College Football Playoff Committee missed the mark...

    Tip of the hat to many Alabama football fans who said that Oklahoma and Notre Dame didn't belong.  Tide fans maintained that neither Notre Dame or Oklahoma belonged in the four-team playoff.  No doubt, Notre Dame surely didn't. I always thought Oklahoma was marginal at best. Notre Dame played a cush schedule that hid an obvious fact. The Irish were not ready for prime time. I also believe had Alabama wanted to score 75 points they could have. In the blink of an eye, the Tide had a three-touchdown lead, and then it was four. I'll give kudos to Kyler Murry. He was as advertised. Without the gifted signal caller, I doubt Oklahoma would have won five games. The Committee missed this year's selections big time. Clearly, Alabama and Clemson are the two best teams. I would have included Georgia and Ohio State if I had a vote. 

      Oklahoma played in a little league conference. They got a mulligan to beat Texas in the Big 12 Championship game. No disrespect to the little league ball players everywhere. But when the committee selected a one-dimensional team it was going to have a bad ending. By picking Notre Dame the Committee showed that selecting the four best teams wasn't their goal. They picked three conference champions and one independent. It is time to penalize the Irish for their lack of confidence to man up and play in a real league. 

       The fact that Clemson and Alabama will once again play in the National Championship game is due to the fact that southern football is superior to any league or independents. I think UCF may have been better than Notre Dame. Alabama fans can be thankful that the weekly games in the SEC prepare teams for a playoff system. Bama fatigue is apparent, but the Committee got it right in the past with selecting the bully boy of the SEC. Alabama was the fourth team one season and still won the national title. 

A Short Christmas Story
 

  Twenty years or so ago a young man telephoned me about starting a new website. He asked me how I gained the trust of coaches, and got my recruiting information for basketball. It was easy for me to get the information. I was friends with Wimp and his staff. They would generally share information with me. I followed their rules. If something was to be kept secret for a while that's what I did. On occasion, I found out a day or so in advance of a commitment to let you guys know.

        Following basketball recruiting was pretty simple. There was not a lot of writers who followed recruiting in hoops. We all knew each other and would share what information we could. I have never charged a penny to anyone about what I knew about recruiting. It was just fun.  (I am going to start those darn Adsense ads pretty soon.) I got to know all the coaches in the SEC, and others from all over the country. If they needed a shooter, I'd tell them where to find them. I never asked for anything in return. Some offered me a little money. I'd tell them to put that in the collection plate on Sunday. Boy, have times changed. Today, the marketing of recruiting has become a monster. But how you get the information hasn't changed. I did a lot of driving to high schools games. I got a lot of phone numbers from coaches. 

       AAU summer basketball was a place to go and meet old friends, coaches, and kids. You could see the talent first hand and you could compare. I need to revisit those days and share a few stories. But the young man who contacted me wanted to do this for football. I had my reservations. There are so many players on so many teams, and there were few venues to see them at one time. How would this work? He was also going to keep his day job. 

      One thing that this young man never knew about his call - I went to each assistant coach and the head coach at the University and told them what he wanted to do. It would keep football on the front page all year. There were benefits for the program. Not all were happy with the idea of this young man, but he was dedicated and wanted to PROMOTE Alabama football. It took a few a few days to make the rounds with the coaches and the AD. That call was from a man named Rodney Orr. We have a shared history that no one even knows about. I'm not sure how much Rodney knows about what happened after we talked. I do know that TiderInsider is the gold standard. 

     He doesn't rate players. That is fiction so inexact that you can't always be correct. Rodney tells his readers what he believes and why he believes it. Tider Insider isn't full of glittery graphics. It is meat and potatoes. It is the most honest publication on the market. 

     Merry Christmas to all my TiderInsider friends and even to my antagonists. May the sprite of the Holiday warm your heart, and make you a happier person. Let's stop the gossip, the negativity and be the best human we can be. Anyone can be hateful. Let's find our better angels this year. And Roll Tide, of course.

Trey Sanders is a load and Bama may lose him...

      We all know Trey Sanders. We've all kept up with him and his recruiting saga. Last night, I decided to call my college basketball guys in Austin, Texas and get the lowdown on Sanders, Texas style.  Speculation is that Sanders eliminated Alabama from his wish list. Everyone now believes he is going to Georgia.  He may well do that. Sanders was a longtime pledge to play for Alabama. After he opened his recruitment, most thought he was solid for Alabama.

      There was also a concerted effort to persuade Sanders to become a Longhorn. Sanders took a couple of on-campus visits. Recruiting experts waivered. Fans held their breath, and are still holding. My question to my buddy was simple, "Is Sanders coming to Texas"? The answer was no. I then asked if he had any insight into his college choice. The answer was "I think he's going to Alabama."
That's what Texas thinks. They can be right, but they could be wrong.

      So if it's Georgia, why?  I honestly don't know. De'Andre Swift is a sophomore. Elijah Holyfield is a junior. It's unlikely he can beat out either of those guys. Saban frequently plays four or five backs. Georgia doesn't. So, if playing time is an issue it appears things are pretty even. Perhaps you might think that since Josh is a senior that eliminates some of the competition. Jerome Ford and Brian Robinson aren't chopped liver. Both teams send a lot of RB's to the NFL.


Saying 'I think' is different is even 'I heard him say. The only thing I learned is that someone actually said they think it Bama. Take that for what it is worth.

'Bama bias keeps Saban from winning Coach of Year Award...

    Some things never change. The extreme bias against Alabama continues unabated. In the days when Alabama started to dominate the Rose Bowl, the nation called Alabama "swamp rabbits". In 1966, Ara Parshegian went for the tie with his Notre Dame team, and the Irish won the national championship over an undefeated Tide team. Michigan State was the team that tied Alabama and they were second. Alabama was third and won their Sugar Bowl game 34-7 over Nebraska. Where did Michigan State play in a bowl that season? Nowhere, because the Big Ten had a 'no-repeat' provision. MSU had gone to the Rose Bowl the prior season. The 'tie-one for the Gipper' didn't go to a Bowl game. It was the choice of Notre Dame not to do so.  

      So the question that needs to be asked is how does a Coach win a national championship last season, and is undefeated in the current season not get the nod?  If Alabama wins the season's national championship it means that Nick Saban got the shaft to years in a row. I am not trying to take anything away from the legacy of Notre Dame. It is storied. In fact, Alabama and Notre Dame have some things in common that make each program special. I don't hate Notre Dame. The media is dying to put down Alabama any way they can. 

    We have to take into consideration that Notre Dame beat the likes of such lightweights as mighty Ball State, Vandy, Wake Forest, a sub-par Stanford, and a basement bargain Virginia Tech, Pitt, Navy, and Northwestern. They beat the worst FSU team in the history of the program and polished off the easiest schedule of the four teams in the CFP. They beat an improved Syracuse team whose starting QB did not play. Credit them for beating a Michigan team in game one of the season. In fact, the Irish sucked off that win the entire season to prove their ranking. Of course, Ohio State beat Michigan by a lopsided and laughable score. So much for the best defense in the nation.

    My best opinion is that the Irish, whose SOS is 23rd, gave them an undefeated season. Alabama had an SOS of 2. But once again, the not so Fighting  Irish won the award for their coach. Does the NCAA hate Alabama? No, of course not. Twice the NCAA took an Alabama team that could have on the outside looking in for a national championship, and both times Alabama rewarded their confidence with a national championship. Even Oklahoma, who plays in a sorry conference had a tougher schedule. (16)   Clemson (14) is going to beat Notre Dame like a stray dog that has pushed over the garbage. 

    As long as a playoff exists the media cannot keep the Tide from winning a national championship. First, the bias goes against Tua. Now it goes against Saban. Get used to it. The bias will continue. So will the national championships. LOL
     

Thibodeaux picks Oregon over Tide 

 

   First and foremost I hope our fans accept and congratulate this young man in his college future. After talking to my coaching friends in Oregon I'm told it was a complicated decision for Thibodeaux. He had a lot to weigh in his mind. 

    Mama won out. That is all it was. His mother wanted him to attend Oregon. Her family is moving to Eugene. You can make of that whatever you will, but don't assume the family has been paid with a job in the local area. Tua's family moved to Alabama just to be near their son. Now they have a second son to consider. 

  Losing Thibodeaux is more a blow to the pride of all of us. The coaches will find another player who could easily end up to be as good as Thibodeaux. If we have all learned anything, is that star-ratings are nothing more than window dressing more often than we remember. 

How about DeMeco Ryans? He was a three. So was Tyrone Prothro, whose injury kept him from setting all kinds of records. Don't forget D.J. Hall. John Parker Wilson and Javier Arenas were threes. The along came Chance Womack. Johnny Manziel was a three one year and so was Marcus Mariota who won the Heisman. So did Sam Bradford. Don't tell me that Baker Mayfield and Eddie Jackson weren't great players. And if memory serves, so was a placekicker named J.K. Scott. I am sure I've left out some others. 

     Alabama will survive. Alabama will win more national championships. Three things are always certain for us - death, taxes, and the Alabama Crimson Tide. 

p.s. (we have a few more fives coming soon at a website near you)

Tide hopes to reel these two players in on Wednesday



          Signing day looms. Alabama has focused their considerable recruiting skills on two of the nations top prospects. Both are five-star recruits. Each offers unique and talented skills that the Tide needs to continue the goal of winning national championships. These are the exact type of recruits that will keep the Tide at the top of the food-chain.  

Trey Sanders, running back from Port St. Joe, Florida. He plays at IMG Academy in Bradenton. He is the top-ranked running back in the class of 2019. Trey has been a long-time Alabama commitment; however, there is growing concern he is flipping to Georgia. That would hurt losing Sanders. Animosity between 'Bama and Georgia builds Alabama fans will scream foul if he signs with Dawgs. A recent tweet by Sanders indicated his interest in Georgia. Alabama has the nation's best recruiting class according to many sites. Sanders would inflate the Tide's lead. Has Alabama's wide open passing game hurt the Tide's chances to get this top-flight back? That is what some believe. It could be easily argued that the Tide offense gives Sanders more frequent opportunities to break a long run and to showcase his receiving skills. 

 My pick:  To close to call, although I am not sold that Georgia is now in the lead. If push came to serve, I'd pick Georgia today. 

Nakobe Dean - If you could build a perfect linebacker it would Dean. The Horn High School and Mississippi standout is the top five-star linebacker in America. He has been very closed-mouthed about his intentions. Most think this is going to be a Georgia and Alabama dual. We are going to see more and more of this dance to the death for top recruits in the Deep South. Dean has all the prerequisites needed in a top 10 national prospect. He is big, fast and hits like a dump truck.

LSU and Ole Miss hold out some hope in getting Dean signed on Wednesday. I think they really have no chance. Oddly, Mississippi State has no traction here. When you are six feet tall and weigh 225 lbs you draw a lot of attention. Add that to a football mean streak and you are a winner. Distance to Tuscaloosa from Horn Lake, Mississippi?  223 miles. Distance to Athens, Georgia? 453 miles. One is a three-hour drive, the other is eight hours.  I'm betting Mama opts for the short drive.

My Pick: Alabama in a close one.





    

Nation's top player lets us know tomorrow  

  There is an almost fevered pitch as the weekend arrives. The top player in the nation, Kayvon Thibodeaux, is going to announce his intentions tomorrow. I talked with three coaches in the Los Angeles area who were familiar with Kayvon. Two of the three said it was likely he was 'Bama bound. The third told me that Oregon had made up a lot of ground. Mario Christobol was camping out near Thibodeaux and made Kayvon the top priority for this recruiting season. Christobol was familiar with the young man through his days at Alabama before becoming the Ducks head coach. 

            That being said, we contacted my basketball source in Eugene. He said that Oregon coaches believe he will commit to Oregon. Distance from Los Angeles is a factor. Everyone likes to play near their hometown and family. The other factor, in my opinion, is that the young man is enamored with being "the man" in Oregon's recruiting. Who would blame him for enjoying the attention? At Alabama, he would be the best recruit the Tide would sign, but hardly the impact he might receive in Oregon. 

             Kids don't always use critical thinking.  If Thibodeaux and his family want what is best for the future, the NFL future, the choice is obvious. Nick Saban is a pipeline for players to make millions of dollars in the NFL draft, and then in their careers. That is a 100% guarantee in the world of career acceleration.

           What do I think? This is probably a head or heart decision for the nation's top player. I'd give a slight nod to 'Bama.  It would not surprise me in the least if he chose Oregon.  

Looking for a consensus from recruiting sites... or how do I feel better about recruiting

Ellis 

 Alabama fans are fixated with recruiting. There are numerous sites for fans to scoop what is the latest about players that are considering the Tide as their next stop. What happens if you take information from each of the gurus and throw out the outliers to find what is most likely correct? I did this and here is what I think is true. This doesn't mean it is a lock that all are going to Alabama. Sometimes even the most trusted sites miss one. That is the nature of trying to "guess" what a 17 or 18 year intends to do.

1.  Webb was never listed as a sure thing, although most thought that he was a Bama lean. Outcome - Georgia

2.  Kayvon Thibodeaux - This five-star recruit is listed by many sites as the top prospect in America. What is the consensus? Basically, he is expected to go to Alabama but...  It is the 'but' you have to pay attention to in this case.   Oregon is really pushing to get his signature. I pick Oregon and hope to be wrong.

3. Trey Sanders - another five-star. He has been referred to as a strong 'Bama lean. I'm not so sure. It's Bama and UGA in my opinion and my sources in the high school ranks say he is 'Bama's to lose. I think that if Jacobs or Harris went to NFL he'd be a Tider. His brother Ulmstead, a Juco grad, got an invite to Florida as a loss-leader to get Trey. 

4. I think that the loss of Webb has put Evan Neal, a five-star, front and center. Everyone says it is Bama and Miami. Why anyone would end up at Miami is above me. High school coaches tell me it is dead even. I believe most believe it is 
Alabama

   Tomorrow, I will make some calls regarding other recruits. This my first forte into football prognostications. This is easy compared to hoops. Recruiting in hoops is a dirty businesss. Hope this helps.

Roll Tide



         

Tua wins College Football Player of the Year by Sporting News...

     Full disclosure front and center right from the start. I love The Sporting News.  It started in 1886 in St. Louis, hard by the Mississippi and gateway to the West. My grandfather's favorite baseball team was the St. Louis Browns. So why am I waxing poetically about TSN? Here's why. Unlike the Downtown Athletic Club giving out ballots like drunken fools like Mardi Gras gives out beads, the TSNews takes its selections seriously. They are serious people who take their jobs seriously. There are now self-aggrandizing writers like the idiot who voted for a defensive lineman just to write an article about his "purity" of the vote.  TSNews pick Tua Tugovaila as College Football's Player of the Year. It was a just and deserving pick and here are some of the reasons why:

1. Tua had to play against the top defenses in the nation as a whole. The SEC is still the nation's premier league. Sorry, if that offends some of my Midwestern readers. It is just the truth and every other college football league knows it.
2.  The Big 12 is kinda like playing flag football. The defenses are an afterthought. I have no idea how that happened, but over the past few years, the league morphed into a fraternity flag type of a contest. For the older readers, they will tell you we played "two-hand touch." It frequently meant play tackle football without a helmet. This flag football stuff is for sissies. The only thing missing in the Big 12 is a keg on the sideline. Nothing like a good kegger to finish off a football weekend.  
3. The argument that some make about Oklahoma having to score each possession just to keep even or win is so funny it makes my sides hurt. I understand the defensive coordinators in the Big Twelve are given a suicide mission. All the great players seem to gravitate to the offense. But some of the best defenders in the Big 12 can catch a flag with one hand. 
4. If Tua had the luxury of playing in the fourth quarter his statistic would be unworldly. Add another quarter to his stats. He would have 46 TD passes. Yards passing would a red-hot 4200 yards. You get the idea, don't you? Here is one fun fact. Tua was only in on 54% of his team's offensive possessions  
5. Had Coach Saban allowed Tua to play in the fourth quarter no one would even be in a discussion about the best player in America.

      I think Tua deserved this award. He also deserved the Heisman. I wonder what the AD's office shared regarding information-wise on Stats. Look for Tua, if he is well, to crank up some Big 12 numbers later this month. If double T is healthy, the game with the Heisman Trophy winner is toast. I talked with two players who are on the defense. "You guys gonna help Tua in the Orange Bowl?" Yes Sir, we gonna let them know who is the big dog. I rest my case.

     

WEBB CHOOSES GEORGIA...

Tide fans should have seen this one coming

 A lot of things could have told Alabama fans that Webb was going to Georgia. For one, he clearly liked the Dawgs. The second thing, at least in my opinion, was that he didn't commit to his home University earlier. The longer a player waits to commit to a home state school the better the odds of leaving. It takes some of the heat off a player from local residents who aren't going to be very happy with the choice. Either that or a player is a prima donna and loves the attention. I don't think applies to Webb. He is quietly spoken you man. Speak soft and carry a big stick might apply to him.

      The other thing that I've told is that Webb wanted to be a left tackle. That's the money position in the NFL. Bama wanted him to play center. Whether that was the determinative reason we may never know. I also understand some family considerations were involved but no one could explain exactly what they were if any. It is my understanding that Kirby Smart promised Webb he could pick and choose his position. A promise that won't be kept of course. LOL

       It is a big gain for Georiga and a loss for Alabama. The Tide has had a big year in recruiting on the O-line. Alabama still has the top recruiting class in the nation, and we can expect several more top rated prospects in the near future. 

HEISMAN VOTING MUST BE REVISED TO STAY RELEVANT...

   

    Let me be crystal clear about one thing. I believe that K. Murry is worthy of the Heisman Trophy. As a  college quarterback, he is a remarkable talent. It is a shame that the voters for the Heisman Trophy could not show the same skill as the winner. The absence of almost twenty voters leaving Tua off the ballot completely tells me that the voting system needs to be revised. Denying those voters from voting in the future seems to be a fair penalty for obvious bias. I'm to saying the bias is in favor of Murray. No, it is more than that. It is clearly an anti-Alabama hatred. This fervor of some writers to hate Alabama is puzzling to me. Why would anyone hate a school for exceptionalism in the sport they cover? None of those none voters might have put Tua over the top, but it is a trend among some to negate a football program at the expense of a fine young man.  As for Tua and his Ohona, they showed love and respect for another player. It is how they are. Shamefully, it is not the same for some voters.

     If the Heisman Trophy is to remain relevant the Downtown Athletic Club needs to have a long hard look to whom they give ballots. Far too many voters have an agenda in the selection process.  Some puff their ego, some look to enhance TV rankings, and others only vote for their regional favorites. 

Tide steals two new recruits...

Dax Hill says no to Michigan and yes to 'Bama...

Jeffery Carter says goodbye to TAM and hello to 'Bama...

The Tides highest rated recruit (so far)

Dax Hill surprised Michigan today when he cast his football future with the Alabama Crimson Tide. No surprise to Tide fans. If you want a one-way ticket to the NFL, Tuscaloosa is a must stop destination. The M Go Blue bunch has to be disappointed and surprised, although the rumors of Hill's flipping to Alabama had been the subject of much speculation the past two weeks. Nick Saban used an open date to get one of the biggest wins of the season. Hill is the highest rated player to pledge with Alabama. Some compare him to 'Bama great Landon Collins. 

An interesting recruiting note. Alabama leads the nation in recruiting according to a consensus of services. All of the new Tide recruits are either five-star or four-star prospects. One isn't. Will Reichard of Hoover High School is the number one ranked kicker in the nation.  Shouldn't that make him a five-star as well? He is in my book.

Breaking news...

Texas A&M felt the sting of Tide's wave recruiting skills when Jeffery Carter, the highly regarded defensive back chose Alabama tonight. He is a consensus four-star player out of Mansfield, Texas. Carter is a top 100 prospect. He is also a skilled wideout but Alabama is recruiting him as a cornerback. Here's what Carter had to say about why he chose Alabama.

 

Carter tells Jimbo Fisher he is 'Bama bound

“He’s going to get you to the league,” Carter said of Nick Saban earlier this year. “He’s going to be coaching the corners. You’re getting coached by Coach Saban, you’re talking to him every day, you’re in the film room with him every day. He’s going to put you in the best spot to have a really good draft grade. He says he loves me as a wide receiver and he loves me as a corner, but he says that my best chance to go to the draft is at corner and I really believe that because it’s Coach Saban, I think he knows what he’s talking about.”

BAMA HAS PLAYED IN EVERY CFP ...

tide roars back in SEC Championship to gain momentum ...

you only have one shot to kill the king, you best not miss

   

There are three things that never change - death, taxes, and Alabama football. If you are an Alabama fan, Saturday looked pretty bleak when the Tide fell behind 21-7 against Georgia. After a missed field goal it looked a little better. But the score quickly became 28-14. In retrospect, that missed field goal loomed large for a comeback yet to come to fruition. Had Georgia made that field goal it would have been a three-score game. Hmm... At the time most Tide fans felt a bullet had been dodged, but it was much more than that. 'Bama escaped a three-point projectile only to give up an almost too easy Georgia TD on the 'Dawgs next possession. If you polled Tide fans and asked them what they thought after that Georgia touchdown you would find two answers - those who gave up and those who lied when they said they didn't give up. Tua was having his first bad game, the running game wasn't clicking, and the clock was winding down. Things looked bad. People were wondering if 'Bama would be selected by the Cif they lost. 

   

Frank Thomas

  You can never give up on Alabama. Whether it involves a little-used left-handed quarterback whose last name was a gallimaufry of letters we couldn't pronounce, or a veteran quarterback, relegated to the bench in lieu of the new kid on the block. The team looked off kilter. The Tide offense, which in the past looked seamlessly easy, was not working. The Defense looked like the Little Dutch Boy trying to stop the ocean.  The game outcome looked cold and foreboding. Of course, that is when Alabama became, well... became Alabama once again. Tua delivered a guided missile to Jaylen Waddle. But Tua was hurt, and he got hurt again. That time he left the field supported by the trainers. The 'Bama nation got a collective choke in their throats. A silence fell over the stadium. Alabama fans thought the end was nigh. Georgia fans hoped that Tua would not return in the game.*

   

   The Scales of Justice were not close to even. The injury to Tua and the surprising success of the Georgia defense where close to rendering a verdict. Then # 2 entered the game. Despite the patina collected due to lack of play Jalen Hurts became the savior of the Tide that day. He showed poise, skill, and his newly developed throwing arm. He was perfect on an imperfect day. One team played a flawless three quarters and lost. The other team stumbled around for three quarters and still one. It is a remarkable story in the annals of Alabama football. 

 

   Alabama played a ragged game. Think about this for a moment. On its worst day, they beat the 5th ranked team in the nation on their "home" field. I'll tip my hat to Georgia. The Dawgs played hard, but their coach made a monumental coaching error. It will follow Kirby Smart like an albatross for the remainder of his life. He was the coach that lost faith in his defense and tried a play doomed from the start. Alabama was ready for an ill-advised fake punt.  Alabama knew they were going to win the game, and from the looks on the faces of Georgia players they realized would lose. 

      Death, taxes, and Alabama football never change. It might be Wallace Wade, Paul Bryant, Gene Stallings, Frank Thomas, Nick Saban or whoever coaches at Alabama. It will never change. No disrespect to Georgia. They aren't Alabama. Not many schools can compete with the Tide. 

 

  The only negative is that Tua, so deserving of the Heisman, likely lost it despite playing against nation's elite defenses in the SEC. I hope I'm wrong. Tua will set his goals on something more important to him.  Helping his teammates win another National Championship. That's the kind of man this young man seems to be. Alabama players seem to be that way. When push comes to serve Alabama players want to win for their school and teammates. Roll Tide

*not saying Georgia hoped he was injured.

A VERY SPECIAL WIN FOR A VERY SPECIAL PLAYER

An Epic Finish Saves 'Bama...

   

Hurts delivered a more than a win...

Once again the SEC Championship transcended the game itself. There are times when football is more than a final score.  Sometimes a game can be a Grecian Tragedy. On occasion, a hero walks on the field of play and delivers a dream. On even rarer times a football game teaches us all a lesson we need to learn.  Last night Jalen Hurts rescued a game, a season, and taught us something about class and believing in ourselves.  Jalen wasn't treated very well by many on this board. Perhaps now the slings and arrows directed at him by so many will stop. When others doubted him, Hurts never stopped his journey to redemption. That took a lot of moxie.  Lesser men wanted to show him the door. Jalen believed in himself. There are situations when who you are will define what you do. After scoring the winning touchdown Hurts pretended to rip off his shirt like Superman would do when coming to save the day. It was a fitting gesture, and it was absolutely true.

 You need to have a reverse...
  
     Irony comes in degrees. For Alabama, the irony of the day's events is something Tide fans will always remember. For Georgia, it is something 'Dawg fans will ever forget. Georgia played a near-perfect first half, but injuries to Tua should not be forgotten. On reflection, the Georgia defense was much better than advertised. The Tide shut down the Georgia running attack, but their passing game was almost enough to beat Alabama. Alabama might have tied the game prior to the end of the first half but an ill-advised attempt to block a punt allowed Georgia to escape.

    Georgia scored first in the second half on a 51-yard drive which pushed the Dog league to 14 again. It could have been 17 had the normally deadly Rodrigo Blankenship made a 30-yard field goal. Despite the miss, the lead was still 28-14 and things looked bleak for 'Bama. The ease with which Georgia moved the ball was unsettling. That was the last hoorah for the Dogs. On the Tide's next possession Tua Tugovailoa hit Jaylen Waddle with a perfect strike across the middle. The Texas speedster ran to the corner and Georgia defensive backs had no answer. 51 yards later the score was 28-21 and the Tide was mounting a serious comeback. When who was mounting a comeback. This happened when Rodrigo Blankenship missed a field goal. Hurt start the drive that ended with Waddle's touchdown. The Tide was down by 7. The Tide needed two scores to win. They also needed their defense to shut down the 'Dawgs. 

    The Alabama defense turned nasty in the fourth quarter. After holding Georgia, the Tide started a monumental 80-yard drive. Tua started the drive. He left the game when he was injured again. As he limped off the field it was clear he would not be returning. Enter Deja Vu. Jalen Hurts entered the game with the hopes and prayers of the Bama Nation on his shoulders. When Hurts hit Jeudy with a pin-point pass when flushed from the pocket. The score was then knotted at 28. 

The defense stopped the 'Dawgs and then came a key call...

   After holding Georgia to a fourth and five it appeared that Alabama's defense had done its job. It turned out that they had further work at hand. Georgia's Kirby Smart called a fake punt believing the would catch the Alabama defense by surprise. It was a zero-sum call. If the play worked Georgia could have won. If it didn't work, Smart's call would go down in Stupid's own Hall of Fame. The Tide stopped them cold, and then Deja Vu made a house call in Georgia's own house. Jalen Hurts made two key third-down passes to keep the Tide's drive alive. When Hurts called this own number from the 'Dawg 15 he scored. You could see it coming. No Georgia defender was in a position to stop him. Like the season before a Tide quarterback came off the bench to beat the 'Dawgs. It was an irony that even Hollywood could not  have written 

TIDE PREPARES FOR GEORGIA

ALABAMA VS. GEORGIA 2.0


   

 This Saturday the Crimson Tide returns to the scene of the crime. A year ago Tua Tugavolia stole a game from the Bulldogs. It will be a game that Alabama fans will always remember and Georgia fans cannot forget.  If the experts are correct, it is a game that Georgia needs a win to play in the College Football Playoffs. The same football gurus believe that Nick Saban´s  #1 ranked Tide will make the playoffs regardless of the outcome of the SEC Championship game. Time will tell, but the Crimson Tide is certainly one of the top four teams in the nation. I am certain of one thing. No one who wears the Crimson and White is even thinking about a loss. They are focusing on a win. For Georgia, this may be a revenge game. Revenge may get a player fired up, and it lasts until the opponent knocks you flat on your back. So what do we have?

Alabama is an almost two TD favorite...

     The Tide opened as a 10 point favorite. It has moved to 13.5 today. Sports house report that Bama is a heavy betting favorite. The consensus line is now 13.5. Two touchdowns in a championship game is a load. Most of us just want ´Bama to win. A few (wink) need some extra incentive. Expect the line to move to 14 before kickoff as fans continue to bet on Alabama.

Home Field Advantage...

     Obviously, Georgia is playing a home game. There will be thousands of Alabama fans in attendance. The ´Dawgs have a five-point advantage playing at home. So is that true against Alabama? Letś look

     This season Alabama has played four true road games. The Tide scored 62 on Ole Miss, 65 on Arkansas, 58 on Tennesse, and 29 against LSU. None of those games was remotely close, and a lot of the points scored on Alabama came when the defense was rounding into form or was against non-starters. The Road did not prove to be much of a problem.  LSU beat the dog out of Georgia, but Georgia is the best team Alabama has faced in my opinion.

What is so good about Georgia?

   They are the best-balanced offensive team the Tide has faced. Fromm* is a good quarterback with a great arm.  His receivers are very good. The running backs are the best Alabama has faced. The Georgia offensive line is a good run blocking unit. They have given up 16 sacks. That is kind of a hidden statistic. Fro a run happy team like Georgia it means that Fromm is not always given the best protection. ´Bama has given up 12 sacks but the Tide is using passing as their best weapon. Fromm is completing 69% of his passes. That is 2% less than Tua. The real meaning of those numbers means that when Georgia throws the ball the chances are 7 out of 10 some catches the ball. Essentially, that is the same for ´Bama, but the Tide throws downfield much more often. 

Georgia's special teams are very special...

and honestly, Alabama is iffy in placekicking and punting. Alabama decided to put Skylar Delong on the bench. Mike Bernie, a walk-on Senior, was given a shot. He has been the punter since Tennessee. He is not J.K. Scott, but who is? Bernie had one blocked last week against the Barn. His protection broke down. Some blame Mike for being slow in getting the kickoff. I don't think that has much merit. Look for Georgia to overload one side. That is what AU did with success. Georgia has the SEC's premier placekicker. Rodrigo Blankenship looks like he loves Buddy Holly with those black horn-rim glasses he wears.  He is 19-22 on field goal attempts and hasn't missed an extra point since being a 'Dawg.
Alabama has missed five extra points this season. Joseph Bulovas was the countries best field goal recruit his senior year. It must have been a bad year for a kicker, huh? He has had such a tough time that a lot of fans wish the Tide would go for two everytime they score. 

IMO ...

I believe that Alabama should win this game. If the Tide can avoid a scenario where they don't need a kick to win, or for Georgia to win it would great. I think Bama is going to have success running the ball, and then Tua will let his arm unleash lighting bolts. I like Bama 42 -24. 


*Fromm originally committed to Alabama. 

AUBURN - Worst Team in the SEC?

Malhzan is feeling the heat ...

   

      At first blush, it is almost impossible for Alabama fans not to laugh at where the Auburn Tigers are going. The destination could be last place in the SEC. They might be the worst team in the SEC right now. No, that is incorrect. They are the crummiest team in the SEC.  Alabama was going to beat AU before the Gus Bus blew an engine. It might have been better for the Tide to have the Tigers at the top of their game to bet ready for the SEC game and the CFP game/games. The battle for who is not the worst team in the SEC might have already been played. The Tigers knocked Arkansas around. I bet if that game were played this weekend Arkansas would be the winner. Ole Miss is lurking in the shadows to win that title as well. Auburn should beat Ole Miss. Of course, they should have beaten Tennessee. Can Ole Miss score enough points to whip the Tigers? I doubt it. 

     Tennessee fans are bragging the win at Auburn was a signature win. I am not ready to say that yet. If Auburn continues to crash, that game might just be a slightly better team winning. If Tua is well for the Tennessee game we can all see how much better the Tide is than Auburn. The differences between the in-state rivals seems to be growing at a time when AU fans thought the gap had closed. Engaging in a little math with a friend (okay, she´s a bookie) the numbers showed Bama as a near 40 point favorite. She did throw in a caveat. It could be worse. 

      Will the Tigers quit on Malhzan? He clearly is not inspiring a lot of confidence. They could declare this season null and void and move on to next year. The main question in my mind is how many might transfer. Great times lead to transfers when players understand they aren´t going to get much playing time. A program in trouble will have the same problem. Players want to be at a winner. If that observation is correct then the Tigers may have some real problems in the future.

       The Auburn of today can probably beat Ole Miss.  It is not a certainty.  How about Texas A&M? I´d say no.  Georgia in Athens? Nope. Liberty? Sure, but they beat Troy. And then the finale. Can Auburn beat Alabama? Highly improbable. That means Auburn could be looking at three or even four more losses.  The Tigers are looking a five wins, and they need six wins to be bowl eligible. Six wins are possible. That might make them bowl eligible because right now their are only seventy two teams with enough wins. The wheels come completely off if AU loses to Ole Miss. Who would have thought the team which beat Washington could be this bad? 

    

Around the Southeastern Conference...
Auburn takes a nosedive
State regains credibility
Kentucky loses a squeaker
A&M shows some life
´Bama could have scored 75 points

  Saturday was an interesting day in the SEC. Weekend six of the college football season brought the good, the bad, and ugly. Hereś my take about the SEC from a round ball manś perspective.

1, Kentucky lost to Texas A&M.  Look for more Wildcat losses. No doubt, Kentucky has improved, and they are lucky to play in the B Flight of the SEC. If they played in the West they would be just above hapless Ole Miss. Trending: Schedule may save a 9 win season.

2.   LSU lost to Florida. I believe that the Tigers are in for some more sad Saturdays. Coach O has the Tigers playing better than last year. The Bengals started a tough four-game stretch in the SEC with that loss to Florida. It is possible the Purple and Gold will lose the next three games. Welcome back to mediocrity. The Tigers would like to beat Georgia, but if you ask LSU fans who they really want to beat, the name Çrimson Tide will mean the most. Trending: LSU is on the cusp to a complete meltdown.

3. Auburn lost to Mississippi State and a whole lot more. Auburn lost their second SEC game and any chance to make it to SEC Championship game. They also lost faith in their quarterback and their head coach. As one Auburn fan told me, ¨we can do anything about Gus for at least two years. His buyout would be 39 million. Perhaps they can get Tim Cook from Apple to write a check. AU made some critical mistakes. They got enough questionable calls to keep the Auburn broadcasting crews with enough subject matter to last a season or two. I thought the AU defense was pretty bad. After a while, you would think someone would have noticed that State wasn´t passing much. Oh well, War Damn Eagle. Trending: Say hello to Georgia, Texas A&M, and Alabama. Say goodbye to their season.

4. Arkansas lost big to Bama but found hope. Alabama trounced the Razorbacks, but showed their fan base they had a lot of heart. The Hogs scored 30 points which were at least enough to give the Hogs hope for a brighter day. For Tide fans, giving up 30 was pretty scary. Crowning the Tide the best team in the nation might be a bit premature. If the defense comes around that will probably be true. The Tide´s linebackers and secondary looked pretty bad in my opinion. Trevon Diggs injury reminds me of the Eddie Jackson loss. The could have scored eighty. How often do you see a team on the wrong side of the time of possession and win by three touchdowns?

5. Missouri lost to South Carolina. In a road game, Mizzou saw a last moment field goal dash their upset hopes. Missouri shows me they can score. I don´t think they can defend. Look for a pretty high scoring shootout in TTown this Saturday. Georgia is going to win the Eastern Division. Second place is still wide-open.

   Those were the games that have some impact on the rest of the season from my seat in the living room.