em. Bama gave the Dawgs a chance to win and took it away. Aaron Murray had one last drive but it fell short on the Tide four yard line as time expired. We have seen games that have left the losing quarterback in tears, and have watched a defensive back snare a pick to return it for a heart stopping win, but we have never seen anything like this game.  This was a game that saw D.J. Flucker jump up and down with anger at his team's effort. It was game that had more ups and down the roller coaster over at Six Flags. It was one of the best games in SEC history.

 

 

game for the ages in SEC...

 

        The game was an all timer. It is one of those games you tell your grandchildren about. I'm very serious to say it was a honor just to watch those two great teams slug it out. Just when America thought their fondest desires of not seeing Alabama hanging around a BCS Championship game for the last time, the Crimson came back. They didn't do it with flash and dash. They did it down and dirty in the trenches. They did it yard by yard. They won the game where the big ones played. In the end the five offensive linemen of Alabama grabbed the SEC crown. Barrett,Steen, Fluck, Kouandjio, and Williams dominated the game in a way you rarely see in college football today. With all the run and gun the offenisve line play has lost its importance to the fans. This was a day that Bear Bryant would have loved.

shake up the echos...

 

 

       Alabama fans just don't like Notre Dame. It all goes back to a day when the Irish vaulted over much superior Alabama teams to be voted #1. The days of a team jumping five spots over a higher ranked teams are over. Now it will all be settled on the field. The Irish and Alabama are probably the two top football programs in college pigskin history. This upcoming national championship game will set records for the most watched game in college history. To football fans this is a match made in heaven. In the world of television and advertising this is a game made in the board rooms all across America. We've seen a lot of "greatest games in college history".  They come and they go. This one might actually be that game.

      The Notre Dame fight song is football world famous. It contains the phrase 'wake up the echos'. If Notre Dame fans watched this game the those Irish echos might more shaken than awakened. The national championship game will be a big stage. A lot of Alabama players will be playing in their third championship game. This has been a magical season for a Notre Dame. The Irish had dropped off the relevancy map of college football. This season they weren't ranked in the top 25 when the year began. They have ascended to number one.  Now I happen to be one of those fans who respect Notre Dame. If you look at their history you almost have to respect them. I can't think of a single team I'd rather see us play for the Crystal Football. I don't think Notre Dame will be able beat Alabama with a redshirt freshman quarterback.  This may not be Alabama's best defensive team under Saban, but it is still the best defense in college football. 

amari cooper in class of his own...

    McCarron to Cooper is starting to sound like one of those sports phrases we'll remember for a long time. Cooper, a true freshman, has electrified the SEC with his speed and great hands. He pulled in the winner from McCarron like he was out to practice. Earlier in the game he out jumped Rambo for another long game. Rambo had a tough night. Evidently, his mouth is more talented than his playing ability. I bet he's seen all the Crimson and White he cares to see for a while. Cooper has become the go to guy to Alabama. In the absence of Kenny Bell he has stepped up his game even more. The talented and still red shirted Chris Black didn't have to play because of Coopers ability to get open and create yardage after a catch. Of course, running for 350 helped the recievers.

     With 3:15 left in the game and the Tide behind by 3, Cooper pulled in a crimson bullet from A.J. McCarron and the Tide had the final margin of victory. The last 3:15 was full of great plays and more drama than I can describe. I'll save that for another blog.

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Alabama's Offensive Line was my MVP

of the Game.

 

 

 

Final Toughts...

been their, done that, got several tee shirts...

         Alabama's consistency and coaching is going to enough to whip the pudge off the Georgia Bulldogs. I keep listening to all these talking keeps on television who say that Georgia more talent than Alabama. Excuse me ladies, but what games have you been watching or have you been hanging around with the Honey Badger on a few too  many sell runs to his favorite customers?  I understand the hatred and the national need for fans to see the Tide lose. You know what? I love it. I love the fact that everyone else in America, except on small group of television executves, that need to see Alabama get beat. You think TV wants to see Notre Dame play Georgia for the Crystal. We all know that Georgia found themselves in this lofty position despite Mark Richt. He's a great guy. Pehaps this game will give him a chance to shake off the stigma of a choker, but don't count on that. Count on Alabama grinding and executing the Dawgs to a slow and agonizing death.

       Look for Kirby Smart to have come up with more blitz packages than we've ever seen. Eddie Lacey is going for 100 yards+. I think Nick Saban is going to let the offensive coordiantor use a little more imagination that before. We're going to come out with an unbalanced line or something similiar to throw off the Dogs early. We might bet beat but Georgia is not going to be able to pound Alabama to grits. On the other side of the coin it is possible that Bama can do just that. Eddie Lacey looks 100%.  He's like ominous thunder with his running style. Throw in lighting in the form of T.J. Yeldon and you have a deadly combo at the running back. Then you have the most underrated quarterback in college football in A.J. McCarron. I don't get the deal with Mc. All he does is win. And this afternoon I strongly believe he'll win one more.

      Despite how much America wants to see the Tide lose they probably won't. And then you have to wonder if an Alabama vs. Notre Dame national championship game might be the most watched televised game since black and white tv? I think it will. Am I being a dyed in the wool Alabama fan? Absolutely. I have no Texas A&M feeling about this one. I am giving you an honest opinion. Absolutely. Can you do both? Absolutely.  Is Alabama going to win this game? Positively. Is it going to be a one side affair? Nope. But only one thing matters and that is being ahead be one single point. And that, my friend, is a the same thing as a rout. Bama has made this journey several times. They understand what it takes, and they know how to do get it done. If Georgia wins it will be cause the talent on the Georgia team is so much greater than Alabama that it can overcome that plus Nick Saban and Kirby Smart. I've go reservations for the National Championship. You need to do the same thing as well.

I still say Bama 24-17.

Bamabasketball.net - the Cincinnati game

WHO IS THE MAN AT THE QB POSITION IS WEEKEND?

does either team really have an edge...
McCarron thrives in big games
Murray has the bigger arm

       Some people like Chevys and others like Fords. Sometimes picking what or who is best is just a matter of preference.  I think the Aaron Murray vs. A.J. McCarron match-up falls that way for the big SEC Championship game. You ask Georgia fans who the top Dawg is and they'll say Murray. Ask Crimson fans who is the 5,000 lb. Elephant in the Geogia Dome and you'll always hear McCarron. I don't know if it is even possible for an Alabama fan such as myself can honestly make a comparison. With that caveat being stated upfront I'll give it a shot.  First, both are great quarterbacks. Physical ability might fall slightly to Murray. Making the best decisions falls to McCarron.

 

      Murray is a make or break sort of guy. In his biggest 10 games of his career he has won only twice. In McCarron's biggest 10 games of his career he has lost only twice. Of course, we can't put all the winning or losing just on the quarterback. Support cast gets a significant part of what happens. That is where I'm a little confused about Georgia. They continue to have these killer recruiting classes. So does Alabama, but it seems to me that the Tide develops players to a higher level. McCarron is less likely to take big risks or make overt mistakes. He's not perfect, but he is perfect for his offense. Both have big arms. Murray's arm is so strong he will occasionally throw into some places he shouldn't McCarron tends to overthrow some long balls. 

 

        Neither is going to be confused with being a dual threat quarterback. Running on the part of each is never designed (it seems) and is out of necessity. McCarron will rarely hang on to the ball too long, and will throw one in row 20 if need be. Murray is more high risk high reward in his approach. A.J. is more like a surgeon in his approach. He picks his moments and rarely uses bad judgment. I'm not saying that Murray has bad judgement but he does have a high opinion of his ability to make the hard throws. McCarron can also make the hard throws when he has to do so. He rarely has to do so. In the LSU game he pulled himself together and made three great throws to Kevin Norwood. The screen pass to Yeldon killed the Tigers, but the three proceeding throws set the stage. I watched a re-run of the Georgia-Florida game. Murray was horrid in the first half, but he pulled himself together and had a great second half. So both quarterbacks are capable of bringing a team back.

 

        In all honesty, I don't see much that separates the pair. The real question is what happens if both teams find out they can't

run the ball. I think Bama will be able to run effectively but for the sake of argument let's say neither will be able to do so. How can pass the ball the ball to win?  Both can. Which one will tend to make stand up under pressure? I think that's McCarron. I think Murray is a slightly better overall quarterback. So the real question is not who is the best quarterback from a physical standpoint, but rather who is the man who will bring home the win. In my book that is McCarron by a small margin. Call them even, but the supporting cast for McCarron might be better. Murray can seal himself off from the media, but I have to wonder that if you can't stand the pressure of the big stage, can anyone get a standing ovation when the show is over? We'll see on Saturday. I've already made my pick.

So how did Georgia get that lucky?

Schedule for the Dogs is strange...

     I have no idea how the SEC decides who plays who in the SEC. From all appearances they take a bunch of idiots and load them up on cheap liquor before they draw up the games. Whatever happens needs some serious revision. Once again Georgia dodged Alabama and LSU. The Dawgs also didn't have to play Mississippi State or Texas A&M. In other words the Dawgs missed the best four teams in the SEC West. They did play Ole Miss who was pretty good for a .500 team, and Auburn who was worse than their 3-9 record indicates. If Georgia had to play in the SEC West my bet is they lose a minimum of three games. I think Alabama, LSU, and Texas A&M will probably have beaten the Dawgs. They Dawgs may not have beaten Mississippi State in Starkville.

Two sets of rules in play here...

      My point is that all divisions champions are not created equal. I am not suggesting that the Georgia Bulldogs road to their division championship was easier. I'm just point blank saying it was so easy it was embarrassing. Georgia had three "tough" games to win their division. They beat a sorry Florida team that may be the worst ten win team in college football history if you don't count Notre Dame. They got sent packing back to Athens by a pretty good South Carolina team by four touchdowns. The beat Vandy 48-3. I'm more impressed with their win over Vandy than Florida. Florida had more miraculous escapes from defeat than an oiled up Harry Houdini. I'm not saying that Georgia has no chance to beat Alabama. They might be able to do so. I just don't think Georgia played the strength of schedule that Alabama or LSU played. Whether that makes a difference may not matter. I bet it will. I'm betting that Georgia hasn't played a team like Alabama. Georgia has the reputation of folding in the big games. Aaron Murray has won one out of nine games against ranked teams. Anything came happen on a given night. Mostly that doesn't happen.

      My main question here is how can the SEC allow Georgia to skip Bama and LSU every season. I know they were supposed to play Alabama this season, but when Missouri and TAM got into the SEC things changed. Instead, the Bulldogs got Ole Miss at home. I understand the importance of the Auburn-Georgia game. No need to touch that historic rivalry. Ole Miss for LSU or Alabama?  Who's minding the store in the SEC headquarters?  Certainly, no one who has a brain or a sense of fairness. So here's what we have. We have one team from the West who played teams that won 41 games. Georgia, but comparison played teams that won 41 games as well.  That seems fair. But Georgia played two teams that didn't win an SEC game (Auburn and Kentucky). They played one team team that won only one SEC game (Tennessee). Missouri won 2 SEC games. That's not a schedule, those are practice games that count were as SEC games.
    

          Ending up the blog today I want to add that three of the coaches that coached teams against Georgia are no longer employed today. Chizik, Dooley, and Joker Phillips. All great guys, but their failure on the field got them axed. Two of them, Chizik and Dooley coached at schools were winning was expected. Those schools had won national championships in football.  So the Dawgs, through the luck of the draw, played the bottom of barrel this season. That may not be the fault of the Georgia Bulldogs. In fairness to them they also played and whipped a decent Vandy team. Talk about a world turned upside down. The reason I think Alabama will beat Georgia is that Alabama has had a much harder schedule.


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Bama pulls redshirt off of Chris Black?

Nick Saban considers the status of Chris Black...

Does Bama need Chris to better the odds of beating the 'Dawgs?

     In the wake of Kenny Bell breaking his leg in the Auburn game the discussion of what to do in his absence has been constant. Most of the talk has been whether Chris Black will play the last two games or whether he stays redshirted. Saban added to the fervor of the discussion by saying that Black had been cleared medically to play if needed. I'd like to stress the "if needed" part of his statement. On Monday Chris was taking snaps with the first group and his black no touch jersey was absent. Hmm... That sure sounds like he will play. The  question in my mind is why? There are three schools of thought.

1. Bama wants to make sure their best players are on the field against Georgia and hopefully Notre Dame. Black was on a head on collision for first team status before he injured his shoulder before the first game. This included another freshman, Amari Cooper. If Black is better than Cooper I have to see it first hand. It seems hard to believe that a freshman who has been hurt and hasn't seen any game time could come into the lineup and have a real impact.

2. The second school of thought is that Bama can make it without Black. We all remember how Kevin Norwood stepped up in the National Championship game. The Tide has a lot of talented receivers. They have now lost three good ones. So how deep is the recieiving corp  in reality. It would be a shame to waste a player for essentially one and hopefully two games. If Georgia beats Alabama with Black on the field that is a double whammy.

3. The third and by far the most important school of thought is what does Nick Saban think?  He's weighed all the options and has made a decision by now. It is certainly possible  that Black wouldn't be at Alabama past his junior year if he is as good as advertised.  I bet if you ask Black he wants to play. That will not play a role in Saban's decsion.

     One thing seems pretty certain - Saban isn't hinting he might use Black to cause Georgia to have to prepare for the player. No one knows how good he is. I suppose you could  argue that because no one has seen him play that makes him an unknown.  With Cooper and Black in the lineup the Tide would have speed to burn so to speak.  I'll just throw this in as my own opinion - Christian Jones is a pretty darn good player. How much better does Black need to be to break into that starting line up. Cooper, Jones, and Norwood are pretty intimidating.  In the photo by this paragraph you can clearly see that Black is without the no contact/injury status jersey. All this makes me believe he may play. Surely, the wisest course of action is to wait and see if he is needed.  It is entirely possible that Bell may be back by the National Championship game. The coaches understand how the surgery will effect an early return or not. A re-break is never good. Okay, here is an absolute spineless prediction. I think that Black will dress, he will be ready to play, and if needed, really needed, he will play.

I suspect the question that Saban has already answered is this:  Do we need Black to win the national championship. If Saban thinks Bama needs him,  the young man will play. Otherwise, all this has been fun to speculate over.


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