CRIMSON TIDE PRIDE

Sugar Will Still Be Sweet ....

2008-12-06T22:35:00.002-05:00

First I would just like to congratulate the FL Gators on a well played game. If a few bounces had gone our way or JPW had completed some 2nd Qtr passes it might have been a different story. Either way I was very proud of how our team conducted themselves and it was truly a championship caliber game. It was decidedly NOT a blowout and I was glad of that. Our defense showed its mettle and our offense had spots where we truly had our way. Tebow was stopped on many plays where usually he has big gains and we did great stopping his passing game as well.

Good luck FL in the Natl Championship and our bowl game will still be a sweet treat. I dont have the "official" word at this time but it looks like we will be bowling in the Sugar against the UTAH Utes. Another great Alabama game soon to come!

ROLL TIDE & HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Coach Saban The Next Bear??? Too Early To Tell...

2008-12-06T06:44:00.002-05:00

My local newspaper the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer picked up an article recently comparing Nick Saban to the bear. I agree they have similar coaching styles & philosophies but lets not get carried away this early.

I want to start out by saying of course I think Coach Saban is exactly what Alabama needed after all those coaching & recruiting fiasco's of the past few seasons. We need a fierce leader who is big on discipline & coaches great defense & strong stalwart offense. He embodies the style of our revered Coach Bryant & though we can compare him all day its still much too early to call him the 2nd coming.

A comment on this article basically said the same thing. Yes it was posted by an Auburn fan still hurting from both the Iron Bowl loss & the loss of Coach Tubberville from the Auburn program but he was still pretty much on the money saying it was too soon to make this judgement.

I encourage all you fans out there to try to keep the insults against Auburn to a minimum no matter how childish or mean some of them sound when talking about our program. They are hurting from a double loss. No one expected Coach Tubberville to bail on them after one bad season. He had many many great seasons coaching Auburn and its a shame he has decided to part after one sub-par season. Im sure his replacement will be quite dangerous as well. I respect Auburns team & love the fact that records are always out the window when we play our rivalry games. Both schools programs always put 110pct on the field that saturday we all look forward to year after year.

For now I will leave you with this final thought .... ROLL TIDE ROLL BEAT THEM GATORS!!!!!!!!

Tide Pride

TA TA Tubberville..... :)

2008-12-04T20:22:00.003-05:00

Well I guess he couldnt bear to stay now that Bama Blew him away. Would say I'll miss ya tommy ... but alas I wont. Good luck and hope you find a home far away from the SEC.

Now on to the gators .... the media/press/bookies have the tide as 10 point dogs in this game. I can see why they might as Florida is racking up the points on their opponnents. However, alabama has racked up some great points for a team that is mostly a running juggernaut. When you run the ball the clock keeps running meaning you have less time to score. When your constantly making big plays and many passes the clock stays much fuller.

I think when all is said and done both Alabamas defensive line & offensive line will tame these gators and if we do lose the game it will NOT be by a large blow out margin. Our great defense will keep them honest and our running game will make the clock OUR friend.

Just my 2c.

L8ter

McElroy Takes A Knee!!! Undefeated Regular Season!

2008-11-30T14:55:00.001-05:00

Congratulations Alabama you have finished the first phase of three for the National Crown. Next Phase 2 is to Demolish the Gators in the dome. Phase 3 will be whooping the next in line for a butt whooping for the National Championship! Roll Tide and here is a great article from yesterdays game.

Notebook: Tide, Gators set to collide

Chase Goodbread
BamaOnLine.com

Twenty-four hour rule?

How about the 24-minute rule.

No sooner did the Alabama football team dispatch rival Auburn 36-0 to complete a perfect regular season than attention turned to the 11-1 Florida Gators, who will await the Crimson Tide in next week's Southeastern Conference championship game. UA coach Nick Saban has a rule that his players are to celebrate a victory no more than 24 hours before turning their attention to the next opponent. But despite a 36-0 win over rival Auburn that could only be described as the Tide's most satisfying victory of the season, players said no time will be wasted given the conference championship stakes that await in Atlanta's Georgia Dome.

"I think as soon as the game's over, guys in the locker room talk about Florida and about what we've got to do," said quarterback John Parker Wilson. "We know what's in front of us."

Saban commented on the contrasting styles that will meet for the SEC title on Saturday.

"They've got a lot of speed, a lot of good return people, a lot of good skill guys on offense," Saban said. "... We've got two different, contrasting styles. It'll be interesting to see how those styles affect the outcome of the game. ... We are who we are. The way we play is our style, and they're going to have to match that style. And we're going to have to match their style in terms of their speed."

Florida handled its rival, Florida State, 38-15 in Tallahassee, Fla., Saturday. Considered the nation's hottest team with a string of routs since its home loss to Ole Miss, UF will likely be favored by oddsmakers despite facing an undefeated, No.1-ranked team.

"We're not done yet. Florida's a big game - my dad went to Florida. I want to keep him quiet at Christmas dinner," said Alabama defensive end Bobby Greenwood.

GREENWOOD COMES UP BIG - Senior Bobby Greenwood blocked a 40-yard field goal to the the first half, preserving a shutout for the Crimson Tide and maintaining a 10-0 UA lead.

"[It hit me] right in the facemask," Greenwood said. "It's good to have a big head."

Auburn kicker Wes Byrum converted a 40-yarder only moments earlier, but the Alabama coaching staff called a timeout just before the ball was snapped, resulting in a dead ball and a re-kick.

CODY BACK ON OFFENSE - Noseguard Terrence Cody made his second appearance of the season on offense against the Tigers, lining up as a goalline blocking back on a short touchdown run by Mark Ingram. Cody ran into the endzone without being taken on by an AU defender.

"I came off the ball and nobody wanted to run into me," Cody said. "They ran the other way and stuff."

Cody also led the way on a touchdown plunge against Ole Miss earlier this season.

ETC. - Among the bowl representatives at Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday was Ronnie Burns from the Sugar Bowl. The connection? Burns is the brother of Crimson Tide running backs coach Burton Burns. ... Former Alabama players Ezekial Knight and B.J. Stabler were honored during pre-game Senio Day ceremonies. Neither have been on Alabama's roster since last season; both had their careers ended a year early for medical reasons. Knight started at strongside linebacker last season but was disqualified with a heart condition, while Stabler, a reserve offensive lineman, suffered from chronic knee trouble. ... With a fourth-down conversion in the first quarter, Alabama is now a perfect 7 for 7 on fourth-down tries this season. ... Alabama's 36-0 win was the largest margin of victory for UA in the series since a 38-0 win in 1962. ... Alabama's 13-game win streak, dating back to the Independence Bowl, is tied for the nation's longest with Utah. ... Glen Coffee's 144-yard night gives him 1,235 yards for the year on 199 carries, ranking seventh on UA's single-season list.

IRON BOWL DAY

2008-11-29T07:32:00.000-05:00

TODAY IS THE DAY!

ROLL TIDE BAMA TAN THEIR HIDE!!!!

GOOOOOOO BAMA!!!!

ROLL TIDE!

2008-11-20T10:29:00.003-05:00

Great Article on Coach Saban

2008-11-18T08:58:00.002-05:00

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Nick Saban is a man in motion. Don't try to stop him. Just get out of his way.
There he goes, walking down a hall in the Mal Moore Athletic Facility with a purpose. He does everything with a purpose. Saban spies star sophomore linebacker Rolando McClain and stops to coach him up.
Alabama's Nick Saban never misses an opportunity to coach up one of his players."When we call that blitz, you have to jam up in there," Saban says. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir," says McClain, who nods and continues on his way.
Saban heads the other direction, resuming a gait that's almost a gallop. If you saunter, stroll or simply walk, Saban will leave you in his dust. He is headed to a meeting. And if there's one thing Saban loves, it's meetings. They dot his daily schedule, and his goal is to maximize every last tick of time.
Coaching is Saban's raison de etre. It's why God put him on earth. Saban's single-minded obsession often is misconstrued. Unable to relate or understand, outsiders label him a soul-less soldier who tramples those who impede his goal: building a championship team.
"Nothing good in life comes easy," Saban says. "You have to sacrifice."
Saban isn't a monster. He's a hard-driving man who is in pursuit of greatness. And that journey for football nirvana demands discipline, focus and dump-trucks full of hard work. For Pete's sake, this is a guy who had vertebrae in his neck fused in January to end years of pain – and was back at work within hours of the operation.
"I love the college game," Saban says. "The NFL? It is too much about self-preservation. It's hard to get everyone on the same page. And the league is too media-driven. I enjoy the college game more.
"And I like what we are building here."
Saban granted Rivals.com unprecedented access last week – staff meetings, practices, film sessions, speaking events – as the Crimson Tide prepared to play Mississippi State, We even went along with college football's most famous coach to get a haircut.
Come along – and see if you can keep up.
*** Wednesday, 9 a.m. ***
Nick Saban's cell phone rings. He glances at the caller ID. It's his daughter, Kristen, a high school senior.
"I wonder what she wants," Saban jokes. "She usually doesn't call unless she needs something. … Hello, Krissy."
Saban nods and smiles.
"That's great," he says. "And what did you get on the other part of the test? OK. I will see you tonight, honey, OK? Bye-bye."
This is the Saban that's rarely seen. Here is the coach of the No. 1 team in America jumping smack-dab into the reality of fatherhood. Saban laughs, is even playful. But work beckons.
Saban and his staff spent Sunday, Monday and Tuesday implementing a game plan for Mississippi State. Saban knows the world thinks Alabama should whip the Bulldogs. But he's treating Mississippi State like the USC Trojans. Why not? The Bulldogs have won the past two meetings in the series.
He scans a schedule of the day's activities on his desk. Saban loves schedules almost as much as he loves meetings. His world is a nice, tidy box of order, structure and purpose.
"A lot of people think we work crazy hours," Saban says. "But we don't. I get here at about 7 each morning, and we all usually leave by 8 or so. But when we are here, we work."
There are no noontime workouts. Going out for lunch? Forget it. It's catered in each day. Need a snack? Stop by the "Saban store" in a room that connects his office and a conference room. There you'll find Golden Flake chips, crackers and a mini-fridge full of soft drinks. A big glass jar on an adjacent counter is stuffed with Little Debbie Oatmeal Pies. But don't even think about touching those – Saban loves them.
Tight ends/special teams coach Bobby Williams steps in the office. He wants Saban to watch a video of a recruit.
Nick Saban has to go … there's work to do.
*** Wednesday, 5:35 p.m. ***
Nick Saban is agitated.
His team – his troops – grab a knee and gather around him. Practice is over. It's dark, chilly and a little rainy. Wearing a red Alabama pullover, tan khakis and a fedora, Saban raises his hands and begins to speak.
"These guys are trying to sit on your season," says Saban, almost growling. "Are you going to let it happen? And we owe these guys. It's all in the details. You have to focus and take care of what's in front of you at that moment. If you don't, you're cheating yourself."
The team worked out in full pads Tuesday. Today is the last full-pads practice of the week; the Tide will work out in shells Thursday and have a walk-through Friday. Mississippi State will be here in three days. And everything is on the line for the Crimson Tide – a No. 1 ranking, a shot at the BCS title game and a place in hound's-tooth lore alongside Bear Bryant's national championship teams.
But don't dare talk about that with Saban. Remember: It's all about focus.
Time and again this week, he utters the phrase, "What we have done matters … but it really doesn't."
Saban practices what he preaches, refusing to wear the national championship ring he won with LSU in 2003.
The players sprint off the field for a quick post-practice film session called "last reel," where players are asked to call out assignments and formations of the upcoming opponent. It's a way to leave one final impression on their brains before they leave.
Nick Saban has to go … there's work to do.
*** Wednesday, 6:17 p.m. ***
Nick Saban is thinking.
Saban admits that Alabama has become a national championship contender faster than even he expected.He's in his office, his sanctuary. On a table adjacent to his desk sits a game ball in a glass case, given to Saban by Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas to commemorate Saban's first NFL victory – Sept. 11, 2005.
Near that is a Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Trophy won when Saban was at LSU. On top of a bookcase behind his desk, Saban has helmets from Alabama, the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and Houston Oilers, along with a picture of Eddie Robinson. A fat binder labeled "Practice Schedules 2008" rests on a circular table.
Sitting here before meeting the media after practice, Saban frets that his defensive line is hurting. And he's not sure if backup running back Roy Upchurch will be able to play.
"We are at that time of year when we are wearing down up front," he says. "I don't think Roy will play. [Defensive tackle Terrence] Cody can't really move. He has no short-area quickness. People still can't block him, but he has trouble getting off blocks."
Saban admits his rehab project is way ahead of schedule. No one anticipated a run at the national championship in his second season in Tuscaloosa, especially coming off a 7-6 debut that featured the Tide losing its last four regular-season games. Saban brushes a hand over his hair and stares at the floor.
"We have to keep these guys going," Saban says. "We have played some physical teams. The grind of the season is starting to show a bit on us. It's important to keep them focused on what's in front of them. They have to worry about just dominating the player in front of them, imposing their will. And instead of telling them to play for 60 minutes, we need to tell them to just play hard for the 5-6 seconds each."
Age has softened Saban – to a degree. Now 57, he no longer rips every player who jumps offside, drops a pass or just goofs up.
"I have learned," Saban says. "We still may need that guy to go back on the field and perform. He has to feel good about himself. I tend now to rub a guy on the back of the neck.
"If I need to yell, I usually try to wait until after a game."
Around the office, Saban remains calm while preparing for Mississippi State. Talking in a cool tone, Saban underscores his point by inflecting key words.
"Why did you get on that guy?" Saban says to an assistant during a staff meeting. "Next time, let me handle it, OK?"
And Saban doesn't need words. Nothing says "I'm disgusted" better than a sharp glance, a roll of the eyes or his cobra stare.
Assistant athletic director for football Jeff Purinton tells Saban the media is waiting.
Nick Saban has to go … there's work to do.
*** Thursday, 10:29 a.m. ***
Nick Saban is sipping coffee at the head of a long conference room table.
It's almost 10:30 a.m., time for Alabama's daily staff meeting. If you are part of the pulse of Crimson Tide football, you are sitting in this room.
Saban's staff rings a large table. There's Kevin Steele, Jim McElwain, Joe Pendry, Kirby Smart, Williams, Curt Cignetti, Burton Burns, Bo Davis and Lance Thompson. Football operations director Mike Vollmer is by Saban's side. Support staffers line the outside walls, which also include a poster with the score of last season's losses to Mississippi State and Louisiana-Monroe emblazoned with the words "Work, Commitment, Perseverance."
"The players have one of those hanging in their lockers," Saban says. "They can take it down if we win on Saturday."
Saban never misses a motivational trick. One included the logo of each Alabama opponent printed on a square, plastic box. If the Tide wins, players affix their signature to the box if they feel they played a role in the victory. The blocks are displayed on a wall leading to the practice field for the players to see as they pass by.
There is no mistaking who is in charge: It's the guy in red Alabama golf shirt, blue slacks and loafers with no socks. Saban adjusts his glasses, looks down at a note pad and runs down details of today's practice, which starts at 3:30 p.m. Of course, that practice will be preceded by a meeting.
For Saban, practices are about getting maximum reps at a quick tempo. And some of the practice features what Saban calls "good on good." Saban doesn't think his starters get enough quality repetitions in practice, making it necessary to line up the first-team offense against the first-team defense for several plays each practice.
That's the paradox of success. The moment you stop to enjoy it, you are in trouble. You have to keep moving forward. It's not what you have done that's important. It's where you are going.
— Alabama coach Nick Saban.
Again, Saban frets about his team's mental and emotional well-being.
"I have seen the Eagles about 20 times in my life," Saban says. "Those guys sing the same songs over and over. They have to be sick of them. But they still do it. We need to come up with ways to keep things fresh for our guys."
The staff reviews where it stands in recruiting. At one end of the room, the names, heights, weights, hometowns and 40 times of Alabama's top targets are neatly aligned on rectangular cards by position. Saban briefs the staff on the recruiting calls he made the night before. He also quizzes staff members on the status of other prospects and gets an update on who will be on campus for visits this weekend.
A screen on one end of the room is lowered. It's time to watch film of yesterday's practice. And it doesn't take long for Saban to get angry with the look the scout team is giving.
"What is that guy doing?" Saban says. "The kid didn't even drop into coverage. We can't have this. The guys on the scout team have to give us a better look than this. This is terrible. We need to talk about this."
The staff clears the room. Saban remains to watch film of recruits, scribbling notes and making grades about prospects on a form. A secretary enters the room to remind him of a meeting he has with Nike representatives.
Nick Saban has to go … there's work to do.
*** Thursday, 6:37 p.m. ***
Nick Saban is sitting in a salon chair with an apron on.
It's time to trim his hair, but it must be fast. Saban has to be at his weekly radio show at Buffalo Wild Wings on McFarland Road at 7 p.m.
"Don't give me that chair," he says. "I want the one I had before. That's where I sat the last time, and we beat Tennessee."
The workers at Headstart Hair Care, just outside of Tuscaloosa in Northport, Ala., seem unmoved by the presence of the state's most famous citizen. Saban is just a guy getting a haircut and he has been here before. But the few customers here at this late hour are understandably shocked to see Saban stride through the door. And it doesn't take long for an older man to strike up a conversation about an encounter he had with Bear Bryant years ago.
Saban smiles and plays along. It seems everyone has an Alabama football story, including the woman cutting his hair. Saban enjoys the banter, sharing the fact he has an aunt who attends all of Alabama's games – and always has play-calling suggestions.
Saban places two $20 bills near the register and heads for the door. Cedric Burns, a long-time member of Alabama's support staff who was hired by the Bear himself, waits behind the wheel of Saban's black Mercedes to whisk him away.
Alabama fans jump at the chance to see Saban during his weekly radio show.The scene at Saban's weekly radio call-in show at Buffalo Wild Wings is like a rock concert. In the mob scene, Jane from Northport is given the microphone and makes more of a statement than asking a question, gushing about how proud she is of Coach Saban. Vince from California calls in to wish Coach Saban the best. Saban even is posed questions submitted from the Internet, with Billy in Decatur wondering why Javier Arenas has trouble holding onto the ball. Saban never misses a beat.
During breaks in the show, which is broadcast to other BW3s across the state, Saban wades into the crowd to sign autographs. Afterward, Saban is mobbed as he heads for the door. Fans envelop him, shoving footballs, helmets, jerseys, even their babies at him. Two Tuscaloosa police officers serve as muscle men to help Saban navigate the crowd. Cedric Burns also does his part, politely asking fans to let the coach through because he has to make recruiting calls tonight. It works.
Still, it takes Saban more than 30 minutes to make it out the door. Once in his car, Saban is given a police escort complete with flashing lights.
Nick Saban has to go … there's work to do.
*** Friday, 11:43 a.m. ***
Nick Saban is slipping on a sport coat and fixing the knot in his tie.
An officer with the Alabama State Police is waiting to drive him to a "Nick at Noon" function for Tide Pride boosters at Tuscaloosa's Indian Hills Country Club.
"I'm not sure what I'm going to say to these people," Saban says.
On the way out of the office, a few autograph-seekers lurk. They always wait for Saban. During the ride in the unmarked police car, Saban sits shotgun and doesn't say a word, instead furiously making notes.
The parking lot is packed with Alabama worshipers. Suddenly, a pickup truck backs out in front of the police car.
"You should have thrown the siren on for that guy," Saban kids the officer. "You can't let that go on."
Saban enters the country club through a back door, winding by some offices and a room filled with older women playing bridge. The applause starts before Saban even hits the big ballroom. When Saban enters, everyone stands and applauds. Some cheer. It's as if royalty has entered the room. And, really, that's what Saban is in these parts.
Saban stands behind a small lectern at the front of the room and begins speaking. He may not enjoy these functions, but he's good at them. Saban is a small man, but his presence fills the room. In staff meetings at the office, he sometimes speaks in a soft, almost inaudible, tone. But here Saban's voice booms. He gestures vigorously with his hands and seemingly makes eye contact with everyone in a performance that any polished politician could admire. The man is a leader, the ultimate beta wolf who engages, charms and even intimidates in this setting.
Today, Saban regales his adoring flock with a story about the inner wolves that lurk inside everyone. One wolf embodies positive traits, the other negative traits. Which one will grow inside each of us? Saban asks. The one we feed.
"And that's what we are trying to tell our players," Saban says. "We need to stay humble and work hard."
A question-and-answer session follows, quickly morphing into a pep rally. It doesn't take long for someone to ask Saban a question about a comment he made on his radio show at Buffalo Wild Wings. In an attempt to stress the importance of the crowd for Saturday night's game, Saban had said he "didn't give a [expletive] who Alabama is playing; the fans better be in the stands and be there for the players."
"I apologize for using the word I did," Saban says. "But I was trying to stress how much we need people like you to help get us through."
Nick Saban has to go … there's work to do.
*** Saturday, 8:23 a.m. ***
Nick Saban is pacing.
Last night, the team watched the new James Bond movie at the Cobb Theatre. When it returned to the Hotel Capstone on Paul W. Bryant Drive, the offense and defense met, had a snack and bed check was at 11.
Game day is here. Saban and his staff meet at 8:30 a.m., and breakfast is served at 10:30 a.m. Every detail of this day is spelled out on a tiny laminated card that director of football operations Mike Vollmar has made and distributed.
At 11 a.m., the team takes a walk. It's all about staying up and about. Saban doesn't want his players lounging around their rooms for hours before the game. Upon returning, there are position meetings. At 2:15, religious services are offered. Catholics meet in the Fitz-Bagby room; non-denominational services are held in the Gayle-Murphy room. After a pregame meal at 2:45, the players have almost two hours to relax before a team meeting at 4:10. Buses depart for Bryant-Denny Stadium at 4:35, and the team conducts its "Walk of Champions" at 4:45.
The last item on the itinerary is most important: "6:47 Kick-Off: Beat Mississippi State!!!!!!!!!"
Saban and the Crimson Tide handled Mississippi State to move to 11-0.Nick Saban has to go … there's work to do.
*** Saturday, 9:57 p.m. ***
Nick Saban is jogging.
Heading toward the tunnel in the wake of a methodical 32-7 win over Mississippi State, Saban makes a U-turn to salute the fans. He holds a No. 1 finger up and points at the crowd. A roar erupts.
His players, his team, did it. Alabama is 11-0, fighting through a sluggish first half to bury the Bulldogs behind outstanding special-teams play and a stifling defense. But there is no post-game glow for Saban. True to form, his focus already has shifted to the next task: a Nov. 29 home game against archrival Auburn. After that, a date with Florida in the SEC Championship Game lurks. But Saban doesn't dare go there.
"That's the paradox of success," Saban says. "The moment you stop to enjoy it, you are in trouble. You have to keep moving forward. It's not what you have done that's important. It's where you are going.
"We aren't at our goal yet."
Nick Saban has to go … there's work to do.

He has a national championship to win.

11-0 Lets Go Bama BEAT AUBURN!!!!!!!

2008-11-16T05:35:00.004-05:00

Javier Arenas squirted through a gaping hole toward the sideline and there was no catching him from there.

Or No. 1 Alabama, for that matter.

Arenas ran back a punt 80 yards for a touchdown and set up a score with another long return, helping the Crimson Tide roll to a 32-7 comeback win over Mississippi State on Saturday night.

The Tide (11-0, 7-0 Southeastern Conference) scored the game’s final 27 points to turn back a team that had given ‘Bama fits the past two years.

Kareem Jackson blocked a punt in the end zone for a safety and Leigh Tiffin kicked three field goals to help keep Alabama on track for a perfect regular season leading up to a showdown with No. 3 Florida in the SEC championship game.

Mississippi State (3-7, 1-5) had won the past two meetings with coach Sylvester Croom’s alma matter. The Bulldogs, who were knocked out of contention for a second straight bowl trip, had also been the team to end Alabama’s last regular-season reign over the rankings back in 1980 when Croom was a Tide assistant.

Arenas effectively wiped out any fears of a repeat 28 years later. He darted through a gaping hole and raced down the right sideline for his fifth career punt-return touchdown early in the second half to break David Palmer’s school mark.

“Javy’s second return probably changed the momentum of the game as much as anything,” Tide coach Nick Saban said, calling it a “picture-perfect return” by the whole unit.

“We pretty much controlled the game after that.”

Arenas gained a school-record 153 yards on six returns.

“My guys are out there blocking for me, just a huge wall there blocking for me,” he said. “All of the guys set up a wall. I didn’t make any moves.”

Alabama trailed 7-5 when he turned in his first big runback and was in command after his second. His 46-yarder to the Bulldogs’ 2-yard line set up John Parker Wilson’s 1-yard sneak. It was the Tide’s first offensive touchdown against Mississippi State since the fourth quarter of the 2004 game, a span of some 210 minutes of play.

Mark Ingram added another 1-yard score in the fourth quarter.

The Tide turned in a workmanlike performance following an emotional overtime win at LSU that clinched the SEC West title, but still outgained Mississippi State 364-167. Alabama had only 212 yards entering the fourth.

“The first half we didn’t play especially well,” Saban said. “We made some mental errors on defense that were very costly—not like us. I thought we had a lot of energy, a lot of intensity, but we didn’t play very smart.”

Wilson completed 10 of 17 passes for 148 yards and set up scores with long passes to Julio Jones and Brad Smelley. Ingram ran for 78 yards and Glen Coffee had 71 for the Tide.

Mississippi State took the lead on Jamayel Smith’s 31-yard pass from Tyson Lee five minutes into the second quarter. The Bulldogs couldn’t produce much else offensively.

Lee completed 11 of 28 passes for 132 yards while the league’s top run defense held Anthony Dixon to 26 yards on 11 carries. That didn’t leave much margin for error on special teams.

“We gave up 16 points in the kicking game, and that’s pretty much the ballgame,” Croom said. “We can’t give those guys points. You can’t give them anything.”

Croom said defensive tackle Jessie Bowman appears lost for the season with a torn quadriceps muscle. The loss ended Mississippi State’s postseason hopes. Linebacker Dominic Douglas figures there’s plenty of blame to go around.

“We couldn’t get anything started, passing or running, offense or defense,” linebacker Douglas said. “We tried our best to stop them, but they kept kicking field goals that added to the score. We have to play better than we have been playing, and that is the bottom line.”

Alabama’s lone remaining game before the Gators is against struggling Auburn in two weeks.

10-0 & Headed To The SEC Championship

2008-11-09T16:46:00.003-05:00

YEA BAMA!!!!!!

It took longer than it should have ... it wasnt pretty at all ... but it was effective. Congrats LSU for giving us their very best and thank the lord that we were just a little better. As of this writing Bama is still #1 in the USA Today and AP Polls and fingers crossed should still be atop the BCS as well!!

ROLL TIDE & LETS KEEP ROLLING GUYS!!!!

Just Say No ... Mixed with a lil...Dr. Seuss?

2008-11-07T10:48:00.002-05:00

Hey guys & gals just a quick note before we get ready to rock LSU into the bayou & make em cry. If you have a web cam and you drink heavily and you have a face only radio would love & a voice that would make Dusty Rhodes slap you .... maybe JUST SAY NO!!! Before deciding to make a youtube video hollering how great our wonderful crimson tide football team is. Now Im not really sure if he's serious about loving the tide or just decided to make all tide fan's look this way .... This video is not here to promote it ... on the contrary its here to serve as a stark reminder why you shouldnt let friends drink & cam ....

Following the video is a poem someone wrote (dr. seuss style) authored by our best buddy Former Tennesee coach ... Phil "fatasshole" Fulmer.

""Canned I Am" - A Poem from Phil Fulmer

Canned I am,
To my own ill.
Did you hear?
They canned Fat Phil.

I am canned.
Yes I am.
I am crying on the cam.

I am canned,
Canned I am.
I do not like it.
I love ham.

Do you like them without pause,
Do you like the UT Vols?

I do not like them,
Canned I am.
I do not like them,
Man-for-man.

I was canned by trustee troll.
I was canned by popular poll.
I was canned right from my goal.
I was canned right from my role.
I was canned from the job I stole.

Did you steal it,
Canned-I-am?
Did you steal it,
From within the fam?

I stole it just as I planned.
I stole it for two hundred grand.
I stole it before the UT band.
I stole it before the UT stands.
I stole it right from Johnny's hands.

I stole it because I had the balls.
I stole it to coach the UT Vols.

Will you coach them in a bowl?
Will you coach them up the poll?

I will not coach them in a bowl,
I will not coach them up the poll.
I will not coach them in the rain.
I will not coach them in a game.
I will not coach them to a loss.
I will not coach them as the boss.
I will not coach them run the ball.
I will not coach them, not at all.

I would not, could not, win a game
I would not, could not, take the blame
I would not, could not, if I tried.
I would not, could not, so I cried.

I could not, could not, save my hide.
I could not, could not, stop the Tide.

I am not happy.
I am full of regret.
I am not hungry.
Is it Thanksgiving yet?

Did you rat them,
Canned-I-am?
Did you rat them to the man?

I tried to rat them to my pop,
I tried to rat them to a cop.
I tried to rat them so they'd flop.
I tried to rat them so they'd drop.
I tried to rat to make them stop.
They tried to out-cheat Rocky Top.

Who will give my boys their aid?
Who will make sure they are paid?

Will you help them,
Canned-I-am?
Will you help them, to a man?

I will not cheat them to a sale.
I will not cheat them out of jail.
I will not cheat them to not 'Fail.'
I will not cheat them to make bail.

I will not buy them an Escalade.
I will not buy them to get paid.
I will not buy them a good grade.
How much for the marmalade?

Can you coach them,
Canned-I-am?
Can you coach them,
Ever again?

I cannot coach them,
Canned I am.
I cannot coach them,
Worth a d---.

I cannot coach them like a hick.
I cannot coach them like in a flick.
I cannot coach them at Red Stick.
I cannot coach them vs. Richt.
I cannot coach them vs. Nick.
I cannot coach them worth a lick.

I cannot rat when teams out-cheat.
I cannot bring myself to eat.
I cannot leave this KFC.
I cannot drink enough gravy.

I will drink it when I foam.
I will drink it when in Rome.
I will drink it in a Dome.
I will drink it in a halfway home.

Canned I am, I can't believe.
Canned I am, by bright-orange bees.
Canned I am, right to my knees.
Two more orders of cheese-biscuits please

Crimson Tide Path To #1

2008-11-04T21:16:00.002-05:00

Thought I would throw together a video mix showing the tide's rise
to #1 this year.....not professional at all but here is my video!

UNANIMOUS #1

2008-11-03T05:28:00.001-05:00

ROLL TIDE!!! #1 IN EVERY POLL!!!!!

#1 ALABAMA!!! ROLL TIDE!!!!!

2008-11-02T14:18:00.001-05:00

Still waiting on the BCS computers to do their thing .... but as of right now .....

#1 in USA TODAY w/40 1st place votes

#1 in AP POLL w/46 1st place votes

#1 in Yahoo Users Poll

YEEEEHAW!!!!

9-0 Roll Tide, Up Next LS WHO?

2008-11-01T20:35:00.000-04:00

Ingram, No. 2 Bama roll over Arkansas State, 35-0

By JOHN ZENOR, AP Sports Writer

No. 2 Alabama produced a shutout, a 100-yard rusher and a defensive touchdown in a game that would have been easy to overlook.

What the Crimson Tide didn’t have: a letdown.

Mark Ingram ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries and Rashad Johnson scored on a 32-yard interception return in the Tide’s 35-0 victory over Arkansas State on Saturday.

Alabama (9-0) turned in a dominant all-around performance to set the stage for next week’s showdown at No. 15 LSU in the type of game that had been a stumbling block for recent Tide teams.

Think Louisiana-Monroe, another Sun Belt Conference team that upset ‘Bama last season.

“We’re starting to develop that attitude of be as good as you can be, don’t play to your opponent, all those kind of things,” said Tide coach Nick Saban, who is set to face his former team at LSU.

Did somebody say LSU? The team Saban once led to a national championship?

“I haven’t really thought about it yet,” he said of his return to Baton Rouge, “but it ain’t going to be about me.”

Well, not just about him.

Alabama, which can clinch the Southeastern Conference Western Division title with a win over LSU, managed its first shutout since a 17-0 victory over Mississippi State on Nov. 5, 2005. The Tide allowed only 158 yards on 54 plays against Arkansas State (4-4), which had scored 83 points against Texas Southern and upset Texas A&M earlier this season.

The Tide took its opening drive 89 yards on 16 plays for a touchdown to put aside any fears of a letdown like the one against Louisiana-Monroe. That game might have made it easier to focus in on this one.

“It’s pretty easy, especially compared to last year when we lost games that we should have won,” said tailback Glen Coffee, who scored on a 9-yard run.

Ingram scored on runs of 5 and 17 yards in the second half for the freshman’s first 100-yard game after managing just 1 yard on four carries against Tennessee last week.

“Mark Ingram, who has struggled a little bit the last couple of weeks, sure did look good today,” Saban said.

Coffee rushed for 56 yards and scored to cap that opening drive before sitting out the second half. Saban said he sustained a biceps bruise but didn’t expect him to miss practice time.

John Parker Wilson completed 15 of 28 passes for 158 yards and was intercepted once.

Wilson’s 12 consecutive completions dating back to last week’s game at Tennessee tied Andrew Zow’s school record set in 2000. The streak ended when Julio Jones couldn’t hold onto his second pass attempt.

The final score could have been even more lopsided, but the Tide was turned back four times on trips into Arkansas State territory, including an interception on the goal line and a missed field goal.

Arkansas State crossed midfield twice in the fourth quarter but the drives ended with a failed fourth-down play and a sack on third down.

“We did some good things, we just didn’t do enough of them, and they showed why they are the No. 2 team in the country,” Red Wolves coach Steve Roberts said. “They are a very, very powerful and very physical football team.”

Quarterback Corey Leonard passed for just 67 yards and was intercepted once and sacked four times, seldom getting time to find open receivers. Reggie Arnold gained 72 yards on 15 carries for the Red Wolves.

They converted just two of 12 third-down plays.

“When we would put one or two plays together, when it came to a big first down or something like that, they really would come after us and overpower us a lot of the times,” Leonard said.

The Tide led only 14-0 at halftime but breezed down the field to open the third quarter. Upchurch’s 22-yard run capped a four-play, 70-yard drive after Ingram tallied 43 yards on two runs.

Johnson, meanwhile, spearheaded the dominant defensive performance. He had 13 tackles and 2.5 stops for losses besides the interception return that made it 14-0 midway through the second quarter. It was the Tide’s fourth defensive touchdown of the season.

“It felt great,” Johnson said. “I’ve never scored before. It was a big play. We needed some momentum, and it boosted the offense, too. I looked up, saw it, reeled it in and then all I saw was the sideline.”

And now it’s on to LSU. It’s OK, Alabama. You can mention those three letters.

“We hadn’t looked or talked about LSU at all,” Wilson said. “Now we can.”

RAMMER JAMMER INDEED!

2008-10-29T05:36:00.002-04:00

Almost empty TN stadium being rocked by tens of thousands of bama fans who traveled to see the tide play screaming Rammer Jammer!

HEY VOLS!

RAMMER JAMMER!!!!!!!

2008-10-26T16:24:00.001-04:00

No. 2 Alabama cruises to 29-9 win over Tennessee

By BETH RUCKER, Associated Press Writer Oct 26, 12:25 am EDT

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—Nick Saban has turned the “Third Saturday in October” rivalry back to Alabama’s favor, and left Phillip Fulmer with yet another ugly loss to explain to Tennessee’s many disgruntled fans.
The second-ranked Crimson Tide cruised to a 29-9 win over the Volunteers on Saturday night for its first back-to-back victories since 1991-92.
“This is a great rivalry with great tradition with two outstanding universities, and I’m really proud of the way our players played,” Saban said.
While Alabama (8-0, 5-0, Southeastern Conference) remained in the heart of the national championship race, Tennessee’s season grew sorrier. A lopsided loss to a bitter rival will only increase the pressure on Fulmer, who’s been a prime target for critics and disgruntled Vols fans this season.
This was a rivalry he dominated early in his career, winning seven straight 1995-2001. Alabama has won three out of the last four contests, and Saban owns a 4-1 record against the Vols (3-5, 1-4).
“It’s just a special rivalry and a special game to all of us involved in it in different ways. I’ll be back up tomorrow. I’m not down. I just got a lot on my mind right now,” Fulmer said.
Alabama, the SEC’s best rushing team, went to the air in the first half, gaining 117 yards compared to 32 on the ground.
Alabama started its final first-half drive on the Tennessee 34 after Daniel Lincoln missed a 51-yard field goal attempt. John Parker Wilson didn’t miss on the drive, completing passes of 19 and 35 yards to Julio Jones and a 4-yarder to Glen Coffee.
On fourth-and-1 at the 3, Coffee punched the ball into the end zone to give the Crimson Tide a 13-3 lead with 2:41 before halftime. Alabama is 5-for-5 on fourth down attempts this season.
Tennessee drove to the Alabama 14, but back-to-back penalties for illegal formation and pass interference pushed the Vols back 20 yards, and Lincoln missed a 43-yard field goal attempt to close the half.
“Them missing a field goal before the half was a real momentum thing,” Saban said.
After that, it was all Alabama for two quarters as the trademark Tide rushing game returned.
Roy Upchurch ran 35 yards of a 79-yard drive before Wilson drove the ball 1-yard for a touchdown to put Alabama up 22-3 with 6:25 in the third quarter. Wilson missed a 2-point conversion pass to Nick Walker.
Upchurch ran for much of the subsequent Crimson Tide drive and scored on a 4-yard run to make it a 29-3 game with 9:43 left. He finished with 86 yards rushing.
Alabama outgained Tennessee 366-173, and finished with 178 yards rushing. Jones caught six passes for a career-high 103 yards, and Wilson finished 17-for-24 for 188 yards.
The Vols’ defense gave Tennessee plenty of chances to stay in the game, limiting Alabama to its lowest first-quarter score of the season with six points. The Crimson Tide has outscored opponents 101-6 in the first 15 minutes.
Tennessee stopped Alabama twice just outside the red zone and once inside. Leigh Tiffin kicked field goals of 39, 43 and 30 yards.
“We didn’t start off the way we’ve been starting off,” Wilson said. “We kind of got behind and had to come back and score in the second half, and I think we did a really good job.”
But the Vols struggled to put together drives, reverting back to the inept offense which has plagued them much of the season. Tennessee went three-and-out seven times in 11 drives and missed two field goal tries.
The closest Tennessee got to the end zone in the first half was when Dennis Rogan recovered Javier Arenas’ fumbled punt return at the Alabama 5, but the Vols went backward 9 yards on the drive. Daniel Lincoln kicked a 31-yard field goal to tied the game at 3 with 6:28 in the first quarter.
Two Alabama pass interference penalties kept a Tennessee drive alive in the fourth quarter, and Nick Stephens found Josh Briscoe on a 10-yard pass to make it 29-9 with 7:26 left, well after the game was already out of reach.
Stephens finished 16-for-28 for 137 yards.
“I felt like we had every chance in the world coming into the second half the way our defense was playing. We stopped ourselves like we have in past weeks,” Stephens said.

Musclebound Chapman replaces Cody for ‘Bama

2008-10-22T07:44:00.000-04:00

By JOHN ZENOR, AP Sports Writer Oct 20, 9:19 pm EDT

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP)—Opposing offenses won’t have to scale Mount Cody to get through the middle of No. 2 Alabama’s defensive line for a while.
Now, they get “The Incredible Hulk” instead.
With mammoth nose guard Terrence Cody out for at least two games with a knee injury, musclebound Josh Chapman will start for the Crimson Tide Saturday at Tennessee.
What that means for opponents: They will face Alabama’s strongest player instead of the biggest. The 6-foot-5, 365-pound Cody is expected to miss at least the next two games with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
Coach Nick Saban is hoping Cody will return in time for the Tide’s game at No. 11 LSU on Nov. 8.
The junior college transfer has been a formidable presence manning the middle of the Tide’s defensive line all season, earning the nickname “Mount Cody” and becoming a fan favorite.
“The impact was obvious,” cornerback Javier Arenas said. “Losing him won’t be so obvious, because we’ve got a guy stepping in who’s just as capable, a tad bit smaller. We’d really love to have Cody in there, as any team in the country would. We’ve just got to adapt and play our game.”
Chapman, a 6-1, 305-pound sophomore, has been a regular presence on Alabama’s defense, too. He has typically rotated in for a few snaps every five or six plays.
Cody has 15 tackles, including 3.5 for a loss. Chapman has six tackles, three of them behind the line, but knows he doesn’t quite present the same intimidating sight to opposing linemen.
“I think any opponent would be glad to see me instead of Cody,” he said. “That’s a whole big load.”
Both have been important fixtures in the league’s No. 2 rush defense, which has allowed only one touchdown on the ground in seven games.
“He plays with strength,” coach Nick Saban said of Chapman. “He’s got good power. He plays run blocks very well. He’s a true nose guard for what we want. He’s played all year. It’s not like you haven’t seen him. He’s out there on probably a third of the run down plays in every game.”
Whereas Cody has been notable for his size and impressive agility, Chapman’s strength is what draws attention from his teammates. He bench presses 485 pounds, squats 600 and draws a crowd in the gym whenever it’s time for the Tide strength coaches to measure how much each player can lift.
That’s why Arenas calls him “The Incredible Hulk” in the weight room.
“We don’t have enough space on the bar to put another weight on when he gets on it,” Arenas said. “When we’re maxing out everyone crowds around him. He’s a monster.”
Chapman said he benched 315 pounds as a ninth-grader at Hoover High School, when Tide quarterback John Parker Wilson was a senior at the state powerhouse.
Wilson saw him play whenever he went to see his little brother, Ross, play in Hoover games and said Chapman was already the Tide’s strongest player as an incoming freshman.
“He’s not as big as Cody but I think he’s stronger than him,” Wilson said. “I don’t think we’ll fall off much at all. He lifts more than anybody on our team and an absurd amount of weight. The bar starts bending. He squats more than all my lifts combined.”
Behind Chapman, Saban said defensive end Lorenzo Washington could at times move over to the position he manned last season. Sophomore Nick Gentry is a smaller (254 pounds), quicker player at nose guard who has mostly played special teams and doesn’t have a tackle this season.
Saban indicated he might even consider taking the redshirt off freshman Damion Square.
Chapman, meanwhile, is drawing unfamiliar attention in his role replacing Cody, who even lined up as a lead blocker on a touchdown run against Mississippi.
“I guess I could try to bring the same things he brings,” Chapman said. “He brings a lot of energy out there. Like him being big and funny; he’s a funny guy. I can throw a few little jokes in there for the team.”
He said coaches replayed a scene where Cody jumped on a celebratory pile a couple of times. Chapman isn’t likely to try to match it.
“Not like he did,” he said. “The way he jumped on the pile was like a frog out there. A big frog.”
And when he’s not doing that, Arenas said it’s fun to stand even with the line of scrimmage on the sideline and watch Cody work.
“If you watch from the sideline, you will see two guys on the line get pushed back 3 or 4 yards and there’s really nothing they can do about it,” Arenas said. “All-America, All-Globe, I don’t care what they are. It’s fascinating to watch them get pushed back because they’re huge but then you’ve got this huger guy putting them in the quarterback’s lap.”

Well ... A Win is a win.....right?

2008-10-18T19:00:00.002-04:00

And John Parker Wilson Takes A Knee to seal the victory .......

Should be sweet words ..... but somehow they feel sour today. Today we saw what could be a season ending injury to one of the Tide's brightest young stars. Terrence "Mount Cody" Cody was involved in a play where another player got pushed into him and it looked like his knee got rolled up under him. From the massive look of pain on his face when they were working on him & the looks on the faces of the doctors I feel this must be a major major injury and a horrible blow to our defense.

Congrats guys for holding off the bad guys in the final minutes .... but I sure hope we find some rhythm before we run into LSU and Auburn.

ROLL TIDE 7-0 .... Let's all say a prayer for Mr. Cody.

L8ter,

Tide Pride

ALABAMA-OLE MISS PREVIEW

2008-10-17T16:02:00.000-04:00

Alabama-Ole Miss has flying shoes, big finishes

By JOHN ZENOR, AP Sports Writer

Unforgettable memories are forged on Southeastern Conference football fields. Big wins. Fantastic finishes.

Even flying footwear. That’s the first thing that pops up in the mind of Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson when he recalls last year’s meeting with Mississippi.

“Walking off the field, I was like, ‘There’s high heels on the field,”’ Wilson said. “I couldn’t believe it. We’ve had stuff thrown at us, but not shoes.”

For such a one-sided rivalry, Alabama-Mississippi has produced some wild ones leading up to Saturday’s meeting, none moreso than last year’s controversial but fashionably shod ending.

An apparent 41-yard touchdown catch by Shay Hodge with 7 seconds left was reversed after replay officials determined Hodge ran out of bounds before catching the ball. The result was a 27-24 Alabama win and some steamed Ole Miss fans—one of whom presumably left without her pumps.

The Tide (6-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) has won the last three meetings, each time by three points, on everything from a last-play field goal to an overtime touchdown, but has continued to own the Western Division series. Alabama is 22-1 in games played in Tuscaloosa and has won 18 of the last 21 meetings.

With the recent musical chairs at the top of the rankings, the SEC’s only remaining unbeaten team doesn’t want to join the crowd of upset victims. Mississippi (3-3, 1-2), a 13-point underdog, has already won at No. 5 Florida this season.

“Everybody knows Ole Miss can play,” Tide defensive end Lorenzo Washington said. “They’re no pushover team. No team in the SEC is, really.”

Neither of these teams is easy to push around. Alabama is the SEC’s top team at running and stopping the run, ranking second nationally in the latter category.

Tide coach Nick Saban said physical play is a trademark of Houston Nutt’s teams. Nutt coached Arkansas before taking over at Ole Miss this year. The Rebels have three sacks in each of the past two games and lead the SEC in tackles for loss.

“(Nutt’s) teams always play physical, they’re always tough, they always play hard,” Saban said. “They always compete well in a game. Never are they out of the game, as evidenced by some of the games we’ve had in the past with them, including last year’s game.

“They’re always hard to defend.”

One reason is the “Wild Rebel” formation that utilizes receiver Dexter McCluster, who is fourth in the SEC in receiving yards and has led the team in rushing the past two games.

The biggest change Alabama players cited from recent Ole Miss teams is likely quarterback Jevan Snead, who is third in the league in passing yards.

“In the past couple of years, after Eli (Manning) left, they’ve had trouble trying to find a consistent quarterback,” Washington said. “With Snead, I think they’ve definitely found a good quarterback. He’s made a couple of turnovers, but on the flip side he’s made a ton of good plays. Throwing the ball well and making plays with his feet, too.”

Snead might have to do both against a defense that has given up just 305 rushing yards all season. Tide cornerback Javier Arenas said Snead reminds him of Georgia’s Matthew Stafford with his willingness to thread the ball into tight coverage.

“He’s good at it, too,” Arenas said. “We’ve got to respect that, but at the same time we’ve got to respect all the misdirection, passes and reverses.”

Alabama counters with a more straight-ahead, power running game. Glen Coffee is coming off a career-best 218-yard game two weeks ago against Kentucky before both teams had an open date.

Wilson could have some opportunities in the passing game. Ole Miss is allowing a league-worst 229 yards a game through the air, matching Kentucky with the most passing touchdowns allowed (nine).

Then again, Wilson completed only 7-of-17 passes against the Wildcats.

Ole Miss defensive line coach Tracy Rocker doesn’t expect much finesse from the Tide.

“There’s one thing you know about Alabama, they’re gonna come dead at you,” Rocker said. “They’re the poster child of what the SEC is all about. They’re physical and they’re playing real football, the old traditional football, and that’s what I like about it. And I think that’s what intrigues everybody else about them.”

MOUNT CODY'S HUGE IMPACT

2008-10-17T05:54:00.001-04:00

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – He's literally the biggest surprise of the season.
Alabama nose tackle Terrence Cody, a junior college transfer, wasn't close to being the most highly touted player in Alabama's top-ranked recruiting class. If it's possible for a 6-foot-5, 365-pound man to slip under the radar, Cody pulled it off. Yet he now is the center of attention in the SEC. After all, how can you miss him?

Massive defensive tackle Terrence Cody has been a huge difference maker for Alabama's defense.The behemoth in the middle of Alabama's defensive line has helped give the Crimson Tide the nation's second-ranked run defense while catapulting one of the nation's most storied programs back into title contention. Not even Cody himself expected to make this kind of an instant impact.
"I didn't think I was going to be this big," he said. "I've surprised myself big-time."
His extraordinary combination of size and athleticism already has made him a folk hero around campus, where he's hailed as "Mount Cody."
He has weighed as much as 420 pounds, yet he's athletic enough to dunk a basketball. He has the strength to withstand constant double and triple teams, but he also possesses enough stamina to jog up a 2½-mile mountain trail.
No wonder NFL scouts are drooling over his long-term potential.
"Defensive linemen are a hot commodity in the NFL," said former NFL executive Michael Lombardi, now a writer for nationalfootballpost.com. "Dominant defensive linemen are an even bigger commodity. He happens to be both."
Cody's sudden emergence as one of the most dominant defensive players in the nation is one of this season's most interesting stories. How he got here is perhaps an even better tale.
Cody, who's now seen as a potential first-round draft pick, wasn't playing football at all four years ago. He had to overcome tragedy in his family life and trouble in the classroom. And his excessive weight created questions about whether he could physically handle the demands of big-time college football.
"A lot of people passed on him just because of his size, which I thought was pretty funny," said Steve Campbell, who coached Cody last season at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, in Perkinston. "Normally when you get a guy that big, he can't move. They thought maybe if he lost some pounds, he could be an offensive guard. That was the comment I kept hearing. I thought he didn't have to lose a pound and he could be a dominant defensive tackle or nose guard."
Campbell wasn't the only one who believed that. Scott Jones, who coached Cody at Riverdale High School in Fort Myers, Fla., predicted this kind of success almost as soon as he saw Cody – then a 6-2, 275-pound high school freshman – roaming the halls. The problem was that Cody rarely gave himself a chance to show off his extraordinary potential.
Poor grades prevented Cody from playing football as a sophomore and junior, putting his career in jeopardy before it ever really got going. Jones has coached high school football since 1970 and couldn't remember any other examples of a kid who managed to regain his academic eligibility as a senior after sitting out two entire seasons. Cody was the exception.
"My freshman year, I was pretty good," Cody said. "They brought me up to varsity, and I was dominating. I let all that get into my head, that I was good and didn't have to go to class. My grades went down, and I had to miss two years. … My teachers talked to me every day. One day I just said, 'I've got to get back on the field.' "
Cody also wanted to improve his grades in order to become a better role model for his four younger siblings. Cody was 11 when his father died, forcing him to spend his teen years helping take care of his three sisters and one brother.
"It was real difficult because everything was on me," Cody said. "I had to do good. My sisters looked up to me. If I was doing bad, they were going to do bad. I had to turn myself around and start doing good."

TIPPING THE SCALES
Alabama nose guard Terrence Cody is one of only about a half-dozen players who weigh at least 350 pounds and start for a Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A) program. His status as a defensive player also makes him an exception to the rule. Most of the 350-pound club's members are offensive linemen. Here's a rundown of players on FBS rosters who weigh at least 350 pounds. Starters are listed in bold.
Herman Johnson, LSU; G, Sr., 6-7, 386
Jake Johnson, Texas Tech; G, Sr., 6-7, 370
Steve Lightsy, San Jose State; G, Jr., 6-4, 370
Isaiah Williams, Arizona State; OL, Soph., 6-8, 370
Jordan White-Frisbee, Washington; G, Sr., 6-5, 368
Brandon Ware, Penn State; DT, Fr., 6-3, 367
Victor Unga, BYU; DL, Fr., 5-11, 366
Terrence Cody, Alabama; NT, Jr., 6-5, 365
Garrett Faulconer, San Jose State; G, Jr. , 6-7, 360
Ramsey Feagai, UNLV; OT, Soph., 6-2, 360
Nate Hartung, BYU; OL, Fr., 6-2, 360
Siosifa Moala, UNLV; OL, Sr., 6-1, 360
Eddie Tautolo, New Mexico State; OT, Fr.-RS, 6-4, 360
Brandon Bullock, Marshall; DT, Soph., 6-3, 355
Vaughn Dotsy, Arizona; G, Fr., 6-5, 355
Mark Jean-Louis, Ole Miss; OL, Jr., 6-2, 355
Jaron Odom, Louisiana-Lafayette; G, Fr., 6-8, 355
Rodrick Thomas, Tulsa; OT, Sr., 6-5, 355
Brandon Carter, Texas Tech; G, Jr., 6-7, 354
Brent Good, Arizona State; G, Jr., 6-2, 354
Anthony Jackson, Arkansas State; G, Jr., 6-4, 353
Calvin Wilson, Southern Mississippi; OT, Jr., 6-6, 353
Devan Cunningham, Fresno State; G, Soph., 6-6, 350
Chris Little, Georgia; G, Fr.-RS, 6-6, 350
Jonas Murrell, Florida International; DT, Sr., 6-2, 350
Dennis Zeigler, Indiana; OL, Fr.-RS, 6-7, 350

Once Cody regained his eligibility for his senior season, he wasted no time making a name for himself around campus. He earned a standing ovation from teammates by completing a 2.5-mile jog up a mountain – while weighing 400 pounds – during the Riverdale football team's preseason retreat in West Virginia. And Cody delivered such devastating hits that Jones instituted a rule preventing him from tackling teammates during practice, which led to a remarkable scene during one workout.

"This 240-pound fullback was running," Jones recalled. "(Cody) put his helmet on the kid's waist and lifted him up like he was a fireman carrying him on the shoulder. He brought him up to me and said, 'Is this what you want?' "
When Cody wasn't displaying brute strength on the football field, he was revealing his amazing athleticism on the basketball court. Cody averaged about eight rebounds and 12 points per game for Riverdale's basketball team. He showed remarkable footwork and change-of-direction skills for someone so large, though those skills didn't garner nearly as much attention as his occasional dunking exhibitions in practice.

"To all the other players, it was just so amazing, how he could run, stop, change direction and do everything," Riverdale basketball coach Herb Brown said. "He was just big and playful. I guess he never knew how amazing it was, what he was doing."

Cody's exploits made him a legend at Riverdale, but he remained a bit of a secret in the recruiting world. Cody's poor academic history was going to prevent him from playing for a Division I school as a freshman, but Jones still expected some big-time program to sign him, then place him at a junior college.
It didn't happen.

"I sent out film and talked to college coaches about him, but I think they were leery of his academic problems," Jones said. "I can understand that, but when you have a kid who's 6-6 (actually 6-5) and 380 pounds, you might want to take a hold of him."

Cody ended up at Mississippi Gulf Coast, where he helped the Bulldogs win a share of the national JUCO title last season and even ran for a touchdown out of a jumbo backfield on one occasion. Still, he was one of the lesser figures in Alabama's vaunted recruiting class. Rivals.com rated him as the No. 47 junior college recruit in the nation.

That didn't stop him from catching the attention of Alabama coach Nick Saban, who believed Cody's combination of power and quickness could make him an ideal nose tackle in the Tide's 3-4 defense.

"The big question was would he be able to manage his weight so that he'd be able to sustain his performance and get in the kind of condition he needed to play to his capacity," Saban said. "He's done a good job of it."
The weight issue also concerned Cody's new teammates, at least in the early going.
"During summer workouts, he maybe struggled at first," Alabama cornerback Javier Arenas said. "I was thinking, 'Man, this guy might be too big. Moving around (for) four quarters might not be his cup of tea.'
"But he adjusted fine. Probably by the second or third day of camp, he was out there doing his thing and I was thinking this guy might be the real deal."
Cody said he didn't really have to change what he ate. The problem was when he ate. He cut down on his late-night snacking and watched a couple of pounds disappear each day. The guy who once weighed well over 400 now is listed at 365.
Of course, that's still plenty big enough to clog up any running lanes opposing teams try to create between the tackles. That much became evident the night Cody made his college debut.
Alabama was facing Clemson's vaunted "Thunder & Lightning" backfield of James Davis and C.J. Spiller. They were considered the nation's top tailback tandem. Then they ran into Mount Cody.

Cody's physical presence helped limit Clemson to zero net rushing yards in the Tide's 34-10 rout. Davis and Spiller combined to run for 20 yards on eight carries.
"You shut down the two best running backs in college to only 20 yards, it's real exciting," Cody said. "I could see it in their eyes. They were looking confused. Everything they tried to do, we knew what they were doing because we had a scheme for it."

Cody has made things extremely difficult for opposing rushing attacks.That performance set the tone for the rest of the season. Alabama has faced two of the nation's top nine rushers (Tulane's Andre Anderson and Arkansas' Michael Smith) along with preseason Heisman candidate Knowshon Moreno of Georgia, and the Tide are allowing just 50.8 rushing yards per game and 2.3 yards per carry.

How tough is it to run on a defense that features Cody in the middle?
"It's almost like a guessing game," said Alabama running back Glen Coffee, who tries working his way around Cody every day in practice. "You want to press the hole, but you know he's going to be in the hole. Then when you cut it back, he's big enough and quick enough to get in that hole also."

Cody's numbers don't jump off the stat sheet. He only has 15 tackles through his first six games. Then again, the Tide aren't asking Cody to make a bunch of tackles. They want him to clog the middle to make it easier for the rest of the defense to make plays. He's accomplishing that task because of a combination of size and athleticism that leaves teammates grasping for comparisons.
"I really haven't heard about it in the college level," Alabama defensive end Lorenzo Washington said as he struggled to come up with similar players. "You see it sometimes in the NFL – but not with his stamina – with guys like Shaun Rogers, Dan Wilkinson, Gilbert Brown and older players like that."
It's no wonder Washington had to come up with the names of NFL players while discussing Cody's attributes. In the college game, Cody has no peers.
"Nobody is like him," said Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt, whose team faces Alabama this week.

Cody's unique skill set should earn him an NFL fortune at some point. The only question is when. As a junior college transfer, Cody is eligible to pursue a pro career after this season, though Lombardi said he believes Cody would benefit from staying in school for another year. Lombardi noted that Cody remains a raw prospect who could answer concerns about his weight and experience by playing one more year of college football.

Cody insists he isn't focused on the future just yet.
"I really don't think about it," he said. "People tell me, but I don't look at any message boards or anything like that. I just go out every Saturday and play my game. I'm thinking about really coming back for my senior year."
SEC running backs can only hope he changes his mind.

SEC POWER RANKINGS

2008-10-17T05:48:00.004-04:00

Now before I copy & paste this ... I must warn you that I am not quite sure what the fellow from YAHOO was drinking ... because he has bowl projections showing 10 outta 12 SEC teams making a bowl ....... hmmmmm has that ever happened?

Power Poll
By Travis Reier, BamaOnLine.com Senior Analyst Oct 15, 1:20 pm EDT

SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE POWER RANKINGS
RANK

1
Alabama Crimson Tide
Nick Saban can’t even enjoy an open week. Bama’s boss said he tried to watch the Oklahoma-Texas last Saturday game, only to throw in the towel after mentally matching up his defensive players against the Texas and Oklahoma offenses. I mean, really, why breakdown the Longhorns and Sooners when a dangerous Ole Miss team awaits?
Midseason bowl projection: BCS Championship Game
Up next: UA (6-0, 3-0 in SEC) hosts Ole Miss on Oct. 18 (2:30 p.m. CT/CBS).

2
Florida Gators
From the fringes of the BCS title hunt to squarely in the mix. From the outer edges of the Heisman race to top three candidate. That’s a day in the life Tim Tebow, whose team beat the defending national champions by 30 points in primetime. Since winning it all two seasons ago, the Gators (5-1, 3-1) have been largely without star power on the defensive side of the ball. They have that now in middle linebacker Brandon Spikes.
Midseason bowl projection: Sugar
Up next: UF hosts UK on Oct. 25 (12:30 p.m. ET/Raycom).

3
Georgia Bulldogs
Lost in Matthew Stafford’s career-high passing day in the win over Tennessee was the fact that he took way too many shots. And with the revolving door at left tackle welcoming another newcomer this week against Vanderbilt, I’m wondering if Stafford will be upright by the time Georgia Tech rolls around in late November.
Midseason bowl projection: Capital One
Up next: UGA (5-1, 2-1) hosts Vanderbilt on Oct. 18 (12:30 p.m. ET/Raycom).

4
LSU Tigers
My immediate thought following Florida’s hammering of the Tigers: Other than offensive coordinator Gary Crowton, is there a current LSU assistant that Georgia, UF or Alabama would really want? Think about it. Jimbo Fisher and Stacy Searels gone to Florida State and Georgia, respectively, after the 2006 season. Bo Pelini takes over at Nebraska following the 2007 campaign. Crowton was a nice hire, but can anyone outside the state of Louisiana name the Tigers’ current defensive coordinator? (Hint: There are actually two of them)
Midseason bowl projection: Cotton
Up next: LSU (4-1, 2-1) travels to South Carolina on Oct. 18 (8 p.m ET/ESPN).

5
South Carolina
The quarterback position at USC has produced SEC player of the week honors in each of the past two weeks. And in true Steve Spurrier fashion, two different signal callers have been on the receiving end. After taking offensive player of the week honors against Ole Miss, Chris Smelley was benched in favor of Stephen Garcia in the Gamecocks’ 24-17 win over Kentucky. Spurrier’s decision proved to be the correct one, because without Garcia, who went on to earn freshman of the week honors after leading a 10-0 fourth quarter surge in Lexington, Carolina (5-2, 2-2) would not be in favorable bowl position today.
Midseason bowl projection: Outback
Up next: USC hosts LSU on Oct. 18 (8 p.m. ET/ESPN).

6
Ole Miss Rebels
Can Ole Miss (3-3, 1-2) produce some more SEC road magic this week at Alabama? If quarterback Jevan Snead plays in Tuscaloosa like he did in the Rebels’ first two road games of the season, they’ll have a shot. Six of Snead’s nine touchdown passes have come on the road, while seven of his nine interceptions have come at home.
Midseason bowl projection: Liberty
Up next: Ole Miss travels to Alabama on Oct. 18 (2:30 p.m. CT/CBS).

7
Vanderbilt Commodores
Now that the Commodores’ magical run has come to an end, their bowl hopes may come down to one game: vs. Duke in Nashville on Oct. 25. Kentucky and Tennessee look to be winnable games, but it’s hard to hand out Ws to a team that mustered just 107 yards of offense in a loss to Mississippi State. Quarterback Chris Nickson defines the term student-athlete, but Mackenzi Adams gives this team its best chance to win. Bobby Johnson may have made that call a few quarters too late.
Midseason bowl projection: Chick-fil-A
Up next: Vandy (5-1, 3-1) travels to UGA on Oct. 18 (12:30 p.m. ET/Raycom).

8
Kentucky Wildcats
In a 24-17 loss to South Carolina, the strongest area of this team didn’t have an answer for an inexperienced quarterback—Stephen Garcia—coming off the bench. And to make matters worse, the Wildcats (4-2, 0-2) lost their top offensive player—Dickey Lyons, Jr. (knee)—for the remainder of the season. Now the load will fall almost entirely to running back Derrick Locke and athlete/quarterback Randall Cobb to give the offense some juice.
Midseason bowl projection: Independence
Up next: UK hosts Arkansas on Oct. 18 (7 p.m. ET).

9
Arkansas Razorbacks
Darren McWho? Maybe losing two running backs to the first round of the NFL Draft wasn’t such a bad thing after all. In leading the SEC in rushing, Michael Smith, fresh from a 176-yard performance in the Razorbacks’ upset of Auburn, has stepped into the Bigfoot-sized addidas cleats left behind by Darren McFadden and Felix Jones quite well.
Midseason bowl projection: None
Up next: The Hogs (3-3, 1-2) travel to UK on Oct. 18 (7 p.m. ET).

10
Auburn Tigers
Since last we met, the following has taken place down on the Plains: Tony Frankin was dismissed as offensive coordinator and the Tigers (4-3, 2-3) lost at home to an Arkansas team that I thought might take the collar in league play this season. For all the talk about this team’s offensive woes, the biggest red flag when looking at this team might be the 416 yards its heralded defense gave up to the Razorbacks. Tommy Tuberville was motivated enough to not only survive a coup attempt in 2003, but to take the program to unprecedented heights one year later. Five years later, there are questions about whether he has the same fire in his gut.
Midseason bowl projection: Music City
Up next: AU travels to West Virginia on Oct. 23 (6:30 p.m. CT/ESPN).

11
Tennessee Volunteers
The 26-14 final didn’t indicate the lengths at which Georgia dominated the Vols (2-4; 0-3), but stats like total yards (UT: 209; UGA: 458) and time of possession (UT: 17:56, UGA: 42:04) certainly did. If nothing else, the Nick Stephens experiment at quarterback has show us what Phillip Rivers would have looked like in a Tennessee uniform.
Midseason bowl projection: Papa John’s
Up next: UT hosts MSU on Oct. 18 (7 p.m. ET).

12
Mississippi State Bulldogs
So much for the much anticipated 0-fer bowl pitting State (2-4, 1-2) against Arkansas on Nov. 22. That’s right, on the same day that Tennessee, Auburn and LSU lost games, the Dogs and Hogs got league wins. In throwing for 81 yards and a touchdowns, Tyson Lee wasn’t prolific by any means—but he’s definitely a step up from Wesley Carroll.
Midseason bowl projection: None
Up next: The Bullies travel to UT on Oct. 18 (7 p.m. ET).

Unified #2 in both Polls, Report Card For Bama...

2008-10-13T05:53:00.000-04:00

‘A’ is for Alabama Midseason report card shows
By Christopher Walsh Sports Writer

TUSCALOOSA If one were to try and find a signature moment from the first half of the University of Alabama football team’s 2008 season, there would be numerous choices.
Junior running back Glen Coffee’s long touchdown runs against Arkansas and Kentucky? True freshman wide receiver Julio Jones’ over-the-shoulder touchdown catch at Georgia? Junior cornerback Javier Arenas’ punt return for a touchdown vs. Tulane?
Those were all good, but not quite worthy.
More appropriate would be something like the offensive line blowing No. 9 Clemson’s defensive front off the line of scrimmage on the first snap at the Georgia Dome. Junior Terrence Cody pushing the Western Kentucky center back into his running back, forcing a fumble the nose guard recovered. All the brutal hits by players like sophomore middle linebacker Rolando McClain and senior tight end Travis McCall.
Above everything else, Alabama’s 6-0 start and rise to No. 2 is due to its toughness, mentally and physically. That includes few penalties, few costly mistakes, and domination of the lines and up the middle defensively.
“I think there are a lot of lessons to be learned as well,” coach Nick Saban said. “In what has happened in the first half of the season being intensity that has fueled our success. That is something we need to maintain in practice and preparation and improving over this bye week.
“We don’t need to be looking into the rear view mirror here. We need to be looking forward to the challenge ahead.”
With six regular-season games remaining, the Crimson Tide is half-way to representing the Western Division in the SEC Championship Game, and it will likely take at least three losses to keep the Tide from playing in an elite Bowl Championship Series game.
That’s a far cry from a year ago, when Alabama finished November with a four-game collapse, including the embarrassing 21-14 home loss to Louisiana-Monroe.
“I don’t see that happening,” junior running back Roy Upchurch said. “Everyone’s really into the season. Everybody wants to be that team.”
Here are the midseason grades:
Quarterbacks: One of senior John Parker Wilson’s most impressive decisions came on a play few people noticed. Alabama had first down at its own 37 during the second quarter at Georgia, and was in a three-receiver set with senior tight end Nick Walker in motion to the right. With the snap, Wilson looked right, where redshirt freshman Marquis Maze headed downfield and Walker was underneath. He then turned toward the middle, where Jones had run a clearing route. Still no one was open, so he went to option three, a dump pass to Coffee for a 6-yard gain.
Five plays after going through that progression, Wilson threw the spectacular touchdown pass to Jones, for a 31-0 lead against the No. 3 Bulldogs.
Something else most fans probably haven’t noticed is that his arm strength has significantly improved.
Although Wilson’s numbers are down from a year ago, he also hasn’t had to try and win a game. His consistency needs to be better, but his passing efficiency is actually up, and he’s had just two interceptions.
“We’re just taking care of the ball,” Wilson said. “That’s been a big point for me, from last year, and I think I’ve done a pretty good job of it.
“Just be smart with the ball.”
Grade: B+.
Running backs: Coffee is averaging 7.5 yards every time he takes a handoff, which is frightfully good. To put that into perspective, Arkansas’ Darren McFadden had a 5.6 average last year.
Coffee, true freshman Mark Ingram and junior Roy Upchurch have been a terrific rotation, and their blocking has been pretty good, too. But the fumbling is a concern. Alabama has had nine fumbles, losing five.
One has to wonder if the Tide will unleash Terry Grant on an unsuspecting opponent soon, but even Coffee said he would have been surprised by his numbers of 708 yards on 95 carries (118.0 game average) if told them before the season.
“I would have been excited,” Coffee said. “Right now, I’m not because it’s a grind. But before the season, I can’t lie, I would have been excited.”
Grade: A-.
Wide receivers: Jones is already Wilson’s top target, with 19 catches for 278 yards, but outside of senior end Nick Walker no one has more that seven receptions.
“He’s probably starting to play a little faster,” Saban said about Jones. “Probably playing with a little more confidence, still probably learning every day. There are some things he can still do better. I think he played extremely well in the Georgia game, made a couple of big plays in that game. But the one thing that probably stands out to me is the physical nature of the way he plays, especially when he goes and gets the long ball.”
While the young receiving corps figures to improve over the next six games, and must do a better job of getting yards after the catch, two major pluses are the unit’s blocking and diversity. So far, 15 different players have caught a pass and unlike in the past it’s almost impossible to tell if the play is a run by who’s in at wideout.
Grade: B.
Offensive line: All three players on the left side — Andre Smith, Mike Johnson and Antoine Caldwell — figure to receive major consideration for All-SEC honors. Junior Drew Davis has fared well against some talented defensive ends, while sophomore David Ross filled in when Smith and senior Marlon Davis missed a game due to injuries. The biggest concern is depth, but true freshman John Michael Boswell may be close to stepping in at right tackle if necessary.
The most underrated player on the team is McCall, who is like an extra offensive lineman, and Alabama’s two-tight end formation has been giving opponents fits.
“That’s a good set for us,” McCall said. “I like playing two tights.”
Grade: A.
Defensive line: No opponent has been able to run up the middle, where Cody has regularly attracted two, if not three, blockers. He’s a huge reason why Alabama’s rushing defense is second nationally (50.8 yards per game).
“As the season progresses, you start finding your strengths and your weaknesses, recognizing tendencies in the person you’re facing,” junior end Brandon Deaderick said. “It helps you perform better.”
The two-deep rotation at all three spots could pay huge dividends down the stretch, and junior end Lorenzo Washington is someone to keep an eye on. The defense has only 10 sacks, but expect more during the stretch run.
“We still have a lot of improvement (to go),” Cody said. “Just little things and stuff, we need to get better on. We’ve been affecting the quarterback and stopping the run.”
Grade: A-.
Linebackers: Sophomore Rolando McClain is emerging as a premier linebacker, one of the best in the conference. His 44 tackles are tops the Tide, while he has 3½ tackles for a loss and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Something new this year is calling audibles, sometimes more than one a play to answer offensive adjustments.
“Rol is really a bright guy and he has a good understanding of what we’re doing and what the other team is trying to do,” Saban said. “Between him and Rashad (Johnson) being the two signal callers, being able to do that really gives us an advantage.”
Considering three starters had to be replaced, the linebacker corps probably has no business performing this well. True freshman Dont’a Hightower got thrown into the fire while junior Brandon Fanney and Cory Reamer have been solid at the outside spots. Junior Eryk Anders’ development as a speed-rusher has been a nice surprise, while true freshman Courtney Upshaw is already forcing more playing time.
Grade: B+.
Defensive backs: Much has been made of the front-line pressure making it difficult for offenses to attack down field, but it’s also due to opponents respecting Alabama’s speed in the secondary and the awareness of senior safety Rashad Johnson.
Because the co-captain moves around so much and can quickly break on a ball, not to mention Saban’s complex zone scheme, quarterbacks have struggled to make accurate pre-snap reads. With junior safety Justin Woodall also improving, challenging the Tide over the middle can be incredibly risky.
“We have a lot of speed flying around back there, Javier, Kareem (Jackson), Justin, Marquis (Johnson),” Rashad Johnson said. “We’re all doing a good job of knowing what’s going on before the play even starts. The coaching staff, they teach us to look at the splits of the receivers and things like that to understand the routes that are going to be run. It’s a head start.”
The proof isn’t in the eight interceptions, but the pass defended. Rashad Johnson and Woodall are second in the SEC (1.33 average), while Jackson is tied for fourth (1.00).
“I need some picks,” Arenas said. “I can do better.”
Grade: B.
Special teams: Coverage on returns has been the team’s biggest weakness, while opponents want nothing to do with Arenas. Kentucky did a good job of playing keep away, and moving him around on punts returns which helped lead to the ball hitting blocker Marquis Johnson for a fumble.
“Good punter,” Arenas said.
As for his outlook from here on in, Arenas said: “It’s going down, for real. Anytime the ball is in my hands, I’m going to try and make something happen.”
Grade: B-.
Overall/coaching: The job Saban’s staff has done is remarkable, especially considering the Tide has nine scholarship seniors and there is a lack of depth. Unless Bobby Johnson can keep Vanderbilt winning, Saban could be named SEC Coach of the Year.
Grade: A.

Go Texas?

2008-10-10T06:01:00.001-04:00

GO TEXAS BEAT DEM SOONERS!!!!

#5 Texas VS #1 OU this weekend .... guess us tide faithful just need to hope Texas SQUEEKS out a victory .... that way they wont jump us in the polls. On another note .... GO whoevers playing Florida, LSU, & of course as always Awwwwburn.

Just thought I would toss this in as not much ALABAMA news this week. Good Ol'Saban keeping a tight lid on things.

L8ter Yall,

TIDE PRIDE!

Coffee runs No. 2 Alabama past Kentucky, 17-14

2008-10-04T21:24:00.000-04:00

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP)—Alabama discovered how precarious life at the top can be, sidestepping what could have been another top-five upset with a bruising drive and a late field goal.
Glen Coffee rushed for 218 yards, Leigh Tiffin kicked a 24-yard field goal with 2:12 left to put the Crimson Tide up 10, and No. 2 Alabama survived and advanced in the national title chase with a 17-14 win over Kentucky on Saturday.
Playing with its best national ranking in 15 years, the Tide survived three turnovers, a season-high 10 penalties, and a sputtering passing game a week after racing to a 31-0 halftime lead at Georgia.
The outcome, at least, was something coach Nick Saban could be happy with after top-five teams Georgia, Florida and Southern California were toppled last weekend.
“We’re certainly happy to win but we also put on a clinic today for how to keep the other team in the game,” Saban said.
Coffee and the Tide (6-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) pounded out a 15-play drive from their own 17-yard line to set up the clinching field goal. Coffee gained 57 yards on nine carries on the drive, which consumed 8:10.
Tiffin, who had missed two earlier kicks, drilled this one for a 17-7 lead, and the points proved necessary. John Parker Wilson had converted a fourth-and-1 with a quarterback sneak from the Kentucky 46 to keep the drive alive.
The Wildcats (4-1, 0-1) weren’t done yet. Mike Hartline hit DeMoreo Ford streaking down the right sideline for a 48-yard touchdown pass with 40 seconds left. The blown pass coverage had Saban fuming on the sideline over another mistake in a day full of them for the Tide.
“They never gave up and we never put them away, and we had some chances,” he said.
Kentucky’s onside kick attempt went out of bounds to give Alabama the ball and the game.
The Tide’s final scoring chance came after Coffee nearly lost his second fumble inside the Kentucky 10, but the ball dribbled out of bounds after the Wildcats had a clear shot to recover and Alabama kept possession.
“We had it and then we didn’t,” Kentucky coach Rich Brooks said. “That’s kind of the way the game went for us.”
Cornerback David Jones had the ball squirt from underneath him. “I tried to just fall on it and secure it, but it just slipped out,” he said.
‘Bama continued to dominate the series, moving to 34-2-1 overall and 20-0-1 in the state of Alabama. Kentucky was looking for its second huge upset in two seasons after beating No. 1 LSU in triple overtime last season.
Coffee had 25 carries, including a 78-yard touchdown, for the best rushing output for a ‘Bama back since Shaun Alexander gained a school-record 291 yards against LSU in 1996. Kentucky came in allowing just 73 rushing yards a game and hadn’t given up a TD on the ground.
The Tide ran for 282 yards.
“When I think about what I’ve done today, all I think about is the fumbles,” Coffee said. “The fumbles come to mind first. The fumbles affect the whole team.”
Hartline was 20-of-42 for 241 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. Alabama’s Wilson was just 7-of-17 for 106 yards and was intercepted once and sacked three times.
Outgained 253-60 in the first half, the Wildcats forced two turnovers in the third quarter and made it look easy on their first scoring drive.
Hartline dumped a pass over the middle to Locke, who scampered for a 36-yard gain. Dicky Lyons Jr. took a short slant pattern 26 yards for a touchdown on the next play to make it 14-7 with 5:49 left in the third quarter.
Hartline had just 66 yards passing before that drive, and Kentucky had gone three-and-out on five consecutive possessions.
Kareem Jackson then picked off Hartline’s underthrown pass after the Wildcats pushed across midfield.
The Tide had continued its string of fast starts, pushing its season first quarter advantage to 88-0 with a pair of touchdowns for the team’s only points until the final minutes.
Coffee raced 78 yards up the middle, going virtually untouched and managing to just outdistance Kentucky’s pursuing defenders. Then Hartline lost control of ball as he was cocking his arm for a throw and Rolando McClain scooped it up at Kentucky’s 4 for a touchdown, the third scored by Alabama’s defense this season.
“I think we had a legitimate shot at them, but they made those plays and we didn’t,” Brooks said.
It could have been worse but Tiffin missed a field goal, Coffee lost a fumble at Kentucky’s 6 and the Tide failed to score on two other trips across midfield in the first half.

John Parker Wilson Takes A Knee....

2008-10-04T19:09:00.002-04:00

It wasnt pretty. It wasnt fun to watch. It showed some cracks in our teams armor and it definitely gives Coach Saban & his staff ammunition to whip them bama boys up & down the practice field to make sure this never happens again.

Congratulations Kentucky ... you will probably be one of the few teams to ever move into the rankings after losing your first game of the season after going unbeating into it. Thank you for the great effort & hopefully next year we will beat you even better! :)

Go Bama Roll Tide! 6-0 is still 6-0....but it was U.G.L.Y!

AP #2 ROLL TIDE ROLL

2008-09-30T09:54:00.001-04:00

NOTEABLE QUOTES THIS WEEK:

1^st Up from Rivals.com by: Steve Megargee and Mike Huguenin

Nick Saban: The guy might have the personality of a garage door, but he can coach. He's getting huge bucks – and huge results. Saturday's game at Georgia was supposed to be an SEC nail-biter. Instead, it was a yawner as the Tide rolled to a 31-0 halftime lead and cruised home. Will he become the second second-year coach to win a national title in the past three seasons (Urban Meyer did it in 2006)?

Alabama: In one day, the Tide went from SEC hopeful to SEC front-runner. They hammered Georgia, Florida lost, LSU struggled to put away Mississippi State and Auburn still can't play offense. Roll Tide, indeed.

Then from the AP article:

Alabama jumps to highest ranking in 15 years

By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP Sports Writer

“We played a very good team,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “After playing them, I’m more convinced they are one of the best teams in the country, if not the best. At least right now they are. Every challenge that’s come their way, they’ve handled with relative ease. We certainly battled out tails off to make a little game of it in the fourth quarter. But they took care of business.”

STRAIGHT FROM THE TOP DAWGS MOUTH!

SEC honors JPW for Georgia performance

BIRMINGHAM -- The Southeastern Conference recognized Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson as its Offensive Player of the week following his performance in the Tide's 41-30 win over Georgia in Athens.

Wilson was good on 13-of-16 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown in the victory. The win vaulted Alabama to the No. 2 spot in the AP poll.

Wilson was perfect on his first seven pass attempts while only recording one incomplete pass in the first half (10-of-11, 139 yards, TD).

The Hoover native also set the Alabama career passing yardage record in the win and now has 6,398 yards.

DRINK THE KOOL-AID! Thx Yahoo Sports For This

2008-09-29T13:18:00.002-04:00

Inside Slant

See the Kool-Aid. Take the Kool-Aid. Drink the Kool-Aid.

Alabama (5-0) rolled into Georgia Saturday night and dominated, rolling out with a 41-30 victory over a Bulldogs team (4-1) many thought was playing for the No. 1 spot in this week’s poll.

The Tide played near flawless football in the first half, scoring on five consecutive possessions, and led 31-0 by halftime. Quarterback John Parker Wilson had only one incompletion in the first half, hitting 10-of-11 passes.

Afterward, head coach Nick Saban played the role of Scrooge, insisting there were enough bad things in the second half to enable him to keep after his team even after a big win.

“If you want to drink the Kool-Aid (about how good the Tide is) …” Saban started, then stopped. “It happens every week. I’m just the only person that talks about it, and then you guys beat me up about it, which is all right. I don’t mind. Then the next week they say, ‘He’s right. By God, he was right.’ “

No one is arguing with Saban, who has put his stamp on this program in one year. But the fans can’t help themselves. They are ecstatic.

And the players are pretty happy too—but not in the presence of their coach.

“He smiled and told us he loved us,” said linebacker Cory Reamer.

Saban is paid to coach, and to worry. But right now, he’s got a defense that shut down all the weapons of Georgia’s offense, and an offense that is playing ball-control football and executing as carefully as a jeweler cutting a diamond.

“Can we finish games when we didn’t do it tonight?” Saban asked. “Can we finish a season? Can we play with consistency?”

Through five games, the answer is yes. The offense seems prepared, the defense dominating, and the team responded when Georgia came back with 17 third-quarter points to cut the lead to 31-17. Who knows what will happen from here on. But no matter what, Alabama fans are happy and excited.

They’ll let their coach do all the worrying.

Season Recap:

#24 Alabama 34, #9 Clemson 10: The Tide blended its highly touted recruiting class in with veterans nicely, resulting in a complete domination of the preseason ninth-ranked Tigers. Senior John Parker Wilson was particularly effective in running the offense, and freshman tailback Mark Ingram burst into the spotlight with 97 yards rushing.

#13 Alabama 20, Tulane 6: Alabama struggled on offense, but special teams provided two touchdowns and the defense kept the Green Wave away from the end zone. Punt returner Javier Arenas set a school record with 147 yards on five returns, with one touchdown.

#11 Alabama 41, Western Kentucky 7: A perfect tune up heading into a two-game stretch against SEC competition. Alabama overwhelmed the Hilltoppers with 557 yards of offense, and limited Western Kentucky to 48 offensive plays for the game.

#9 Alabama 49, Arkansas 14: Alabama goes on the road and dominates the Hogs, averaging 8.0 yards per play on only 50 plays. The Tide got two defensive touchdowns on interception returns, and scored on long runs of 87 and 62 yards.

#8 Alabama 41, #3 Georgia 30: The Tide scored on its first five possessions, jumping to a 31-0 first half lead, then held on to upset the No 3 team in the nation. Alabama has yet to trail in a game this season, and seems to just keep going, and going, and going…

RANKINGS AS OF 9/29/08 - University of Alabama (5-0/2-0 Conf.)

AP TOP 25 - Ranked #2 with 21 1st Place Votes!

USA TODAY - Ranked #4 with 2 1st Place Votes!

YAHOO USERS POLL - Ranked #1!!!!!!!!!

Notes, Quotes

• Rather than open the 2010 season in Atlanta against Alabama, Duke has decided to keep its season opener on campus, according to Atlanta Sports Council President Gary Stokan. There were negotiations for Alabama and Duke to play the opener in The Georgia Dome, but Duke’s new athletic director, Kevin White, and new football coach David Cutcliffe, prefer to keep the game against the Tide at home. The Sports Council still hopes to see Alabama open the 2009 season in Atlanta against Virginia Tech, according to Stokan, but nothing has been finalized.

Game Ball Goes To: QB John Parker Wilson, who outplayed the more highly regarded Matthew Stafford. Wilson completed 13-of-16 passes for 205 yards and one touchdown and was near flawless in his direction of the offense.

Keep An Eye On: WR Julio Jones. Again, in a head-to-head matchup with another highly rated freshman receiver (Georgia’s A.J. Green), Jones came out ahead with five catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. His four touchdown receptions are a freshman record at Alabama. He just gets better and better.

Quote To Note: “We probably played the best half of football we’ve played all season. It couldn’t have come at a better time.”—Alabama coach Nick Saban on his club’s 31-0 lead at halftime.

Strategy And Personnel

Looking Good: RB Glen Coffee continues to be the workhorse on offense, with 23 carries for 86 yards and two touchdowns.

• DB Justin Woodall picked off his third interception of the season and led the team with five tackles and forced a fumble.

• The defense limited Heisman favorite Knowshon Mareno to 34 yards on 11 carries, while the offense held the ball for 20:32 of the first 30 minutes of the game.

• CB Javier Arenas added an interception return for a touchdown to his punt return scores. Arenas picked off a Casey Dick pass and went 63 yards for a score. It was one of four interceptions for the Tide on the day.

Still Needs Work: Alabama’s special teams are still susceptible to big plays. The Tide allowed Georgia’s Prince Miller to return a punt 92 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter as the Bulldogs scored 17 points to briefly get back in the game.

Roster Report:

• No injuries were reported after this game.

Oklahoma’s No. 1, Bama No. 2 in AP poll!!!!!

2008-09-28T16:00:00.006-04:00

RAMMER JAMMER YELLOWHAMMER GIVEM HELL ALLERBAMMER!!!!!!!!

Check out bama's next four games ....... can anyone say excellent chance to run it up to 9-0 before we meet with dem Cajuns?

I can't say enough how great Alabama's offense stepped up to the plate last night I would honestly have to say my mouth was open about as much as those georgia fans as we took it up to 31-0 right before the half. Hat's off to ya guys ... now keep listening to coach & don't let the ranking get to ya! Take it one game at a time and we will rock this season on its ear!

GO BAMA ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!

Just in case you didnt catch the game ... how bout dem highlights????

Tide Spanks Dawgs Heads up chart!

2008-09-28T04:44:00.002-04:00

The score might have looked close but c'mon! Alabama spanked #3 ranked Georgia in front of 93,000 stunned dawg fans. I know we let em get some sympathy scores late in the game (and we need to work on that) but this game wasnt even close sports fans! GO BAMA ROLL TIDE and GRATZ on your 41-30 true spanking of them bulldawgs!!!!

Lets Get em!

2008-09-26T13:56:00.000-04:00

Inside Slant

Last year, Alabama was 3-0 heading into the Georgia game. This year, the Tide is 4-0 getting ready to play Georgia.

The difference? Last year, Tide coach Nick Saban was warning everyone the bubble was going to burst. This year, Saban seems a little happier with the caliber of his team week to week.

No. 8 Alabama (4-0, 1-0) takes on No. 3 Georgia (4-0, 1-0) Saturday in Athens, Ga.

Saban is not proclaiming that the Alabama program has “arrived,” but he does seem as though he likes the team’s chances, due to the influx of an outstanding recruiting class that is contributing as well as veteran players who seem to have bought into what Saban and his staff expect from week to week.

Alabama’s first 11 on both sides of the ball can compete with anybody on the Tide’s schedule. However, we’ve already seen that it only takes one or two injuries—as when linemen Andre Smith and Marlon Davis were out—to expose the Tide’s issue with a lack of depth.

The Tide’s offensive and defensive lines are clearly the strength of this team. The emergence of 365-pound Terrence Cody at nose tackle has overshadowed the play of his backup, Josh Chapman, and defensive ends Bobby Greenwood and Brandon Deadrick.

They’ve been able to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks without having to do much blitzing, which has left maximum coverage in the secondary. Whether the Tide can continue to do that this week against a Georgia squad that will be the best team the Tide has faced is another question.

Alabama can’t afford any injuries along the front line. If the Tide can stay with its normal playing rotation, they should have a chance against Georgia.

Notes, Quotes

• The fifth game of the season will bring the second top-10 opponent against Alabama (Clemson being the other), and the return of ESPN’s College GameDay to an Alabama game.

“What’s the dude’s name, the old dude?” junior cornerback Javier Arenas said when asked about ESPN.

Lee Corso?

“Yeah, I love that dude,” Arenas said. “He’s great at what he does. He’s been doing it for a while and knows the sport. He’s exciting. He gets the crowd going. I love him to death. I love all those guys.”

Scouting The Offense: Alabama is the second-highest scoring offense in the SEC, averaging 36 points per game, and leads the SEC in rushing yards per game (236.8). Despite the quick scores against Arkansas, Alabama is converting better than 50 percent of its third-down attempts and ranks third in the conference in time of possession. Because Alabama has not trailed in four games, QB John Parker Wilson has not been put in a position where he has to win a game. That could change this weekend.

Scouting The Defense: The Tide is allowing only 9.3 points per game and has not given up a rushing touchdown in 20 consecutive quarters (going back to the bowl game last year). If there is a question mark, it might be the pass defense, where the Tide has given up yards, even if those yards have not resulted in points. Georgia is one of the best passing teams in the conference.

Quote To Note: “What about it? Have you seen some of my highlights?”—Alabama cornerback/kick returner Javier Arenas, when asked if he’d seen any of Georgia tailback Knowshon Moreno’s highlights this year.

Strategy And Personnel

THIS WEEK’S GAME: Alabama at Georgia, Sept. 27—The first time Alabama and Georgia have met as undefeated teams (other than a season opener) since 1941 and the first time Alabama and Georgia have met when both are top-10 teams since 1976. Georgia has better depth and better skill players, but Alabama may have the better offensive and defensive lines and nothing to lose. Georgia is right where most people expected them to be, Alabama is ahead of schedule. Give the Bulldogs the edge, but don’t count the Tide out.

Players To Watch:

• QB John Parker Wilson owns virtually every important passing record in school history. What he doesn’t have is a championship ring. He and Georgia QB Matt Stafford are the two winningest active quarterbacks in the conference.

• LB Rolando McClain is picking up where he left off after an outstanding freshman season. He leads the team in tackles with 29 and handles calls and adjustments.

• WR Julio Jones leads the Tide in receiving yards with 132. But it’s another freshman who also wears No. 8, Georgia’s A.J. Green, who leads the SEC in receiving yards with 300. Jones gets closer and closer to living up to the hype every week.

Roster Report:

• Tide coach Nick Saban said there were no injuries to report, and that everyone would be ready to play Saturday against Georgia.

• Saban did announce the return of running back Demetrius Goode to tailback from defensive back. Goode signed as a tailback, injured a knee, and after surgery was moved to defensive back as a way to rehab the injury. Saban said he’s found that running backs who have trouble coming back from knee surgery are often afraid of taking a hit, and that playing defensive back—where they are forced to back-peddle, cut, and initiate a hit—often restores that confidence. It must have worked for Goode, who Saban says came to him two weeks ago asking to return to tailback. This week in practice, he’s been charged with impersonating Georgia tailback Knowshon Moreno.

4-0, Ranked 8th in the AP, Next up GEORGIA!

2008-09-21T17:24:00.001-04:00

Tide dominates on offense and defense in wild win
By Cecil Hurt, SportsEditor
Published: Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 3:52 p.m.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. | The fog burned off early at Razorback Stadium on Saturday.

That left thunder and lightning.

The thunder was provided by the University of Alabama offensive and defensive lines, who dominated the Razorbacks all day long. The lightning came from a steady supplement of long touchdowns — six covering 25 yards or more and three of those going for more than 60 yards — as Alabama buried Arkansas 49-14 in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.

It was No. 9 Alabama’s most one-sided SEC road win since a 62-27 beatdown of Ole Miss in Jackson, Miss., in 1989. The 49 points were the most Alabama has scored in any SEC game, home or away, since it put 59 points up against Vanderbilt in 1990. It was the first time since 1993 that Alabama has scored 40 or more points in back-to-back games.

Alabama did it despite some occasional lapses, especially on defense.

“We probably made more mental mistakes in this game than we have all year,” said Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban. “But we did a great job at the line of scrimmage. That’s how we were able to overcome.”

“That’s a tough game for us,” said Arkansas’ first-year coach Bobby Petrino. “We’ve got to get to the point where we don’t beat ourselves and we’ve got a long way to go.”

It only required one early Arkansas mistake, a penalty for running into the kicker, to open the floodgates although the deluge was likely to come sooner or later. That penalty did prolong Alabama’s first drive, which culminated in a one-yard touchdown run by Mark Ingram.

The Tide’s next possession was more electric, if far shorter. Glen Coffee took a handoff and went untouched for an 87-yard touchdown, the longest scoring run from scrimmage for UA since 1990.

Alabama added three more touchdowns in the half, two on long interception returns of ill-advised Casey Dick throws.

Javier Arenas had a 63-yard interception return with 53 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Justin Woodall eclipsed that in the second quarter, picking off a Dick pass and going 74 yards for the score. That was Alabama’s longest touchdown interception return since Reggie Myles returned one for a 91-yard score against UCLA in 2000.

The two defensive scores sandwiched a pass from Wilson to Julio Jones for a 25-yard score.

Arkansas did manage to convert one fourth down for a 12-yard touchdown pass from Dick to Andrew Davis in the second quarter. On its other foray deep into Crimson Tide territory, the Razorbacks were stuffed on four downs from the Crimson Tide 2 as the first half ticked away. That stand supplied the punctuation mark for the Hogs’ misery.

“We were reeling a little on defense at that point,” Saban said. “We had made a lot of mental errors on that drive. Our players were tired. The defense played a lot of plays in the first half. So for (Arkansas) to get the ball to the 1-yard line and for us to stop them, that said a lot. It was all things we practice every day, we just had to go and execute them, but it said a lot about the competitive character of our team.”

The second half was more or less an exercise in mutual clock-killing, although Alabama did add two more explosive touchdowns on a 31-yard run by Coffee and a 62-yarder by Roy Upchurch. Arkansas added one consolation touchdown directed by backup quarterback Tyler Wilson.

“I was very pleased and proud with the way we played,” Saban said. “I don’t want people to think otherwise. But we still have some things we can improve on.”

Coffee paced the offense, rushing for 162 yards on 10 carries. That set a new school record for yards per attempt with a minimum of 10 carries. Coffee’s 16.2 yards per carry eclipsed the old mark (14.6 yards per carry) set by Shaun Alexander against LSU in 1996. As a team, Alabama averaged 9.4 yards per rush.

Wilson eclipsed the Tide’s career touchdown passing record with his throw to Jones, the 42nd touchdown pass of his career. He threw just 14 times, completing six for 74 yards, but noted that Alabama’s big early lead made passing superfluous.

“When we’re up like that, we are not going to throw every down,” he said. “With the way we were running and the way our defense was playing, we weren’t about to mess anything up. We were just going to pound the ball.”

Alabama, off to its first 4-0 start since 2005, will travel to Georgia next Saturday for a 6:45 p.m. game.

Thanks to Tuscaloosanews.com for this article!

Congrats on 3-0

2008-09-14T10:15:00.002-04:00

Let's dont get too excited our real tests are still to come ... but a big hand for the boys from Alabama on trouncing Western Kentucky. Up next them dang hawgs from Arkansas .... I checked their progress this season and though they are 2-0 they escaped with both wins over very piss poor teams by only the slimmest of margins. I hate to look ahead but we should take Arkansas pretty easy ... but the real test is in 2 weeks. GEORGIA ....

I gotta say though they looked pretty beatable against spurrier's defense and against that slashing over the middle type pass offense. They might not have given up many points but their secondary looks pretty vulnerable. I think our O line will push them around too. This might be our year so lets keep our fingers crossed and also hope JPW has a great game!

Enuff for now .... Take care!

CrimsonTidePride

Today's the day for 3-0!

2008-09-13T10:15:00.001-04:00

Its throwback days for those of us without the pay per view or season pass. So lets tune up those AM radios & put a steak on the grill. GO BAMA ROLL TIDE! Send them Western KY boys back home with a real downhome azz kickin!

Mount Cody, Alabama

2008-09-11T11:32:00.000-04:00

Mount Cody climbs to Alabama celebrity status

By JOHN ZENOR, AP Sports Writer Sep 10, 4:32 pm EDT

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP)—Terrence Cody is used to being the big man on campus, but not like this.

No. 11 Alabama’s behemoth nose tackle has become an instant celebrity around campus because of both his physical dimensions—6-foot-5, 360 pounds—and his sizable impact on the Crimson Tide’s defensive line.

He even has a cool nickname: Mount Cody. Strangers shake his hand and say, “Good game, Mount Cody.” His teammates first marveled at his size and then his agility and athleticism, including watching him dunk a basketball.

“Everybody knows me on campus,” the junior college transfer said. “It’s been like that since I got on campus.”

He caught opposing coaches’ and players’ attention when he spearheaded a dominant run-stuffing performance against Clemson in the opener. The Tigers had zero yards rushing.

When you run into Cody, Tide tailback Glen Coffee said, “You just get stopped.”

Cody even has two groups devoted to him on Facebook.com, “Mount Cody” and “Terrence Cody is a Manchild” with a combined 90 members. He developed that following without being permitted by coach Nick Saban to talk to the media before this week since arriving at Alabama.

He only seemed like an overnight sensation. Cody first had to overcome ballooning weight, high school grades and his supersized physique as a youngster. Cody was too big to play youth football and only played two seasons of high school ball because of grades, even missing his senior season.

Academics forced him to go the JUCO route at Gulf Coast Community College in Mississippi. He had 31 tackles and 3.5 sacks and helped the team go unbeaten last season, drawing attention from major college recruiters.

“He certainly had the size and the initial quickness,” Saban said. “We knew what his problem was in terms of conditioning. That was our big issue.”

Cody arrived on his recruiting visit to Alabama at a robust 420 pounds. He endured early-morning workouts with Gulf Coast assistant Stevon Moore, who played for Saban with the Cleveland Browns, during the offseason. The goal was to lose 3 pounds a week through extra exercise and avoiding late-night eating binges.

Then were was the daily fear that the work wouldn’t bear fruit.

“I was like, I hope all this pays off because waking up early is hell,” Cody said.

Tide safety Rashad Johnson’s first impression was awe at his size. Cody stopped by his house on his recruiting visit. “It was just crazy to see a guy that big and to know that he’s going to be a part of our team,” Johnson said.

A more encouraging sight was Cody finishing all 26 of his 110-yard runs on the first day of summer conditioning, while many of his smaller teammates bowed out early.

“There were definitely guys that didn’t finish and you look over and the biggest guy on the team was finishing,” Johnson said. “He was determined he was going to make all 26 of them.

“That definitely showed the heart and the hard work that he has and the determination.”

It is also helping Cody have the stamina to play more snaps each game, rotating with Josh Chapman.

He has nine tackles, including two for losses. A bigger impact that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is the fact that he is drawing nearly constant double-teams from opposing offenses, freeing up teammates to make plays. Players like linebacker Rolando McClain were the beneficiaries of all that attention against Tulane.

“Rolando had like 15 tackles, so I did my job,” Cody said.

Despite all the attention he has received, Cody still has a hard time believing he’s in this position starting for a ranked Southeastern Conference team.

“I actually pinch myself, like man, is this really true?” he said. “Is this happening? I ended up at a great school. I feel really blessed.”

2008-09-08T14:52:00.001-04:00

No. 13 ‘Bama sputters to 20-6 win over Tulane

By JAY REEVES, Associated Press Writer Sep 6, 11:35 pm EDT

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP)—Forced out of New Orleans a week ago by the threat of Hurricane Gustav, Tulane got a standing ovation from Alabama fans just for jogging into the stadium.
The 13th-ranked Crimson Tide wasn’t as nice, even as it struggled to a win.
Javier Arenas returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown and Alabama held on Saturday to beat Tulane 20-6.
Just one game after looking like world beaters against then-No. 9 Clemson, a listless Alabama (2-0) allowed four sacks of John Parker Wilson, fumbled once, missed two kicks and gained only 172 yards—just 38 in the first half.
Coach Nick Saban got his 100th collegiate career victory, but he wasn’t exactly thrilled.
“It’s a little disappointing. It’s our goal to play with consistency … but we were unable to do that,” he said. “We did not make progress as a team.”
Playing in its season opener after days of hotel food and worrying about friends and family back in Louisiana, Tulane kept the Tide offense off balance but managed only field goals of 35 and 21 yards by Ross Thevenot, who missed two more.
Tulane headed back home, but it might not be for long since another hurricane, Ike, could threaten the northern Gulf coast next week. Coach Bob Toledo doesn’t know what to expect in the coming days.
“I’m not a weather guy, but I guess it’s coming our way,” he said.
Arenas gave ‘Bama all the points it needed early.
Tulane’s first drive stalled on the Alabama 46, and Darren deRochemont punted. Arenas caught the ball at his own 13, broke a tackle and cut down the left sideline for a TD that had fans screaming wildly.
DeRochemont was forced to punt two drives later from the Green Wave 23, but Roy Upchurch made a diving block. Chris Rogers scooped up the ball and ran 17 yards for a score.
“I was able to get inside the wing and block it,” Upchurch said. “It was a great feeling. It was almost like scoring a touchdown.”
The special teams theatrics over, Alabama’s offense sputtered badly. Scattered boos got louder after the offensive line allowed three sacks in the second quarter alone, and freshman Corey Smith, in briefly for the injured Leigh Tiffin, missed a point-after kick and a 37-yard field goal.
Alabama didn’t manage an offensive touchdown until the end of the third quarter, when Mark Ingram scored on a 15-yard run to cap a 77-yard, 11-play drive that wore down the Tulane defense.
With Alabama missing injured offensive line starters Andre Smith and Marlon Davis, Wilson was under pressure all night. He completed just 11 of 23 passes for 73 yards but didn’t thrown an interception.
“We weren’t clicking,” Wilson said. “We didn’t execute on third downs. We’re not consistent. There’s a lot of little things we have to correct. It’s one thing on this play, one thing on another play.”
Arenas, who set an Alabama record with 212 return yards, left injured in the third quarter after getting leveled by Jordan Ellis on a punt return. Saban said Arenas suffered a blow to the head but should be OK.
Tulane’s Thevenot was wide left on field goal attempts from 41 and 23 yards.
The Tulane team evacuated its New Orleans campus Aug. 30 as Gustav roared through the Gulf of Mexico toward a landfall. The squad spent a week in a hotel in Birmingham, alternately practicing at Samford University and watching movies and bowling to kill time.
Things could be worse next game: Tulane is supposed to play host to East Carolina on Saturday, and forecasters said Ike is on a path that could take it to southwestern Louisiana by the weekend.
The hurricane drill is getting old for Tulane. Two dozen players on the roster also evacuated when Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, and a handful are left from 2004, when Hurricane Ivan forced the team to leave town.
Bad weather or not, Tulane has a tough time with Alabama. The Green Wave hasn’t beaten the Crimson Tide since 1958, and it hasn’t won in Tuscaloosa since 1900.

Friday Update

2008-09-05T05:50:00.001-04:00

Great article in the AP ... enjoy!

Alabama trying to do the pushing around this time

By JOHN ZENOR, AP Sports Writer

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP)—Apparently, Alabama players got the message.
The Crimson Tide’s coaches spent plenty of time in the preseason talking to them about being physical and tough becoming the football equivalent of the neighborhood bully.
“We’re not going to let anybody do anything to us that we don’t want them to,” offensive lineman Mike Johnson said. “Nobody is going to push us around.”
That mentality carried over into the season with a bullying defensive front, a pounding running game and the resulting dominant win over preseason No. 9 Clemson that sent the Crimson Tide soaring to No. 13 in the polls.
For all the things Alabama did right in that game—and it did enough to vault 11 spots in the rankings—it started with physical play that caught the attention of everyone from Georgia coach Mark Richt to the Tulane players who visit the Tide Saturday night.
“They’re a hard-nosed team,” Green Wave offensive tackle Troy Kropog said. “They out-physicalled their opponent in that game tremendously and they played hard. They’re aggressive and they play hard. They’re the kind of team that poses the most problems because they play to the whistle.”
“It was impressive to see,” center Michael Parenton said.
The results were impressive, too: Outrushing Clemson and its heralded backfield of James Davis and C.J. Spiller 239-0 and racking up three sacks without allowing any.
It was impressive enough that Johnson and 6-foot-5, 365-pound noseguard Terrence Cody claimed the Southeastern Conference’s offensive and defensive lineman of the week honors.
Richt was on hand for the Tide’s performance at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.
“I just saw a team that had a mentality they were going to play physical, and they did it,” said Richt, whose son Jon is a Clemson freshman. “Clemson didn’t have any answers on that day.”
Alabama’s offensive line could be without its star against Tulane, playing in its opener. Left tackle Andre Smith is listed as doubtful after starting the first 27 games of his college career.
Johnson would move from guard to tackle, and sophomore David Ross would fill Johnson’s spot. Even after Smith went down against Clemson, Alabama mounted a scoring drive that consumed nearly 9 minutes.
“We didn’t miss a beat,” Johnson said. “We pushed the ball down the field with (Ross) in there. We drug out the clock in the fourth quarter with him in there.”
Tulane had Conference USA’s top run defense last season but must replace starting linemen Avery Williams and Antonio Harris. ‘Bama also has to prove it can keep it up after finishing eighth in the SEC in rushing offense last season.
“I think it’s the identity that we’ve always tried to create, play physical, play with a lot of toughness, strike them, knock them back,” Tide coach Nick Saban said. “Be aggressive and relentless in your style of how you play and how you compete. I think we did a little better in this game. I think it goes back to the players kind of buying in and believing.”
The offensive line was already regarded as a strength of the team with four returning starters. The defensive front seven—linebackers and linemen—was more of a question mark.
Cody was a newcomer in the middle of the line and freshman Don’ta Hightower and converted safety Cory Reamer were making their first starts at linebacker.
The result? Reamer forced a fumble and Hightower recovered it.
“From the first play, we had guys getting in the backfield and disrupting everything they were trying to do,” Reamer said.
Cody gave the Tide a massive presence inside, drawing multiple blockers and freeing teammates to make plays.
“I didn’t see a play where they didn’t double-team him, triple-team him on a couple of occasions,” defensive end Lorenzo Washington said.
Like Johnson, Washington thinks the Tide approached the season with a different mentality than last year.
“We’re attacking. Last year with a lot of teams, we weren’t establishing our line of scrimmage,” he said. “We were letting them dictate what we do. This year our main focus is attacking the line of scrimmage and knocking them back so we control what they do.”

BACK TO WORK!

2008-09-04T05:28:00.002-04:00

Thanks to bamaonline.com for this great article by Chase Goodbread!

By Chase Goodbread

The Alabama football team continued preparations for Saturday’s home game with Tulane on Wednesday with a full-pad practice at the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility. Here are a few observations from the media viewing period from BamaOnLine.com:

*** Left tackle Andre Smith (knee sprain) and wide receiver Earl Alexander (ankle sprain) were in black non-contact jerseys and riding stationary bikes for the third consecutive practice. UA coach Nick Saban will be asked to update the status on the two injured players later Wednesday at the post-practice press conference. Smith’s streak of 27 consecutive career starts is in jeopardy. Alexander played sparingly against Clemson but did not record a catch. On Monday, Saban said he was unsure if they would play Saturday against Tulane. Typically, players who can’t practice by Wednesday do not play the ensuing Saturday.

*** Offensive guard David Ross continued to work with the first group in place of Smith, although not at Smith’s position. Mike Johnson, normally the left guard, is practicing at left tackle while Ross fills in at Johnson’s spot.

*** Scout team update: Freshman linebacker Glenn Harbin wore the No. 90, that of Tulane’s Adam Kwentua, one of the Green Wave’s top players. Linebacker Michael DeJohn wore No. 34, that of Tulane senior LB Evan Lee.

*** There were no changes among the defensive groups in practice on Wednesday, including at linebacker, which has been in flux more than any other position since fall camp began. Look for a lineup against Tulane similar to that which took the field against Clemson.

It was all over in 10 minutes......

2008-09-02T19:07:00.001-04:00

Gotta love that Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News ... he really tells it like it is.

CECIL HURT: It was over in first 10 minutes
Published: Sunday, August 31, 2008 at 3:30 a.m.
ATLANTA The war of nerves started before the game did on Saturday night.
It didn’t last very long.
It started with the coin toss. The University of Alabama won that toss. It elected — maybe “demanded” would be a better word — to receive the football.
When it took the kickoff, Alabama ran the ball straight ahead on three consecutive plays, perhaps as much for the sheer pleasure of smacking Clemson in the mouth as for the yardage that it netted.
That drive ultimately ended with a long field goal, but it also sent a message that was worth a lot more than three points.
Clemson’s first drive sent the opposite message. The first play wasn’t a similar run, a play designed for big back James Davis to answer with some physicality. It was a fade pass that Tiger quarterback Cullen Harper couldn’t complete.
The next play, an overwhelmed freshman back named Jamie Harper fumbled the ball.
Clemson never again called plays as if it thought it could effectively block Alabama. It tried some misdirection, some direct snap trickery, but most of it accomplished little.
The game wasn’t 10 minutes old. But it was over.
Clemson had two highlights after that, one long catch-and-run by speedy Jacoby Ford that resulted in a field goal (Ford didn’t make it through the hard-hitting first half) and a nifty kickoff return by C.J. Spiller, who is so good and fast that he really should get to rush the ball more than two times in a game, blocking or not.
Alabama, as Nick Saban noted, didn’t pressure Clemson much. It played defense aggressively, but with an eye at containing Clemson’s package of bubble screens and other diversions.
Offensively, Alabama just kept pounding. The Tide could throw whenever it wanted. If tight end Nick Walker slept with a blanket upon returning to Tuscaloosa on Saturday night, it was the first time all evening that he was covered.
Mainly, though, the Crimson Tide ran. And ran. And ran some more.
Clemson defensive coordinator Vic Koenning was left to wonder what the number of the Escalade that ran over his front seven might have been, and whether he should have devoted more time to coaching and less to comedy during the week.
“I think the last drive, to take the air out of it for seven minutes, is what you call finishing the game and I was pleased and proud that we were able to do that,” UA coach Nick Saban said.
The closest thing to a scary moment came when Spiller opened the second half with a lightning kickoff return. Last year’s Alabama team didn’t handle such adversity well.
“Those were the things that we would melt down on in the past,” Saban said. “People would flatten out. But we responded and I think when you respond to adversity, that’s the sign of a good competitor.”
The result was Alabama’s first win over a top-10 team since Florida in 2005 and its most notable regular-season non-conference win since a victory over Penn State in 1989. Coming as it does, at the start of the schedule, it will send Alabama fans into an excited frenzy. It should be a cause of celebration, but it should also come with a note of caution. The Atlantic Coast Conference portion of the Crimson Tide schedule is over. Before long, big-boy football – the SEC kind – will begin.
“This is just one game,” Saban said. “We’ve still got to find an identity.
“We’ve just made a ‘B’ on a midterm. Do we slack off and make a ‘D’ on the next one and have a ‘C’ average? Or do we try to make an ‘A’?”
There is no way to downplay the emotions of this win for Alabama fans.
It wasn’t just that the Crimson Tide beat a team that was favored, and had a big reputation, although that must have felt sweet. It was the way Alabama did it – with tough, physical football that has been the Saban trademark elsewhere – that was the most gratifying thing, the first fulfillment of Saban’s prediction upon his hiring. He stated then that Alabama would become a team that other teams hated to play.
Today, Clemson knows just what he was talking about.

Game Week Prep For Tulane

2008-09-01T07:48:00.004-04:00

Well the tide took care of business Saturday night and now its time to get back to work for this week. Next up: Tulane Greenwave

Here are some details about their 2008 squad ... bear in mind they lost quite a few players to graduation & this is their OPENING game so no game last week to draw info from.

Scouting The Offense:
A new quarterback and new tailback have the benefit of a veteran offensive line that returns four starters, including Lombardi Trophy watch list member Michael Parenton (6-2, 287) at center. Offensive coordinator Dan Dodd says the team has a much better understanding of his intricate West Coast package than they did when it debuted last season.

Scouting The Defense:
Seven starters return under new defensive coordinator O’Neill Gilbert. Senior FS David Skehan had 66 tackles, four interceptions and 10 pass breakups and senior DE Reggie Scott registered four sacks, nine tackles for loss and three forced fumbles last year. Tulane ranked 37th nationally against the run (132.6 yards per game) and 113th against the pass (287.7).

Quote To Note:
“The thing he’s doing, as opposed to the other guys, is he’s not getting tackled. That sounds crazy, but a lot of the young guys get hit and they go down right away. I tell them they’re not tackled until both of your feet are up above your head.”—Tulane head coach Bob Toledo on junior tailback Andre Anderson.

Strategy And Personnel

THIS WEEK’S GAME: Tulane at Alabama, Sept. 6—The Green Wave hasn’t defeated the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa since Nov. 3, 1900. Alabama owns a 26-11-3 edge in the all-time series, but the programs haven’t met since 1994. The Crimson Tide is coming off a season-opening 34-10 thumping of Clemson.

Players To Watch:
QB Kevin Moore—The 6-5 sophomore completed 30-of-54 passes for 432 yards and two touchdowns in parts of eight games last season. He secured the starting spot during the offseason when Anthony Scelfo elected to pursue a baseball career full-time.
RB Andre Anderson—The junior carried 14 times for 91 yards and one touchdown last season and has the nearly impossible task of replacing record-setting rusher Matt Forte (2,127 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2007).
CB Josh Lumar—Tulane’s most experienced defensive back faces a tough challenge in the season opener. The 5-10 senior will likely spend a lot of time opposite Alabama’s 6-4 freshman phenom Julio Jones, who caught four passes for 28 yards and a touchdown in the win against Clemson.

Roster Report:

• Head coach Bob Toledo has suspended sophomore TE Tyler Helm (two games) and sophomore WR Alan Mitchell (three games) for unspecified violations of team policies.
• In the last week of August camp, Tulane moved offensive lineman Oscar Ponce de Leon back to defensive tackle. The 6-2, 302-pound sophomore played there exclusively as a freshman in 2006 before being moved to the offensive side and taking a redshirt year in 2007.

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Seems although they have some players of the future this team is in rebuilding mode. I could be wrong of course but I think this will be just another scrimmage type game for the tide offense & perhaps julio jone's coming out party. I hope the tide doesnt look past these guys but I dont expect this to be a dangerous game.

L8ter All

Week #1 = Big W .... ROLL TIDE!!!!!!

2008-08-31T00:37:00.002-04:00

Completely Awesome game! If our defense can play like that against all of our opponnents this year who in the world could stop us? I never expected in my own wildest dreams that this years team would dominate BOTH offensive and defensive line play the way they did! GO FROSH'S GO ... Big ups to all the freshman & especially our new secret weapon ... YOU GO NICK!

Anyways .... Big ups as well to JPW for the 22 outta 30 with no INT's night .... great job & what else can we say about our RBS????? Look out SEC ... we are going to run over ALL OF YOU!

Here's the yahoo story on the game .... for those that wanna read what the professionals yap about.
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Sweet Dome, Alabama: Tide roll past Clemson

By PETE IACOBELLI, AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA, Ga. (AP)—Nick Saban’s plan to bring No. 24 Alabama back to prominence looks way ahead of schedule. As for No. 9 Clemson, another big game ended with the Tigers on the losing end.
The Crimson Tide had little trouble rolling past Clemson 34-10 at the Georgia Dome on Saturday night, the biggest victory in coach Saban’s two seasons at Alabama.
Alabama’s defense held Clemson to zero yards rushing and John Parker Wilson threw two touchdown passes as Alabama beat a top-10 opponent for the first time since topping No. 5 Florida in 2005. That was part of the last hurrah for former coach Mike Shula, who followed that 10-2 season with a 6-7 campaign that ended his time with the Tide.
Alabama lured Saban from the NFL last season to lead the 12-time national champs back to glory. Based on the opener, Saban and the Tide are on their way.
“Nobody can be satisfied with a one-game performance,” Saban said. “This will be a challenge for our team and it’ll be interesting to see how they respond.”
Wilson finished 22-of-30 for 180 yards and, with his career total completions now at 500, surpassed Brodie Croyle’s old record of 488.
The Crimson Tide defense held the Tigers’ heralded “Thunder and Lightning” backfield of James Davis and C.J. Spiller to 20 yards combined.
The Tigers managed only 188 yards, way off their 403-yard average from last season.
Saban’s latest recruiting class included such high-profile prospects as receiver Julio Jones, an Internet sensation who fans have buzzed about for months. Still, Alabama didn’t figure to hang with the Tigers, an experienced bunch who entered the season with higher hopes than just their first Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 17 years.
Right from the start, though, Alabama showed it matched up fine with the ACC’s favorite.
The Tide ran the ball easily on Clemson’s defense, which was ninth in the country a season ago. At one point, Alabama had outgained the Tigers 114-1. By the time, tight end Nick Walker had slipped behind three defenders for a 4-yard TD catch, Alabama was ahead 20-3 midway through the second quarter.
Just for good measure, Jones collected his first college TD pass, a 4-yarder from Wilson that put Alabama up 31-10.
Leigh Tiffin added four field goals, including a 54-yard kick that was Alabama’s third longest of all time.
Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper, voted the favorite to win ACC player of the year, was continually pressured and off target throughout.
The Tigers, down 23-3 at the half, got a burst of life when Spiller broke for a 96-yard kickoff return TD to start the second half, then forced the Tide into their first punt of the night a series later.
Clemson could get little going.
“Maybe we needed a wake up call,” Harper said. “We’ll have to keep working hard this week and correct our mistakes.”
So, for the second time in eight months, left the Georgia Dome with more questions and answers.
The Tigers just can’t help but stumble whenever they close in on success.
They lost to a lightly regarded Maryland in 2006 at home, 13-12, when victory would’ve sent Clemson to the ACC title game.
Then last year, the Tigers were beaten 20-17 by Boston College in a showdown for a spot in the league’s championship game.
Clemson concluded the season with a 23-20 overtime loss to Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, missing out on its first 10-victory season since 1991.
This was the year, many thought, that Clemson and embattled coach Tommy Bowden would shake off their reputations for not winning the biggest games. Alabama was where it was supposed to start.
Instead, Bowden again must refocus a team filled with veterans and leaders running out of time.
Clemson’s loss also concluded a demoralizing day for the ACC. Earlier, defending league champion Virginia Tech fell to East Carolina, while Virginia was defeated at home by No. 3 Southern Cal 52-7.
For Alabama, it’s a win sure to fuel talk of Southeastern Conference success. The Tide don’t start down that road for three more games, the opener against SEC Western Division rival Arkansas following home games against Tulane and Western Kentucky.
The Crimson Tide have won 12 straight against Clemson, although the team’s hadn’t met since 1975 when the late Bear Bryant laid a 56-0 humiliation on the Tigers.
Maybe Alabama and Saban will soon have more in common with the Bear’s championship teams.

GAME DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-30T10:37:00.004-04:00

Get the grill fired up ... then get yourself fired up! THE TIDE ROLLS TODAY!!!!!

OK .. back to business here's an article that ya'll might have missed yesterday ... its not a good one ... but not too terribly bad. Ill update more after the game tonight!!!

ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!

Thanks bamaonline.com for this article.

August 29, 2008

Chase Goodbread
BamaOnLine.com Senior Writer

Alabama wide receiver Brandon Gibson will miss the first two games of the season while serving a suspension for a secondary NCAA violation that occurred before Gibson signed with UA in 2007.



Gibson

Gibson, a redshirt freshman from Mobile UMS-Wright, lists fourth on UA's official depth chart and didn't figure to see action Saturday against Clemson.

"The violation involved acceptance of transportation to a UA athletic event with a high school friend whose father is a representative of the institution's athletics interests," UA Director of Compliance Mike Ward said in a written statement. "This was a secondary violation that was self-reported by UA in 2007 and our recommendation for a two-game suspension was approved by the NCAA. The student-athlete and his friend have been friends since the ninth grade and, despite having a pre-existing relationship, unintentionally committed this infraction."

Gibson (6-1, 192 pounds) competed for playing time in the preseason at the X-receiver position, a battle which was won by Julio Jones in fall camp. Gibson's eligibility will be restored in time for Alabama's Sept. 13 game with Western Kentucky.

Alabama-Clemson Matchup

2008-08-28T18:39:00.005-04:00

August 30, 2008Alabama at Clemson Preview
Stats, Inc.

Clemson has earned the reputation of an underachiever in Tommy Bowden's nine seasons on the sidelines, routinely landing in second-tier bowl games despite possessing some routinely impressive talent.
It'll only get worse if Bowden's team can't win the ACC in 2008, when they'll be preseason favorites for the first time in his tenure.
The No. 9 Tigers won't have to wait to get their first major test, as they open the season Saturday in Atlanta against 24th-ranked Alabama, which is looking for improvement in Nick Saban's second season.
Clemson (9-4) started 8-0 in 2000, Bowden's second year at the helm, before losing three of its final four, including a blowout loss in the Gator Bowl. In 2006, the Tigers got off to a 7-1 start before losing four of their final five games.
There wasn't as steep of a collapse last season, but Clemson still couldn't win the ACC's Atlantic Division. It lost to Boston College for the third consecutive season - costing itself a trip to the conference title game - before dropping its second straight bowl game to an ACC opponent.
"There's always that frustration of not winning the championship. You'll have to carry that label,'' said Bowden, who was an assistant at Alabama in the late 1980s.
He might not have to carry that designation for much longer. The Tigers return seven offensive starters from the conference's top-scoring team, including the top three vote-getters in balloting for the ACC player of the year - quarterback Cullen Harper and tailbacks James Davis and C.J. Spiller.
Davis and Spiller were expected to be the nation's top backfield tandem after outstanding 2006 campaigns, but both saw a decline in their production last season. Davis' average dropped from 5.8 to 5.0 yards per carry, and he scored 10 touchdowns after running for 17 in 2006. Spiller's drop-off was worse - he averaged 5.3 yards as a sophomore as opposed to 7.3 as a freshman, and scored just three touchdowns after having 10 the year before.
This season, the pair will be running behind an offensive line that will have to replace four starters, but Spiller's expectations are still sky high.
"I think everybody's saying, 'Oh, they don't deserve to be in the top 10. They always find a way to lose a game,'" Spiller said. "I think when we hold up that ACC trophy, we'll be fine."
That should be more feasible with the conference's best quarterback in front of them. Harper led the ACC in passing efficiency in 2007 and set 22 school records in his first season as a starter. Perhaps most impressive was his 27-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Clemson's defense should be one of the best in the conference - and maybe the nation - despite having to replace its top four linebackers. The Tigers were among the top 10 in the country last season in scoring defense (18.3 ppg) and total defense (297.2 ypg), and add highly touted freshman defensive end Da'Quan Bowers.
Clemson is the conference favorite and is ranked in the top 10 nationally for the first time since 1991, and its players are anxious to open against a solid opponent - particularly one from a conference that's given them trouble in their past two bowl games.
"We don't want any cupcake team to open up,'' defensive back Chris Chancellor said. "We need to know where we stand right now."
Alabama (7-6) should give the Tigers a solid test. Though the Crimson Tide lost six games last season, they didn't lose by more than a touchdown, and with one of the nation's top recruiting classes, much improvement is expected.
Two of those star recruits are Julio Jones and B.J. Scott, who should give a much-needed injection of talent to a receiving corps that lost its top three players from 2007.
"They're good. They're really good,'' quarterback John Parker Wilson said. "Julio's going to make some big plays this year. He can go up and get it. He can run by guys."
Wilson could use some help - his yards per attempt, completion percentage and quarterback rating all dropped off in his junior season.
He'll have some solid options at tailback if the passing game doesn't click right away. Terry Grant led the team with 930 rushing yards as a freshman in 2007, but junior Glen Coffee overtook Grant in practice and is expected to get the bulk of the carries.
Alabama returns only five starters on defense, though one of those players is All-SEC safety Rashad Johnson, who led the league with six interceptions.
The Tide lead the all-time series with Clemson, 11-3. The teams haven't met since a 56-0 Tigers win in Tuscaloosa in 1975.

5 Star Freshman will start Sat. Night!!!!`

2008-08-28T18:22:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Yahoo Sports & the AP for this great article!
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Tide’s Julio Jones grabs starting job
By JOHN ZENOR, AP Sports Writer Aug 27, 4:59 pm EDT

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP)—John Parker Wilson might as well have wandered around campus this summer carrying a sign that read: “Julio’s doing fine.”
Then, maybe fans would have skipped ahead to ask Alabama’s quarterback about the team or the season or even what coach Nick Saban is like. That last question is so 2007.
Seems Topic No. 1 in T-town these days is how much-hyped freshman receiver Julio Jones is doing.
“That’s the first thing everybody asks,” Wilson said. “It was coach Saban last year, now it’s Julio.”
The most definitive answer of how Jones is doing came earlier this week when Saban released the Crimson Tide’s depth chart and the 6-foot-4, 210-pounder was on top. The nation’s top-rated receiver recruit has already had a catch—at a closed scrimmage, no less—wind up on YouTube and has been anointed a star before ever playing a college game.
And equally impressive, his teammates seem OK with that.
“He hasn’t come in expecting anything just because of what he did in high school,” Wilson said. “He’s shown me and the rest of the guys that he’s gonna earn his position, earn his spot and so far he’s done that every day.”
Jones and freshman linebacker Don’ta Hightower both are listed as starters for Saturday night’s game against No. 9 Clemson in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome. Only nine freshmen have started a season opener for Alabama.
Jones got plenty of attention recently when he made a one-armed catch along the sideline during a scrimmage, then stiff-armed All-Southeastern Conference safety Rashad Johnson on his way to a touchdown. A video of the play made it onto the Internet and has already drawn more than 24,000 views on YouTube.
Plenty more will get to see him on Saturday night. Since Saban doesn’t allow freshmen to speak to the media, he almost seems to have taken on near-mythical status with teammates left to do all the talking. Who’s Julio?
“He doesn’t let that hype get to him,” receiver Mike McCoy said. “He’s real laid-back. He’s cool on and off the field. We hang out all the time. This past weekend we just kicked it together. He’s a humble guy.”
Added offensive tackle Andre Smith: “He’s a great athlete, a great guy both on and off the field.”
McCoy said the attention is deserved. He even watched film of Jones from high school and was a believer.
“He’s just a different breed,” McCoy said. “Some people have got it, some people don’t. He’s one who has it.”
Jones was a Parade and USA Today All-American who was regarded by most recruiting services as one of the five best high school players in the nation after racking up more than 3,000 yards in his high school career.
Saban said Jones has been consistent from the start of fall camp and arrived in good shape. He will also return kicks and be a backup to Javier Arenas on punt returns.
“He’s consistently made plays in practice and in both scrimmages,” Saban said. “After the first scrimmage, it was pretty evident that he was going to have some role as one of the three receivers that we use quite a bit.
“This last week he certainly solidified his position as the starter. He and Mike McCoy have been our two best receivers throughout this camp.”
The hype has come because of Jones’ high school credentials, but also because of his timely arrival. The Tide has to replace Alabama;s career receiving leader DJ Hall, along with Keith Brown and Matt Caddell.
Hello, Julio.
The only current Tide player who might be able to relate to this level of attention out of high school is Smith, regarded as the nation’s top offensive line prospect a few years ago. He said teammates have told him they thought he would be arrogant, and had the same fear for Jones.
“They thought he was going to be, but he’s a hard worker,” Smith said. “He’s not out boasting about, what (he’s) going to do. He just lets his actions speak louder than his words.”

Courtesy of TuscaloosaNews.com

2008-08-26T16:00:00.000-04:00

Coffee gets the starting nod

By Christopher Walsh Sports Writer

Published: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, August 25, 2008 at 11:06 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | University of Alabama junior Glen Coffee topped the depth chart at running back Monday, and hopes to go into the season as the Crimson Tide's every-down ballcarrier.

'It's going to be a whole different season,' Coffee said. 'I don't like talking about it, but you're going to see things, I plan to do things that I haven't done before on the college level.'

Behind Coffee was true freshman Mark Ingram and/or sophomore Terry Grant (both on the second unit for now), and junior Roy Upchurch. Grant was limited by a shin splint during fall camp.

'Mark Ingram has probably been the surprise of all the young players in terms of his maturity as a player,' Coach Nick Saban said. 'He's elusive. He has speed but he has power and tremendous toughness and he's a good receiver so he's a very, very good all-around guy,

'Glen Coffee is ‘Mr. Consistency' for us.'

Coffee was second in team rushing last season, with 545 yards on 129 carries, behind Grant (891 yards, 180 carries), but also missed four games due to the textbook disbursement scandal.

Nevertheless, all four players figure to get their share of handoffs.

'It not often you get to sub in and out and there's not a drop-off,' senior center Antoine Caldwell said. 'Glen's just is as good as Roy, Roy's just as good as Mark, Mark's as good as Terry. That's been a huge plus with this football team.'

Returning players accounted for 95.5 percent of Alabama's rushing yards last season, although Jonathan Lowe was not on the roster distributed to media Monday (note: it did not include all walk-on players).

Saban announced that sophomore quarterback Nick Fanuzzi will transfer.

'Nick is a fine young man, did an outstanding job here for us,' the coach said. 'We certainly hate to see him leave the program because every characteristic, every value that we try to instill in the program, he certainly represents. Great team player and did a really good job here, and we're sorry to see him go. But at the same time, we wish him well and we will help him every way that we can get some place where he feels he has a better opportunity to compete.'

Fanuzzi played one game (Western Carolina, 2007), but did not attempt a pass. His departure leaves true freshman Star Jackson and walk-on Thomas Darrah competing for the No. 3 job.

Although Alabama has three true freshmen offensive lineman on the depth chart, chances are if a tackle sustains an injury against Clemson that junior left guard Mike Johnson would shift over and Brian Motley enter the game.

'We're really impressed with the development of the young players but to throw them in the frying pan right now, we might be better served,' Saban said. 'Motley has made really good progress, especially since we've kind of been playing him at guard rather than center. So that's been helpful to him. David Ross has also done a good job at right guard.'

Barrett Jones is the backup left tackle ahead of Tyler Love, and John Michael Boswell is the second-team right tackle.

'BJ is a real good athlete, smaller guy, moves real well,' Caldwell said. 'Boswell is more your pound guy. Tyler Love is definitely probably the smartest out of the group.'

Tide-bits

Saban considers junior end Lorenzo Washington to essentially be a starter: 'I think it's more natural for him to play there, and I certainly think that with those three experienced guys at the defensive end potions improves our athleticism at that position. Lorenzo did a great job for us at nose and he's not a natural nose, that's not his natural position.'

As expected sophomore linebacker Charlie Higgenbotham (groin) returned to practice.

Junior Mike McCoy (6-2, 205 pounds) tops the depth chart at both the 'Z' wideout position and the slot in three-receiver formation. 'Usually it's a small guy who's really fast,' senior quarterback John Parker Wilson said. 'Mike has great athleticism, he can really makes the moves. I'm just so comfortable throwing him the ball.'

e_SClB

Senior receiver Will Oakley, who missed fall camp with a stress fracture, was not listed on the depth chart. However, sophomore Darius Hanks, who has spent the past few days wearing the number of a Clemson player, is third at slot.

The Tide Inside

2008-08-25T09:26:00.000-04:00

Crimson Tide Holds Practice Indoors Saturday

The Crimson Tide practiced inside for just the second time this preseason.

	The Tide held football practice in the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility Saturday.

Aug. 23, 2008

Tuscaloosa, Ala -

The University of Alabama football team worked for two hours in full pads Saturday afternoon at the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility. A steady rain fell in Tuscaloosa all day Saturday so the Crimson Tide practiced inside for just the second time this preseason.

"I thought we had a pretty good practice," said quarterback John Parker Wilson. "The energy was good and I think practicing inside was a plus to change it up a little bit. We get Sunday off and then need to come in Monday focused and ready for game week."

After flex and individual drills, the Tide did some work against Clemson offensive and defensive scout teams and wrapped up the day with special teams.

The Crimson Tide will hold its weekly Media Day on Monday, Aug. 25 at 11:30 a.m. in the Naylor Stone Media Suite. Head Coach Nick Saban and select players will be available to the media. Monday's practice is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

Hot off the wire...Tom Arnold a Tide Fan from Iowa?

2008-08-22T12:31:00.000-04:00

Not exactly sure why ... but Comedian & former member of "The Best Damn Sports Show" visited Tide Practice .... see the article HERE!

Cecil Hurt also has a great article comparing this great freshman class to others ... Is our freshman class 2008 the best ever? Find out HERE!

One more article for ya on the Improving Tide Defense! Good Read!!!! HERE!

Reamer Glad to be back

2008-08-22T05:22:00.000-04:00

Great article on Reamer's return here!

Have a great weekend everyone!

How bout some video today too?

2008-08-21T13:58:00.000-04:00

A Little old but who doesnt love Under the Lights Pt 1 & 2?

Walk On Time ....

2008-08-21T12:52:00.000-04:00

Here's another great tide article!

Practice report: Walk-ons aboard

Chase Goodbread
BamaOnLine.com

As fall classes began Wednesday at the University of Alabama, the Crimson Tide football team was joined by a host of walk-ons for a full-pad afternoon practice at the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility. Here are a few observations from the media viewing period from BamaOnLine.com:

*** Wide receiver Will Oakley rejoined his teammates after missing fall camp while rehabilitating a broken bone in his foot. Oakley, a senior letterman, was in a white jersey, signifying clearance for contact work.

*** Linebacker Charlie Higgenbotham (groin) continues to be held out of contact.

*** Linebacker Donta Hightower worked in the second group in agility drills, but the first group in recognition drills, both at the weakside position. Hightower has emerged as one of the most likely to be among the 8-10 true freshmen coach Nick Saban says will probably see action this season.

*** Walk-on Jonathan Lowe rejoined the team Wednesday after being left off the list of players invited to camp. Lowe played last season as a return specialist and reserve running back.

*** Other walk-on sightings included fullback Jacob Vane, linebacker Joe Robinson and tight end Drew Cummings.

*** Wide receiver Marquis Maze made an impressive one-handed catch during individual drills on a pass from from backup quarterback Greg McElroy.

*** The team will practice again Thursday at 3:30 p.m., with a news conference with coach Nick Saban and player interviews to follow.

*** Stay with BOL for the daily "Instant Analysis" video feature, and a photo gallery from T.G. Paschal.

The University has not released an official depth chart, and practice is closed to media during team drills. Player groupings can change by the day and should not be construed as a permanent indicator for playing time.

Latest Tide Update

2008-08-21T05:48:00.000-04:00

Rolltide.com has a great article on classes starting & the team having to deal with that & practice. Anyone else having a hard time waiting on the Clemson game to start???? ROLL TIDE

ROLLTIDE.COM ARTICLE CLICK HERE!!!

Down the road to redemption.....

2008-08-19T06:37:00.001-04:00

Great article on rivals.com today highlighting the upcoming season with analysis on all the games. Check it out HERE.

Will post more info soon as I get some!

Tide Pride

Final Scrimmage Shows Tide Ready To Play!

2008-08-17T20:24:00.000-04:00

Great article on rivals detailing improvements & stats from the final scrimmage:

Notebook: Julio shows out

Chase Goodbread
BamaOnLine.com

If there was any doubt that Julio Jones and B.J. Scott would play a role in the Alabama offense this fall, there's a little bit less after Saturday.The freshman duo from the Mobile area combined for 10 receptions and 181 receiving yards in the final scrimmage of fall camp at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Media were not permitted to watch the scrimmage, but UA-released statistics show the freshman pair led team team in receptions with five each."We made some big plays on offense today," Saban said. "... We spread the ball around a little bit more today, a little more effective throwing it."Third-year sophomore Earl Alexander had four receptions, and freshman Chris Jackson and Mike McCoy had three each. Jones and Scott are battling a host of veterans in camp, most of whom lack significant game experience. The coaching staff's apparent liking for the two-tight end set - which Saban noted again on Saturday - makes the competition for playing time at receiver even tighter.McCoy, with 28 catches in 2007, is UA's returning statistical leader. Others competing for time include freshman Marquis Maze, senior Nikita Stover, Darius Hanks and Brandon Gibson. Senior Will Oakley - who missed camp with a foot injury - will join the team when fall classes begin.

DEPTH BUILDING - Saban noted improvement in some of UA's younger players - most notably the true freshmen - from the first camp scrimmage last week to this one."There was a huge difference in the young players from last week to this week, and I think that's going to be helpful to us from a depth standpoint," Saban said. "Donta Hightower played really well in the scrimmage, made a big improvenent, Jerrell Harris has improved, and the young receivers have improved."

JORDAN TO LB - Freshman Chris Jordan has been moved to linebacker from running back for the time being."We're in a little bit of a logjam at running back, and we're a little thin at linebacker, so we just talked to him yesterday about, you know - let's see how it goes at linebacker for a few days, we can always move you back to running back," Saban said. "You might be able to get on the field a little faster. If you rated the team from one to 95 he might be on the guys that fit into the top half of the team."The logjam at running back was relieved earlier in camp when Demetrius Goode was moved to the secondary.

ETC. - Saban said Cory Reamer played at the Sam (strongside) linebacker position in the scrimmage as an experiment, while Hightower played at the Will (weakside). Reamer has been at the Will spot for most of camp. ... Kicker Leigh Tiffin was held out of the scrimmage with a tired leg, which gave extra duty to freshman Corey Smith. ... Linebacker Charlie Higgenbotham's injury - which has kept him out of action since Friday - is a groin pull. ... Defensive end Brandon Deaderick was credited with four sacks, while linebacker Eryk Anders recorded a blocked field goal.

STATISTICAL LEADERS FROM SATURDAY'S SCRIMMAGE
PASSINGJohn Parker Wilson – 14 for 25, 255 yards, 0 Int., 2 TDs;
Greg McElroy – 19 for 38, 198 yards, 0 TDs, 0 Int.

RUSHING
Glen Coffee – 11 rush, 35 yards, 0 TDs;
Mark Ingram – 7 rush, 30 yards, 0 TDs;
Terry Grant – 6 rush, 13 yards, 0 TDs;
Roy Upchurch – 4 rush, 17 yards, 0 TDs.

RECEIVING
Julio Jones – 5 rec. 125 yards, 1 TD
B.J. Scott – 5 rec., 56 yards, 0 TDs
Earl Alexander – 4 rec., 44 yards, 0 TDs
Mike McCoy – 3 rec., 81 yards, 1 TD
Chris Jackson – 3 rec., 60 yards, 0 TDs
Terry Grant – 3 rec, 37 yards, 0 TDs

DEFENSIVE STATISTICS
Prince Hall (LB) – 8 tackles
Eryk Anders (LB) – 6 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 TFL, 1 Blocked Field Goal
Brandon Deaderick (DL) – 5 tackles, 4 sacks
Brandon Fanney (DL) – 4 tackles, 2 sacks
Ali Sharrief (DB) – 5 tackles, 1 sack
Rolando McClain (LB) – 5 tackles
Rashad Johnson (DB) – 3 tackles, 1 Interception

Sounds pretty good to me ..... :)

One more for the road

2008-08-15T06:02:00.000-04:00

Couldnt resist one more post for the road before heading out of town. Saw this great article in the Columbus (GA) Ledger-Enquirer and thought I would pass it along to the Tide Faithful.

Discussing a great up and coming player soon to fill our right side O-Line spot we need filled so very badly.

CHECK IT OUT HERE

PS: C'mon folks drop me an email or comment letting me know how Im doing.
Thanks

Thursday Update (Last one til Monday folks)

2008-08-14T08:17:00.000-04:00

Ok well your blogmeister must go out of town for a few days so this is all your gonna get til Monday. Hope it will take you thru this weekend.

Nice article on bamaonline.com about the team's "Peer Group" a concept Nick Saban started last year and will continue. It also goes on to talk about some more great camp info. CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

I guess to leave on a high note I would like to invite ALL Bama fans to enjoy this great video I found on Youtube.com

Wednesday Update

2008-08-13T14:09:00.001-04:00

HEY! If any of you tide fans want to comment or offer me some suggestions or ask me to add content to this blog I will do the best I can. Please email me with thoughts or suggestions I will answer all emails!

ROLL TIDE!!!

TIDE PRIDE!!!

PS: Like the songs or hate the songs? Let me know!!!

Thanks,

TIDE PRIDE!!!!!

Givem' Hell Allerbammer!

2008-08-11T14:54:00.000-04:00

I guess I might be getting into the team spirit just a tad early but c'mon aren't we all itching for some football? Pre-season NFL games might quench our thirst a tiny bit but to me they really just fan the flames for some real SEC football!

Not much movement on the TIDE over the weekend other than some great players graduating that will be major contributors this year and have to be the role models for our great younger players of the future. John Parker Wilson graduated this weekend and one would hope this would now let him focus 100% on making our Crimson Tide 2008 a very winning one!

Here is a great article from SEC-FOOTBALL.COM that was posted over the weekend just in case you missed seeing it.

SEC-FOOTBALL.COM ARTICLE

New Banners & Links

2008-08-09T19:44:00.000-04:00

Not a University of Alabama Football update today but did try to
clean up the look of the blog. Anyone reading please feel free to
give me any suggestions you might have.

Also you may notice I have linked to Cardmafia.com as well as to
Frank Wiese's blog. I play poker both live and online and have
been a member of cardmafia.com for a while and wanted to link to
them as they are a great poker forum for both beginners and
professionals. I have linked to Mr. Wiese's site as he has just
finished a great book on poker that has many pro players shaking
their heads as they are amazed at his insights into the pro poker
game. He's also a great guy.

I will keep the main content of this site CRIMSON TIDE but wanted
to show my support to my friends as well. Please note that I am
not promoting gambling by adding cardmafia.com this is simply a
forum on the game of poker. Not betting money.

Now ... I guess I should add some crimson tide content. How bout a video?

Friday Update ....

2008-08-09T03:12:00.000-04:00

Here is the team update for Fridays practice. Click here to see
how it all went down: FRIDAY PRACTICE UPDATE

And as always .... ROLL TIDE!!!!

Yahoo Sports Bama Team Report Out 8/7/8

2008-08-08T11:32:00.000-04:00

CRIMSON TIDE TEAM REPORT 8/7/08

There is also a pretty good article outta Tuscaloosa
by Cecil Hurt.

Check it out here: CECIL HURT

And just to finish off how bout a lil video?

Are you ready for some football????

2008-08-07T13:34:00.000-04:00

I just thought I should go ahead & introduce myself and tell you guys what I have planned!

I plan to write about the best damn college football team the Alabama Crimson Tide! I am excited about this years team and the season to come and plan to post as often as I can. I will also include as much video footage as I can either interviews, practice videos, & of course game highlights. Im going to say it like it is and do the best I can to make this blog both enjoyable and entertaining at the same time.

So how bout it now? Lets get ready for some SEC Football!!!! Kickoff August 30th w/them other damn tigers Clemson!