NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com NCAA Football FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/At Alabama, Not Even History Can Keep Up With the Joneshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/at-alabama-not-even-history-can-keep-up-with-the-jones/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/at-alabama-not-even-history-can-keep-up-with-the-jones/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/at-alabama-not-even-history-can-keep-up-with-the-jones/#commentsFiled under: ,



TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Just when it appeared as if third-ranked Alabama was destined to lose yet another home game to LSU, ending the decade O-fer in five tries, the Crimson Tide looked to familiar faces to save the day.

You know them. Mark Ingram (Heisman Trophy candidate). Julio Jones (Welcome back). One of the nation's top defenses (97 yards allowed in the second half). Lynyrd Skynyrd (American rock band).

When the final seconds ticked off at Bryant-Denny Stadium, Alabama's hand signals to its delirious fans told the story: The Crimson Tide earned a rematch with No. 1 Florida in the SEC Championship next month in Atlanta thanks to its dramatic 24-15 victory over the ninth-ranked Tigers.

As expected, it was a brutish, physical, entertaining showdown that was also tinged with controversy involving -- guess who? -- the officials over a replay ruling at a key moment in the fourth quarter.

Still, there was no denying the outcome and one fact remained: Alabama (9-0 overall, 6-0 SEC) moved a step closer to its second straight perfect regular season.

"It was a tough, physical game," said Alabama coach Nick Saban, who beat his former team for the second straight year.

"Man, those games are fun to be a part of. We wanted to play our best game today. We kind of knew our destiny was ours in terms of what we wanted to do. We knew it was about what we would do in the game."

What Alabama did was change its offensive approach against LSU, which took a 15-10 lead into the fourth quarter despite losing quarterback Jordan Jefferson (ankle) and running back Charles Scott (broken collarbone) to injuries for most of the second half.

The Tigers (7-2, 4-2) also had won four straight games here but haven't fared well lately against top-10 teams. They have lost four straight after winning six in a row.

"I understand what happened, I am just unhappy with the outcome," LSU coach Les Miles said. "We'll regroup and fight again."

After uncharacteristically relying on the pass in the opening half against a LSU defense that was putting extra defenders near the line, the second half was more typical of the Tide's grinding style.

Alabama handed the ball to Ingram, who gained 106 of his 144 yards in the final 30 minutes to continue to merit serious Heisman Trophy consideration. Ingram averaged 6.5 yards on 22 carries, 16 in the second half. Mighty-Mark has 719 rushing yards against four ranked opponents this season.

The Crimson Tide also held a decisive advantage in time of possession in the fourth quarter -- 10:56 to 4:04.

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But it was the catch, juke, run-to-the-house for 73 yards from Jones that ignited the sold-out crowd of 92,012, which goes 'Bama bonkers when the Southern rock song "Sweet Home Alabama" by Skynyrd blares over the stadium loudspeakers.

Jones, quiet for most of the season due to injuries, caught a short pass near the line from quarterback Greg McElroy, made a quick move and sprinted down the sideline untouched for a touchdown with 10:24 remaining in the game. Trent Richardson's two-point conversion pushed Alabama back in the lead at 21-15.

"They needed me to make a play and I did," Jones said without a hint of emotion despite enjoying one of his best games of the season -- four catches for 102 yards, including his second touchdown.

"We practiced that all week. A situation like that, I feel like I should just step up and make the play.

"I did what I had to do."

A few feet away, senior left guard Mike Johnson, a few steps slower than Jones, couldn't wipe the grin from his face.

"I don't know if we have ever run that play before," said Johnson, who was one of the players who attempted to make the letter 'A' hand signal to represent Atlanta for the fans, signifying the location of the SEC title game.

"It was kind of a little action to the right, kind of where we let the tackle back out to the backside. I locked eyes with the linebacker and after I made my block I looked out there (on the flat).

"I saw a couple of blocks and Julio looked like he was just high-stepping. Other than that, I was looking for a yellow flag on the ground because it was too good to be true."

The Tide - specifically McElroy -- also breathed a sigh of relief at the 5:52 mark in the fourth quarter, when Patrick Peterson nearly picked off the Alabama quarterback's pass on the sidelines. However, after a lengthy review that proved inconclusive, Peterson was ruled out of bounds.

McElroy then completed a pass to Jones on third-and-7 to help Alabama move into field goal position.

"It was kind of like an 'Oh, shoot' moment,'" said McElroy, who completed 19-of-34 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns. He opened the game with seven straight pass attempts and threw the ball on nine of its first 10 plays from scrimmage.

"What can you say," McElroy continued.

"It was a learning experience. Sometimes you have them go in your favor and that call did. It was a situation I should have thrown it away. It's frustrating to me that I could make a mistake like that in a key moment. But it also gives me confidence they were willing to put the ball in my hands in that situation."

The weather couldn't have been any better for early November -- sunny, low 70s with a slight breeze and not a cloud from here to possibly Atlanta. Of course, the Crimson Tide had clear sailing to the SEC title game with a victory.

In a game that was expected to be low on points, instead it had plenty of shoot-out drama. The game has decided the SEC West for four of the past five years.

"Anytime you lose it's bad, but when you lose in a big game like this, when we knew we had it, we where right there," LSU linebacker Kelvin Sheppard said.

"We knew we had to pull away. We needed to make a lot of adjustments on different plays. Alabama had a great scheme coming in. In the first half they had a hard time establishing the run but in the second half they did a really good job of moving the ball."

LSU's defense held its own through three quarters, but, in the end, it was the Tide's unit that set the tempo. It limited the Tigers to 253 total yards, 9 in the fourth quarter.



Jefferson and Scott were playing well before going to the sidelines. Scott ran for 83 yards and his 34-yarder was the longest run play given up by Alabama this season. Jefferson passed for 114 yards and also had some success running the option.

Needing two scores, backup quarterback Jarrett Lee and LSU couldn't get it to midfield in the final minutes.

"I don't think we played our best game but we did enough to win," Alabama safety Mark Barron said.

"LSU's offense did a couple things we weren't prepared for, so we had to make adjustments as the game went on. I feel like we did a pretty good job of that."

At Alabama, Not Even History Can Keep Up With the Jones originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Jim HenrySat, 07 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST Dear Mr. Slive: I Should Be a Replay Refhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/dear-mike-slive-i-should-be-a-replay-ref/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/dear-mike-slive-i-should-be-a-replay-ref/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/dear-mike-slive-i-should-be-a-replay-ref/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Dear Commissioner Mike Slive,

I know this has been a rough month for you. What with everyone suggesting that the SEC officials want to see Florida and Alabama in the SEC championship game no matter what the actual game results might be. Furthermore, I know that generally speaking the SEC's issue has been with judgment calls, celebration penalties on A.J. Green, personal fouls on some Arkansas defensive players -- it's okay, no one knows anyone's name that plays for Arkansas other than Ryan Mallet, it will be our secret -- missed calls in favor of Florida against Mississippi State, allowing Terrence Cody, the largest man on earth who still resembles a girl, to play without his helmet on. But this latest move, ignoring a clear interception by LSU's Patrick Peterson, has me steaming mad. What's the point of instant replay if you're going to use it and still get the play wrong?

That's why I'm making you an offer, I will work as instant replay reviewer for any televised SEC game.

For free.

Do you understand what a deal you're getting here, Commissioner Slive? I will work for the SEC for absolutely free. And I won't miss any calls.

Zero.

You know why? Two reasons, first, I don't care who wins the games and, second, because I can watch television replays and tell whether or not people intercept passes. For instance, unlike your replay officials, I watched today's Alabama-LSU game. And when Patrick Peterson intercepted Greg McElroy with just under 6 minutes to play in the game, I said, "Wow, that's a hell of an interception."

You know how I knew?

Because like the rest of America, I saw Peterson catch the football and get not one, but two feet in bounds. That's one more foot in bounds than you actually need, Mr. Slive. Yet, somehow the man you pay to sit in a booth and watch the replay didn't see this. He must have been blind ... or drunk. Perhaps he was both, so drunk he'd become blind. That's okay, I've been to Galette's before in Tuscaloosa and gotten that drunk. Although, to be fair, that's always been after a game.

(Right, a FanHouse artist's concept of how SEC replays are currently performed.)

And here's my promise to you Commissioner Slive, I won't even drink during the games when I'm working as your replay official. I'll be stone cold sober. I won't even pause the television and look closely at the cheerleaders on the sideline. Do you know how hard it is not to do that?

And I won't pause my DVR and spend ten minutes thinking about how awesome it was the CBS camera caught a 'Bama fan with four fingers doing the fourth quarter sign as they went to commercial break.

Nope, I'm completely committed to the game.

I won't even spend any time thinking about the press conference I would stage if I were Les Miles. I'd load stacks of hundred dollar bills until I had 300 stacks, or $30,000 in all, into a black garbage bag and carry it into my press conference. Then, before I even said anything, I'd turn up the garbage bag and dump all the cash out onto the table in front of the reporters.

I'd let it all spill around on the ground and then I'd walk to the microphone and say this:

"Mike Slive can come pick up this money when he gets a chance. Because that official who blew that call in the replay booth doesn't deserve to ever work another game. We're not talking about a blown judgment call, or a decision made in the heat of the game when everyone is moving a million miles an hour. We're talking about a fat man sitting in front of a television and making a dispassionate decision based on what he sees.

"And he blew it.

"Big time.

"I'd sooner have Clay Travis making the decisions from his house in Nashville."

Amen, Les.

And, just think Mike, you'll get me for free.

How much worse can I really be?

By the way, just between us, could you please explain to me why the guy who does instant replay review actually needs to be in the stadium? Shouldn't he be in a special replay truck with 48 television screens? Or in a NASA-like center somewhere in a bunker beneath the ground in an undisclosed location? With a bank of television screens so large in front of him that the astronauts would be jealous?

Otherwise, doesn't it defeat the purpose? I mean, just to have one dorky guy sitting in a booth squinting at one television? Can't you do more with the multi-billion dollar contract? Shouldn't America demand that you do more?

Anyway, that may be too many questions. And I didn't write this letter to make your life more difficult Commissioner Slive. You and I, we should be buddies. We're both lawyers. I tan better than you do. (Seriously, do you ever go outside?) But other than that we're like two peas in a pod, you and me, Mike.

Except, you know, for the rooting for Alabama and Florida to be in the championship game part.

But I've gotten off topic. Instead of continuing about how much alike we are -- you like William Faulkner, Chik-fil-A sandwiches, the Robotech cartoon, and thongs on shapely rears too, don't you, Mike -- why don't you allow me to list my assets?
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Yep, consider this my resume for SEC replay official status:

1. I have a color television.

And it's bought and paid for.

100 percent mine.

Judging by your guy at Bama's decision today, he doesn't have a color television. Otherwise he would have seen the clean distinction between a foot coming down in the green grass and a foot coming down in the white out-of-bounds area.

2. I have an HD television.

Again, if your guy had HD he would have seen the dirt popping up from not one, but two different feet in bounds.

3. I have the Internets in my house.

Of course, the Internets are brought to me by Comcast so at any moment they might stop working. Even still, I could theoretically watch the game online as well.

Why does that matter?

I could get to within a millimeter of the screen and zoom it up to perfect definition. That way I could confirm what I saw with my bare eyes: LSU intercepted that pass.

4. I've never taken money or bet on a game I was calling.

Did that one hit too close to the striped vest?

Good.

5. I have a law degree from Vanderbilt and am licensed to practice law in the Southland.

This means I'm an SEC grad whose judgment an impartial governing body has vouched for. Can you say the same about your officials?

Didn't think so.

It's a no brainer, Mike. Just shoot me an email and I'll be ready to go by next week.

Because as my five assets listed above illustrate, I'm much more qualified than most of the people working in the replay booth.

I look forward to hearing back from you.

Sincerely,

Clay Travis

Clay Travis is the author of three books. His latest, "On Rocky Top: A Front Row Seat to The End of an Era" chronicles the 2008 Tennessee football season and is on sale now.

Dear Mr. Slive: I Should Be a Replay Ref originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Clay TravisSat, 07 Nov 2009 20:52:00 EST When Tennessee-Alabama Became Grandpa's Gamehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/when-tennessee-alabama-became-grandpas-game/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/when-tennessee-alabama-became-grandpas-game/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/when-tennessee-alabama-became-grandpas-game/#commentsFiled under: ,


On Oct. 24, Justin Paschall, a 13-year-old eighth grader at Southside Elementary in Lebanon, Tenn., went to his first Alabama-Tennessee football game. He traveled to Tuscaloosa with his grandfather, Ray Todd, as huge of an Alabama fan as there is in the Southland and two cousins, also Alabama fans. Justin says his first question upon being told that his grandfather had tickets for the game, his first ever Tennessee game, was, "Can I wear my orange jacket?"

Grandpa Ray Todd, Alabama born and bred and now residing in Tennessee, said that he could wear his orange, and on Friday the foursome traveled to Tuscaloosa for the game. Come Saturday, Justin woke up and took wearing orange to a whole new level.

Yep, he wore an orange jacket, but he also painted his face white, and spiked his hair with orange highlights. Grandpa Ray Todd, a 68-year-old 'Bama fan, shook his head and smiled. It was the trip of a lifetime, a ballgame at Bryant-Denny with his three grandsons. Even if, you know, one of them had the bad sense to be a Tennessee fan. Ray Todd smiled throughout the cloudy morning chill, grinned as the clouds broke in the early afternoon and poured forth brilliant sunlight into the stadium. He tried to do everything he could to soak up every moment. That's what happens when your grandsons are pushing you in a wheelchair, you have pancreatic cancer, and doctors have given you one football season left to live.

So it came to pass that the 91st rivalry game between Tennessee and Alabama was an awful lot like many of the 90 that had preceded it, close, bitterly close.

"I cheered loud all game," says Justin, "I wanted Tennessee to win so bad. It was my first game and all, and I didn't want to go all that way and see them lose." Sitting beside his grandfather and his two cousins watching his first Tennessee game in person, Justin pronounced it, "The best day of my life."

As the game progressed, Justin had a lot to cheer for; Tennessee, a 16-point underdog, kept the game close against Alabama all afternoon. By late in the fourth quarter, the Vols had the ball near Alabama's goal line, down 12-3. "I cheered so loud then," says Justin, "everyone around me, all the Alabama people, were looking at me like I was crazy."

Tennessee scored a touchdown to cut the lead to 12-10 and Justin went crazy in the stands. "I thought we were going to win, I really did," he says. As Tennessee lined up to attempt the onside kick, Justin stood and prayed that Tennessee would recover. When the Vols came up with the ball and the official signaled Tennessee's possession, pointing straight toward the opposing goal line, Justin came undone.

"I was screaming for Tennessee as loud as I could." Justin kept on screaming as loud as he could, reaching a crescendo of joy when Jonathan Crompton, Justin's favorite player, hit Luke Stocker for a 23-yard gain to the Alabama 27. Tennessee ran the ball on the next play and called timeout to set up the field goal, a kick that would win the game for the Vols, their first road victory over a No. 1 team in the history of the program.

Then Justin looked down at the man he calls Pops, his grandfather Ray Todd. "Pops was all slumped over and his lips were quivering." Just like that, Justin says, "I couldn't keep rooting for my team anymore." Right then and there Justin said a prayer. "I said, Good Lord, could you please let Alabama win?"

As Tennessee lined up for a field goal aimed at the opposite end zone distant from them, white uprights rising into a blue sky across a distant green field, Justin continued to pray. And when Terrence Cody came through the line and blocked the kick, when the entire Alabama stadium including his grandfather, Ray Todd, exploded in joy, Justin says he couldn't help but feel he'd made the right decision.

Kind of. But there was still one person he had to clear it with, his daddy.

That night when he returned home from, he told his dad, Ron, who drives a food truck for a living and is a huge Vol fan, what he'd done. "I hope you ain't mad at me, Dad," Justin said, "but when I looked over at Pops, I couldn't keep rooting for Tennessee to win. I thought it might be the last game he'd ever see."

"I gave him a hug and told him, I couldn't be mad at him," says Ron, "I told him he'd done the right thing."

And just like that, a new story about the Third Saturday in October, the South's most bitter rivalry, did something unbelievable, it made it impossible for fans of both teams to keep their eyes dry.

Clay Travis is the author of three books. His latest, "On Rocky Top: A Front Row Seat to The End of an Era" chronicles the 2008 Tennessee football season and is on sale now.

When Tennessee-Alabama Became Grandpa's Game originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Clay TravisFri, 06 Nov 2009 11:47:00 EST Tide Still Searching For Big Playshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/tide-still-searching-for-big-plays/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/tide-still-searching-for-big-plays/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/tide-still-searching-for-big-plays/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Alabama's offense has mellowed over the past three games.

The Crimson Tide has registered only a pair of rushing touchdowns in victories over Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. Ten trips into the red zone have resulted in eight field goals. The passing game hasn't featured many deep throws, and Alabama's Wildcat offense, which started as a gimmick, has become more relevant.

Third-ranked Alabama realizes it will need a better all-around effort on Saturday to beat No. 9 LSU, the only remaining ranked team on the Crimson Tide's schedule. The Crimson Tide can clinch the SEC West title with a win and would then meet No. 1 Florida on Dec. 5 in the SEC title game.

"We haven't scored points at the same sort of rate that we did earlier in the season," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said.

"We've been focusing on improving and making more explosive plays in the passing game as well as executing a little better and getting a little better consistency in performance all the way around. I think sometimes in the red zone we haven't finished drives like we need to."

Alabama will certainly need to finish drives if it wants to earn its first home win over LSU since 1999.

One key to that success will be sophomore running back Mark Ingram, who ranks first in the SEC and fifth nationally with 125.5 rushing yards a game.

Ingram leads the Crimson Tide with 11 touchdowns (eight rushing, three receiving). The bruising Ingram, a 5-foot-10, 215-pound sophomore, also has been one tough hombre in traffic. Of his 1,190 yards this season (1,004 rushing, 186 receiving), Ingram has gained 645 yards after contact (54 percent of his total yards).

Ingram believes it's those nitty-gritty yards that will make the difference against the Tigers.

Since giving up 23 points and 478 total yards against Washington in the season-opener, LSU held its last seven opponents to an average of 266.6 yards and 10.6 points.

"In a game like this, you go out on the field and whoever plays the hardest and whoever does the little things right the most consistently throughout the game, that's who will win the game," Ingram said.

"You can't really focus on 'We've got to make this big play' or 'We've got to do this or got to do that.' We have to focus on the game plan, perfect it and execute it. Whoever does the little things right the most consistently wins the game."

Ingram, of course, started to merit legitimate Heisman Trophy consideration for his career-best game in Alabama's victory over South Carolina on Oct. 17. With the Gamecocks slowing the Tide's passing game and rattling quarterback Greg McElroy, Ingram lined up in the Wildcat and put the game away.

Ingram carried the ball on all six plays of a 68-yard drive. The first five plays were in the Wildcat when Ingram received the direct snap from center. On the final play, Ingram took a handoff from McElroy and scored on a 4-yard run that gave Alabama a 20-6 victory.

Ingram finished with 246 yards on 24 carries.

Ingram is especially determined not to repeat last year's midseason dip when he had one rushing yard against Tennessee and six rushing yards on five carries at LSU.

"I think I hit the wall halfway through the season at this point (a year ago)," said Ingram, who rushed for 728 yards on 143 carries with a team-best 12 touchdowns last season. "I had a few injuries and I was a little frustrated with how I was performing. I hit the wall and I can't let that happen again."

Ingram and teammates also believe a Crimson Tide offense that has sputtered recently feels in sync and will be ready for LSU. Senior offensive lineman Mike Johnson credits opposing defenses or causing some of Alabama's frustration over its lack of explosiveness.

Receiver Julio Jones, for example, has just one touchdown and is averaging 32.7 receiving yards per game, well below his career average of 54.9.

Alabama is coming off a bye week, but barely escaped against Tennessee, blocking two field goal attempts to preserve a 12-10 victory.

"One of the goals we had coming into the year was to have more explosive plays, especially in the passing game," Johnson said.

"That really wasn't one of our strengths last year. I think we did a good job of starting off on that note and we've kind of got to get back to that. We had a lot of explosive plays and play-action down the field early in the year, and we've got to get back to that.

"On the same note, guys have done a good job. We've faced better defenses. There is a lot to be said about SEC defenses that can come in and stop the pass and we've played some good safeties and good defenses the past two weeks and they did a good job of kind of throwing some things at us."

Look for LSU's defense to be just as prepared. In its last three SEC games, LSU combined to limit Georgia, Florida and Auburn to a total of 36 points

"They are big and fast, strong and physical," Ingram said.

"The scheme they play, they do it really well. They are coached up really well. They all do their assignments. They all get to the ball and they make it really hard for offenses to have success."

Tide Still Searching For Big Plays originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Mark IngramMarkIngramNick SabanNickSabanJim HenryWed, 04 Nov 2009 10:21:00 EST Daily Domer: Crist Out, Floyd Backhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/daily-domer-crist-out-floyd-back/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/daily-domer-crist-out-floyd-back/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/daily-domer-crist-out-floyd-back/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Crist will come again ... in four to six months.

Notre Dame learned the fates of both back-up quarterback Dayne Crist and wide receiver Michael Floyd on Monday and the results were mixed.

Crist, a sophomore who went down in the fourth quarter of Notre Dame's 40-14 win against Washington State, learned on Monday that he had torn the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee. Floyd, who broke his left collarbone against Michigan State in the season's third game, was cleared to play.

On Tuesday, Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis confirmed that Crist, who had an MRI on Monday, had torn his ACL and that he would have surgery on Friday. Weis said that the Irish staff consulted "the guru in Alabama" (Dr. James Andrews) and that the prognosis was for a four-to-six month rehab. That likely keeps Crist out of spring football.

"I know one thing," Weis said, concerning Crist's return. "We'll be conservative."

As for Floyd, a CAT-scan on Monday convinced doctors that he should be cleared to play. Weis reported that Floyd was "hootin' and hollerin'" (suddenly No. 7 is Slim Pickens in "Blazing Saddles?") at the news and was in no mood to keep it to himself.

"No. 7 [Jimmy Clausen] texted me a few minutes later," Weis reported. "I think No. 7 might have been as happy as No. 3 [Floyd]."

What this all means is that the nation's most potent passing attack outside the state of Texas (take your pick) will be at full strength for the first time since Ann Arbor. You will recall that Floyd started against Michigan State but that he'd just received 15 stitches in his right knee seven days earlier.

And while Clausen himself still has vestigial turf toe troubles, this Irish offense is more lethal than before. That's because Golden Tate has taken his mojo to a previously unrealized plateau in Floyd's absence the past six weeks.

Asked if Tate would have become the rock star that he has in Notre Dame's past five games had Floyd been healthy, Weis replied, "You'd have to lean towards 'No.' "

The facts are these: Floyd caught five touchdown passes in three games for the Irish and at the time Weis was asked if he might be the greatest wideout in school history. And in his absence Tate has become a bona fide first team All-American candidate, even a Heisman candidate (SI.com's Gene Menez lists him at No. 3 this week behind Alabama's Mark Ingram and nose tackle Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska).

With Floyd and Tate on the field together, well, Clausen just became a much better quarterback.
As for JC's back-up and successor, prospects are more opaque. One wonders just how quickly Weis did, or will, put the redshirt freshman in touch with his former pupil, Tom Brady, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear last year. Also, does Crist's injury have any impact on the decision Clausen will make in the coming months about declaring for the NFL Draft? If anything, it adds clarity to the prospect of an entire season being forfeited in one play ... and the prospect of diminishing value in the eyes of NFL scouts.

The headache begins for Charlie Weis. This week he will promote Evan Sharpley, the most gifted passer currently teaching ninth grade geography in America, to second-string. Sharpley, a fifth-year senior, is teaching full-time at local Adams High School as he works toward his teaching certificate. According to Weis, he needs to find a way to skip his final period of the day now in order to be back at the Gug in time for film sessions. Perhaps Crist could substitute teach?

Anyway, Sharpley moves to No. 2 while John Goodman, who played both wideout and quarterback at Bishop Dwenger in Fort Wayne (and who recently said that he considers himself a better quarterback than wideout) will move to third string while still taking most of his reps with the receivers. It was Goodman, after all, who caught a beautifully thrown pass from Crist for a 64-yard touchdown Saturday ... the lone TD pass of Crist's career.

One commenter on an Irish message board suggested that Sharpley start against Navy. What's the worst, asked someone whose memory does not extend more than two years, that could happen?

The problem, obviously, is next year. Does Clausen return? If he does the Irish passing attack will be sick. If he does not Weis will, for the second time in four years, break in a new starter who is both an underclassmen and coming off off-season surgery. Sharpley will be gone. Should Clausen go, the Irish quarterback prospects will be a fragile Crist; a possible prodigal son in Nate Montana (who was on the team in '08 and is currently at Pasadena City College, where he is 31-of-88 with two touchdowns and five interceptions; Clausen's completion percentage, 66.9 percent, is higher than Montana's passer rating, 62.29); and verbal commit Andrew Hendrix, a 6-3, four-star recruit out of Cincinnati Moeller High School.

Weis said that when Floyd was cleared to play yesterday, he told his brilliant sophomore that only two votes went into the decision as to when he would play: his and Floyd's. "And you know which way I'm voting," Weis laughed.

If it were to come down to a similar two-vote decision as to whether Clausen stays or goes (and it won't, but if it were to), Weis might want to replace his favorite band (Bon Jovi) with one of his college contemporaries, Chicago. "If you leave me now ..."

Daily Domer: Crist Out, Floyd Back originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>John WaltersTue, 03 Nov 2009 17:23:00 EST SEC Reprimands Kiffin, Againhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/sec-reprimands-kiffin-again/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/sec-reprimands-kiffin-again/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/sec-reprimands-kiffin-again/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lane KiffinIn the wake of Tennessee's 12-10 loss to Alabama, Lane Kiffin expressed displeasure over the penalty disparity -- Alabama received one penalty for 10 yards while Tennessee received eight for 68 -- the lack of a penalty on Terrance Cody on the game's final play, and even suggested that the referees were the reason he chose to kick the field goal from 44 yards rather than run another play to move closer.

"You run another play and you throw an interception or they throw another flag on us," Kiffin said Sunday. "I wasn't going to let the refs lose the game for us there and some magical flag appear."

The SEC fired back today, reprimanding the Tennessee coach.

In a statement e-mailed to the media, Commissioner Mike Slive spoke out against Kiffin's criticism.

"Coach Kiffin has violated the Southeastern Conference Code of Ethics," Slive said. "SEC Bylaw 10.5.4 clearly states that coaches, players and support personnel shall refrain from all public criticism of officials.
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"Coach Kiffin is on notice that for any further violations of SEC policies will subject him to additional penalties including suspension."

In February, Kiffin was reprimanded for faslely accusing Florida coach Urban Meyer of a recruiting violation.

Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen was also reprimanded by the league Monday. Mullen questioned the instant replay official in the Bulldogs' loss to Florida, who failed to overturn a touchdown by Florida linebacker Dustin Doe. Doe returned an intercepted pass to the end zone during the fourth quarter Saturday night, but appeared to drop the ball in celebration before it crossed the goal line.

"I don't even know why we have replay right now in the Southeastern Conference if they're not going to utilize it," Mullen said.

The public criticism of the officiating comes in the wake of notable officiating failures in earlier SEC games that have led to apologies from the league. The SEC admitted error in both the the "excessive celebration" penalty called against Georgia's A.J. Green in the Bulldogs' narrow loss to LSU to the flags from nowhere against Arkansas in its near-upset of Florida. The SEC's public mea culpa as well as suspensions of officials has emboldened coaches to speak out publicly on the issue. After his team's loss to Florida, Bobby Petrino ripped the officiating and received a letter of reprimand as well.

So evidently calling attention to bad calls is the sole province of the league. For now, Kiffin remains on thin ice with the commissioner. Although, to be fair, a second public reprimand is the rough equivalent of a teacher banging his ruler on the desk for the second time. Whether SEC Commissioner Mike Slive would be willing to actually suspend a coach for expressing his opinion on a football matter, remains to be seen.

Regardless, the SEC's letter comes as no surprise to Kiffin.

"I'm sure we'll get one of those letters that really means nothing as Bobby [Petrino] got last week, but Florida and Alabama live on," Kiffin said on Sunday.

Clay Travis is the author of three books. His latest, "On Rocky Top: A Front Row Seat to The End of an Era" chronicles the 2008 Tennessee football season and is on sale now.

SEC Reprimands Kiffin, Again originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>lane kiffinClay TravisMon, 26 Oct 2009 14:24:00 EST Alabama-Tennessee: Quest for Silencehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/alabama-tennessee-quest-for-silence/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/alabama-tennessee-quest-for-silence/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/alabama-tennessee-quest-for-silence/#commentsFiled under: ,

When you take a road trip as a fan, you dream about moments like these. Four seconds to play, a hated rival on the ropes, your team lined up for a final play with victory or defeat hinging entirely on that one play. After over three hours of even football, it all comes down to this one final snap. And you want one thing more than any other: complete silence to soak through the stadium while your team pours onto the field in celebration, their celebratory shouts no louder than the dribble of a basketball on a court hundreds of yards away, echoing over the stunned home crowd. For a moment you might even contemplate, like I did, simply closing your eyes and allowing the crowd reaction to tell the story of the field goal. But instead, I watched.

Tennessee came achingly close on Saturday to delivering the most agonizing loss to Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium in a couple of decades, maybe ever. But then they ran into a mountain of a man.

1. At nine in the morning, I gather with 20 others in a Birmingham, Alabama parking lot for a trip to Tuscaloosa. There is one other Tennessee fan, Mondelli. We're both wearing orange pants.

Memphis radio host Chris Vernon aka Verno and Lance Taylor of Birmingham's Roundtable Radio are also on the bus/limo. Everyone else is a diehard Bama fan. Although, to be fair, Verno is wearing a Julio Jones jersey and every five minutes will, unprovoked, scream out "Juuuuuulioooooooo," as loud as he can.

In between Julio calls, Verno is apt to say things like this,"Nick Saban is a God." He also tells me that he just came from Chik-Fil-a where an Alabama fan with three children, ages 4, 3, and 1, admonished his two daughters who were walking as they neared the parking lot. "Now take my hand, girls, there's lots of Tennessee fans in town today and those people don't think."

2. The bus/limo seats 13 people. There are 21 of us. And beer and liquor. Lots of beer and liquor. The bus/limo also looks like the inside of a strip club. There are several poles hanging down, constantly moving lasers of different colors, and a sound system that would make a rap star blush. Immediately the music is blaring and the drinking commences.

3. Our trip to Tuscaloosa takes over two hours. Included is a stop at a rest area so the women can go to the bathroom.

Who knew there was a rest area between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa?

I don't have to go to the bathroom at all, but there's no real wait and we're making this stop solely for a trip to the bathroom. I sit debating whether I should go or not, access vs. breaking the seal. Ultimately I opt for a trip to the bathroom.

Bad decision.

As we walk back from the bathroom, a couple from Michigan, inexplicably choosing today of all days to drive somewhere other than to the football game on 459, call out, "Y'all are going to miss the Michigan State-Iowa game tonight."

They're attempting to be funny. Several Alabama fans fail to see the humor.

"They play football outside the South?" one asks.
I finally turn my phone back on and it's flooded with emails and texts. I can't bear to read any of them. I'm not even sure what I can take from any of this. The game is still so close, the feel of the loss so suffocating. At least I get to keep my beard.

4. Back on the bus, one of the women, now standing and dancing to 50 cent's Magic Stick -- the affinity that younger, white SEC fans have for gangsta rap on gameday is drastically underrated, it turns into Compton in Tuscaloosa -- takes a photo of the front of the bus, where I'm sitting alongside the other UT fan.

Five minutes later, she calls out, "Hey, my friend just texted me and asked who the convicts were."

5. That would be us, the UT convicts, riding along, according to many Alabama fans, to our own execution chamber, Bryant-Denny Stadium.

But as I've been writing all week, I'm optimistic that Tennessee will play Alabama close throughout, that it will be a single-digit game.

My predictions are met with cat-calls. "Get your razor ready," says Verno.

6. Honest question, what percentage of Alabama fan's love affair with Julio Jones is related to the alliteration and melodic way that Julio rolls off the tongue if you have a Southern accent? Especially given the fact that he hasn't been that productive?

Hearing someone with a Southern accent pronounce the name Julio Jones makes me cringe at the thought that Ron Franklin and Keith Jackson no longer do SEC games.

How awesome would it be if for the SEC Championship game if the SEC managed to get those two guys in the booth? It's a shame that Julio Jones can't tackle Tim Tebow in that game. I think every Southerner would shed a tear over hearing Jackson or Franklin intone, "Julio Jones brings down Tim Tebow in the open field."

Shakespeare meets pigskin, my friends, Shakespeare meets pigskin.

Anyway, the fascination with his name notwithstanding, so far this season, in seven games, Jones has only 13 catches for 175 yards. That's less production than Tennessee's Gerald Jones has provided in five games.

But, to be fair, Gerald Jones is nowhere near as fun to say as Julio Jones.

7. As we near Tuscaloosa, my bladder suddenly feels like it's going to explode. Like if I don't urinate at this exact second, I'm going to open the door to the bus/limo and pee out the door as we drive through campus. Don't pretend you didn't do this for six years during college, Bama fans.

My bladder has only failed me like this once before, at the 2007 Cocktail Party.

And I know what you're thinking, both times you had way too much to drink before the game. Not true, both times, for whatever reason, I simply had to go to the bathroom a ton. And without warning.

Like immediately.

As we idle in traffic alongside Galette's, I make a bold decision.

"Open the door," I say, bailing out onto the street. Four others follow me in a mad dash for the bathroom, abandoning the bus/limo in the process.

The line is short and by the time we've finished I feel like I just finished a drive with four consecutive fourth down conversions.

8. We tailgate on the 'Bama quad.

For years 'Bama didn't allow the quad to be used for tailgating, and now that they do, it's a pretty amazing setting. You're within a JaMarcus Russell fly pattern pass from the football stadium, pretty much everyone is welcoming, and the trees climb high into the air providing a welcoming canopy of shade in the early season but still allowing room for sunlight in the late fall. It's a near-perfect setting, Tuscaloosa's own Grove.

As I'm walking around taking in the scenery, a man approaches wearing bright crimson pants. Given that I'm wearing orange pants, I feel an acknowledgment of sorts is in order. But before I can speak, he does.

"Clay Travis!"

We shake hands. His name is Chris M. "Don't take this the wrong way, and I'm not gay, but you're better looking in person than you are on the Internet."

The only other person to ever say this is my mom.

9. Early in the late-morning, Vol and Bammers are in joint agreement on one thing -- rooting for the sun to emerge from the clouds. The sunshine is sporadic, when it emerges the weather is perfect, warm but not yet, when it vanishes there's a cold wind and everyone stands with their arms crossed.

As kickoff nears we head for the stadium walking through the quad. Denny Chimes is to our right, the sun, as if on order from God, who is doubtlessly an SEC football fan given his gifts of ample cleavage, tiny waists, and long legs that he has bestowed upon the women of the South, brings on the sunshine.

Suddenly everything is bathed in bright light.

10. Now comes the only negative of the trip, fat sorority girls from Alabama stand alongside the brick walkway taunting Tennessee fans with witty banter as we pass.

"F--- You, Vols," they call. Then they liven up the insults with, "Volun-queers!" chants.

I pause in front of them for a second. "It's not our fault you're fat," I say.

11. Inside the stadium we're sixteen rows up at midfield. Tip of the beaver pelt cap to Lance Taylor for these seats. There are hardly any fans in orange anywhere near us. Now let's get rolling on game observations.

12. The stirrings of discomfort begin early in the stadium when Eric Berry nearly decapitates Greg McElroy on the first series of the game. Bama punts, and Tennessee gets a great punt return and immediately drives to the Bama 35 thanks to a third down conversion from Jonathan Crompton to Denarius Moore.

From here Bama buckles down and forces a punt, but the tone of the game has been set, the Vols haven't come to merely stay alive.

By the time Tennessee stops Alabama on fourth down during the Crimson Tide's second drive, there are genuine murmurs of discomfort in Bryant-Denny.

13. You know how you can tell things are going poorly for the home team?

A guy gets tackled near the sideline and the crowd screams for a late hit personal foul. A guy gets tackled by the shoulder pad and everyone screams for the face mask call.

Put another way, all of last season, the only way Tennessee could gain 15 yards on an offensive play was via personal foul. I found myself actually rooting for face masks and late hits as the ball was snapped.

In case you were wondering, last year aged me 15 years.

14. During a long commercial break, they pipe in Justin Timberlake's Sexy Back. My fellow UT pants-wearing compatriot, Matt, turns to me, "What do you think the Bear would have thought of them playing Sexy Back during timeouts?"

We ask, Chief, a Bama fan sitting next to us who will consume an entire fifth of Bourbon during the game. At one point he shares a drink with me. It's Bourbon on ice. A full cup.

It's what I imagine gasoline tastes like.

He thinks for a moment. "The Bear was a great modernizer," he says. "He would have loved Sexy Back. Plus, he liked asses."

I nod.

"On women, now," he says.

15. On the Vols' second possession, Crompton makes his only bad throw of the game; he airmails a pass that is picked off by 'Bama.

On the radio, I promised to go shirtless if Crompton threw four picks in this game, as Chris Vernon asserted that he would. "That's one," says Vernon.

On the ensuing drive 'Bama puts up a 38-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

16. But Tennessee responds and is at the Bama 33 facing a 2nd-and-3 as the first quarter ends. Shortly thereafter Crompton comes up big again, hitting Moore for 19 yards and a first and goal at the Bama 8. From there the Vols gain two yards but settle for a field goal.

We're tied at 3.

17. Bama drives the field, stalls, but bangs through a 50-yarder. During this time my seat compatriot in orange pants, Mondelli, turns to the Bama fans behind us and asks why they cheer every first down by the Crimson Tide so loudly.

"You're Alabama," he says, "you don't need to do that. The only other place I've seen it is West Virginia."

"Ole Miss does it," says the Bama fan.

"So you copied it from Ole Miss?" I ask.

"I don't really like it all," says the Bama fan.

18. Now comes Bama's best drive of the day, McElroy is 4-of-4 passing and Mark Ingram rips off runs of 5, 7, 4, 4, 4, and 8. Many of these runs come from the Wildcat formation. The final of these Ingram rushes gives Bama a 2nd-and-2 from the Vol 4. Not only is Bama just four yards from paydirt, but they can get a first down at the two. Surely they'll run the ball on every play from here.

Not hardly.

Inexplicably, Bama passes on second and third down before settling for the field goal. The last pass draws a chorus of boos from the crowd around me, but from my position it looks like the Tennessee defensive back is playing the fade and beats Jones to the place on the field.

Which makes me wonder, why not run the slant there if you're Jones and you see the the defensive back is playing your route?

19. Anyway, the Bama fans around me are furious that Bama didn't keep running the football.

"What the f--- are we doing?" asks my seatmate as he stares morosely at his bourbon on ice.

20. Speaking of the running backs in this game, don't Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, and Bryce Brown sound like kicker names instead of running backs? They sound like part of the pledge class for Bama's SAE's. If Montario Hardesty's first name was Shelby, we'd have the most unlikely running back quad in Alabama-Tennessee history.

21. My Vols take the ball with 1:11 remaining and with possession coming to them to begin the second half, and in credit to Lane Kiffin's aggressiveness, attempt to score late in the half. Crompton hits four consecutive passes for 30 yards total before Daniel Lincoln trots on the field to attempt a 47 yarder that would slice the Bama lead to 9-6.

He misses. Short.

I'm not sure I've ever seen a 47-yard field goal come up short in a big college contest. Especially not without major wind issues.

22. At halftime, Bama's Million Dollar Band takes the field.

It's time for a rename. Back in 1922 when the band got their name, a million dollars was a lot of money. Now it's one-quarter of what Alabama pays Nick Saban every year.

Allow me to suggest a rebranding, The Billion Dollar Band.

23. Throughout the third quarter, Tennessee dominates. Bama has just two possessions, both end without a first down and total 16 yards of offense. Meanwhile, Tennessee has two long drives. the first comes to a close after a perfect call on a Javier Arenas blitz sets the Vols up with a 3rd-and-22.

But as the third quarter ends, Tennessee is driving: The final play of the quarter is a 30-yard gain from Crompton to Denarius Moore.

For just a moment silence descends on Bryant-Denny as Tennessee stands at the 'Bama 30 and allows the clock to wind down to end the quarter.

I close my eyes for an instant and savor what I hope is a preview of the end of the game.
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24. After another fourth down conversion, the Vols have a first-and-10 at the Alabama 19. Now issues arise, first a false start and then a critical holding penalty that turns a 3rd-and-4 into a 2nd-and-18. Bama's crowd roars, a desperate, from the bit of the belly, this can't be happening to us roar, the animalistic growl of a grizzly bear who has been wounded.

Nothing develops on third down and Tennessee sends out Lincoln to attempt a 43-yarder.

Blocked!

I sink to my seat with my head in my hands. Two missed field goals.

25. On Terrence Cody, is anybody else going to be surprised when, 15 years from now, Sports Illustrated does a, "Where are they now?" story on Cody and he weighs 551 pounds?

Remember the Buster Douglas story they did back then?

And the picture of Douglas standing in his garage with a huge shadow around him?

I'm picturing the same story on Cody. But for now he's a svelte 350 and the center of the Vols' line can't block him.

26. With good field position at its own 38, Bama manages its first first down of the half. From here the drive stalls at the 32, but Leigh Tiffin, Bama's offensive MVP, slips a 49-yard field goal just over the top of the crossbar to give the Tide a 12-3 advantage.

I groan as Bama fans around me cheer.

27. Tennessee goes three and out, punts, and after Mark Ingram almost busts a big play but is caught by the ankles, Bama is forced to punt.

Only, we rough the punter.

I text a Bama friend congrats on the win and stand looking out at the field. All, it would seem that is necessary now is for 'Bama to put the game on ice.

Certainly the Bama keyboardist thinks so, a single verse of "Hey, hey goodbye," blares out over the stadium.

But then, something magical happens for Vol fans -- Eric Berry forces and recovers a fumble from Mark Ingram, the first of Ingram's career at Alabama.

28. Crompton, who I incorrectly called for Lane Kiffin to bench after the Auburn game, jogs back onto the field and performs magically, completing four consecutive passes on the drive, the last of which is an 11-yard touchdown to Gerald Jones. Suddenly it's 12-10 Alabama and Tennessee is lining up for an onside kick.

29. I turn to my Bama seatmate. "I don't remember the last time I saw an onside kick recovered by the kicking team," I say.

"Don't you go there jinxing things," he says.

You guessed it, Tennessee recovers.

30. I climb onto the seat in front of me and scream as loudly as I can. Suddenly my stomach feels like it's full of air. Tension builds. A longed-for victory is so close we can taste it. Many of the UT players are standing on the sideline bench, swinging towels and bounding in unison along the green grass between snaps.

Now Crompton takes the field. Crompton, who last season went from Jesus to the Anti-Christ in a month; Crompton, who received death threats from Vol fans; Crompton, who has kept his mouth shut about his receivers running the wrong routes, who has refused to make excuses about any of the failures surrounding the Vols, has a chance to lead Tennessee to their most improbable victory in program history.

Not since 1985 has Tennessee beaten a No. 1 team. Then Tennessee triumphed over Auburn and Bo Jackson. Never, in the long and storied history of Tennessee football, have the Vols beaten a No. 1 team on the road, and never, ever, have they beaten a No. 1-ranked Alabama team.

Slowly, inexorably, in a way that seems ordained, Crompton leads the Vols down the field. He completes two passes, the first to Gerald Jones for 15 yards. But it's the second completion that appears likely to loom large in Vol-Bama lore for decades. Facing a 2nd-and-15 from his own 50, Crompton hits his streaking tight end, Luke Stocker, with a perfect pass. A pass, catch, and hit so exquisite that for a moment Alabama fans are entirely silent. It's a pass that few quarterbacks in America could make. And it's that reason why, and this is hard to believe, Crompton has been the best quarterback in the SEC over the past three weeks.

I explode with glee, leaping on my seat, hammering my seat-mate, the only sound of joy in an ocean of crimson silence around us. Now, improbably, amazingly, the Vols have a chance to win a game, to score 10 points in less than a minute and a half, to beat a bitter rival on the road, to change the entire trajectory of Crompton's career with one sweet swing of the foot.

31. Staring potential victory in the face, Kiffin, who has already gone for it on fourth down twice in the second half, goes conservative and sends Montario Hardesty on a running play. The clock dwindles now, Crompton stands over center and grounds the football.

Daniel Lincoln, 1-of-3 on the day, jogs onto the field, 44 yards from Vol immortality.

There are only four seconds remaining on the clock.

For a moment I flash back to 1990, the last time Tennessee attempted a winning field goal in the fourth quarter against Alabama. Then, Bama blocked the kick, recovered, and made their own kick for a 9-6 victory. Now, the Vols have a chance to erase that sick feeling, sweep into Tuscaloosa and deliver one of the greatest victories in team history.

Saban takes a timeout.

I sink to my seat, a Vol surrounded by a sea of crimson. Hardly anyone speaks during the timeout.

It may be the fourth Saturday in October, but this epic game, this game so even that only four seconds remain and victory or defeat hangs on a foot, will stand alongside others as among the greatest ever played. Not for the offensive explosions or the big plays that make highlight reels but for the grimy, hard-charging, slamming football that both teams delivered on play-after-play. The kind of Tennessee-Alabama game, that as Bear Bryant said, makes you a man.

If you've ever wondered whether something ugly can be beautiful, this game answered it resoundingly ... yes.

Now, in the fading light of an October afternoon comes the quest for silence. For a moment I close my eyes and picture the scene, the field flooded in celebrating orange players, the angry detritus tumbling to the ground in the stadium, red and white pompons, old drinks, Bama Bangs pushed back on disbelieving foreheads, the sodden underground concrete of home football defeat. The ball is snapped, foot meets ball, and immediately the ball ricochets backward.

It's 1990 all over again.

Only this time with two blocked fourth quarter field goals instead of one.

I stand without moving as the stadium erupts around me. Look for Crompton on the sideline, feel awful for him, worse for him than for anyone in orange. This should have been, this could have been, his ultimate validation for five years of effort, for five years of criticism, his moment in the orange sun.

Alongside me my fellow orange-pant wearing compatriot has but two words, "Well, damn," he says, so softly I can barely hear him over the noise.

We make the long walk back to the tailgate, through throngs of Bama fans celebrating with delirious glee. On up past Denny Chimes, along the brick sidewalk Bama fans greet each other with, "Roll Tide Roll," and exult in the cool night air, an improbable mosh-pit screaming, improbably, "Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn," as they dance to Pitbull's song.

Change one play, and all around me is silent.

I finally turn my phone back on and it's flooded with emails and texts. I can't bear to read any of them. I'm not even sure what I can take from any of this. The game is still so close, the feel of the loss so suffocating. At least I get to keep my beard.

"Hey," says an elderly Bama fan grabbing me by the shoulder, "you played Tennessee football today. Goddamn Tennessee football," he says.

And maybe that's the real lesson out of all of this. After all the attention and all the words, the slings and arrows of recruiting wars, when you get right down to it, Kiffin coached in his first Alabama-Tennessee game and looked an awful lot like the men who were successful in the Alabama series before him. Men like Phil Fulmer and General Neyland. Ultimately, what's new is old at Tennessee. Kiffin's team wasn't flashy and it didn't always execute perfectly, but it never quit.

And in this series, for both team and fan alike, the only thing that unites fans in orange and crimson is this -- we admire players, coaches, and people who never stop fighting, never stop trying to take that hill, even if, as we saw on Saturday, sometimes a mountain is directly in front of the ball.

In the end, Lane Kiffin's boys didn't quit, and someday soon, that is going to make all the difference.

Clay Travis is the author of three books. His latest, "On Rocky Top: A Front Row Seat to The End of an Era" chronicles the 2008 Tennessee football season and is on sale now.

Alabama-Tennessee: Quest for Silence originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Julio JonesTim TebowClay TravisSun, 25 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST FanHouse Top 25: Alabama Still the Onehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/fanhouse-top-25-alabama-still-the-one/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/fanhouse-top-25-alabama-still-the-one/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/fanhouse-top-25-alabama-still-the-one/#commentsFiled under:

Nick SabanFanHouse writer Brett McMurphy shares his Top 25 ballot each Sunday morning.

College football's version of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome will be played out on Halloween night in Stillwater, Okla., and Eugene, Ore.

In Stillwater, Oklahoma State hosts Texas in a battle for the Big 12 South lead, while USC visits Oregon in a huge Pac-10 contest in Eugene. All four teams are ranked among the Associated Press' top-13 teams this week.

In a slight variation of Thunderdome, "two teams enter, one team leaves" with their national title hopes alive.

The winner of each game is still in the running for a spot in the BCS title game, while the loser can start making alternate bowl plans.
More Coverage: Florida No. 1 in AP | Whoa, Arizona Ranked

Saturday's Texas-Oklahoma State and USC-Oregon matchups are the only ones between Top 25 teams in the AP poll this weekend, but both could have huge national title implications.

As far as my AP ballot this week, I dropped BYU, Texas Tech and Nebraska from my Top 25, while replacing them with Ole Miss, Central Michigan and Notre Dame.

My top five remained the same: Alabama, Florida, Texas, Cincinnati and USC. Yes, Alabama squeaked by Tennessee, but I kept the Crimson Tide at No. 1 because they still have the most impressive resume up to this point. Got a problem with that? Take it up with Aunty Entity in Bartertown.

Here is my ballot this week with my ranking last week in parenthesis.

  • 1. Alabama (1)
    Kick, Tennessee, Kick! That's the chant you'll hear next season from Crimson Tide fans when they play Tennessee. The Volunteers had four field goals blocked or missed as Bama hung on for a 12-10 win. Alabama's victory was its first this season by less than 10 points, so that's why the Crimson Tide remains my No. 1 team.
  • 2. Florida (2)
    If Florida was on offense much longer Saturday at Mississippi State, the Gators may have lost. MSU's defense scored two TDs against the Gators' offense, while MSU's offense managed only two field goals against UF's defense. QB Tim Tebow's final numbers: 12-for-22, 127 yards, two interceptions. He also had as many TD passes as post-game quotes to the media: none.
  • 3. Texas (3)
    No Red River Rivalry rebound problems for the Longhorns. Texas improved to 12-0 under coach Mack Brown in games after playing Oklahoma. QB Colt McCoy showed Missouri who's best in the Big 12, throwing for three TDs in Texas' 41-7 rout of Missouri. Saturday, UT visits Oklahoma State on a Halloween night contest that should feature every shade of orange known to mankind.
  • 4. Cincinnati (4)
    No Pike, no problem. With starting QB Tony Pike sidelined with a left arm injury, back-up Zach Collaros led the Bearcats past Louisville's (House of) Cards, 41-10. The Bearcats won the battle for the Keg of Nails and hammered even more nails into Steve Kragthorpe's future at Louisville.
  • 5. USC (5)
    RB Allen Bradford rushed for a career-high 147 yards and two touchdowns as the Trojans held off Oregon State 42-36. This week, the Trojans visit Oregon, marking the third consecutive season USC plays the Oregon schools in consecutive games. The past two years, USC failed to sweep the Oregon duo. Is the third time a charm?
  • 6. Iowa (7)
    The Hawkeyes' last-second 15-13 victory at Michigan State improved the Hawkeyes to 8-0 for the first time in school history. Who scripts these games for Iowa? Alfred Hitchcock? Seven of Iowa's victories have been by 11 points or less, including four wins by three points or less. Saturday's game with Indiana should be a lot less suspenseful.
  • 7. TCU (8)
    Coach Gary Patterson's Purple People Eaters continue to wreak havoc in the Mountain West. After TCU ended BYU's 13-game home conference winning streak Saturday with a 38-7 rout of BYU, a 12-0 regular season -- like it or not -- is a very real possibility for the Horned Frogs. The biggest challenge should be a home game with Utah on Nov. 14.
  • 8. Boise State (6)
    The Broncos bullied defenseless Hawaii 54-9 Saturday and expect more of the same this weekend when Boise State hosts 1-5 San Jose State. The Broncos have won all five meetings in Boise against the Spartans by an average margin of 49-13.
  • 9. LSU (10)
    LSU's Tigers tamed Auburn's Tigers 31-10 Saturday to improve to 11-1 in games off a loss under coach Les Miles. The Tigers now host Tulane and should cruise to their 18th consecutive victory against the Green Wave.
  • 10. Oregon (11)
    After whacking Washington, the Ducks welcome USC Saturday. Oregon won the last meeting in Eugene, 24-17, in 2007 and has won four of the last six meetings with the Trojans in Autzen Stadium. Oregon also has an eight-game home winning streak.
  • 11. Georgia Tech (12)
    The Yellow Jackets are back in control in the ACC's Atlantic Division. Speaking of control, Georgia Tech's offense had the football for 42 minutes, 43 seconds in Saturday's win at Virginia. One drive ate up more than 10 minutes off the clock as TV executives were on their knees praying for a turnover or a punt.
  • 12. Houston (13)
    QB Case Keenum was held to a season-low 233 yards passing and the Cougars were actually outgained by SMU, but still rolled to a 38-15 victory. Houston hosts an up-and-down Southern Miss squad Saturday for the first time since the teams played in the 2006 Conference USA title game.
  • 13. Oklahoma State (14)
    QB Zac Robinson completed 85 percent at Baylor (23-of-27), breaking Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy's school record -- 77 percent in 1989 when Gundy wasn't quite a man yet. Can the Cowboys man up against Texas Saturday? The Pokes haven't in the past, losing 21-of-23 meetings. Okie State's last victory against Texas was 1997.
  • 14. Penn State (15)
    On Saturday, Joe Pa won at Michigan's Big House for the first time since 1996. Of the seven teams the Nittany Lions have defeated this season, only two FBS teams -- Temple and Michigan -- currently have winning records.
  • 15. Virginia Tech (16)
    The Hokies had a week off to think about their Oct. 17 loss to Georgia Tech and what might have been. Virginia Tech now plays back-to-back Thursday night contests -- home vs. North Carolina this week and at East Carolina on Nov. 5.
  • 16. Pittsburgh (22)
    The Panthers disposed of free-falling South Florida 41-14 Saturday. Off to its best start since 1982, Pitt is off this week before hosting Syracuse on Nov. 7. Then the Panthers close the regular season with three doozies: home against Notre Dame (Nov. 14), at West Virginia (Nov. 27) and home against Cincinnati (Dec. 5).
  • 17. Ohio State (17)
    Sophomore Terrelle Pryor became the fifth Buckeyes QB to exceed 1,000 career yards rushing in Saturday's victory against Minnesota. Next up: a cakewalk against New Mexico State followed by a visit to Penn State, home against Iowa and at Michigan.
  • 18. West Virginia (19)
    If West Virginia RB Noel Devine isn't the fastest running back in college football, he's among the top three. Devine carried 23 times for 178 yards, including the game-winning 56-yard TD with 2:10 remaining, as WVU escaped an upset against a motivated UConn club playing for murdered teammate Jasper Howard.
  • 19. Miami (9)
    The Hurricanes' 40-37 overtime loss to Clemson was only Miami's second loss in 115 games when scoring 37 or more points since 1985. How will Miami rebound at Wake Forest Saturday? Hopefully better than it did after its last OT loss in 2007 when UM followed up a 19-16 OT loss to N.C. State with a 48-0 loss to Virginia.
  • 20. Utah (20)
    The Utes remained unbeaten in the Mountain West with an overtime win against Air Force. Even if they look past Saturday's contest with New Mexico to next week's clash at TCU, it likely won't matter. New Mexico is 0-7, losing each game by an average of 22 points.
  • 21. Arizona (23)
    Even though QB Nick Foles committed five turnovers against UCLA, the Wildcats still rolled up 456 yards in a 27-13 victory against the Bruins. Only a sophomore, Foles leads the Pac-10 with a 72.2 completion percentage.
  • 22. South Carolina (24)
    The Old Ball Coach and his Gamecocks squeaked by Vanderbilt, giving Steve Spurrier the 105th SEC victory of his career. That ties him with former Georgia coach Vince Dooley for third on the all-time list. Saturday at Tennessee, Spurrier goes for SEC win No. 106 -- and his first against Lane Kiffin.
  • 23. Ole Miss (NR)
    Like Showtime's serial killer Dexter, Ole Miss RB Dexter McCluster slaughtered the Hogs Saturday. McCluster set his career high in yards rushing (123) and receiving (137) as former Arkansas coach Houston Nutt defeated his old team for a second consecutive season.
  • 24. Central Michigan (NR)
    The MAC-Daddy's have won at Michigan State and their only loss was at Arizona (19-6) in the season opener. Don't believe the 7-1 Chippewas are a legit Top 25 team? They'll have a chance to prove it Saturday when they visit Boston College.
  • 25. Notre Dame (NR)
    Another Notre Dame nail-biter: this one a 20-16 win against Boston College. The Fighting Irish's last six games have been decided by seven points or less. If that trend continues Saturday at home against 1-6 Washington State, Notre Dame won't be on my Top 25 ballot next week.

Teams that are close to making my Top 25 (in alphabetical order): Cal, Oklahoma

See you later (teams that fell out of my Top 25 this week): BYU, Nebraska, Texas Tech

FanHouse Top 25: Alabama Still the One originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphySun, 25 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST Tidal Save Proves Alabama Still No. 1http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/tidal-save-proves-alabama-still-no-1/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/tidal-save-proves-alabama-still-no-1/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/tidal-save-proves-alabama-still-no-1/#commentsFiled under: ,

Terrence CodyFor Alabama, it came down to a physics problem.

In the last seconds of what suddenly became a white-knuckle 'Third Saturday' tilt, Terrence Cody, the Crimson Tide's city block of a nose tackle, punched through the Tennessee line and came face to foot with Vols' kicker Daniel Lincoln. All that was left to was to see whether something the weight of an upright piano could rise high enough into the air to bring down a 44-yard-field goal try.

So, when the would-be game-winning kick caromed off Cody's armpit, sealing Alabama's 12-10 win, the nose tackle ripped off his helmet with two hands and let loose a massive yelp that must have echoed from Tuscaloosa and Tuscany.

He hadn't just beaten Tennessee. He'd done a number on Isaac Newton too.


"I just knew we had to make a play, I had to make a play," said the 360-pound high flyer. "We couldn't wait on anybody else to make a play ... so I dug down deep and told myself I was about to block it. The ball snapped, I got a good jump... and just stuck my arm up."

And he made Alabama's case as the national championship favorite, even if the Tide's win was as ugly as the offensive line's team photo and twice as tough.

"That's how fragile a season can be," Tide head coach Nick Saban said. "Make one mistake and you have to go overcome it. I hope that there's a lot of lessons for our team to learn from this."

The Tide's win will do nothing for the style points crowd, but that hardly matters. Style points, those arbitrary way-you-won measures doled out by those without a great argument as to why a football team may or may not be good, are for those in the rear view mirror.

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And everyone is still looking forward at the Tide.

This was a game Alabama needed to win, not because they were No. 1 for the first time this season or because there's a pack of undefeated teams from lesser conferences nipping at their cleats -- the SEC championship game, after all will serve as a BCS title eliminator -- but because these gritty victories are the stuff that separate national title contenders from pretenders.

In their eighth consecutive game against one of the 10 best defenses, Alabama did what good teams do. They found a way to win.

Of course, if you'd asked Saban in the final five seconds, Alabama might've traded the gut-check victory for a quiet walk into the locker room.

Up until the final four minutes, it had all gone right for Saban's team. The Tide hadn't committed a turnover and clung to a 12-3 lead. But, three minutes and 30 seconds from their eighth win and a much-needed bye week, Alabama running back Mark Ingram lost the first fumble of his career. Two minutes later, Tennessee's Gerald Jones was celebrating the Vols' first touchdown. A successful onside kick gave the Vols the ball at midfield and a GPS guided rope of a pass from Jonathan Crompton to tight end Luke Stocker set up the game-winning field goal attempt.

But when everything went haywire, Alabama found a path to victory.

"I think great teams have great players that can make great plays in critical situations," said Saban, who would know a thing or two about great teams, having won the 2003 BCS title. "We had a couple of defensive linemen that made some huge plays."

It was a win from the history books of another national champion.

Three years ago, during Florida's run to the championship in the 2006 season, the Gators' Jarvis Moss blocked a pair of kicks in the fourth quarter against South Carolina, an extra point and a would-be game-winning field goal off the foot of Ryan Succop as time expired.

Stop us if any of this sounds familiar.

Florida held on for the 17-16 win over South Carolina. They were 9-1 with the victory that day and wouldn't lose again the rest of the year. Urban Meyer would later call it one of the greatest plays in Gator history.

Florida had found a way to win.

For Alabama, it was clear the season had begun to wear down the Tide. For eight straight weeks, the Crimson Tide had played one of the toughest schedules in the country. A week earlier, they held off a physical South Carolina team. Before that, it was Ole Miss. In Week 1, it had been Virginia Tech.

"I felt like our team was really tired this week psychologically, probably more mentally than really physically," Saban said. "We had a lot of guys beat up, a lot of guys missed practice and a lot of guys struggling to do what we need to do."

Now the schedule runs mostly downhill for the Tide, at least as downhill as the SEC gets. After a bye week, Alabama hosts LSU before finishing with dates at Mississippi State and stumbling Auburn, sandwiched around a late-season tune-up against Chattanooga.

Saturday's win did leave some questions unanswered for the Tide -- not the least of which was whether an armpit has ever played such a pivotal role in a national title game. Embattled quarterback Greg McElroy didn't commit a turnover against a stifling Tennessee defense, but still is the team's obvious weak link. The Volunteers out-gained the Alabama and the Tide benefited from a pair of Leigh Tiffin field goals that just scraped by over the cross bar, and one from Lincoln that didn't.

Are the Tide great? No. But this year, that's the wrong question. There are no great teams. The only question that matters is if anyone else is better. After Saturday, the answer is no.

Because in the end, Alabama did exactly what good teams do. They found a way to win, even if it was as unlikely and unsightly as a 360-pound man taking flight.

Tidal Save Proves Alabama Still No. 1 originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ray HollomanSat, 24 Oct 2009 20:41:00 EST SEC Notebook: Polls Not Tide's Concernhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/sec-notebook-tide-not-worried-about-polls/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/sec-notebook-tide-not-worried-about-polls/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/sec-notebook-tide-not-worried-about-polls/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

When it comes to debating rankings, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is a fuddy-duddy.

So there's no need to waste your time, even if the Crimson Tide leapfrogged SEC rival Florida into the top spot of this week's Associated Press poll. Of course, Alabama is also ranked second behind the Gators in the initial installment of the weekly BCS poll that will determine national title invites by early December.

Saban doesn't mean to be a killjoy -- or does he? -- but his game-at-a-time mantra is focused on Saturday's showdown against visiting Tennessee.

"If anybody asks me any questions about where we're ranked or what the poll is, what matters?" Saban asked. "Why does it matter? What's changed from this week to this Monday to last Monday? What's changed? We've got another game. This is the most important game of the year."

OK, agreed.

The Crimson Tide (7-0) is determined to finish October with a flourish. Off next Saturday, Alabama closes out a three-game homestand with a visit from LSU on November 7 before it positions itself for the regular-season's final stretch.

Of course, Alabama could have its hands full with the Vols (3-3) if not careful. But if the Crimson Tide is need of a hero, a shining star has risen from the Crimson Tide's backfield, and his name is Mark Ingram.

The sophomore has rushed for 905 yards and eight touchdowns for 129.29 yards per game average to rank fourth nationally and first in the SEC. Ingram's flashy -- he leads the nation with 30 rushes of 10 or more yards and also has chipped in eight receptions for 10 or more yards. And Ingram's tough -- he has gained 580 yards after first contact.

Best yet, Ingram is coming off his best performance of the season, rushing for 246 yards against South Carolina last week.

"He's a great competitor and a driven guy," Saban said.

"He works hard in practice every week. He plays fast all the time. He has a great competitive spirit and certainly will stay focused on the things that are going to help him continue to satisfy his goals."

Don't look for Alabama to change its goals, or its approach, according to the philosophical Saban.

"I'm very hopeful that we can stay on the positive side of it and be positive about our approach to what we are trying to accomplish and what we're trying to do and not get risk-aversive and start playing to keep from getting beat and a lot of negative motivation about what's going to happen if this happens and all that kind of stuff," Saban said.

"Not to avoid but to gain, is the way we'd like to approach it."

FINALLY, A STRONG FINISH?

South Carolina has been down this road before.

The Gamecocks are 5-2 and positioned nicely to make this coach Steve Spurrier's most successful season at South Carolina. The Gamecocks can continue their surge with a home victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday, a win that would give Spurrier 105 conference wins and tie him with Vince Dooley for third-most in SEC history.

Spurrier isn't one to relax, even if Vanderbilt has lost five straight conference games. Let's not forget the Commodores have beaten the Gamecocks the past two years.

"We're not a real dominant team," Spurrier said. "I think we're a real good team. We can play with almost anybody. We have to play a lot harder. We have to play with courage, effort and smarts."

That approach could help the Gamecocks avoid an unsettling trend of poor finishes. They lost their final three games last season, their final five in 2007 and, for the record, are 10-15 from the midway point of October under Spurrier.

"The pressure is on us to play the best we can every week," Spurrier said.

"We don't get too much in what happened last year or the year before. They outplayed us the last two years. They were better than we were. Give them credit. We'll try to play better this year and coach better, and see if we can come out on top against Vanderbilt."

ROAD TRIP

Save the postcards.

Florida hasn't enjoyed its past visits to Starkville, Miss.

The Gators travel to Mississippi State on Saturday seeking their first win at Davis Wade Stadium since 1985. They have dropped their last four games there, losing to the Bulldogs in 1986, 1992, 2000 and 2004. Second-ranked UF entered three of the games ranked, and two of the games are among the 12 conference defeats that Spurrier suffered as Florida's coach.

The showdown is also a reunion for Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen, a former assistant coach under UF's Urban Meyer since their days at Utah. Mullen last served as the Gators' offensive coordinator, helping quarterback Tim Tebow win the Heisman Trophy and UF a pair of national titles.

"We're coming in, planning to win the football game," Mullen said.

"You never go to play a game that you think you can't win. Our guys are focusing on winning the game this Saturday, and focusing on doing the things you have to do to win the football game. There's nothing quite like winning a football game. It isn't anything crazy we need to do to win, we just have to focus on the game plan at hand in order to come out victorious."

OFFENSIVE OUTBURST

LSU and Auburn tangle in a game where both teams need their offense to set the tone.

LSU, which was off last week, is 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. The Tigers are one of two SEC West teams -- the other is Alabama -- to control its own destiny in the division race.

They will need solid performances from quarterback Jordan Jefferson and running back Charles Scott. Jefferson has been inconsistent as a passer and Scott is in search of a breakout game. LSU figures to rely heavily on the run because Auburn is allowing 181.4 yards per game, 11th in the SEC and 99th nationally.

Auburn, meanwhile, is coming off its worst offensive performance of the season, managing just 315 yards in its 21-14 loss to Kentucky.

Auburn (5-2, 2-2), which opened the season with five consecutive wins, has scored a combined 37 points in its past two games; it scored at least 37 in each of its first four. The passing attack is struggling, too. Quarterback Chris Todd threw 11 touchdown passes in the first four games but just one in the past three.

"You can't pinpoint our struggles on one thing. I don't believe in that," Auburn coach Gene Chizik said.

"There are a lot of things that can go wrong. I still feel that we can fix some of the mistakes and get back on track. There's a lot of issues in there, and we really feel very strongly that we're going to get that rectified. But it has been off the last two weeks."

SEC Notebook: Polls Not Tide's Concern originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Jim HenryFri, 23 Oct 2009 13:15:00 EST Volunteering My Beard for Tennessee Bethttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/volunteering-my-beard/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/volunteering-my-beard/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/volunteering-my-beard/#commentsFiled under: ,


Alabama opened as a 16.5 point favorite over Tennessee. So I did what any self-respecting Tennessee fan would do when faced with this obstacle: I wagered my beard that Tennessee will cover that spread with Memphis radio host Chris Vernon, the man behind the cult classic video, Colonel Reb Is Crying. Given that I've been rocking the beard since 2002, I'm very confident in my bet, almost as confident that this will be a single-digit game that isn't decided until the fourth quarter. I'll explain why as I break down the game, but know this, right now Alabama fans are rolling their eyes and banging on their their talking typewriters -- as computers have yet to reach Alabama -- "Your an idiot," they're about to type in their magic invisible letters -- you know it as e-mail -- to me.

That's because Alabama fans are one of the rarest of all fan species, drenched in self-confidence even when their team isn't good, swimming in a sea of crimson arrogance when they are actually good. No matter the situation Alabama fans refuse to believe they will ever lose. Ever. In fact, let's call them what they are: The most confident fanbase on Earth.

Most fanbases greet the No. 1 ranking in the country with trepidation, seeing defeat lurking in unlikely corners. Not Alabama. They expect their team to squash all competition, including, if necessary, such lightweights as NFL champions. In fact, many Crimson Tide fans would argue that you can't be overly confident when you've won 99 consecutive national championships. (I'm citing the always reliable Paul Finebaum for that statistic.) And they have a point there. They have been successful.

But more successful than any fanbase in the history of American sports? I think not. Next week maybe I'll rank the most irrational fan bases out there. Kentucky basketball, the New York Yankees, and Notre Dame football all figure in the equation, but for the present moment none of that matters, Alabama is going to win.
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No matter who they are playing.

Roll, Tide, Roll!

And before we get further rolling with the ClayNation game breakdown, let me be clear, I like Alabama fans. Their irrational optimism, the range of fashion choices made by the men, from Little Lord Fauntleroy to 55-year-old men dressed in double camo gear, snuff in the back pocket alongside a Brodie Croyle bobblehead, and an unshaven, bedraggled look l like to call, Tuscaloosa Sunrise.

I love them all. As Tiny Tim would say, God bless them each and every one. On to the breakdown.

1. Which Greg McElroy are we going to get in this game?

The one in the first five games who threw for nine touchdowns, no picks, and completed 68 percent of his passes or the guy from the past two games who has completed just 46 percent of his passes with no touchdowns and two interceptions? In fact, McElroy's play has declined precipitously in every game since the 35-7 win over Arkansas on Sept. 26, when he was nearly perfect.

Is there something that defenses have noticed in preparing for McElroy, like they evidently have with Chris Todd at Auburn, or is this simply a function of McElroy not playing well?

2. At some point, if you're a male Alabama fan with hugely drooping Bama Bangs, shaking a red and white pompom, wearing a bowtie above khaki pants that are too tight, and sunglasses hanging on a cord around your neck, don't you have to look at yourself in the mirror and think, "My God, I am a huge clown. Tuscaloosa is the only place on Earth right now where I could walk into a bar without people believing I was dressed up for Halloween as the biggest tool in America."

3. Which Jonathan Crompton are we going to get?

Soon enough we'll know whether Crompton caught the Willie Martinez Flu -- unlike the regular flu it makes you play 250 percent better than you ever have before -- or whether Lane Kiffin has finally fixed the biggest head case in Tennessee since Elvis post-Priscilla.

Kiffin, come Saturday the most confident man in the state of Alabama who is not an Alabama fan, has gone so far as to suggest that Crompton, Crompton! (uttered by every UT fan in the same tone that Newman! was uttered by Seinfeld) deserves a look as a first-round pick based on the Georgia game.

Seriously.

I'm terrified that the Tennessee Titans are going to end up with Crompton and we'll never be apart.

At long last, Crompton put together a decent game against a decent opponent, but you can still draw a distinct line between Good Crompton and Bad Crompton. Regarding the former, in UT's three wins this season, Crompton has thrown 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. In the three losses? Two touchdowns and six interceptions.

Which one will we get against 'Bama? I have no clue.

Neither does Crompton.

4. Why do fans of both teams insist on wearing camouflage college gear?

Hypothesis: Generally speaking deer do not care who the people trying to kill them root for.

So who is this apparel designed for? People who are trying to disguise who they are rooting for? People who can't stomach the thought of being in the woods and not being able to support the team? Isn't it borderline taunting for Bambi's final image as she gives up the deer ghost to be a power T or a crimson A?

I'm doing a whole column on this at some point. But come Saturday these people will be everywhere.

5. Is Monte Kiffin truly going to dominate pro-style offenses this season or will his defense fade down the stretch?

Against Georgia last week, in his first chance to play a non-spread offense in a month, Monte Kiffin made Georgia look like a junior varsity high school team. They didn't get inside the UT 30 for the entire game. Can he continue that against Alabama? Probably not.

But can he devise a gameplan that limits Julio Jones while still stopping Bama's rushing attack? Certainly.

Will it happen? Tune in.

6. Why won't 'Bama let UT wear orange? Why do people care what color the team wears?

In case you missed it, UT requested to wear their orange jerseys on the road and Alabama rejected the idea.

Let me be clear on this, caring what color uniform your team wears makes you a girl.

Period. (Pun intended.)

There are no exceptions.

Some Tennessee fans have been obsessed with whether or not we're going to wear black jerseys for months. I can't think of anything dumber. Same with an entire stadium doing an (insert color here)-out. If you've ever had a conversation about the color your team is going to wear with a male friend, you need new friends.

7. Which team can get their running attack established?

Mark Ingram has been the warhorse for Alabama. He's currently leading the SEC in rushing yardage. meanwhile Tennessee's Montario Hardesty is in fourth place. Both men are in the top 12 in the country. What's more, both teams boast a standout freshman backup -- Trent Richardson for 'Bama and Bryce Brown for Tennessee.

Given that there are questions at quarterback for both teams, if either squad can establish a consistent running game, look for that team to control the outcome. Given that Tennessee's rush defense is ranked 30th in the country, and Bama is ranked third, odds would favor the Crimson Tide in this battle.

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Notre Dame receiver Robby Paris (82) is injured on a hit by Southern California's Taylor Mays (2) and Kevin Thomas (15) late in the fourth quarter during a college football game, Saturday, October 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

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    Notre Dame receiver Robby Paris (82) is injured on a hit by Southern California's Taylor Mays (2) and Kevin Thomas (15) late in the fourth quarter during a college football game, Saturday, October 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

    Iowa State quarterback Jerome Tiller dives for extra yardage during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Baylor, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State won 24-10.

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    Mississippi State running back Anthony Dixon, top, dives into the end zone for a touchdown over Middle Tennessee State defenders, from left, Antwan Davis, Danny Carmichael and Cam Robinson, in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Mississippi State won 27-6.

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    Connecticut football coach Randy Edsall, center, leads his players during NCAA college football practice in Storrs, Conn., on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. Practice was scheduled as usual despite the on campus slaying of player Jasper Howard over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Ruhe)

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    Connecticut football coach Randy Edsall, center, leads his players during NCAA college football practice in Storrs, Conn., on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. Practice was scheduled as usual despite the on campus slaying of player Jasper Howard over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Ruhe)

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    Connecticut football coach Randy Edsall, center, leads his players during NCAA college football practice in Storrs, Conn., on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. Practice was scheduled as usual despite the on campus slaying of player Jasper Howard over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Ruhe)

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    Camouflage design football cleats are displayed during a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, in Columbia, S.C. Maryland and South Carolina will wear uniforms with camouflage designs during their NCAA college football games on Saturday, Nov. 14, to honor military veterans and promote the Wounded Warrior Project. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

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    South Carolina's football coach Steve Spurrier holds up a jersey with camouflage designs during a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, in Columbia, S.C. Maryland and South Carolina will wear uniforms with camouflage designs during their NCAA college football games on Saturday, Nov. 14, to honor military veterans and promote the Wounded Warrior Project. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

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    South Carolina's football coach Steve Spurrier, center, flanked by Sgt. Jeremy Hale, left, and Master Sgt. Pete Lara, both from Fort Jackson, as he holds up a jersey with camouflage designs during a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, in Columbia, S.C. Maryland and South Carolina will wear uniforms with camouflage designs during their NCAA college football games on Saturday, Nov. 14, to honor military veterans and promote the Wounded Warrior Project. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

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    A UConn Huskies player pats a teammate on the shoulder as the team is called to "play hard in honor of Jasper" by another team member, at the start of practice on the UConn Storrs, Conn., campus on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. Practice was scheduled as usual despite the slaying of Jasper Howard ( 6) over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Ruhe)

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8. What's the psychology of Alabama's new No. 1 ranking likely to be?

Alabama has not played against Tennessee as the No. 1 team in the country since, wait for it, 1980.

Were you as shocked by this as I was? And Alabama has played Tennessee as the No. 1 team in the country only twice all-time.

Alabama fans are shocked right now as well because they believe that Alabama has been the default top-ranked team in America for the past 67 years. (The streak was broken when World War II broke out and every Alabama football player was simultaneously named a General.)

In fact, Tennessee will play the No. 1 team in the country twice this season for the first time in the history of Tennessee football. And they've only played the top team in the AP poll 8 times since 1959.

I say all that for this for one reason, playing the top team in the country is a big deal that doesn't happen very often. But I'm not sure Tennessee and Lane Kiffin are going to play like it is a big deal because they've already played Florida on the road. Which is a pretty big benefit because I think it eliminates the jaw-dropping, scared to death factor. Meanwhile, I think Alabama will come out a bit uptight with the new ranking.

I could be wrong, but I think 'Bama will make a few mistakes early that keep this game close for the first two quarters. After that, we'll see. But I believe the psychology of being No. 1 will have an impact.

9. Can Tennessee keep Alabama from scoring on special teams?

The UT staff has to be having legitimate talks right now about kicking the ball straight up into the air to be fielded by the upbacks at the 35 and punting the ball out-of-bounds on every punt.

Why?

Two weeks ago Georgia scored on a touchdown on a kickoff return. The same thing happened against Ohio a month ago. Meanwhile Auburn gouged the Vols all night with big returns. Adding it all up, wait for this, Tennessee is 118 out of 120 teams in kickoff coverage.

Stop laughing Alabama fans, you're 102. And you've also had two kickoffs returned for touchdowns against you.

I have a proposition, could both teams just reach a gentleman's agreement to start each drive on the 30?

10. What of the bye week?

Alabama is coming off consecutive big games, a road contest at Ole Miss that had been hyped for months and a Homecoming tilt against South Carolina. Tennessee, on the other hand, has been resting up and preparing for Alabama.

If Tennessee's coaching staff is as good as advertised, that means there should be some wrinkles that Alabama won't be expecting. So this week represents another great laboratory to analyze Tennessee's first-year staff.

As if that weren't enough, has anyone else noticed how quiet Lane Kiffin has been this week? It's the antithesis of how he prepared for Florida. As if that weren't enough, compared to the verbal grenades that Kiffin has lobbed at Florida, he's been very quiet about the Crimson Tide. By design or not, I think we've set up the potential for a stealth attack.

11. Whither the beard?

Come Saturday by 7 CT, I may very well be intentionally clean-shaven for the first time since 2002. But I don't think I will.

This game is going to be epic, and it's going to be tight until the fourth quarter. I can't wait to see it in person. But regardless, come Saturday, only one thing is certain -- every Alabama fan thinks they're going to win 50-0.

Clay Travis is the author of three books. His latest, "On Rocky Top: A Front Row Seat to The End of an Era" chronicles the 2008 Tennessee football season and is on sale now.

Volunteering My Beard for Tennessee Bet originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Clay TravisThu, 22 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST Florida, Alabama Atop BCS Rankingshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/bcs-rankings-2009-alabama-florida-texas-boise-state-cincinn/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/bcs-rankings-2009-alabama-florida-texas-boise-state-cincinn/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/bcs-rankings-2009-alabama-florida-texas-boise-state-cincinn/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Tim TebowThe first BCS standings of the college football season are out, and as everyone expected, they're topped by SEC rivals Florida and Alabama, with Texas coming in third. But there were some surprises after that.

Boise State is the No. 4 team, meaning the Broncos haven't been hurt -- so far -- by their soft schedule. That's the highest opening position for a team from outside the six BCS conferences, and it gives the Broncos a sliver of hope that they could end up in the national championship game.

And in the big surprise of Week 8 of the college football season, Cincinnati is the No. 5 team in the BCS, with Iowa at No. 6 and USC all the way down at No. 7.

The big takeaway from all of this is that even if USC runs the table in the Pac-10, they're going to need a lot of help to get into the BCS title game. USC probably cost itself a shot at the national championship when it lost to Washington a month ago.

What do you think of the BCS standings? Tell me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.

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TUSCALOOSA - OCTOBER 17: Running back Mark Ingram #22 of the Alabama Crimson Tide ran for 246 yards and a touchdown during the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 17, 2009 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Crimson Tide beat the Gamecocks 20-6. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mark Ingram
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    In this undated photo provided by the University of Connecticut, Jasper Howard is seen. Howard, 20, of Miami, and another student were stabbed during a fight after a fire alarm was pulled during a university sponsored dance at the UConn Student Union just after 12:30 a.m., police said. (AP Photo/University of Connecticut) **NO SALES**

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    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall speaks during a news conference about the stabbing death of playerJasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, speaks at a news conference about the stabbing death of player Jasper Howard as university president Michael J. Hogan, second from left, Major Ron Blichter of UConn Police, center, UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway, second from right, and player Desi Cullen, right, listen in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, comforts senior captain Desi Cullen, right, during a news conference about the stabbing death of teammate Jasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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    A student walks by yellow tape marking the crime scene where University of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard was stabbed and killed early Sunday morning, in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, comforts senior captain Desi Cullen, right, during a news conference about the stabbing death of teammate Jasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Howard, 20, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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    Police vehicles are parked at the crime scene where University of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard was stabbed and killed early Sunday morning, in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, comforts senior captain Desi Cullen, right, during a news conference about the stabbing death of teammate Jasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Howard, 20, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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    Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee (5) is tackled by Texas Tech's Bront Bird, in the second half of their NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Texas Tech beat Nebraska 31-10.(AP Photo/Dave Weaver)

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    Texas Tech's Brandon Sharpe (92) swats down a throw by Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee (5), as Nebraska's Ricky Henry (74) and Marcel Jones (78) block Texas Tech's Colby Whitlock (93), in the first half of their NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

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Florida, Alabama Atop BCS Rankings originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Michael David SmithSun, 18 Oct 2009 17:07:00 EST Sense of Urgency Surrounds Gatorshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/sense-of-urgency-surrounds-gators/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/sense-of-urgency-surrounds-gators/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/sense-of-urgency-surrounds-gators/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A majority of callers that flooded local radio sports talk shows late Saturday night were not thrilled with their top-ranked Florida Gators. Most complaints focused on the offense. Agitated fans moaned about turnovers, predictable play-calling and porous blocking along the line.

UF had escaped with its life hours earlier over Arkansas, 23-20, but it was obvious not everyone was impressed with the Gators. Include head coach Urban Meyer and Associated Press voters in that mix, too.

Not even a restless night's sleep made it any better for Meyer, who admitted his team -- the defending BCS champion and winners of a nation-best 16 straight -- needs to get its act together. AP voters also noted UF's struggles, dropping the Gators behind Alabama in Sunday's poll.

"We kind of operate around here with urgency, and that's not something we're ashamed of," Meyer said Sunday morning during his teleconference.

"We can sit back and say we are the No. 1 scoring offense, the No. 1 rushing offense, No. 1 scoring defense, total offense ... all these categories but you still don't feel we are operating at the highest level of efficiency.

"No. 1, that's turnovers. That's the first indication. We are going to practice at a very high rate of urgency this week, and No. 2 was you found a way to win a game when you probably shouldn't have. That tells you the team really stuck together and made plays when it had to."

UF's goal of repeating as national champion nearly turned into Pig Sooey before a homecoming crowd of 90,508 at The Swamp. The Gators needed Caleb Sturgis' 27-yard field goal with nine seconds to play to survive the 25-point underdog Razorbacks. UF quarterback Tim Tebow was sacked six times, the Gators lost four fumbles and, worse yet, they went 1-for-4 in the red zone in the first half.

"It was probably the worst first half we've ever played," Meyer said.

The second half was better, but not by much. Sure, the Gators were able to overcome a 20-13 deficit early in the fourth quarter. But UF fans -- Meyer, too -- were upset by unsettling trends six games into the season.

Despite their gaudy numbers -- UF is averaging 36.3 points per game and 470.5 total yards per game -- the Gators are a minus-2 in turnover margin and have scored just 15 touchdowns in 30 trips in the red zone (inside an opponent's 20-yard line).

"Our concerns right now are our red-zone production and turnovers, which in the plan to win those are really two things we really work at," Meyer said. "Obviously, how do you fix that? You have to work at it even harder."

The Gators may have their work cut out for them this week on the road against former UF offensive coordinator Dan Mullen, now the head coach at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs (3-4) snapped a three-game losing streak with Saturday's 27-6 over Middle Tennessee.

Mullen, of course, had been alongside Meyer dating back to their undefeated season at Utah in 2004. Meyer wants his good friend to succeed -- "One thing about Dan is he's very smart. He's not going to make emotional decisions, he's very smart and I think he'll do fine," Meyer said when asked about Mullen's decision to pursue Mississippi State's head coaching vacancy -- but he has pressing issues of his own.

UF had been in the top spot of the AP poll since the preseason, but the Crimson Tide has been gaining ground for weeks by winning more convincingly than the Gators.

Alabama, which waxed Arkansas earlier in the season, beat No. 22 South Carolina Saturday night. The Crimson Tide overcame four turnovers -- doubling their season total -- and 10 penalties.

Meyer can relate, stressing that UF turnovers must be corrected.

"Guys are not going to touch the ball that we don't have confidence in," Meyer said.

"We are not in some charity program where, hey, let's try to get this guy the ball. If you are not tight with the ball, you are not going to touch it. Guys make mistakes. We are going to point it out on film, coach it and eventually if it doesn't improve those guys don't touch the ball.

"I have great confidence those guys will."

Sense of Urgency Surrounds Gators originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Urban MeyerUrbanMeyerJim HenrySun, 18 Oct 2009 14:18:00 EST BCS Standings 2009: Florida, Alabama, Texas, Then What?http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/bcs-standings-2009-florida-alabama-texas-then-what/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/bcs-standings-2009-florida-alabama-texas-then-what/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/bcs-standings-2009-florida-alabama-texas-then-what/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Update: You can check out the first BCS standings here.

The first BCS standings of 2009 will be released on Sunday afternoon, and everyone agrees that a pair of SEC teams, Florida and Alabama, will be the top two, followed by Texas at No. 3. But what comes after that?

According to the usually accurate BCS Guru, Boise State will edge out USC for the No. 4 spot, and the remainder of the Top 10 will consist of Iowa, LSU, Cincinnati, TCU and Miami.

But the BCS standings are mostly a curiosity at this time of year. There's no prize for being atop the BCS on Oct. 18; the prize comes at the end of the season. So what's likely to happen over the next seven weeks?

For starters, obviously, either Florida or Alabama will lose, because if they keep winning they'll meet in the SEC Championship Game. That means Texas just needs to keep winning, and they'll be in the BCS title game. The Longhorns' toughest remaining game is their next one, at Oklahoma State.

So if form holds, the Florida-Alabama winner will play Texas for the national title. Of course, in college football, form usually doesn't hold. But two of the top three losing wouldn't necessarily open the door for No. 4 Boise State. The Broncos' schedule is so easy the rest of the way that they really have no opportunities to impress either the poll voters or the computers. Even if the Broncos keep winning, they could easily get passed by USC, Iowa, LSU, Cincinnati or TCU.

What could put Boise State in the BCS title game conversation would be Oregon upsetting USC on Halloween. Since Boise State beat Oregon in the season opener, a Ducks victory over the Trojans would be huge both for the Broncos' strength of schedule and for their reputation among the poll voters.

Outside the Top 5, the two teams with the clearest paths to the title game are Iowa and Cincinnati, both of which are undefeated and atop BCS conferences. And after that? There are enough scenarios to make your head spin. And over the next couple months we'll all have fun sitting back and watching.
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BCS Standings 2009: Florida, Alabama, Texas, Then What? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Michael David SmithSun, 18 Oct 2009 10:41:00 EST Ingram Carries Tide, and Few Gamecockshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/ingram-carries-tide-and-few-gamecocks/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/ingram-carries-tide-and-few-gamecocks/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/ingram-carries-tide-and-few-gamecocks/#commentsFiled under:

Mark IngramWhen his team needed him most, when it couldn't move the football if they'd been allowed to use a Ryder truck, Mark Ingram put the Crimson Tide on his back.

Then, just for good measure, he put the Gamecocks on his back, too.

Only one of those was metaphorical.

"We all make plays when we get the balls in our hands," said Ingram, who rushed for 246 yards, mostly through the South Carolina defense. "I was able to score and make some things happen when they gave me the ball."

That, of course, was the overly modest version that probably ended with a parable about a cherry tree. The truth is that if Alabama public transportation carried that many men every day as Ingram did Saturday night, General Motors would be out of business in the state.

Bowling pins have made better group tackles than the Gamecocks did on Ingram.
Ingram finished with 269 yards of total offense, one touchdown and a 20-6 do-it-yourself victory over South Carolina, most on rushes that looked more like something out of a strongman competition than a play from scrimmage. According to ESPN research, a full 118 of his rushing yards came after contact from the defense.

Mob bosses aren't this hard to bring down.

"Mark Ingram was fantastic," Alabama coach Nick Saban said after watching his sophomore running back set the Bryant-Denny Stadium rushing record. "The guy ran with tremendous passion and heart and did a wonderful job out there. ... I can' tell you, if we had guys that could play like that, the sky would be the limit in terms of heart and character that he plays with."

Even with just one Ingram, the Tide were still sky high in the fourth quarter.

With Alabama clinging to a 13-6 lead with just over eight minutes remaining in the game, and with the passing attack a broken heap in the playbook, Ingram carried Alabama all the way to the finish. From his own 32-yard line, he broke a 24-yard run on the first play, then ran three more times for 18 yards. Then, on first-and-10 from the South Carolina 26, he ran for 22 yards out of a direct snap, the last five of which were with the right side of the South Carolina defense attached to his person like four oversized mittens tacked to a kids' coat.

Consider them human helmet stickers.

One player later, he was in the end zone and Alabama was on its way to its seventh win.

Six plays, six rushes, 68 yards.

Fortunately for all parties involved, the field was only 100 yards. If it had been longer, Ingram might've become the only player to complete a marathon in football pads.

"That drive was probably the best drive we had all game as an offense," Ingram said. "We struggled a bit, but when the time came, we came through in the clutch. There were times where I thought about coming out, but I stayed with it."

For an encore, Ingram led the team in receiving yards, too. Two catches, 23 yards.

If only he could break through college football's voting patterns like he did wannabe tacklers, Alabama, not Florida, would be No. 1 after Saturday's grind-it-out performance.

While the top-ranked Gators were playing poorly and struggling to beat Arkansas, a team Alabama popped 35-7 earlier in the year, the Tide were playing poorly, at least offensively, and winning convincingly.

Their quarterback completed a lousy 50 percent of his passes, tossed two interceptions and, by the last drive, was essentially a coxswain in a helmet. Their top special teams player and cornerback, Javier Arenas didn't play because of a rib injury. They committed four turnovers and were whistled for 113 yards worth of penalties.

And they did what good teams do.

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TUSCALOOSA - OCTOBER 17: Return man Julio Jones #8 of the Alabama Crimson Tide returns a punt while special teams defender Eric Norwood #40 of the South Carolina Gamecocks pursues him during the game at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 17, 2009 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Crimson Tide beat the Gamecocks 20-6. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Julio Jones;Eric Norwood
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    BOULDER, CO - OCTOBER 17: Dezmon Briscoe #80 and Johnathan WIlson #81 of the Kansas Jayhawks celebrate a touch down during the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field on October 17, 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dezmon Briscoe;Johnathan Wilson

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    BOULDER, CO - OCTOBER 17: Rier Geer #87 of the Colorado Buffaloes runs for a touch down against Arist Wright #41 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the game at Folsom Field on October 17, 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rier Geer;Arist Wright

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    BOULDER, CO - OCTOBER 17: Darrell Scott #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes runs away from Darrell Stuckey #25 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the game at Folsom Field on October 17, 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Darrell Scott;Darrell Stuckey

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    BOULDER, CO - OCTOBER 17: Darrell Scott #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes runs with the ball during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Folsom Field on October 17, 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Darrell Scott

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    BOULDER, CO - OCTOBER 17: A University of Colorado student shows off his shirt during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Folsom Field on October 17, 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images)

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    BOULDER, CO - OCTOBER 17: Head coach Dan Hawkins of the Colorado Buffaloes waits for an official ruling during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Folsom Field on October 17, 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dan Hawkins

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    BOULDER, CO - OCTOBER 17: Rodney Stewart #5 of the Colorado Buffaloes tries to break the tackle of Agnus Quigley #22 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the game at Folsom Field on October 17, 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rodney Stewart;Agnus Quigley

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    BOULDER, CO - OCTOBER 17: Tim Biere #86 of the Kansas Jayhawks runs for a first down against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field on October 17, 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tim Biere

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    BOULDER, CO - OCTOBER 17: The Kansas Jayhawks huddle up prior to the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field on October 17, 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images)

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    BOULDER, CO - OCTOBER 17: Todd Reesing #5 of the Kansas Jayhawks throws a pass against the Colorado Buffaloes during the game at Folsom Field on October 17, 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Todd Reesing

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They found a way to win, not because an opposing field goal kicker shanked a makeable kick way somewhere into the Gulf of Mexico, like Arkansas did against Florida, but because even when everything was going wrong, there was still too much right about Alabama to get the Tide in serious trouble.

Florida. pf course, deserves its due. If Saturday proved anything -- as Georgia Tech ran all over Virginia Tech, and Texas all but drowned in its Red River win, it was that the two best teams in the nation play in the SEC. Which team is the best is a question likely reserved for the SEC title game, with the winner moving on to the BCS title team to face a team that will be No. 2 in BCS ranking only.

But Alabama has found a way to win convincingly every week, blowing apart a Bud Foster defense, turning a supposed Heisman candidate quarterback into a piñata, and, when it mattered most, throwing body blow after body blow with Ingram until the kayoed the Gamecocks. They've toppled two teams ranked in the top five at some point in the season and now beaten a South Carolina team oh-so-close to being undefeated.

And they have Ingram, exactly the sort of power back who can run down clocks and run up yards. Each time he's broken 20 carries this season, he's topped 140 yards. In his last three games, he's rushed for 140 yards, 172 and now 246 yards.

How's that for a trend line?

He's even got the offensive line doing public relations for him, when not turning defensive lines into pieces of movable furniture.

"He's a hard worker and a great football player, "said senior left guard Mike Johnson. "As an offensive line, we're lucky to be blocking for him."

Of course, the Tide have problems to correct, most stemming from the quarterback position, but Saban sounded thankful he could make a point to his team while still protecting its unblemished loss column.

"Hopefully our players learned a few things about what it takes on a consistent basis to not only play but to prepare and do things right," Saban said, "to make the right choices and decisions so that you are prepared to play ... in terms of your intensity and sense of urgency."

Alabama will get there. Even if Ingram has to carry them, too.

Ingram Carries Tide, and Few Gamecocks originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>mark ingramRay HollomanSat, 17 Oct 2009 19:38:00 EST Starting 11: Tide Turning on Floridahttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/12/starting-11-tide-turning-on-florida/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/12/starting-11-tide-turning-on-florida/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/12/starting-11-tide-turning-on-florida/#commentsFiled under: ,

Urban Meyer, Tim TebowSaturday, Florida scored the fewest points since Urban Meyer's first year and still won by 10. And I still think the story that came out of the game was Tim Tebow's return to football life after 14 days in an Israeli cave. That's all well and good, but let's take a moment to examine the more interesting proposition, the Gators have given up just 32 total points in five games.

How is no one talking about this? The 2009 Gators have the potential to be one of the greatest defenses in the BCS era.

Let me throw some more stats at you. Florida is the No. 1 team in total defense, having allowed just two touchdowns all season, they are allowing the fewest yards per play in the country, 3.42, and the fewest yards per game, 202.6. They have the top pass defense in the country and the No. 11 rush defense. Oh, and they are giving up just 6.6 points per game, also tops in the country. While we've all been obsessing about Tebow and the Gators offense, Florida has quietly put together the most impressive defensive performance in the country.

But Florida's defense can't protect Tebow. Only Urban Meyer can do that. And no amount of sideline nuzzling can hide the fact that Tebow was running a quarterback sneak with two minutes left against LSU.

Why?

That's indefensible. The quarterback sneaking, not the nuzzling, I'm actually fine with that. A bit uncomfortable, but fine with it.

To his credit Gary Danielson, who I think is the best in the booth in college football, called Meyer on the stupidity of that play call. Anyway, on to the ClayNation Starting 11.

1. Having said all of that about Florida's defense, I think Alabama should be ranked the No. 1 team in the country.

Their performance has been the best in the country if you go entirely by the results on the field. Also, their ability to run the football is really shaping up as an issue for Florida in the SEC championship game.

Also, if you're Virginia Tech, that Alabama loss stands as exhibit A for why you don't play a challenging out of conference schedule if you're in the ACC. No matter what happens for the rest of the season, Alabama has to lose twice for Virginia Tech to jump them in the rankings. If they never played, Tech gets penciled in for the game against the winner of Florida-Alabama in the SEC Title Game. Now? Alabama could lose to Florida and, depending on outcomes, still get to play Florida again a month later instead of Tech.

If you're Tech and you win that game, you still might have to play Alabama again if they beat Florida in the SEC Championship Game. My point is, they truly gained nothing by playing that game.

2. Are Tim Tebow and Riley Cooper roommates?

Verne Lundquist is continuing his obsession with sharing Tim Tebow's roommate situation 14 times per game. You'll recall the Tony Joiner obsession from a few years ago, Tebow's former roommate. In the wake of Tebow's touchdown pass to Cooper, Lundquist couldn't stop mentioning this throughout the broadcast. In fact, I'm not sure he's mentioned Cooper this entire season without adding that he's Tebow's roommate.

Question, does anyone care who a football player rooms with? Doesn't every football player likely room with another football player?

Taking it to a broader level, if you were watching a flag-football game and a quarterback completed a pass to a receiver and someone standing next to you said, "You know, those guys are roommates," would this be remotely interesting to you?

No, right?

Yet with all his access to the Florida Gator football team, this is the anecdote that Lundquist shares again and again? There's a 100 percent chance he'll mention it during the Florida-Arkansas game this weekend. Test me if you're so inclined.

I think we should debut a new announcing rule when it comes to anecdotes: If you wouldn't be interested to hear it in a flag-football game, you shouldn't hear it on a national broadcast.

Now in Verne's defense, perhaps back in 1918 when Lundquist graduated from college in the midst of World War I, whom you were rooming with impacted your draft status. Or maybe he's thinking about the yellow fever epidemic of 1878, the one that took the life of John Bell Hood in Lundquist's youth, and mapping out the likely spread of disease from his bunker in Steamboat Springs.

3. Jevan Snead is the biggest disappointment in the country.

Through five games at Ole Miss, Snead has nine touchdowns and nine interceptions. Last season, he had only 13 picks all season. Even worse, he's completing just 47 percent of his passes on the season. Still worse? Against the only two teams with winning records that he's played against, South Carolina and Alabama, he's 18 for 55 (32.9 percent) with one touchdown and four interceptions.

Ole Miss fans don't even know what to think right now. Their greatest season in 40 years loomed, and already it has been dashed to pieces. Archie Manning looked crushed in the CBS studio. Also, is it just me, or does Archie Manning always look like he just got called onto television from the Gone With the Wind set? He looks like what Scarlett's first husband would have looked like if he'd grown older and not died of disease before the war started.

By the way, did anyone else happen to listen to Gary Barnett call this game on the radio while driving back from another game? He uses the word, "Wow," like you and I use the word "the." This was the least wow-like game of the weekend and Barnett reacted like he was still on the sideline for Northwestern-Notre Dame. Which, I'm sure, he still wishes he was.

4. Best pick-up line of the week: "I just got back from an expert deposition."

One of my lawyer friends who will remain nameless swears this is the greatest lawyer bar line in history. Even better than, "I love the law."

His reasoning, it sounds impressive even if college girls don't know what it means. Actual quote, "They may not know what a deposition is, but they know they want to be with the guy who is doing the deposition."

5. Two fun Florida State facts, 1.) The Seminoles have lost more ACC games this season, at 0-3, than they did from 1992 to 2000 when they were 71-2. B.) Chris Hope of the Titans introduced himself as from "Florida State in the 90s."

Broader question, why do people think things will be better when Bowden isn't on the sideline? Is he really making decisions now? Anyone who saw Bowden's play suggestion ignored late in the Miami game knows that he's completely a ceremonial leader already. So I'd be nervous about the Jimbo Fisher era if I was a Florida State fan.

In fact, I'm telling you, Florida State should say to hell with the coach-in-waiting deal and go after Mark Richt and Jon Gruden with everything they've got.

6. Is it time to acknowledge that HD games are stealing fans from college stadiums?

I want to do an entire expose on this, but remember when NFL teams were terrified that television was going to kill the gate for their league? And then this turned out to be relatively unfounded but they still introduced the draconian blackout policies when it came to televised games? Well, I think the accessibility of HD television and huge televisions to the average fan is finally making this fear a reality. At least combined with the huge seating capacity in college football and the horrible economy.

I need to do more research but here are a few points to buttress that argument:

A.) Tennessee has only had one home sell-out in five games this season, Saturday against Georgia.

B.) South Carolina, standing at 4-1, drew just 68,278 for their game against Kentucky. That's the smallest crowd for a Gamecocks home game since 1998.

C.) Georgia didn't sell out last week's game against No. 4 LSU.

7. Reasons why I don't live in the North take four billion: it snowed a foot in Wyoming on Saturday.

A foot. On Oct. 9. WTF?

Two years ago I predicted that winter wasn't coming. This year, I wore shorts to an Oct. 10 football game and froze to death. If I'd been living in Wyoming Oct. 9, and it snowed a foot, as soon as the roads cleared, I would have been in my car headed South.

8. Iowa is the only undefeated Big Ten team left after their 30-28 victory over Michigan.

The Hawkeyes have beaten Northern Iowa by one and Arkansas State by three. Even at 6-0, they're losing three of their final six. Prediction, by Oct. 26, they won't be ranked.

By the way, how awful was that interception on the final Michigan pass attempt? If your friend threw that interception in an intramural game, you wouldn't buy him a beer later that night.

9. WIth Oregon-USC upcoming on Halloween, if the Ducks win, how many conversations will occur at bars discussing the opening-game loss to Boise State?

Analogy for you, Boise State is the guy in your freshman dorm who hooked up with the hottest chick who just broke up with her high school boyfriend the first weekend of college. Everyone was stunned he pulled it off, even the girl was. But for the rest of the semester he pulled other girls based solely on that takedown. Meanwhile the girl he hooked up went on to pledge a really "cool" sorority and never spoke to this guy again.

If I could tie the LaGarrette Blount punch into the equation, this would be an epic analogy. Maybe the high school boyfriend that she just broke up with showed up outside the guy's dorm room window with a guitar and played a winsome tune? The whole dorm rushed to the window and looked outside. Further cementing the hook-up in dorm lore.

No one ever talks about how much the BCS is like the collegiate hook-up world, you're judged almost exclusively by the quality of your hook-ups. And if you're a non BCS team and you do a good enough job early on, you've cemented your place at the upper ranks even if you don't play anyone else for the rest of the season.

Anyway, back to answer my original question, if Boise wins out, even if Oregon wins out, the Ducks can't play for the BCS Title.

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Washington's Kavario Middleton catches a pass for a touchdown against Arizona during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Washington won 36-33. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
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    In this Sept. 26, 2009, photo, Michigan cornerback Boubacar Cissoko (33) trails Indiana wide receiver Tandon Doss (2) on a long pass during an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich. Michigan has suspended Cissoko indefinitely for violating team rules. Coach Rich Rodriguez made the announcement Saturday night, Oct. 10, after Iowa beat the Wolverines 30-28. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)

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    Washington's Desmond Trufant returns an intercepting of a pass from Arizona's Nick Foles at the end fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Earlier in the quarter Washington intercepted another pass returning it for a touchdown to win 36-33 over Arizona. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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    Arizona's Nick Foles, left, talks with teammates before taking to the field for the final series against Washington during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Foles gave up two interceptions near the end of the game one scoring the winning touchdown as Washington wins 36-33. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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10. What's up with Dan Hawkins at Colorado?

Don't you think he watches Chris Petersen at Boise and wishes he'd never left? He's now 8-17 in conference in his fourth season in the Big 12. And this season is shaping up to be epically bad, his worst in Boulder.

Also, wouldn't this be a great job in the Big 12 North? You're closer to warm weather California kids than any other program in the Big 12, Boulder is an amazing college town, you've got a big city close by that could produce quality players for you unlike pretty much every other Big 12 North program; I don't get why lots of coaches in the country wouldn't be all over this job. Especially after a decade of futility.

11. In the wake of UT-Georgia, Auburn-Arkansas, South Carolina-Kentucky, Alabama-Ole Miss, and LSU-Florida, who is the third best team in the SEC? More broadly, have two teams ever distanced themselves more from the pack than Florida and Alabama?

Taking the first question, I have no real idea who is the third best in the conference. I'd be inclined to take Auburn but they were just walloped by three touchdowns and Chris Todd was exposed for the first time, by Arkansas' suspect defense no less. LSU's offense under Jordan Jefferson looks dubious. Georgia was embarrassed on Saturday. Tennessee, who along with Arkansas has the most impressive win over a decent team, has already lost to Auburn and UCLA in addition to Florida. Meanwhile Arkansas has lost at home to Georgia. Really, it's a complete crapshoot. Maybe South Carolina? But then their fans won't even show up to watch them play this season.

I have no idea.

And lost among that fact is a potential indictment of the SEC, if the conference is truly the strongest in the country from top to bottom, the muddle after the top two teams in the country could be the greatest argument against a BCS title rematch between Alabama and Florida. Just maybe, anyway. But right now, if both Florida and Alabama finish the regular season undefeated, I think we're going to see them play twice for the national title.

Starting 11: Tide Turning on Florida originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Clay TravisMon, 12 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST Ole Miss No Match for Alabamahttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/10/ole-miss-no-match-for-alabama/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/10/ole-miss-no-match-for-alabama/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/10/ole-miss-no-match-for-alabama/#commentsFiled under: ,


OXFORD, Miss. (AP) -- No. 3 Alabama is positively old-fashioned.

Other teams may have their shiny new spread offenses and pass-first mentality. The Crimson Tide just keeps getting it done with special teams and defense.

Alabama picked off four Jevan Snead passes and scored twice after special teams miscues to smother No. 3 Mississippi 22-3 on Saturday.

"This was the most complete win we've had all year, in a difficult situation," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "It's like climbing a mountain. The higher you go the more treacherous it gets."

Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt had won two of his last three and three of five against Top 5 teams, giving the Rebels hope they could re-enter the race for the Southeastern Conference Western Division with an upset. But the Rebels (3-2, 1-2 SEC) wasted a strong defensive performance with early offensive mistakes and never had the kind of consistency needed to rattle one of the nation's top defenses.

Alabama (6-0, 4-0) couldn't generate much offense against the Rebels defense, but didn't need it. Mark Ingram rushed for 172 yards and the game's only touchdown and Leigh Tiffin hit five short field goals, one shy of the school's single-game record.

The defense made it stand up, forcing Snead into the four interceptions, which matched a career high. The Crimson Tide's Cory Reamer also blocked a punt and recovered a fumble on a punt return.

Snead completed 11 of 34 passes for 140 yards, missing badly occasionally but also suffering from dropped balls. Twice Alabama defenders ripped the ball away from Ole Miss receivers who were bobbling it.

"We had a couple of new wrinkles for the game and I think he knew what we were doing," Alabama linebacker Cory Reamer said. "But our defensive line was in his face. And that's tough for any quarterback."

Saban said the Tide hit Snead on practically every pass attempt in the first half and it showed in Ole Miss' production. Alabama held the Rebels to 19 yards and one first down in the first half on the way to a 16-0 lead and allowed them past the 50 just four times overall.

The Rebels' offense was in complete disarray in the first 30 minutes and some of the school-record 62,657 fans booed the home team as it ran off the field. Snead completed just 2 of 12 passes for 14 yards with two interceptions and Alabama held the run-happy Rebels to 5 yards on the ground.
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"That was as fine a defensive performance in the first half as I've been around," Saban said.

It would have been far worse had the Rebels defense not come up with big play after big play despite being on the field for more than 35 minutes.

They were especially good after turnovers. The Rebels forced a field goal with a goal-line stand after Reamer's blocked punt gave Alabama the ball at the 5. But with the Ole Miss offense holding the ball for just 8:57 in the first half, Alabama used 47 plays for 237 yards to tire out the Rebels.

That helped Ingram score untouched from 36 yards out on fourth-and-1 with 55 seconds left in the half to make it 16-0.

"The fourth-down play was a special play we have," Saban said. "It was an unbalanced overload. We did a great job blocking and sealing. Mark did a great job running."

The Alabama defense came up big again late in the third quarter after Reamer stripped Dexter McCluster on a punt return and recovered the fumble, giving the Tide the ball at the Ole Miss 40. Ingram picked up its third fourth-down conversion, then carried the ball to the 3 with a 24-yard run.

The Rebels, however, held the Tide to Tiffin's fourth field goal.

After Kareem Jackson returned an interception deep into Rebels territory in the fourth quarter, the Ole Miss defense forced a fumble. Ole Miss defensive backs also knocked two passes away from Julio Jones in the end zone.

"Our defense was outstanding all night," Nutt said. "They were just playing so hard. They put us in a position to win."

Alabama has now held four of six opponents under 88 yards in the first half.

With Auburn losing to Arkansas and LSU up against No. 1 Florida later Saturday, the Tide has a chance to take control of what appeared to be a very tight SEC West race.

The Rebels were ranked as high as No. 4, their highest ranking since 1970, but have looked bad on offense for much of the season. They could drop out of the poll this week.

The five turnovers against Alabama were more than half Ole Miss' season total of nine entering the game.

"It's just too hard a mountain to climb when you do that," Nutt said.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Ole Miss No Match for Alabama originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>FanHouse NewswireSat, 10 Oct 2009 19:47:00 EST SEC Notebook: Rolling With Tidehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/08/sec-notebook-rolling-with-tide/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/08/sec-notebook-rolling-with-tide/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/08/sec-notebook-rolling-with-tide/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Greg McElroyAlabama coach Nick Saban certainly likes the Crimson Tide's offensive efficiency.

Alabama has stepped it up through the first five games this year, compared to the first give games in 2008. Alabama is averaging three points more points per game more and 86 more total yards per game above last season. The passing offense is where the major improvement has been, with the Tide throwing for 1,173 yards and nine touchdowns compared to 808 yards and six scores last season.

That's not all. For the first time since 1979, and just the third time in school history, No. 3 Alabama has opened the season with five straight games of 30 points or more. The Tide looks to extend that streak to six games on Saturday at No. 20 Mississippi.

"I think we've had good balance offensively," Saban said.

"I think we have been efficient in throwing the ball, which is important. We have been effective enough running it and I think the balance that we've created has probably been the key to our success and think it's going to be a key to future success that we continue to do that. If we can do both things equally well it will keep people off-balance and we have a multiple number of guys that are contributing to do that and making plays."

While Alabama still has an outstanding ground game, the passing game behind new quarterback Greg McElroy and a more seasoned group of receivers, tight ends and running backs has given the Tide more offensive punch. Alabama is averaging 228.2 rushing yards (10th nationally) and 234.6 passing yards (48th nationally) Overall, the Tide has completed 40 passes to receivers, 28 to backs and 19 to tight ends.

"We have good guys and that's just another opportunity to get them the ball in space," Saban said.

"I think the tight end is probably the best mismatched player on the field. I've always said that, in terms of who is covering him, where he lines up and how he gets defended. All these things are positives in my opinion. The quarterback makes good decisions and gets the ball in the right places and he's got the patience to do it and that's one of the reasons we have not turned it over a lot is we're not putting the ball where it shouldn't be going."

And, in case anyone is counting, McElroy has now won his last 21 starts at quarterback, going 16-0 as a high school senior in 2005 and 5-0 for the Tide in 2009.

Alabama also has beaten Ole' Miss five consecutive games, including the last two played in Oxford, Miss. But both of those games were decided on the final play.

"When you watch Alabama you don't see many weaknesses - offense, defense and special teams - they are playing excellent football right now," Ole' Miss coach Houston Nutt said. "They have excellent athletes and they don't make mistakes. They feed off of their opponent's mistakes. They are very physical and their guys can run."

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Rise and Shine

The SEC has deals with CBS and ESPN, and every team in the league will be on television this weekend. Of course, that means some teams wills start earlier than others.

Better keep the pancakes and eggs warm for the Arkansas-Auburn showdown. It's slated for an 11AM CT kickoff.

"We'll get them off the field a little quicker on Thursday, so we try to get their legs back," Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said.

"We'll get out of our meetings a little bit earlier on Friday night, get them in bed a little earlier, and then obviously they have to get up early and get going. I've always enjoyed early games and I think our players do too -- where you don't have to wait around and sit around in the hotel all day."

Auburn coach Gene Chizik admits the early kickoff alters the Tigers' routine -- at least he thinks it will.

"This is uncharted territory for us," he said.

"All of our games have been night games so far and it will be interesting. For early games we get up, eat, then play, but it shouldn't really affect us. This does create a new series of things that we will encounter, especially with such a young team."

Repeat Performance?

Last season, Arkansas beat No. 20 Auburn 25-22 in Alabama. Running back Michael Smith carried the ball 35 times for 176 yards and one touchdown.

Will Smith have another big game?

At the moment, Smith just wants to contribute.

Smith, who finished with 1,072 yards and eight touchdowns last season, has only 32 carries for 180 yards and one touchdown through the first four games this season. That's a dramatic decline from this time a year ago when, despite being suspended for the season opener, he had 54 carries for 295 yards and two touchdowns through the first four games of the season.

He's on pace to finish the regular season with 540 rushing yards.

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    In this photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes runs off the field during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Texas State in Fort Worth, Texas.The transformation of Jerry Hughes from prep running back to All-American defensive end was never more evident than the picture of a skinny kid somebody taped to his locker. Now nearly 50 pounds heavier and a senior for No. 11 TCU, Hughes now looks more like a potential first-round NFL draft pick. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

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    NEW YORK - OCTOBER 06: Matt Moore, a former college football player at Texas Christian attends The 24th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner benefiting The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis (national fundraising arm of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis) at The Waldorf=Astoria on October 6, 2009 in New York, New York. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for The Miami Project) *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore

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    Middle Tennessee State quarterback Dwight Dasher (9) avoids the tackle of Troy's Bear Woods (48) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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    Troy receiver Chip Reeves (8) celebrates with teammate Sergio Perez, rear, after scoring on a 52-yard pass reception in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Middle Tennessee in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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"I need to run better," said Smith, who led the team in receptions with five for 65 yards and a touchdown in last week's victory over Texas A&M. "If I begin to run better, then the amount of touches won't matter because I'll be gaining more yards with each game."

Praising Garcia

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is slow to praise his quarterbacks, particularly Stephen Garcia. But in his first full season as a starter, Garcia is playing well. The Gamecocks are third in the SEC and 14th nationally in total defense (264.4 yards per game).

"He's doing some better things," Spurrier said.

"We certainly hope and believe that he can continue advancing and throwing the ball more accurately here and there, but he did throw some good balls in the second half last week [in the win over South Carolina State]. That was encouraging. We need to throw some perfect passes.

"Receivers are running some decent routes, but that can get better. Pass protection can get better certainly ... fortunately we have a really good defense and we don't have to score every time we touch it. We've had one turnover per game -- five turnovers. Heck we had four in the first half of a game last year so we've come a long way."

SEC Notebook: Rolling With Tide originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Jim HenryThu, 08 Oct 2009 19:25:00 EST LSU Fans Have John Brantley's Numberhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/06/lsu-fans-have-john-brantleys-number/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/06/lsu-fans-have-john-brantleys-number/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/06/lsu-fans-have-john-brantleys-number/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Florida hasn't hit the field to play LSU, but already the Tigers have Gator quarterback John Brantley's number. His cell phone number, in fact. Yes, those crazy Cajuns have struck again, discovering the phone number of projected Gators starting quarterback John Brantley and doing pesky things with it like you'd expect an amateur fan base to do.

This is sort of old hat for LSU, as its fans also figured out how to reach out and touch opponents such as Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson and Georgia back Knowshon Moreno. They're rumored to have also discovered the numbers for several other Florida players and even coach Urban Meyer. At this rate they're probably not to far from reaching President Barack Obama with a different kind of 3 AM call if his health care push upsets them too much.
Actually, they could probably take a lesson the president is fast learning -- sometimes the more you're seen, the less effective you are as prestige diminishes. After the stunt's initial victory over Tebow's Gators in 2007, they've dropped the last two such crank call games, the targeted players defiantly making on field 'call me' gestures. They could definitely lose on Saturday, leaving a smoldering mess of the perceived effectiveness of the phone stalk.

This is one of those rare times I'm with Dr. Saturday and calling for an end to this silly stuff. It was funny if outrageous the first time, increasingly desperate, depraved and amateur once escalated.

LSU Fans Have John Brantley's Number originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Barack ObamaJohn BrantleyJohn Parker WilsonKnowshon MorenoUrban MeyerBrian GrummellTue, 06 Oct 2009 16:15:00 EST SEC Notebook: LSU a Tale of 2 Tigershttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/01/sec-notebook-lsus-season-a-tale-of-two-tigers/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/01/sec-notebook-lsus-season-a-tale-of-two-tigers/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/01/sec-notebook-lsus-season-a-tale-of-two-tigers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

LSUWill the real LSU please stand up?

Fourth-ranked LSU is between the hedges Saturday at No. 18 Georgia in a pivotal SEC showdown. Not only are the Tigers looking for their first victory in Athens, Ga., since 1986, they are facing their first ranked opponent of the season. Both challenges expect to test a LSU team still in search of its identity a month into the season.

"We're fortunate to be 4-0; we'd like to be 5-0, and only the next opponent stands between us and that goal," said LSU coach Les Miles, who will be making his first trip to Athens.

"I've never been to Athens, and I've never played between the hedges. I talked to (defensive coordinator) John Chavis about it, and he said it's a great environment. It's very much like any of the great SEC venues. It's loud and fun, and you'll really enjoy it. I really can't wait."

Georgia has won three straight and six of the last eight against the Tigers, tabbed a three-point underdog.

LSU's offense has played well this season behind quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who has passed for 708 yards and seven touchdowns. Although the Tigers have a talented group of running backs, paced by Keiland Williams and Charles Scott, who have combined for 363 rushing yards, LSU's ground game has been hit and miss. Mississippi State stacked the box and held the Tigers to just 35 rushing yards last week.

"I still want to run the football. It's too fundamental to me not to be important, and I want that," Miles said.

"I want it for Charles Scott and that offensive line and Keiland Williams, and I want to be able to come off the football. But again, the defense can choose to play everybody inside, and that makes it a much more difficult position to run the football."

LSU, which has upcoming home games against top-ranked Florida and Auburn, is also looking to avoid becoming the country's fourth consecutive team in the Top 5 to lose. But there is good news, too.

For the second consecutive week the SEC has three of the top four teams in the country -- No. 1 Florida , No. 3 Alabama and the Tigers. The last conference to have three of the top four in the AP poll was the Big Eight in 1971, when Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado were Nos. 1, 2 and 3.

Georgia, meanwhile, is determined to take better care of the rock.

The Bulldogs have a total of 12 fumbles and interceptions through their first four games, but they've managed to win three times. Only five teams in the NCAA's top division have a worst turnover ratio than Georgia, which has recovered one fumble and made two interceptions for a whopping minus-9. The Tigers have the country's fifth-best turnover ratio (plus-7).

"Every time you throw, you're taking a chance. Every time you run it, you're risking a fumble," Georgia head coach Mark Richt said. "We've just got to play ball and work on the fundamentals, things like ball security and making good decisions. The better we block, the better chance we'll have of not having turnovers. It all works together."

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The defense isn't doing its part, either. Georgia has forced fewer turnovers than any team in the SEC.

Three in a Row?

 LSU has recorded a goal-line stand in back-to-back games.

Last week against Mississippi State, the Tiger defense turned back the Bulldogs at the goal line with just over a minute left in the game to preserve the victory. The Bulldogs had four shots at the Tigers, three coming at the 1-yard line, but LSU turned them away each time.

The big plays came on third down when LSU safety Chad Jones tipped away a pass and then on fourth down when Jones stopped Mississippi State quarterback Tyson Lee shy of the end zone. A week earlier, UL-Lafayette was turned back after three tries from the 1-yard line. UL-Lafayette's last attempt from the 1-yard line resulted in a fumble, which was recovered by Perry Riley.

Not First Rodeo

If Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is cleared medically to play against LSU Oct. 10, following last week's concussion suffered against Kentucky, look for the Gators to take extra steps to protect their quarterback in the pocket.

Even so, head coach Urban Meyer admits that's a challenge because Tebow is "not your typical quarterback."

"Typical quarterbacks, when they get in the open field, they run out of bounds or slide," Meyer said.

"A lot of the runs are not designed runs. If something is not there a lot of quarterbacks throw it away. You don't see Tim do that very often. He's going to try to get positive yards. It's not like this is our first rodeo. We're very well aware of the pounding he takes. We're going to be very conscious of it for the right reasons. We always have been. He is a little more than he ever has been, conscious of it."

Blocked Correctly

UF offensive coordinator Steve Addazio has accepted blame for the play call and blocking scheme that saw Tebow get tattooed by Kentucky defensive end Taylor Wyndham.

While it's still unclear whether that's just coach-speak or left tackle Matt Patchan missed an assignment -- Wyndham came off the edge unblocked -- UF lineman Mike Pouncey says the blocking was correct.

"We blocked it right," Pouncey said.

"It was a no-deep call so we run blocked to the right and the backside end comes free and Tebow has to get the ball out fast and he didn't get the ball out fast. He knew he was coming. Tebow takes those hits all the time. I don't think it was the hit hat really knocked him out. His head hit someone (Florida lineman Marcus Gilbert's knee).

Nope, Addazio said. It's his responsibility to get players in correct positions.

"Ultimately on that play right there, where everything didn't exactly go to plan, it should go on one guy's shoulders - mine," Addazio said.

"That's it. No one else's. There's a fine line in there. To say this guy didn't do that, it's not an accurate statement at all. It goes on me. It's not on any player. I have to be in a better scheme."

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In this Sept. 26, 2009 photo, Virginia Tech tailback Ryan Williams, carries a flag on to the field prior to the start of the Miami-Virginia Tech NCAA college football game at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
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    In this Sept. 26, 2009 photo, Virginia Tech tailback Ryan Williams, carries a flag on to the field prior to the start of the Miami-Virginia Tech NCAA college football game at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

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    In this Sept. 19, 2009 photo, Virginia Tech tail back Ryan Williams powers forward for extra yardage during the first half of the Nebraska Virginia Tech NCAA college football game at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

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    In this Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, photo, Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark walks the sideline during the second half of an college football game against Syracuse in State College, Pa. Penn State won 28-7. Penn State takes on Illinois on Saturday Oct. 3, 2009 in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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    In this photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen (7) pitches the football as guard Chris Stewart (59) and center Eric Olsen (55) block during the fourth quarter of an NCAA football game against Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind. Notre Dame won 24-21. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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    In this photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, Notre Dame guard Chris Stewart (59), offensive tackle Paul Duncan (72) and guard Trevor Robinson (78) react following a touchdown by Notre Dame during the fourth quarter of an NCAA football game against Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind. Notre Dame won 24-21. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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    Dan Beebe, left, Big 12 Conference commissioner, listens as John Marinatto, Big East Conference commissioner, speaks at a press conference, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 at Yankee Stadium in New York. The NCAA college football conferences and the New York Yankees announced on Wednesday that they have agreed to a four-year deal to play the first bowl in the Bronx since 1962. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)

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    New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, center, speaks, as New York Yankees' managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner left, and Yankees' president Randy Levine, right, listen during a news conference, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 at Yankee Stadium in New York. The Big East and Big 12 NCAA college football conferences and the Yankees announced on Wednesday that they have agreed to a four-year deal to play the first bowl in the Bronx since 1962.(AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)

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    New York Yankees' managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner, right, receives a football and helmet from Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe, second from left, as Big East commissioner John Marinatto, second from right, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, left, look on, during a news conference, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York. The NCAA college football conferences and the New York Yankees announced on Wednesday that they have agreed to a four-year deal to play the first bowl in the Bronx since 1962. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)

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    A poster depicting how the football field will be situated stands on an easel during a press conference, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 at Yankee Stadium in New York. The Big East and Big 12 NCAA college football conferences and the New York Yankees announced on Wednesday that they have agreed to a four-year deal to play the first bowl in the Bronx since 1962.(AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)

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    Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops answers a question during a news conference in Norman, Okla., Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009. Oklahoma takes on No. 17 Miami in an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 3 in Miami. (AP Photo)

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In Hand

When is the game in hand?

That question has been debated often this week following Tebow's injury. Tebow was TKO'd late in the third quarter with the Gators leading the Wildcats by 24 points.

"That's always a tough question because the issue is you want to finish the game in a sound, solid fashion (as) how you started it," LSU coach Les Miles said. "It's something where the coach weighs the responsibility of getting your starters out before they get hurt."

Alabama coach Nick Saban didn't think the UF-Kentucky game as out of reach.

"I think it's the game, I think it's team you're playing," Saban said. "We didn't take our starters out until we were ahead of Arkansas 35-7 halfway through the fourth quarter."

No Love

South Carolina failed to crack the national rankings this week following last Thursday's victory over then-No. 4 Ole Miss.

Don't look for Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier, one of 59 coaches to vote in the USA Today poll, to fling his visor in disgust.

"I haven't paid a lot of attention to that, and I don't think it's a big deal," Spurrier said.

SEC Notebook: LSU a Tale of 2 Tigers originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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