Washington State stuns So. Cal 10-7...

 

 

Leach pulls a stunner in LA...

 

         

Lane Kiffin is gone at USC

  Poor Lane Kiffin.  I say that with absolutely no sincerity.  I have about the same amount of sympathy for Kiffin as I would a serial killer getting caught and dying in a shootout. Lane Kiffin can be tossed in the Johnny Manziel category.  Both are arrogant human beings whose time is coming.  They both share that "lack of class and character gene" in my opinion.     Mike Leach goes back to Pullman, Washington the toast of the town. Lane Kiffin wakes up this morning in LA as toast. Kiffin is through at USC, one of the most storied football programs in NCAA history. The only question left is what poor school will be sucker enough to hire this loser in the future.

 

  
       It's hard to put the WSU win in perspective as it relates to their Auburn loss. In some way it makes Auburn look better today but I'm not sure exactly how.  Southern California isn't worth a tinker's damn. Washington State surprised me with their play at USC and on the Plains. Auburn has won two games now but both were at home and neither were very impressive. Still, the Tigers have won almost as many games as they did last season. That is a step in the right direction. And the Cougars credit for winning a game with their defense. That is probably a first for Mike Leach as a head coach. Leach might have been wrong about saying the bottom of the PAC-12 is better than the bottom of the SEC. Seems to me that USC might be the bottom feeders.

 

 

    Manziel passed for over 400 yards against Stephen F. Austin. The Aggies looked great on offense and iffy on defense.  I think that TAM should beat Alabama in College Station despite the odds-makers. Bet that doesn't happen however.  Saban has been looking forward to this game for a long time.  I don't think you can stop Manziel short of some type of criminal indictment, but 'Bama doesn't have to shut him down. The only need to slow him  down.  If Bama makes some real progress on their offensive line they will win. If not, they lose.  I'd rather the devil set up housekeeping next door to my home than having to watch Manziel gloat over beating Bama again. I'd almost rather lose to Auburn. One thing in common to the rare Bama losses of the past few seasons - great quarterbacking did them  in. A&M has that despite what type person Manziel may be. I'm interested in how his team responds to his leadership when things don't go so well.  All things considered, I'm a little surprised that Alabama is a 7 point favorite on the road. Their offensive performance against Virginia Tech doesn't provide a lot of confidence in my mind. On the other hand, TAM hasn't been the Rock of Gibraltar on defense.  I can hardly wait for the game to begin, but probably will be barely able to watch it when it arrives.  Someone asked me if Bama's defense is better than TAM's offense? Good question. I think another question is can 'Bama sustain some long drives to keep the Bama out of Johnny Punk's hands.   

The Humiliation of Texas A&M ?

     

       I am a big believer in second changes.  There are very few occasions where second changes are undeserved.  Manziel is the exception to my general rule, however.  His little improvisation against Rice University last week pretty much sealed the deal for me personally.  He is an embarrassment to himself, his family, and his school.  If you want to know who is in charge of the TAM program he wears #2 on his jersey. Clearly, the time honored rule that people in my generation learned about respect for your opponent and your coach no longer applies in College Station, Texas. 

 

        We all saw what happened.  I hope a lot of TAM fans saw the same thing I did - a juvenile punk showing he has no regrets or remorse about his actions that led to the 1/2 game suspension.  When your coach is trying to discipline you and you trot by him that's a pretty telling action about the character of Manziel. Sumlin benched Manziel for about three minutes or so, and our current Heisman Trophy winner was laughing at him on the sidelines. Let me ask you this - what would Nick Saban have done to Manziel if he played for Alabama? 

12th Man would disown this punk...

 

     Manziel was benched for 1/2 game plus three minutes or so for publicly humiliating TAM.  In fact, he has embarrassed his school his entire college career.  Guess what? The circus isn't over for TAM.  The truth is that Sumlin and the administration at TAM have sold  out their program for money.  Each should hang their head in shame over allowing this punk to play for their educational institution.  The inmates run the program at TAM. That is sad for the school. The 12th man probably wouldn't take the field with Johnny Football.  I wouldn't.  My late father used to say the measure of a man was whether you'd want him in your fox hole during a battle.  I don't think he'd want Manziel. I have a friend whose son is being recruited by A & M.  He asked the Coach if Manziel would be back next season. I know the parent would love for their son to play at TAM.  I also know that knowing that Manziel will not be back next season was a relief.

 

  

 

   

    That is a perfect example of the problem that TAM has right now. Manziel may help his school in the short time but the school is hurting themselves in the long term. The question has been answered as far as TAM is concerned. We don't care about his conduct. We don't care about his effect on the team. Even his Coach is trying to explain away the disrespect Manziel showed.  Maybe Sumlin is telling the truth. Perhaps the situation would have been worse had Manziel responded to his coach. Only Sumlin and Manziel. The on going pattern of Manziel's actions show that future episodes are more likely than not. Simply stated, Manziel is not capable of understanding his role as a team lead.  Have any of us ever acted impulsively and not suffered the fall out.  The truth is that Manziel's personality seems to mirror his play. Wild and unscripted on the field and off. Just a few of Manziel's low lights according to ESPN -

 

• Autograph gate
• The Rice debacle. His first step on the field since dragging his team through the mud
• His remarks about hating TAM and always being a Texas Longhorn man...
• Getting kicked out of the Manning Camp
• 2012 arrests for lying about his identity, drinking, etc...
• Kicked out of a University of Texas frat party for his behavior (really?)
• Tweets saying the TAM was a bullshit place and he couldn't wait to leave. The reason for his little tirade was he got a parking ticket.

Leadership, leadership, and Texas style leadership..

      Those are but a few of his "transgressions". I know he is a kid in a lot of ways. He is also a spoiled rich brat who as an impulse control problem. That might be okay but it is different when you hurt your teammates and school. I don't think this little pimple represents the majority of college players. Most are decent hard working young men on the field and in the class room.  He is also a great talent and that cannot ever be denied. I cannot imagine him and AJ McCarron sharing a room. To McCarron's credit he kept his mouth shut about what happened in the Manning Camp. The man above is the President of TAM. He allows all this to continue in exchange for money. Kinda makes you wonder about values and leadership through example.

     What's your opinion?  How long will Sumlin and TAM put up with Manziel? My guess is as long as the revenues flow.

 

TIDE'S OFFENSIVE LINE WAS PRETTY BAD...

TWO WEEKS TO FIND AN ANSWER...


    

McCarron ran for his life...

         Any way you cut it, the Tide did not look like the nation's #1 team after their 35-10 win over Virginia Tech.  Despite how crimson the glasses, Alabama looked inept in the running game. Without a A.J. McCarron at quarterback I doubt Alabama would have scored at all on offense. McCarron ran for his life, got hammered, and rarely had time to use his gifted arm. When he did it was effective,  and proved to most of us that 1/2 of Alabama's offense is ready.  The offensive line was bumbling and stumbling most of the game.  I think we all knew that the Tide would have some problems on the line but to be physically manhandled was surprising.  The line looked like a modern day version of the Keystone Kops of silent movie fame.  About the only thing good about he line is they conducted themselves as perfect gentlemen and didn't act like a Texas A&M quarterback.

 

         Is two weeks enough for Saban and his line coach to iron out the problems?  I seriously doubt that will happen. We really don't know how good the TAM defense might be due to all the 1st game suspensions.  They probably are not as good as VT, but they are playing at  home.  This is a make or break game for both teams in terms of an SEC Championship and possible national title. It might be wise for Bama fans to curtail the three-peat for the time being.  While I'm sure that 'Bama's O line will play better the real question is better than what. The bar is set pretty low from fall camp and game one. The truth for all Tide fans is that the halo effect is all around the program. Saban has said each team is different and each has to prove themselves as if the previous year never happened.  I bet that will sink in pretty good in the next two weeks.  It's been a long time since we've seen an Alabama offensive line look this way. Bad would be kind, but that doesn't mean it won't get better.

 

      Somewhat lost in all the concern over the line was once in a lifetime performance by Christian Jones.  A kickoff return for a TD, a punt return for a TD, and a blow by TD pass from McCarron earned in the Walter Camp Player of the Week Award. It was well deserved.  CJ also had some other nice returns. 

 

Rating the Tide:

 

Special Teams:  A... CJ and a whole lot more

 

Defense:          A-...two long runs allowed the Hokies to score and put up over                                         100 yards rushing. VS has a nice pick. Hard tackling. Promise of

                              better things to come.

                                     

Running backs: B ... you have to give the backs some pats on the backs for                                                endurance and hanging on to the ball after some vicious licks.

 

Offense:              D...  and it would be lower without McCarron. Wide Outs dropped                                      passes. Not first down passes to speak of. An untypical Bama game.

 

Kicking:               A-   Mandell was excellent.

 

   

       All and all it was a twenty-five point win which in no way showed how bad the Tide looked offensively.  The TAM game just took on a new complexion.           

 

THREE IN A ROW? HOW LIKELY IS THAT?

TIDE SHOOTS FOR RECORD 3RD
IN A ROW...

These are certainly salad days for Alabama fans of all ages. Some of us are lucky enough to have been around when Coach Paul Bryant was weaving the same type of magic as Nick Saban does now. I don't think it is possible to compare  coaches or players from different eras or decades. The smart Alabama fan doesn't even engage in an argument about Nick vs. the Bear. We are lucky enough to have had both. We were also lucky to have had Wallace Wade and Frank Thomas. Each of those coaches won  Rose Bowls and that made you the national championship. Gene Stallings won a national championship in '92 with an embarrassing thumping of hot-air filled Miami.  All of those were heady days for Alabama and the Deep South. At times, the football program was about all we had to brag about. We live in an area of poverty, and a lot of things that don't exactly bring us to the top of any lists. But, we have football. Man, do we have football. Not only do we have football, we have the a program that is the zenith of all college football teams in America. Regardless of what the rest of the nation thinks or wants, Alabama is the best football program in the history of college football. Not bad for a bunch of poor swamp rats. Western sportswriters coined that description when the Tide was picked to be the sacrificial lamb for Western football teams at the Rose Bowl. As Dr. Phil often asks, "how'd that work out for you?"
         Alabama pulled the rest of the Deep South up with them. Irregardless, of what modern fans might think about the Tide, the rest of the South owes a debt to Alabama that can never be repaid. That's the truth whether you admit it or not.


    You can hear a lot of sports talking heads giving their opinions of why 'Bama can win their third in succession. I always get the feeling none of them really want the Tide to pull off the hat trick however.  Think about it for just a second - it is just crazy talk to think any team could actually pull of the feat. It's never been done, and a close analysis shows that the teams which had the chance to do so fell flat on their faces. So is it swag or arrogance that fuels Tide hopes for number three? Probably it's a little of both. Tide fans have never been accused of a lack of confidence whether deserved or not. So what makes this year's Tide team any different from those other schools? Has Alabama suddenly cornered a monopoly on  skill, coaching, and luck? Nick Saban has enjoyed the fruits of each since his tenure at Alabama. Branch Ricky, the old man of baseball, once said that luck is the residue of hard work. There is some truth in that statement. Football is an inheriently lucky game in many ways. After all, the ball is not round. Bad luck will always happen. Hard work and talent might minimize some of those bad bounces. Nick Saban, like many of other Tide coaches have always had the pick of the litter in recruits. The coaches demand excellence and the players live up to those expectations time and time again. Saban's "process" gets a lot of attention, but I doubt it is basically any different from what any highly successful Alabama coach has used in the past. What all those great Tide coaches had found was a process that leaves other teams believing they are not  capable of beating Alabama over the long haul. And clearly, they aren't.

That's why Wallace Wade and Frank Thomas won four national titles in less than two decades. That's why Gene Stallings rang the bell. None of this is magic or purely tradition. It is a long line of highly motivated coaches who had the unmitigated support of college presidents and AD's. It is a mindset that believes that regardless of how poor we are, and how bad things become we will always have great football.  That is the process as much as anything else. It is what Auburn calls "all in". The only difference is that Alabama has been all in for one hundred plus years. It would be easy to say that Saban and his team will win number three in a row because they are good. They may also win because the schedule seems conducive to make another run.  When you look around the nation you just don't see a program which puts it all on the line year after year, decade after

decade, coach after coach, and player after player.   It isn't just 'all in'  for a rare title or to stand behind a suspect player. It is an inheritence of the expected. It's different. It is a way of life. It is as certain as day will follow night. If someone does win three in a row it will be Alabama for a lot or reasons which includes what Saban does, but also because also from a lot of groundwork was put in place long ago. It is the type of groundwork that no one else can duplicate. You just can't duplicate decades of hard work. Even Notre Dame can't pull that one off. Bama can, and I expect they just might rewrite something else that simply can't be done. Never beat against Crimson. Ask the rest of the SEC and the rest of the NCAA if you should. Satchel Page used to warn fans to never look their shoulders because someone may be gaining on you. No one is gaining on Bama. No one is even close.

Recruting is recruting is recruiting...

foster could be poster child for college recruiting...

saga is the only word to describe what happened to bama's latest five star player

     I was really pumped up to watch Reuben Foster commit to Alabama again.  As we all know this was his second time to commit to the Tide. He took a mulligan on his first decision and decided to go to Auburn. Alabama fans were irate.  Auburn was a bunch of no good thieves. A lot of Tide fans then threw Foster under the bus. He was considered to be a traitor. Then he became a nut case. And, of course, he was vastly overrated. Some claimed that Alabama really didn't even want him. You know who you are.

      I have to admit to being upset about the whole thing as well. But having been involved in college basketball recruiting gave me a little insight into a few things. First, recruiting a great football player is child's play compared to getting a five star basketball player. Second, we all tend to forget what it is like to be the age of these recruits and immaturity. There is nothing wrong with Reuben Foster today or yesterday. There was nothing wrong with him when he decided he really wanted to go to Auburn. Foster looks like a man. But he is not quite ready to throw off the benefits of childhood. Someone once said that being a teenager was the desire to have the benefits of being an adult but the responsibilities of a child. In Foster's world it also involves keeping a child alive and well. I know a lot of sure enough adults that can't do that to this day. Foster, like a lot of recruits is a man-child. He can run like a lion, but chase catnip like a kitten. He's right where he is supposed to be for his current age group. I hope we can all remember that.

     I've seen this played out a hundred times. High school star become the center of attention and public ridicule at the same time. When two masters want you to serve them you will always be one or other. Here's a young man who likes to please people around him. He made promises that his heart dictated. He probably was very sincere when announcing for Bama and then Auburn. What I really liked hearing was Fosters' statement that he  was making a business decision. Business decisions are things adults are forced to do. Bama's latest recruit took a big step toward adulthood last night. Just because he said Bama at the right time doesn't make what he did the reason why his decision was so good. But what was the basis of that decision was, in fact, very good. He did what was best for himself (for a change) and his daughter. Despite all the blind alleys and curves this kid faced in his recruitment he ended up making an adult decision. He did so under a lot of public scrutiny and finger pointing. In the end he stepped up to the camera, looked us square in the eyes, and let us know this was his decision and why. He apologized to those who might have hurt, and then moved on with his life. I suspect we are getting a really good person as well as player for the Capstone. Welcome home, Reuben. We all endure something of a saga to end up where we want to be. You just figured out quicker than most.

p.s. Keep the tattoo as a souvenir of your journey
    

     

Tim Williams is a head hunter

louisiana player is a head-hunter
williams might be a pass rush warrior...

        I normally don't write much about recruiting in football. I happened to watch this kid play one game while passing through Louisana to Texas. It wasn't that far out of the way. I met this guy in a burger joint who saw my Crimson Tide hoodie. We started talking and the next thing I know we are driving to watch this young man play. Wow. This Williams kid looks like he was shot from a canon.  He could gain a lot of weight and play on the defensive line, he could be a great linebacker, or even a safety.

         Wherever he plays he is going to have an impact. I say impact with no pun intended because this recruit can go head hunting with the best of them.  You know how it is when a vicious hit is made? The crowd goes - ooohhhh. There were several of those moments when he lowered the boom on a runner. Rating football players has always been somewhat of a mystery to me. It's not like you get to watch them play AAU ball against one another. All I know is this player is just head and shoulders above anyone else on the field. My friend was telling me that as many as four other players on his team would likely play at the next level. He was still was clearly better than anyone.  My buddy said that LSU wants the SEC to think they passed on him. They didn't according to him. He did say the LSU fans go beserk when 'Bama steals one from them.  I told him that we call those players - just plain smart and future NFL stars.

      

 

two predictions I respect...
rodney and cecil...

     A lot of predictions on this game have been made by a lot of guessers. We can go over a few of them, but for my money there is only two I really listen two. Rodney Orr and Cecil Hurt. Rodney published the great website Tider Insider and the Tuscaloosa News is lucky enough to pay him write.  Okay, these might be the two biggest homers in the history of prognostications, but I've noticed they are fair about giving their expertise on winners and scores. On the big game tonight both have picked scores that are pretty close to each other.  I've known each for two or three decades and both are top shelf guys. Cecil Hurt is a well known national writer who has turned down several bigger gigs in larger cities. Rodney came into Tuscaloosa a life time Bama fan with an idea about recruiting information, but more importantly allowing fans to express their opinions. Tider Insider has been growing in leaps and bounds. They are now doing radio and television, both of which are simply called Tider Insider TV and Tider Insider radio. Rodney competes with a lot of national media sites but his family has remained loyal. Bravo to him for understanding just what 'Bama fans want. Another thing he will not do is to rate players. I respect that.

      Cecil Hurt has been writing for The Tuscaloosa News from the time that Moses got his tablets. Most Alabama fans consider both to be of equal importance. What I like about Cecil is that he writes columns that are easy to read and have a lot of common sense. He's also cashed in some on his recognition with the Cecil Hurt Show. This is a low key and information loaded telecast you shouldn't miss. His column in the News is full of inside information and gives the fans a little peek of what really goes on in Tide Sports. I think a lot of fans probably think that Cecil is the only person who has ever written for the Tuscaloosa News and Tide football  and basketball.  In reality, for most living Tide fans this might be true. I love to hear his magnolia dipped accent on the radio. When Cecil writes or talks I listen.

      Alabama has some other print and media guys I like and respect. Kevin Scarbinsky and Paul Finebaum come to mind. Both are nice guys. Paul has national exposure for his expertise in the SEC. Kevin and Paul are both brave enough to express their opinions in a state where everyone has a gun or two, and a six-pack is a standard equipment in their trucks. I thought Kevin's article about the lore of Notre Dame might be true, but his tone in the article was condescending . Paul is just Paul. He stirs the pot, BUT he gets it right in most cases. Paul is in a growth industry and Kevin is employed by an animal likely to go extinct in the next few years. So if Kevin rubs a nerve, as he frequently does, keep that  in mind. He is literally writing for his paycheck. Plus, Kevin has ditched that funky French hat and that's a good thing.

Some predictions from national writers:

• Davis Dodge -     Alabama 16-13
• Bruce Feldman - Notre Dame 17-16
• Lou Holtz - Notre Dame
• Las Vegas - Tide by10
• Jerry Palm - Alabama 20-17
• Chip Patterson - Notre Dame 21-20
• Game Day Crew - 4-1 Alabama
• RODNEY ORR -  ALABAMA 24-16
• CECIL HURT - ALABAMA 27-16