TIDE SEEMS RELAXED AND READY FOR SPARTY

    One of very best friends, an M Go Blue Michigan fan, once told me that Michigan State was the Auburn of the State of Michigan. He further explained that MSU isn't even Michigans arch rival. That honor fell to Ohio State University. I remember the last time we played the Spartans. It was like a boxing match where one fighting wasn't allowed to throw a punch. The reason I chose to re-post a photo of that game was to refresh our memories of just how bad it was. When your All-American cornerback is asking the opposing quarterback about his health... well, you get the idea. Kirk Cousins, the primary victim of that game, was one brave quarterback, and it is with genuine sincerity I write that.

     

 The other reason is to remind Tide fans just how focused and prepared Nick Saban, and his staff can have a team ready for a big game. Make no mistake, Michigan State is a big game. I've been able to watch four of their games on television. Any Tide fan who believe Alabama is going for a casual walk in a park is misinformed. That being said, I think the Tide is going to beat the Spartans. If Alabama can slow down Conner Cook, the MSU quarterback, the Tide might make this a fairly one-sided game. The other observation about MSU is their good luck. Three games came down to final plays. The Spartans won those games. They are just as close to being a four loss team as Alabama is being an undefeated team once again. Does the face of the man in the above photo seem ready? I think Nick Saban can get a team ready for Armmageden.

        Even after last season's loss to OSU, I still believe the Big Ten just isn't as good as the SEC. Big Ten fanS will say that is arrogance. I'd say it's just a fact. Can MSU beat Alabama? The only way that can happen is if Alabama plays a five-turnover game. The is unlikely. That doesn't mean I'm offering up any disrespect to the Spartans. They have a lot of good players. Alabama has a lot more good players, including a quarterback named Jake Coker, who has gotten much better as the season rolled along. As a team, the Crimson Tide players have been there, done that, got the tee-shirt and ring before. I think that the Spartan luck is about to run out.  I like Bama by 17.

TIDE WINS DESPITE POOR EFFORT

NORRIS HAS A DOUBLE-DOUBLE    

   Okay, let's be objective about the Jacksonville State game. First, we need to acknowledge that a win is a win. That moved the Tide to 9-3 for the year. Thought two was that we stunk up the joint.   Yesterday, I speculated that the absence of a big game from Obasahan, along with Hale on the bench might be trouble. Retin made a big layup late, but, for the most part, was a spectator. Hale is still sitting for whatever "private medical" reason he suffers. The Alabama team I watched last night could lose it first six SEC games. The need for the "good" Obasahan and Hale is clear for this Bama team.

     I give a tip of the cap to Johnson for getting Taylor more involved in the offense. Jimmie's defense was dominating inside. Justin Coleman was 0 for six but hit all six if his free throw attempts. Alabama attempted 43 free throws and made only 28. Taylor's shoot as the earth rotates method just won't work, and Retin Obasahan has started that line drive move again. Jacksonville shot only eight free throws. Guess how Jacksonville State feels about that rob job.  

    Riley Norris had a double-double game. He had 10 points and 11 boards. Norris keeps up his steady play. Arthur Edwards, who has been the surprise of this team, has 16 points another couple of treys.  Bama caused 18 turnovers but committed 13. That's far too many when playing a team at the level of Jacksonville State. The Tide wins, but it was a poor effort. 

TIDE LOSES OUT ON GRADUATE QUARTERBACK

       COLOR ME CONFUSED  why Alabama would want a fifth-year grad quarterback?  If this kid is so good why isn't the NFL all over his number? Is Saban saying he thinks he doesn't have a decent quarterback on his current roster? That might be the scariest scenario of all. I'm not saying that being an A rated player in a D rated conference doesn't mean you can't play. It seems that recruiting this graduate QB has more downside than upside, except for one thing - Coach Saban wanted to sign him. I'd love for him to tell us why. Knowing our coach, he must have a good reason. It is possible to count on one hand the number of questionable coaching decisions this man has made. Still, I'd like to know exactly why we would want him.
 
     
       Perhaps someone out there in the Tide Nation could explain that to me. In basketball, I understand. You might need a three point shooter. You could use a good backup post man. One thing you'd rarely see is a point guard come in to run the G team on the floor. If you do, it means you don't have a choice. So, I ve no idea why we'd need a fifth year senior. Perhaps we think he can take the Tide to the promised land. But how much effort does it take to throw play action passes and hand he ball off to bulldozers. 

       Except for kickoffs and hail Mary kicking situations, can you see Nick Saban let someone kick a 65-yard field goal in the SEC. I think he's had enough of that nonsense. I also wonder if Griff's strong finish caught his attention

Henry wins the Heisman and a whole lot...

         

   In the long run, it was a near runaway. To use a football analogy, Henry, broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage, and raced for a touchdown.  At first, he was merely second fiddle to Leonard Fournette, the gifted LSU running back. In a big time SEC game, it was Henry who looked like the real deal while Fournette looked at the fresh green grass while lying on the field of play. From that moment on, Henry broke into the lead while the rest of the Heisman field tried to catch him. Just like his football runs for long distance touchdowns, there were others who attempted to stay even with him, but those long strides of his were just too much.

All smiles in the Tide nation for Derrick

            ESPN showed the country stirring films of why the three candidates, and why each could win. Each was worthy. All were qualified to win. ESPN showed us why they should be selected. There can only be a moment of truth on such a night. There can be only one winner. The name Henry was called out, and the echos of Staubach, Ingram, Blanchard, Griffin,  and all previous winners were whispered as well. Henry walked onto the stage, found the podium, and then showed the world why he won the Heisman trophy. The young man who broke all of Herschel Walker's records, now greatest running back in SEC history was introduced as the winner of the Heisman trophy.  But that was just the beginning of the night...

             I have to admit a tear of admiration for the young man from the Yulee, Florida. His speech was not eloquent like some we might hear, but it was full of thanks to all who helped him on his journey to NYC. The humble nature of the new Heisman winner was apparent. His love for his parents, his coaches, his school, and his teammates was the centerpiece of his acceptance speech. It was so compelling I’d bet it made a lot of Tide fans feel like they had helped him on his journey. Here was a young man who understood that it was God who gave him the physical gifts he shows off the football field. Here was a young man who thank his parents and his grandmother, in particular, who gave him priorities to set his sail straight. This young man thanked his coaches who gave him to the possibility to showcase his talent. You could see a smile on their faces. In Derrick Henry we saw a geniune human being. 

             I think that winning the Heisman was fitting. It is a wonderful recognition of his football skills. It sounded to me that Derrick Henry showed all of us that he had already won a much bigger trophy. Here is a young man who knows who he is and how he got to where he is today. Thank you, Derrick, for a lot of reasons, and that old statute is only small part of what I feel about you this morning. 

HEISMAN TROPHY ANNOUNCED TONIGHT IN NYC

HENRY BELIEVED TO BE FRONTRUNNER

      

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  Mr. Derrick Henry just won the Walter Camp Award for the best football player in the NCAA. The word deserved is not enough to describe his qualifications. How about head and shoulders above anyone else in this year’s award ceremony. He was also named the Maxwell Award winner for the outstanding player of the year. He pulled the hat trick by also winning the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s top college running back. 

         Alabama’s Ryan Kelly won the highly prestigious Remington Award for the best center in the country. Kelly has been acknowledged as the best center in the nation for the last three seasons. He has the ability to assign correct blocking assignments to help spring Tide backs. 

          Not to be outdone, Reggie Ragland, was named the SEC Most Valuable Defensive Player. Henry won the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. There is no better linebacker in the nation. He is a cinch first-round draft pick and is a holy terror on the defensive line.  If the massive lineman doesn't make a tackle, you can be assured that Ragland will be around to mop up what’s left. He and Rueben Foster have been the best linebacking duo in the best tandem ever to play together. Next season all the awards will come to Foster, in my opinion, and in the country and some would say. 

MEDIA IS TRYING TO ALTER THE HEISMAN RACE...

 

DERRICK HENRY DESERVES THE HEISMAN AND HERE'S WHY...

   

   

This is the order I'd vote 1,2,3

  It’s a rare day that I find myself made at anything. It is clear that the ESPN and the SEC Network are doing their best to ensure that Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey, and I’m as mad as hell. I’ve always tried to take Paul Finebaum with a grain of salt. His comment that he was going to go back and watch McCafrrey’s last game before he cast his Heisman vote really upset me. The last game? How about being fair and watch all his previous games? That way you might get a fair balanced view of how the talent battle between Christian vs. Derrick might fall.  I like Christian McCaffrey a lot. He is fun to watch and is versatile. I don’t want any of our reader’s to think this is an anti-McCaffrey article. I doubt Finebaum is interested in fair. I also don't think he'll vote the PAC 12 candidate first.

        I’m seriously suggesting that all Tide fans quit watching his “Sports” show. Well, maybe that is a little over the top, but honestly his television/call in shows sometimes digresses into a montage of which caller is the biggest idiot of the that daty. Think of everything the State of Alabama has done to help Finebaum become a celebrity and now he wants to turn his back on those who helped his career. To compare Christian to Derrick is like a dog compared to T-Rex. Both can run, but only one will eat you alive.

        Actually, I find the return to college football of a McCaffery type player good for the game. He’s fun to watch. The little halfback is like a jitterbug on a windy day. Derrick Henry is like an Abrams tank on the battlefield. He rushed for 189 yards against a national top five defense. On McCaffery’s big day he had a ton of all-purpose yards against a team which was ranked

      Henry moved the ball to an SEC record in yards and did so against 5 teams in the top 25. McCaffrey got his yards in a conference that had exactly no teams in the top 50 NCAA. The only team in the top 50 he played against was Notre Dame, who checks in at #38. Henry got his hard-earned yards against 8 teams in the top 50. By the way, the Southern California Trojans ranked 70^th in the NCAA in total defense at the time of the PAC 12 Championship game. Florida was 5^th in the nation when the met the Tide in the SEC Championship game.   Watson, from Clemson, is a fine quarterback. When I see a player of his skill level, I always wonder what would Alabama teams of the future be with such a talent. No knock on Jake Coker.  I could go on and recite verse and stanza of who Clemson played, and how good the defenses the Clemson Quarterback faced. 

     The ACC, to bottom is mediocre at best. On a grade scale I've give them a C+. Clemson would lose at least a couple of games in the SEC if they were a member. They might be the second best team in the SEC East. I'll grant the SEC haters the fact that the SEC East isn't very good. The ACC Championship game proved just how bad ACC defenses really are this season. If I gave the Cardinal a grade I've give them a B. They lost two games. Clemson didn't lose a game but who did they beat? What would I give the Crimson Tide. I've give them an A-. The offense is getting better because Henry is now carrying the load. I've give the Tide defense an A+. The Tide lost one game when Coker didn't start and the Ole Miss got two fluke TD's.  Not voting for Derrick Henry is like committing a theft. It really has nothing to do with Henry. It's all about media bias toward Alabama specifically and the SEC in general.  I'd cast a vote as Henry, McCaffrey, and Watson. If Henry was allowed to catch more passes he might have beaten McCaffrey and his numbers. But his role is to be a steamroller. Plus, I think Paul Finebaum is talking to increase his personal  ratings. They all talk for ratings. Paul Finebaum, a man I personal like, is the Donald Trump of the football media. If that offends Donald Trump, I apologize to the Donald. 



RollTide.com reported Henry's accomplishments as follows:

Henry, who on Monday was announced as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, has rushed for a school and SEC-record 1,986 yards and 23 touchdowns on 339 carries, while leading the Crimson Tide to the 2015 SEC Championship and the second seed in the College Football Playoff. He leads the nation in rushing yards and touchdowns and is second in yards per game (152.8). Henry has recorded four 200-plus yard performances this season, becoming just the third running back in conference history to do so. He has also scored a rushing touchdown in 18-straight games, which stands as the longest active streak in the conference and the most by an SEC player in the last 25 seasons.

  
Henry also broke the great Herscel Walker's SEC Rusing Record



     

 

IS ESPN TYING TO SWAY HEISMAN VOTERS AWAY FROM HENRY?

     

Let's hope the media doesn't steal his Heisman

      Is it just me, or does it appear some type of concerted effort by the ESPN media to deny Derrick Henry a Heisman Trophy exists? It sure sounded like it when watching all the bowl selection shows this morning? I’m not trying to take anything away from any of the candidates. Each has unique qualifications. You must put each performance in context. Derrick Henry is the only candidate to have broken the records of the best running back in NCAA history. Who makes the most out of their opportunities when touching the ball. That’s the basis of the Heisman Award. A quarterback is going to win that battle every year. Quarterbacks always have the most touches. They can run with the ball, they can hand it off, and throw it downfield. That gives the candidate from Clemson a lot of opportunities to accumulate statistics. Deshaun Watson is the perfect example. Sorry if I’m not impressed with the ACC. They are an accumulation of ragtag football teams and great basketball schools, and every so often they have a good football team.  Those teams don't exactly have to fight the big boys to a league championship do they? If Clemson had to play an SEC schedule you are looking at a 2 or 3 loss team.

        The same can be said for Stanford’s Billy McCafferty. He is a great player. He has same type advantages as a quarterback. He is going to get the ball on passes, runs, and kicks. That may be what makes a great all-around player. It might even be what it takes to win the Heisman. I’m sorry if I’m not impressed with the PAC 12. They are a bunch of second rate teams in big media outlets. He also plays on the one team in that plays football much like the SEC. Stanford is a lot like a wolf in a field of lambs. If anyone deserves to win instead of Henry it has to be McCafferty.

      That brings me to Derrick Henry.  If the first two candidates are all dash and flash, then what is Henry? How about a Mack Truck in a demolition derby? Henry has to run against the toughest defenses in the nation week after week. To break Herschel Walker’s long-standing record for rushing yardage. No slap in the face of Bama’s offensive line, but they don't exactly dominate defensive fronts. They have their moments, but Henry ran for 189 yards against one of the toughest defenses in the NCAA. He had almost 2000 yards for the season. He didn't play most of the game against Charleston Southern. He literally could have had 300 yards or more against that team. Henry was the heart and soul of his team. The Tide offense was run oriented, and not that AU gimmick type  running. The Crimson lined up and looked you in the eye and said "here we come, you better be ready." Even when the opposition was ready, it made no difference. Ask Florida. If Derrick Henry doesn't win the Heisman it will be the greatest travesty of the season.


       This morning it was crystal clear that ESPN was talking up Watson and McCafferty. they were talking Henry down a notch. Maybe the network has become Fox or MSNBC News.

HOPEFUL FLORIDA FACES RELENTLESS TIDE IN SEC SHOWDOWN... 

     

CRIMSON TIDE WILL BE READY ON SATURDAY

    It’s been a rather quiet lead-up to the SEC Championship game. There have been some coaching changes, some coaches who kept their jobs, and the never ending question of where all those assistant coaches are going. Florida and Alabama meet in the SEC Championship game for the eighth time. The Gators lead the Tide four to three. I expect Bama to even things up. I haven’t seen a single sportswriter pick Florida to win. If one of the writers did, I sure missed it. Saturday is going to be a monster defensive match-up if you believe the so-called experts. These are the two schools who initiated the two division conference championship excitement or non-sense whichever you believe.

          All this started back in 1992 at old Legion Field in Birmingham.  That game set off a chain reaction that changed college football.  Alabama’s Antonio Langham intercepted a Florida pass and ran it back for a TD. That play allowed Alabama to play Miami, the most hated team in college football and beat the Hurricanes for a national championship.  It hasn’t changed that much since that first game. It might be Tim Tebow or Blake Sims who became the hero, but the theme was the same. Two football giants, packed with NFL talent, laying it all on the line for 60 minutes is the norm for this game.  Interestingly enough, the fourteen team SEC has only had six teams who have won the SEC under the new format. Alabama, Auburn, and LSU from the West, and Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia of the East have won the trophy.  Those schools have been the powerhouse schools in the SEC for quite some time. Alabama has been the pre-eminent power of the SEC and perhaps the nation for 75 years.

        Florida isn’t exactly a Johnny-come-lately, but it has only been in the last twenty years the Gators have added their chomp to the SEC.  Florida was expected to have a mediocre season, but when the season was over their record stood at 10-2. Don’t think for a second that Jim McElwain’s players believe they can’t win the game.  Still, the Gators don’t have the downside that Alabama carries. If the Tide loses, the season will be deemed a failure. If Mark Richt doesn’t think it’s all about rings, he couldn’t coach at Alabama. Since Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer, It has been roughly the same at Florida.  If you are an Alabama fan, it’s always the same. The fear of losing sometimes exceeds the joy of winning. When winning is defined as perfection, you are going to beat yourself up often.  Tomorrow is a huge day for the two schools and the entire SEC.

        I think that two there will be two opposite approaches on Saturday. Florida is likely to be full of excitement and hope. Alabama will reflect the personality of their coach. The Tide will be relentless. I think relentless will be hopeful by 17.

       

                   

SEC OPINIONS - COMPLICATIONS ABOUND BEFORE THE GAME...

TIDE STAFF HAS PLENTY OF DISTRACTIONS AS THEY PREPARE FOR SEC CHAMPIONSHIP, OR DO THEY?

   

    I've known Paul Finebaum from the many years.  It was a privilege to do talk radio about Alabama basketball. Some of those appearances were on Paul's show when he was in Birmingham, Alabama. Paul was highly controversial in Birmingham. We played a couple of rounds of golf. Once I even set up an outing with my friend Herb Winches. That attempt to mend some fences between the two was a disaster. That's another story. I have to admit Paul gets under my skin. He is the classic example of what has happened to sports reporters in our country. The reporters want to be the news and not just report the news. I'm well aware that Finebaum is more of a celebrity than a journalist now. There apparently is a low bar for being a celebrity.

        Yesterday he crossed a line in my opinion. First, he said that Nick Saban was personally responsible for other SEC coaches losing their jobs. Next, Finebaum suggested that Sabana might find something else to do if he won another national championship. Mark Richt got fired because Georgia continued to lose games their team should have won on an influenza basis. You know, at least once a year one of those games came around and made Georgia fans sick. That was hardly Saban's fault. Les Miles supposedly was on the hot seat because he couldn't beat Saban. I suggest a different reason. Miles refused to understand the need to develop a top quarterback if you want to run the ball effectively. Alabama has a balanced attack. Even the great Leonard Fournette couldn't run against Alabama when the Tide didn't have to worry about a pass. I think that those are the most valid reasons for a couple of coaches getting the boot or catching heat. But that doesn't bring viewers. Paul, it isn't about you. It's about the sports. Just because Finebaum says it doesn't make it true. He made some interesting speculations, but that is all his remarks were. 

       Colleges are not going to go out and find another Nick Saban. The Alabama coach is a lot like another Alabama coach named Bryant. They come along every so often and are not low hanging fruit. If you want Nick Saban, then outbid the Tide for his services. If sportswriters think that a 60-year-old head coach is going to rebuild another weak team, I find that hard to believe. He is at the pinnacle of success in his profession. It is what he has done at Alabama that defines him in coaching history. In my opinion, that is the end of the story.

       Alabama is likely going to beat Florida on Saturday, and then the could win yet another national championship. Let me add that Nick Saban hired Kirby Smart. Smart may well take some of his buddies with him to Georgia. If Saban found quality coaches before he will find them again. He might lose a recruit or two when Smart leaves. He will recruit two more who are dying to play for Bama and Nick Saban. We love Kirby Smart, but players are not coming to Alabama because of Kirby Smart. They come to play for the University of Alabama and Coach Saban. Finebaum has made a career stirring the pot, fanning the flames, throwing red meat to the crowd. He isn't Nick Saban, and he isn't the University of Alabama. Long after Finebaum is gone the name Saban and Alabama will endure. The name Finebaum isn't likely to even be remembered. Even Paul will admit that.  I will now step off my soap box.

         

       

TIDE FANS SEEMED RELAXED FOR THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME...

      There doesn't appear to be a lot of excitement for the SEC Championship game. The Tide is up to a 17 point favorite, and after the Iron Bowl I guess its hard to reach the same emotional peak. Maybe it's just the lack of trepidation about the opponent. Here's a word of advice someone in college coaching game said on ESPN - you can't overlook the Gators because of their defense. That's a point well taken. For all the problems the Gators had reaching an improbable 10-2 season, the defense wasn't on the list. Florida has a superb defense. The Tide is second in the nation in total defense and Florida if fifth. The Tide has intercepted 15 passes and the Gators 14. The Tide leads the SEC in sacks with 41 closely followed by Florida with 14. Alabama is giving up only 264 yards per game. Florida checks in at 283. 


WHO HAS THE EDGE?

        So given those numbers is there any statistical margin for either

team? It doesn't seem like there is. Alabama will play three teams in the top ten defensively after playing Florida. Same for the Gators. All indications lead to a low scoring affair. The Tide loves low-scoring games. They live by those games.  So does Florida. So why the 17 point spread. It's the belief that Jack Coker and company can outscore Tyrone Harris and his bunch. There're plenty of reasons to believe that is true. Coker has turned into a good quarterback. I'm not sure you can say same for Tyrone Harris. When Will Grier was suspended, McElwain had to design an offense to accommodate Harris.  In the last two games of the season the Gators beat Florida Atlantic in overtime, lost to FSU 27-2.  Florida State is a good team with a decent offense. They are not great; however. The question is whether Alabama's offense behind Derrick Henry and Jake Coker can outscore the Gators. I'd give my seal of approval that they should. That doesn't mean they will. Upsets occur every weekend. Florida was good enough to win the SEC East. The last time the SEC East won the SEC Championship game was in 2008 when the Gators took home the trophy. That means the are first graders in school who weren't alive when the East last won. That's not a short period.

DERRICK HENRY IS A REMARKABLE RUN...

   What else can we say about Derrick Henry that hasn't been said? How about, we sure are glad he plays for Alabama? The talk has started about Henry being the best player in Alabama football history. I certainly couldn't make that judgement, but it's fair to say he's up there near the top of the list. Henry is going to take his talent to the NFL next season, but what kind of numbers could he accumulate if he stayed another season? They would be a number that might never be broken. Never broken until colleges start to play 18-20 games. That will happen in the future. If Bama wins, Henry will have at least one, and possibly two more games.  That might be another six hundred yards. One thing is sure. Derrick Henry is the most punishing running back I've seen since Jim Brown. He can dominate a defense when the blocking is clicking.