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Derrick Henry next Alabama superstar back...
    


DerrickHenry
compliments of rivals .com

      Last night I emailed my friend, Jack Bains, he of the legal profession and photographer extraordinaire. The email informed him that Yulee, Florida running back, Derrick Henry had announced he was coming to the Capstone. Jack loves the Tide. He came by the honestly. His father was the worlds biggest Alabama fan. Jack now challanges him for that position, is favored by many friends to take the lead.  Jack's response to my email was simple -"welcome to running back U." The proverbial beat goes on. One of Georgia's bell cow recruits had changed from red and black to crimson and white. If you want to know why just ask him about Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson. We can probably add Eddie Lacey to that list as well.

     Nick Saban just doesn't send runnng backs the NFL. He must have a machine in the weight room that churns out All-Americans who are first round draft picks. . How good is Henry? Good enough to think he can beat out Lacey, Hart, Yeldon (his friend) and Drake. Alabama backs all have several things in common - they have uncommon talent and a very uncommon work ethic. Not a one fo them has one bit of backdown. They thrive on special teams. They support each other. The celebrate their teammates success and pat them on the head when things are not going so well. To Alabama's credit there is not much head patting needed.

     It would be nice to say all these recruits are headed to the Capstone because of a storied tradition. A few might, but I believe most come because they know they can put in three hard years under Nick Saban and then become multi-millionaires. Of course, it isn't just running backs the interstate highway from Tuscaloosa sends outs. No position is ignored and all the players bring their skills for Saban and company to hone them into professionals. Saban talks about the process. I'm beginning to have a much better understanding and appreciation about what it actually means. Saban says you put in the work and I'll make sure you become someone special. Remember when Marcell Darius was recruited. Three stars only. Not to Saban. In Sabanese he was going to be a dominating player. I don't care how many stars any recruiting service gives an Alabama player. If Nick Saban offers a grant it comes with five stars. I don't want to ever compare Bear Bryant with Nick Saban. They come from different times. I'll just say this - Alabama is lucky enough to have had both.

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WHERE DOES THE TIDE STAND?

IS BAMA AS GOOD AS ADVERTISED...

 

      Four games into this young season the Crimson Tide is 4-0.  They have scored a total of 168 points and given up only 21. That is 42 points a game on the offensive end and giving up only 5.25 per game on defense. By anyone's measurements those are lofty numbers.

   

      Just for the record those numbers translate into #3 in the nation in total defense behind Texas Tech and and Florida State. Texas Tech is #1? That won't last. Florida State has given up 184 yards per game. That is 1 yard less than Alabama. After watching Clemson slam the highly publicized Seminole defense,  I can see the Seminoles falling from grace as well. This weekend the Tide hosts the Ole Miss Rebels. They are averaging 488 yards per game. Don't count on the Rebels matching that number. Incidently, Alabama is not in the top 50 in offense. I have no doubt the Tide would be near the top if they played their first team for more than 2 and 1/2 quarters.

 

     So just how good is the # 1 ranked team in the NCAA?  I don't think we know yet. We probably won't know much more after the Ole Miss game. The truth is this - the Tide hasn't played a really good team. That's no fault on their part. We all thought Michigan was a really good team. Notre Dame proved otherwise. Arkansas is a team that has fallen apart. Western Kentucky beat Kentucky. That's a good win for them, but beating the Wildcats in football is no big deal.

 

    The current CBS and ESPN talking point is that LSU, Alabama, and perhaps Oregon were separating themselves from the rabble. Southern California had their annual meltdown against someone else, namely Stanford again, and Lane Kiffin is starting to grate on the nerves of the press. That is hard to believe in a town where crazy and totally insane is normal. Everyone believed that LSU would go to Auburn and beat them like a drum. It didn't happen. The Tigers went toe to toe with LSU only too lose a heartbreaker 12-10.  The Bayou Bengals appear to be great on defense. LSU has of similarities to Alabama on defense. The Tide has gotten leadership and performance from A.J. McCarron. Zach Mettenburger showed he wasn't ready for prime time, however. The Georgia transfer looked pretty bad. The Tiger defense chased him all night long. When they couldn't sack him they hurried him into a lot of bad passes. Auburn stacked the box early and often, then dared LSU to beat them through the air. It didn't happen. With LSU struggling with their passing game,  the Tiger defense was able to slow down the vaunted Bayou Bengal running game. An early safety was the difference.

 

     I thought Auburn was a pretty bad team. I still don't think they are very good, and they are finally getting something out of their considerble talent. Now the questions arises among Alabama fans - is LSU a good team or not?  Is Auburn better than we thought?  Auburn has played three good teams in Clemson, LM, and LSU. They lost 2 of those games. They could have won each however. LSU marched through their early games like they might actually be the best team in America. The first decent team they played almost beat them. Granted it was in Auburn and it was a road game. We all know their are no pit stops on the road in the SEC. Auburn has a history of playing the stripes of the Bengals. Last weekend they almost pulled off a significant upset. At least I think they did. But I'm not really sure. If LSU and Auburn don't improve on offense there looms some losses for both teams. Let's apply the same standard for Alabama. Who has the Tide played? Has the young defense really played anyone who could actually test them. When you look at the Alabama offense the first thing I notice is that rushing yards are not exactly exploding. The Tide looks much better passing the ball. This is not a good the way Nick Saban wants to win. Saban wants his offensive line and runnn backs to pulverize defenses.

 

     Alabama hasn't come close to losing or even having been pushed in any way so far. You look at the Tide schedule and you wonder when will that happen. After hosting the Rebels this weekend, the Tide then plays three out of the next four games on the road - Missouri, Tennessee, and finally LSU I've seen Missouri and Tennessee. It would take a monumental effort by either to beat the Tide. Then comes Mississippi State.  State is vastly improved and hard as nail. They are physical. That game is no pushover, particularly when LSU is on deck. As a Tide fan I hope that Mettenburger doesn't improve before the showdown in Deaf Valley. My point is this - four games into the season isn't enough to declare the Tide unbeatable. Even though I believe that the Tide can go undefeated they haven't played anyone who put up a fight. Or perhaps they did put up a fight and were simply battered to death by a superior Tide.

 

     As a Tide fan I always want to believe our team just puts on the Crimson jerseys, at which point the other team rolls over like a possum.  As a Tide fan I also have a high anxiety level. I constantly think about a game where we have 6 turnovers, and A.J. McCarron falls apart.  Now, neither of those things are likely to happen but Tide fans worry.  We worry out of habit. High expectations will do that to a fan base. When your teams has had 14 national championships, won more SEC titles than you have digits to count them on, and have had coaches like Wade, Thomas, Bryant, Stallings,  and Saban high expectations are normal. So here I am on September 26th worrying about whether or not we really are the #1 team in the nation. Other than LSU there doesn't appear to be any team that can beat the Tide. If Mettenburger is the reincarnation of Jefferson they may not be as good as we think. As usual the Tiger are open the week before the Alabama and they are in Deaf Valley. It seems that every team has an open week before Alabama doesn't it? That's just one more thing to worry about.

 

 

 

 

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Systematic Bama coasts to 40-7 win

Ho-Hum affair over the Owls...

Miss my football games with little Annie
who crossed the bridge in April 2012
We love you... to be continued in a later life

      Alabama started fast and then turned on the  cruise control button for a 40-7 win over Florida Atlantic.   I know that every non-conference game can't be a Michigan game. It is a tribute to Alabama fans that over 101,000 showed up for a scrimmage. Or maybe it's just great marketing. Nah, people love their Tide and are happy to show it. 

      Eddie Lacy rushed for over 100 yards. A.J. McCarron had a great game. Kenny Bell made us think number 7 was his 0-100 speed. The defense finally gave up a touchdown on a late FAU drive that had two fourth down conversions and Nick Saban up close and person on the playing field. Up until that forth quarter drive I'm not sure that the Owls even had any positive yardage. It's hard to keep up with such things when you are dozing off. I kept thinking how good Ole Miss might be in relation to the Owls.

     It's hard to believe that Alabama was actually fired up for this game. Never mind, there were some good individual performances.Cade Foster nailed another field goal from Northport. Cyrus Jones gave us a sneak peak of his considerable upside. Dee Hart showed why he had five stars comng out of high school. This kid has got to get more playing time. Kenyan Drake is just a super running back. He'll play a key role in the future for the Tide. T.J. Yeldon is smoother than a satin sheet. Alabama's offensive line is simply the big red crush machine.

     It was one of those sunny warm fall days inside the stadium. Alabama fans settled in for a certain victory. A smell of bourban wafted across the field from the student section. Nick Saban look appropriately worried. The pre-game coverage made sure that the head coach and players said all the right things. The coin was flipped. FAU played the role of sacrificial lamb well enough to win an Emmy. Mal Moore delievered a rather large check to the officials from Florida. Alabama fans went back to the quad or exited the stadium and turned left headed to bars on the strip.

    As the game concluded serious Alabama fans weren't sure whether to pull for LSU or Auburn. The general concensus among the Tide faithful is that Zach the Quarterback was pretty oridinary and that Auburn played very hard, but had a beating heart jerked from their orange and blue chest for a very painful loss. Ha-ha. Couldn't happen to a worse bunch. s Auburn better or is LSU overrated? The second most argued topic was whether LSU or Auburn had to most punks on the field. I'll go with LSU on natural talent alone. They tried to physically intimidate the Tigers. It didn't work. In the end the Tigers ran out of defensive gas proving that emotion has short shelf life. But those were topics about mere mortal programs.  All in all it was just another Crimson afternoon in Tuscaloosa. Not a bad place to be.


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Interesting weekend around the SEC

LSU at Auburn feature game...

     I've already posted about this game on yesterday's blog, so this will be short about tonight's game. The only way that Auburn wins this game is something really bizarre happens to the Bayou Bengals.  Kidnapped as an entire team is about the only scenario that comes to mind. I think Auburn will put up a gallant fight. Bravery isn't enough the SEC. LSU and Alabama are on a collision course to determine who is the best team in the SEC and the nation. For Auburn, this weekend is going to show the Plainsmen just how far they have followed in the post Newton era. A shellackng is going to cause of lot of grief for Coach Chizik. If I were Auburn I'd run on every down and keep that clock moving. LSU has a younger secondary but you don't get the feeling that the Blue and Orange can take advantage of the weakness.

Zach Mettengger hits
the road...

     Of course, Auburn has a tradition of bringing earthquake like noise to night games in Jordon-Hare. The Tigers seem to beat LSU when it is least expected. Regardless of history or luck, both may not be enough to knock of the Bayou Bengals. The game itself could be a showcase for two quarterbacks. One is struggling to the point of causing Auburn fans pulling out their hair. The other, is a first year starter who has had pretty solid performances in his first two games. I don't care good you might be, a first road start, on the road, at night, in Lee County isn't going to be easy. Unless the Auburn Tigers can shore up a run defense all Zach Metenbergger will have to do is turn around and hand the ball of to a herd of good running backs.  Is Frazier ready for a better game? There is an old saying - the best indicator of future behavior is past behavior. The web site bleacherreport.com has predicted that Zack the quarterback is going to fall flat on his face. Alabama fans rarely pull for Auburn. Would this be a game where an Auburn win might help the Tide? Regardless, the Tide will probably have to beat LSU to make it to the National Championship game.

Georgia and Vandy could be fun...

     Within the friendly hedges in Athens,  Vandy will try to pull off a major upset of the 5th ranked Georgia Bulldogs. In past years SEC fans would have wondered how bad the score might be. But last year the 'Dores showed they might not beat you but they'd beat you up. I think Georgia is going to win but this will not be a runnaway. Sure, the 'Dawgs are a solid 2 TD favoritie, but the red and black have this tendency to lose a sure win. This is one of those games that might fit the bill. One thing is becoming obvious. Vandy just cannot be overlooked. They have re-ignited a mordibund program and the road to being competitve has been found. The 'Dores still have a hard time finishing a game. You have to take the Bulldogs but this won't be a sleeper as in the past. Georgia looked average in the first half of the Missouri game and then looked like a real contender in the second half. It the first half 'Dawgs show up for two halfs.






 

   Auburn's players sound confident they can beat LSU.  Their head coach is optimistic. At the risk of sounding indelicate please mark this down. LSU is going to beat Auburn like a stray yard dog. Auburn has about the same chance of beating LSU as Billy Gillespie landing new a coaching job this weekend. A couple of nights ago I finally hit the play button on the TIVO  and watched the AU and Louisana-Monroe game. Are you kidding me? A lucky Hail Mary pass and a trick play was needed to beat the Warhawks. Auburn's status as a serious contender in the SEC was exposed by that trick play. SEC teams, real SEC teams, don't have to use trick plays to beat a  SunBelt team. Runnig a trick play against the Warhawks is like forcing a blind man to find the pea in the Carny shell game. That play didn't show creativity to showed absolute fear that gimmicks were needed to win. I believe that this weekend Auburn is going to find out just how bad their program really has become. The orange and blue are going to look in the proverbial mirror and discover the problem is looking back at them.

Excuses, excuses, and then some...


    Yeah, I know. The Tigers are young again. They were young last year, and they'll be young again next year. Auburn is like the aging Hollywood starlet that just quits counting birthdays. There are a bevy of four and five star recruits on the field for Auburn right now. They are not young. They have a lot of juniors and seniors. For whatever reason they have just not been competitive. I'm not the best judge of football talent but when you see those splendid young players running around without direction, the finger can be pointed in only one direction. Pat Dye can say that Gene Chizik is a fine man. I don't doubt that. Dye can saying he'd rather have Chizik than Saban is simply laughable. Look, St. Peter could come down from heaven on high and Alabama fans would still want Saban to coach the Tide. Throw out one season when Auburn played one of the greatest quarterbacks in NCAA history and what's left? Dismal and growing mediocrity is the answer. If Mars Blackmon asked you whether it was the player or the coach I doubt anyone would say it was the coach. I'm not talking about Newton's eligibility. Even Auburn said that there was cheating involved. The NCAA made a landmark decision that will haunt college football forever by allowing Newton to continue to play. I'm not even saying that Newton knew his father was running a modern day slave market. The point is this - if all a player has to do is deny knowledge of the facts and he walks ... well, you can fill in the rest.

 The Difference that separates Alabama and Auburn... 

     Let me tell you the difference between Alabama and Auburn. Alabama was beaten by their arch rival . It hurt. It was a home loss. Most teams would have folded in the bowl game. Not the Crimson Tide. They got off the canvas and went out and demolished a highly ranked Michigan State team 49-7 in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated. Auburn loses a key player and the Abuie world falls apart. They stumbled last season and perhaps that becomes an absolute free fall this season. That is what Auburn fans fear. Alabama goes on to win another national championship. Auburn has to attend group therapy. One program reloads and moves forward. The other program goes back into the pit. Look, I don't know if Alabama is as good as proclaimed. I think that is more likely than Auburn winnng eight or nine games. Based on the Tiger's performance thus far winning four games might be a stretch. I bet Auburn opponents know that the Tigers are like soft serve ice cream - it is cold as ice but so easy to serve up. In all honesty the Plainsman look pretty plain at this point. That's not to say that the Lee County school won't rise up and beat Ole Miss or Arkansas.  Don't count on it, however.

     You have to understand that the fear of Auburn fans, loyal to the core, is not that Alabama will dominate them, but rather that the Tigers will slip into obsurity again. When you've been to the mountain the trip down isn't exactly fun. The problem for the Tigers is the trip down has turned into an over the cliff experience. The team has been through a lot. They lost their offensive and defensive coordinators. They sadly lost friends in a senseless act of violence. Every Alabama fan poured out their support to that situation, just as the Tigers drove up from the Plains and helped tornado victims. That was a classy thing to do for both schools to do, and shows the underlying respect that the players have for one another. Perhaps it is a lesson we all should learn. So things have been tough. Still, talent should cover lot of ground in Jordon-Hare. So far, it hasn't happened.

 A Tale of two seasons...   

      When Auburn beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa the Tide rebounded with the most impressive win in the bowl season and showed Tide fans and the nation that the Crimson would be back. The came back and won the national championship. The Tigers  couldn't cash in on their success. Despite getting a group of great recruits to carry on the winning they fell off the bar stool. The measure of greatness is determined by one game or one season. No, greatness is different from being great for a season. If Alabama is the king of college football, then Auburn is fast on their way to becoming a court jester.  Historically, Auburn is better than that. That is the real worry for Au fans. They fear they may not go back to being a top twenty program again. It is a valid fear. Now with rumors of a couple of five star recruits reconsidering their commitments the fears will grow even more. Is the possible that Foster might think his situation over once again. I don't know. Word on the dirt road down in Auburn is that he might.

    Auburn doesn't like losing. Alabama refuses to consider losing as an option. Even in the Shula and Dubose years the Tide enjoyed several seasons of greatness.If fact, every coach, but coach Whitworth, has helped elevate the Tide program and sustain the schools standing in national eyes. Not even Notre Dame can say that. Auburn continues to find a niche in the college football world. That niche won't be dominating the Tide, and I doubt that it will be winnng the SEC West again. Texas A&M is poised to pass the Tigers in the fertile recruting fields known as Texas.  The sad truth for both Alabama and Auburn fans is that Aubie needs to be in the East. Missouri is a natural fit for the West. That's true if you believe that geography means anything.

  The sky is falling...  

     When Auburn won the national championship the cloud of cheating hovered over the trophy. When Alabama won its last national championship it changed college football history. The NCAA and the media declared that never again would a one loss SEC team would play for that championship. You never heard anyone say that despite the controvesy, that the Tide wasn' the best team in the nation. If you need a second opinion ask Les Miles. Auburn fans fear they are standing on a trap door and the floor will fall away at any instance. I think LSU is four touchdowns better than Auburn. I think Auburn will play hard. it remains to be seen if they can play well. I like LSU 24-6.

 

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IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE FOR HOGS

Alabama destroys Arkansas...

Amari Cooper shows his potential

    
     Alabama won the coin flip. That was as close to competitve the homestanding Hogs would be. After that it got worse for them. A whole lot worse.  By the time the afternoon was over Alabama had posted a merciless 52-0 roasting of the 'Hogs. It was the worst home field loss for Arkansas in well... 93 years. Just for the record that would have been in
1919. I don't know all the particulars of that day but in 2012 the Alabama Crimson Tide took the term eviscerate to a whole new level. Let's be clear - Alabama wasn't running up the score. By the fourth quarter Ben Howell, the Crimson Rudy, was the tailback. He had 6 carries for 18 yards. Alabama's 5th team running back is Keyon Drake. Drake was Bama's leading rusher with 57 yards. Starter Eddie Lacey had 55 yards. T.J. Yeldon, rising freshman star also had 55 yards. A.J.McCarron was 11-16 for 189 yards and a whopping 11.8 yards a completion. Whatever ills suffered by the Alabama offensive last against Western Kentucky seemed solved. You can ask the Arkansas for a second opinion if you like.

Wilson does not play...

Wilson was held out of the game.

    Pehaps the luckiest man in the State of Arkansas was Arkansas Quarterback and first team pre-season All SEC, Tyler Wilson, who didn't play due to effects of a concussion suffered last week.  Wilson has a whip like arm and is one tough rascal. Had he played the score wouldn't have changed. I don't blame the Arkansas staff in holding him out. He might have gotten killed. The two quarterbacks that the 'Hogs played didn't get hurt but they played like the Tide defense lined up in their backfield.  For the day Arkansas had only 79 yards in the air on 11-25 attempts. For good measure the 'razorbacks lost 3 fumbles and had 2 passes picked off. It should have been 3 picks. Alabama's Dee Milner had a brilliant interception and long return overturned on review. I think the review standard had officially gone from clear and convincing evidence to overturn into "we feel sorry for Arkansas". The rout was on.

Not perfect but close...
 

Arkansas may have been overrated
Do you think?

     I've never seen a football team play a perfect game. The Tide came close, and though Coach Saban would disagree, to the average fan it was hard to tell. When you win an SEC road game by 52 points the expectation level of the fans is going to soar.  When watching the team play it's hard not to get a little giddy. The Tide seems on a collision with LSU to play for the West in the SEC Championship game. Bama is # 1 and the Tigers are # 2. Southern California had the annual melt down against Stanford. This time the Cardinal didn't have luck on their side. I hate to say it, but Lane Kiffin losing is pretty sweet. Neither Stanford or USC looked like they could beat the top SEC teams.

     When you take a look at Bama's remaining schedule you understand just how tough playing SEC football really is for any team. The Tide has road games with a decent Missouri team, an improved Tennessee team, and then, of course, the LSU Tigers. You can beat your last dollar that the loser of that game will have a hard time wiggling its way into a national championship game unless a lot of strange things happen. The press and the NCAA have decided that their mission statement for the year is to keep an SEC team from winning the national championship.

Around the league and nation...

I'm really glad we didn't play Hoover

     Auburn picked up an embarrassing win over Louisiana-Monroe but it took a Hail Mary and trick pass to beat the Warhawks. The Tigers did fumble once on the goal line when they could have put the game away. The defense showed more weaknesses than a Charles Atlas before photo.  Grade for the Tiders  C-    

       Western Kentucy looked pretty dog gone good in beating in State patron Kentucky 32-31. Kentucky mounted a great comeback only to have WKU show a little trickery of their own in going for 2 in overtime. Willie Taggart had to be proud. WKU is the best team Alabama has play this season. Grade for Kentucky F, and they get to hear about the loss for a year.

       Vanderbilt beat Presbyterian by a lop sided 58 - 0. Goes to show you that churches have no business playing football. At least it got the Commodores back on a winning track. Grade for the 'Dores - B+

       Tennessee was all dressed up but had no where to go when the Florida Gators stormed back from a 21-13 deficit to a resounding 37-20 comeback win in Knoxville. The Vols continue to find ways to fall apart and the hot seat for Dooley warms up a degree or two.  I'm betting Dooley stays because UT is paying so many salaries to departed coaches they'll  need some help from the Federal reserve to stay afloat.  Florida looked solid. Grade for Gators A, for the Vols D.

     Ole Miss fans really believed that the Rebels or Black Bears or whatever they are called was going to beat Texas. Texas won the game 66-31 and looked like an outside shot for a national title game. Ole Miss gets a C and Texas gets an A to go along with a W.  66-31 showed Ole Miss is a long way away from being a good team, but did it show that Texas has a real defensive weakness? Could be the case.

     New SEC Member hung on for a hard fought 24-20 win over improved Arizona State. I think Missouri will do the SEC proud in a couple of years. Missou gets a B. Meanwhile, the other new kid on the block KO'd SMU 48-3. The Aggies will upset someone this season, mark it down. A&M gets an A.

     Coming off a sky high win over Auburn the Bulldogs of Mississppi State won a hard fought 30-24 win.  The Trojans were ready but just didn't have enough bodies to pull this one out. The Bullies showed some defensive weaknesses they didn't show up against Auburn. MSU C+ but only because they avoided the upset.

     South Carolina beat UAB 49 - 6 but who doesn't beat the Birmingham Southside school?  Carolina let their starting QB rest the second half after he hurt is shoulder or again. USC gets an A for playing well with their top dog on the bench again.

      Finally, Georgia beat Sunbelt foe Florida Atlantic by a score of 56-20 but it was a competitve 28-14 at the half. Give Georgia a B.

SEC Player of Week?  How about the Alabama defense?

Biggest upset of the Week?  Stanford over Southern Cal 21-14.

Something to consider - Is Notre Dame good, or is the Big Ten really, really weakIns?

 

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Alabama gives Michigan a lesson in SEC Football...

Brave effort from Denard Robinson not nearly enough...

     I'm not try to denigrate Michigan. At least they played four quarters of hard nosed football. At least they took it like a man and refused to quit. The Wolverines were primed but not ready to beat the best team in college football on Saturday night.  They won't be ready later in the season or next. As long as Nick Saban prowls the sidelines in Tuscaloosa I'm not sure that anyone will be ready to de-throne Alabama. The only question left to be answered from the game is - what could the score had been if Alabama played a complete game. I'm not taking one thing away from the Tide. The had an excellent first quarter. The Crimson and White jumped out to a (ahem...) 21-0 lead. I was thinking that 4 times 21 is 84. Seriously.

Yeldon explodes

       The Tide extended the lead to 31-0 and then allowed Michigan to score. The Tide shifted the transmission to neutral and coasted in for a 41-14 win. I think that Alabama could have scored well over 50 if they had kept the pedal to metal. They are a young team and youth tends to celebrate a little early. That, and a gallant effort from the diminutive Denard Robinson kept the Big Ten from being the laughing stock of the nation today. Let's put this in some perspective.  Spanning a three game run the Tide had outscored Auburn, Michigan, and LSU 70-0. LSU was ranked number one. Michigan was ranked number 8. Auburn is a much hated arch-rival.  When Auburn scored their final points in last year's Iron Bowl who would have thought that the Tide would run off with 70 unanswered points?  And all this occured in the era of wide open offenses. Alabama made that run with a solid offense and a defense that is a throw back to WWI. When a team plays the Crimson Tide it is like trench warfare. If you closely watched the line play you could see that Michigan was clearly intimidated at times. You can't blame them. The Wolverine players didn't quit like LSU did last season. Give them props for that.

     Eddie Lacy started but his toe injury still seems to be around. So what does Alabama do? They put the human steam roller, Jalston Fowler, at tailback and he just knocked anyone out of his way were they foolish enough to tackle him. A lot of the Michigan defensive backs were left along to tackle Fowler. After his first couple of runs the Wolverine DB's didn't look all that interested in bringing number 45 to the ground. And then the Tide played T.J. Yeldon. The freshman ran for 111 yards on only 10 carries. The Blue and Maize couldn't tackle Fowler and they couldn't find Yeldon to tackle. Can you imagine the Tide running game when Lacy and Hart are 100%. Don't think for one minute that Hart is out of the picture. He's fast and quick, he's versatile, and he fine young man.