Pre-Season - 2013

Tide Fans – Howdy friends! Guess what time of year it is?? Only the greatest time of the year…it’s football season!! Yes, the long wait is over…no more counting down the days and feeling depressed when you realize there’s like 115 days until kickoff. It’s here…it is here!!! Can I get a Roll Tide? I got so fired up the other night – they were replaying the Alabama-LSU game, and even though I know what happens, I still get nervous watching it…and then I get soo pumped when TJ takes that screen pass in! I did that move that you see on the directv commercial where the guy gets all excited and does a little excited jump, kick, punch move. You can see it here: Just so you know…this is pretty much what I do every time the Tide scores or makes and awesome play! Man I love The Tide! Ok, so let’s get down to business…I could go on and on about last season, and our 15th National Championship, but like Coach Saban says… I need to stay focused and look at this season, not dwell on last. Once again The Tide looks very good, and just about every major publication has us picked to win it all again. This used to bother me, but now I don’t let it because we have broken the Sports Illustrated cover curse twice! I know that Coach Saban constantly reminds his players to not dwell on what happened last season and become complacent, and I’m pretty sure Scott Cochran yells about it every day during workouts and practice. With the loss of some key players heading to the NFL, this team will need some new leaders to emerge and keep our team poised and motivated to navigate the SEC. This may be the most talented team Saban as ever had, but it takes leadership and experience to win championships…it’s time for some new guys to step it up! Let’s take a look at our offense first. Gone is the beloved “spin move” of Eddie Lacy…dang I will miss him and his power running that looked like you were watching film from the 70’s! I will forever remember his unbelievable runs in the SEC Championship game. Thank you Eddie…thank you for your awesomeness, your power, your big smile and your spin move…I wish you much success in Green Bay (which I think was a perfect fit for him)! Can someone say TJ? Yes folks…even though Lacy is gone, we have a ridiculous amount of talented running backs! TJ Yeldon will carry most of the load this season along with relief runs from a number of backs. Take your pick –Jalston Fowler, Dee Hart, Kenyon Drake, Derrick Henry, Altee Tenpenny (I love this name), and many more! I get chills just thinking of the talent we have back there…it is insane. I personally think you will see lots of TJ with help from Fowler, Tenpenny and Henry. Derrick Henry is the real deal…he is huge, and fast. I can’t wait to see what he does this year…I believe he will do the number 3 he wears justice! Another position we are loaded at is receiver. AJ will have so many targets this year…names like Amari Cooper, Kenny Bell, DeAndrew White, Kevin Norwood, Christian Jones, Chris Black…the list go on! Look for big things from Cooper…we have only just begun to see what he can do! Don’t be surprised to see sophomore Raheem Falkins also – he is turning some heads in practice! AJ McCarron returns for his 3rd year as starting quarterback. Before he is finished at Alabama, I am pretty sure he will go down as the greatest quarterback to ever play in Tuscaloosa. He has already won more championships than any QB in Alabama history, and could potentially (and hopefully) win a third this year. His leadership, poise, and deadly accurate passing skills are what control our offense. AJ gets no love from the national (or even local) media, which I think drives him to be even better. He is the key to us returning to Pasadena this year…he is The Man! You are going to see a lot of little kids (and probably grown men) wearing the number 10 jersey this year. Is it just me, or is it kind of weird seeing grown men with beer bellies wearing jerseys? Our area of most concern this season is obviously the offensive line. With the loss of all time everything Barrett Jones, Chance Warmack, and DJ Fluker…we have some big big holes to fill. I know we have lots of fresh talent on the line…but that experience is so important here. Both the Kouandjio brothers will be fine, with Cyrus more than likely being a first round draft pick. Steen will be solid as he returns to his spot at right guard. Ryan Kelly will try and fill the shoes of Barrett Jones at center, and I have heard really good things about him. It looks as though Austin Shepard will play right tackle. Let’s hope these guys gel quickly and give TJ and Co. some big holes, and more importantly…protect AJ! Don’t expect them to be as good as last year (that’s next to impossible), but in time…these boys will be solid! Defense. Yes, we did lose a lot of talent on this side of the ball as well, but I think we have to potential to be even better this year than we were last. Some new names on the line as starters, but names that we have seen get some playing time this past season. Stinson, Ivory, and Pagan will be our front 3, with a myriad of talent backing them up. Saban will definitely rotate guys in and out of this spot, as well as pretty much every position on defense. We are solid at linebacker with the return of team leader CJ Mosley, Trey DePreist and Adrian Hubbard. Other names that you will see include Xzavier Dickson, Denzel Devall (he is going to be good), Tana Patrick and Reggie Ragland…all will see playing time. In the secondary we have returning starters Deion Belue, Vinnie Sunseri, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Saban will definitely rotate in several players here, as we have lots of talent…names like Geno Smith, Landon Collins, Cyrus Jones, Nick Perry…the list goes on! I feel very good about our defense…very good. Cody Mandell will return for his 3rd year as punter, and we will probably see split time at kicker with Cade Foster and Adam Griffith. We have a bevy of return guys with names like Christian Jones, Dee Hart, Cyrus Jones…I just want whomever will catch the ball and hold on to it. I hate fumbling a punt or kickoff!!! So much talent…but only 11 positions on either side of the ball. This team is loaded…they must stay focused and disciplined for us to reach our goal. We have been blessed this season with a somewhat favorable schedule – we need to make the most of it. There are several tough games with Texas A&M & LSU, and you never know what you are going to get from Ole Miss, Arkansas and Tennessee. Let’s not forget Virginia Tech…we really have no idea what their team is going to be like, but you can bet they will not be a pushover. Beamer will have them ready to play, and I am slightly nervous about this opening game. As most of you, I am pretty much in full football mode now. We are days away from kickoff, and Tide Football is all I can think about. The anticipation of a new season and the drive for 3 consecutive National Championships is all consuming to me now! We have the chance to make football history…a feat that has never been done (although we got screwed in 1966 which would have given us 3 in a row). We have the team to do it, but that doesn’t mean they are just going to hand us the crystal ball. We are going to have to earn it the hard way. I think for us to play in Pasadena this year we will have to go undefeated. I just feel that this year it is going to take a perfect run to make it happen. We have been very fortunate in the past with our 1 loss luck…I don’t think we get that break again…we need to win out. I know this post is getting long, but I just have so much I need to get out of my system! I want to take a moment to remember a very special person whom the Crimson Tide Family lost this year…Mal Moore. Mal meant so much to our program and our University…most of his entire life centered around Alabama football. He leaves a legacy that can be seen all over campus through the many athletic facilities he spearheaded fundraising efforts for. Without Mal, there would be no Nick Saban – Head Football Coach at The University of Alabama. Mal Moore is the sole reason Nick Saban came to Alabama, and his convincing him that this was the right place to coach. I will miss his smiling face on the jumbotron as he hands out National Championship rings to a variety of our sports teams, or greets the returning players from a previous year. And oh how I will miss his sweet southern drawl…dang I will miss that! Mal wore numbers 10 and 15 as a player at Alabama…it turns out that Mal was a part of 10 National Championships either as a player, coach or Athletic Director, his last one being number 15. Rest in peace Mal, and thank you for your dedication and true love for The University of Alabama. You are gone… but will never be forgotten! Roll Tide! A lot of expectations from our team this year, and I personally think we should live up to them. I think (and hope and pray) our team will not let all the talk go to their heads. We have some good leaders in AJ, and CJ Mosley who I believe will keep our team on target and have us heading out west for the big game! As long as we stay focused and play our game…I don’t see anyone topping The Tide! Practice is winding up, the game plan is set…it’s time to play some football! The chase for 16 starts in just a few days…can you feel the excitement! I am like a kid on Christmas Eve…my favorite time of year is here! It’s football time in Alabama…Let’s Roll! Jason

Tennessee

Tide Fans –

A beautiful day in Tuscaloosa…the trees starting to turn colors, the air was crisp and cool, and The Tide once again unleashed the pain on a hated rival! That’s five wins in a row against Tennessee, as the Volunteers felt the wrath of Saban once again. It always feels good to beat Tennessee…even when they are terrible! Bama plays with its food in the first half, and then makes a meal out of the Vols in the second. Not even Derrick Dooley’s obnoxiously bright pants could help his team…they were doomed. Undefeated and less than two weeks away from November 5th…let the pandemonium begin!

Sitting in the stadium watching a very lackluster performance from both teams in the first half, I never got concerned about the outcome of the game. It surprisingly did not bother me that we were tied at half…I just knew we were going to come out fired up, and crush them in the second. Two quick scores from The Tide in the 3rd quarter were reassuring to all fans…and it justified my earlier air of confidence. Just before the scoring frenzy, my friend Paul who sits in front of me leaned back and said, “Here come the Buzz Saw”…and it certainly did! This team is fast, they are strong, and they will not be denied.

Let’s take a look at The Tide.

Offense:

After only producing two field goals in the first half, the offense comes roaming out of the tunnel in the second to make some big plays, and rack up points fast. Power running and precision passes led the way to victory. AJ McCarron had a spectacular night, throwing some huge passes with dead on accuracy. I like this guy more and more every week. He takes what he can get, and runs the offense with confidence. People compare him to Greg McElroy in that aspect, but AJ McCarron does it better in my opinion. On many of the plays when it looks as though AJ will have to tuck and run, he never gives up on the play, always looking downfield. Many times we have seen him run all the way to the line of scrimmage only to dump it off to Trent or Smelly at the last second, gaining more yards. I will admit at the start of the season I was nervous about AJ being cocky and forcing throws that should never be attempted. He has shown me every week that he is not what I thought. I am more and more impressed as I see him lead the offense, and make smart calls. AJ is only going to get better, and I think we have a real special talent in him.

Trent had several Heisman highlight runs again. My favorite is when he scored in the 3rd on the 10 yard run straight up the gut. He broke 5 tackles to reach the end zone…it would have been 6, but the last defender saw him coming and just stepped aside. No kidding, it’s like the dude was about to try and make the tackle and he just says… “You know what…I ain’t gonna stop you, so why even try”.

Hanks made some great grabs that were a little overthrown, and Maze continues to do his thing. Great catch by Kenny Bell for the TD…we have receivers out the wazoo!
Our offense will need to have the game of their life on Nov. 5th, and I have full confidence in them. I am pretty sure we have some special stuff saved up for LSU!

Defense:

I am beginning to run out of things to talk about with this ridiculously awesome defense! I should just say… “See last week’s post,” because they are consistently dominating. Keeping Tennessee out of the end zone, and allowing just 2 field goals against a hated rival…I love it! Shout outs go to Donta Hightower, and CJ Mosley, both playing excellent games. I thought Hightower was going to get into the end zone on his interception. I had no idea that he played running back in high school.

Defense not really being tested much with the pathetic offense they were facing. At times I almost felt sorry for Tennessee…but then I remembered how much I enjoy crushing them. It was good to get to see some of our 2nd and 3rd string guys get some playing time(again). I love that Sunseri recovered a fumble…that kid is fun to watch! I don’t think these guys will get much time next game. We will need to be firing on all cylinders against the Bayou Bengals, and like the offense, will have to have their best game to date.

Well, we are 8-0 and heading into what is being called the “Game of the Century”. We have been waiting for this for several weeks now, and it is almost here! The best two teams in the country slugging it out on the gridiron in Tuscaloosa. Believe it or not, there has never been a 1 vs 2 matchup at Bryant-Denny. That all changes in about 12 days. I thought they hype before the 2009 SEC Championship was big, but this is going to be ridiculous!! Moving the game to 7:00 will only intensify everything…the crowd will be fired up, loud, and the anticipation of waiting all day for the game will come to an all out explosion when Saban leads the Tide down the tunnel. I cannot wait…this is HUGE! This game is so big, that I may have to write a pre-game post just to calm myself down.

Get ready Tide Fans…use this week off to rest up, clear your head, and think about how loud you are going to yell on Nov. 5th! I may take a vow of silence the week before just to save up my vocal chords…I suggest everyone going to the game do the same. If for some reason you have tickets and decided not to go…sell them to a Bama fan. So help me God, if I find out any of you sold your tickets to LSU fans I will come after you…I am not kidding! Our crowd is going to play a huge role in this game…every voice counts! As coach Cochran would say… “Get out yo seat…we gonna be the loudest stadium in the country…yeah yeah yeah YEAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Until next time…Roll Tide!

Jason

Ole Miss

Tide Fans –

Dominating your opponent is always fun. Giving them a false sense of hope in the opening minutes of the game, and then crushing them to no end is even better! The Tide once again gets caught early, and then unleashes shock and awe on the Rebels / Black Bears of Ole Miss. Rolling on to 7-0, and looking like a team on a mission…The Tide just keeps getting better!

After throwing my hat across the room and letting a few expletives fly at the sight of Ole Miss scoring so easily on their opening drive, I took a deep breath and said…”It’s fine, we will still punish them”. Thankfully I was right. Watching us drive down the field on the ensuing possession, I had no worries about a close game. This team is so ridiculously powerful…they just go out there and execute the game plan to almost perfection. Trent was running like a man possessed, and AJ was throwing darts all over the field. Another great win on the road for Bama, and it feels real good to be a Tide fan….real good!

Let’s take a look at The Tide.

Offense:

A game full of highlights, and in particular a 76 yard Heisman run from Trent that has been re-played on ESPN about 1,000 times! Just an incredible performance from our offense all around. Passing, receiving, blocking, and running were all spectacular. They executed as I said earlier…almost to perfection. Our 3rd string back was running crazy as well…Jalston Fowler is a powerful runner, and he will be a threat to deal with in the future, and really already is now. AJ played very well again, and this all under the stress of finding out just hours before the game that his father had to have an emergency appendectomy. DeAndrew White, Maze, Bell, Hanks and Michal Williams all had big games…lots of guys contributing which I love! Offense is looking good…we have a balanced attack, and I think they only get better.

Defense:

Once again, we get caught sleeping in the first few plays of the game, but not for long. The defense allows nothing after the first Ole Miss drive. The remainder of the game Ole Miss looked confused, and our D was in the backfield constantly pressuring the quarterback. Hard hitting, great coverage, and speed make our defense the best in the country. They are scary fast, and close on the ball in the blink of an eye. It really does look like we have 14 guys out there sometimes. I love the fact that a lot of our 2nd and some 3rd stringers got some playing time also. You have to love it when Vinny Sunseri gets to take the field!! Another rock solid performance from the defense…what a great feeling! You all know I have a “man crush” on Mark Barron…the dude is just amazing. Make a point to watch him on every play…he is always near the ball or making the tackle. He will go down as one of the greatest (if not the greatest) safeties to play at Alabama.

It’s Tennessee week people! Time to get fired up and pound the Vols. We have beaten them 4 times in a row now, and I look forward to making that 5 this weekend. Tennessee is still not a very good team, but you just never know what you are going to get in this game…need I remind everyone of 2009. I think by 2nd half we have this game in control…and Trent starts to light up the scoreboard once again. Once again Saban will school one of his pupils and show them that he is still their daddy. I cannot wait to see what we have in store for this week! Enjoy the video below…one of the funniest clips I have ever seen in reference to the Alabama – Tennessee rivalry!

Until next week…Roll Tide!

Jason

Vandy

Tide Fans –

A gorgeous day in Tuscaloosa for Homecoming! The Tide shuts down the Commodores of Vanderbilt, keeping the undefeated season in tact as we get one week and one victory closer to November 5th! Bama’s defense doesn’t allow one point, and our offense shows signs of balance. We saw lots of young talent create some big plays, reinforcing the fact that we have lots of depth. Bama is big…Bama is mean…Bama is awesome! A slow start, but a powerful finish as The Tide knocks another one down…dang I love this team!

Saturday was Homecoming, but for me it held an even more special meaning. Saturday was the first game my wife and I have taken our son to, and it was long overdue! It is always a special moment when a father takes his son to their first Tide game. I took our daughter when she was only 3 months, and she was on the Jumbotron within the first few minutes…it was awesome! This week we decided to take our 3yr old with us…any of you that have young boys know this was a high risk move. I chose Vanderbilt, because I wouldn’t really mind missing half the game going to the bathroom with him, or standing in a concessions line. It being late in the day, he was vey tired and we were preparing for the worst…but he actually did surprisingly well! As soon as we walked through the tunnel, he looked at the field, smiled, and then asked me where Trent was. It was on the verge of tearing up, and was very pumped that he was happy to be there! It was a great moment, and minus one interesting trip to the bathroom, he did really well. The little man wearing his Trent Richardson jersey, was watching The Tide in person for the first time…it was awesome!

Let’s take a look at The Tide.

Offense:

The Trent Richardson for Heisman campaign is in full force now, because the man is incredible! The dude is just awe inspiring…running through, over, or around would be tacklers. He was a man amongst boys Saturday night. Our offense while it started a little slow, had a great well balanced game. We didn’t just rely on Trent…AJ was slinging the ball and making some big throws. Of course there were some great catches as well! We saw what DeAndrew White is going to bring to the table with his two big TD catches. Both of those passes were pretty much up for grabs, and DeAndrew went up and got them. We will be hearing his name a lot in the future! Maze had another great game as well…I love the little quick slant across the middle. He seems to always make some guys miss and get an extra 10 or 15 yards on that play.

How about Jalston Fowler…What a huge game he had, and what a powerful runner! He was bulldozing over the Vandy linebackers and sometimes requiring 3 or 4 guys to bring him down. It is nice to see that even when Lacy is out…the next guy in line just picks it up and does a great job of running the ball. I hope Lacy is back soon, but until then Fowler has got us covered. At one point during the game on one of his power runs I got so excited that I stood and and said…”Look at Tarrant Lynch…he is just awesome!” For those of you who don’t know or remember, Tarrant Lynch played fullback on our 1992 Championship team and wore the same number as Fowler, #45. I realized what I had said and corrected myself laughing about it…and then I sat there for a few moments thinking about how awesome he was back in ’92…ahhhh good ‘ol Lynch!

Offense had a good game, especially in the 2nd half…our line was really blowing open some holes. I’m pretty sure something was said to them in the locker room at halftime, because they were pounding Vandy in the 3rd quarter. We still have some things to work on, but it is starting to all come together.

Defense:

I’m really starting to run out of things to say about how awesome our defense is. I mean allowing no points…can’t really complain about anything here this week. I’m sure someone could find something to bitch about, but I’m just not even going to waste my time. The defense will continue to crush opponents. Shout outs go to Upshaw, Hightower, Barron, and Milliner. Mark Barron is freaking awesome!

A trip to Oxford awaits us next week, and I expect The Tide to continue to dominate here as well. Ole Miss has had an extra week to prepare for us, so they will be all fired up and ready…but again, it really won’t matter. They may hang early with us, like Florida…but in the end Trent will just run all over them. Seeing as the Ole Miss fans will have all day to catch a buzz in the grove, they too will be fired up…but it will end with a drunken irritated group of pissed off Ole Miss fans as usual. They really hate losing to us, and always think they are going to beat us. I guess they have to have some motivation to go see their team play…or maybe it is just the tailgating that brings them back. Or, maybe it is the new Black Bear mascot they have…yea that’s it! If you are making the trip to Oxford, have a great time, and cheer extra loud for me!

Until next week…Roll Tide!

Jason

Florida

Tide Fans –

There is nothing better than watching your team dismantle a hated rival. I despise the Florida Gaytors, and it was truly exhilarating watching The Tide impose their will on Muschamp and his over-hyped team. Everyone was calling upset on this game…Demps and Rainey are too quick for Bama…Florida wants revenge for last year’s beat down, Charlie Weiss’ offense is awesome, etc, etc, etc… So what does Bama do? They did what they do best, and that is to dominate their opponent in every aspect of the game. Florida’s highly touted offense was held to 22 total rushing yards…yes that was 22 yards! And the supposed super fast runners Demps & Rainey…4 yards each. Florida proved to be no match for The Alabama Crimson Tide, and it feels like we are getting better every game! I will go ahead and ask the question…Can anyone stop us?

Beating the snot out of Florida has become routine for Saban and The Tide, but it never gets old to me! I love watching those oh so cheesy Florida fans get all pumped and beat their gold chain adorned chests, claiming that this time they were going to chomp us. The fact that we spotted them 10 points made it even better. Throngs of fans adorned in jean shorts, tank tops, and many other ridiculous clothing combinations, were soon quieted by Bama’s powerful defense and punishing run game. The Swamp was drained…and once again Florida goes home a big loser.

I love this Alabama team! We didn’t get rattled when Florida came out and scored quickly. We just lined up, ran our offense, and started to methodically pound the ball down their throat. The Florida fans were jumping around and fired up as can be after that first touchdown, but that was about it for them. After they saw what Trent could do, and how powerful our defense was going to be…there wasn’t much to cheer about in the Gaytor Nation.

Let’s take a look at The Tide:

Offense:

A punishing run game is all we needed to run up the score on the gaytors. Trent goes back to his home state, and shows them his awesomeness! What an incredible display of power running from Trent…he was unstoppable. Florida knew we were going to run the ball all day, and they still couldn’t stop us! Our line played an incredible game, blowing open holes and protecting AJ all night…. he was never even touched! Not a huge passing game, but enough plays to get the big win. Hanks had a few grabs, as well as Maze. My boy Michael Williams dropped a big pass, but that’s ok…it won’t happen again! I am really impressed with AJ so far…yes he made a few overthrows last night, but overall his poise and game management have been superb. The one moment AJ lost his poise, Saban had a few choice words for him as he ran off the field celebrating. I think it was something like…”Calm the (rhymes with duck) down!” Ahhh…classic Saban! I think AJ is only going to get better once some timing issues are worked out on the deep ball. We have the offense to beat anyone…and we can always rely on our defense to have our back when we are not playing well. Our offense only gets better form here on out…and all we really need to do is keep pounding that ball!

Defense:

Speaking of defense…dear Lord we are good! There were white jerseys flying all over the field last night, making big sacks and hard hits. Minus 1 or 2 busted coverages from Dre “Swaaga” Kirkpatrick, we were spot on. Even Dre redeemed himself throughout the game with several big stops and huge hits. Our pass rush was phenomenal, and we not only “disrupted” the quarterback a few times…but I lost count of how many actual sacks we had. Courtney Upshaw is an absolute beast! After having sacked the QB (and causing a fumble which was somehow never ruled a fumble)…what does he do? He lines back up and sacks the QB again, taking him out of the game. This game started to resemble the Michigan State game with the hard hits, and banged up players…it was awesome! Florida had no answer to our D…they were running around scared like a bunch of little boys. Charlie Weiss was literally sitting on his fat butt for most of the game…pitiful. I didn’t know they made khaki pants that big…wow! Our defense is awe inspiring…and like the offense, I think they too are only going to get better. That is scary!

A huge win over another ranked team. They line up, and Bama keeps knocking them down. I know we must take one game at a time, but right now I cannot wait until Nov. 5th! We have homecoming next, and the Commodores from Vandy will be paying us a visit. Under the new coach, Vandy has shown signs of trying to put together a decent football team, but they will be no match for us. I’m not trying to be cocky…it’s just after watching our defense play last night…they should have a field day against the ‘dores.

The Tide is looking good my friends…looking real good! I am going to enjoy watching us destroy more opponents this season, as we march our way to the SEC and hopefully on to New Orleans (and I don’t mean the Sugar Bowl)! I hope to see you all down on campus for homecoming…it should be a fun time!

Enjoy this win Tide Fans…it was awesome!

Until next week…Roll Tide!

Jason

Arkansas

Tide Fans –

A beautiful day in Tuscaloosa! The Sun was shining, the quad was jumping, and the Alabama Crimson Tide completely dominated the pigs from Arkansas! At the end of the game I swear I could hear Ned Beatty in that famous, yet disturbing scene from Deliverance…you all know what scene I am referring to. Yes, we made Arkansas squeal all the way home! Alabama opens the SEC schedule with a dominant performance over what is supposedly the best offense in the SEC…and I liked what I saw!

The greatest thing about this game is that every aspect of our team scored a touchdown! Offense, Defense, and Special Teams…you can’t ask for more than that! The fake field goal on our first drive was ballsy, and executed to perfection. I was watching the replay yesterday, and the look on Saban’s face is priceless after the trick play worked. He looks across the field towards Petrino with a sh*t eating grin on is face…I loved it! As I say at least 15 times a year…I am so thankful Nick Saban is our coach…he never ceases to amaze me. The Jedi mind tricks he played on Petrino all day were just amazing. It’s like they would line up and he would wave his hand, and next thing you know Tyler Wilson is laying on his back…just an awesome defensive mind. He is Yoda, and Kirby Smart is Luke Skywalker…the force is definitely with them!

Ok, enough Star Wars references…let’s take a look at the Tide:

Offense:

A solid day for the Bama offense. AJ had time, never seemed under pressure, and the blocking was probably better than ever. I think our O-line is starting to gel…they were blowing some holes open for Trent and Lacy. Our passing game wasn’t spectacular, but it was effective. We utilized the tight end, and that little dump pass to Trent (which I love). That play seems to always gain big yards for us…it did with Ingram as well. The great thing is that we didn’t have to throw the long ball, because we seemed to find ways to move downfield by running over and around them. The defense was playing so well, offense just needed to burn up some clock. Our offense has weapons, and I still don’t think we have seen a whole lot from them. At some point this season we will be in a situation where they have to win the game…and I feel confident they will get it done!

Defense:

Where do I even start? Just an outstanding performance, shutting down one of the highest powered offenses in NCAA football. Our defense was tired of hearing how good the Arkansas offense attack was. Bama shut them down. Petrino looked so irritated on the sidelines throwing stuff, yelling, and just looking genuinely pissed at his team. Our pass attack was relentless, and Tyler Wilson spent more time on his back than he did standing. Speaking of Tyler Wilson…he had the bright idea of mouthing off to one Courtney Upshaw early in the game. I don’t know if you noticed on the interception return my Menzie…but Upshaw finally put an end to that, by searching for Wilson while Menzie was running the ball into the endzone and completely leveling him…it was awesome! What kind of an idiot mouths off to Upshaw…knowing that he is just going to hit you even harder? I have a feeling Tyler Wilson is still sitting in an ice bath somewhere in the Ozark Mountains, and it serves him right!

So many big hits, and heads up plays by the defense…they all played spectacular! Even when CJ Mosley went out injured and was replaced by Adrian Hubbard, and Trey DePreist…we didn’t miss a beat. This is one of the best Bama defenses I have ever seen…and that is saying a lot!

Special Teams:

I have never had to write a separate paragraph about our special teams play but wow…what a game! The Fake field goal was a thing of beauty…perfectly executed. I LOVE Michael Williams, and was soo pumped when I saw him catch that almost perfect pass from AJ and take it to the house! He has had some huge plays this season, and I know we will see more.

Marquis Maze…wow! That punt return made Javier Arenas say “Damn…that was good!” The twists and turns Maze made to break the return were unreal…and I love the fact that he slowed down some to wait for his blockers…too good! Someone I have failed to show much love to this season who deserves it is Vinnie Sunseri. That kid has been all over the place on special teams! Making tackles, making huge blocks, the kid is everywhere! I love how he just plays with no fear of injuring himself. He will just launch into someone like a missle to make a block…unbelievable! Special teams played a huge role in this game…we just need to get our punter to kick more consistently, and our kickoffs to go into the end zone more often. Of course then we wouldn’t get to watch Sunseri and DePreist make huge tackles now would we?

Huge game this week Tide Fans!!! This is the biggest game of the season in my mind. I say this because if we can get out of the swamp with a win, then I don’t think anyone stops us! Yes, LSU is still on the schedule, but that is at home and I just feel better about that game than this one. I will not lie…I am very nervous. I do not like the fact that it is at night either…just gives Florida more crowd noise. I know that we are a better team, and that Florida really hasn’t played anyone yet (Tennessee doesn’t count, and Kentucky is terrible).

If we can go down there and play focused Nick Saban football then we should have no problem. They have a pretty good defense as well, so our Offense is going to have to make some noise this week! We cannot make turnovers, and we must keep the ball away from them. Nice long pounding drives and we will wear their defense down. Our defense will need to contain their fast running game, or it could be a long night for us.

Again, I am nervous but I always feel relief when I think about our defense and our coach…he will have them ready to roll on Saturday!
I hope some of you make it down for the game…we need the support!

Until next week…Roll Tide!

Jason

North Texas

Tide Fans –

The Tide cruises to an easy shut out over a not so stellar opponent. A great way to get some of your depth playing time, and to finish up the dress rehearsals before the real season begins. Bama crushes North Texas, and now turns their focus to the SEC, and the Arkansas Razorbacks!

I don’t really have a whole lot to say this week. No interesting trips, strange happenings, or anything out of the normal. Just a good time in Tuscaloosa, and a stress free win! Games like this past Saturday can be kind of boring, but it is good to not have to stress out and enjoy the game. It’s these types of games when you don’t worry about how long the line is at concessions (which by the way is ridiculous in my section at any point of the game), and you just sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself. My laid back approach to this game will all change next week, when I return to my normal nervous, stressed out self, for our SEC opener. Yep…I’m already trying to decide if leaving at 8 in the morning is too late for the 2:30 kickoff.

Offense:

It was great to see Hanks back on the field! He didn’t do a whole lot, but I know he will be a big contributor as we go through the season. Running game was solid…a little slow to start but it definitely improved with Lacy and Trent’s huge runs! Passing was pretty good…Kenny Bell had a good game. He looks like Julio to me out there…not in his talent and ability…but literally his look. Dang I miss Julio!

Defense:

What can I say but just powerful! We continue to dominate…and this time keeping the opponent to zero points. You can’t ask more than that! I would have liked to have seen a little more pressure on the QB in this game, but I seriously think we are holding back on purpose. I think Saban has been waiting to unleash the pain until he needs to…no need in letting future SEC opponents know how we plan to dominate them! The defensive backs better be ready for next week, because they are going to be tested all day. It’s time for Kirkpatrick to back up his “Swagga”.

Huge game this week…always a big one getting the SEC season started! Arkansas has been highly touted by most everyone…and it is time to shut them down. Everyone tries to get on the Arkansas bandwagon early, and then they play us and everyone jumps off. I expect the same this year. Yes, they have talent in several positions, but they can’t hang with us for 4 quarters…just like last year. I certainly hope this one is not as close as last year, and I don’t foresee it. I’m not trying to take Arkansas lightly…I just know we are a better team than they are, and we are playing at home. I see Saban and Kirby Smart blitzing the Hogs all day, and getting their young QB rattled early on. If we can accomplish this, it will be a long day for Arkansas. If we don’t get pressure on him, then like Mallet last year – he will complete some big passes. I still say we shut them down, and get our first SEC victory on Saturday!
We need to be loud people! I know this past week was hard to get excited for, but the crowd needs to play a big role in this game early…help the defense rattle the quarterback. So, if you are going to the game, plan on getting loud early…it helps!

Have a great week, get pumped, and bring the noise! I know The Tide will!

Until next week…Roll Tide!

Jason

Penn State

Tide Fans –

A classic matchup between two traditional powerhouses…the plainest uniforms in college football…both schools with legendary coaches past and present…and the largest crowd to ever witness the Alabama Crimson Tide! A great setting for this classic game in Happy Valley, and once again The Tide imposing its will on the Nittany Lions.

My trip north started on Thursday before the game with a nice 6:00am flight. It was still dark outside when the plane took off from Birmingham, but you would have thought it was kickoff with the amount of Bama fans on the flight…it was awesome! I always get a kick out of it when the flight attendants say something stupid like…”Boy there are a lot of Alabama fans on this flight…is there a game or something?” I so wanted to respond…”No, we just all got up at the ass crack of dawn to get on this plane dressed in Alabama apparel…there’s no game we just thought it would be fun!” Instead I just smiled and said…”Roll Tide!”

After arriving in Pittsburgh my father and I headed to the rental car counter…I knew it was a good sign when we found the car and it was red! Little did I know how much time we would spend in this red Toyota Camry…more on that later. After hitting a local sandwich joint, and a quick visit to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, we were headed off to our hotel in Altoona, PA. It was about 35 miles south of State College…close as we could get.

On Friday we decided to visit Gettysburg. I am kind of a Civil War history fan, so I was really looking forward to this! It was only about 2 hours away, so off we went. Unfortunately after having dealt with Tropical Storm Lee in Birmingham for several days it followed us up north, and camped out for a while. So, our visit to Gettysburg was very wet, and mostly viewed from the car. If you ever get the chance to visit, you need to, and leave yourself plenty of time…it is huge! You could easily spend 3 days there looking at stuff. I have to tell you about something my dad overheard in the gift shop…it was hilarious! While looking around my dad saw a boy with a confederate soldier hat on…he also overheard the boy’s mother scold him and I quote saying…”What are you doing…take that hat off…we are for the Blue Army” I thought that was hilarious, because we are the ones who get made fun of for having a loyalty to the south! Had the battle been fought that day I’m pretty sure the south would have won…seeing as there were a ton of Bama fans there!

Our plan was to make a dry run to State College after Gettysburg, to get acquainted with campus and find our tailgating spot for Saturday. We made the awful mistake of trying to save a little distance by heading east to Harrisburg to go up and over to State College. This was a 6 hour mistake! Once arriving in Harrisburg looking for our route to State College we noticed some of the streets we needed to access were closed due to flooding…correction…all the streets we needed to get on were flooded! Now, I’m sure there are some nice areas in Harrisburg, but every street we drove down, and every part of Harrisburg we saw made 3rd world countries look nice. Several times while turning around on dead end streets that led to nowhere, I was pretty sure we were going to die! Nervous and irritated we finally turned both GPS systems off and I used my Eagle Scout knowledge and went old school with a map and compass. Pulling over the car, taking a deep breath…we plotted our escape. Thankfully, with a little luck it worked, and we were finally headed back to the hotel in Altoona agreeing to ignore our dry run to State College…we needed food, alcohol and relaxation!

Unfortunately our little trip back was not as smooth as we had hoped! About 30 miles from the hotel there were these signs that said “Expect to Stop Ahead”. Well, we didn’t see any construction or anything so we thought nothing of it. About 3 miles later we were at a dead stop…for about 2 hours. Once the traffic cleared we angrily noticed that we had stopped for no reason. There was no construction, no wreck, nothing…just cars and tons of trucks halted on the interstate! What kind of bullsh*t Pennsylvania highway traffic crap was that?? No clue…everyone just stopped and crawled along…so irritating. My impression of the State of Pennsylvania was not very good after this day…not good at all! So, after leaving Gettysburg we got back to our hotel six hours later! Tired, wet, thirsty, and hungry we finished the day off with a good meal and just a little Jack!

Gameday! We got up early to head to the game, nervous that traffic would suck and we didn’t know where to park. Heading down to the lobby of the Hampton Inn I thought we would be some of the first fans leaving…boy was I surprised. The elevator opened to a sea of Crimson clad fans all taking advantage of the free breakfast! Nervous, I grabbed a banana, two cups of coffee, and we hauled ass out there only making one stop to get tailgating supplies!

As soon as we left my impression of Pennsylvania began to get a little better. The sun actually started to come out, and we had a beautiful and thankfully uneventful drive to State College! The traffic was no issue, and the routing to the stadium was clearly marked with loads of traffic cops helping out! I was really impressed with their handling of game day traffic…they actually do a fantastic job getting people in and out. The Penn State fans for the most part were very friendly and seemed happy we had made the trip. After a few hours of tailgating and walking around it was finally game time! I was pumped and ready for some Tide football!

Let’s take a look at the game:

I thought Bama overall played well, and the game kind of went about like expected. Yes, I was frustrated about several things offensively, but really we played well. I was very impressed with AJ McCarron and how he looked so comfortable out there on a huge stage…he did not seem to ever be rattled, and played really well. His pass to Michael Williams was a perfect bullet…it’s the only way that pass could have worked. What an incredible pass and catch in double coverage…well done! AJ has secured the starting quarterback position in my mind.

I was frustrated about our running game early on…but eventually we banged out some good yards, and I had to keep reminding myself we were playing a pretty good defense. Trent and Lacy ended up with some nice runs. I feel like Lacy was hitting the hole faster when he was in…maybe Trent is still having some little issues with his leg…who knows. Our defense was awesome, minus a few pass plays. We pretty much shut them down when we needed, only allowing one late touchdown that was meaningless at that point. Mark Barron, Dre “Swagga” Kirkpatrick, CJ Mosley all had big games. I swear if Dre had held on to that easy pick six, he would have high steeped it from the 50 all the way in…not caring how cussed at he would get from Saban. Dre is cocky…he better keep up the big plays to go along with his big confidence.

We have some things to correct, and I’m sure Saban and the coaches will work on these, but we have a very good team, and I feel really good about what lies ahead!
I know this post is getting long…just so much to share from this trip! Thankfully Saturday night the drive back after the game was uneventful…and no traffic!

Sunday morning, Sept. 11th we headed back to the airport in Pittsburgh. On our way we were listening to the 9-11 ceremonies on the radio. They rang a bell at 10:03 signaling the exact time when United flight 93 went down in a field near Shanksville, PA. That very same moment we drove by the exit for the flight 93 memorial…it was very surreal. A plane full of heroes had gone down 10 years ago near the very spot we were driving by, sacrificing their lives to save hundreds of other Americans. About 2 hours later we saw Air Force One take off. Politics aside…it is pretty cool to get to see Air Force One no matter who is in it!

Roll Tide, and God Bless America!

Jason

Kent State

Tide Fans –

Roll Tide! I apologize for the delay but I just now have access to a computer that works thanks to power outages from Tropical Storm Lee. Anyway…a great way for The Tide to get started on Saturday with an easy win over Kent State! This was the perfect game for some of our new starters to get into the rhythm of a live game, and gain some valuable playing time. We saw both quarterbacks play, and we also saw who is ahead of the other. A lot of young players in this game with a lot of talent, but still much to learn. All in all it was a good performance over a weak opponent…now the real season begins!

This game left me feeling pretty good about our team, but I do have some concerns. In my opinion there were too many plays where our QB was pressured…O line needs to tighten up a bit! I’m sure they will get this worked out, because we certainly don’t need to be heading up to Happy Valley without giving our QB’s time to get rid of the ball. I also was a little concerned about Trent’s production. Having said that, I do think that we were not showing much of our offense…we played a very vanilla game plan, and it was plenty to pound Kent State. I think Trent unleashes the pain on the Nittany Lions!

So, addressing the quarterbacks…McCarron has the obvious lead over Sims. He just seemed much more in rhythm, and much smoother on his passes. I think AJ get most of the snaps next week, but I still think we have not seen the last of Sims. He shows flashes of extreme talent…he just needs to work on consistency and rhythm. We may still see him some next week, but I have a feeling we see one QB for most of the game.

Let’s look at The Tide:

Offense:

Trent had some good hard nosed runs, but I have to give the game ball to Eddie Lacy! I absolutely love the little dump screen to him. This was Ingram’s bread and butter play, and Lacy looks like he picked up right where Ingram left off. I also LOVE the 70’s spin move that Lacy uses…just awesome! I feel like I am playing the old arcade game 10 Yard Fight when I see him do this move. Come on guys…you remember that game…shaking the handle back and forth to get your man to spin off the blockers…it was awesome! Anyway, it was good to see him move the ball for big chunks of yardage. Maze also had a great game! Minus a few bobbles on punt returns, he really stepped it up at the receiver position. Maze is looking to be our go to receiver, but he is going to need some help. I must give a shout out to DeAndrew White…very talented! He wears number 2, and I saw flashes of the “deuce” when he ran with the ball after catching, and on punt returns (except for when he fumbled). I think he is going to be really good, and we will see a lot more of him. I think we have a lot of young talent on offense that we will see more throughout the season. Finally, hats off to Barrett Jones for playing 3 different positions on one game – that is pretty cool!


Defense:

Just as I expected….powerful! Our guys are fast and furious out there, and I think they were at half speed this week. Some hard hits, and basically shut the opponent down minus 1 or 2 plays. I hate that they scored on us, but hey…I’m not complaining about holding them to 1 touchdown that was set up by an interception. I think our defense wins the game for us this coming week at Penn State. They are only going to get better as the season goes on…you can count on that! So many talented players…Hightower, Upshaw, Mosley, Square, Barron…the list goes on! I think the defense will allow us time for our offense to get into rhythm and get running smoothly. Don’t forget…Defense wins championships!

Well, it’s Penn State week folks! I will be making my first trip ever to Happy Valley, and I sure hope it is a happy one! Penn State is going to be fired up and ready to play us, so we better be ready. I know Saban has never won in Happy Valley and would like to change that. He will have our guys ready…I have no doubt about it. Their crowd is going to be very loud and fired up, so my only fear is that they jump out on top early in the game and keep the crowd noise a factor, rattling our untested quarterback. I am pretty sure we will start by trying to pound the ball with Trent and Eddie, and hopefully this works! If we get our running game going early, than I will feel really good. They will be expecting this, so McCarron is going to have to make some throws early, to free up some space for our backs. I think this game is close either way…not like last year. We must stay focused, not get rattled by the crowd, and not make turnovers giving them the ball with good field position.
If we can play our game and get into a rhythm offensively…we should be fine. Defense will be key in this game…they will determine the outcome!

I hope to have some great stories from my trip to State College to share with you next week! Until then…think positive about The Tide, and cheer your ass off if you are going (or if you stay at home). I know I will!

RTR

Jason

2011 Pre-Season Analysis

Tide Fans –

Yesterday in Birmingham, Alabama there was a little cool breeze in the air. I even saw leaves falling from trees as if to announce fall was here. The leaves were actually falling because they were dead due to heat and lack of water, but regardless it got me excited! As I sat on my porch I felt the breeze telling me…”Hey buddy…football season is almost here…get off your ass and write the pre-season analysis!” It is game week… the greatest time of year is upon us, and I cannot wait!

Big things are expected from Alabama this season. Every poll and every magazine has The Tide ranked either 1st or 2nd. I am not a big fan of pre-season rankings, etc…It is just opinions of people who more than likely have never even played football. Don’t get me wrong…I like where they think we are, but it also makes me nervous. Hopefully Sports Illustrated didn’t give us the kiss of death by ranking us number 1. I do believe we have a very good football team…a very talented football team, and a team with revenge on their mind. Last year we missed our shot at playing for another national title by about 4 busted plays. 1 or 2 plays in the LSU game, and dare I mention the couple of plays against Auburn that would have changed the outcome.

This team is hungry, and they have a lot to play for. Riding on the emotions of a city rebuilding from the deadly tornado, to the death of a teammate…The Tide will be a highly motivated juggernaut. If we can use our emotions in a positive way, stay focused, and execute…I don’t believe there is a team out there that can stop us.

Let’s take a quick look at The Tide:

Offense – 2 words…Trent Richardson! Most of you know that I loved Mark Ingram…keep that in mind when I say this – I think Trent Richardson is better…and not by just a little! Trent will be a front running Heisman candidate all season. He may not win it, but he will be in New York – no doubt about that! His arms are just ridiculous…have you seen them? It’s like he has thighs coming out of his shoulders!
Obviously our entire offense will not just consist of Trent and his spectacular running…we have a host of talent to help him out! Returning receivers Darius Hanks and Marquis Maze will try and pick up where Julio left off…God I miss Julio!!! We also have some young talented receivers who I think will make a big impact this season. DeAndrew White, Kenny Bell, and as of today Duran Carter! Let’s not forget the tight ends…I think Michael Williams, and Brad Smelly play a big role this year as well.

Obviously quarterback has been all the talk this summer. I really don’t care who starts, because I believe they are both very talented. I think Saban plays them both, and feels them out for who plays better in certain situations. The good thing is that we have 2 capable QB’s! I think they will both experience some growing pains…let’s just hope they get over those really fast!

Defense – I don’t even know where to start. Whenever I start to get worried about who might beat us, or if our offense doesn’t produce…all I have to do is think about how ridiculously awesome our defense is going to be! I pity the first QB that gets sandwiched between Donta' Hightower and Courtney Upshaw…just ask all 3 of the QB’s Michigan State went through in the bowl game…they are still hurting.

Our secondary is going to be solid…which means we can blitz more…which means sandwich time for our front guys! You can’t move the ball really well when you are laying flat on your back! Our guys are fast, and they are going to be flying all over the place – it will look like we have 15 men on the field. We are about 3 deep at every linebacker position, and the line has depth too! It is going to be a fun season…man I love a powerful, punishing defense!! I just chest bumped the wall…I am fired up about the D!

Let’s run through the schedule:

Kent State – good warm up for our QB’s to work the kinks out and get some confidence.

Penn State – Our first test, and one I am a little nervous about. Going up there with untested QB’s makes me a little apprehensive…but then I just think about the defense again and I feel better. We just need to play conservative smash mouth football and our defense will take care of the rest!

N. Texas – Yawn

Arkansas – First SEC game, and always a close one! A lot of people are high on the hogs this year…not me…I think we make the pigs squeal…again crushing them with our defense

Florida – They will be fired up and ready to play us in the swamp…but I just don’t think they can hang with us for 4 qrtrs. This one may be close…but the Tide rolls in Gainesville…Trent runs wild!

Vandy – bring your kids to this one…it should be fun! 

Ole Miss – Bama pounds the “Black Bears”…seriously…how gay is the new mascot?

Tennessee – They put up a fight…but they just can’t hang with the big boys yet…but they are getting better.

LSU – If they have a team coming into this game, and are not all subpoenaed…then it may be interesting. LSU has been highly touted as well, but I just don’t see it. I think they have possibly 2 losses before we play them.

Miss. State – This is the game that bothers me…it’s a trap game that follows a big one against LSU. We have to go over there, and I am nervous…they are getting better. I think this one is close either way

Ga. Southern – Another game to take your kids to!

Auburn – “Never Again” is posted all over the weight room and locker rooms at Alabama, referring to the melt down in last years game. I would love nothing more than to go down there and whip that ass…but we have to be careful here. You never know what tricks Auburn is going to pull. I think we beat them, but not by as much as everyone thinks we will. It is always a fight…but I sooo want revenge!!

I can’t believe kickoff is like 4 days away!! This should be a very exciting year for us Bama fans…one that hopefully ends to the tune of Zydeco music, red beans and rice, and beignets! Sounds good doesn’t it?? I am not making hotel reservations for New Orleans just yet (I did that last year and it backfired on me). But, if we can get through our first few obstacles unscathed then I may consider it. We have the weapons…we have the will power…and we definitely have the coach to get it done!

Another season of Crimson Tide Football is upon us…how sweet it is!

See y’all soon!

RTR!

Jason

Capital One Bowl

Tide Fans –

I’m not sure the phrase “total domination” is strong enough to describe what I saw this past Saturday. What an awe inspiring performance by The Alabama Crimson Tide! How nice was it to just sit back and watch us destroy the co Big Ten Champion Spartans from Michigan State? I must admit…I was not expecting this. This may have been the greatest display of defensive domination I have seen since 1992. Our defense was everywhere…and fast! They played with passion, energy, speed and aggressiveness… they played like champions! This was a team that was denied a shot at a repeat National Championship by four points. I believe they took it out on Michigan State, and they looked really good doing it!

Watching the Capital One Bowl was fun, but in a way it was frustrating. Frustrating because you see how well we can play, and that we should be playing in another National Championship game. With a complete dominating performance like we had, I don’t think there is any team that could beat us. Our defense played out of their mind, and offense moved the ball with ease. This is what was supposed to happen all year, but we all know how that worked out. The one good thing is that we get a lot of this team back next year, and I have a really good feeling about the 2011 season! If we somehow manage to keep a few of the juniors who are thinking about the NFL…wow – look out! I mean can you imagine if Julio and Ingram decided to stay?? I know it is a long shot…but wow – I would be walking on air if any of our NFL prospects return for their senior year. I think we will lose some, but I have a feeling that we may get a surprise or two…keep your fingers crossed!

I want to give huge shout outs to our seniors. These guys have played a lot of football, and have helped our team win lots of games… most notably, Greg McElroy. While there were times that some of us (myself included) did not think McElroy was getting the job done…the kid won a lot of games! He put his heart and soul into the team, and even though we have some great talent coming along at QB, I think this may be one of our biggest weaknesses next season. Greg’s leadership as a game manager will be missed, and his leadership off the field as well. McElroy had some of those characteristics that are hard to replace…even with a super talented newcomer. Other seniors we lose are James Carpenter…he will be missed on the O line, Earl Alexander, Luther Davis, Chavis Williams, Brian Motley, Davis Ross, and Rob Ezell – who never really played, but could do a hilarious imitation of Nick Saban! Thank you to all the seniors on this team who have given their time and effort to play for the Crimson Tide!

It is hard to believe that this season is already over. While not the season we wanted, we still end on a very high note! Michigan State was only a few points from possibly playing in the National Championship as well, and that was a good team we dismantled! I think our team will learn a lot about themselves from this season, and what it takes to get back to winning a championship. Our defense was very young this year, but grew up over the season, and I think will be extremely tough next year. Offense will have some changes…most notably at the quarterback position. We have 2 very talented guys who will battle it out, and we may even see the double QB system. Either way, I feel really good about next season! Our schedule is a little less brutal this year, with our SEC road games being at Florida, Ole Miss, Miss. State, and Auburn. Who knows what those teams will look like next season with all the changes of players and coaches. I think Miss. State may be our toughest road game!

Not the season we all wanted Tide Fans, but 10-3 is not bad…especially with the schedule we had this year. Let’s all look forward to next year, and what it may bring. Keep you head up high, and don’t let all this Auburn stuff drag you down…just ignore it – that’s what I do! It irritates them even more than if you try to argue with them. Just let them have their fun for now…they will be in a different world next year.

The future is bright, and The Tide will rise again!

Until next season…Roll Tide!

Jason

Week 12 - Auburn

Tide Fans –

I apologize for the lateness of this post, but quite honestly I just didn’t have the words. I am slowly coming out of my post Iron Bowl depression. I don’t know that is there is anything for me to say…I don’t have an explanation for what happened, or even a way to look at this loss and come away with anything positive. We lost a game we had won, and should have crushed Auburn into submission last Friday. Instead, we let them come back in record fashion and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. I am pretty sure this has been one of the toughest losses for me to swallow…I think the entire Bama Nation feels the same.

Standing in my seat at Bryant-Denny in complete shock at what I had just witnessed, my wife and parents both asked me if I was ok, as I stared blankly at the field. I think they were concerned at the fact that I was non responsive and was rocking back and forth. The second I saw $cam Newton run around the field shushing the crowd I quickly snapped out of my trance and screamed a few choice words at him. I truly dislike him, his attitude, and everything about his rock star status at Auburn. I will have the last laugh though…when he bolts to the NFL, and Auburn is left to clean up the mess he and his father created…I will have the last laugh! I can’t say how his situation will all pan out, but I can tell you one thing…Auburn is going to look really stupid if any of these allegations are true. Auburn went “All In” for Cam and his family, and I personally think this has been one enormous bluff.

So, what happened? How did we give up a 24 point lead at our home stadium? Why did we not finish? There is no one answer…but there are several things you can point to. Dropped passes in the end zone, 2 fumbles inside the 20, and other things are key factors. We score on these plays and even if we play like we did in the second half I still think we win. We would have been so far ahead score wise, I honestly don’t think Auburn would have had enough time to catch up. Think about it…it could have easily been 42 – 7 at half. Ingram doesn’t fumble while streaking to the end zone, Trent catches a TD pass, and McElroy doesn’t fumble on the 10…that’s 3 more TD’s! I will stop now, because it just opens up more wounds…and I don’t need to re-visit these as my blood pressure rises just thinking about it. We beat ourselves…we gave them the game. Auburn only had about 3 successful plays that made the difference. Very similar to the LSU game…we dominated minus a few plays that made the difference.

A very frustrating game, that took us through a roller coaster of emotions…from absolute elation in the first half to disbelief and shock in the second. I will say, the crowd at Bryant-Denny was ridiculously loud at points…it was awesome! Even several of my Auburn acquaintances were commenting on how loud and awesome our stadium was. You can’t blame anything on the fans…we did our part!

I guess we will find out what bowl we play in this weekend…not that I really care. It will be fun to see how Auburn plays in the SEC Championship…can they keep the streak going, or did we give Spurrier enough ammunition to use against Cam and company? I think this will be a good game…Auburn better not be looking ahead to Glendale!

Sorry I have nothing more positive for you this week Tide Fans…this one just broke my heart. I still love Alabama, and will support them in any situation…I just need a few more days to heal.

Until the bowl game…Roll Tide!

Jason

Week 10 - Mississippi State

Tide Fans –

The boys are back! The Tide shakes off last week’s loss, and puts together a solid game. Gone was the lackluster effort , and the team we all know and love came back to whip up on a fairly decent Mississippi State squad. We ran, we threw, and we even played some pretty good defense…Bama was firing on all cylinders. No more stuffed up the middle runs, and terrible triple coverage throws…I think I even saw at least 3 toss sweeps in this game!! It started off a little slow, but got turned around quickly in the 2nd quarter. This type of game came at the perfect time, so let’s enjoy it, and get prepared to destroy Auburn’s dream! You may be in the SEC Championship game Auburn, but the National Championship comes through Tuscaloosa…and we will be ready to take on $cam Newton!

Another beautiful day in Tuscaloosa, and perfect weather for the game! I will admit I was nervous about this game, and was not going to be shocked if we even lost. Mississippi State is not a great team, but they are much improved and have had a good season. Factor that in with an extra week to prepare for us and playing hard for a fallen teammate, I felt as if we might be in for a rough night. Thankfully, we found our offense and made some big plays to put this one out of reach by the 3rd quarter. It was good to see our offense open up and move the ball more consistently. Defense played solid as well, keeping the Dan Mullen style offense in check. No, we were not perfect and there are still areas we need work on, but we did play much improved. I still believe our best game is ahead of us…and I don’t mean Georgia State!

Big plays in this game are what made the difference. These are the type plays we had go against us last week. It only takes a few to put a game out of reach, and we made the most out of them Saturday night. It was great to see Maze get the ball with some open field to work with, and also nice to see Ingram bust some big ones. These type plays were almost non-existent against LSU. I believe we have an explosive offense…we just need to get the ball in the hands of our playmakers in the right situations. Easier said than done, I know…but I believe we will need these type plays the day after Thanksgiving to win. It was great to get the win, and I think our team is getting back on track…just in time!

I know we have a game this week, but all I can think about right now is the Iron Bowl. I think this is going to be an incredible game, with an awesome atmosphere! We will be ready to play Auburn, and somehow I think Saban and company will figure out a way to slow down Cam. I don’t think you can completely take him out, but as long as we can slow him down, and screw up their rhythm – we stand a great chance! I think our defense rises to the occasion and with some help from the Bryant-Denny crowd, get more pressure on Newton than he has seen all year. If there are any Bama fans not planning on going to the game, and you are selling your tickets – all I ask is that you DO NOT sell your tickets to Auburn fans!! There will be Aubs looking for tickets left and right, and willing to pay…do not give in…DO NOT give in and sell to them!

More on the Iron Bowl in next week’s post…just had to get that off my chest! It should be an interesting week seeing as we play again on Thursday night! I typically think Thursday night games are gay, but I think this was an ingenious move by Saban and our athletic department to make this happen so we can get the extra rest and practice for the Auburn game. I know our opponent is less than desirable, but I hope we have a good showing crowd wise. I am usually fully concentrating on The Tide by Thursday night anyway, so I might as well be at the game! Plus we get to welcome back two Alabama favorites…Bill Curry and Star Jackson! ;) Aaahhh…it should be a great return to Tuscaloosa for both of them…just don’t throw any bricks at Curry.

Short week, so I will be posting again soon…until then…Roll Tide!

Jason

Week 9 - LSU

Tide Fans –

This one hurts…this one really hurts. I apologize for the delay, but I honestly just now have the time and energy to write a post. New Orleans / Baton Rouge kicked my butt, and broke my heart. I have gone through all of the emotions in the past day and a half…anger, frustration, humiliation, and depression. Alabama football means so much to me, and I am just crushed right now at the fact that we will not repeat as National Champions, and more than likely have no chance to play for an SEC championship. Our destiny has taken a different path this year, but there is one thing I do know for certain…I am still very proud to be an Alabama fan! No discouraging loss will ever take that away from me, and I hope it never will any of you. Now is not the time to give up on our team…we must stay positive and finish the year strong. Everyone wants to see us down…everyone wants to see our fans bicker about this and that. I am not going to give them the satisfaction. I am going to remain focused on the remainder of our games, and continue to support our team just as I would if they were undefeated. Our team needs support now more than ever, so I ask that you remain positive, and look forward. We have some big games ahead, and can still make some noise…plus, how fun would it be to ruin Auburn’s dream season? No it’s no consolation for another championship season, but it sure would be fun!

I have so many stories from this little excursion to Tiger Stadium, but I will just address a few. I will start out by saying that LSU fans are crazy – I knew this, and was fully expecting it. It is usually kind of a “friendly” crazy if you will. I don’t know what it was on this trip, but wow…crazy is not a strong enough word. I saw things that were just downright disturbing, and at one point while walking through a “carnival” like tailgate area, was pretty sure I was having an out of body experience. Strange dances, weird music, ridiculous outfits, and things hanging from trees that people were drinking some sort of alcohol from. I literally felt like Will Ferrell in Old School when he shot himself with the tranquilizer dart…everything sort of moved slow motion as we walked through, and was just really weird. I really felt like saying…”Your crazy….you’re crazy man!” Thankfully we made our way through Sodom and Gomorrah relatively unscathed. We did enjoy some good Cajun cooking with another (more mature) group of LSU fans we encountered, so that was nice. They can be crazy…but some of them are really nice…until you lose to them. More on that later…

Sitting about 2 miles up in the steeply pitched upper deck of Death Valley we watched the game unfold. Maybe it looked different on TV, but it seemed our team just came out flat with no real fire. We had several opportunities to drive down the field and score points against LSU, but poor execution prevented this. Our defense actually held LSU, minus about 3 plays which is all they ended up needing. 3 busted coverage’s on our part made the difference. I felt like we could have still beaten them, but our offense was just sputtering, and the plays were not there. I really got tired of us trying to run up the gut after being shut down time and time again. Do we not have a toss sweep anymore?? I am not a coach, but it just seems we really needed to throw some different looks at them in the second half. It just felt as if we were handcuffed…we have the playmakers…let’s get them the ball! This type of game is so frustrating as a fan, because you know we have the ability to beat the other team, and somehow we just don’t execute or run the right plays and it is just painful to witness. We had plenty of opportunities to score, we just didn’t get it done, and made some stupid mistakes. Falling for the trick play on 4th and 1, and not holding them at the end on 3rd and 13 were the most disappointing. You can’t let that happen if you want to win the game!
I could go on and on about different things we could have done differently, but what is the point. We lost a game we should have won, and that is the most frustrating thing about it.

If you have never been to Tiger Stadium after a loss, let me tell…it is not fun. I warned my wife about this minutes before the game ended. LSU fans know how to party, but they do not know how to treat people after they win. Constant in your face chants of “Tiiiiiigah Bait”, and choice expletives were yelled at us as we made our way back to the car. Now, I know we have some sidewalk alumni that don’t know how to treat the opposing fans as well, but this was ridiculous. Every single group of LSU fans we passed on the way to the car were just downright crude. I don’t mind if they want to yell “Tiiiigah Bait” at me, but the language and crude other things that were said were just wrong…it was pure hatred. Again, I know we have our share of bad fans, but this was ridiculous! Learn how to win with some class – you won the game…have fun, party, celebrate, whatever…just don’t be complete asses to the people from the other team. I lost a lot of respect for LSU fans this weekend, and as a matter of fact…they can all “bleaux” me!

Now that I have that off my chest…looking forward. Again, I ask you not to give up on our team. Yes – losing sucks, and I hate it more than anyone…especially when we play poorly. You have to remember…this is a completely different team from last year. We have a very young defense, and our offense, while they still returned many starters, we lost a lot of key leadership guys, and I think this is making a difference – especially on the O line. Something is just not clicking right like it was last year…maybe it’s not having Mike Johnson, or maybe it’s not having Colin Peek to help out with run blocking. Whatever it is, it is effecting everything we do offensively. It all starts on the line, and we play as they play. I am not blaming anyone here, just think we are missing an intangible that we had last year. The defense is a completely different story – they are very young, and I believe have played about as well as they can – this defense will be very good next year, as they have had time to grow up. You have to take a step back and look at some of these areas objectively before you start just yelling “We suck, fire the coach, etc…” We had a lot of changes to the championship team, and we are seeing the effects.

Next week will be another tough test for us, as Mississippi State brings in a pretty solid team. Do not get all pissed and sell your tickets, and just give up – we need to support this team. I will be there, rain or shine, and I am going to be yelling my ass off. I love The Tide, and look forward to what we can still accomplish this season…let’s finish strong! It is hard to be a Tide fan after a loss like this past Saturday, but just step back and thank God that you are, because there is nothing better than being an Alabama Crimson Tide fan!

Until next week…Roll Tide!

Jason

Week 8 - Tennessee

Tide Fans –

What started out as looking very ugly, turned into something beautiful! Julio, Trent, Maze and Ingram found their groove and made some huge plays to put this game out of reach by the end of the 3rd quarter. I don’t know what Coach Saban said at halftime, but whatever it was it worked like a charm! The Tide rolls big in Knoxville, crushing the Vols with their inspired 2nd half play. Now it’s time for some much needed rest for the team, (and the fans) so we can get ready and defend our SEC title – we have to win them all!

As soon as this game started I thought to myself…I should have gone. When we got down early I was really mad at myself for not going to the game. I feel so much more in control if I am at the game, versus watching it on TV. I don’t know why, but I just do. It’s not as if The Tide knows I am there and play better because of this (I would like to think this is true, but I know it isn’t). I’m pretty sure Coach Saban and the team do not feel my presence when I am in attendance, and as much as I wish that I was part of the pre-game checklist for the coaching staff and the team…I fear that I am not. Regardless, I always feel better attending the game.

To make things even weirder – I was actually attending a Halloween party during the game, and was in full costume. This was not helping my Tide vibe, and was convinced it was effecting our first half play. I know it was effecting the party as I am not a fun person to be around when Bama is playing poorly. Here I was standing next to my friends dressed in the following costumes - a quilted leisure suit (which apparantly was very comfortable), Jason (machete and all), Cousin Eddie from Christmas Vacation, and I am fully decked out as a member of the Dharma Initiative from the TV show LOST. You can just imagine how that looked – not your typical group of fans watching a game! At halftime I was soo irritated I removed my costume wig in disgust, and it never went back on. I usually take my Halloween costumes very seriously, and like to stay in character – but something had to change, and apparently it helped! The Tide dominated the 2nd half, and suddenly I didn’t mind hanging out watching the game with a bunch of people in costume!

We needed a win like this very badly. Our confidence just didn’t seem to be where it needed to be, and while I know this was not a very good Tennessee team, it is always nice to get a big SEC road game win against one of your biggest rivals. This was just what the doctor ordered as we go into our off week, and as most of you know…I love crushing Tennessee!

Offense finally found their rhythm and made some big runs, and some ridiculous catches by Julio. What an incredible game he had – just amazing. This is the Julio we love…this is why it is so important to get the ball to him – he can make things happen. Nevermind that his hand is broken…he was pulling in balls that were overthrown, underthrown, and some that were actually perfectly thrown. All in the process he breaks the single game record for receiving yards – just awesome! Can I get a Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuulio!!!!! I must give shout outs to Trent and Marquis Maze also – great games by both of them. I love the fact we are utilizing Maze more – he is a playmaker, and this was long overdue in our game planning.

Overall defense played well again, minus a few busted coverages. Dre “Primetime” Kirkpatrick needs to step it up, as I feel he got schooled on several plays. How about the hit Miliner put on that guy…good Lord it was insane! That is truly one of the hardest hits I have ever witnessed, and I am shocked (and glad) the guy was able to walk off the field, because at first I thought he was dead. It was nice to see some other guys get some playing time in this game – Phelon Jones, BJ Scott, and Miliner all got some great experience. Phelon needs to learn how to catch – he could have had a few picks! Our Defense is pretty beat up right now – the week off will help tremendously. Upshaw and Dareus are still not full speed, and it will be great to get them a few weeks to recover. We need everyone full strength for our final stretch, as we have some big games ahead.

Bama heads to Baton Rouge in two weeks. Even though they lost this past weekend, this is still a huge game for us. LSU has not played great this year, but they are a dangerous team. You really don’t know what you are going to get with them, but believe me – they will be fired up and ready to play. Offense must play aggressive with them, and keep our running game going. Defense will need to play smart and not over think things. I think if we can get a good pass rush on either of their quarterbacks our chances improve drastically. We must play smart and not make sloppy mistakes in this game. McElroy needs to make some passes early in the game to get our rhythm going, and we must establish the run threat. We get a running game going, and play solid defense – this one is ours!

I look forward to this game, as I will actually be in attendance! I love making this trip, and always have great stories to tell after. You never know what experience you will have amongst the Cajun faithful, and throw in 2 nights in New Orleans…it should be interesting! Enjoy the week off Tide Fans – I know I will. Rest up and get ready for a Championship run – it’s ours to take…we just have to win baby…just win!

See you in 2 weeks…Roll Tide!

Jason

Week 7 - Ole Miss

Tide Fans –

First off, I would like to apologize profusely for the delay in this week’s post. I have been in the fine city of Mobile, and unable to get a post up until now. I was once again watching my daughters gymnastics meet, this time in Mobile and on a Sunday evening…nice! This is normally when I am writing my analysis, but on this Sunday evening my wife and I were hanging out chasing an extremely tired 2 year old around a somewhat warm gym, trying to watch our daughter compete. Good times…good times! Actually, the Sunday meet worked out fine because there was no interference with the game…and that is huge. It was a great trip and we got to see some of our dear friends while we were there. A big shout out to the Carter Family, Ed’s Seafood Shed, The Battle House Hotel, and The Battleship USS Alabama!

On to the game…

It was a beautiful day in Tuscaloosa – a great day filled with Homecoming festivities, parades, lawn decorations, and of course football! The Tide gets back on track with a win against a struggling Ole Miss team. It was hardly a great game by The Tide, but a win is a win, and we must move on and continue to improve. An overall impressive performance by our defense, but we are still not clicking on all cylinders on offense. We must improve here, or we will not be heading to Atlanta!

My lovely wife told me today in the car ride home from Mobile, that I am sometimes too hard on our team. This stemmed from me being completely irritated throughout most of the game about our lack of offense. Yes, we had some good plays, but in my opinion overall we just did not look very good. At one point, and yes I will admit this, I was actually questioning whether we should take McElroy out. I just didn’t think he was playing well, and taking too many sacks or missing too many passes. It was wrong for me to think like this, as I know he can run the offense better than any of our backups right now. I guess I was just frustrated with field goals, and I wanted to crush our opponent. Anyway, I know Greg is the man for the job, I just want him to be the old Greg, and play like a champion. I am sure the team will work hard to make improvements, and I still have a lot of faith in McElroy, and the entire offense!

Our defense played well. Massolli was running around like a wild man out there trying to avoid getting crushed on just about every play. That dude is fast! It almost looked as if you were watching him on fast forward 1 arrow (you TiVo users know what I’m talking about!) Massolli ran fast, and could sling that ball really fast…thankfully he just wasn’t very accurate, or his receivers just suck. The Tide defense did a great job pressuring him all night – it was night and day compared to last week’s game.

I came away from this game a little nervous, thinking we have a lot of work to do if we are going to get to Atlanta. Now that I have had time to calm down a little, and look at it more objectively, I am glad we got the win. No, Ole Miss is not great, but they were well rested and could have been a real pain. We were never really in doubt of losing that one, and it is an SEC West victory, so let’s be glad that one is over.

It’s Tennessee week now – time to head up to Rocky Top and beat some ass! Most of you know – I absolutely despise Tennessee, and want to crush them every year! I will not be attending this game …as I have never witnessed a victory in person there. I cannot stand going up there and cramming myself in a tiny 6 inch space that is supposed to be my seat. You have to sit sideways in that stadium because they put the numbers so close together…it is ridiculous. The Tide better bring their A game this week, because it is another SEC road game, and you never know what you’re going to get when you play Tennessee. No, they do not have a very good team this year, but this is one of those games where you throw the record book out. Need I remind everyone of what they almost pulled off last season against us? Defense better show up, and for the love of God please take some offense too! Let’s run that ball all over Rocky Top!!!

We have a lot of football to go fans, and we need to win every game! We got a little help from some teams this weekend for our championship hopes, but we cannot stumble again. Let’s concentrate on the Vols, and then enjoy that week off to rest up for the brutal November schedule. We can do this…have faith!

Until next week…Roll Tide!

Jason

Week 6 - South Carolina

Tide Fans –

Something didn’t feel right when I woke up Saturday morning. Besides the massive head cold I had acquired the day before, something just didn’t feel right. I was actually looking forward to a nice day at home watching football without interruption from gymnastics meets or other distractions. I was looking forward to kicking back, watching gameday, and getting mentally prepared for our game against South Carolina. It was a beautiful day in Birmingham, Alabama, and then all of a sudden as I fixed a cup of coffee preparing to watch ESPN, our power went out. Yes – no storms, nothing but blue skies, and our power goes out…fantastic. This got me really concerned, not only because I was missing gameday, but it just seemed like a bad omen. All morning I had this feeling of unpreparedness – like I had not done something to get ready for this game. It was a bad start to a day that would only get worse. Our beloved Crimson Tide loses to the Gamecocks of South Carolina…I was crushed.

Words cannot describe how I felt at about 5:30pm on Saturday. Actually, there are several words that were blurted out of my mouth within earshot of my kids, which described exactly how I felt. I can only pray that these words are not ever repeated by them. I know most of you feel the same way, and are just as down as I am right now. It is a feeling we have not had to deal with in a long time, and it totally sucks. At the beginning of the season I predicted that we would lose a game…I just hoped it never would actually happen. We are now facing the reality of a loss, and how we respond to it will tell a lot about us as Tide fans, and our team. The one thing I ask of all of you is to stay positive – there is a lot of football to be played, and the Aubs want nothing more than to see us get all irritated when asked about the loss. Let them talk all they want…their day is coming, and I personally cannot wait to play them.

We knew it would be tough to get through this gauntlet of games undefeated. I think our team was mentally tired, and that is what got us beat. We were not ready for this game and it showed. There were way too many errors creating costly penalties, and busted plays. Our team did not look like themselves on the field, and quite honestly I thought they looked very slow – there was no hustle. They looked hung over…and that is what I was afraid of last week. At one point I swear I saw Donta Hightower walk over to try and make a tackle. Our heads were simply not in this game, and in the SEC if you don’t come ready to play every week, you lose. I have to give some credit to South Carolina – they played a great game – probably the best they ever have, but they are not a better team than us. I wish them the best of luck, because I want to play them again. I want to play them again so bad! You may have shut down our run, and completed some ridiculous passes this time…but you will not do it again…you will not do it again!

This is a tough one to swallow Tide Fans…a very tough one. As hard as it is, we must press on and get ready for the next game. There is no time to sit around and sulk all week, because if we do Ole Miss may come in and shock us. We have to get our mind right, and go on to fight for the rest of the season. We control our destiny, and while our championship dreams took a hit – they are far from over. I believe our coaches and our team, are going to be stronger after this and I believe we will go undefeated for the remainder of the season. There a several huge games ahead, but I know we have the team to do it. Our players like McElroy, Ingram, Dareus, Hightower, and Julio are going to step it up a notch, and demand more from their fellow teammates. The Tide is going to play with fire and passion for the rest of the season, and whoever lies ahead better watch out – a big ‘ol pissed off Crimson giant is heading your way, and it wants to crush you.

Heads up Tide fans, we have a lot of football to play, and we are still the defending National Champions…we are still The Alabama Crimson Tide! Have faith in your team, and think positive. Just before I started typing, I looked out my window and saw the sun shining on my Bama flag flying in the wind, and it made me smile. Good things are ahead…the season is far from over.

Until next week…Roll Tide!

Jason

Week 5 - Florida

Tide Fans –

Domination: supremacy or preeminence over another. This is the definition according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. I believe they hit the nail on the head, and no other word best describes what happened in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night. The Alabama Crimson Tide destroyed the Florida Gaytors, and I enjoyed every single second of it! There is nothing better than crushing the team, and the cocky, cheesy, “jort” wearing fans from Gainesville. The night sky was buzzing with deafening roars from Bryant-Denny, and everyone in Crimson was having the time of their lives. Bama rolls big…and I’m not sure anyone can stop us!

What a beautiful day for college football in Alabama…the weather could not have been more perfect! My day started with an early rise for an 8:00 gymnastics meet in Bessemer, Alabama. Yes – once again I start my game day off rushing to get kids dressed and shoved into the minivan in time to make the 7:45 check in time for the level 3 Mountain Brook Pirates team. Nothing like having to wake up at 6:00 on Saturday to drive to Bessemer and sit in a gym on hard bleachers…ahhh can’t beat it! The only good thing about the very early meet was that it would not interfere with my planned departure time for Tuscaloosa…and that is something I take very seriously. Thankfully they made it worth the drive as the team stayed undefeated! A big shout out to my daughter, and the entire team – way to go girls!

My plan was to drive back to my parents, meet my friend Bill, my cousin in-law Joe, his girlfriend Becca, and all ride down together in one car. My dad had threatened not to go earlier in the day saying he wasn’t feeling well. My response to that was “Dad, it’s the Florida game – so please get your ass in the car and let’s go!” After a series of cooler shifting, discussions on who should sit where, and who was driving, we hit the road. Within 2 minutes we had already pulled the car over and switched drivers…after I finally convinced my dad that if he wasn’t feeling well, then he should not be driving. Surprisingly enough the rest of the trip down was smooth sailing!

Not long after arriving on campus I saw the first set of Gaytor fans and immediately wanted to vomit in my mouth. I really dislike Florida’s fan base, and seriously just cannot get along with them as much as I try. Their culture is completely different from the rest of the SEC, and it just irritates me. The clothes they wear, the hairstyles, the weird accents…it’s just not my cup of tea. This is probably why I enjoy beating them almost more than any other school! To see their fans all cocky and acting like complete tools before the game, and watching them try to make excuses as to why they got crushed afterward is hilarious. My section (which is truly an all Alabama section) for some reason had several Florida fans in it, which really bothered me. A quick note to anyone else that sits in section GG – selling your tickets to opposing team fans is ridiculous. Selling your tickets to a Florida fan is downright ludicrous, and you seriously should be removed from Tide Pride. I am serious – that is absolutely ridiculous. There are millions of Tide fans you could have sold your tickets to…and you sell them to a Florida fan…unbelievable. The only good thing about it was that I got to see several of them squirm as we crushed them all night long!

In 2005 when we played Florida at Bryant-Denny was the loudest that stadium has ever been. This past Saturday came very close. I love it when we are so loud that the opposing team gets all confused and our defense just swarms them – it is powerful. It wasn’t the loudest, but it was definitely rocking Saturday night in Bryant-Denny! Just to reminisce – the other two loudest moments in our stadium were in 2007 when JP Wilson threw the game winning touchdown to Matt Caddell in the final seconds against Arkansas, and last year when Cody blocked the field goal…damn that was loud! I love a loud stadium, and wish the crowd would be more consistent with their volume in all games.

This game was just delightful to watch! I knew we would beat Florida, but I did not think it would be that easy. The high fives were flying in our section as we watched The Tide score on practically each possession in the first half – we could do no wrong. Running, passing, and scoring defensively…it was beautiful. Seriously, if our defense plays like this every game – I do not think anyone will even score a touchdown on us. We were flying all over the field, and constantly pressuring the quarterback, leading to several interceptions. Huge shout outs go to Dareus, Upshaw, CJ Mosley, and Dre (Primetime) Kirkpatrick! I just hope we can keep up the intensity like this every week, because our schedule just doesn’t get easier.

Offense was equally impressive. The balance of our running and passing game is truly a force. We have so many weapons – Ingram, Richardson, Julio, Hanks, Maze!! I LOVE the play were Marquis threw the touchdown pass out of the wildcat formation – it was perfect! I have to give huge props to our guys up front in the trenches – they are truly incredible. Everything starts on the line, and these guys play like professionals. They are very well coached, and are just machine like in getting their job done. McElroy had all day on most of the pass plays…all day. The Tide looked so smooth and almost unstoppable throughout this game – we played championship football, and Florida got swamped!

Leaving Tuscaloosa late at night is never easy after a long day of tailgating and watching the Tide. Everyone in our group was exhausted…hell I was still exhausted from last week! I knew traffic was going to suck after the game, so I decided to take another route out of town. I had done some map research earlier in the week and was convinced I had found the way out of Tuscaloosa that would avoid a major chunk of traffic. Unfortunately I forgot the map I had printed and highlighted to get us out. I decided I could remember it from memory, as I turned the opposite way that everyone else was turning (much to the dismay of everyone in the car). I was convinced I could remember the streets I was supposed to turn on for my new route out. We are now on the outskirts of Tuscaloosa in the town of Holt. I proceed to drive down very dark and somewhat narrow roads with literally no traffic. There were some groans coming from the back seat and some “where the hell are you going” comments. I drove with confidence…until we hit a dirt road. At this point I had lost all confidence on where I was going. I was thinking...great I have really screwed up now...I had to leave my map at home...how stupid! After a quick U turn in Bubba’s driveway (if you can call it that), we headed back the direction we came. Thankfully Bill noticed the sign I was looking for right before we hit the dirt road and directed us back. A few more tense miles, and finally we popped out onto the main road heading home – awesome!! My new route worked like a charm, minus one wrong turn! Everyone was happy to see smooth pavement and other cars. We made it home in record time seeing as we didn’t leave until the game was over! I was pumped, and no I am not telling you my new route…it’s a secret!

Once again we have another huge game this week Tide Fans! South Carolina is coming off a loss to Auburn, and will be rested and ready to play the defending national champs. Every team we play for the rest of the season will be rested and ready to play us. Every week we will face another team wanting to take down number 1. Our schedule is brutal, but we have to stay focused and push through. I have been very confident about most of our games, but I will admit that I am a little nervous about going to South Carolina. Not because of the team we are playing, but the fact that we will be on the road again after a huge win – I just hope we don’t have a hangover in Columbia. If we do, it could be a tight game like Arkansas. I do not think the Gamecocks can even come close to hanging with us physically for 4 quarters, but if we do stupid things, and keep them close in the game, their crowd will be fired up, and they will play us tough. If our same defense that we saw this week shows up – they have no chance. I will not be making the trip to Columbia this week, so if you are going, yell extra loud for me!

Enjoy the win over Florida Tide fans, but we need to get focused and ready for our next opponent. In my mind – this is the game that assures our spot in Glendale…we win this one, and I don’t think anyone beats us from here on out. Let’s keep the championship repeat dream alive and crush the Gamecocks!

Until next week…Roll Tide!

Jason