Alabama snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in a classic matchup with rival Tennessee, blocking two field goals in a fourth quarter that saw almost everything else go wrong for the Tide.
Alabama nursed a 9-3 halftime lead through the third quarter while the Volunteers began to find success moving the ball on the Tide. But Tennessee's Daniel Lincoln, who had missed a 49-yard field goal earlier in the game, had a 47-yarder blocked by Terrence Cody, and Leigh Tiffin pushed the score to 12-3 with a field goal with 6:31 left. After a short Tennessee possession, Alabama's Mark Ingram, who had never lost a fumble in his career, had the ball stripped from his hands as he struggled for yardage at the Alabama 43. Tennessee quickly converted the turnover into points, scoring a touchdown with 1:19 remaining.
The Vols then converted an onside kick and drove the ball into scoring position, lining up for a 43-yard field goal on third down with 4 seconds left in the game. But Mount Cody broke through the line again and blocked Lincoln's kick to seal the victory and keep the national title hopes alive.
Now for my seven points:
1. In a championship season, you have to win the close games. Thinking back to 1992, Alabama played several close games, but the closest may have been the SEC Championship game against Florida, which the Tide won on a late interception by Antonio Langham. But few remember that the Tide also had to come from behind to beat Mississippi State that year as well. Regardless, Tennessee brought their "A" game today, and the Tide still pulled out the win.
2. Terrence Cody solidifed his position today as a Tide player for the ages. The gargantuan nose tackle, who made an immediate impact for Alabama from his first game (last year against Clemson), is already one of the most popular players on the team, but plays like the two blocked field goals he had today, especially against one of your biggest rivals, are what makes legends. 'Bama fans will remember Cody's game-saving block today long after his NFL playing days are over.
3. This is a team in need of an off week. It's become a cliche to say "this off week comes at a good time," but in all seriousness, the Tide looked tired versus a Tennessee team with an extra week to prepare. The defense has been especially tested the last three weeks, and should expect to be tested again when LSU comes to town. A week to rest the legs and heal the bruises will be welcome.
4. Alabama needs to continue to work on red zone offense. The offense's inability to punch the ball into the end zone nearly cost the Tide the game today, and the red zone should continue to be a point of emphasis in practice. In fairness, the offense seemed to be hampered by poor play calling, especially on the last scoring drive of the first half. Why lean on the beleagured passing game for points when Tennessee seemed unable to stop the run?
5. Leigh Tiffin has quietly become one of the best kickers in the country. In my opinion, Tiffin has always suffered from the burden of his father's name. After all, Van Tiffin made the best-known kick in Alabama football history. But Leigh Tiffin today moved into second place in scoring all time in the Alabama record books, and is leading the country in field goals made. The knock on Tiffin has been consistency, but keep in mind if he had missed one kick today, Alabama would have lost.
6. Greg McElroy needs to step it up another notch. McElroy was excoriated, and rightly so, for his performance in the last two games. The quarterback did improve his accruacy this week, but the undemanding game plan may have nearly cost 'Bama the game. McElroy's protection has improved since the breakdown at Ole Miss, and he needs to get his confidence back with the downfield pass. Two and three-yard dump passes are not going to fill the bill against LSU and (possibly) Florida.
7. All of Alabama's goals are still in sight. Even a one-point loss to the Vols today would not have eliminated the Tide from national title contention, but Alabama has to remember that every game from now on, with the possible exception of Chattanooga, is going to be difficult. That's not the say that 'Bama won't be favored against LSU, Mississippi State and Auburn, but they will get the best shot from each of those teams. Taking a week off will still get you beat.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Review: No. 2 Alabama 20, No. 22 South Carolina 6
In another weekend filled with upsets and near misses, Alabama continued to do what it does best - dominate with defense and a pounding running game. The Tide played sloppily, garnering 113 yards in penalties and turning the ball over four times, but for the second straight game, the defense kept a top 25 opponent from reaching the end zone. Alabama's Mark Ingram had his second consecutive career game, rushing for 246 yards on 24 carries - a whopping 10.3 yards per carry.
Now here are my seven points:
1. Ingram for Heisman? Chris Low, ESPN.com's SEC blogger, claims that Ingram ran into the frontrunner spot in the Heisman race Saturday, and the case can certainly be made. Ingram ran the ball for every one of the plays in the game-clinching final touchdown drive, gaining 68 yards in six carries, five of them from the direct-snap "Wildcat" formation. Ingram also seems to be getting better as the competition gets tougher, gaining 150 against Virginia Tech, 140 against Kentucky, 172 versus Ole Miss, and 246 Saturday. And the majority of Ingram's yardage this year has come after contact, a fact not lost on NFL scouts. However, the Heisman is a quarterback's award generally, and Ingram isn't even the leading rusher in the country (he's third). Ingram is helped by injuries and lackluster performances from the early season frontrunners, but he will have to continue to have high-yardage, game-winning performances to have a realistic shot.
2. McElroy needs to get his game back on track. Alabama QB Greg McElroy saw some fleeting Heisman hype earlier this season, but as Ingram's game has improved, McElroy's has seemed to regress. Following up on the abysmal performance at Ole Miss, McElroy may have actually improved slightly, although the game plan seemed to move away from passing the ball at an earlier point than last week. This last few weeks shouldn't have been totally unexpected for an inexperienced quarterback against SEC competition, but it has looked worse compared to McElory's early season performances. The offensive line did look better against South Carolina than Ole Miss, but Tennessee's defense is pretty good too, and boasts arguably the better defensive back in the country in Eric Berry. The time to get back to basics is now.
3. The defense is getting better. Despite injuries, Alabama's defense really has been stingy in the last two games, particularly in the red zone - giving up only three field goals. Alabama's Marquis Johnson, who was filling in for Javier Arenas (bruised ribs), must have successfully defended the same fade route to the corner of the end zone six times. Performances like that boost a man's confidence and (hopefully) continue to drive improvement.
4. The weak point for this team is clearly special teams. Not every aspect of the special teams is bad - Leigh Tiffin has kicked well and consistently, although he did miss a field goal against South Carolina. P.J. Fitzgerald has punted fairly well. But kick/punt coverage is still an issue, and several lengthy returns by 'Bama players have been negated by penalties. So far, it hasn't cost us a game, but several scoring opportunities have likely been squandered by undisciplined return blocking.
5. South Carolina could give Florida problems. Florida and Alabama have very similar defenses. Florida, however, has been hampered by a lack of offensive firepower, especially since Tim Tebow's injury. Therefore, I expect South Carolina to challenge Florida similar to the way Arkansas did Saturday.
6. Get used to games like this one. Tennessee and LSU, Alabama's next two opponents, are teams with good defenses and weak offenses, you know, kind of like the last three opponents. Expect closely contested games that Alabama should be able to salt away in the fourth quarter.
7. 'Bama has made the best case to be Number One. It doesn't really matter whether Florida, Texas or Alabama are ranked number 1. As long as the three teams stay undefeated, they will all have a shot at the national championship. But Alabama has played the toughest competition of the three, and has looked the most consistent doing it.
Now here are my seven points:
1. Ingram for Heisman? Chris Low, ESPN.com's SEC blogger, claims that Ingram ran into the frontrunner spot in the Heisman race Saturday, and the case can certainly be made. Ingram ran the ball for every one of the plays in the game-clinching final touchdown drive, gaining 68 yards in six carries, five of them from the direct-snap "Wildcat" formation. Ingram also seems to be getting better as the competition gets tougher, gaining 150 against Virginia Tech, 140 against Kentucky, 172 versus Ole Miss, and 246 Saturday. And the majority of Ingram's yardage this year has come after contact, a fact not lost on NFL scouts. However, the Heisman is a quarterback's award generally, and Ingram isn't even the leading rusher in the country (he's third). Ingram is helped by injuries and lackluster performances from the early season frontrunners, but he will have to continue to have high-yardage, game-winning performances to have a realistic shot.
2. McElroy needs to get his game back on track. Alabama QB Greg McElroy saw some fleeting Heisman hype earlier this season, but as Ingram's game has improved, McElroy's has seemed to regress. Following up on the abysmal performance at Ole Miss, McElroy may have actually improved slightly, although the game plan seemed to move away from passing the ball at an earlier point than last week. This last few weeks shouldn't have been totally unexpected for an inexperienced quarterback against SEC competition, but it has looked worse compared to McElory's early season performances. The offensive line did look better against South Carolina than Ole Miss, but Tennessee's defense is pretty good too, and boasts arguably the better defensive back in the country in Eric Berry. The time to get back to basics is now.
3. The defense is getting better. Despite injuries, Alabama's defense really has been stingy in the last two games, particularly in the red zone - giving up only three field goals. Alabama's Marquis Johnson, who was filling in for Javier Arenas (bruised ribs), must have successfully defended the same fade route to the corner of the end zone six times. Performances like that boost a man's confidence and (hopefully) continue to drive improvement.
4. The weak point for this team is clearly special teams. Not every aspect of the special teams is bad - Leigh Tiffin has kicked well and consistently, although he did miss a field goal against South Carolina. P.J. Fitzgerald has punted fairly well. But kick/punt coverage is still an issue, and several lengthy returns by 'Bama players have been negated by penalties. So far, it hasn't cost us a game, but several scoring opportunities have likely been squandered by undisciplined return blocking.
5. South Carolina could give Florida problems. Florida and Alabama have very similar defenses. Florida, however, has been hampered by a lack of offensive firepower, especially since Tim Tebow's injury. Therefore, I expect South Carolina to challenge Florida similar to the way Arkansas did Saturday.
6. Get used to games like this one. Tennessee and LSU, Alabama's next two opponents, are teams with good defenses and weak offenses, you know, kind of like the last three opponents. Expect closely contested games that Alabama should be able to salt away in the fourth quarter.
7. 'Bama has made the best case to be Number One. It doesn't really matter whether Florida, Texas or Alabama are ranked number 1. As long as the three teams stay undefeated, they will all have a shot at the national championship. But Alabama has played the toughest competition of the three, and has looked the most consistent doing it.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Review: Kentucky/Ole Miss - Two for the price of one!
I missed last week's post due to a camping trip, so I decided to review the Kentucky and Ole Miss games together. This might seem odd, since Kentucky was an unranked opponent with low expectations and Ole Miss was a preseason favorite to win the West, but there were many parallels between the two games for Alabama. So to honor the two-game format, I will make fourteen points rather than my usual seven.
First, seven parallels:
First, seven parallels:
- Both opponents came into the game having suffered a devastating loss prior to the Alabama game. Kentucky's came the previous week against Florida 41-7. Ole Miss's was two weeks ago, on a Thursday night versus South Carolina 16-10.
- Both opponents featured stingy defenses and offenses that struggled to score against 'Bama.
- Both games were decided by Alabama's defense and the turnovers that it created. The Tide caused NINE turnovers in the two games, many of them spectacular plays.
- The Alabama passing game appeared ineffective at times. After a hot start of the season, Greg McElroy passed for only 148 yards against UK, and 147 against UM.
- On the other hand, Mark Ingram has had two consecutive career games. Ingram rushed for 140 yards on 22 carries with two TDs against the Wildcats, then followed up with 28 rushes for 172 yards and a TD versus the Rebels.
- Although more points were scored in the Kentucky game than against Ole Miss, the margin of victory was almost identical: 18 points against UK and 19 against UM.
- The killing blow in both games occurred just before the half. Against Kentucky, Alabama held a 7-6 lead before driving 97 yards to score a touchdown with 40 second left in the half. Nineteen seconds later, Courtney Upshaw returned a fumble 45 yards for a TD to take a 21-6 lead into halftime. Versus Ole Miss, the Tide led 9-0 after three trips to the red zone were blunted by the Rebels' defense, forcing field goals. Then, following another turnover, Alabama went for it on fourth and one, and Ingram ran for a 36-yard score with 55 seconds remaining.
- Alabama is starting to look more like the team everyone expected before the year began: great defense, somewhat inconsistent offense, although that is probably more a measure of the level of competition rather than deterioration. No one is seriously talking about a Heisman for McElroy now, although he is certainly not making mistakes that cost Alabama.
- Alabama now stands alone atop the SEC West. At the beginning of the day, there were three undefeated teams in the West, and Ole Miss was still conceivably in the race as well, with one loss and games to come against the top 3. Alabama's defeat of Ole Miss, coupled with Auburn's loss to Arkansas and LSU's to Florida puts the Tide in the driver's seat.
- The defense is just full of playmakers. Every starter and contributer on the defense seemed to make a big play today. Rolando McClain is clearly the star athlete (and future NFL pick), but it seems like from Woodall to Green to Cody to Dareus to Arenas to Upshaw and so on, everyone has stepped up their game since losing Hightower.
- The offseason work on defense has really paid off. The biggest strike against the Tide's defense in 2008 was inability to pressure the quarterback. This was especially borne out in the two season-ending losses. Coach Saban made it a point in the offseason to work on the pass rush. In 2009, Alabama is leading the league in sacks, and Jevan Snead was harrassed pretty consistently all day today.
- Can everybody get off Julio Jones' back now? Before the Arkansas game, the knock on Jones was that he hadn't gotten a touchdown in 12 games (he promptly caught one that week). This week, the talk was about how Jones hadn't been as productive as he was last year. It seemed to me that McElroy overcompensated, passing to Jones several times in double and triple coverage. Let's all keep in mind that passing to nine or ten different guys in a game you win by three scores is a good thing. Julio is a great player, but we've got a lot of really good receivers. If they're wide open, it's okay to throw to them!
- South Carolina is shaping up to be a much tougher game than it looked to be a few weeks ago. Alabama has struggled somewhat against stronger SEC defenses (relatively speaking), and South Carolina may have the best defense 'Bama has played so far. The Gamecocks came within a play of being undefeated, and has improved steadily since that game with Georgia. Let's hope that they aren't offended by playing us for Homecoming. You don't think that Spurrier will make a big deal about that do you?
- Could two SEC schools play for the national championship? CBS's Gary Danielson predicted before the season that two SEC teams (Florida and LSU) would play for the national championship in Pasadena. This prompted much scoffing from critics, but imagine this scenario: The AP top 5 Monday are likely to be Florida, Texas, Alabama, Virginia Tech and Boise State. If Texas loses at some point (next week at Oklahoma is a possibility), and Florida and Alabama continue undefeated, they will be ranked number 1 and 2. Assuming that either team lost a close game in the SEC championship, it seems pretty conceivable that the BCS would pair up Florida and Alabama again rather than a Virginia Tech team from a weak ACC (that Alabama already defeated by the way) or a non-BCS conference Boise State. We've got a long way to go yet, but would anything establish the SEC's dominance of college football more? I mean, other than winning the last three championships and four of the last six?
Saturday, September 26, 2009
SEC in Review: Week Four
So we're basically one-third of the way through the SEC season, and although we're just getting in to the meat of the conference schedule, I think it's time to review. First, let's look back at my preseason predictions for the season and see where I stand.
1. Ole Miss will be good this year, and perhaps beat a team they shouldn't, but they will not go to the SEC Championship Game.
The only thing wrong with this one is that Ole Miss may not be that good. They definitely don't look like a team on its way to Atlanta.
2. Vanderbilt will return to a bowl game.
The jury is still out on this one, but it doesn't look good for the Commodores.
3. Of the three teams with a new coach (Auburn, Mississippi State and Tennessee), State will be the one that performs better than expected.
This one is still debatable, but I would have to give the nod to Auburn. Although they haven't really played anyone that should have threatened them, the offensive improvement over last year cannot be overstated. Mississippi State might have made a better case if they could have punched it in against LSU.
4. Les Miles (LSU) will be on the coaching hot seat by the end of the year.
He got pretty darn close to being there Saturday.
5. Florida will beat Tennessee by at least 35 points.
Unfortunately, this didn't happen.
6. Alabama will win the SEC West.
Looking pretty likely right now.
7. Florida will win the SEC East.
Almost a certainty.
8. Florida will win the SEC.
Not so sure about this after watching 'Bama and Florida so far.
9. Tim Tebow will win the Heisman Trophy.
He won't win it on statistics even assuming that the concussion doesn't keep him out for any significant time. However, Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) and Jevan Snead (Ole Miss) have already more or less been eliminated. It remains to be seen whether Cal's loss to Oregon hurts Jahvid Best. So far though, I would call Colt McCoy the front-runner.
10. The national champion will come from outside the SEC this year.
We won't know this until January, obviously, but with Florida at #1 and Alabama at #3, an SEC representative is relatively likely to make it to Pasadena.
Other observations:
Alabama - The big questions coming in to the season were about the quarterback position and the offensive line. So far, Greg McElroy and the O-line have performed surprisingly well, and Alabama's offense has been much more multidimensional than in 2008. The SEC West is Alabama's to lose.
Arkansas - The Razorbacks have improved significantly with former Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett calling the signals. Unfortunately, their defense is still suspect. One can begin to see the progress under Bobby Petrino's system, but it will be another year or two before Arkansas is a contender.
Auburn - New coach Gene Chizik has the Tigers winning and has Auburn fans thinking championship. Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn deserves loads of credit for nearly tripling the points per game that Auburn scores on average versus last year. The Tigers are awfully thin though, and with Kodi Burns, Onterio McCalebb and Ben Tate all getting banged up this weekend, the wheels could come off pretty quickly.
Florida - The Gators may not be quite as good as last year's squad, but the conference schedule is almost ludicrously weak. The only question right now is Tim Tebow. How hurt is he, and when will he be back?
Georgia - Surprise, surprise! Losing two offensive stars in the first round of the NFL draft has an impact on your team. The problem for Georgia though is that their defense is still porous as a sieve. The Bulldogs have enough talent to be competitive, but the next four weeks is brutal, with games versus LSU, at Tennessee, at Vandy, and versus Florida. Georgia will be lucky to come out of that stretch with less than two losses.
Kentucky - Kentucky is Kentucky - decent team, not world beaters. Capable of pulling off an upset, the goal this year is going to be getting back to a bowl game. They have a good chance, if they can win one against either MSU, Vandy, or South Carolina.
LSU - Former Tennessee defensive coordinator was supposed to fix LSU's defensive woes. The Fighting Tigers gave up 374 yards Saturday to Mississippi State (over 100 yards more than they had), and staved off a disaster by less than one yard. Given the losses by Ole Miss, California and Penn State, the Tigers might move up to #4 in the polls, but I expect them to be exposed in the next two weeks.
Mississippi - Ole Miss may have fallen victim to their own hype, as some would have you believe, but this team has looked lethargic and out of sync in its first three games. I'm not sure that the Rebels were ever serious contenders for the West title, but they need to tune up next Saturday against Vanderbilt (the Commodores have won the last two meetings) if they want to have a chance against the Crimson Tide in two weeks.
Mississippi State - Coach Dan Mullen was one yard away from a big-time "signature" win Saturday, and he already has brought improvement to the Bulldogs. Unfortunately, it may be hard to tell from the record, as the Bulldogs have a conference schedule that includes Florida, and a nonconference schedule featuring #17 Houston and soon-to-be-ranked Georgia Tech.
South Carolina - Sure, the Gamecocks did defeat a top five team at home for the first time EVER (wrap your head around that), but unfortunately, it was Ole Miss - a team that had no business being ranked there to start with. Still, South Carolina is one play away from being 4-0, and has a decent defense that should keep them in any game. Spurrier's biggest problem the last couple of years has been his team falling apart at the end of the season, so we may not really know about this team until December.
Tennessee - Tennessee got more credit for losing a game than any team ever after last week's 23-13 defeat at Florida, but followed it up with an underwhelming performance against Ohio Saturday. It might be unfair to call the Vols' offense abysmal (that would be reserved for last year's team), but any blue chip senior high school quarterback recruit out there should expect to be able to start next year for Tennessee. A bowl game would be an accomplishment.
Vanderbilt - The Commodores went to their first bowl game in 50 years last season. Given the schedule, it's going to be an uphill climb to repeat that accomplishment. The Dores blew their best opportunity for an SEC win against Mississippi State, and they will probably not be favored in any other conference game.
1. Ole Miss will be good this year, and perhaps beat a team they shouldn't, but they will not go to the SEC Championship Game.
The only thing wrong with this one is that Ole Miss may not be that good. They definitely don't look like a team on its way to Atlanta.
2. Vanderbilt will return to a bowl game.
The jury is still out on this one, but it doesn't look good for the Commodores.
3. Of the three teams with a new coach (Auburn, Mississippi State and Tennessee), State will be the one that performs better than expected.
This one is still debatable, but I would have to give the nod to Auburn. Although they haven't really played anyone that should have threatened them, the offensive improvement over last year cannot be overstated. Mississippi State might have made a better case if they could have punched it in against LSU.
4. Les Miles (LSU) will be on the coaching hot seat by the end of the year.
He got pretty darn close to being there Saturday.
5. Florida will beat Tennessee by at least 35 points.
Unfortunately, this didn't happen.
6. Alabama will win the SEC West.
Looking pretty likely right now.
7. Florida will win the SEC East.
Almost a certainty.
8. Florida will win the SEC.
Not so sure about this after watching 'Bama and Florida so far.
9. Tim Tebow will win the Heisman Trophy.
He won't win it on statistics even assuming that the concussion doesn't keep him out for any significant time. However, Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) and Jevan Snead (Ole Miss) have already more or less been eliminated. It remains to be seen whether Cal's loss to Oregon hurts Jahvid Best. So far though, I would call Colt McCoy the front-runner.
10. The national champion will come from outside the SEC this year.
We won't know this until January, obviously, but with Florida at #1 and Alabama at #3, an SEC representative is relatively likely to make it to Pasadena.
Other observations:
Alabama - The big questions coming in to the season were about the quarterback position and the offensive line. So far, Greg McElroy and the O-line have performed surprisingly well, and Alabama's offense has been much more multidimensional than in 2008. The SEC West is Alabama's to lose.
Arkansas - The Razorbacks have improved significantly with former Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett calling the signals. Unfortunately, their defense is still suspect. One can begin to see the progress under Bobby Petrino's system, but it will be another year or two before Arkansas is a contender.
Auburn - New coach Gene Chizik has the Tigers winning and has Auburn fans thinking championship. Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn deserves loads of credit for nearly tripling the points per game that Auburn scores on average versus last year. The Tigers are awfully thin though, and with Kodi Burns, Onterio McCalebb and Ben Tate all getting banged up this weekend, the wheels could come off pretty quickly.
Florida - The Gators may not be quite as good as last year's squad, but the conference schedule is almost ludicrously weak. The only question right now is Tim Tebow. How hurt is he, and when will he be back?
Georgia - Surprise, surprise! Losing two offensive stars in the first round of the NFL draft has an impact on your team. The problem for Georgia though is that their defense is still porous as a sieve. The Bulldogs have enough talent to be competitive, but the next four weeks is brutal, with games versus LSU, at Tennessee, at Vandy, and versus Florida. Georgia will be lucky to come out of that stretch with less than two losses.
Kentucky - Kentucky is Kentucky - decent team, not world beaters. Capable of pulling off an upset, the goal this year is going to be getting back to a bowl game. They have a good chance, if they can win one against either MSU, Vandy, or South Carolina.
LSU - Former Tennessee defensive coordinator was supposed to fix LSU's defensive woes. The Fighting Tigers gave up 374 yards Saturday to Mississippi State (over 100 yards more than they had), and staved off a disaster by less than one yard. Given the losses by Ole Miss, California and Penn State, the Tigers might move up to #4 in the polls, but I expect them to be exposed in the next two weeks.
Mississippi - Ole Miss may have fallen victim to their own hype, as some would have you believe, but this team has looked lethargic and out of sync in its first three games. I'm not sure that the Rebels were ever serious contenders for the West title, but they need to tune up next Saturday against Vanderbilt (the Commodores have won the last two meetings) if they want to have a chance against the Crimson Tide in two weeks.
Mississippi State - Coach Dan Mullen was one yard away from a big-time "signature" win Saturday, and he already has brought improvement to the Bulldogs. Unfortunately, it may be hard to tell from the record, as the Bulldogs have a conference schedule that includes Florida, and a nonconference schedule featuring #17 Houston and soon-to-be-ranked Georgia Tech.
South Carolina - Sure, the Gamecocks did defeat a top five team at home for the first time EVER (wrap your head around that), but unfortunately, it was Ole Miss - a team that had no business being ranked there to start with. Still, South Carolina is one play away from being 4-0, and has a decent defense that should keep them in any game. Spurrier's biggest problem the last couple of years has been his team falling apart at the end of the season, so we may not really know about this team until December.
Tennessee - Tennessee got more credit for losing a game than any team ever after last week's 23-13 defeat at Florida, but followed it up with an underwhelming performance against Ohio Saturday. It might be unfair to call the Vols' offense abysmal (that would be reserved for last year's team), but any blue chip senior high school quarterback recruit out there should expect to be able to start next year for Tennessee. A bowl game would be an accomplishment.
Vanderbilt - The Commodores went to their first bowl game in 50 years last season. Given the schedule, it's going to be an uphill climb to repeat that accomplishment. The Dores blew their best opportunity for an SEC win against Mississippi State, and they will probably not be favored in any other conference game.
Review: No. 3 Alabama 35, Arkansas 7
In a game that some people were pointing to as Alabama's first real test, the Crimson Tide (4-0, 1-0 SEC) crushed the Arkansas Razorbacks (1-2, 0-2) 35-7, in a game that wasn't even as close as the final score indicated.
Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, who led the nation in passing efficiency and the SEC in passing yardage coming into the game, was badgered and beaten by 'Bama's defense all day. Mallett, who finished just 12-of-35 for 161 yards, threw his first interception of the season late in the the game, was sacked three times, and seemed out of sync with his receivers most of the day.
Arkansas came into the game with the nation's 2nd-ranked offense, and had scored 41 points the previous weekend in a losing effort at Georgia. But Alabama's defense, ranked 3rd in the country, stifled the Hogs, holding them nearly 200 yards below their average. The Tide dominated with big plays, scoring touchdowns on plays of 52, 50, 80, 14 and 2 yards.
My Seven Points for this game:
1. We're learning more about the kind of team Alabama has. It goes without saying that the system of preseason rankings can be significantly flawed; witness Clemson last year, Alabama in 2000, and any one of a hundred other examples. Two things happened today that served to confirm Alabama's ranking. First, Alabama has been in a position to score additional points late in every game so far this season and has run the clock out instead, not needing additional points to win. It happened again today against a team that was averaging 45 points a game. Second, No. 11 Virginia Tech, who Alabama beat 34-24 to start the season, delivered a crushing 31-7 defeat to No. 9 Miami. Unlike Clemson, who completely fell apart last year after losing to Alabama, Tech has now defeated two ranked teams since losing to the Tide.
2. The most costly play of the game for Alabama came in the first quarter. It was the one that took out Dont'a Hightower. Hightower left the game late in the first quarter with a knee injury, and while there were no official indications of the severity, all observable signs were bad. Hightower is one of the best players on the Alabama defense and the loss of #30 will be significant.
3. Bama's defense is for-real. Not that many people will be surprised with the quality of the Tide defense, but they completely dominated a high-powered, productive offense that was by far the best one that they have faced this season. Even observers who predicted an easy win for Alabama assumed that the Hogs would have a few big plays and score several times. Many pundits expected a shootout like Arkansas's 52-41 loss to Georgia. This defense is much better than Georgia's.
4. Greg McElroy continues to improve. McElroy didn't have a perfect day - there were a few too many missed connections and dropped balls. He did, however, have a career day, passing 24 times and completing 17 of them for 291 yards and 3 touchdowns. Oh, and as a starter, he has never lost a game. McElroy started for his high school team his senior year and won the 5A state championship, finishing 16-0. He is 4-0 as the Alabama signal caller.
5. Julio got his touchdown. A few statisticians with too much time on their hands observed this week that wide receiver Julio Jones had not scored a touchdown in 11 games, dating back to last season. Gary Danielson, the CBS television color analyst, observed this immediately before Alabama executed a gadget play from the "Wildcat" formation, snapping the ball to Mark Ingram, who handed off to Terry Grant, who flipped it back to Greg McElroy, who threw it to a wide open Jones. Julio then completed the 50-yard play by breaking free of a tackle and scoring a touchdown.
6. Trent Richardson is a full-grown man. Richardson's 52-yard touchdown run to start the game was a thing of beauty. He broke through at least four tackles before speeding past the secondary and scoring. For anyone who has watched any of his high school highlights, the run looked awfully familiar. He also took an Arkansas safety head on along the left sideline later in the game and knocked him on his tail with a punishing hit, gaining a few extra yards after the play. It's a pleasure to watch him carry the rock.
7. This team enjoys playing the game. You call tell that these guys are having a good time. Every big play, they are jumping, chest-bumping, and slapping each other on the back. McElroy even had a mini celebration after drawing the Hogs offside facing first-and-ten from nearly his own goal line. After watching teams like Ole Miss, USC, Cal, BYU and Miami fall apart in the last two weeks after reading about how good they were, it's nice to see the Tide playing loose and not letting the pressure of being #3 in the country get to them. Credit for that goes to the Nick Saban and the coaching staff.
Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, who led the nation in passing efficiency and the SEC in passing yardage coming into the game, was badgered and beaten by 'Bama's defense all day. Mallett, who finished just 12-of-35 for 161 yards, threw his first interception of the season late in the the game, was sacked three times, and seemed out of sync with his receivers most of the day.
Arkansas came into the game with the nation's 2nd-ranked offense, and had scored 41 points the previous weekend in a losing effort at Georgia. But Alabama's defense, ranked 3rd in the country, stifled the Hogs, holding them nearly 200 yards below their average. The Tide dominated with big plays, scoring touchdowns on plays of 52, 50, 80, 14 and 2 yards.
My Seven Points for this game:
1. We're learning more about the kind of team Alabama has. It goes without saying that the system of preseason rankings can be significantly flawed; witness Clemson last year, Alabama in 2000, and any one of a hundred other examples. Two things happened today that served to confirm Alabama's ranking. First, Alabama has been in a position to score additional points late in every game so far this season and has run the clock out instead, not needing additional points to win. It happened again today against a team that was averaging 45 points a game. Second, No. 11 Virginia Tech, who Alabama beat 34-24 to start the season, delivered a crushing 31-7 defeat to No. 9 Miami. Unlike Clemson, who completely fell apart last year after losing to Alabama, Tech has now defeated two ranked teams since losing to the Tide.
2. The most costly play of the game for Alabama came in the first quarter. It was the one that took out Dont'a Hightower. Hightower left the game late in the first quarter with a knee injury, and while there were no official indications of the severity, all observable signs were bad. Hightower is one of the best players on the Alabama defense and the loss of #30 will be significant.
3. Bama's defense is for-real. Not that many people will be surprised with the quality of the Tide defense, but they completely dominated a high-powered, productive offense that was by far the best one that they have faced this season. Even observers who predicted an easy win for Alabama assumed that the Hogs would have a few big plays and score several times. Many pundits expected a shootout like Arkansas's 52-41 loss to Georgia. This defense is much better than Georgia's.
4. Greg McElroy continues to improve. McElroy didn't have a perfect day - there were a few too many missed connections and dropped balls. He did, however, have a career day, passing 24 times and completing 17 of them for 291 yards and 3 touchdowns. Oh, and as a starter, he has never lost a game. McElroy started for his high school team his senior year and won the 5A state championship, finishing 16-0. He is 4-0 as the Alabama signal caller.
5. Julio got his touchdown. A few statisticians with too much time on their hands observed this week that wide receiver Julio Jones had not scored a touchdown in 11 games, dating back to last season. Gary Danielson, the CBS television color analyst, observed this immediately before Alabama executed a gadget play from the "Wildcat" formation, snapping the ball to Mark Ingram, who handed off to Terry Grant, who flipped it back to Greg McElroy, who threw it to a wide open Jones. Julio then completed the 50-yard play by breaking free of a tackle and scoring a touchdown.
6. Trent Richardson is a full-grown man. Richardson's 52-yard touchdown run to start the game was a thing of beauty. He broke through at least four tackles before speeding past the secondary and scoring. For anyone who has watched any of his high school highlights, the run looked awfully familiar. He also took an Arkansas safety head on along the left sideline later in the game and knocked him on his tail with a punishing hit, gaining a few extra yards after the play. It's a pleasure to watch him carry the rock.
7. This team enjoys playing the game. You call tell that these guys are having a good time. Every big play, they are jumping, chest-bumping, and slapping each other on the back. McElroy even had a mini celebration after drawing the Hogs offside facing first-and-ten from nearly his own goal line. After watching teams like Ole Miss, USC, Cal, BYU and Miami fall apart in the last two weeks after reading about how good they were, it's nice to see the Tide playing loose and not letting the pressure of being #3 in the country get to them. Credit for that goes to the Nick Saban and the coaching staff.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Review: No. 4 Alabama 53, North Texas 7
On the first play from scrimmage, Alabama's Greg McElroy fumbled as he went back to pass and turned the ball over to North Texas. Other than that play, Alabama was nearly perfect, scoring two touchdowns in each of the first three quarters and holding North Texas under 200 yards of offense and a late touchdown against the second and third teamers. Shaking off the inconsistency and lack of focus that characterized the first two games, Alabama (3-0, 0-0 SEC) was able to put together a complete game, and give some less experienced players meaningful time on the field, unlike the previous week against FIU.
Alabama is 19-1 all-time against teams in the Sun Belt conference, the lone scourge on that record the loss against Louisiana-Monroe barely two seasons ago. This 'Bama team bears scant resemblance to that one, putting together its largest point total in a game since Dennis Francione's first season (2001). Given USC's upset loss to Washington, the Tide can expect to rise to at least number 3 in both polls on Monday, setting up an important game with an improved Arkansas team to start SEC play next weekend. If the Tide continues to play like they did today, this season could be something special.
My Seven Points:
1. How in the world did Greg McElroy ever sit on the bench behind John Parker Wilson? Sure, Wilson ended his career as Alabama's statistical leader in passing, but savvy 'Bama fans realize that Wilson's inconsistency and poor decision-making cost the Tide as many victories as he brought on his own. McElroy on the other hand, after a shaky first half against Virginia Tech, has been almost as efficicient as it is possible to be. McElroy finished 13 of 15 with 176 yards and two TDs (he had another one rushing) and his touchdown pass to Marquis Maze was a thing of beauty - the kind of pass Wilson could never seem to complete. Most important though, McElroy mastered the offense to such an extent that backup QB Star Jackson played the majority of the second half, after the Tide amassed 37 points.
2. Who would have thought that 'Bama could go two games without Julio Jones and hardly notice? Jones (WR) and Roy Upchurch (RB) sat for the game, although Jones could probably have played. Interestingly enough, Alabama didn't need him. McElroy continued to find McCoy, Hanks, and Peek as well as Ingram out of the backfield. Jones is a special player, but it's really nice to see these other guys stepping up their games in his absence.
3. Mark Ingram's dark horse Heisman candidacy is a fading memory. Not that Ingram couldn't carry the load if he had to, but he doesn't have to. Ingram had 91 yards rushing and a TD on eight carries, but Trent Richardson had 87 yards and Terry Grant had 79 and two TDs. Even without Upchurch, 'Bama has more running back depth and talent at one time since probably the mid-eighties, when Bobby Humphrey, Kerry Goode and Gene Jelks all wore crimson.
4. Kickoff coverage was better, but not perfect. While the Tide didn't give up a score this week, and there were no long returns that held up, North Texas did get a return of nearly seventy yards called back on a penalty. This is a weak spot that must be corrected if Alabama wants to make a championship run.
5. Javier Arenas. What else can you say about one of the best return men in the country? Arenas set up three scores with punt returns of 33 and 36 yards and a kick return of 61, and fought through one hit and tackle after another. Then, of course, he goes on to provide smothering coverage in the defensive secondary.
6. PATs are not optional. Leigh Tiffin continued to display some inconsistency, missing two extra points. Over his career, Tiffin has shown an ability to hit long, clutch kicks, but then miss what could be considered easy, much shorter ones. Against SEC competition, 'Bama cannot leave points on the field.
7. Offensive and defensive productivity are remarkably consistent. Alabama had 523 yards of offense against North Texas (516 against FIU, 498 against Va. Tech) for a 512 yards per game average. The Tide offense was again very balanced between rushing (260 yards) and passing (263 yards). The offense averages 268 ypg rushing and 245 ypg passing. Defensively, 'Bama held North Texas below 100 yards rushing (61 yds), as it did FIU (1 yard) and Va. Tech (64). The defense allowed 187 total yards to the Mean Green, slightly above its 185 ypg average.
Alabama is 19-1 all-time against teams in the Sun Belt conference, the lone scourge on that record the loss against Louisiana-Monroe barely two seasons ago. This 'Bama team bears scant resemblance to that one, putting together its largest point total in a game since Dennis Francione's first season (2001). Given USC's upset loss to Washington, the Tide can expect to rise to at least number 3 in both polls on Monday, setting up an important game with an improved Arkansas team to start SEC play next weekend. If the Tide continues to play like they did today, this season could be something special.
My Seven Points:
1. How in the world did Greg McElroy ever sit on the bench behind John Parker Wilson? Sure, Wilson ended his career as Alabama's statistical leader in passing, but savvy 'Bama fans realize that Wilson's inconsistency and poor decision-making cost the Tide as many victories as he brought on his own. McElroy on the other hand, after a shaky first half against Virginia Tech, has been almost as efficicient as it is possible to be. McElroy finished 13 of 15 with 176 yards and two TDs (he had another one rushing) and his touchdown pass to Marquis Maze was a thing of beauty - the kind of pass Wilson could never seem to complete. Most important though, McElroy mastered the offense to such an extent that backup QB Star Jackson played the majority of the second half, after the Tide amassed 37 points.
2. Who would have thought that 'Bama could go two games without Julio Jones and hardly notice? Jones (WR) and Roy Upchurch (RB) sat for the game, although Jones could probably have played. Interestingly enough, Alabama didn't need him. McElroy continued to find McCoy, Hanks, and Peek as well as Ingram out of the backfield. Jones is a special player, but it's really nice to see these other guys stepping up their games in his absence.
3. Mark Ingram's dark horse Heisman candidacy is a fading memory. Not that Ingram couldn't carry the load if he had to, but he doesn't have to. Ingram had 91 yards rushing and a TD on eight carries, but Trent Richardson had 87 yards and Terry Grant had 79 and two TDs. Even without Upchurch, 'Bama has more running back depth and talent at one time since probably the mid-eighties, when Bobby Humphrey, Kerry Goode and Gene Jelks all wore crimson.
4. Kickoff coverage was better, but not perfect. While the Tide didn't give up a score this week, and there were no long returns that held up, North Texas did get a return of nearly seventy yards called back on a penalty. This is a weak spot that must be corrected if Alabama wants to make a championship run.
5. Javier Arenas. What else can you say about one of the best return men in the country? Arenas set up three scores with punt returns of 33 and 36 yards and a kick return of 61, and fought through one hit and tackle after another. Then, of course, he goes on to provide smothering coverage in the defensive secondary.
6. PATs are not optional. Leigh Tiffin continued to display some inconsistency, missing two extra points. Over his career, Tiffin has shown an ability to hit long, clutch kicks, but then miss what could be considered easy, much shorter ones. Against SEC competition, 'Bama cannot leave points on the field.
7. Offensive and defensive productivity are remarkably consistent. Alabama had 523 yards of offense against North Texas (516 against FIU, 498 against Va. Tech) for a 512 yards per game average. The Tide offense was again very balanced between rushing (260 yards) and passing (263 yards). The offense averages 268 ypg rushing and 245 ypg passing. Defensively, 'Bama held North Texas below 100 yards rushing (61 yds), as it did FIU (1 yard) and Va. Tech (64). The defense allowed 187 total yards to the Mean Green, slightly above its 185 ypg average.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Review: No. 4 Alabama 40, Florida International 14
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban harangued the media in his press conference this week for questioning him about a "letdown" this week after last Saturday's victory over then seventh-ranked Virginia Tech. Well, surprise, surprise! There might have been a little bit of a letdown.
To be fair, unlike last year, when 'Bama followed up the season-opening win over a top-ten Clemson team with a sub-par performance against Tulane, 'Bama's offense appeared to be firing on nearly all cylinders for most of the night. Quarterback Greg McElroy was on fire in the first half, hitting nearly every pass early on and completing 14 in a row - a new school record. He finished 18 of 24 for 241 yards and a TD. Despite sparing play from star wideout Julio Jones (who hurt his knee early in the game) and running back Mark Ingram (who had been hospitalized for the flu earlier this week), the Tide moved the ball up and down the field, although the team had to settle for short field goals from Leigh Tiffin instead of touchdowns on two occasions and missed a third.
In this game, however, the Tide gave up another kickoff return for a touchdown, and then allowed FIU to drive the field and score on a second quarter pass that put the Golden Panthers up 14-13 briefly. FIU's pass-happy offense was somewhat effective, at least until halftime.
Here are my seven points:
1. This year's team appears to be the polar opposite of last year's. The M.O. of the 2008 Tide was to hammer you with the running game, clobber you early and hold on to win. They went to the LSU game before they even trailed anyone. The 2009 Tide starts slow but is much more balanced on offense (averaging 271.5 yards rushing and 235.5 passing), and has destroyed its first two opponents in the fourth quarter, outscoring them 32-7.
2. 'Bama has talent at wide receiver. With Julio out, Mike McCoy stepped up his game, catching 5 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. But McElroy spread the ball around to a number of wide open receivers, and completed 75% of them.
3. Trent Richardson is going to be special. It wasn't as amazing a debut as Shaun Alexander's breakout game against LSU in 1996, but in Richardson's first significant work, he had 118 yards on 15 carries and two TDs.
4. Congrats to Terry Grant. The fact that Terry Grant was once the starting running back for Alabama may say more about the level of talent under Saban compared to that under Mike Shula. But Grant, who is fourth or fifth on the depth chart now as a senior got a carry in relief and made the most of it, scrambling 42 yards for a touchdown in the final quarter. He has worked hard for four years while seeing less and less playing time, so I'm glad he got a little taste of the glory tonight.
5. McElroy is gaining confidence. After a shaky start, McElroy is 27-36 passing in the last six quarters of play. That's a 75% average, which seems about 25% better than John Parker Wilson averaged.
6. This is probably the last pay-per-view game until November. Given that the SEC Network picked up next week's matchup with North Texas, and the fact that the Tide will begin the meat of the schedule the following week, the next questionable television game is against Chattanooga on the next-to-last week of the regular season.
7. On a crazy second week of college football, a 26-point win is acceptable. The Tide may have underperformed as a 33-point favorite, but considering the upsets suffered today by Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Michigan State - and near misses for Georgia, Florida State and Missouri - 40-14 doesn't seem so bad.
To be fair, unlike last year, when 'Bama followed up the season-opening win over a top-ten Clemson team with a sub-par performance against Tulane, 'Bama's offense appeared to be firing on nearly all cylinders for most of the night. Quarterback Greg McElroy was on fire in the first half, hitting nearly every pass early on and completing 14 in a row - a new school record. He finished 18 of 24 for 241 yards and a TD. Despite sparing play from star wideout Julio Jones (who hurt his knee early in the game) and running back Mark Ingram (who had been hospitalized for the flu earlier this week), the Tide moved the ball up and down the field, although the team had to settle for short field goals from Leigh Tiffin instead of touchdowns on two occasions and missed a third.
In this game, however, the Tide gave up another kickoff return for a touchdown, and then allowed FIU to drive the field and score on a second quarter pass that put the Golden Panthers up 14-13 briefly. FIU's pass-happy offense was somewhat effective, at least until halftime.
Here are my seven points:
1. This year's team appears to be the polar opposite of last year's. The M.O. of the 2008 Tide was to hammer you with the running game, clobber you early and hold on to win. They went to the LSU game before they even trailed anyone. The 2009 Tide starts slow but is much more balanced on offense (averaging 271.5 yards rushing and 235.5 passing), and has destroyed its first two opponents in the fourth quarter, outscoring them 32-7.
2. 'Bama has talent at wide receiver. With Julio out, Mike McCoy stepped up his game, catching 5 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. But McElroy spread the ball around to a number of wide open receivers, and completed 75% of them.
3. Trent Richardson is going to be special. It wasn't as amazing a debut as Shaun Alexander's breakout game against LSU in 1996, but in Richardson's first significant work, he had 118 yards on 15 carries and two TDs.
4. Congrats to Terry Grant. The fact that Terry Grant was once the starting running back for Alabama may say more about the level of talent under Saban compared to that under Mike Shula. But Grant, who is fourth or fifth on the depth chart now as a senior got a carry in relief and made the most of it, scrambling 42 yards for a touchdown in the final quarter. He has worked hard for four years while seeing less and less playing time, so I'm glad he got a little taste of the glory tonight.
5. McElroy is gaining confidence. After a shaky start, McElroy is 27-36 passing in the last six quarters of play. That's a 75% average, which seems about 25% better than John Parker Wilson averaged.
6. This is probably the last pay-per-view game until November. Given that the SEC Network picked up next week's matchup with North Texas, and the fact that the Tide will begin the meat of the schedule the following week, the next questionable television game is against Chattanooga on the next-to-last week of the regular season.
7. On a crazy second week of college football, a 26-point win is acceptable. The Tide may have underperformed as a 33-point favorite, but considering the upsets suffered today by Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Michigan State - and near misses for Georgia, Florida State and Missouri - 40-14 doesn't seem so bad.
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Review: No. 5 Alabama 34, No. 7 Virginia Tech 24
For three quarters, the seventh-ranked Hokies stood toe-to-toe with #5 Alabama and actually led them 17-16. Virginia Tech had taken advantage of numerous mistakes by the Tide - fumbles, blown kickoff return coverage, penalties - and made them count on the scoreboard. But, much like Alabama versus Florida in the SEC Championship last year, the best team asserted itself in the final quarter.
'Bama began to gel as an offensive unit tonight, and showed signs of dominance in the running game against a stingy Virginia Tech defense. By the end, Mark Ingram had 150 yards rushing, the Tide had nearly 500 yards of offense, and Alabama walked away from the Georgia Dome a winner again over the Hokies.
So what did we learn tonight?
1. Greg McElroy can make plays when he has to. McElroy started shakily, beginning 2 for 8 in the first half. By the end, however, he was back at 50% (15 of 30) and had made perhaps the most important play in the game - a 48-yard bomb to Marquis Maze that set up the go-ahead touchdown.
2. Alabama's defense is as good as advertised. The Hokies were held to 155 total yards of offense, and 'Bama's defense really dominated the game more than the score indicated.
3. Tyrod Taylor may be ready to be a passer, but it didn't show tonight. Taylor did not make any significant plays in the passing game and finished 9 of 20 for 91 yards.
4. There are other 'Bama receivers besides Julio Jones. Jones was double-teamed most of the game, but Maze and Darius Hanks made several big plays. And most gratifying to Tide fans, several big catches were made by the tight end, Colin Peek.
5. The "Wildcat" appears to be a significant part of the Tide offense. Ingram received several direct snaps in the Wildcat formation, and Upchurch even got in on the action. The results were mixed, but the Tide ran it often enough that it looks to be more than just a passing fancy.
6. Virginia Tech may contend for a title, but it won't be a national title. The Hokies are good in two phases of the game - defense and special teams - but the offense was lethargic. The one bright spot was running back Ryan Williams, whose TD run in the fourth quarter was something special.
7. Bama likely will be undefeated through October. There isn't another significant challenge to the Tide until they travel to Ole Miss on Oct. 10, and, after Oklahoma's upset defeat today, Alabama should be be ranked no lower than 4th in the country by then.
'Bama began to gel as an offensive unit tonight, and showed signs of dominance in the running game against a stingy Virginia Tech defense. By the end, Mark Ingram had 150 yards rushing, the Tide had nearly 500 yards of offense, and Alabama walked away from the Georgia Dome a winner again over the Hokies.
So what did we learn tonight?
1. Greg McElroy can make plays when he has to. McElroy started shakily, beginning 2 for 8 in the first half. By the end, however, he was back at 50% (15 of 30) and had made perhaps the most important play in the game - a 48-yard bomb to Marquis Maze that set up the go-ahead touchdown.
2. Alabama's defense is as good as advertised. The Hokies were held to 155 total yards of offense, and 'Bama's defense really dominated the game more than the score indicated.
3. Tyrod Taylor may be ready to be a passer, but it didn't show tonight. Taylor did not make any significant plays in the passing game and finished 9 of 20 for 91 yards.
4. There are other 'Bama receivers besides Julio Jones. Jones was double-teamed most of the game, but Maze and Darius Hanks made several big plays. And most gratifying to Tide fans, several big catches were made by the tight end, Colin Peek.
5. The "Wildcat" appears to be a significant part of the Tide offense. Ingram received several direct snaps in the Wildcat formation, and Upchurch even got in on the action. The results were mixed, but the Tide ran it often enough that it looks to be more than just a passing fancy.
6. Virginia Tech may contend for a title, but it won't be a national title. The Hokies are good in two phases of the game - defense and special teams - but the offense was lethargic. The one bright spot was running back Ryan Williams, whose TD run in the fourth quarter was something special.
7. Bama likely will be undefeated through October. There isn't another significant challenge to the Tide until they travel to Ole Miss on Oct. 10, and, after Oklahoma's upset defeat today, Alabama should be be ranked no lower than 4th in the country by then.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Blast from the Past
I got an update on FaceBook a day or two ago that the Tallassee High football games were going to be streamed live on the internet by the local radio station. Pretty sophisticated, I thought - not like the Tallassee I remembered at all. I missed the game broadcast watching TV with the kids, but tuned in to the audio stream afterwards for a little bit of the postgame show. I also watched a part of a video on the web site. I was struck by something really odd.
I've been back to Tallassee many times since I left for college - I went back "home" for many weekends and breaks from school. Even when my brother and sister graduated and my parents moved (briefly) to Ohio, I still went to Tallassee every once in while for a wedding or funeral or to visit relatives who, ironically, moved there after I left. But from the summer of 1992 onward, Tuscaloosa gradually replaced Tallassee as my home, and the friendships and memories that I have from those days have largely faded over time. So what was odd about tonight?
First, in the snippet of video I watched, I saw five or six people who I knew from high school all hanging out together and having a good time. Then on the audio stream of the postgame show I heard other familiar names and voices, both in the studio and on the phone. The hosts were asking callers to answer a trivia question, and the names of coaches I remembered from years back - some still around and some who have passed on - were mentioned. And I thought about the two types of people I knew from those days. First, there were those, like me, who couldn't wait to leave town after we graduated. Maybe some thought they were bigger or wanted more than small-town life. A few probably wanted to escape memories, or who they were back there. Leaving allowed them to start over. Some appreciated the opportunity to be nurtured in a warm, close-knit community, but needed to spread their wings toward new horizons. Some were transplants to begin with, and never really felt like they fit in. Whatever the reason, many former classmates and Tallasseeans have moved on without looking back.
But there was another type of person. Many of these grew up in Tallassee - maybe their parents and grandparents did too. They enjoyed the small-town life and the close-knit community. And for whatever reason, they stayed. Some even went off to college and came back to make their life there. Tallassee will always be home to them.
I used to think this type of person - the kind who either grew up and never left or left briefly and came back - as inferior in a way. "Why would you want to live in Tallassee the rest of your life?" As I've gotten older and become a parent, I've begun to see the inherent value in a place where a kid could ride his bicycle to the library or play in someone else's field without fear; where our neighbors didn't even lock their doors when they went out; where life was slow and simple, even if it wasn't always easy.
This phenomenon of course isn't limited to my hometown. Everyone has a similar story - "I couldn't wait to leave" or "I wanted to live the rest of my life there." I have never regretted leaving my former hometown. Ours was always a love-hate relationship. But for a little while tonight I did find myself wondering what might have made that group of old friends live out their lives there, and, I admit, pondered wistfully what might have been.
I've been back to Tallassee many times since I left for college - I went back "home" for many weekends and breaks from school. Even when my brother and sister graduated and my parents moved (briefly) to Ohio, I still went to Tallassee every once in while for a wedding or funeral or to visit relatives who, ironically, moved there after I left. But from the summer of 1992 onward, Tuscaloosa gradually replaced Tallassee as my home, and the friendships and memories that I have from those days have largely faded over time. So what was odd about tonight?
First, in the snippet of video I watched, I saw five or six people who I knew from high school all hanging out together and having a good time. Then on the audio stream of the postgame show I heard other familiar names and voices, both in the studio and on the phone. The hosts were asking callers to answer a trivia question, and the names of coaches I remembered from years back - some still around and some who have passed on - were mentioned. And I thought about the two types of people I knew from those days. First, there were those, like me, who couldn't wait to leave town after we graduated. Maybe some thought they were bigger or wanted more than small-town life. A few probably wanted to escape memories, or who they were back there. Leaving allowed them to start over. Some appreciated the opportunity to be nurtured in a warm, close-knit community, but needed to spread their wings toward new horizons. Some were transplants to begin with, and never really felt like they fit in. Whatever the reason, many former classmates and Tallasseeans have moved on without looking back.
But there was another type of person. Many of these grew up in Tallassee - maybe their parents and grandparents did too. They enjoyed the small-town life and the close-knit community. And for whatever reason, they stayed. Some even went off to college and came back to make their life there. Tallassee will always be home to them.
I used to think this type of person - the kind who either grew up and never left or left briefly and came back - as inferior in a way. "Why would you want to live in Tallassee the rest of your life?" As I've gotten older and become a parent, I've begun to see the inherent value in a place where a kid could ride his bicycle to the library or play in someone else's field without fear; where our neighbors didn't even lock their doors when they went out; where life was slow and simple, even if it wasn't always easy.
This phenomenon of course isn't limited to my hometown. Everyone has a similar story - "I couldn't wait to leave" or "I wanted to live the rest of my life there." I have never regretted leaving my former hometown. Ours was always a love-hate relationship. But for a little while tonight I did find myself wondering what might have made that group of old friends live out their lives there, and, I admit, pondered wistfully what might have been.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Ten Predictions for the 2009 SEC Football Season
1. Ole Miss will be good this year, and perhaps beat a team they shouldn't, but they will not go to the SEC Championship Game.
2. Vanderbilt will return to a bowl game.
3. Of the three teams with a new coach (Auburn, Mississippi State and Tennessee), State will be the one that performs better than expected.
4. Les Miles (LSU) will be on the coaching hot seat by the end of the year.
5. Florida will beat Tennessee by at least 35 points.
6. Alabama will win the SEC West.
7. Florida will win the SEC East.
8. Florida will win the SEC.
9. Tim Tebow will win the Heisman Trophy.
10. The national champion will come from outside the SEC this year.
2. Vanderbilt will return to a bowl game.
3. Of the three teams with a new coach (Auburn, Mississippi State and Tennessee), State will be the one that performs better than expected.
4. Les Miles (LSU) will be on the coaching hot seat by the end of the year.
5. Florida will beat Tennessee by at least 35 points.
6. Alabama will win the SEC West.
7. Florida will win the SEC East.
8. Florida will win the SEC.
9. Tim Tebow will win the Heisman Trophy.
10. The national champion will come from outside the SEC this year.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Arrrrggghhh! Painting!!
Painting the den this week. You'd think with all the practice I've had at this now I'd be better at it. Guess not.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Alabama Bloggers column
So, I may write a column covering Alabama football games for Alabama Bloggers. We'll see if that comes to fruition.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, April 27, 2007
Three characters
LJ tagged me for a meme. While this wouldn't normally compel me to blog, I will humor her just this once.
Name three characters (from books)...
1. You wish were real so you could meet them.
Aslan, from the Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis). Lions have always been my favorite animal anyway, and meeting Aslan would be wonderful and terrifying at the same time.
Gandalf, from The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkein). Gandalf always intrigued me - he seems to know and understand more about what's happening in the story than almost anyone, as if he has insight into what's going to happen. Yet he has his blind spots as well, which make him rather more endearing. Frodo is a little too helpless; Aragorn, nearly inscrutable; and Sam, just a bit too one-dimensional. Gandalf is my favorite character from LOTR, and one it would be interesting to know.
John Clark, from the Jack Ryan novels (Tom Clancy). Clark is a mysterious and deadly CIA operative who is a patriot with his own moral code. He is completely loyal to his friends and his enemies? Well, they have a way of meeting their end with extreme prejudice. Don't mess with The Snake.
2. You would like to be.
It's probably not exactly abiding with the rules, but since I have lots of Star Wars books, I'm going to say a Jedi. Who wouldn't want to be able to sense others' thoughts, move objects with your mind, and fight with a lightsaber? "These are not the droids you're looking for."
Calvin, from Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson). That counts as a character from a book, right? Calvin's smart-alecky attitude I have got down pat, but his absolute unwillingness to accept school/chores/girls/or anything else he doesn't like without a fight (usually in vain) I also can identify with. I like his imagination too.
Hmm, this is harder than I thought. Maybe Jack Hawkins in Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson). Although the first part of the book doesn't go too well for him, being left a treasure and pretty much single-handedly rounding up a band of pirates is pretty sweet.
3. Scare You.
Captain Ahab, from Moby-Dick (Herman Melville) scares me, mainly because people with insane obsessions are scary.
I'm reading this series of Star Wars books called Legacy of the Force (only four of the nine books have yet been released). The main character, Jacen Solo, is the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, and he's been one of my favorite characters over the last 15 years since he was created. He is a very powerful Jedi, but he is turning to the dark side, and he will become a Sith (I know this due to marketing for the books). The scary part is that his master has foretold that he will have to sacrifice (kill) someone precious to him to become a Sith lord. I am dreading who it is going to be. They've already killed off Chewbacca and Jacen's brother Anakin in the last few years, so I have a feeling that they're going with someone pretty important, especially because this storyline with Jacen has been building for several years now.
Mrs. Havisham from Great Expectations (Charles Dickens). That lady was creepy.
In putting together this little bit of nothing, I realized that I don't really read much fiction, or more accurately, I read a very narrow range of fiction. Most of my reading, other than Star Wars books, is history, biography, scientific or political. Now I am presumably supposed to pass this on to other bloggers, but since I don't often read blogs, other than LJ's, I don't guess I will.
Name three characters (from books)...
1. You wish were real so you could meet them.
Aslan, from the Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis). Lions have always been my favorite animal anyway, and meeting Aslan would be wonderful and terrifying at the same time.
Gandalf, from The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkein). Gandalf always intrigued me - he seems to know and understand more about what's happening in the story than almost anyone, as if he has insight into what's going to happen. Yet he has his blind spots as well, which make him rather more endearing. Frodo is a little too helpless; Aragorn, nearly inscrutable; and Sam, just a bit too one-dimensional. Gandalf is my favorite character from LOTR, and one it would be interesting to know.
John Clark, from the Jack Ryan novels (Tom Clancy). Clark is a mysterious and deadly CIA operative who is a patriot with his own moral code. He is completely loyal to his friends and his enemies? Well, they have a way of meeting their end with extreme prejudice. Don't mess with The Snake.
2. You would like to be.
It's probably not exactly abiding with the rules, but since I have lots of Star Wars books, I'm going to say a Jedi. Who wouldn't want to be able to sense others' thoughts, move objects with your mind, and fight with a lightsaber? "These are not the droids you're looking for."
Calvin, from Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson). That counts as a character from a book, right? Calvin's smart-alecky attitude I have got down pat, but his absolute unwillingness to accept school/chores/girls/or anything else he doesn't like without a fight (usually in vain) I also can identify with. I like his imagination too.
Hmm, this is harder than I thought. Maybe Jack Hawkins in Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson). Although the first part of the book doesn't go too well for him, being left a treasure and pretty much single-handedly rounding up a band of pirates is pretty sweet.
3. Scare You.
Captain Ahab, from Moby-Dick (Herman Melville) scares me, mainly because people with insane obsessions are scary.
I'm reading this series of Star Wars books called Legacy of the Force (only four of the nine books have yet been released). The main character, Jacen Solo, is the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, and he's been one of my favorite characters over the last 15 years since he was created. He is a very powerful Jedi, but he is turning to the dark side, and he will become a Sith (I know this due to marketing for the books). The scary part is that his master has foretold that he will have to sacrifice (kill) someone precious to him to become a Sith lord. I am dreading who it is going to be. They've already killed off Chewbacca and Jacen's brother Anakin in the last few years, so I have a feeling that they're going with someone pretty important, especially because this storyline with Jacen has been building for several years now.
Mrs. Havisham from Great Expectations (Charles Dickens). That lady was creepy.
In putting together this little bit of nothing, I realized that I don't really read much fiction, or more accurately, I read a very narrow range of fiction. Most of my reading, other than Star Wars books, is history, biography, scientific or political. Now I am presumably supposed to pass this on to other bloggers, but since I don't often read blogs, other than LJ's, I don't guess I will.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
This quiz tells me I'm smart...
You paid attention during 100% of high school!
85-100% You must be an autodidact, because American high schools don't get scores that high! Good show, old chap!
Do you deserve your high school diploma?
Create a Quiz
And although I did have a couple of good teachers in high school, the autodidact comment is on point. Most of the things I know about history, science, religion, politics, art, etc., were self-taught (or at least self-reinforced). Does it make me a better person? No, but it doesn't do much for humility.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
24 fever
LJ and I are addicted to the Fox Television show "24." Interestingly, we don't have cable, satellite or even antenna television, so we have watched every episode through Netflix. This is great because you get the whole season one DVD after another with no commercials. The downside is that while everyone is talking about season 6, we won't have full-season DVDs to watch until (usually) November. Through the wonders of the Internet, however, LJ has met a blog friend who is also a big "24" fan. She has agreed to record the show for us, and two DVDs with the first four episodes (which aired earlier this week) arrived in the mail today!
Jenn, you are my new best friend!
Jenn, you are my new best friend!
Thursday Thirteen: Movie Lines
LJ and I are doing complementary themes today. She listed her 13 favorite lines from "Raising Arizona". So, for my Thursday Thirteen I'm going to list the 13 other favorite lines that she left out. There are just too many from this movie.
1. "Hurry't up, I'm in dutch with the wife."
2. "Never leave a man behind!"
3. "No one sleeps naked in this house!"
4. "I love him so much!" "I know you do honey. I know you do."
5. "Darn good cereal flakes you got here, Mrs. McDonough."
6. "Okay, then."
7. "Government do take a bite."
8. "The doctor told us her insides were a rocky place where my seed could find no purchase."
9. "We're set to pop here, honey."
10. "You want to find a man, you call a manhunter. You want to find a Dunkin' Donuts, call a cop."
11. "And when there was no crawdad to be found, we ate sand."
12. "I think I got the best one."
13. "I don't know. Maybe it was Utah."
1. "Hurry't up, I'm in dutch with the wife."
2. "Never leave a man behind!"
3. "No one sleeps naked in this house!"
4. "I love him so much!" "I know you do honey. I know you do."
5. "Darn good cereal flakes you got here, Mrs. McDonough."
6. "Okay, then."
7. "Government do take a bite."
8. "The doctor told us her insides were a rocky place where my seed could find no purchase."
9. "We're set to pop here, honey."
10. "You want to find a man, you call a manhunter. You want to find a Dunkin' Donuts, call a cop."
11. "And when there was no crawdad to be found, we ate sand."
12. "I think I got the best one."
13. "I don't know. Maybe it was Utah."
Monday, January 08, 2007
Florida-Ohio State (BCS National Championship)
So although we don't have cable, I'm listening to the national championship game on the radio. It's 34-14 Florida at the half. I figured that Ohio State would be much more competitive, given the fact that Auburn beat Florida, and Alabama played Florida even for three quarters (28-13 final). Apparently the SEC really IS that much better than everybody else. I did have a feeling that there might be a little bit of the dynamic that occurred between Miami and Alabama in the 1992 National Championship. So many folks thought Miami was going to kill 'Bama and Miami had been number 1 all year, while Alabama sort of came out of nowhere. It seemed that Ohio State had that kind of deal going, although you should hear all the radio guys acting like they knew Florida was going to win all along. Puh-lease!
Friday, January 05, 2007
What would you do?
Let me draw you a picture.
Suppose you had a high-pressure, high-paying job at Company A. You took the job a couple of years ago, thinking it was your dream job. As it turns out, you really liked the place you worked previously better. You and your wife are both unhappy, and wish that you had never left your old position. Then one day Company B, a company very similar to the one you used to work for, comes calling. You aren't sure about this new company - you are quite familiar with them and know that they've had high turnover in the past. However, you think you might enjoy working there in a way that you don't enjoy your current job, so you entertain the idea.
The next day, you're at lunch with your boss at Company A. An acquaintance comes up to your table. You aren't really friendly with this person, but you know that he knows many of your friends and talks to them often. He comes out right in front of your bos and blurts out, "I hear you're considering a new job at company B." How do you respond?
Can you honestly say you wouldn't choose option C? Assume further that this acquaintance won't let it go, but insists that he has heard you were looking strongly at Company B, that you are at the top of their list, and that he wants you to look him in the eye and tell him that you will never consider a job at Company B. Now what do you do?
I wish that all the folks in the Miami media and ESPN would put themselves in Nick Saban's position before calling him a liar when he was put in a difficult situation where they likely would have done the same thing. I'm convinced that most of the media is offended not because Saban was disingenuous (although in all honesty it's likely that none of them believed him anyway), but because he dared to be disingenuous with them. What a bunch of hypocrites.
That being said, I am excited about Saban at Alabama. I didn't hate Mike Shula, but he proved himself insufficient to the task of leading this team. It's unfortunate that all the folks who cry about giving Shula more time either ignored or were unaware of the discipline issues that led to the disintegration of this team. Shula expected the players to act like professionals rather than the immature 18-22 year olds they are. And as he demonstrated in every facet of his tenure at Alabama, he was unable or unwilling to adjust when circumstances dictated that he do so. What this program needs more than anything right now is a leader. Saban will be that leader. Mike Shula never was.
Suppose you had a high-pressure, high-paying job at Company A. You took the job a couple of years ago, thinking it was your dream job. As it turns out, you really liked the place you worked previously better. You and your wife are both unhappy, and wish that you had never left your old position. Then one day Company B, a company very similar to the one you used to work for, comes calling. You aren't sure about this new company - you are quite familiar with them and know that they've had high turnover in the past. However, you think you might enjoy working there in a way that you don't enjoy your current job, so you entertain the idea.
The next day, you're at lunch with your boss at Company A. An acquaintance comes up to your table. You aren't really friendly with this person, but you know that he knows many of your friends and talks to them often. He comes out right in front of your bos and blurts out, "I hear you're considering a new job at company B." How do you respond?
a) Say "Yes, as a matter of fact I am." This would be the truth. However, this would ruin your relationship with your boss, putting you in jeopardy when you aren't at all sure about whether you will take the job at Company B.
b) Say "No comment." This seems like a safe answer, but at the very least, your boss will suspect that you are looking for other jobs. Your boss has a reputation as a cutthroat businessman, and this alone might induce him to begin looking for your replacement.
c) Say "No, that's not true." Obviously this is a false statement. You don't know where this acquaintance got that information and you can be pretty sure that your friends will feel betrayed if it turns out that you DO take the job at Company B. But you don't want to burn bridges at Company A should it turn out that the opportunity at Company B isn't the one you're looking for.
Can you honestly say you wouldn't choose option C? Assume further that this acquaintance won't let it go, but insists that he has heard you were looking strongly at Company B, that you are at the top of their list, and that he wants you to look him in the eye and tell him that you will never consider a job at Company B. Now what do you do?
I wish that all the folks in the Miami media and ESPN would put themselves in Nick Saban's position before calling him a liar when he was put in a difficult situation where they likely would have done the same thing. I'm convinced that most of the media is offended not because Saban was disingenuous (although in all honesty it's likely that none of them believed him anyway), but because he dared to be disingenuous with them. What a bunch of hypocrites.
That being said, I am excited about Saban at Alabama. I didn't hate Mike Shula, but he proved himself insufficient to the task of leading this team. It's unfortunate that all the folks who cry about giving Shula more time either ignored or were unaware of the discipline issues that led to the disintegration of this team. Shula expected the players to act like professionals rather than the immature 18-22 year olds they are. And as he demonstrated in every facet of his tenure at Alabama, he was unable or unwilling to adjust when circumstances dictated that he do so. What this program needs more than anything right now is a leader. Saban will be that leader. Mike Shula never was.
Monday, December 11, 2006
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