Class

2010-09-14T15:39:00.001-05:00

That is the word that comes to mind when I reflect on this past weekend against Penn State. Great article below from a fellow Tipsy Tider, Jon Fravel.

Alabama the Beautiful: Crimson Tide Rolls to 2-0

Champions

2010-01-12T16:39:00.003-06:00

So...it's been a while since anyone has posted and probably even read here.

We won the national championship. It still hasn't sunk in yet. We are only the third team in history to go 14-0. The first was Ohio State and the other was Boise State...but they don't really count since almost all of those were against flag football teams.

Mark Ingram won the Heisman...first ever at Alabama. Hopefully now all of the "Heisman Haters" at Bama will shut up and recognize the honor that comes with winning the award.

We had 6 first team All-Americans...which is pretty much unheard of. That brings our total to 97 first team All-Americans (T.Cody was first team last year).

I can see/hear it now:
It's 97 first team All-Americans...
It's a college football record 57 bowl appearances...
It's a college football record 32 bowl victories...
It's 22 Southeastern Conference Championships...
It's 13 National Championships!

A-Day should be a blast and the lead-up to this season will be a great one with hopefully another top 5 recruiting class coming in.

What else can I say? We pretty much did everything we could in 2009. I am hoping we can continue to have success and work every day to be a champion because that is what it takes to get to the top and stay there.

Roll Tide!

Back off McElroy

2009-11-03T08:55:00.006-06:00

Now you all know my distain for JP, and usually I wouldn’t be writing this but I think McElroy is on of the best all around QB we have had at Alabama in a long time.

Ok I am going to say that Florida would not be a good team with out Tim Tebow. You can argue all you want with me on that but it is true. There defense is good, but would it be as good with out Coach Tebow. I do want to take a look at the numbers, because that is all we have, right?
...........................CMP ...Att .....Yds .....Cmp% ...TD... Int...Sack
Tim Tebow .......149... 230 ......1323 ....64.7 ......10.... 4 .....17
Greg McElroy ...121 ...202 ......1445 ....59.9 .......9..... 3 ......8

So you tell me how bad Greg McElroy has done this year as a new Junior QB. I mean come on, this is Lord Tebow’s stats. I am not trying to make a case for anyone for Heisman, I am just pointing out numbers. And yes Greg has had “3” bad games, but I am betting if you look back at those games you will see play calling wasn’t the best. It appeared when Greg started to struggle, we took the ball completely out of his hands. That’s a shame. I think that a week of rest after an 8 game in a row streak will help. I am on the verge of saying that this will be a blow out for Alabama, but I won’t. We do best in big games, and I know you are going to say Tennessee was a big game, but were we looking forward to the week off then LSU. I think we were. See you all on Saturday and RTR.

Daniel Moore Wins

2009-11-03T08:34:00.003-06:00

Daniel Moore, the artist beloved by University of Alabama football fans for preserving some of the Crimson Tide's most memorable exploits, won the right to keep painting without having to be licensed by UA.

A federal judge today said in a memorandum opinion that Moore's art does not violate any UA trademark.

Read more here...

So...go and buy the new painting that is currently being worked on, Maximum Block, before the special pricing expires.

Smoke 'Em

2009-11-02T08:58:00.002-06:00

So I am a little late posting about the Tennessee game...sorry about that. What a game though! There are two things we can take from that game. The first one is that Tennessee is going to be good from here on. They have the talent and coaching to be competitive again in the SEC. They are probably a year or two away from being back in the top 15. The second thing is that our team needed an off weekend like I have never seen before. We looked tired and unfocused. We have had some tough games and thankfully came out on top of those. I don't like the fact that we looked so tired though. We have been the kind of team that wore other teams out...and we just didn't look like that against Tennessee.

Hats off to Terrence Cody though. He vaulted himself back to the top of the NFL draft as a DT. Everyone knows how dominant he is by drawing double teams and busting up the middle...but now that he has two blocked FGs...he is more of a complete DT. Having strength combined with speed and timing is key to being a top notch NFL DT. Daniel Moore has announced his next painting "Maximum Block" so go ahead and get your order in before they are sold out. I still have the two paintings from last year that haven't been framed yet...so getting another one will just add to that list.

Now we look ahead to the Tigers of LSU. They are arguably one of the most talented teams in the nation and their offense has had two great games in a row now. Their defense has been incredible as well. They have had a perfect record in Tuscaloosa this decade and are looking to close it out with another win. The last time the Tide beat the Tigers in Bryant-Denny was November 7, 1999...exactly 10 years prior to this coming Saturday. If you don't remember that one...check this out: 1999 Bama vs LSU Goal Line Stand.

The line as of right now is somewhere between 9 and 10 points in favor of the good guys. Looks like Vegas is trying to get a lot of money for LSU and we should see that number end up around 6 by kickoff. Speaking of kickoff...it will be at 2:30 PM on CBS. Tailgating should be the best of the entire season...and it will be up to us, the Tipsy Tiders, to bring our "A" game. I hope all of you can make it out there. We are going to try to have a nice spread of food that includes some Cajun cuisine as well.

If we want to win a National Title this year...this is the game we must win. You take it one week at a time...and this one is as big as any. We have the talent, coaches, and determination to win...we just have to execute. Big defense on 1st and 2nd down will be key. We'll need to create some turnovers and stop getting penalties on kick returns. As far as our offense...if Ingram can get back to true form...we should be fine. I think McElroy will settle down and get back to his former self we saw in the first 5 games. This is it though...time to man up and dominate.

Roll Tide!

Ingram for Heisman

2009-10-22T08:40:00.002-05:00

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

2009-10-21T08:39:00.004-05:00

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

2009-10-20T09:28:00.002-05:00

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

2009-10-14T13:03:00.004-05:00

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

2009-10-09T08:57:00.002-05:00

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

2009-10-01T10:56:00.003-05:00

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!

Gotta Love those stats.

2009-09-24T10:14:00.003-05:00

You all may have seen these stats, but I haven't.
The 3rd ranked Alabama is averaging:
42.3 points/game- personally the best I have seen in years
25.3 First downs/game
512.4 yards/game (267.7 rushing & 244.7 Passing)
As per http://blog.al.com/tide-source/2009/09/inside_alabama_pistol-packin_o.html.
This may be due to what Coach Saban is calling the pistol formation. See above link.

That is all I have to add for now. See you all Saturday on the QUAD. RMFT

Three

2009-09-21T14:44:00.003-05:00

Third game of the season is in the books. The Crimson Tide is 3-0...just like we were last year.

Let's take a look at this point in the season last year.

Alabama was 3-0 with wins against Clemson, Tulane, and Western Kentucky. The results were almost identical to this year. The only main differences are that VA Tech was much more of a challenge than Clemson was and we were able to put FIU away unlike last year against Tulane where special teams accounted for pretty much every point we scored. So, for right now it looks like we are on par or slightly ahead of schedule when compared to last year.

Now we look forward to Arkansas. It can be said that in the past decade, the Alabama/Arkansas game has been the litmus test each team used to determine how ready they are for SEC play. We have seen some great games over the past ten years and some pretty good teams came out of those games.

Arkansas looks to have a very good passing game this year while their running game is still struggling post-McFadden. So, since they are already fairly one-dimensional, it should be easier to force them into situations that hopefully create turnovers. Last year our defense scored two touchdowns off of INTs as well as keeping the Hogs out of the end zone with a goal line stand right before the half. Can we expect the same this coming weekend? I doubt we will get that many points on defense but I do expect us to keep them out of the end zone running the ball up the middle.

If our offense can continue to be both efficient and effective, I think we get the W in Tuscaloosa this weekend. We should have Julio back and we now have a stable of receivers that have the confidence to make big plays when we need them to. We also have a proven RB in Trent Richardson. This will be his first chance at an SEC defense, but I have a feeling he is ready for the challenge, just like Ingram was last year.

So bring on the Hogs...should make for some great tailgating too...weather permitting.

Two Down...

2009-09-15T21:23:00.002-05:00

So we are 2 weeks into the 2009 season...and we are 2-0. I can't say that everything has been perfect so far...but it has been fun to watch. One thing that strikes me about this team is that they truly are the best 4th Quarter team that I have seen in years. Last year's team was big on getting out in front early...and just hanging on for wins. This year's team seems to struggle or coast early and then let the hammer down in the second half.

On Offense:

Greg McElroy is setting himself up to be a great QB when he hangs up his cleats at UA. I know he's only 2 games into his career, but he already shows signs of leadership and determination. Mark Ingram is the kind of RB that you want on your team. He never wants to give up and he gets stronger and stronger as the game goes on. Julio Jones is just better than everyone else...and he's only played 16 games of college football. If we can find ways to get him the ball he will win us games that would normally be close. Trent Richardson is the real deal. He is as talented as any other freshman RB this sport has ever seen. The trick will be getting him the ball and blocking for him. I am guessing he also needs to work on his own blocking as it seems he was taken out on passing plays this past weekend. Colin Peek is everything you want in a TE. He's fast, huge, a great blocker, runs great routes, and he has hands like a WR. Mike McCoy, Darius Hanks, and Marquis Maze have proven that if you only pay attention to Julio Jones...you will get burned this year. The OL, once adjustments are made, seem to be doing just fine. I expect them to be near 100% ready by the time the Hogs roll into town.

On Defense:

Terrence Cody demands double teams which is the reason he is so valuable. Marcel Dareus is the most explosive DE I think we've seen in Tuscaloosa in almost 2 decades. He will be the difference maker once we get to SEC play. Donta'a Hightower is even better than last year...which is amazing. I think he will lead the team in sacks this year and could possibly pass Brandon Spikes for a spot on the 1st Team All-SEC roster if both continue their current trends. Rolando McClain is physically and mentally ready for the NFL and he proves it every snap. If he stays healthy he will win the Butkus. Javier Arenas hasn't been tested too much as a DB...but that is probably because his guys are never open...which is his job. His tackling so far as been right on par with last year. Mark Barron hits harder than anyone else on the team and he also has our only INT if I am correct. I have a feeling he will end up in a Daniel Moore painting before he is through at Alabama.

Jim McElwain has been superb in his preparation as well as adjustments made during the games. I hope he keeps this up. Kirby Smart has this defense hungrier than ever and I don't think he will rest until we get back to Atlanta and finish what we should have last December. Nick Saban continues to impress. I think the reason he is so successful is that he holds himself and his team to higher standards than we do, even us crazy fans. I don't want to get ahead of myself...but I wonder what pose they will use for his statue outside of Bryant-Denny.

Here we are...going into week 3. We should beat North Texas, not only because we are a better team, but because our guys give nothing less than their best every snap. It's something the 2007 team didn't know how to do. Last year's team did it, but they had nowhere near the talent of this team. I've said it before and I will say it again...until we lose I expect us to go undefeated.

RTR!

2009 Pre-Season Thoughts

2009-08-20T10:07:00.005-05:00

It took Wallace Wade 3 years...
It took Frank Thomas 4 years...
It took Bear Bryant 4 years...
It took Gene Stallings 3 years...

Wallace and Bryant won their first National Titles in odd years ('25 and '61)
Thomas and Stallings won their first in even years ('34 and '92)

Nick Saban almost got 'er done in his second year at the Capstone, but a legendary 4th Quarter comeback led by Tim Tebow took the wind out of our season completely. It reminded me a lot of the 2005 season after losing to LSU, we just had no drive to finish the season.

I think this year will be completely different. Our players have confidence, not in their past accomplishments, but rather in their drive to finish. Coach Saban has praised this team more than the previous two combined. That says a lot about their commitment to buy into his philosophy and that everyone appears to be on the same page.

The season begins in Atlanta against arguably the toughest team in the ACC, Virginia Tech. This game has the chance to be a defensive struggle, but that all depends on how well the Tide can do on first down as well as keeping Tech from making big plays on offense. My heart tells me the Tide will come away with a comfortable win, but my gut tells me it will come down to the last 5 to 7 minutes in the fourth quarter. If Alabama leaves the GA Dome with a W, look for them to have a repeat of the first half of the '08 season. Our odd year schedule usually gives us the best opportunities to win the West since we play LSU and Arkansas at home...and unless the Mississippi schools deliver we should win there too. Auburn is down about as low as ever so a good Tide team should be able to run over the Tigers in Jordan-Hare.

The talent is there to make a run for another SEC West Division Championship, it will simply rely on execution and the ability to stay injury-free to make it happen. I like this team, and I like where we are as a program right now. I can't wait to see you guys on the Quad in just over 3 weeks and I hope we can raise a glass to the Crimson Tide being 1-0!

RMFT!

Saban Bowl round 2 to Alabama

2008-11-09T20:37:00.002-06:00

Wow what a game! I know you all watched it, but wow. This was a great test for Alabama. We came from behind and won, we won in OT, and we are now 10-0 (6-0). We are still #1 in the BCS, AP, and coaches poll. This also snapped a 5 game losing streak to LSU. The good news is we are still not getting respect. The latest bowl predictions show us playing in the Sugar Bowl as the losers of the SEC title game to Florida. Great job to JP. He was 15/31 (yes I want to harp on the fact that he was less than 50%, but he had some good plays), 215 yards and no TD’s. It was great, he didn’t get us beat, even with an interception. Julio caught 7 passes for 126 yards, who according to CBS commentators was having a bad game because he was a freshman. I can’t wait to see what he can do at a sophomore level! Coffee continues to be the most important part to our team. He is a great runner, 26 carries for 126 yards. Game review here. MSU game is going to be a 6:45 game. I like Tidesports.com for Coach Nicks review of the game. Don’t forget to vote for Alabama in the Pontiac Game changer.

Were Number 1!!!!!!

2008-11-02T21:41:00.003-06:00

Just seemed the right title. So if you didn’t know, we are the BCS # 1 for the first time this year. I really do not want to be number 1, I liked number 2. We were hailed for not being that good. Even during the Florida/Georgia beat down they stated that Florida would rather play an unbeaten Alabama team in the SEC championship. I know Coach Saban will squash any thought that we are number one (Sighting past comments, and looking at what we have done in not finishing). Way to go guys with the last two games. Your domination of Tennessee was impressive, especially the way you finished. Thanks for the first shut out since 2005 this weekend in beating the Red Wolves ( Former Indians). Great job Ingram (12 carries, 113 yards.) and Julio and Marquis Maze looked pretty good to. Yet again we finished a game, looking stronger in the second half than in the first. ( We are 37-6 in the second half in the last two games). Now for the pessimistic look that you have been waiting for. We play a real team this week in LSU. JP was still 15/28. Didn’t hit a pass for over 25 yards, and looked shaky at times. The good news is he looks better than even 3 weeks ago. LSU is not as bad as they looked against Georgia. They will score over 20 points in this game. We have to play our game. Keep their offense off the field and let our defense rest. Mount Cody will hopefully be back this week. All we need in to win two out of the three remaining games to go to the SEC championship game. If you look at the rankings, with the new rank of Florida at 4, it sets up for the SEC championship to be the precursor to the (game that will not be spoken of). I will caution, we have been here before, 9-0, LSU at home, lost next two games and went to play Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. LSU is a major game, we all know this. I hope we don’t fall asleep for MSU also. ROLL TIDE ROLL. Great job guys, lets just keep finishing. Just a side note, Texas Tech looks like the fastest thing in the Big 12. They made Texas look like a joke.

7-0 (4-0). What more can you say?

2008-10-20T14:47:00.001-05:00

Thank God we are number 2. This weekend was not the prettiest of games, but in the words of Coach Saban “Any win in this conference is important.” Ole Miss was no shim-sham team, so it was a good win. Our problem is still the second half. Ole Miss pretty much dominated everything in the statistics world. Ole Miss was 359 to our 326 total yards and held our running game to under 110 yards. They also won TOP by 10 seconds. We also allowed points for the first time this game and also trailed for the first time this year in this game. JP did throw for season high 219 yards, let’s hope he can keep that up with out the interceptions. And what about MOUNT CODY. Updates are saying he will be out for 2-4 weeks with a strained MCL. Lets hope that doesn’t hurt us to bad. Loved seeing him as a fullback though. Saban’s post game interview is hilarious if you haven’t seen it. This is a short what is going on. I will post a little later for a Fat Phil review. Way to go Tampa Bay “Devil” Rays.

WOW what a weekend for college football

2008-10-12T20:32:00.001-05:00

First of all, thank you Texas and Oklahoma State. I hate it for you Vandy ( I still really dislike old Croony), and I wish Florida would have fell on their face. Now that was said, I am extremely glad we still are hanging #2 in the AP poll and we are also #2 in USA poll. I like # 2. People are still saying that we are overrated and that we are ranked to high and I like that. I am sure Coach Saban thinks that also. Check out this site, coachsaban.net, thanks Memphis Tider,. If you want a great read, check out this Auburn site. Man isn’t funny how they preach patients, and that we “Bamers” are quick on the trigger and their own coach has canned 2 offensive coordinators two years, middle of the year, in a row. Gotta love it. If you check out the ESPN home page you see we are not mentioned anywhere. That is great to me. Let everyone pay attention to the Weak12, and ignore us. We have to finish and I feel that Coach will have the team clicking. 6-0 at the beginning of the season would have been a dream, and we just need to be weary of a fall. Ole Miss is definatley a bomb waiting to happen. Mainly we don’t know which team is going to show up, be it the team that beat Florida, or lost to Wake Forest, SC or Vandy. Lets just see.

Just in case you didn’t know

2008-10-08T15:34:00.001-05:00

Franklin out as Auburn’s offensive coordinator. Boy they didn’t let him even try. Looks like old Tommy is covering his butt. This is from the man who claimed he is all about the coaching staff. Way to go Tommy, way to go.

Hank, why do we drink?

2008-10-06T13:46:00.002-05:00

Hank Williams, Jr to play at UA homecoming

Job well done Vandy, job well done....

2008-10-06T13:15:00.001-05:00

Auburn kicker Wes Byrum (18) misses an extra point try

Preseason Preview Review (New Mid Season Preview)

2008-10-06T12:31:00.002-05:00

At the turn I thought I would recap my season preview posted back in August. I know most of you are surprised at what this season has brought so far. However, surprised not of astonished by wonder, but surprised that of experiencing the pleasant feelings caused by something good that was unexpected or unanticipated.

To recap the first six:

CLEMSON

I said what better way to make a statement. Little did I know what statement we were going to make (e.g. Clemson - 0 rushing yards)!
Prediction: Clemson 21, Alabama 10
Actual: Alabama 34, Clemson 10

TULANE

I said stated that this would be a "complete" game. Direct opposite.
Prediction: Alabama 27, Tulane 6
Actual: Alabama 20, Tulane 6

WESTERN KENTUCKY

Pretty much known.
Prediction: Alabama 45, W. Kentucky 7
Actual: Alabama 41, W. Kentucky 7

ARKANSAS

Like I said, it's going to be a tough year for Arkansas.
Prediction: Alabama 31, Arkansas 14
Actual: Alabama 49, Arkansas 14

GEORGIA

It has never felt so good to be so wrong.
Prediction: Georgia 21, Alabama 17
Actual: Alabama 41, Georgia 30

KENTUCKY

Really wanted better. Never would of had Kentucky coming in to the game undefeated.
Prediction: Alabama 35, Kentucky 7
Actual: Alabama 17, Kentucky 14

So with that, I would like to revise my second half season preview with a mid season preview with what I have learned thus far.

Mid-season Preview:

OLE MISS

We knew they would be struggling, but didn't think they would pull off at Florida. Still thinking we will hold strong throughout the game.
Was: Alabama 24, Mississippi 3
Now: Alabama 27, Mississippi 10

TENNESSEE

I stated it won't be the 41-17 of last year. Now I'm thinking it could be worse.
Was: Alabama 24, Tennessee 21
Now: Alabama 35, Tennessee 14

ARKANSAS STATE

Might as well played Western Kentucky again.
No Change: Alabama 38, Arkansas State 6

LSU

The team has proven they show up for big games and this atmosphere is going to more tough that of Athens. I do not think LSU will be undefeated at this point, but I think they will put up a good fight.
Was: LSU 17, Alabama 14
Now: Alabama 17, LSU 14

MISSISSIPPI STATE

I'm feeling another win like 2005 but at home.
No Change: Alabama 17, MSU 0

IRON BOWL

Words will not express.
No Change: Alabama 21, Auburn 12

ALABAMA (12-0 overall; 8-0 conference)

Look what the Voters have done!!!!

2008-10-06T10:32:00.001-05:00

Worse team in the top ten goes to… BYU. I mean come on voters, how in the world are you voting a team into the top ten who has played such a bad schedule as BYU. Their opponents are 8-18, with Washington at 0-5 (and they barely squeaked that one out 28-27) and three other teams with a losing record so far. I mean come on, you drop Georgia after a bye week, and now you are placing a team like BYU in the top ten. Well yes they did beat a UCLA team that beat a horrible Tennessee team, which just a side note UCLA and USC are currently tied in the PAC 10, ( man that is a tough conference). UCLA is 2-3 after they played Tennessee. Just looking at their schedule I am afraid that BYU is going to get the courtesy nod all the way to the top 5, since their hardest game is going to be the currently ranked #14 Utah at the end of the year. That is a bad thing if they end up there.

Would-a could-a's leave Cats scratching their heads

2008-10-05T21:21:00.001-05:00

Well, if you watched the game you realized the lackluster of the day. We really didn’t look good. Call it Georgia hangover, or call it being tired or what ever you want, but like Coach has been saying all year, we have to finish. Way to go Glenn Coffee, amazing game with 218 yards. Don’t look now, but Coffee is set up to have a phenomenal year. ESPN predicts that he will have over 1400 yards rushing this year, and he has already had three games that he had runs over 50 yards. We were lucky to be able to ride that work horse all day long. He also got the ESPN helmet sticker for the SEC. These are pretty amazing stats considering we have 2 other backs that are clicking pretty well right now. JP got a little shaky after being hit, but who wouldn’t have after having “post traumatic Capps disorder” (PTCD) after last years beatings. Let’s just hope that Andre Smith’s counseling continues to work. Here are Saban’s thoughts on the game. I do feel that the refs were not very good this week. I haven’t been able to re-watch the game, but with me being there it didn’t appear that we committed that many penalties. Just a quick shout out to Vandy, 5-0 for the first time since “WWII” (thanks to stars and stripes). Well done guys, keep it up. Anyway, back to what is important, BAMA won (6-0), Auburn lost (you gotta love that) and we didn’t drop in the polls (we remain #2 in AP and #4 in USA today). We are now down to 3 teams in the top ten, but we still have 6 teams in the top 25. Oklahoma has Texas coming up this week, and just because of my cousin GO LONGHORNS. I mean I really don’t care who wins, this is only week 6. Missou should not have jumped LSU. I mean this idea that you drop after having a bye week is crazy. Looking forward to this weekend of a bye week and letting some other people beat up on themselves. Look for Georgia to beat the pants off Tenn. Lets look to Ole Miss in 2 weeks. This could very well be a land mine, worse than this week. Ole miss also has a bye week this week. Watch out for Dexter McCluster is a dangerous player, with touchdowns both rushing and passing. Lets see. RTR

Georgia Blackout fixed by Alabama Power.

2008-09-28T19:27:00.001-05:00

Yes I know the saying isn’t original, but I like it. So wow, who thought we would be sitting here at week five in this football season as number 2 (AP) and number 4 (USA). I mean I would have laughed my head off it you would have told me at the beginning of the season we would rise this fast. I would not have given a second thought that both Florida (loosing to Ole Miss) and USC (loosing to Oregon State) would be out of the top 5 this week. I really would have not thought that we would have played like that against Georgia, even though we did look good against Clemson (which no one is still giving us credit). Man JP looked good this weekend, 13/16 205 yards. I will have to say I still am not sold on him but it is a huge encouragement to see him making smarter decisions. I know that comes with trusting your line. By the way wow at both our sets of big-uglies and our running backs looked great. I am just hopping that we continue to head Coach Sabans words. Here is what he said after the game on Gameday. I think we have to pay attention to the game this week. Kentucky is 4-0 coming into this week. I know they “haven’t played anybody” but that is what Richt said about us. By the way if you have been under a college football rock the Brewers, Phillies, Cubs, Dodgers, Angels, Red Sox, Rays and either the Twins or the White Sox are in the playoffs. GO CUBS.

Black Out

2008-09-24T14:41:00.002-05:00

I've never been that big of a fan of Black Outs or White Outs. I mean, they are kinda cool, but sometimes get overused. Example...the Georgia Bulldogs. It's like they are wearing black now for every big game. I don't know if we will win or lose this weekend, but I am pretty sure the Black Out will hurt Georgia more than it will help them. Why is that? Because they will be more focussed on looking cool and getting excited than preparing to face the likes of Alabama and our dominant lines. I think one thing our team has done well this fall is preparing for games and executing. I know Tulane wasn't all that great, but we also didn't have our All-World OT in the game and Tulane took advantage of that. I think we have everything we need to beat the Dawgs this weekend, whether we do or not is up to us. I honestly think this is our game to lose.

Another thing...Bama is pretty darn good at playing the #3 team in the country. Just saying. Look for a good showing from the boys in white and another freshman to emerge as a giant playmaker...Marquis Maze. JPW will finally hit him in stride.

RTR!!!

Alabama Vs. Temply Review

2008-09-07T14:52:00.006-05:00

My first blog, so stick with me.
Review of the game.

This game looked ugly. The only bright spot was Javier Arenas’ punt return for 87 yards for a touchdown. Then Javier got hurt in the third quarter. He ended up with 212 return yards by the way, a school record. Another bright spot was that Nick Saban got his 100^th career college victory as a coach. Here is the game by the numbers

Alabama had 73 yards passing, 99 yards rushing with a total of 172 yards
Tulane had 232 yards passing, 86 yards rushing with a total of 318 yards

Tulane also dominated the time of possession 36:35 to 23:25.
If we had played a better team they would have beaten us with those numbers

JP continues to not look the greatest, in my opinion. He has yet to complete a pass for over 25 yards and according to ESPN’s projections for this year he would end up with 1300 less yards by the end of the year. He is showing some maturity in that he has finally shown that he has learned to throw the ball away when no one is open. He is also making some smart decisions on whom to throw the ball to and the long pass missed by Julio in the first quarter shows that he does have a good arm. He just needs the touch. The O-line was unfortunately very familiar to last years during this game, allowing 4 sacks. That is not a good sign, but Andre was out…He is unlikely to return for the next game, and Marlon Davis also was hurt.

To Tulane, we hope you are able to recover from the last hurricane and good luck with the season. It looks like it is going to be a very active hurricane season

About the game day

I have a problem with the University of Alabama. They have consciously increased the difficulty for fans to have fun. They have made it so hard to tailgate. You can’t drop stuff off after 1000. Parking is almost non existent. They have added multiple generators to the quad and yet are limiting power usage even more. After 20 minutes trying all the old spots to park, and driving by an empty parking deck designated for handicap people only (How many handicap people actually come to the game and park that far way—near Shelby), we parked a short 20 minute walk, with all our stuff, to our tailgating spot. Did I mention that the event staff are the most unhelpful people I have ever met. One lady even remarked that she couldn’t help and tell us where we could go she just knew we couldn’t stay here. These are people the University are paying to help things go more smoothly.

Any way a win is a win. We are 2-0 going into this week against Western Kentucky. Should be 3-0 when we go into Arkansas. We have to continue to Finish. This is something we did do against a struggling Tulane, who by the way hasn’t beaten Alabama since 1958, and haven’t won in Tuscaloosa since 1900.

Another good video...

2008-08-26T14:01:00.002-05:00

I found myself back to the site a few times yesterday just to watch the pre-game video again. I thought I would put another video up that is fun to watch.

Projected Starters for Saturday

2008-08-26T11:37:00.004-05:00

Below is what we have for the projected starters for Saturday's game against Clemson. We included the jersey number just in case you haven't seen or forgot. At some points in the game there could be as many as 8-10 first year players. Here you go:

Game week is here!

2008-08-25T11:32:00.006-05:00

What better way to celebrate but with a very familiar video...

Our Julio clip

2008-08-22T10:12:00.000-05:00

Alot of clips of Julio have been going around. Here's our take...

Most Annoying SEC Fans

2008-08-22T09:37:00.005-05:00

Thanks to Lunceford, the intern from the roundtable, we now know who everyone hates the most

1. LSU - Never fails that the purple and yellow, tiger print pimp suits are out in full force, no matter where they go. The bengal tigers live it up everywhere they go, and cook the greatest food ever, yet never share. Les Miles has spent his pre-season rapping with Snoop Dogg instead of coaching football like your previous coach did for you. You flaunt that NC ring in our faces, as we see the setup for nothing this year. LSU fans and Mike the Tiger just can't stand the fact that Nick Saban left the coonass nation to come to a place that bleeds crimson and white, and not Jack Daniels.

2. Tennessee - The cheating fat Phil's live for the 8 win season, hell they even made it mandatory in the whale's contract. UcheaT wants nothing more than to expose everyone else cheating and act like they are innocent. Nothing would upset them more than to lose to Alabama and Auburn both this year, and go under that mark. Good luck finishing top 4 this year...in the East.

3. Auburn - Not a surprise, the "other" team from Alabama sits down south, and lives off their half of a national championship, while doing nothing but holding up a damn 6 next to Alabama's 12 rings. You know what, I'll give you a NC in 2004, but then allow me to show you Alabama's 5 additional NC's that we shared with people. Auburn fans have nothing of their own but copy everything the "original" has to offer. They don't have their own song to play back after they beat us, but rather a crappy version of the Rammer Jammer. Auburn will always play second fiddle in the long run, yet the number 6 for now holds more than anything else in their life. When Auburn reaches that pinnacle of success, and they can turn that win over Alabama into something worth a damn such as a National Championship, then we'll talk.

4. To find out where Alabama and other SEC schools rank follow me...

Season Preview

2008-08-21T14:02:00.007-05:00

To follow up on Dewey's preview, I thought I would put my look towards the upcoming season.

CLEMSON

With Clemson coming into the season ranked in the top ten what better way for us to make a statement at the first of the season. Clemson will look crisp. As bad as I want it, I feel that we have a rusty start that we won't be able to recover from.
Clemson 21, Alabama 10

TULANE

Time to make a statement about those LA schools. First "Complete game" of the season.
Alabama 27, Tulane 6

WESTERN KENTUCKY

Second "Complete game" of the season. I feel we'll get a good look at a few freshman and company.
Alabama 45, W. Kentucky 7

ARKANSAS

It's going to be a tough year for Arkansas. This will be the first game where we feel some struggle early. We'll be too well coached to not be ahead going into the half.
Alabama 31, Arkansas 14

GEORGIA

Georgia's sheer talent will be a huge factor in this game. We'll be able to hang, but will come up short.
Georgia 21, Alabama 17

KENTUCKY

Might as well played Western Kentucky again.
Alabama 35, Kentucky 7

OLE MISS

By this time in the season Mississippi is going to be struggling. We will not.
Alabama 24, Ole Miss 3

TENNESSEE

It won't be 41-17, but it will be a win. Quarterback troubles will hurt them this year. Especially with the pressure of starting out in the top 25. I can't wait!
Alabama 24, Tennessee 21

ARKANSAS STATE

Might as well played Western Kentucky again.
Alabama 38, Arkansas State 6

LSU

As bad as I want it, I don't think we will pull it through. But I will go ahead and let you know that this will be the last time we lose to LSU in a long time.
LSU 17, Alabama 14

MISSISSIPPI STATE

I'm feeling another win like 2005 but at home.
Alabama 17, MSU 0

AUBURN

Words will not express.
Alabama 21, Auburn 12

ALABAMA (9-3 overall; 6-2 conference)

Mid-week Miscellaneous

2008-08-21T12:50:00.007-05:00

Let's hope Steele and company are working hard at that LB position

If you are a regular watching the Hey Coach show. It's started back. You can submit your questions here.

The Tide's King, Tiffin, and Fitzgerald are no longer walk-ons. They received a scholarship for this season. They earned it!

The AJC put out an article about the most obnoxious SEC football fans. How can this guy have any validity when he's not a UT fan but still thinks ..."I’m supposed to be disposed to hate UT fans. Sorry, but I never have. Don’t mind all the orange. Don’t mind hearing “Rocky Top” a thousand times. Don’t know why I don’t"

MemphisTider found a pretty legit CBS Saturday schedule for the 2008 season.

It would be nice to see a little bit of him in the first two home games.

Houndstooth Preview

2008-08-18T13:36:00.003-05:00

For those of you who have not been able to make it down to the Houndstooth yet, here's a video preview.

Most powerful Coach in sports!?!

2008-08-13T19:39:00.005-05:00

"In the late 1950s and early 1960s, when Alabama was last in everything--education, highway funding, progress in civil rights--the one thing people could take pride in was the success of the Alabama football team," says Paul Finebaum, a radio host and newspaper columnist in Birmingham.

Now we are second to last to Mississippi and it's still the same pride. Here you can find the article.

al.com put together a calculator tool that can tell you how your salary meets up with the Coach. It's a little depressing.

The article goes on to to show that the $32 million is a small price to what it brings in:

Robert Witt, points to the school's recent $500 million capital campaign as an example. "We have had 100,000 donors in that campaign, and a major reason they support us is football," he says. It's no different at any other college with a football team. Why do Ivy League schools even bother to field teams that are never going to win a bowl game? It keeps the alumni money flowing. That's how you pay for the English department.

10 Reasons why The Bird’s Nest in Beijing is not as cool as Bryant-Denny Stadium

2008-08-11T11:43:00.005-05:00

DEWEY S DIATRIBE

Attempting to remain objective though staring wearily through crimson colored spectacles since 2008

August 11, 2008

10. Tyrone Prothro never caught a pass behind another player’s back there. Come to think of it, Prothro has never graced the Bird’s Nest with his presence nigh has he caught any passes there. That sucks for Beijing.

9. The Bird’s Nest houses track and field events such as running and throwing discuses. Bryant-Denny hosts events that include running and throwing footballs. Footballs > Discuses.

8. The Bird’s Nest looks like... well a bird’s nest and Bryant-Denny Stadium resembles a modern flying saucer. What’s more advanced, a bird or an intergalactic transport module?

7. The Bird’s Nest has Bob Costas, Bryant-Denny has Eli Gold.

6. People from all over the world view sporting events at the Bird's Nest. People from all over the State of Alabama view sporting events at Bryant-Denny. It's common knowledge that Alabamians are better than the rest of the world.

5. There is a lot of smog in Beijing and there are a lot of red-necks in Tuscaloosa.

4. Bird’s Nest seating Capacity = 91,000. Bryant-Denny seating capacity = 92,138.

3. The Bird’s Nest has the Olympic Torch for sixteen days. Bryant-Denny has a statue of Paul Bryant FOREVER.

2. The Bird’s Nest is in the middle of Beijing, while Bryant-Denny overlooks sorority row, literally overlooks.

1. Tommy Tuberville has never won a game at the Bird’s Nest, yet he hasn’t lost a football game at Bryant-Denny in nine years.

Post a comment if you have a better reason.

Awesome Video

2008-08-07T15:50:00.002-05:00

This video speaks for itself. I hate pumpkins.

Two-a-days

2008-08-06T10:17:00.004-05:00

The Tide starts two-a-days today. Yesterday was the first day in pads. Read more of this weeks practice. Check out photos from practice here.

ALABAMA COACHES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SECOND YEARS

2008-08-04T17:45:00.008-05:00

DEWEY’S DIATRIBE
Attempting to remain objective though staring wearily through crimson colored spectacles since 2008

August 4th, 2008

WALLACE WADE
(There were fourteen coaches prior to Wade, but he’s the relevant start of legitimate football at the Capstone)
1924 was Wade’s second season at the helm of the Tide. He led the team to a Southern Conference Championship with a 8-1 record. The brightest note of the season was perhaps a 33-0 shellacking of the Georgia Bulldogs. Prior to that skirmish, the Bulldog Defense had given up a mere 14 points all season. Georgia was the South’s number one team going into that game. Sound familiar?

FRANK THOMAS
(Arguably the best coach in Alabama History)
Thomas’ second season at Alabama in 1932 was just your run of the mill 8-2 record. The year was pretty much uneventful other than it was the last year of what was then the Southern Conference and 1933 was first year of the Southeastern Conference headed up by Sewanee and Tulane.

HAROLD “RED” DREW
(Not many people talk about him, but he preceded Johnny Vaught at Mississippi)
1948, Drew’s second season, marked the renewal of the Alabama/Auburn rivalry. Alabama handled that game 55-0 on its way to a mediocre record of 6-4-1.

JENNINGS B. “EARS” WHITWORTH
(It is little known that Mike Shula modeled his coaching style after Ears)
2-7-1 was Whitworth’s tally for the 1956 Season. Bama started out 0-4 but eventually pulled out some wins and a tie, not a good model.

PAUL “BEAR” BRYANT
Bryant’s second year as coach in 1959 showed great improvement from the previous 6 years. The team went 7-2-2 and finished inside the top ten in the AP rankings. Auburn was one of those seven victories.

RAY PERKINS
In 1984, the Tide amassed a whopping five victories coupled with six losses. Cornelius Bennett was a bright spot when he was selected as an All American that year.

BILL CURRY
(Not a bad coach, but he never beat Auburn)
The team went 9-3 in 1988. The anecdote of that season was the fact the Curry cancelled a game against Texas A & M due to the fact that there might be a hurricane warning. Jackie Sherrill of A & M was upset and mouthed off at Curry. When the game was rescheduled on December 1, 1988 the Tide mouthed off to the tune of 30-10 over the Aggies.

GENE STALLINGS
(Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Stallings family since the death of John Mark)
In 1991, Stallings took, the team to an 11-1 record led by a relentless defense. The lone blemish on the record came at the hands of Steve Spurrier coached Gators. Stallings and Spurrier would meet a few more times before it was all said and done.

MIKE DUBOSE
(Does one have to re-live anything about this idiot’s tenure?)
1998 started a new tradition in Alabama history: the Music City Bowl. The Tide achieved a mark of 7-5. That’s all that needs to be said about Mike Dubose.

DENNIS FRANCHIONE
(A proven winner and snake oil salesman)
This was not too long ago, 2002, and the Tide got to ten wins but managed to fall to Auburn, Georgia, and UCLA. Franchione was given a bad rap for the way he departed after this season but there are two sides to the story and the people at Alabama had avenues to pursue to make things right. However, they did not do the things they needed to do keep Fran.

MIKE ~~PRICE~~ SHULA
After throwing out sugar packets at his first press conference, Price found his sugar not in a bowl, but at Arety’s Angel’s in Pensacola Florida on the University’s tab. Mike Shula took a trip back up I-65 to lose another Music City bowl. This one was to Minnesota...Minnesota. Shula finished with a 6-6 record in 2004. At this point Auburn was up 3 games.

NICK LOU SABAN
2008...
There are not many conclusions one can make in looking back at coaches’ second years in Tuscaloosa. There were no national titles, few conference titles. Really, it’s a mixed bag.

Some information was taken from http://jglennw.tripod.com/id15.html

Houndstooth close to reopening.....

2008-07-30T16:19:00.002-05:00

I was passed along some pictures today of the NEW houndstooth. I thought I would share them with you guys. I'm not exactly sure of the reopen date. I have heard that it is this Friday August 1. If anyone can either confirm or deny that I would appreciate it. Well either way here are the pics..... It looks phenomenal might I add.....

Season Preview

2008-07-28T16:36:00.002-05:00

DEWEY’S DIATRIBE
Attempting to remain objective though staring wearily through crimson colored spectacles since 2008

July 28, 2008

CLEMSON
You know, back in the day, good college football teams would schedule worthwhile meaningful opponents for the first game or all of the games of the year. Then there was a stretch where the out of conference games that Alabama scheduled were creampuffs like, for instance, Louisiana Monroe. Ummmm. Would it not make sense to schedule a good team to lose to rather than a bad team? Clemson has a ton of returning starters on offense and Alabama has few returning starters on defense. Clemson 35 Alabama 24

Alabama’s record after this game: 0-1

TULANE
This game is a tad intriguing for many reasons; just none seem to come to mind. Alabama should prevail unless they fall asleep or fail to awake from the coma that Clemson puts them in. Alabama 35 Tulane 17

Alabama is 1-1

WESTERN KENTUCKY
Hopefully this game will not be a repeat of the Louisiana Monroe travesty that was a year ago. This is a significantly weaker program than Alabama and Alabama should win if the ball is snapped. Alabama 52 Western Kentucky 10

Alabama is 2-1

ARKANSAS

The litmus test of the season is often a trip to Arkansas. However, this was not the case last year when in the last seconds Alabama came back to beat a loaded Arkansas. (This was after surrendering a three touchdown lead). The rest of the year went downhill, with exception of Tennessee, from John Parker Wilson’s remarkable throw and Matt Caddell’s amazing catch in the back of the end zone. This game stands to be a challenge, but it will be Petrino’s first season and it should be one in transition. Alabama 31 Arkansas 21

Alabama is 3-1

GEORGIA

Athens proves to be a place not unlike Tuscaloosa. The major industry there is the university and that makes for some analogues to Tuscaloosa. Additionally, both teams have some similarities. John Parker Wilson and Matthew Stafford are both experienced gunslingers that have shown some inconsistencies in the past. Moreno and Grant are both sophomores that rely on their elusiveness more so than their power. The receiving corps for both teams are both pretty much young with no real proven “go to” man. However, on the defensive side of the ball, the Georgia Bulldogs are much more formidable. This game could pan out a few different ways and one of those ways is not Alabama winning in a blowout. Georgia 28 Alabama 10

Alabama is 3-2

KENTUCKY

This game will mark the half-way point of the season. Alabama will either be 3-3 or 4-2 with the latter significantly better than the previous. Kentucky lost many starters and their star quarterback. Alabama prevails at home. Alabama 42 Kentucky 28

Alabama is 4-2

MISSISSIPPI

Houston Nutt adds a little spice to this game. He had a great record against the Tide at Arkansas and Eddie O left the cupboard full of speedsters and blue chips. Well, at least there are better players there than have been. Is Nuttmeg the spice to put it all together this year at Ole Miss. Transition plays a big part in coaches’ first seasons. The game is in Tuscaloosa, and Alabama wins… a close one. Alabama 21 Mississippi 20

Alabama is 5-2

TENNESSEE

Does one smell pay back on the banks of the Tennessee or is that Calhoun’s Bar-B-Que? Nick Saban failed to call the dogs off last year and Phillip Fulmer will not fail to forget that. Tennessee has to play an inexperienced quarterback. However, Neyland stadium is going to be unbearable. This series will continue to swap. Tennessee 30 Alabama 20

Alabama is 5-3

ARKANSAS STATE

Every time a team like this is on the schedule it makes fans mad. It is a no win situation for Alabama. If Alabama wins, well, they should have. If Alabama loses it’s bad. No one gets excited, no one wants to sit at Bryant-Denny-Tuberville stadium to see this game take place, not even the players. Alabama 34 Arkansas State 7

Alabama is 6-3

LSU

It’s going to be hard for LSU to continue dominating Alabama like most teams from Louisiana. Like many teams on the schedule, LSU has questions at quarterback. They have lost some starters but have essentially reloaded over the years and players will probably step into positions without losing much in terms of performance. This is the game Alabama surprises everyone with. Alabama 38 LSU 35

Alabama is 7-3

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Sly Croom has shown to be at least as good as Mike Shula and at least good enough to have beaten Alabama two years consecutive. Is either of those accomplishments? Alabama should take care of him at is old home field this time. Alabama 24 MSU 17

Alabama is 8-3

AUBURN

The law of averages has to prevail some time. Auburn is going to be coming off either a hot season or a cold season. It will not be lukewarm. The Tony Franklin experience will be orgasmic or a cluster-f***. This game has so many variables it hard to condense them into a short blurb but here goes. Alabama is at home, albeit at Tuberville’s favorite place to beat Alabama, but it’s going to be loud. The spread offense which relies on quick decisions and good line of scrimmage communication struggles in the noise. (See Florida at Alabama 2005). At this point, if Alabama’s defense is healthy then they will have a year’s worth of experience. Look for a close win for Alabama and a trip to Atlanta (this sounds so much like homer it’s hard to type). Alabama 29 Auburn 28

Alabama is 9-3

SEC Title
Rematch with Georgia
Georgia 42 Alabama 30

Bowl
Peach, Cotton, or Capital One.

Georgia wins the National Title and it doesn’t seem so bad to lose to them twice.

SEC Media Days

2008-07-24T08:41:00.006-05:00

"The state of Louisiana has 12 colleges that play football. If Alabama played those 12 as a schedule in the season, what do you think their record would be?" -- A print reporter Question to coach Les Miles, regarding his comments that "a lot of teams in Louisiana beat that team." Miles said he was joking.

"I just don't get him. He just seems like a smart aleck, even on the sidelines. He just doesn't come across well." -- Taylor Hicks Singer on LSU coach Les Miles, during a radio interview Wednesday with WJOX 100.5 FM

From what I understand, Tim Tebow drew a huge crowd of reporters acting like school girls. GarnetAndBlackAttack is keeping live coverage...well atleast coverage worth reading.

From what I've heard listening to RoundTabelRadio, Fulmer decided to skip the interview with Ian and LT because their first question was going to be about the subpoena.

We're not sure why the senior quarterback isn't there today. Rashad Johnson and Antoine Caldwell accompanied Saban.

Gameday!?!

2008-07-22T09:34:00.005-05:00

UA Gameday has announced what's new for the 2008 season. Here's a quick overview:

Reserve parking on University Blvd across from Arby's for the season, $111.00.
There will no longer be parking on the grass at Russell Hall, Farrah Hall or Gallalee Hall.
The Moody Music parking lot located on the corner of Bryant Dr. and 2nd Ave. will no longer be used for general public parking.
Several more reserved tent spaces have been added to the Quad. I know some have been scared this might be taking up our location. Have no fear, we have confirmed on the map that our locations is safe.
Pre-game parking and traffic map
Post-game parking and traffic map
The best thing that I have seen so far is that they have confirmed they will enhance the power supply to the quad.

Preseason All - SEC announced.....

2008-07-21T16:45:00.003-05:00

The preseason all SEC teams were announced today. We had 8 players selected to the squads, trailing only LSU(14) Florida(10) and Georgia(9). Two of our guys were selected as First Team All - SEC. They were Andre Smith and Rashad Johnson. Andre was one of 6 unanimous first team selections. Other Bama players joining Smith and Johnson with SEC honors were: C Antoine Caldwell(Second Team Offense), LB Rolando McClain (Second Team Defense), QB John Parker Wilson(Third Team Offense), Terry Grant(Third Team Offense), RS Javier Arenas(Second Team Special Teams), and PK Leigh Tiffin(Third Team Special Teams).

The list was released in advance of the 2008 SEC Football Media Days, which will be held July 23-25 in Hoover, Ala.

You can find the complete SEC media release here.

D-Line in the SEC...

2008-07-21T14:15:00.004-05:00

BamaOnline.com has posted their SEC Position Rankings on the Defensive Line. If you have an account, go check it out.

Obviously Alabama's defensive front is not going to be the same without Wallace Gilberry. Even with Glenn Dorsey out, LSU top's the list for the SEC West and the SEC as a whole. Georgia tops in the East. Alabama comes in at position 5 in the West. It's hard to make a plea to the top when we only recorded 6 sacks last season. State falls just short of us with no returning starters.

Hot Seat?!?

2008-07-18T10:46:00.005-05:00

Now I might not have my definition of "The Hot Seat" correct, so please, let me know if I have this wrong. The Hot Seat would be a coach that has the program, fans, and sometimes players letting him know that each win/loss determines whether he keeps his job. We've seen many of coaches over the past year or so on the hot seat (e.g. FireCoachO.com, FireRonZook.com, and our all-time favorite FireCoachFulmer.com). But for some unkown reason, CoachesOnTheHotSeat has Nick Saban on their list at #4. How can this be? Saban could go 7-5 this year and no one would even think to slap him on the hand, much less start rumors that he needs booted.

Ty Willingham, Joe Glenn, Kirk Ferentz, and Mike Stoops all seem like good candidates to be sitting on the dreaded hot seat, but Saban? How can a coach that is being reported by CBS Sports as in the Top Ten of the Best of the Best active coaches be on the Hot Seat?

By the way, it's still a good site, just might not have the right idea. Check out the good stats and such.

Book on sale by RBR

2008-07-16T21:46:00.004-05:00

The guys over at RollBamaRoll have put together an annual guide to Crimson Tide football. It's 12.99, better get them while their hot.

44 Days and Counting......

2008-07-16T14:35:00.005-05:00

Hard to believe football season is almost upon us. In a little over a month and a half we will be heading over to Atlanta for one of our toughest challenges of the season. We will be facing a Clemson team that has two backs with the nicknames of thunder and lightning as well as an early Heisman hopeful at Quarterback. Those three paired against our very very young and depleted line backing corp that Jeremiah previously touched on could be a huge challenge for us. Either way the best time of the year is quickly approaching.

---Edit by Tommy---

It might be 44 + 365 to we are back there again... Alabama, Virginia Tech may open 2009 football season

Calling all Linebackers

2008-07-16T09:59:00.008-05:00

Well Bama nation, it appears that the Crimson Tide has lost/is going to lose yet another player. Bamaonline.com reported this morning that Zeke has requested to be released from the University of Alabama. The request comes after Knight was hospitalized this winter and led through a series of heart-related test. Doctors believed the ailment was due to a previous surgery to correct a heart mummer, but no prognosis has been announced. After being sidlined for most of the 2006 season because of his heart issues, Knight had a strong 2007 season where he recorded 64 tackles and 3 sacks.

Knight believes that he still has at least one year of football left and wishes to transfer to a small school because UA doctors are skeptical and are currently holding him out of physical activity. It is believed that Knight is possibly looking to go play at Jacksonville State University or at Faulkner University in Montgomery. Knight will stay on scholarship at UA until he graduates in August, then looks to transfer and cash in his last year of eligibility.
This is a huge blow to the Crimson Tide football team after losing as promising star in Jimmy Johns earlier this summer and Prince Hall earlier in the year. Currently the Tide is down to only 1 return starter in their Linebacker Corps. The reinstatement of Prince Hall is still speculative, but looks to grow every week as another player leaves or is kicked off the team. The only positive that can come out of these lost players is that the Tide is 1 scholarship away from being able to enroll the entire 2008 recruiting class per the NCAA limit of 85.

Tipsy Tiders Unite!

2008-07-16T09:20:00.002-05:00

Calling all Tipsy Tiders..... After a much needed long break, we are back for the '08 season. A lot of stuff went down while we were away. We'll try to get you all caught up. We now are asking any Tipsy Tider if they would like to be an author, just let us know, TipsyTiders@gmail.com.

Mid-week Miscellaneous

2008-04-08T13:53:00.003-05:00

This past Friday Saban and company hosted a coaches clinic. Photos of the clinic can be found here.

Bill Belichick and others attended. RollTide.com has more.

Saturday the Tide completed their second spring scrimmage to make way for the April 12th A-Day game. Photos of the scrimmage can be found here.

Justin Tubbs, a sophomore guard for the Tide will be transferring. The Tide looked to be in a numbers crunch for scholarships if for the optimistic ones, who are hoping for Hendrix, Steele and Pickett return.

Steele to NBA? Pickett to transfer?

2008-04-07T14:34:00.002-05:00

Things just can't get any worse for Mark Gottfried. After dealing with a terrible season he now has to deal with the possibility of losing three key starters for next year's team. It started when Richard Hendrix said he was going to declare for the NBA draft. Next it was Ronald Steele saying the same thing. And now it is point guard Rico Pickett stating that he may be transferring. This comes after a Sunday night announcement that he has been suspended indefinitely from all basketball related activities. So just when it looked liked things couldn't get any worse for Gottfried, they did.

Mid-week Miscellaneous

2008-04-01T15:38:00.002-05:00

RollTide.com has revealed a new look for the website and it's CrimsonTradition.com with a new TideTV.com

Alabama (15-12, 4-5 SEC) will host UAB at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, 6:35 PM CST. They will then head to Regions Park, Hoover for game two tomorrow at 6:30 PM CST.

The GridIrion Bash scheduled for April 11th has been cancelled.

April 12th is almost a week away. Here's a list of the spring roster to get familiar with who's wearing what number.

Bama Basketball dealt another big blow....

2008-03-26T14:36:00.003-05:00

Richard Hendrix has decided to leave Tuscaloosa early and try his hand at the NBA draft. The All - SEC big man from Athens, Alabama says that he doesn't plan on signing with an agent, which would allow him to return to school if he doesn't like his draft options. This is definitely bad news for Gottfried considering Riley is lost to graduation and Steele is coming back after sitting out a whole season due to knee surgery. Hendrix seemed to be the most solid returning player. If Hendrix returns Alabama has a good shot at contending in the West next year. With Ronald Steele returning and his younger brother also joining the team.

I see Hendrix as being a late second rounder which isn't the right kind of money to leave college early for in my opinion. I think he will come back and improve his draft stock with a great senior year and possibly turn into a first round draft pick.

Man, we dodged a bullet with this guy....

2008-03-24T13:42:00.003-05:00

I don't know if any of you remember the name Fred Rouse. He was a highly sought after recruit by us back a couple of years ago. He had it down to us and FSU. We wanted him pretty bad he was one of the top receivers in the country. Well long story short he picked FSU over us then shortly thereafter was booted off the team for what coach Bobby Bowden called "conduct detrimental to the welfare of the football team." And we all know you can get away with a lot at FSU, so this guy must of been a nuiscance. This past football season he tried to bring back his career at Ol UTEP well things didn't work out there either. SI.com has an article about him here.

Raises all around

2008-03-21T10:17:00.003-05:00

Thursday, the University announced the raises of all assistant coaches and approval of contract for all new assistant coaches. "Last year, Saban's nine on-field assistants earned a combined $2.245 million. Including the Dolphins' contribution to Williams' salary, the staff will earn $2.505 this season. The terms remained the same, as did the 20 percent buyouts, though Williams' will be waived if he takes a coordinators or head coaching job." Read more.

Tonight, Alabama will celebrate the 60th anniversary of Sewell-Thomas Stadium in the series opener against the Vanderbilt. The first of a three day three game series will start tonight at 6:30 PM CST. Currently, Alabama is fourth in the Western Division sitting "0 for" in the SEC and 9 - 10 overall. Below are the SEC standings.

Season comes to end

2008-03-17T14:47:00.003-05:00

The '07-'08 Men's basketball season came to an end Sunday after not getting a bid to the NCAA tournament or the NIT, while also declining a bid to the CBI. Should the Tide have accepted the CBI bid?

Spring is here!

2008-03-12T14:02:00.002-05:00

Well, spring practice starts tomorrow for the football team. I'm sure there is going to be a lot of hype about this spring practice all the way up till April 12th. Everyone is going to be looking for what the new offense will be bringing. The Rap Sheet says hello to Jim McElwain and what Saban & Co. have to say. With that, RBR has a good grasp on who will be participating in the offense.

Also tomorrow, the men's basketball team will be opening the SEC tournament at 6:30 CST with Florida.

We are not forgetting about the baseball team. Currently they are 8-5 sitting on a five game winning streak. Their next game will be tonight hosting Samford at 6:30 PM CST. They'll start conference play Friday, visiting Kentucky for the weekend.

The dandelions are here and the the ball parks are crowded.

SEC Tourny Misc.

2008-03-10T08:46:00.002-05:00

Not sure how we got away with the win Saturday. But with that, we are 16-15 and 5-11 heading into the tournament this week. First round starts Thursday. We will be playing Florida 6:30 PM CST.

Here's the Men's Tourny Bracket.

Here's Alabama's season statistics for '07-'08.

Road Struggles continue.....

2008-03-06T16:49:00.004-06:00

After last nights 80 - 74 loss to LSU Alabama finished with an embarrassing SEC road schedule of 0 - 8 and an overall SEC schedule of 4 - 11 heading into Saturday's match up with Vanderbilt. This has been a terrible season of basketball at Alabama. I think it may be time for Gottfried to go. Here is a few of his quotes after the game last night : "I'm encouraged," he said. "I'm not disappointed one bit with our team." Well Mark you should be. A 15 - 15 overall record is out right unbelievable. Until he stops his terrible high post offense we will continue to struggle playing half court games. We have one of the best post players in the SEC if not THE best. But he is always catching the ball at the high post and looking to pass. Mark that offense may of worked in the old days at UCLA but it will not work here. I know he will get another year because it isn't economical to fire him. And basically there just isn't enough of an uproar to cause Mal to do anything. Give us some of your thoughts ...

Five Grand!

2008-03-04T15:07:00.004-06:00

Today Tipsy Tiders celebrates our 5,000 visitor. Tipsy Tiders has been published since November of 2007. We want to thank everyone that has come to visit. It's been fun and we hope we can continue giving you all good Alabama Football news and current events.

To give a quick overview of some fun facts about our 5000 visitors:

Single day most visits:

Nov 20 - Post 1, Post 2
Feb 13 - First mentioned by RBR
Feb 24 - RBR link to Bama Hoops Drinking Game

Top referring sites:

Most interesting keyword search:

"what do you call carbohydrates with free ketone group" - Pulled the SEC Half Case Post

Top visits by state:

Alabama
Georgia
Texas

Top visits by Alabama city:

Northport
Birmingham
Mobile

Thanks again and keep stopping by!

An ear full isn't enough...

2008-03-04T14:34:00.002-06:00

The officiating crew from Saturday's Alabama-Ole Miss game is expected to face disciplinary measures for its handling of the game's final seconds. Read more here.

Alabama goes to baton Rouge tomorrow night to play the Tigers at 7:00 PM CST. The Tides last regular season game will be this Saturday hosting Vanderbilt. Tip off is 1:00 PM CST.

The 2008 Men's SEC Tournament is a little over a week away. Here is an empty bracket. Here's the tv listing and times. And if you are really thinking about heading to Atlanta, here are some tickets still available.

TGIF!

2008-02-29T15:09:00.004-06:00

That's the latest standings for the SEC Men's Conference. The Tide has three games left before heading into the Conference Tournament. With two of the three coming on the road it's going to be hard to when out. Let's hope we can get the majority with two. If so, we'll finish 6-10.

Tomorrow night will be the next game at Oxford. It will be televised on Raycom Sports at 1:00 PM CST.

The Tide will be finally saying goodbye to A.C. Carter. The former receiver and fan favorite will be heading to App State to be an assistant coach.

Below is a quick clip of what role he has played with the team.

Big News from Saban presser.....

2008-02-26T14:21:00.004-06:00

There were many important things that came out of Saban's 41 minute press conference today. The headline was the indefinite suspension of Prince Hall. He has been suspended for all spring workouts and practices. Saban said that he once again violated team rules. You may remember Saban also suspended Hall for the season opener last year. It may be hard for Hall to see the field at Alabama again. Also, he mentioned Rashad Johnson will not be suspended because of his recent arrest. There was also some developments in the coaching situation. Kevin Steel and Kirby Smart will now be Co - Defensive coordinators. Saban also chastised the media again. At one point he asked a reporter if he throws his children out of the house when they mess up.

Here is a the entire press conference.

Take me out to the ball game

2008-02-22T15:32:00.003-06:00

The Alabama baseball team begins their season tonight at 6:30. They are facing the Cal Poly Mustangs in the first game of a two game set. The second game will be Saturday at 2 pm. One thing the Crimson Tide baseball team has this season is experience. Alabama’s projected opening day starting lineup has combined for 451 career starts, including veteran players Alex Avila (112 games started), Ryan Rhoden (89), Matt Bentley (76), Kent Matthes (64), Jake Smith (39) and Brandon May (41). Jeff Texada (26) and Will Stroup (4) have combined for 30 career starts, while true freshmen Josh Rutledge and Ross Wilson will make their collegiate debuts in the 2008 season opener. Lets hope the team can put all the off season drama of Coach Wells leaving and them coming back behind them.

Bama Hoops Drinking Game

2008-02-19T14:06:00.006-06:00

I know that we only have five games left and it's not looking too good. Earlier I posted that we had a good chance of going 6-10 in the conference. I hope that comes true. But with that, let's add a little fun to the end of the season by starting the Bama Hoops Drinking Game...

Take one sip (or half shot liquor applicable) if:

The game is televised via Raycom Sports
Opposing team has a turnover
Alabama hits a three
Alabama takes a timeout
Opposing team gets a foul
Alabama gets up by five
Alabama gets down by five
An Alabama player gets fouled
Any player gets a chest bump from another player
Any player gets a high five from another player

Take two sips (or full shot liquor applicable) if:

Alabama player makes a dunk
Alabama gets up by ten
Alabama gets down by ten
The camera pans the cheerleaders
The camera pans the dance team
The camera pans the Mark's Madness crowd
The camera shows Gottfried with one arm crossed and the other on the chin
An Alabama player gets fouled and one

Take three sips (or one and half shot liquor applicable) if:

An Alabama player misses a dunk
The camera pans the band
Gottfried takes off his jacket
Gottfried puts his jacket back on
Any player gets a butt slap from another player
The towel boy comes out to mop up sweat on the floor
Intentional foul is called

Take four sips (or two shots liquor applicable) if:

Any player fouls out
Technical foul is called
Announcer talks about football
Senior John Dill gets playing time
The camera pans the guy from Mark's Madness with the crimson blazer

Chug a beer (two gulps from the bottle liquor applicable) if:

Alabama loses
Alabama wins

UA freshman tackle Jeremy Elder arrested on charges of robbery

2008-02-18T13:56:00.002-06:00

The Rap Sheet has been following the story today.

This mornings post.

More details mid-day.

UAPD Advisory Report.

When the ignorant douche bags of the world open their mouth

2008-02-15T15:23:00.004-06:00

If you haven't already been informed, some attention has been drawn to Alabama and Coach Saban with accusations of intentionally over signing during this seasons recruiting class and will have to cut players off scholarships.

It all starts with an article from the Montgomery Advertiser.

It all could have been let go easy, but then we have the ignorant douche bag that decides he wants to open his mouth.... and find out his eyes are bigger than his stomach.

He extends some garbage of an article here. (From the looks of this guy, the only thing he could qualify to have remotely any knowledge on would be World of Warcraft)

Our friends at RollBamaRoll decide to reply with a tasteful piece.

Ignorant douche bag whines about his ignorance.

RollBamaRoll sets him in his place. (warning: foul language)

I hate that there are going to be people that are completely unqualified to attack the school and fans of Alabama as we begin our success that we are working hard for. I guess it just makes that success so much sweeter.

The SEC Half Case

2008-02-14T14:33:00.011-06:00

If you were to go to the store maybe like the World Market, or let's call it the "SEC Market", to buy a mixed half case of beer. Each bottle you pulled out, which SEC school would you compare it to? Well, here at Tipsy Tiders, we've thought about this multiple times. Here's what we came up with...

University of Florida – Corona Extra

Who wouldn’t want to be partying right now down at UF with the number one fun-n-sun beer? I bet that Florida sun is feeling good today.

University of Georgia – Sweet Water Georgia Brown

Home grown, starting to become highly recognized, and a good taste.

University of Kentucky – New Castle

It’s always going to be there whether you like it or not.

University of South Carolina – Bass Ale

The old ball coach wouldn’t want it any other way.

University of Tennessee – Coors

Always trying to advertise itself as one of the top, but everyone knowing that no one drinks (cares about) them.

Vanderbilt University - Michelob Ultra

Giving that “Really, I like dark beer, but don’t want all those carbohydrates”. “Also, did you know that carbohydrates or saccharides are simple organic compounds that are aldehydes or ketones with many hydroxyl groups added, usually one on each carbon atom that is not part of the aldehyde or ketone functional group. Carbohydrates are the most abundant of the four major classes of biomolecules, which also include proteins, lipids and nucleic acids…”

University of Alabama – Guinness

What, you knew it was coming. Classic rich in tradition and history, while bringing a stout competition to the table against any opponent.

University of Arkansas – Miller High Life

"The Champagne of Beers", does that make sense to you. Of course it does to us pigs; it’s like saying we are “the ballet of football”.

Auburn University –Budweiser

Everybody has that uncle that comes around at family get-togethers with a cooler full. They are proud they have their Bud, but what is so sad is they do not know any better.

Louisiana State University – Natural Light

It’s easy to go down, less filling, and cheap. The perfect combination to get the most in and down as possible. One’s never enough. We over indulge until we regret it the next day.

University of Mississippi – Sam Adams

Sam Adams is the only way, seasons (summer ale, winter lager, octoberfest) come, seasons go.

Mississippi State University – Colt 45

Do you really need an explanation?

Let us know what you think. Give us your SEC half case.

New Rule Changes to Come?

2008-02-14T13:06:00.003-06:00

Rivals.com is reporting a new NCAA proposal. This proposal has rules designed to speed up the game. The committee is recommending a 40 second play clock similar to the one the NFL has and also starting the clock on a referee's signal after the ball goes out of bounds. Another major change they are recommending is the abolishment of the 5 - yard facemask. These are just a couple of the proposed recommendations you can read the full article here.

Say it ain't so Joe

2008-02-13T15:56:00.004-06:00

Tide Sports is reporting that Joe Kines has accepted the position of defensive coordinator at Texas A&M University. He will replace former Arkansas defensive coordinator Reggie Herring which bolted for the Dallas Cowboys before ever coaching a practice at Texas A&M. While it was the best move for Joe, I still hate to see him go. He has been serving primarily as a fund raiser for the athletics department. We all know he belongs on the field. I mean who could forget his halftime speech at the Independence Bowl against Oklahome State. (It is below just in case you did) Well best of luck to ya Joe.

Mid-week Miscellaneous

2008-02-13T13:38:00.004-06:00

Had some friends send over two images this morning. One is the plans for Bryant Denny's final expansion. Another is the 2008 SEC helmet schedule.

The Crimson Tide Football program has worked out to schedule 2 games against Georgia Tech for the 2013/2014 seasons.

Joe Kines has been reported to have interviewed for the defensive coordinator position at Texas A&M.

The men's basketball team will host Ole Miss tonight at 7:00 PM CST at Coleman Coliseum. The Tide is 13-11 overall and 2-7 in the SEC. The game will not be televised, but you can find it on your local radio. Earlier this week I gave my two cents about the 7 left to play.

Julio Jones testified as a witness in a murder case from back in May of 2007. Not sure what the outcome was. Let us know if you have heard anything.

If you get a chance, you might want to stop by SI.com and check out the new swimsuit edition that was released yesterday. Here's a little preview...

Also, you might want to go over to RollBamaRoll to check out the championship round of the Girl Fight '08. COB today they will crown a new RBR sweetheart.

A day to laugh

2008-02-12T14:44:00.001-06:00

Just thought we could get some chuckles from the last two places we've seen ole Tubbs....

The sign on the store says "Auburn Merchandise 50% off". They should give that stuff away for free.

Tommy might want to find a better recruiting strategy next year.
"Over the last few years, particularly when things have gone sour, Tommy Tuberville has reached deep into his bag of magic tricks and played the Jetgate card. In other words, the Auburn administration and trustees cost me a great recruiting class during the turmoil and we are paying for their sins now.

You heard this again in September when Auburn started the 2007 season like a drunken frat boy on the last night of Mardi Gras, stumbling to a disastrous 1-2 start.

Now the results from the 2008 recruiting class are in and Alabama's Nick Saban has soundly beaten Tuberville to a bloody pulp. What's interesting is even Tuberville could see this historic beatdown coming. It's been in the making since Saban arrived on the tarmac and was given the Elvis treatment.

What did Tubby do at the apex of recruiting? He went duck (or job) hunting in Arkansas." - More from Finebaum, Party's over for Auburn, Tuberville

"As we all know, Auburn has reeled off six consecutive wins over Alabama in the Iron Bowl. Intuitively, you would think that would mean something to somebody, but you would be wrong. As National Signing Day officially and affirmatively showed, Auburn has six straight wins over Alabama, yet not a single top recruit in this state who cares the least little bit about that fact." - More from RollBamaRoll, The Recruiting Iron Bowl

2-7 with 7 to play

2008-02-11T15:28:00.000-06:00

This weekend the men's basketball team fell to Kentucky to put us 2-7 in conference play. We currently have 7 games left hosting Ole Miss this Wednesday at 7:00 PM CST.

If you take a look at the remaining schedule, we'll have Ole Miss twice, South Carolina, Auburn, Arkansas, LSU and Vanderbilt. Given that one of the Ole Miss games are at home with also Arkansas and Vanderbilt, I'll say we can atleast pull off two of those three. We have a good chance of getting two more w's against LSU and Auburn again. It's going to be hard to beat Ole Miss twice, and even though South Carolina's record looks similar to ours, I think it will be tough to get them in Columbia.

So with that said, it looks like we could be finishing up 6-10 in the SEC with a total of 17-14 for the season giving us a winning percentage of .548 but with a .375 in the SEC. This would tie with the lowest winning percentage in conference play Mark Gottfried has had since his first season, 1999-2000, where the Tide went 13-16 total. This also might be the second time Coach Gottfried and the Tide might not see post season play.

Here's a look at the conference standings thus far:

Lance Thompson: 2008 Recruiter of the Year

2008-02-07T11:21:00.000-06:00

Alabama's Outside Linebackers coach, Lance Thompson, was named the 2008 recruiter of the year by Rivals.com.

Coach Thompson was the primary recruiter for Mark Barron, Glenn Harbin, Destin Hood, Star Jackson, Julio Jones, Robert Lester, Ivan Matchett, Jermaine Preyear, and Burton Scott. He also helped out with Jerrell Harris.

That give's him a total of two five-star, six four-star and two three-star signees. Just his recruiting efforts alone tide Auburn's five-star list and signed two more four-stars than them. If compared to Tennessee's class, he signed two to their zero five-stars and two more four-stars.

I know all the numbers do not mean anything until they get out on the field. Thompson's got some good talent to work with. As defensive coordinator at UCF he produced a pair of All-Conference USA First-Team selections. We should really look forward to what is is going to do with Jerrell Harris, Don'ta Hightower, and Courtney Upshaw.

Big day for the Tide

2008-02-06T15:02:00.001-06:00

It was a big finish for Alabama today as we had three huge recruits commit to top off the 2008 recruiting class putting Alabama atop the national recruiting list. Julio Jones, Jerrell Harris and Marcel Dareus.

Alabama landed three five stars this recruiting season: Julio Jones, Burton Scott and Tyler Love. The probable quarterback of the future, Star Jackson signed his LOI today as well.

The Tide is ranked top both in Rivals.com and Scouts.com recruiting class. It's been an amazing run and now we get to see what all Saban and staff can do with them.

On another note, Auburn is pretty dissapointed in the way things went over the course of today and the recruiting season.

Some comments from al.com's Auburn blog:

Posted by arklight:
Let's not kid ourselves. CTT and staff need to look in the mirror and try to figure oput how we lose THREE of our long time commitments right before signing day. They might want to make a committment to better in state recruiting, maintaining a consistent coaching staff, and putting to rest issues of job security sooner rather than later. Let's be honest this is a 9-3 or 8-4 class...Nothing special, nothing terible. It's time CTT either steps up his game now that he doesn;t have Shula to kick around, or next year, just don't flirt with other schools...Take the job.

Posted by tigerzbaby:
I think we got a good, solid class. True, Bama's is highly ranked *IF* you care about stars. I do not look forward to hearing all the smack that we will no doubt have to listen to as a result, whether it's founded or not they love to dish it out.

Posted by AUDude1:
OK everyone - let's not get all freaked out. This story will be extremely old news in just a few weeks. Remember, it is a COMBINATION of recruiting clases over a 4-5 year period that constitutes the team.
We all knew that Davis and Fortson were lost causes anyway.
For now, we still have some pretty good backs for the next few years in Tate, Fannin, and Lester (1 more year for him).

Posted by Tottenham:
Just wondering:
1) Would it have been better to sign fewer players and hold those scholarships (under the 85 limit) for future classes? Would it have been better to stick with quality and limit the quantity?
2) How much pressure will there be to have a top signing class next year? This year, not so much, because of last year's great class. But I'm pretty sure that two in a row would have long lasting effects.
3) In evaluating the misses in this class (vis a vis the head to head matchups with Bama and the loss of previously committed players) why isn't the DB from Auburn High (whose name escapes me at the moment) who signed with Florida mentioned?
4) What need was Auburn not able to address?

Posted by shug1957:
We will have to work hard for everything we get from this day forward. We have no more Mike Shula to laugh about.

I know it hurts you to read the frustration that is coming from the Auburn community. I think they are starting to realize the excitement we had when Coach Saban was hired. He did a good job this past season, but now it's time to truly watch him and his staff work.

Any thoughts on today?

Need that John Hancock

2008-02-06T09:36:00.000-06:00

[Last updated: 2:05 PM CST]

Here's the signing schedule for the commitments:

Jermaine Preyear - signed
Devonta Bolton - signed
Glenn Harbin - signed
Terrence Cody - signed
Robby Green - signed
Ivan Matchett - signed
Mark Barron - signed
Destin Hood - signed
Melvin Ray - signed
Brad Smelley - signed
Chris Jordan - signed
Kerry Murphy - signed
Courtney Upshaw - signed
Don'ta Hightower - signed
Damion Square - signed
Wesley Neighbors - signed
Brandon Lewis - signed
John Michael Boswell - signed
Burton Scott - signed
Barrett Jones - signed
Star Jackson - signed
Undra Billingsley - signed
Robert Lester - signed
Michael Williams - signed
Tyler Love - signed
Corey Smith - signed
Alonzo Lawrence - signed
Chris Jackson - signed

Here's the signing schedule for the top uncommited with interest in the Tide:

DE Robert Quinn (signed w/ North Carolina)
DT Marcel Dareus (signed w/ Alabama)
DB T.J. Bryant (signed w/ USC)
WR Julio Jones (signed w/ Alabama)
LB Jerrell Harris (signed w/ Alabama) - to make it a little dramatic, Harris had all his hats in front of him, walked to the podium, reached under and pulled out a Bear Bryant Houndstooth hat... nice!

MyFoxAl.com says they are going to cover live signings of both Dareus and Harris.

Since Mobile's wkrg.com site is having some trouble (probably due to high traffic), check out Julio's decision on ESPN.

With Julio and Dareus signing with the Tide, that puts us up on the top with both Rivals.com and Scout.com

Julio's LOI video:

I'm liking the attention

2008-02-05T10:16:00.000-06:00

Title traits(rivals.com).... Schools to watch(espn.com)... Best recruiting class(foxsports.com)...

I'm liking all the attention and looking forward to where it can take us. Read up and wait up for tomorrow.

Countdown to signing day

2008-02-04T10:04:00.000-06:00

MemphisTider figured out why the Alabama/LSU basketball game was sold out. Burton Scott, Julio Jones, Robert Lester, Mark Barron, and DJ Fluker were all seen at the game.

Now that Steele has made his decision to stay with the Tide, let's hope we can bring in some big signees Wednesday to finish up one of the best recruiting classes we've ever seen.

Currently, Rivals.com has us ranked third in recruiting class with being 56 total recruiting points behind number 2 Notre Dame and 69 points behind the leader Florida. The next closest in total points is Georgia trailing by 236.

Here's some top recruits that will be making their decision this week:
Tuesday

Mark Ingram, RB, Southwestern Academy

Wednesday

Julio Jones, WR, Foley
Jerrell Harris, LB, Gadsden City
T.J. Bryant, CB, Lincoln (Fla.)
Marcel Dareus, DT, Huffman
Robert Quinn, DE, Fort Dorchester

Bama adds another

2008-01-31T15:34:00.000-06:00

Alabama added another commitment to the list today. Glenn Harbin a 6'6 250lb defensive end out of McGill Toolen (Mobile) commited. Here's what he had to say about Alabama: "I wanted to be part of something special and that's what this class is. I saw a lot of the Mobile guys going there and I've known those guys for a long time. I'm closest with Ivan Matchett and he was always talking about how great it was going to be." Things are definitely looking good for the years to come. We still have a pretty full board of people we want. Most of which will be committing on signing day. But one of our high priorities is Alonzo Lawrence and he is set to announce on Friday. Its between us Ole Miss and Miami. I would say we have the best shot with him considering Saban's history with DB's.

Rivals has an updated ranking list. We are currently number 3 behind Florida and Notre Dame. Florida came into Alabama and stole one of our top players. William Green from Spain Park. He was worried about going to school the day after committing to Florida. This is what he had to say : "I still have to go to school today, I'll probably be cussed and have stuff thrown at me," Green said only half jokingly. When asked if he was serious, he responded, "I'll probably get cussed out a little bit. I have random people calling me sometimes and cussing me out (for leaning to Florida)."

Here is the Rivals List I mentioned.

New OC: Jim McElwain

2008-01-30T12:58:00.001-06:00

Jim McElwain from Fresno State has been announced as the new offensive coordinator. Read more from RollTide.com. Jim was the oc and qb coach at Fresno during the 2007 season and was the qb coach in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders.

"McElwain’s offense at Fresno State averaged 419.5 yards per game (38th nationally) and 32.9 points per game (32nd) last season."

Here's some more stats by Fresno State last year.

10 years....

2008-01-29T15:04:00.000-06:00

10 years! That's how long it's been since the Volunteers won a game in Tuscaloosa. For the fourth time this season, the Tide basketball team will face a Top 25 ranked team, in fact the third Top 10 team. Alabama (12-8, 1-4), plays host to the No. 8 ranked Tennessee Vols, 17-2, 4-1, tonight at 8PM CST on ESPN.

The Tide won 97-77 over Auburn on Saturday to snap a season-high four-game losing streak and earn their first conference victory. Alabama has lost three of its last five at home, is 0-3 against ranked teams this season, losing to Texas A&M, Georgetown and Clemson.

Hollinger is averaging 6.5 points and 3.1 assists at point guard. Richard Hendrix leads the SEC in rebounding and averages 19.4 points and 10.2 rebounds. Demetrius Jemison is averaging 5.2 points and 5.0 rebounds. Alonzo Gee is averaging 15.9 points and 7.8 rebounds and senior Mykal Riley is averaging 13.3 points and 4.9 rebounds. Gee is 13 points away from scoring his 1,000th Alabama career point.

The Vols Chris Lofton is looking to put that 10 years to rest. Lofton is averaging 14.1 points and 3.1 rebounds while also shooting over 80% from the free throw line. Tonight the Capstone is asking to "White Out" the stands to help put the No. 8 team to bed.

Daaaaaaaannnnnnnngggggggg

2008-01-28T00:56:00.001-06:00

January 26, 1983

2008-01-27T12:09:00.000-06:00

After a 21-15 victory over Illinois in the 1982 Liberty Bowl, the greatest coach in college football history stepped away from the sidelines.

His plan was to remain at the University of Alabama as athletics director while Ray Perkins became the head coach, but it wasn't going to happen. Little did everyone know that Paul "Bear" Bryant had given it his all. Not just in the game of football, but in the game of life.

Bryant went to the hospital for a checkup on Jan. 25, 1983. He came out fine, but went in again the next day. It was there, on Jan. 26, 1983, where Bryant suffered a massive heart attack and died.

The Bear was gone, but the legend remains.

Read more by Drew Champlin The Crimson White

Funeral coverage from MyFoxAl

TGIF

2008-01-25T11:56:00.000-06:00

Well, the Senior Bowl is tomorrow down in Mobile. Kick-off is scheduled for 3 PM. Here's the roster for the game. Fellow Alabama players that will be running around on Ladd-Peebles Stadium will be:

Simeon Castille
DJ Hall
Wallace Gilberry

The basketball team will be hosting the Auburn Tigers and still looking for that first conference win. The sold out game starts at 2 PM CST.

Still no OC. I have heard a lot of rumors. So much I couldn't keep up with them all on here. Once they came up, another one would put it to bed. Let us know if you hear anything with some good sense behind it.

If you are interested in names such as Jessica Biel, Elisha Cuthbert, and Keira Knightley, you need to go check out RollBamaRoll's 2008 Girl Fight.

7-16 in last 23 SEC play

2008-01-22T09:45:00.000-06:00

Gottfried is giving the same tune and Finebaum is calling him out. Are people looking for a coaching change? Could we even make one if we wanted to? Isn't all the money going to Saban right now? Let's hope we get some direction quick. It's starting to look like football season all over again...searching for identity. It is what it is.

Tide Starts 0-4 in SEC Play

2008-01-19T18:01:00.000-06:00

The 66-56 loss earlier today to Mississippi State sends the Tide to 0-4 in conference play. Flat out we are not a well coached basketball team. Turnovers, poor shot selection, no hustle, the list goes on and on. We allowed State to knock down 12-26 from beyond the arc compared to our 2-14. State had a pretty good following that made the short drive over from Starkville. They shut our student section up pretty quick when we were chanting State Sucks, they fired back with 17-12. There is a good chance we will start conference play 0-6, with the next two games coming against an improved Auburn team and a National Title contender, the Tennessee Vols. Something must be done about Gottfried. He has gotten a stay of execution thanks to the Applewhite news but with that dying down, look for the heat turn up on Gottfried's seat. Anyone got any thoughts on Gottfried, fire'em up in the comments. ROLL TIDE.

OC Update

2008-01-18T13:23:00.000-06:00

Several sites have listed an article from the Huntsville Times that Michigan's former quarterbacks coach might be the front runner for the OC. Scot Loeffler has been seen at the Capstone this week.

MemphisTider lists some names that have been thrown out:

Jeff Brohm (OC at Louisville)
Norm Chow (fired OC at Tennessee Titans)
Tom Clements (QB coach at Green Bay)
Gary Crowton (OC at LSU)
Adam Case (QB coach at Detroit Lions)
Bryan Harsin (OC at Boise State)
Chris Hatcher (HC at Georgia Southern)
Chip Kelly (OC at Oregon)
Freddie Kitchens (TE coach at Arizona Cardinals)
Gus Malzahn (QB/OC at Tulsa)
Joe Pendry (currently on staff)
Jeff Rutledge (QB coach at Arizona Cards)
Steve Sarkisian (QB coach at USC)
Dabo Swinney (WR coach at Clemson)
Scot Loeffler (QB coach at Michigan)

RollBamaRoll has some good commentary about the Applewhite issue. Also, a good quote from Bear that I had to post, "But it's still a coach's game. Make no mistake. You start at the top. If you don't have a good one at the top, you don't have a cut dog's chance. If you do, the rest falls into place. You have to have good assistants, and a lot of things, but first you have to have the chairman of the board."

It would be nice to name a new OC before national high school signing day. I know our recruit openings are filling up fast. We need to make sure we save that one for Julio.

UPDATE - BamaOnline is reporting that Scot Loeffler former QB coach at Michigan arrived in Tuscaloosa late Thursday night. He is expected to interview for a position. It is unclear exactly what that position is. He has coached such quarterbacks as Chad Henne and John Navarre. As a graduate assistant at UM he assisted in the development of a guy named Tom Brady, you may of heard of him.

The Tide hosts the Bulldogs of Miss State tomorrow at 2:00 PM CST. Even if you can't watch the game, wish'em well. We can't start out 0-4!

Sad News from T-Town.......

2008-01-17T23:16:00.001-06:00

It's official. The Houndstooth as we know it no longer remains. Today was the demolition day and a sad day in the hearts of many Alabama fans and alumni. Good news is that it will be reopening in about 6-8 months. But we all know it won't be the same.

Mid-week Miscellaneous

2008-01-16T13:39:00.000-06:00

As you all have heard, Applewhite is looking to be heading to Texas. TideSports has the latest, saying we should hear something within the next couple of days because of the job posting rule at Texas.

Have you been in any arguments about whether or not there should be a college football playoff? BestoftheSEC has a good post about the pros and cons.

ESPN.com did a mock draft for the seniors heading out this year.

The baseball team is back for the semester and starting up drills. The first day of practice is February 1st with the first game coming on the 22nd against Cal Poly.

Here is the latest SEC conference basketball standings.

The tide will head to Athens tonight to play the Bulldogs. Tip off is at 6:30 PM CST. Both teams are looking for their first conference win. Alabama will return from Athens to prepare to host Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa on Saturday at 2:00 PM CST.

Good News Monday....

2008-01-14T13:14:00.000-06:00

We got two very good pieces of information today. BamaOnline is reporting that Antoine Caldwell has decided to stay at the Capstone for his senior season. He said his decision was based heavily on some unfinished business. This decision means we will only be losing one offensive linemen from this years starting squad,Justin Britt. So hopefully we can finally get some consistency along the front. The other piece of news is Burton Scott our 5 star commit from Mobile is back from a visit to Auburn and is still solid on Bama. He plans to make a few other visits to Miami, Florida, and Ole Miss. He said he is firmly committed to the tide. He wants to enjoy the process of being a highly sought after recruit and just taking the visit for fun. Either way I don't like it. 18 year olds can change their minds pretty quick.

On another note we no longer have to deal with the two headed monster of Jones and McFadden at Arkansas. They have both decided to forgo their senior season and go to the NFL. Espn Reported Friday that Mcfadden was leaving and it came out today that Jones was leaving also. I know that there are a few defensive coordinators that will sleep a little better tonight and one coach that won't, Bobby Petrino. Ha sucks for you Bobby.

Congrats to Wallace Gilberry

2008-01-14T10:56:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to Wallace Gilberry for making the ESPN.com's 2007 All-Bowl Team.

Mid-week Miscellaneous

2008-01-10T11:23:00.000-06:00

The Alabama Rapsheet gives us a heads up on an article that will be ran in the Birmingham News tomorrow about Kevin Steele's interview with South Alabama.

Some rumors are flying over at Burnt Orange Nation about Applewhite might interested in the OC at Austin.

Kicker Corey Smith and receiver Chris Jackson will be joining the Capstone this Spring to hopefully get an edge before next season.

Here's the latest Men's SEC conference standings.

Problems on the Plains? Auburn better get some internal things settled soon.

200Saban, the year in review.

Who was the least penalized team in the SEC and fourth least penalty yards per game in the nation? "No amount of number-shifting changes the only number that matters — the 7-6 record — but it is interesting to see how the various numbers added up for Alabama this season."

Conference Play

2008-01-08T15:56:00.000-06:00

Tonight 8:00PM CST, the Crimson Tide(11-4) hosts the Florida Gators(13-2) at Coleman Coliseum to begin conference play this season for the basketball team. The objective of the Tide this conference play should be feed Richard Hendrix in the post. So far this season he has had 152 rebounds averaging 10.1 per game with 286 points averaging 19.1 per game.

Below are the current SEC standings by division:

Below is the schedule for the rest of regular season:

2 loss national champion?

2008-01-07T10:32:00.000-06:00

Our friends over at RollBamaRoll have a real good write up about the upcoming BCS National Championship. If you have some time, try and read the lengthy post.

Some key points:

"LSU is the first team with two regular season losses to ever play for a national championship in the history of college football. And when I say history of college football, I don't mean just since the BCS came into being, or even since the AP Poll came about. I mean literally the entire history of college football, dating back to the first college football game ever played between Rutgers and Princeton in 1869."
"After all, this was the exact same team that was annihilated by Florida in the 2006 national championship game, sans several stars, such as Troy Smith, Ted Ginn, Antonio Pittman, and others. Why should anyone have legitimately thought they were any better in 2007 without all of those players? The answer was simple, no one did, and it was and is a valid point."

2008 Schedule Released......

2008-01-06T17:13:00.000-06:00

Yea so I know its a little late but here it is.....

Date	Opponent	Location
Aug. 30	vs. Clemson	Atlanta, Ga.
Sept. 6	Tulane	Tuscaloosa
Sept. 13	Western Kentucky	Tuscaloosa
Sept. 20	at Arkansas*	Fayetteville, Ark.
Sept. 27	at Georgia*	Athens, Ga.
Oct. 4	Kentucky*	Tuscaloosa
Oct. 18	Ole Miss*	Tuscaloosa
Oct. 25	at Tennessee*	Knoxville, Tenn.
Nov. 1	Arkansas State	Tuscaloosa
Nov. 8	at LSU*	Baton Rouge, La.
Nov. 15	Mississippi State*	Tuscaloosa
Nov. 29	Auburn*	Tuscaloosa

*Denotes SEC games

Back for the New Year

2008-01-04T09:19:00.000-06:00

Well, we are back from taking some time off for the new year. We came out with a win. It was an impressive first half then a slow second. All in all, it felt good to get that bowl game win, even though it was at Shreveport. We all know that 7-6 feels a whole lot better than 6-7.

If you haven't heard, Ron Middleton, the Tide's Special Teams/TEs coach, is heading to Duke where he will be contributing with the same roll.

Who's in favor of playing Clemson?

seniors Wallace Gilberry, Simeon Castille, and DJ Hall will be playing in the Senior Bowl January 26th.

So, as we conclude the 2007 football season, we will begin looking more into recruiting. Followed by basketball conference play and probably look into some baseball as well.

Keys to Victory.....

2007-12-28T15:13:00.000-06:00

These are the keys to victory as I see them for the bowl game:

Run the ball early
Get DJ Hall the ball, this being his last game he will be extra motivated
Control their star Linebacker Jordan Dizon
Stop the run, put them in 3rd and long their QB is almost as inconsistent as ours
Basically all bowl games come down to is who wants it more, each team is trying to avoid back to back losing seasons, so hopefully we will come out fired up and head into the offseason on a positive note.