Ingram for Heisman

Check out the new blog dedicated to Ingram's bid for the Heisman. I am hoping we can triple dip this year...SEC Champs...National Champs...and Heisman for Ingram.

www.ingramforheisman.com/

Great Cause

Looks like South Carolina and Maryland will be donning camouflage versions of their uniforms for their games on November 14th. This will be done to raise money and support for Wounded Warriors which is a group that aids wounded soldiers and their families. Sounds like an awesome cause to me and I hope they are very successful. By the way...South Carolina will be playing Florida that weekend...so they will need all the help they can get. Below are some pictures and the official press release. Pictures courtesy of the Associated Press.




"The University of South Carolina football team will wear uniforms with a camouflage design for their November 14 game against the University of Florida, three days after Veterans Day.

An announcement was scheduled Tuesday by USC and the University of Maryland, the other school participating in the display. The effort will honor those who have served in the military and promote the Wounded Warrior Project.

The black with tan camouflage uniforms, designed by Under Armour, will have a Wounded Warrior logo on them. Instead of players' names, the backs of the jerseys will have words such as courage, loyalty, integrity and service."

Feels Like Football

Finally...it feels like football here in God's country. After weeks of hot, humid, and rainy weather we have that cool crisp in the air. It made for some great tailgating this past weekend and I am hoping for the same this coming weekend.

First, a recap from Homecoming. The Tide defense continues to impress by keeping another SEC opponent from putting the ball in the end zone. South Carolina was only able to put 6 points on the board by making 2 out of 3 field goals. As bad as our offense looked...we were able to still win by 14 points, thanks to a defensive touchdown care of Mark Barron. As of right now...no other team in the SEC can say they have won every game this year by double digits...and that includes the Gators down in Florida.

Mark Ingram is a legit Heisman candidate in my opinion. He proved that this pas weekend. South Carolina has a darn good defense, but they just couldn't bring 'ol number 22 down. I just hate that he only scored one TD the whole game. Running for almost 250 yards against an SEC defense is practically unheard of. And he did it on a continuous basis...not just a few long runs like Ben Tate did against Arkansas. Ingram is the truth...and I hope he continues to stay healthy and improve.

Which brings us to this Saturday...the Third (err Fourth) Saturday in October. Many consider Tennessee to be Alabama's number one rival. I am not going to get into that...but I will admit that beating Tennessee just gives a certain level of satisfaction that no other team can. This will be Lane Kiffin's first time in Bryant-Denny...and we ought to give him a hearty welcome. If he thinks Florida was going to give him a tough game...he ain't seen nothin' yet. Ask Arkansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss, and South Carolina.

If we can keep Crompton uncomfortable, it could get ugly for the Vols. Sure they have a great RB, but a few hits from our front seven and he won't be hitting those holes as quickly as before. The Vols have a good defense, but I think this is the turning point for the Tide offense. GMac will have a banner day and Ingram continues to wear other teams down. The score might be a tad close at halftime...but the Tide pours it on in the second half.

Don't forget to bring your cigars on Saturday.

Bama: 31
Tenn: 13

6 Down...6 To Go

We are half way through the 2009 season and I think the one word that comes to mind is...

Defense

In the past three games, our defense has been nothing short of spectacular. Our problem of giving up 1-2 big plays was corrected against the Rebels, and I hope corrected for good. Not only is our defense talented and well coached, but they seem to almost always be in position to make big plays. Just take a look at the Kentucky and Ole Miss games to see examples of this.

Rolando McClain is preparing himself to be a top 10 pick, and that spot could climb higher in the weeks to come. The only way I could see him returning is to win a National Championship. But still, I think we have so much talent that he will make the leap and let the younger guys play next year. Who would have thought that our front seven would be even more amazing with Hightower out? I honestly think it is superior coaching and preparation combined with McClain making sure everyone is in position.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the great play by Mark Ingram during all of this. Even when it seemed like Ole Miss had our number, Ingram found a way to score before the half. That was most likely the nail in the coffin for the Rebels. Ingram is playing as well as any other RB in the nation right now and I think he will continue to get better and better each week. Don't worry...Julio will get his catches and TDs...

Which brings me to this weekend. It's Homecoming in Tuscaloosa and we play the Gamecocks of South Carolina. They have a good defense and a QB who seems to be playing better each week. I think we will win because we are just simply better. The spread right now is around 17 points in favor of the good guys and I don't think that will be very tough to reach. We should be able to rattle Garcia and I am hoping that our offense will find more success than they had against Ole Miss. Should be a good one...night games in Bryant-Denny are always fun. Kickoff is at 6:45 PM Central on ESPN. Hope to see you all on the Quad this Saturday!

Check out UAGameday.com for details on the Homecoming events.

Bama: 38
USCe: 10

RTR!

End the Streak

I am hoping that a streak will end this weekend in Oxford. No...I don't want the Rebels to finally beat the Tide after losing 5 straight. I think it's time to beat Ole Miss and beat them soundly. We have only outscored the Rebels by a combined total of 13 points over the past 4 years in those games. Alabama looks to be about as solid of team as any in the nation, but we looked like that last year and only won by 4 points...in Bryant-Denny.

Right now I am counting on Ole Miss playing as well as they can. The difference will be whether or not the Tide plays up to their ability. If we can put together a great game plan and execute it, I think we win by a minimum of 17 points. Yes...17 points. As of right now...our average margin of victory is 25+ points...and in the SEC that number is 23 points.

If we can get pressure on Snead (as everyone has already said) and run the ball effectively (again nothing new here) I think we win this in a rout. We'll see though. Houston Nutt has a knack for getting his teams up for a few games each year...and you have to believe our game is one of them.

Yowski's pick...
Alabama: 34
Ole Miss: 14

Time to Mow the (Blue) Grass

We survived yet another SEC opener to put us at 18-0 since the 1992 Championship season. It's amazing that we have not lost an SEC opener in that stretch. I guess playing the likes of Vanderbilt and Arkansas will do that for you...but it's still a great feat when you consider how many bad seasons we have had in that time frame.

A win over the Hogs also kept us undefeated for this season at 4-0. The team looked solid on defense and the offense was able to put up 35 points. We took the best QB in college football...according to his statistics...and hung him out to dry on national TV. Mallett went from having the #1 QB rating in the nation to #27 in one game. At the same time, McElroy vaulted up to be the #3 QB in the nation in terms of passing efficiency. Looks like we have a good one in McElroy.

Now onto the game this weekend. I can see this one being close, only because I think Kentucky has a pretty good defense and playing on the road could cause us to make some key mistakes. If we can continue to score 30+ points...we win this one. If our defense can continue to dominate the 11 guys across from them, this game could end up being a blowout similar to the Arkansas game.

One thing I hope we can do is establish a solid running attack. I want to see some 60-80 yard drives with a good bit of that being on the ground. If the O-Line gives McElroy time, he will get his 250 yards passing. I really hope we can put a beating on the Wildcats this weekend. Let's stay healthy, create some turnovers, and dominate in the trenches.

RTR!