BAMA AND OLE MISS IN A BIG ONE...

 

                                               Tide facing an upset?

 

       

     

        Now that Sports Illustrated has picked the Ole Miss Rebels to beat Alabama, I feel much better about the outcome of the game.  SI has the knack to miss on almost everything.  It used to be called the SI curse.  Back in the day being on the cover of SI was the kiss of death. Let's hope it still is  alive and well for the sake of Alabama.  SI isn't the only media grabber to pick Ole Miss.  That tells me two things.  First, Ole Miss is starting to reap the dividends of better recruiting. The second is that Alabama hasn't given the national media a game that they feel shows the real nature of the Tide.  I don't fully agree with that analysis. I think that Bama's win over Texas A&M said an awful lot about the Tide.  Going on the road to play Johnny Manziel was a big deal. Falling behind 14-0 and storming back with 5 consecutive touchdowns was impressive.  Keep in mind that TAM didn't score during that Bama offensive performance. I'll give some props for A&M for mounting a comeback, but more eye opening was the Tide's refusal to roll over and die late in the game. Bama got knocked around but never hit the canvass. That says tons about the character and ability of this team.  Ask yourself this - what team has won a bigger game than the Aggie game?  No team in the SEC is even close.  Same for the national scene. Keep that in mind before kickoff tomorrow.

 

Bama has some problems to iron out at the corners...

 

   Manziel's hail Mary pass into a crowd looked stupid to many, but the tallest wide out, Evans, was his hopeful target. Tall is hard to beat. Tall and very good is even harder to beat.  Against CSU our young corners got whipped some, but the starters are back for Ole Miss on Saturday. Bama is going to win this weekend.  We may a learn a lot about the future of this team for the remainder of the season.  My bet is that we learn far more good things than bad. That has been a hallmark of a Nick Saban coached team. Can Ole Miss win this game?  Sure, that's why they actually play the game instead letting the talking heads make the decision. Would I be stunned if the Rebels pulled this one off? Yep. More than stunned. I'd be mortified. A Rebel win might mean more problems than even Saban can fix.  I just don't think that Hugh Freeze has put together enough talent in two recruiting seasons to overcome the Bama process.  I was in attendance the last time Ole Miss beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa. It took a perfect storm for that to happen. There's not enough storm clouds brewing tonight.

 

                 Their is no doubt that Alabama has struggled at the corners. Last night I watched the A&M game again a little closer. Alabama was in perfect position on most of those long passes. They merely were over matched by a great receiver. There is no shame in getting beat by a bigger and better player. What Saban will do is to make the corners better. He can't make them taller.

 

Of more concern is the offensive line...

 

 

  

      We have to recognize that during the Colorado State game that Alabama had one starter from last year's team on the field. I am not suggesting that as an excuse for the lack of Alabama enthuthsiasm. It is a reason for poor play, however. There is no getting around that fact. Lack of experience generally means poor play. Alabama is not immune to that rule. The positive of that is the lack of experience is very talented. Talented inexperience gets better a lot faster than average experience. This bodes well for Alabama in the long run. In the Tide's case they have LSU game as their "long run". The line will improve by leaps and bounds between now and then. If they don't it really will not matter. Alabama expectations run higher than just improving. The Tide has but one goal each season, and we all know what the goal entails. There is no room for second best in Tuscaloosa. I have no idea of the exact how Nick Saban uses to get his team ready for games like Ole Miss. You can just look at his record and see the outcome if not the method.  We all know that around this State it is the outcome and not the method that counts. I'm not saying that is all that should matter, but in the long run we all that is the only think that matters. Alabama football is highly pragmatic. Altruism isn't on the A list in Tide Town. It's all about winning but the bottom line is winning. That is the real reason that I think 'Bama should win tommorrow. I'm not saying that's bad. After all, I am a Tide fan. ALABAMA BY TWO TOUCHDOWNS

            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bama has lackluster win over CSU 31-6

Tide must improve to win number 3 in a row...

 

Tide needs to get some starters well       

 

 

   I have to admit that this Crimson Tide team has me confused.  Yesterday seemed like a big step backwards.  Alabama has six starters not playing and that had to hurt.  It seemed like the offensive line was mired in muck.  If the Tide cannot run the football you have to wonder about the team's future as far as the three-peat is concerned. You have to give some kudos to CSU for playing good hard nosed football. The Rams came to Tuscaloosa as a 38 point underdogs and left with a lot of respect in my book. Maybe the combination of injuries, and inside information on the Alabama team by Coach Mac made some difference.  Let's hope that's the case. 

             Aaron Davis and Calvin Tonga are great players.  Davis was all over the field, and Tonga made the Tide's offensive line look bad at times.  As much as I love Alabama it just doesn't seem logical that a team can win a third national championship without running the ball.  Saturday revealed (IMO) just how far the line has to go before becoming a dominate force.  Right now they are not even close.  Steen did not play. That meant the O line was full of rookies.  Rookies and the term national championship are rarely used in the same breathe.  Alabama is not immune to that simply because they won the last two championships. This Tide is riddled with problems and questions. Yesterday brought more questions than answers in my mind. Here is what concerns me:

 

• The secondary is a LONG way from being good. The safeties are fine. The cornerbacks are missing in action.
• The Offensive Line is showing it's inexperience. Just because you wear that Crimson Jersey doesn't mean you can dominate.  On Saturday, the Tide couldn't even break even with a very average CSU Defensive line.
• If the O-line can't block the backs can't run. Take out one 38 yard run by Yeldon and the Tide mustered only 28 yards rushing. 66 yards won't cut it in the SEC.
• The Defensive line plays the run well. The pass rush is missing. Tomlinson's injury hurt the pass rush, and someone needs to step forward. The Tide is going to get burned on blitzes because the corners cannot play man to man like last season.
• McCarron, gifted as he is, must shoulder  even heavier loads, and make good decisions.  Throwing that interception was an example of things he can't do and hope we beat good teams. Hard to knock him for trying to create some offense.  

      Ole Miss has a lot of offense...

         Alabama is now 3-0 and Ole Miss is up next. The Rebels are playing hard and will have some potent weapons on offense. They run the ball well and have an excellent passing game.  The Tide defense isn't like to fall apart, but the Tide Defense is going to see an offense that has talent and is very diversified. The Ole Miss quarterback isn't Johnny Football but he isn't chopped liver either. Look for him to give the Tide defense fits.  Despite the fact the secondary is hurting you can't deny the fact that CSU didn't get in the end zone. In fact, they didn't even cross midfield until the third quarter.  Honestly, Bama could have scored a couple of more TD's had Saban wanted to do so. His style isn't to embarrass a colleague,  particularly one who worked with him in the past.  All in all it was a night that left a bitter taste in the mouth of Tide fans.  There is a lot of bravado among a lot of Tide fans that seems misplaced to me.   You an bet that the Ole Miss coaching staff is going to have something new for the Tide defensive secondary
 

 Landon Collins looks ready for the big time...

     

             Luckily, the Tide should be able to win all their games and improve while waiting for a big game with LSU.  It seems to me the SEC is not as strong as in the recent past.  Maybe it seems that way to me because  the Tide isn't rolling yet.  Three games are not an entire season. The Tide can get better. They better do so or a couple of losses are looking them dead in eye.

 

              The best thing in the CSU game?  How about Landon Collins announcing his coming out party?  He is going to be a monster this season. This is going to be a better game than a lot of fans hope. Ole Miss isn't a bad team, but it doesn't seem to me that Bama is a great one either. It seems fair that the national media should begin questioning just how good the Tide the really is right now.  Or perhaps it might be better to say how average they appear?  One thing that is unthinkable. Lowly Auburn, for all their faults and lack of talent never quit against LSU. They hustled until the very end. I didn't see the same type of attitude on Bama's part against CSU. I have faith that Saban can straighten out a lot of those problems. I bet he can get enough fixed to beat Ole Miss. How about 28-14?


 

Greatest quarterback battle in SEC history

    

McCarron beats Manziel when it really counted

 

Bama defense gives up over 600 yards but Tide offense explodes...

      

    Saturday,  we all watched the greatest Quarterback dual in the history of college football.  No disrespect to Scott Hunter vs. Archie Manning, but this was different.  It wasn't a day for the defense. It wasn't a game for old school fans. That was something else. It was a collision of two quarterbacks who wouldn't quit. One is disciplined as a bobcat in a bag.  The other is right out of The Terminator.  Johnny Manziel did everything but win the game. A.J. McCarron did everything necessary to win the game. In the end it was McCarron who proved to be the better quarterback. I'm sure the media is going to worship at the alter of Johnny Football.  The Aggie quarterback proved he could do almost anything possible on the football field except tackle Vinnie Sunseri. McCarron didn't have to tackle anyone. He did have to tackle 14-0 deficit when  it looked like Alabama was in danger of getting run off of Kyle Field.  Slow and steady won the game. Despite how great a player Johnny Manziel might be - he walked off  field as the loser. It was the biggest football game that #2 had ever played.  For A.J. McCarron, it was just another big game. 

 

     

       Alabama is going to hear a lot about giving up 42 points. National sport pundits are going to talk about Alabama's lack of prowess on defense.  I don't think you can really look at this game as any indicator about future Tide defensive effort. This game was an anomaly. This was a once in a lifetime game.  One thing that we did learn is that the Crimson Tide has enough offensive punch to beat anyone.  Texas A&M doesn't have a great defense.  They don't have to have one. They have an offense you can't say enough great things about. The Aggies might have the greatest offense ever seen in college football. I wouldn't argue the point. Still, when all was said and done, it was the Crimson and not the Maroon who won the game.  It seems to me that when it said and done it is always the Crimson Tide.  McCarron was flawless.  10 different Crimson Tide players caught passes.  Al Bell had a nifty 50 yard plus run for a touchdown.  He did that after walking away from  football for a day. Kevin Norwood had a couple of his sideline specials. I have no information on his injury. 

             The biggest thing that happened Saturday is that the Tide won and didn't play any where their best game. Oregon wants Bama? Yeah, I'd like to go have a root canal on Monday. This Alabama football is going to get better. The offense is nowhere near where as good as they can be, and they are pretty good right now.

           The defense is going to improve. The defensive backs have some work to do. What? Do you think Bama's defensive backs are going to get worse? As bad as the secondary looked they had some good moments.  Cyrus Jones interception of a Manziel fade route was a huge play. Sunseri was the only one to embarass Johnny Football with a juke on his touchdow run. Frequently, the Tide defenders were in perfect postion but were outjumped by a 6-5 wide receiver. Remember, the secondary had to cover receivers far longer than normal. Not only is that true, but they had to be aware of running ability of the TAM quaterback.  There were times that the secondary looked confused and lost. I suspect that Bama's DBacks will do much better under "normal" situations.

      After the Colorado State game the how of  Bama's defense will be forgotten.  Play well against the Rams and all will be overlooked. My belief is that by season's end this defense will be just fine, and representative of Alabama's finest.

 

           

           

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.