Crimson Tide voted No. 1
January 9, 2010
It’s unanimous. Alabama is back on top in college football.
The Crimson Tide was voted No. 1 in The Associated Press poll early Friday to earn its seventh AP title after beating Texas 37-21 in the BCS championship game.
Only Notre Dame has more AP national championships, with eight. Oklahoma also has seven.
The Crimson Tide (14-0) hadn’t finished No. 1 since 1992, but in just three seasons under coach Nick Saban, the South’s most storied program has returned to greatness.
“Third year and we’re already national champions?” Alabama nose guard Terrence Cody said. “That’s hard to believe.”
Texas (13-1) is No. 2 in the Top 25 and Florida (13-1), last season’s champion, was third.
The only other unbeaten team in the nation, Boise State (14-0), wound up fourth. It was the Broncos’ best finish in the AP poll. Back in 2006, the last time Boise State busted the BCS and went undefeated, the Broncos ended up fifth in the final rankings.
Only four points separated Florida and Boise State.
The USA Today coaches’ poll had the same top five as the AP, but the gap between No. 3 Florida and No. 4 Boise State was 11 points.
The Tide is the fourth straight Southeastern Conference team to win the national title. No league had ever captured three straight before last season. Alabama is the first unanimous No. 1 in the final Top 25 since Texas in 2005.
Ohio State finished fifth followed by TCU, Iowa, Cincinnati, Penn State and Virginia Tech, giving the Big Ten three top 10 teams, the most of any league.
Poor postseason showings in recent years have hurt the Big Ten’s reputation nationally, but this season Ohio State and Iowa won BCS games as underdogs and Penn State beat LSU in the Capital One Bowl.
Pac-10 champion Oregon starts the second 10, followed by BYU, ACC champion Georgia Tech, Nebraska and Pittsburgh.
For the Cornhuskers, it’s the best final ranking since 2001, when they finished eighth.
No. 15 Pittsburgh, along with Wisconsin, Utah, LSU, Miami and Mississippi complete the top 20. The Hurricanes hadn’t finished a season ranked this high since they were No. 17 after the 2005 season.
The final five were Texas Tech, Southern California, Central Michigan, Clemson and West Virginia.
USC’s victory in the Emerald Bowl against Boston College helped the Trojans avoid ending a season unranked for the first time since 2001, coach Pete Carroll’s first year.
Alabama won five AP championships under Bear Bryant, three in the 1960s and back-to-back titles in 1978 and ‘79.
After Bryant retired in 1982, Alabama couldn’t keep up with the high standards he set. Gene Stallings, one of Bear’s Boys, came the closest, winning a national title in 1992.
But in the late 1990s and earlier this decade there were some lean — and at times embarrassingly bad — seasons for Alabama.
The Tide lured Saban away from the NFL after the 2006 season. He had ‘Bama back in the national title hunt last season and completed the journey this season.
“I’ll tell you what I told the team,” Saban said, “that I’ve never been prouder of a group of guys for their resiliency, their buy-in, their hard work, the blood, sweat and tears that they put in to accomplish what they accomplished this season.”
Tags: Alabama, bama, coach nick saban, Crimson Tide, fourth quarter, greg mcelroy, Insider, julio jones, leigh tiffin, mark ingram, Tide, touchdown pass, yard field goal, yard touchdownRelated posts
Gambling advocates upset with wager
December 11, 2009
Gov. Bob Riley made the usual friendly bet with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist
on last weekend’s Southeastern Conference football championship game: a crate of Florida oranges versus ribs from Dreamland Barbecue in Tuscaloosa.
But with Alabama’s win comes criticism over Riley’s push to close down the state’s electronic bingo halls.
Riley’s office says he never intended to collect the winnings and he asked Florida not to send the oranges.
Florida officials say they had been planning to send the citrus along. When Florida beat Alabama last year, Riley ponied up the ribs.
A Riley spokesman says the bet is in good fun and criticism is coming from upset gambling advocates.
Tags: advocates, barbecue, bet, bingo halls, bob riley, electronic bingo, florida gov, florida officials, florida oranges, football championship game, good fun, gov charlie crist, Insider, southeastern conference football, southeastern conference football championship, spokesman, tuscaloosa, wagerRelated posts
Nick Saban on SEC Championship Victory
December 6, 2009
Coach Nick Saban on SEC Championship Victory!!
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No. 2 Bama squeaks past Auburn,26-21
November 28, 2009
AUBURN, Ala. — No. 2 Alabama found its championship form in the nick of time.
Outplayed most of the game, the Crimson Tide stayed unbeaten with a 26-21 victory Friday over Auburn, taking the lead with a nearly perfect drive that was capped by Greg McElroy’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Roy Upchurch with 1:24 left.
Alabama (12-0, 8-0 Southeastern Conference) completed a second straight perfect regular season in the Iron Bowl, but did it the hard way against its bitter rival. The Tide fell behind in the opening minutes, but came out ahead to do its part to set up 1 vs. 2 showdown with top-ranked Florida in the SEC championship game.
But forget the national and league championship, the state title almost slipped away.
Auburn (7-5, 3-5) pushed the ball to the Alabama 37 on the final drive, but Chris Todd’s pass to the end zone was batted down by the Tide defense.
For the second straight day, one of the three teams at the top of the BCS standings and in control of the national title race was knocked woozy, but did not fall. Much like No. 3 Texas, which held off Texas A&M 49-39 on Thanksgiving night, Alabama found out being a big favorite against an archrival sometimes doesn’t matter much.
TCU and Cincinnati, the unbeaten teams behind Florida, Alabama and Texas in the BCS standings, are left to hope Florida State can pull an upset against Florida on Saturday that might open the door for them to reach the national title game.
The Tide survived a shaky effort by it’s usually stellar defense and a sub-par game from Heisman Trophy contender Mark Ingram.
The SEC’s leading rusher was held to 30 yards on 16 carries and was on the bench for most of the game-winning drive apparently having his left arm checked out by trainers.
McElroy and Julio Jones took over without him, aided by five runs and a 17-yard catch by freshman Trent Richardson on the 15-play, 79-yard drive that consumed more than seven minutes.
McElroy, who has been criticized at times as a weak link in an offense with a powerful running game, completed his final seven passes for 62 yards on the climactic drive after opening with an incompletion. Jones made four catches, three for first downs.
Auburn fans remained in the stands for several minutes when it was over, some seemingly stunned and others applauding a closer-than-expected game, while a sizable crimson-and-white contingent celebrated. A handful of ‘Bama players later returned to the field briefly.
Until the final minutes, Auburn had supplied most of the big plays and its maligned defense largely outplayed the nation’s top unit.
Auburn outgained Alabama 332-291 and, more surprisingly, dominated on the ground 151-73. McElroy was 21 of 31 for 218 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was sacked three times.
The Tigers stunned the Tide by rocketing out to a 14-0 lead in the first 9:18 when every trick seemed to work. Alabama hadn’t allowed a touchdown in the previous two games.
Alabama tied it up by halftime but then Todd pump faked and hit Darvin Adams for a 72-yard touchdown on the Tigers’ first drive of the second half to make it 21-14.
Alabama had three straight trips across midfield, ending with two field goals by Leigh Tiffin and Ingram’s failed fourth-and-1 run. Tiffin had earlier had a 42-yard attempt fall well short, another unfamiliar sight this season for the Tide season.
That left Auburn nursing a 21-20 lead going into the fourth.
The Tigers had a solid chance to extend the lead after taking over at Alabama’s 44 following yet another defensive stand. But the Tide defense tackled Ben Tate for a 7-yard loss and then buried Todd for another 10-yard loss.
That set the stage for McElroy, who must have won over even his most ardent doubters with the poise and precision he displayed as the clock wound down.
Tags: archrival, bcs standings, bitter rival, Crimson Tide, greg mcelroy, Insider, iron bowl, julio jones, mark ingram, national title game, roy upchurch, s pass, sec championship game, stellar defense, teams at the top, thanksgiving night, touchdown pass, unbeaten teams, yard touchdownRelated posts
Mocs Fall To Alabama, 45-0
November 21, 2009
The No. 2 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide scored five touchdowns on five straight possessions in the first half in a 45-0 shutout of Chattanooga at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Senior Day.
UTC held the SEC foe on a three and out on Alabama’s first possession, then the Mocs got a first down. However, it was downhill after that.
UTC gained 53 yards on the ground and 36 in the air against one of the top defenses in the country.
Sophomore Mark Ingram ran for 102 yards and two scores on 11 carries before the break, and senior cornerback/returner Javier Arenas scored his seventh career punt return touchdown to break the Southeastern Conference record. Arenas also intercepted a pass on the afternoon.
Senior kicker Leigh Tiffin tied the Alabama record for career field goals and single-season field goals with a 41-yarder in the third quarter, giving him 78 for his career and 25 this season.
Before the game, the 27 members of the senior class were honored on the field.
It was the final game of the season for the Mocs, who finish with a winning record of 6-5 under new Coach Russ Huesman after managing only one win last season and two the season before.
Alabama goes on the road next week to face rival Auburn on Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Central time, and the game will air on CBS.
Tags: alabama crimson tide, bryant denny stadium, career field goals, central time, cornerback, Crimson Tide, denny, final game, Insider, kicker, kickoff, leigh tiffin, m central, mocs, punt return, shutout, southeastern conference record, straight possessionsRelated posts
LSU fans come to town
November 8, 2009
LSU fans plays dress up!!
LSU fans file out off the crazy train and into Tuscaloosa, ready to root on the Tigers as they face the No. 3 Crimson Tide.
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Volunteers-Crimson Tide Game Review
October 25, 2009
Tennessee Alabama Football
Tuscaloosa, AL (Sports Network) – Alabama’s Terrence Cody blocked a 44-yard field goal attempt as time expired as the top-ranked Crimson Tide survived Tennessee, 12-10, in an SEC tussle.
Jonathan Crompton finished off Tennessee’s previous series with an 11-yard TD pass to Gerald Jones with 1:19 to go. The Vols came up with the onside kick at the 41 and Jones made a 14-yard catch into ‘Bama territory on second down.
Following a false start penalty and an incompletion, Luke Stocker made a 23- yard catch to the Tide 27 with four seconds left and a rush for minus-one yards set up a potential game-winning field goal from Daniel Lincoln but the try was blocked before it was airborne.
Greg McElroy finished 18-of-29 for 120 yards and Leigh Tiffin booted four field goals for the Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0 SEC), who are off next week before hosting LSU on November 7,
Crompton was 21-of-37 for 265 yards one score and a pick for the Volunteers (3-4, 1-3), who have dropped two of three. Jones wound up with seven receptions for 72 yards in defeat.
Tags: alabama football, Crimson Tide, field goal attempt, field goals, greg mcelroy, Insider, jonathan, jonathan crompton, leigh tiffin, lincoln, lsu, onside kick, receptions, sports network, tuscaloosa al, tussle, vols, volunteers, yard field goal, yard field goal attemptRelated posts
Midseason review: Alabama
October 20, 2009
It can’t get much better for Alabama at this point. The Crimson Tide (7-0, 4-0) were No. 2 this week in the BCS standings and have already beaten three nationally ranked teams. Their
CrimsonTide
defense might be even better than a year ago, and that’s despite losing star linebacker Dont’a Hightower for the season in the Arkansas game with a knee injury. The passing game has hit a snag these last two games, as quarterback Greg McElroy hasn’t dealt with pressure as well. The other concern has been the Crimson Tide’s kickoff coverage. All in all, though, this looks to be Nick Saban’s most complete team yet at Alabama and maybe one of the most complete teams in the country.
Offensive MVP: RB Mark Ingram. If Ingram doesn’t watch out, he’s going to run his way into Heisman Trophy contention. In fact, he may already have. He’s coming off a spectacular 246-yard performance against South Carolina and leads the SEC with 905 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s the best runner after contact in the league and is extremely dependable. He hasn’t lost a fumble in 304 career touches at Alabama.
Defensive MVP: LB Rolando McClain. The 6-4, 258-pound McClain just looks like an NFL linebacker. He plays like one, too, and is the heart and soul of an Alabama defense ranked No. 1 nationally this week in total defense. McClain leads the Crimson Tide with 49 total tackles, including 6.5 for loss, but his value goes much deeper than sheer numbers. He’s essentially an extension of Nick Saban on the field and anticipates the game so well. McClain is always around the ball and one of those guys who has a knack for changing the complexion of a game with a big hit or key takeaway.
Alabama Crimson Tide, Rolando McClain, Nick Saban, Mark Ingram, Dont\’a Hightower, SEC team overview 102009
Tags: alabama crimson tide, arkansas game, bcs standings, Crimson Tide, defensive mvp, greg mcelroy, heart and soul, hightower, Insider, mark ingram, nfl linebacker, nick saban, offensive mvp, one of those guys, passing game, rolando mcclain, rushing yards, sec team, sheer numbers, team overview, yard performanceRelated posts
Ingram’s career night fuels Bama’s late charge past South Carolina
October 18, 2009
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama put the game in Mark Ingram’s hands — and he put it away.
Alabama's Mark Ingram (22) runs away from South Carolina defenders Devin Taylor (98) and Chris Culliver (17) in the first half of their NCAA college football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. At rear is Alabama's Drew Davis (79).
The bulldozing tailback churned out a career-high 246 yards and the game-clinching touchdown to power the second-ranked Crimson Tide to a 20-6 victory Saturday night against No. 22 South Carolina when the rest of the offense wasn’t clicking.
Ingram’s tackle-breaking, defender-dragging runs and a punishing defense helped the Tide (7-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) overcome four turnovers — doubling their season total — and 10 penalties. It also helped ‘Bama sidestep the down-to-the-wire scares No. 1 Florida and No. 3 Texas had — or an upset defeat like No. 4 Virginia Tech endured.
Roll Call
Mark Ingram found himself in excellent company on Saturday. His 246-yard performance against South Carolina was the third-best single-game total in Crimson Tide history. Here are the rest:
Most Rush Yards in Game,
Alabama History Player Opponent Yards
‘96 Shaun Alexander LSU 291
‘86 Bobby Humphrey Mississippi St. 284
‘09 Mark Ingram South Carolina 246
‘51 Bobby Marlow Auburn 233
“Mark did as fine a job today as anybody I’ve ever been around, and that includes Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown and some really good ones,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “He was fantastic.”
Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks (5-2, 2-2) had never beaten a team ranked higher than No. 3 and were hoping for their second win over a top-five team this season, and third in 34 tries.
Ingram didn’t let it happen. He was practically a one-man show on the decisive drive. He took the direct snap for five consecutive runs — including a 24-yarder and 22-yarder — and then took a pitch in from 4 yards out with 4:54 left. Ingram covered all 68 yards on the drive and finished with the third-best rushing game in Alabama history. Shaun Alexander ran for 291 at LSU in 1996 and Bobby Humphrey had 284 at Mississippi State a decade earlier.
“To take the air out of the ball at the end of the game the way we did was a great drive,” Saban said.
Ingram said the Wildcat look caught the Gamecocks off guard. His punishing runs helped, too.
“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.”
Ingram’s previous career-high was 172 yards set last week against Mississippi, which also didn’t manage a touchdown against the Tide. He has now gained 568 yards in three games against ranked teams.
“He’s just as good as anyone in the country,” Tide quarterback Greg McElroy said. “I wouldn’t trade him for anyone.”
The game’s only other touchdown fittingly came from a defense that sacked Stephen Garcia five times and kept him firing blanks into the end zone at the end of promising drives.
Safety Mark Barron stepped in front of Garcia’s first pass attempt in the middle of the field and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown.
“The pick six really changed the game a lot,” said Garcia, who completed just 4 of 18 passes in the first half. “I know it was only the second play of the game, but it did. I missed a tackle on the play too, which made it even worse.”
Garcia wound up 20 of 46 for 214 yards, and South Carolina managed just 64 yards rushing.
McElroy also was shaky against the nation’s No. 6 pass defense. His first pass — and two of his initial four — was picked off after he had gone 135 straight passes without an interception.
He wound up completing half of his 20 attempts for just 92 yards. Ingram made up for it on his 24 rushes and also caught two passes for 23 yards.
“It was an interesting game in that even though they were running for a lot yards, we were right there,” Spurrier said. “Obviously we couldn’t score touchdowns. We had a lot of backward plays, a lot of penalties. They are a very good team and for us to win we had to play real smart and we didn’t.”
Leigh Tiffin kicked field goals of 25 and 35 yards for the Tide, which had 10 penalties for 113 yards.
South Carolina couldn’t get points off two drives into Alabama territory late in the third quarter. The Gamecocks marched just across midfield on 12 plays before having to punt. Then Clifton Geathers stripped the ball from McElroy to give them back the ball.
But the Alabama defense held again and Spencer Lanning’s 50-yard field goal attempt was short.
The Gamecocks scored on field goals of 22 and 31 yards by Lanning in the final 3:14 of the first half but missed chances for more points. Garcia threw a combined five incompletions into the end zone, mostly on fade routes.
Both teams were missing key players. South Carolina’s No. 2 rusher Jarvis Giles was suspended. Alabama cornerback and return man Javier Arenas watched from the sidelines with a rib injury that Saban said acted up before the game.
Tags: alabama history, bryant denny stadium, chris culliver, coach nick saban, college football game, Crimson Tide, down to the wire, gamecocks, Insider, mark ingram, marlow, mississippi st, ncaa college football, ricky williams, rush yards, shaun alexander, southeastern conference, steve spurrier, tailback, yard performanceRelated posts
Winning is what Alabama does best
October 18, 2009
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Coming off Saturday night’s 20-6 victory over South Carolina, maybe it’s premature to call Alabama the best team in the country, the No. 1 team in the country or even the team that deserves to be No. 1 in the country.
But there’s not a team in college football right now that has mastered the art of winning any better than the Crimson Tide.
They beat you when junior quarterback Greg McElroy is on top of his game. They beat you when he’s not on top of his game.
Nick Saban's Crimson Tide continue to find ways to win and are making a strong argument for being ranked No. 1 in the nation.
They beat you with senior starters (Javier Arenas) watching from the sideline. They beat you with budding sophomore superstars (Mark Ingram) having the best rushing performance Bryant-Denny Stadium has ever seen.
They beat you despite uncharacteristic turnovers and penalties. They beat you when maybe they weren’t as focused as they needed to be.
And they always beat you with defense — suffocating, in-your-face, bone-crunching defense.
“It’s all about winning games,” Alabama senior offensive guard Mike Johnson said. “I remember against Arkansas that we weren’t that successful on the ground, and Greg (McElroy) picked us up through the air.
“However we’ve got to do it, we’ll do it.”
The truth is that McElroy hasn’t been real sharp throwing the football the last two weeks. He’ll be the first to tell you as much.
“I just wasn’t seeing it real good. I haven’t been playing real good,” McElroy said. “I’ve haven’t been playing real confidently and stepping into my throws the way I have been. But we’ll get it figured out, I promise. I promise the fans, promise the coaches and promise the players that I will get it figured out and get it straightened out.”
Against South Carolina, he had a hand in all four of the Crimson Tide’s turnovers – two interceptions and two fumbles.
But Ingram was there to romp for a Bryant-Denny Stadium record 246 yards rushing, and the Alabama defense has now gone eight quarters without giving up a touchdown.
In fact, Alabama’s defense actually outscored the Gamecocks on Saturday. Safety Mark Barron’s tackle-breaking 77-yard interception return in the first 62 seconds of the game was the Crimson Tide’s only touchdown until Ingram bulled across the goal line with 4:54 remaining.
“You can say it’s winning ugly or whatever, but it’s still winning,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “There was a tremendous amount of heart, character and competitive spirit in terms of how our defensive players played out there to keep them off the board on several occasions. They hung in there and scored on defense and hung in there and did what we needed them to do to help us win the game.
“There’s going to be another game sometime down the road where we’ll be going up and down the field on offense and we won’t be able to slow them down on defense, and we’ll have to win that way, too.
“But that’s the sign of a good team, when you can pick each other up and do what you need to do to come out on top.”
Indeed, there’s something to be said for winning when you don’t have your best stuff.
Every championship team has a game like this where maybe it’s not as mentally sharp as it needs to be coming into the game and not as crisp as usual during the game … but still finds a way to win.
Saban will tell you that his 2003 national championship team at LSU won a game at Ole Miss it probably didn’t deserve to win.
Was this that game for Alabama?
Only time will tell, but there’s something about this team that screams out that it’s championship material … even on a night when the offense kept putting the defense in tough spots.
“The defense was spectacular,” Ingram said. “The offense wasn’t clicking for a lot of the game. They did a great job of being stubborn and only giving up field goals. I think they’re the best defense in the country. I’ve got to practice against them every day. I feel bad for offenses that have to go against them.”
The first BCS standings come out on Sunday afternoon, and depending on whether Alabama passes No. 1 Florida in the polls, the Crimson Tide may find themselves atop the BCS standings.
Ultimately, it’s not going to matter who’s No. 1 and who’s No. 2 if Alabama and Florida keep winning. They would meet in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta for the right to play in the BCS National Championship Game.
Then it gets down to a one-game playoff.
It’s looking like Dec. 5 can’t get here soon enough.
Tags: ala, arenas, College Football, Crimson Tide, denny, greg mcelroy, hasn, Insider, junior quarterback, mark ingram, nick saban, offensive guard, sideline, sophomore, starters, superstars, turnovers, tuscaloosa, victoryRelated posts
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