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Alabama Crimson Tide Football Fan Blog #1 BCS Ranking SEC Championship Game 2008 Season, News, Stories & Opinions
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NO LAST CALL!
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: PARTY GUIDES: BAR GUIDES: Ongoing observations on the Tide from a fan, alumni and former sports writer.
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Alabama Football – A Fan's Blog Thoughts from a fan, alumni and former sports writer on the Univerity of Alabama's football team
Alabama Holds Top BCS Ranking It was close. Closer than it should have been, but in the end the 27-21 victory over LSU in overtime may turn out to better for the team than a blowout. After all, Bama overcame adversity time and time again to win. There was the bone-headed attempt by Earl Alexander to reach the ball over the goal. From the 2-yard line! John Parker Wilson must have woke up thinking he was Tim Tebow with some cocky throws and the silly cell phone gesture that pretty much handed LSU a game-leveling touchdown. A severe hold against Mount Cody that was not called – his jersey was stretched from one side to the other – that preceded an LSU TD pass. Remember that, for it was a ticky-tack holding call on Andre Smith that cost what could have been – should have been a game-winning touchdown run by Wilson. There was Javier Arenas' fumbled kickoff return and Leigh Tiffin mistaking Tiger Stadium for Razorback Stadium. And Tiger Stadium itself, even wilder and more difficult than normal for Alabama because of Nick Saban's return. Despite all these mistakes, Alabama showed toughness that had been lacking the past several seasons. Mississippi State and Auburn remain and Florida lurks in the future. And it is in that third test, the SEC Championship, that the benefits of this type of LSU win could pay the most dividends. – Past Blogs – – Alabama Rises to #1 – Order has finally been restored to college football. Alabama is the #1 team in the nation, a position it hasn't held since the end of the 1992 season. There's little doubt that Tide fans are as stunned as they are happy. After all, who among them would have thought at the beginning of the season – or even the moment Nick Saban was hired – that the team would be sitting on top of all the poles and the BCS the first week of November? Perhaps the most amazing part of it is not that it's happened but the way it's been done. There's no trickery, no spread offense that often masks weaknesses in talent and strength and no miracle finishes. Instead, Alabama has done it in pure and simple fashion, by running the ball and dominating on the offensive and defensive lines. Now Bama travels to Baton Rouge. While the LSU fans are steaming with Nick Saban anger – after all, they can only imagine what could have been had he stayed – the fact is that Alabama is a more sound team. A game that at the beginning of the season looked like a loss is suddenly very winnable. For Alabama fans, they are hoping that the Tide can't lose in Baton Rouge, a place it went some 30 years without a defeat through the 70s, 80s and 90s. The games used to be at night, of course, and LSU would put its Bengal Tiger mascot by the visiting team's field entrance. Before kickoff, the cheerleaders would jump up and stomp on the cage to get the tiger mad, and the visiting team would have to run past it to get on the field. "Don't worry," Paul "Bear" Bryant used to tell his players. "He's as old as I am." – Past Blogs – Bama 29, UT 9 Should I pinch myself? Is this really happening? On the one hand, it all seems so natural – a powerful, physical Alabama team is undefeated and ranked #2 in the nation headed into November. The offense is solid and the defense is downright nasty. On the other hand, it's coming on the heels of a series of weak-minded teams that folded when things got tough and had coaches who were clearly in over their heads. So is this 2008 season really happening? In only Nick Saban's second year? Yes, it's true. Just ask Clemson, Georgia and now Tennessee. The Tide was very methodical and precise against the Vols and actually seemed to welcome the chance to slam the door on adversity, holding UT to one field goal after a fumbled return and blocked punt. In the recent past, this would have collapsed the team. Being from Knoxville, and having sold Cokes in Neyland Stadium while in high school, Tennessee is always the biggest game of the year for me. Bigger, even, than Auburn. And so it is with great satisfaction to go into Neyland Stadium and beat the Vols – it's always sweeter to win there because as badly as UT fans want to beat Bama, it pains them the most to lose to the Tide at home. UT fans for a long time felt that Phillip Fulmer is not a capable coach (he plays not to lose and does not make adjustments to help his team win) but they've had the "who else are we going to get that's better" attitude. Until now. They are realists and while optimistic, a sense of doom had set in before this game. They lacked their normal pre-game enthusiasm and when Alabama began to pull away in the second half they began to crawl into their cars and onto I-40. When – if ever – have people gone to wearing bags over their heads? Not even when they sent a moving van to Bill Battle's house back in the 70s (which prompted the Crimson White to run a great cartoon before the Bama game one of those years; it featured Bear Bryant leaning out the window of a moving van with the words, "Just tell me where you want to put it, Bill"). It ia with much pleasure that I am reading about the troubles in Knoxville and also down on the Plains, considering all the turmoil we have endured the past 10 years. Now we must just go about our business and win homecoming in a rout and keep LSU's face buried in the dirt in Baton Rouge. Kentucky, Ole Miss It's not easy catching Alabama football games on TV in the British Virgin Islands. But that's where I was for these two games and thankfully, CBS carried the Tide. I was able to watch in island surroundings. For the Kentucky game, I was in beautiful Cane Garden Bay with the sounds of Eric Stone in the background. Jimmy Buffett wrote about the place in one of his original songs, Manana. For Ole Miss, I was in the historic port of Road Town, Tortola. But in the fourth quarter of both games, I was hardly in mental paradise as the Tide held tight to late leads. The Kentucky outcome never seemed in doubt, though with a high national ranking and Texas and Penn State rolling up big scores, style points have become an important factor in determining the national championship teams. Ole Miss had me pacing the floor and the Rebels because that nut of a coach Houston Nutt kept hanging around. I called that fake field goal and, when Bama was poised to answer, John Parker Wilson threw a pass to nowhere that was interecepted on the goal line. On Ole Miss' final play, apparently a receiver was wide open over the middle of the field. Fortunately, the quarterback was pressrued and threw harmlessly to the outside. The Tide escaped both times but it's disturbing that the team cannot play well at home. Perhaps they get too keyed up for the fans. At least the UT game is in Knoxville. Bama 41, Georgia 30 That's more like it. Alabama 31, Georgia 0. That was the real score; the second half was just something to fill the remaining time on the clock. But is Alabama – dominant like the Bear Bryant teams of the 70s in two key national television games this year – really back? The answer may come against Kentucky. Or a suddenly scary Ole Miss. For this is what the team needs to focus on, what is ahead of it instead of behind it. USC tried to forget it had to play a game in Corvallas and lost to Oregon State. Florida thought Mississippi was another Hawaii and didn't take that game seriously. But hey, let's let the champagne flow while it's chilled. Alabama looks like an amazing power, one that doesn't need a spread offense to mask other weaknesses, combined with a rough defense that stuffed Georgia's run game, put pressure on the quarterback and seemed to have double coverage on all the receivers. Was it a shock? Only in the total first-half domination, but not the final result. Georgia always plays better on the road in big games under Mark Richt. They feel too much pressure at home. Why else would they make a big deal about black jerseys? If your #3 team can't get ready to play Alabama then no uniform color is going to help. A key time awaits the Tide – October. If the team comes out of that month undefeated, then will be appropriate to start thinking about spending the first week of 2009 in Miami. Alabama 20, Tulane 6 The first week, Alabama looked like a team coached by Bear Bryant. The second week, Alabama looked like a team coached by Mike Shula. It's obvious that Nick Saban's team still has a way to go before it's one of the nation's elite. Frankly, I was a bit worried about this one. Bob Toledo is a solid coach and I was in the Rose Bowl when his UCLA Bruins handily beat the #3 Crimson Tide (granted, that team was coached by Mike Dubose and finished 4-7). So I knew he would have a good game plan. and his team would execute it. There was also the fear that Alabama would play down to its opponent, a disturbing tendency under both former Mike coaches. Only once did the offensive line, which was so dominant against Clemson, take charge. And that was on that third-quarter drive. That was the only time the offense showed it wanted it. Yes it's a win and it was hardly as nail-biting as Ohio State's escape over Ohio U. But again,, the Tide did not put away an inferior opponent and did not get the opportunity to play enough reserves. At some point, the players have got to play hard no matter whom they play. Maybe Mal Moore should schedule a Clemson every week and not Tulanes and Louisana-Monroes. Tide Rolls The Lemon That Is Clemson Now THAT'S what I'm talking about! Alabama's 34-10 win over Clemson in the Georgia Dome was never in doubt from the very start. The offensive and defensive lines took control and Clemson rolled over like puppy dog getting a belly rub. The Tigers proved, once again, that they are the glass jaw of football teams. (By the way, spellcheck trys to correct Clemson with Lemon). That looked like an old Alabama team out there on Saturday. Old as in the traditional dominating teams of the past. There was none of that trendy spread offense stuff, just good old-fashioned football. Who was calling the plays – Bear Bryant!? Only one team performed better than Alabama on college football's opening Saturday, and that was USC. It was great that coordinator Jim McElwain did not try and shove a philosophy down the throat of the offense but rather called plays according to the flow of the game. And that flow dictated that Alabama run right at the defense. Freshman Mark Ingram was the most impressive running back, as was the use of the tight end. Defensive coordinators around the SEC must be breaking out in a cold sweat already knowing about the big threats on the outside but now having to contend with a punishing running game complimented by throws to a productive tight end. The only real offensive weakness is the workman-like QB. John Parker Wilson missed a couple of potential TD passes on overthrows, including one to Julio Jones in the first quarter. But he looked confident and in command. And the defense, well, those positive reports about nose tackle Terrance Cody coming out of fall practice only hinted about his impact. So what's next? Well, Tulane, of course. But what's important for Bama fans is not to get too carried away with one game. At least until Georgia. Bama Fans Excited About 2008 Season Bring it on. The 2008 season is here and Alabama fans are excited about the potential it brings. They know the program is headed in the right direction, is led by a proven winner (and ace recruiter) and is getting the kind of talent that would make Pete Carroll turn his head. Part of this feeling has to do with the fact we are playing Clemson and not opening with a Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State or some other small-time directional school. It's a fairly big-name school that's loaded with offensive potential. And Clemson is beatable, which makes it even more exciting. Sure, there's concerns on the defensive line and at linebacker. And while most Tide supporters applaud John Parker Wilson for holding the team togehter after Mike Shula was fired they are, at the same time, well aware of his ability to implode at critial times (Arkansas 2006, Mississippi State and LSU in 2007). And they are not necessarily expecting a championship, even an SEC West title. Nick Saban did too good a job in rebuilding LSU. The schedule includes preseasion #1 Georgia in Athens, Tennessee at Neyland Stadium, thorn-in-the-side Arkansas and even a Mississippi team that could well provide plenty of problems for several opponents. But the players are coming together, there's excitement on the field and, finally, finally the good ship Crimson Tide has sailed out of the storm. In many ways, people are looking at this as a preview for the future. And it is that future that has everyone really stoked. Rare is it at Alabama where people are looking ahead the following season before the current one has even begun. One of the most important aspects of 2008 will be to get playing time to the highly-touted freshmen, the backup quarterback(s) and others who will be starters in 2009. THAT'S the year the team is expected to challenge for the national title. Until then, fans will be looking for as many happy Saturdays as possible. Then again, if the Tide beats Clemson and then upsets Georgia, watch those future expectations advance faster than a Julio Jones reception.
– Past Blogs – Jimmy Johns Shows More of Shula's Problems I knew from the Tennessee game in his first year that Mike Shula could not coach. But I figured at the very least that an Alabama alumni would recruit players who would represent The University with pride and class. Apparently not. The arrest of Jimmy Johns on five – yes, five – counts of selling cocaine (plus possession) including on campus, is proof of the lack of character players Shula brought into the program. Frankly, it's embarrassing. No Bama fan needs a rehashing of all the incidents but it's apparent that Shula not only failed on the field, but in getting to the field, as well. Nick Saban is like an executive who takes over a once successful but floundering company, makes positive moves to turn it around but keeps having skeletons fall out of the closet. He'll fix it all, though. But it makes one wonder how bad things really were under Shula. One final observation of the cynical nature: If you recruit troublemakers, you are at least supposed to win a championship. Shula was such a bad coach he could barely get over .500. Saban No Bryant, But... Nick Saban is no Bear Bryant. He's not an imaginative innovator, a master motivator or quite as savvy of a sideline coach. He's not nearly as media friendly and certainly not anywhere near the poor-mouther, either; nobody could talk up an opponent like the Bear. There is, however, one area in which Nick Saban excels even beyond Bryant, and that is in recruiting. Saban wins because he simply overwhelms opponents with talent. Upon stepping on campus in the winter of 2007, Saban made a late run at Joe McKnight, a top-notch recruit from Louisiana. McKnight kept his commitment to USC, but him having some interest in Alabama shows just how influential Saban can be with top high school players.
Given a full year, Saban immediately lands the #1 recruiting class in the land. Less than three months later, he's already secured his top quarterback target for the 2009 class, A.J. McCarron of Mobile. Doesn't this guy ever go on vacation? Does he even play golf? He's even undaunted by a new NCAA rule prohibiting coaches from seeing players after spring games. So what does he do? Sets up a video conference call with a Georgia recruit and talks with him over the Internet, which is perfectly legal. Talk about keeping up with the times.
He also excels in another area, one directly related to recruiting the best players. Part of the recruiting "process," a word Saban often likes to use, is talent evaluation. He knows how to spot skillful players and he's the ultimate closer. Two of his LSU recruits, Jamarcus Russell and Glenn Dorsey, were Top 5 NFL draft picks in back-to-back years. In fact, LSU had seven players drafted in 2008 (and in 2006 and 2004, as well). That's knowing talent when you see it. And he can coach 'em when he gets 'em. College sports are littered with coaches who could recruit but not coach that talent when it arrives on campus. Saban may not be as spectacular as Bryant in that area, but he's solid. After suffering through the "Mike Mistakes," it sure is a relief to have Nick Saban at Alabama. Now let's go win some games! Bama Fans Switch Roles With Red Sox Fans
There's been a changing of the guard in sports psychology the past few years. For decades, while Alabama was winning games by decking opponents in the fourth quarter – what us, worry!? – Red Sox fans were diving into ponds to look for Babe Ruth's piano, rubbing the "Pensky Pole" at Fenway for good luck and repainting a road sign in Boston from "curve" to "Reverse the Curse," all in an attempt to break the "curse of the Bambino" and win a World Series again. They were a paranoid bunch built on nearly 100 years of frustration. Bucky Dent. Bill Buckner. A shortstop who held onto the ball too long while the winning run crossed the plate. As a result, the fans were always prepared for the worst to happen to their team. It was an attitude that spilled over into everyday life: "There won't be a parking spot." "I'm sure the concert is sold out." "Oh, it will rain at the event." Now that the Red Sox have won not one but TWO World Series titles in less than a single decade, their usual pessimism has been replaced by optimism. At the same time, Alabama fans' traditional confidence has been shaken by the "Mike Mistakes." I now see myself saying the same negative things before and during games that Red Sox fans used to moan. And I'm not the only one; everyone around me does it, too. Here's some examples. Before playing a big SEC game: "We're probably going to lose." When lining up for a critical field goal: "He's going to miss it." After the Tide scores to take a late lead and the other team gets the ball: "Watch them go down and score a touchdown now." Hopefully, with Saban in charge things will get back to the good 'ol days when we had confidence in the team's ability to win close – and big – games. Fall Saturdays will be much more relaxed and enjoyable. And while I like the Red Sox, it's actually more fun when they come close to winning.
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Commentary by Kevin Wilkerson, an AP award-winning former sports writer who covered the Crimson Tide. He now pens prose
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