Quick Update

I heard some rumors that Prince Hall and Jimmy Johns have been asked to leave the team. They also are expecting more to come. The number given was 11! I guess cleaning the house and getting an extra three weeks of practice is what he had in mind.

Recruit, Star Jackson, has confidence that Applewhite is staying where he is.

You've probably heard, but we have not posted here yet. Terrence Cody, the gargantuan junior college defensive tackle prospect has given a solid verbal commitment to the Tide. Take a look at a monster I'm glad to have on our side.

If you want to take a look at some scared Auburn fans with all the rumors going on with Tubberville to Arkansas, take a look at Track'em Tigers and Football Rumor Mill

SEC Championship Preview

LSU will have to try and put it's trip OT loss to the Hogs in the past as the 5th ranked Tigers face 14th Tennessee for the SEC title. The Vols, coming in with a five game winning streak, won a 4 OT thriller against Kentucky. The winner of this game will likely have the birth in New Orleans in the Sugar Bowl.

Should current BCS Nos. 1 and 2 Missouri and West Virginia both lose this weekend, the possibility exists that the Tigers, currently seventh in the BCS, could move up. They might be able to jump ahead of idle Georgia, which didn't win its division in the SEC, idle Kansas, which didn't win its division in the Big 12, and a Virginia Tech team they beat by 41 in September. Ohio State would figure to have a spot sewn up should that scenario unfold, leaving No. 2 up for grabs.

These teams met in the 2001 SEC championship game. Tennessee was ranked No. 2 and was set to play for the BCS title with a win, but No. 21 LSU upset the Volunteers 31-20. Tennessee leads the all-time series 20-6-3. The teams split their meetings in 2005 and 2006, with each winning on the road.

Both teams are coming in with a lot of rumors flying about their coach. Miles with Michigan and Fulmer getting the boot. We'll see how it plays out.

Applewhite Contacted by Houston

Major Applewhite has officially been contacted by the University of Houston about their head coaching vacancy. Espn.com reported early. He has ties to the state of Texas being a record setting quarterback for the Longhorns and offensive coordinator for the Rice Owls last year. We will have more on this when more information is released.

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Here is a list of the the coaching vacancies and what the rumors are circulating them.

Seems as if Mike Shula may be a candidate at Duke. Which is ironic that they are part of the reason he got fired here.

Mid-week Miscellaneous

76-63

Running back Terry Grant, cornerback Kareem Jackson and linebacker Rolando McClain were named part of the 2007 Sporting News SEC All-Freshman team.

Cornerback Simeon Castille was found guilty of disorderly conduct "without a reasonable doubt", he looks to appeal.

Here's the latest from Scarbinsky and Finebaum.

Our friends over at the MemphisTider are doing a good write up about the upcoming potential that we'll start seeing next year. Also, they have reported to have rumors say that 2 players were booted off the team and more will follow.

LSU's Les Miles will be hearing from Michigan probably the night after the final snap in the SEC Championship.

Coach Tommy Tuberville and Auburn have agreed in principle to a contract extension, but major contract issues must still be resolved.

Here are the latest bowl projections from ESPN.

Check out this weeks schedule, starts tonight with Rutgers and Louisville.

If you cant beat em' burn em'

This was the scene at Tumors (yea i know) Corner early Sunday Morning. Seems it is being blamed on a crazy Alabama fan. I just recently caught wind of this happening. Cant find an article about it though. If anyone has one please pass it along. Here are some more photos.

Applewhite Heading West????

Early word is that Applewhite may be the favorite in some of the coaching vacancies in Conference USA. Namely at SMU and Southern Miss according to this article on al.com there are also some reports mentioned over at firemajorapplewhite.com and reports are circulatating all over the state of Texas that he would be a great fit at SMU. He is currently under contract with UA until 2010. Feel free to post your thoughts on this developing situation. Like to see him stay or go? Comment it up.

All Dogs....Hate Auburn

This Just shows even dogs hate Auburn

Keep all items inside carousel until it comes to a complete stop

In case you haven't heard, the coaching carousel has already started. So far, here are some of the coaches that have left or been shown the door:

• Houston Nutt - Arkansas - Nutt resigned after compiling a 10-year record of 75-48 (.610) and three SEC West championships with the Razorbacks, including two trips to the conference championship game.
• Ted Roof - Duke - Duke has lost at least 10 games in three straight seasons, including a winless 2006. Roof finished his Duke tenure with a 6-45 record.
• Chan Gailey - Georgia Tech - Gailey was 44-32 in six seasons at Georgia Tech but 0-6 against rival Georgia. The Yellow Jackets are 7-5 in 2007.
• Lloyd Carr - Michigan - The Carr era was marked by highs of winning a national title and five Big Ten crowns and lows of losing (a lot) to Ohio State. Carr's .752 winning percentage (121-40) ranks seventh among active coaches.
• Bill Callahan - Nebraska - Callahan's four-year stay was marked by the most embarrassing losses at a football program once among the mightiest. Interim AD Tom Osborne announced the dismissal one day after the Cornhuskers ended the season at 5-7.
• Ed Orgeron - Ole Miss - Orgeron was fired a day after the Rebels blew a game against their big rival to finish the season 3-9 and go winless in the conference for the first time since 1982.
• Dennis Franchione - Texas A&M - Franchione came to Texas A&M to restore the glory to the Aggies. He left with a mediocre record and an embarrassing scandal on his resume. Franchione resigned, ending a rocky five-year tenure.
• Others are on the out include: Guy Moris - Baylor, Joe Novak - Northern Illinois, Phil Bennet - SMU, Jeff Bower - Southern Miss, Bill Doba - Washington State

So far, listed are the few hires:

• Mike Sherman - Texas A&M
• Houston Nutt - Ole Miss

We'll provide you with a complete list of changes after the carousel comes to a stop, or atleast a slower speed.

I bleed Crimson

It's always hard to swallow a loss, especially to them. We all knew that this season would not be what we expected after the Arkansas game. I'm not giving the "it's a rebuilding year" speech, which I hate hearing. But, I do say that you have to lay the foundation before you can start building up. This year has given us a taste of victory high, and a tragedy loss of the lowest. All in all, you know you and I will always bleed Crimson and be proud to do so.

With that, in recount of the season, all games marked with an L were not lost by more than a margin of 7, e.g. AU-7, ULM-7, MSU-5, LSU-7, FSU-7, and UGA-3. This brings us to a total loss margin of 36 from our six losses. I can't say that we were so close in all these games because you and I both watched us struggle a lot. It just shows what potential was there, what things we need to work on, who we need to weed out, who we need to step up, and who can't or can handle the pressure.

We'll probably get together and give you a good season re-cap later on down the road. It was a frustrating season. I'm not sure if everyone will be looking forward to a bowl game or not. But as we started this whole fiasco back in January, they are looking for support. We need to give them support. Be proud, it looks bright.

Keys to Victory

Here are a few of the things we MUST do to finally beat those Tigers.....

• Finally establish a running game early. We have the textbook five back, not sure how much they will play, having caldwell and coffee back should help us get the running game going.
• Get some consistent quarterback play. John Parker needs to play like Jay Barker, just manage the game. He doesn't have to win it, just don't lose it.
• We need a receiver to step up big, other than DJ. Im sure Auburn will play the same defense State and La Monroe did to shut him down. It would be nice to see Keith Brown step up and be a big player for us today.
• Stop Quentin Groves. I know he isn't the player he once was but I still have nightmares (Im sure Brodie does too) of the 11 sack game.
• Slow Auburn down on first down. We need to get them in obvious passing situations and get some pressure on Cox. We all know he is as inconsistent as John Parker.
• We need a touchdown from either defense or Special Teams. I think its going to take at least 24 to win.

These are just a few of my thought feel free to comment away and add your own. ROLL TIDE.

Alabama / Auburn Preview

The 25th ranked Tigers (7-4, 4-3) look to make it six in a row this Saturday evening. The Crimson Tide (6-5, 4-3) appears far from ready to end the streak as they head into the Plains at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tide is coming off three loses with it's probably most humiliating loss ever this past weekend against the Sun Belt Conference, Louisiana at Monroe. Coming into the game, the Tide is ranked better in all averages of total yards, passing yards, rushing yards and points scored.

Senior, Brandon Cox, will be leading the offense and has struggled a good bit this season. He is not mobile and fails often under pressure. Moreover, he has turned the ball over more than Wilson. Cox will be looking for Rodgeriqus Smith and Montez Billings. They have combined for almost 1000 receiving yards. The rushing attack will be led by Ben Tate, who is approaching 800 yards for the season. Tate has only rushed over 100 in one game this season, New Mexico State. As far as defense, they are sound all around. Quentin Groves is looking to make a big impact. His play this season has been good, but I don't think it will be too much of a factor.

You all know that we are worried about our offense. We know the potential of our quarterback and receivers, e.g. Tennessee. Our rushing game really needs to establish itself early. Maybe this will be possible with the return of the textbook five. Junior, John Parker Wilson really needs to pull everything together. Senior, DJ Hall and Keith Brown need to go out on a statement as two of the best receivers. Our defense has been pretty good all season long. It would be nice to come out early and make a good defense play, e.g. pick six, fumble return, block kick.

There is no need to ask these players to get fired up. And we all know that our fans our hot after last weekend. It's time to stop the streak. As Saban said, "Changes in history usually occur after some kind of catastrophic event," he didn't further comment fully on this, but I will continue it like everyone knows. Last weekend was a catastrophic event for the Tide nation. It's time for us to pull together and make a statement against this Aubie, whether a family member, co-worker, friend, or driver of that gay Auburn tag. It's time for the Tide to Roll!

Happy Thanksgiving......

Wishing Everyone a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving. ROLL TIDE.

What's the best road sign in Auburn?

Tuscaloosa - 120 miles

An Auburn Cheerleader came home and complained of the high gas prices. And furthermore, she was really tired of having to buy 'that old gas'. "I always have to buy the gas from '87, it's all I can afford. It would really be nice to be able to buy some of the newer gas, like the '89 or even the '91. As a matter of fact, I was wondering: Why haven't they made any gas since 1991?"

How do you get an Auburn student off your porch? Pay him for the pizza!

A guy goes into a bar and asks the bartender if he wants to hear a good Auburn joke. The bartender says, "Before you tell it, you should know that I am 6-2 and weigh 225 and I'm an Auburn fan. See that guy at the end of the bar? He's 6-4 and weighs 250 and he's an Auburn fan, too. And see the guy at the other end of the bar? He's 6-6 and weighs 280 and he's an Auburn fan, too! Now, do you still want to tell your Auburn joke?" The guy says, "Nah." To which the bartender smiles and says, "What's the matter? Are you chicken?" The guy says, "Nah. I just don't want to have to explain it three times."

What's your favorite Auburn joke? Let us know!

Mid-week Miscellaneous

If you haven't heard, Siran Stacy, running back for the Tide '89-'91 was involved in a fatal wreck.

Saban used some odd examples in his press conference that might start giving him some heat.

Is Wilson's new way of looking at film going to help him break out of this slump?

I know you want a win. I think Gillberry wants it more.

The textbook five are back. Let's hope that make up for their loss.

Rivalry weeks schedule.

Here's the latest Heisman watch from ESPN.

November 17 2001............

That was the last day the Crimson Tide celebrated victory over the Auburn tigers. On that day we trounced the Tigers 31-7 down on the plain. We were led by Andrew Zow who was 22-29 for 221 yards and two touchdowns. We also got two 100 yard rushers that game in Santonio Beard and Ahmad Galloway. The memorable play from this game was Zow scrambling and hitting Jason Mcaddley for a 45 yard touchdown pass for the go ahead score and we never looked back. This is the play seen on the pregame video.

Greatest college football rivalry

Alabama and Auburn played their first football game in Lakeview Park in Birmingham, Alabama on February 22, 1893. Auburn won, 32-22, before an estimated crowd of 2,000. The early series of the game was suspended in 1907 with disagreement between the schools. In 1948 the schools resolved their conflict and re-established the series in the largest stadium in the state, Legion Field. Alabama won, 55-0, the most lopsided victory to date. From 1948 to 1988 the series was played in Birmingham, Alabama. The tough rivalry between the team and the location contributed to the title of the Iron Bowl.

Through the years legends passed through, most notable, Shug Jordan and Bear Bryant. Bryant dominated the rivalry through the years by posting a 19-6 record with a longest streak of nine through '73-'81. A lot of great games played have been marked with titles such as "The Mud Bowl" and "The Kick". While others have been marked with despair, as "Punt Bama, Punt" and "Bo over the top".

Since the dominance of the Bear, the Tide has had nine head coaches and the Tigers, five. The last victory against the Tigers to date is November 11, 2001 where the Tide won 31-7. Auburn has posted five victories since then. Every year, the two schools face off in a rivalry game where records don't matter, hero's are born, and family's break apart. The winner of the game receives the Foy-ODK Sportsmanship Award trophy, which is presented at halftime of the Auburn-Alabama basketball game later in the year at the winner's coliseum.

November 24, 2007 will be the 72nd meeting. Alabama leads the series 38-32-1.

Since the retirement of Bear Bryant following the 1982 season, Auburn leads the series 14-10.

Auburn has only had one other series winning five in a row, '54-'58.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban is 2-3 (.400) in his career against the Auburn Tigers.

Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville is 6-6 (.455) in his head coaching career against Alabama, 6-2 (.750) as head coach at Auburn.

Alabama head coaches are 6-10 (.375) in their first game against Auburn.

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville lost his first Alabama-Auburn game, falling 28-17 at Jordan Hare Stadium in 1999.

Alabama is 7-1-2 (.800) in games played on Nov. 24 and has not played on this date since the 1956 season.

The Crimson Tide's last game on Nov. 24 was a 13-13 tie with Southern Mississippi in Tuscaloosa during the 1956 season.

Auburn has an all-time record of 6-5-2 in games played on Nov. 24, but has not played on this date since 1962, a 14-14 tie with Florida State.

Alabama and Auburn have never met on this date.

To read more about the game's players, coaches and history, visit RollTide.com.

Running out of things to be thankful for...

The Tide fell to Belmont tonight at Coleman Coliseum to suffer their first loss of the season, 85-83 to make them 3-1. Junior forward Richard Hendrix scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his third straight double-double to start the season. The next game is against Southern Mississippi at home. Tip-off is at 7:00PM.

If you don't know yet, Alabama is playing in a SEC-Big East showdown at the BJCC on December 5th. Alabama will play Georgetown and Auburn will play West Virgina. You can find some tickets for the game at StubHub.

Player update

The Tide learned Saturday morning that the textbook five will be available for the Iron Bowl.

Javier Arenas looks pretty doubtful after his high ankle sprain Saturday.

If you haven't heard, Victor Ellis, linebacker '98-'01, has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Support and read more here.

It's time to take responsibility

Ok, I'll admit it. I am embarrassed. I am jealous. Worst of all, I am afraid of what next week might bring. All I want to do is point fingers. Who's to blame? The only obvious answer is JPW. Honestly, he is not even close to being the problem. Some want to blame Shula. But how can we blame him when he took a majority of these players 10-2. So who's left? We have the current coaches. Would you really start pointing the finger at the guy that we are paying 4 million? What about Applewhite? Who runs a toss sweep on first down on your own forty when you are down by seven with less than three minutes? Do we have no play that can get us past fourth and one? Over at the Capstone Report, they want to blame you.

I feel that the players have to take responsibility. They have to demand better of themselves. We don't have the drive to win. Saban said it best, "The season is long. What we do demands a lot of commitment and perseverance. You have to challenge yourself. You have to keep pushing yourself. It's about not taking the easy way. I'm not sure we've done that."

But wait, aren't the players I am talking about not having the drive to be better, to win, the players that went 10-2? Shula did not coach these players. He was their friend. He let them run around and do what they wanted to do. They had fun. They did well, e.g. Middle Tenn. – State. But when push came to shove, these players couldn't be coached to a win, e.g. LSU & Auburn. Now we have a guy come in that doesn't want to be their friend. He wants to give us our money's worth. But like Bear Bryant always said, "You can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit." That's what this coaching staff is trying to do. Of course you have your exceptions, but they are few and far between.

The loss this past weekend was driven by the thought that we are Alabama. We are going to win. We don't have to get better this week. As one player said, "We let a lot of people down. We shouldn't have lost. We're Alabama. We're supposed to win…" All in all, these players have to be broken down before they can be coached up. They have to get rid of this attitude. But, I myself have it all wrong. I am looking for someone to blame, the players, Shula, the coaching staff. But there is one guy that says this, "I think we're all responsible for it. It starts with me." - Nick Saban

It was what it is

After the loss to Mississippi State, it was ok to be quick to anger and apologize for words not meant later. After Saturday, we all must choose our words wise.

Speechless.......

I am speechless. I don't know what to say. Yesterday was one of the lowest moments in Alabama football. I would say the lowest but how could it beat being put on probation, which is actually what led us to this moment, but i digress. We came out yesterday and played with no emotion. We thought because we were Alabama they were going to roll over and give us the victory. Well when it was 7-7 at the end of the first quarter we found out that was not the case. For the lucky that did not make it to the game let me tell you what happened. We got WHIPPED. We gave up touchdown drives of 80 and 65 yards. They ran on us with ease. We could not sustain drives. We turned the ball over four times. Two of which were at their 19 yard line. Here are some numbers for you....

0-The number of points Alabama scored in the second half.

600,000-The number of dollars Alabama paid Louisiana-Monroe for what was supposed to be an easy win.

0- The number of plays D.J. Hall played in the first half for breaking team rules.

8- The number of consecutive losses in November.

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Here is a link to Saban's press conference after the game.

Just to add insult to injury click here.

Just a note.....

I will never second guess Saban again. He knew Jimmy Johns wasn't good enough to be playing and I thought he was.

With our loss, we may not be going bowling after all.

In case you were wondering the Chiefs lost to the Colts today, Brody was 19-27 for 169 yards and a touchdown.

Bama / LaMonroe Preview

Standing at 6-4, we host the previously known as Indians and now second year as Warhawks from Monroe, Louisiana. The game is scheduled to kick off at 1:30 PM and as mentioned earlier this week, it will not be televised. So once again, make sure you know your AM/FM station.

The Warhawks are not looking too good this season sitting at 4-6, 1-4 on the road. Kinsmon Lancaster is going to be leading the spread offense at quarterback, while Calvin Dawson will be running about. Lancaster looks to be a pretty good dual threat quarterback throwing for over 1600 yards and rushing around the mid 300's. Dawson is going to be their running attack. He has put up 1257 with his best game of almost 200 rushing yards with 3 touchdowns in their loss to Middle Tennessee.

The Warhawks defense is probably going to look terrible. They have given up 28 or more points 9 times this season so far and 40 or more three times. So far, their worst loss has been to A&M 54-14.

The Tide should continue doing what they have on defense. It would be nice to get some guys make some good defense plays, e.g. pick six, fumble return, safety, to get them fired up for the Iron Bowl. The offense should take this game as a way to, let's see, "play a complete game", "play consistently", and work on their "mental process"... "aight". Caldwell, Davis and Stabler are still going to be out. We might see some of Jimmy Johns at tailback. And I know D.J. is going to be open, but I"ll be dang if JPW doesn't work on his vision. Expect some action from a lot of punts by Arenas. I doubt we will see much of Tiffin besides PAT's.

This will be the last home game for our seniors. We pretty much know we are going to see them play out with a win. All 22 have done a pretty dang good job over the past four and five years. I just hate they couldn't be coming in right now.

Fours and fives

I'm pretty sure if you are an avid Alabama football blogger, you've heard the news about Don'ta Hightower.

Here is the complete 2008 Alabama football commitment list.

Mid-week Miscellaneous

This guy look familiar?

Brodie looks to be getting the start against the Colts this Sunday.

Saban's weekly press conference.

Once again, a full week of college football.

Some info about our next upcoming opponent.

Let's hope our offense finds their identity this week before the showdown in Auburn.

Head over to ESPN.com and vote for Coach Bryant as the greatest college coach of all time. He is currently trailing Tom Osborne (are you serious). So everyone get over and vote.

Seems as if Saban's stance on backing Wilson may be fading.

Here are the latest rankings.

Lincoln financial was just bought out by Raycom ,unfortunately they said there will be no major changes you can read the story here.

Here is an article that mentions each of Wilson's struggles this seaon. Head on over and read it if you want to rememeber what could have been.

News and Notes....

Sophomore place kicker Leigh Tiffin was named SEC special Teams player of the week for his performance against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Tiffin made kicks of 29, 39, 50 and 51. Tiffin has connected on his last 9 kicks. The 51 yard field goal is tied for ninth longest in school history. For the season, Tiffin is 21-of-28 in field goals and is three makes shy of the school record of 24 set by Phillip Doyle in 1990. He has not missed a field goal since his 48-yard miss in the second quarter of the win over Tennessee and has converted 16 of his last 18 attempts dating back to the final quarter of the Arkansas game on Sept. 15.

On another note the Iron Bowl time has been set for 7 pm. It will be telecast by ESPN. It will be the first time since 2003 the Iron Bowl will be on ESPN. In recent years CBS has had the game as its 2:30 telecast. It will be good to have an Iron Bowl under the lights for the first time in a while.

Let's pause for station identification...

This upcoming weekends game against Louisiana at Monroe will be the first time an Alabama game has not been televised since the '02 season, November 9th versus Mississippi State. How fitting. Hey, we won 28-14!

Courtesy of Gump4Heisman, I would like to provide you with some outtakes from Eli and the Snake.

Find you local station that will carry the game, AM/FM.

Third Tier Bowl Here We Come

With the defeat on Saturday we pretty much eliminated our chances of going to what I would call second tier bowls such as the Capital One, Cotton and even Outback. If our offense doesn't improve we will find ourselves in a dog fight with La Monroe and losing big to Auburn again. Which will more than likely put us in position for some pretty bad bowls. The Music City or possibly Shreveport again. If we can right the ship though and pull out two straight we can go to an upper 3rd tier such as the Liberty or the Peach bowl. These would still be a disappointment considering the possibilities we had on Friday.

The Season can still be considered a pretty good success if we can finally beat Auburn. If we can beat La Monroe, Auburn and win our bowl game we can finish 9-4. That isn't what people were hoping for but it is a much better turn around that last seasons

Interesting comments...

Courtesy of Roll Bama Roll:

Depleted and Mediocre
Having a great head coach(that WILL do great things) does not overcome a depleted depth chart(minus 5 who break the rules at the expense of their team), and a quarterback that is mediocre at best. Why not cut our losses and give the other QB's a chance. JPW's days are numbered as being a starter anyway.

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Just a thought...
If Wilson were even mediocre, we'd have beaten FSU and MSU. The way this kid has played the past two weeks, he needs a pair of damn good binoculars just to stare up at mediocre.

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Good Point
He's not as good of a QB as Rush Propst is hiding a secret family.

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Hmm...
Well, I suppose you have to figure that if Propst could cover up a secret family for like a decade, he could definitely cover up Wilson's crappy abilities for three years as a starter at Hoover.

Not Croomed....... Wilsoned!

• 16/35, 122 yds, 2 int, 3.5 yards/pass
• ~12 passes thrown away
• ~10 passes thrown off back foot
• ~15 should step up in the pocket instead of falling back

After this performance, there better be a come-to-Jesus talk in Davis Wade's visitor locker room.

"If you continue to do what you've always done, you'll continue to get what you've always gotten. Guaranteed." You can take the Shula out of Alabama, but you can't take the Shula players off the field.

Keys to Success..

I can hear the cow bells now

Here is a few of things we have to accomplish tomorrow in order to win the game...

• Get ahead early, their fans are excited with the prospect of going to a bowl game for the first time in a while. We need to take them out of it early.
• Get the ground game going. Everyone knows last week we struggled on the ground. The O-Line needs to come out and redeem themselves.
• Protect JP, he can be accurate if he has time.
• Force turnovers, Dixon (State's back) had 3 or 4 fumbles against Kentucky hit him hard and he should put it on the ground.
• Put pressure on their freshman, Carroll is their third string quarterback but he hasn't been playing like it. If we can get pressure on him he will make some bad decisions.
• BLOCK Titus Brown, last year he single handedly destroyed our offense.
• Play solid in the secondary, last week we played soft when we had the lead and allowed them to throw right down the field.

These are a few of the things we need to do. But when it comes down to it, it is still State. I know, I know they beat Auburn and Kentucky but still. We are a much better team than they are and we need to go out and play like it.

Bowl whipped

Teams in the SEC conference, 12. Teams currently bowl eligible, 9. Teams with possibility of becoming bowl eligible, 2. Total, 11. Bowl's affiliated with SEC, 8.

Here's how it could look:

• BCS championship game: LSU vs. Ohio State
• Sugar: Georgia vs. Hawaii
• Capital One: Tennessee vs. Michigan
• Outback: Florida vs. Penn State
• Cotton: Alabama vs. Missouri
• Chick-fil-a: Auburn vs. Boston College
• Liberty: Arkansas vs. Houston
• Music City: South Carolina vs. Wake Forest
• Independence: Kentucky vs. Oklahoma State
• Texas: Mississippi State vs. Texas A&M (Conference USA-affiliated bowl in Houston, but league will be short of qualified teams.)
  

Bama / State Preview

It’s time to head to Starkville after a heartbreaking loss to LSU. The Tide, still holding tight to the top 25, will also be looking to avenge a loss last year to the Bulldogs, when MSU snapped a 23-game SEC road losing streak. Alabama had won the previous five meetings with Mississippi State by a combined 137-45 margin, and had not lost at home to the Bulldogs since 1997 (20-32). Although as stated in a previous post, we haven't scored an offensive touchdown against State since 2004. But in contrast, we have put the goose egg on the Bulldogs the past two visits there.

State looks to come in with good momentum after a bye week and a win over a No.14 Kentucky (31-14). Their work horse is going to be Anthony Dixon who has 885 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. State has no receiver that should give us any trouble, with their leader, Tony Burks, only bringing in a little over 300. The freshman Wesley Carroll, who most likely will start for the Dogs, has not thrown a pick yet this season. The Tide’s secondary has picked 10 from the air over the past four games to tie the conference with 15 total. It’d be nice to give him his first.

This past weeks 14 of 40 that J.P. Wilson posted looked similar to last years 19 of 39 against the Bulldogs. I bet Cody will address that in his keys to success. The D is going to have to come through if J.P. can’t produce. I’m looking for our offense to come out and post some good numbers. Just to give you a heads up, Wilson has thrown for over 2000 yards this season and Hall needs 160 to break a thousand.

The Tide has posted up better numbers in passing yards, rushing yards and points scored. If it gets close at the end we should be able to pull it out; with Saban getting the team to play complete game, “aight”. State is only 4-12 since 2001 in games decided by seven points or less.

I’m looking forward to sitting back and relaxing all afternoon post game knowing that the Tide has turned and that other school is got the label of “Croomed”.

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Since things do change before gametime I thought I would add updates to the bottom.

It seems that Dixon may not play very much after all. He had a case of fumbleitis against Kentucky and Sly said he may not play.

On the Tide side, it appears Chris Capps may sneak back into the starting lineup Saturday. Mike Johnson will probably be starting at guard and Capps will fill in for him. You may remember him last year in the State game. He let Titus Brown run all around him and sack JP, bad news for us Mr. Brown is still playing for State and they will probably try to exploit the mismatch.

Recruiting Update...

I know many of you have heard about the great recruiting coach Saban has been doing. I thought I would just give you a little information and links about how the whole recruiting process is going. This past weekend we had many of the top high school players in the country make the trip to Tuscaloosa for the LSU game. The way we played and the atmosphere have already payed off. Yesterday, Barrett Jones a four star offensive lineman out of Memphis committed to the tide. And on Monday the Tide received a commitment from a 6'6 325 pound defensive linemen, DJ Fluker for the class of 2009. Add Jones to the other two big offensive line commitments of 5 star Tyler Love, and 4 star John Michael Boswell and our offensive line is beginning to look very good for the next couple of years. The 08 class is highlighted by two 5 star recruits Love and Burton Scott(ATH).

The 08 class is currently ranked 3rd in the nation with the opportunity to be the no. 1. We have several key prospects interested in the Tide. The most notable is 6'4 215 lb Julio Jones (pictured above) out of Foley, AL. He is currently listed as the no.1 overall player by ESPN. You can see many other high profile prospects we are targeting here.

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Rivals has a very good article on Saban and his recruting.

Here is an up to date recruiting rankings.

Mid-week Miscellaneous

Indisputable video evidence?

Just like week 6, we luck up and get college football tonight through Saturday.

If you would like to check out how the Tide is doing statistically, check it out here.

Some good game photos of the season can be found here.

It would be nice to take out some frustration on State.

Saban's weekly press conference.

Roll Tide Analysis thinks we have an upcoming recipe for disaster.

Last year's loss to State took us on a downward spiral. We are all looking foward to this week's game to shift the momentum to finish the season on top. Did you know that we haven't scored an offensive touchdown against Mississippi State since 2004. Later in the week look for the Bama/State preview.

Where do we go from here?

We are sitting at 6-3 with three games left. This weekend we have State followed by La Monroe and then the finale with Auburn. Our chances of making it to Atlanta are pretty dismal. We would need LSU to lose twice which just will not happen. But all is not lost. We still have a legitimate shot at finishing the year at 9-3, possibly 10-3 with a win in our bowl game, which would be a success under any first year coach. If we win out we would finish 6-2 in the conference and be heading to the Cotton Bowl more than likely to play Kansas. If we were to lose one the Peach Bowl would probably be the likely spot for the Tide against Clemson. Two Bowdens in one year, man i hope not. So hopefully we will win out and head to the Cotton Bowl.

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There is a very interesting storyline brewing out in College Station. Fran is out at the end of the year and word is that they want Tuberville. I can see the headline now, "Saban runs Tubby out of town". I personally do not want Tubby to leave. I want him to be here for the next 5 or 6 years when we are taking them behind the shed. I want him to fear our THUMB. I want him to be the catalyst for Auburn falling into mediocrity. It is coming soon, anyone who has watched them play this year can see it coming. It would be a smart move by Tubby get out while you can. It will be the only way to escape the impending defeats you will be receiving in the years to come at the hands of the Tide.

Look for the Bama vs. Mississippi State preview in the next few days.
ROLL TIDE

Why?

Where should I start? I could start with talking about the refs? Maybe I could start with the running game? I could act like everyone else and talk about the o-line and J.P. Has anyone thought about adding ole Fitzgerald into the fire?

What about excuses? Once again, do I talk about the officiating? It would be a real good time to start mentioning the unfair talent comparison. I most definitely can’t say anything about the coaching. How many re-building years can I sit through?

If someone came to you back in early August and said that in the first of November you would see us sitting 6-3 with a huge win over Tennessee. What about heading towards an achievable 9-3 and well fitting bowl game? What would you say? I would probably have to say that sounds good to me. All in all, what exactly did you expect? Really, what was your prediction? The win over Arkansas has brought nothing but a roller-coaster of emotions for me and my fellow tailgaters.

So, am I going to answer the question why? Probably not. I don’t feel a reason to.

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Memphis Tider has some guys that you might look forward to leaving.

Don’t you love it when you have a coach that knows losing is unacceptable and makes no excuses for it? Press-Register

If you don’t think some LSU fans are humbled, take a look at the first few paragraphs of the Shreveport Times.

BCS week 4.

A fellow tailgater's blog, Roll Tide Analysis's post game emotions.

Looks like Fran's days appeared to be numbered at A&M and word is Tubby is who they want next.

14 for 40

That is JP's completions to attempts in the loss last night. I will give it to him though, he really got no help from the running game/offensive line all night. The game came down to the fact that LSU flat out had more talent than us. Our defense played a good game but they basically played over their heads. Playcalling was suspect, but I really don't have an answer for what else we could of done against that defense. The one playcall I have a problem with is the 3rd and 5 from the 50 with about 7 minutes left and we go deep to DJ. Should of taken a short throw for the 1st down and continued to eat clock. The one positive we can take from this game is that the future looks bright. Believe me I am as tired of hearing that as you are, but honestly if Saban were still wearing purple and gold we would of been beaten by 3-4 touchdowns. The fact of the matter is that Saban brought in 10 of the 11 starters for the LSU defense. Of the 22 starters for LSU yesterday 17 of them were a product of Saban's recruiting.

This loss isn't the end of the world though. We still have a good shot at going 9-3 and possibly heading to the Cotton Bowl. I would consider that a success. We have State this weekend and I expect us to come out on fire to revenge the defeat that gave us last year. I will be heading over to Starkville for the game, if anyone else is heading over let me know and we can try and set up a tailgate or something. Hope to see everyone in two weeks at the La Monroe game.
ROLL TIDE

The Calm Before the Storm

Today I have a feeling of giddyness, it is one like i have never felt before, except for the day before Christmas. Which in a way tomorrow could be just like Christmas. I will either get that gay teletubbie (Alabama Loss) or get the sweet new Xbox 360 fresh with the new Halo 3, yea the one with the actual helmet (Alabama win).
The quad is already packed with tents and it has been since about noon. Unlucky for us, the dumb racing team got our usual spot, but we are still in the same area as I just placed our tents fairly close to theirs and they will get over it. While we were out there the jets were practicing their flyover, which might I add was freaking awesome. Big thanks to Shelby and Brandon for saving the spots for us continuously. For those of you that don' t have the opportunity to be in town today, let me describe it for you. People are EVERYWHERE. I just drove by the Houndstooth a little bit ago and the patio is already packed. All along the river is covered with LSU RV's, so of course I gave my usual yelling of ROLL TIDE to them. I would encourage you all to do the same. We are about to head back to the quad to place the tables, chairs, tvs, etc. People that are coming into town tomorrow, I would suggest leave early. This town is going to be packed and getting around on campus will be near impossible. The word from the city is they are expecting 50,000 people in town that don't have tickets. Add that number to the people that do have tickets and you have a big mess of people. Well were heading out, look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow. ROLL TIDE

Start the countdown

How did you feel at the start of the Tennessee game when you heard that five of our players including two starting guards and back up running back were going to be suspended for the game? I think by the middle of the third quarter you pretty much forgot all about it. Well, I don’t think these guys will be back anytime soon.

Did you know that 19 of LSU's players where recruited by Saban?

As you should know, we are heading to Atlanta if we win out. Who looks to be there for the east? ESPN says it might could end up a six way tie…

• If Georgia loses to Auburn and to Kentucky
• If Tennessee beats Arkansas and loses to Vanderbilt and Kentucky
• If South Carolina loses to Arkansas and beats Florida
• If Florida beats Vanderbilt and loses to South Carolina
• If Kentucky loses to Vanderbilt and beats Tennessee and Georgia
• And if Vanderbilt loses to Florida and beats Kentucky and Tennessee...

...The SEC East will have a six-way tie for the championship at 4-4.

It’s kind of hard to come up with anything more than what has to build up this game. But just in case anyone forgot how exciting the last time LSU came to Tuscaloosa…

Early bird gets the worm

As it has come, we will be out on the quad Saturday as early as we can. For our regulars we are going to be hitting up the hotdogs as usual. Rumor has it though we might be getting some homemade chili. All in all, I think we are going to have a good day. I hope everyone gets there early.

How could you not want a hotdog?

As we saw in 2005, LSU fans bring a party. If you haven’t heard yet, they are bringing some special souvenirs with them.

If your planning on stopping and hanging out, don’t forget to bring a chair…

Just to add to Tommy's information, everyone is supposed to wear crimson on Saturday in an attempt to "Crimson Out" Tuscaloosa, so everyone grab your favorite Crimson shirt and wear it. Also, we should have plenty of "drinks" but feel free to bring whatever you would like to drink. This type should be sufficient....

Throwdown in T-Town

Keys to Victory

• Control first down on offense and defense. Have to stay out of 3rd and long, they're d-line will dominate if they can pin their ears back and come after JP.
  
• DO NOT get behind, this is not a team we want to have to play catch up on.
• Get the running game going early, this will open up the field for JP and DJ.
• Get at least one big play on special teams, field position will be key.
• Get Zeke Knight healthy, he is a big factor on our defense.
• Coaching adjustments will be key in the second half, Applewhite will have to out coach Pelini for us to win.
• Kareem Jackson will have to play big when he is covering Early Doucet and Tolliver, they are going to try to isolate him.
• Make Les look like an idiot when he makes those ridiculous gambles.

Season of Saban

The Crimson Tide are 6-2 under first year head coach Nick Saban. The Tide has had its share of up's this season highlighted by a late touchdown to seal the game against Arkansas and a 42-17 thrashing of the Tennessee Vols. Almost as exciting has been the emergence of DJ Hall as unstoppable force (just ask the Tennessee secondary). Coach Saban has the team ready for a run at the SEC West with a HUGE game coming up this weekend against the LSU Tigers. The winner of this game controls their own destiny in the SEC race. With these highs also come lows. The overtime loss to Georgia and the current "textbook gate" have cast a shadow over an otherwise bright season. We have four games remaining in the regular season with the season finale against that team from across the state. If things work out right we'll find ourselves in Atlanta for the SEC Championship game. Whatever happens Saban has our program headed in the right direction. He is laying the framework to take us back to National Prominence.

Better late than never

It might be a little late to start a tailgating blog, but we might as well try it out and get some feedback. Maybe a some last season practice and some off-season tweaks, we can have it up and running for Saban'08.

Anyway, welcome to TipsyTiders.blogspot.com! This sight is dedicated to the tailgating crew of the Tipsy Tiders and close friends.

Hopefully we can get some good posts going and start using this for some good communication for each weeks gameday tailgating event. Feel free to contact us and give as much feedback as possible tipsytiders@gmail.com.