Tag: Alabama Crimson Tide (Page 19 of 20)

      No. 8 Alabama cruises past No. 3 Georgia 41-30

      September 27, 2008 /

      Glenn CoffeeWhat a wild, wild week in college football. No. 1 USC falls to Oregon State. Ole’ Miss shocks No. 5 Florida. Little ol’ Navy beats No. 16 Wake Forest. Michigan turns the ball over five times in the first half, but overcomes a 19-0 deficit to defeat No. 9 Wisconsin.

      And if all that wasn’t enough, No. 8 Alabama rolled into Athens and stomped No. 3 Georgia, 41-30. So much for the Bulldogs’ plan to “Black Out” the Tide.

      Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide built a shocking 31-0 halftime lead and despite the Bulldogs best efforts at a comeback in the second half, Alabama cruised. They played about as close to perfect as they could, totaling 129 yards on the ground (Glen Coffee had 86 yards and 2 TDs), dominating the time of possession battle and despite playing in a hostile environment, amassing only two penalties for a nine yards. They also scored on their first five possessions and turned the ball over just once.

      Georgia was at a disadvantage with dynamic RB Knowshon Moreno hobbled, but even if he were 100%, it wouldn’t have mattered. Alabama came out with more energy, played a cleaner game and quite frankly, Saban just out-coached Mark Richt. The Dogs could do nothing in the first half and it was almost like Alabama was in UGA’s offensive huddle the entire night. And it was only a matter of time before Georgia’s lack of experience on the offensive line caught up to them like it did tonight. ‘Bama’s defensive front was more physical and it showed with how UGA could do nothing on the ground, which in turn affected Matthew Stafford and the passing game.

      Criticize Saban for the way he left LSU for the NFL and then the Miami Dolphins for Alabama, but the man has brought quality football back to that school in just two years. And with USC, Georgia and Florida all falling this week, the Tide will find themselves in great position to make a run at a title appearance. Saban’s biggest task now is not allowing his team to have a setback against programs like Kentucky, Ole’ Miss, Tennessee and Arkansas State over the next few weeks before they have to play at LSU in November.

      College Football

      Week 5 College Football Primer

      September 24, 2008 /

      Time to check out the big games, top matchups and potential upsets as college football heads into Week 5.

      Top 25 Action:
      Nick SabanNo. 8 Alabama (4-0, 1-0 SEC) at No. 3 Georgia (4-0, 1-0 SEC), Saturday 7:45 PM ET ESPN
      In their 27-10 win over Arizona State last week, the Bulldogs were able to physically dominate ASU in the trenches, but questions still remain about their inexperienced offensive line. After having trouble with South Carolina’s front four two weeks ago, UGA head coach Mark Richt made some changes that at the very least, worked in the win over ASU. But the Bulldogs’ offensive line will get another stiff test this week against a physical defensive front of Alabama. Tide head coach Nick Saban has his team believing they can win and their 328-92 rushing dominance in a win at Arkansas last week was nothing short of impressive. Last year ‘Bama gave Georgia everything they could handle before finally losing 26-23 in overtime in Tuscaloosa. So it should be another great SEC battle “between the hedges” this Saturday. Georgia is currently a 6.5-point favorite.

      No. 24 TCU (4-0, 1-0 MWC) at No. 2 Oklahoma (3-0, 2-0 home), Saturday 7:00 PM ET
      The Sooners wrap up their non-conference schedule by hosting an undefeated TCU team that ranks 13th in the nation in points scored. Of course, Oklahoma is the top ranked program in that category, so lets not get ahead ourselves in predicting an upset. The Sooners have outscored opponents 164-42 and are second in the nation with a 40.7 average margin of victory. OU head coach Bob Stoops has been around the block more than enough to know his team can’t relax before conference play. Oklahoma is an 18.5-point home favorite.

      No. 22 Illinois (2-1, 0-1 away) at No. 12 Penn State (4-0, 3-0 home)
      Entering the season, Ohio State and Wisconsin were considered the class of the Big Ten. While that might still be the case, the conference produces an underrated matchup this Saturday in Happy Valley when the Nittany Lions host the Illini. So far this season, PSU has one of the best offenses in the nation, ranking sixth in total yards, 31st in passing yards, eighth in rushing yards and third in points scored. But the last time the Lions squared off against Illinois, they turned the ball over three times inside the Illini’ 30-yard line in a surprising 27-20 loss in Champaign. Film of that game will almost certainly be shown to PSU players leading up to Saturday’s game. Illinois is currently a 15-point road dog.

      Upset Watch:
      Chris ToddTennessee at No. 15 Auburn Saturday 3:30 PM ET CBS
      Considering they were crushed 30-6 by Florida last Saturday, not too many people will give the Vols a chance this weekend against the Tigers, who are coming off a narrow loss to No. 6 LSU. But Tennessee played better against the Gators than the final score indicated. The UT defense surrendered only 16 first downs and 243 yards against the high-powered Florida offense. That bodes well this week when they take on an Auburn offense that has only managed 17 points in their first eight quarters against SEC opponents and is largely still a work in progress. Oddsmakers have established Auburn as a 6.5-point favorite.

      Other notable games:
      No. 1 USC at Oregon State, Thursday 9:00 PM ET ESPN
      Remember the last time USC traveled to Corvallis? The Trojans certainly do.

      Mississippi State at No. 5 LSU Saturday 7:30 PM ESPN2
      The Tigers are coming off a huge win last week in Auburn. Will they have a letdown against unranked Mississippi State?

      Arkansas at No. 7 Texas Saturday 3:30 PM ET ABC
      Bobby Petrino’s bunch were hammered last week at home against Alabama. Petrino can probably count on similar results this week in Austin.

      College Football

      College Football Rankings Week 4: Top 5 stays the same

      September 22, 2008 /

      Jarrett LeeThe latest AP college football rankings and USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll have been released, with the top 5 teams all staying put.

      USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll Top 10:

      1. USC
      2.Oklahoma
      3. Georgia
      4. Florida
      5. Missouri
      6. LSU
      7. Texas
      8. Wisconsin
      9. Texas Tech
      10. Alabama

      Four programs dropped out of the top 25, including East Carolina (No. 17), West Virginia (No. 22), Arizona State (No. 24) and Florida State (No. 25), folloing their losses last week.

      It’s nice to see Vanderbilt has finally cracked the top 25, coming in at No. 25. After ECU was beat by NC State last Saturday, maybe Vandy will now become the new Cinderella story this season.

      College Football

      Week 4 College Football Primer

      September 17, 2008 /

      Time to check out the big games, top matchups and potential upsets as college football heads into Week 4.

      Les MilesTop 25 Action:
      No. 6 LSU (2-0, 0-0 SEC) at No. 10 Auburn (3-0, 1-0 SEC), Saturday 7:45 PM ET ESPN
      The last time these two teams met in Auburn, JaMarcus Russell and the LSU offense was stuffed by the Tigers’ defense in a 7-3 loss in 2006. LSU hasn’t won in Auburn since 1998 and 11 of the last 18 meetings between these two schools have been decided by a touchdown or less. LSU and its 33rd-ranked offense might have trouble moving the ball against Auburn’s 10th-ranked defense, but the LSU defense should have no issues stopping an Auburn offense that has struggled mightily so far this season. LSU is currently a 2.5-point road favorite.

      No. 18 Wake Forest (2-0) at No. 24 Florida State (2-0), Saturday 7:00 PM ET ESPN2
      Don’t let Florida State’s gaudy stats fool you – the Seminoles have beaten two FCS teams and have yet to be challenged. They’ll get their first real test of the year when the Demon Deacons travel to Tallahassee this Saturday. While their two wins might have given FSU confidence heading into this game, the Noles are still young at a lot of positions, especially quarterback where sophomore Christian Ponder (396 yards, 6 TDs) is off to a great start this season but has yet to face a real defense. Deacons’ QB Riley Skinner will also look to continue his hot play after amassing 487 passing yards and five touchdowns in Wake’s first two games this season. The Seminoles are currently favored by 4 points at home.

      Todd BoeckmanUpset Watch:
      Troy (2-0) at No. 13 Ohio State (2-1), Saturday 12:00 PM ET Big Ten Network
      OSU head coach Jim Tressel said RB Chris “Beanie” Wells is questionable to play Saturday after missing the past two games with an injured big toe. The Buckeyes also have issues at quarterback, where incumbent starter Todd Boeckman has strung together three poor outings in a row, including a disastrous effort in OSU’s 35-3 loss to USC last week. Tressel appears to be giving freshman Terrelle Pryor more of a role in the offense, which might be aiding in Boeckman’s troubles, as it’s hard for a quarterback to establish rhythm when he’s coming out of the game every other snap. Troy has wins over powder puffs Middle Tennessee State and Alcorn State, but the Trojans are no pushovers. They currently own the top ranked pass defense in the nation and have averaged over 500 yards a game offensively in their two victories. If anyone thinks a smaller school can’t compete with OSU at the Horseshoe, just look at what Ohio was able to do two weeks ago in Columbus when they went toe to toe with the Buckeyes for three and a half quarters. Ohio State is currently a 21-point favorite.

      Other notable games:
      No. 4 Florida at Tennessee, Saturday 3:30 PM ET CBS
      No. 3 Georgia at Arizona State, Saturday 8:00 PM ET ABC
      No. 9 Alabama at Arkansas, Saturday 12:30 PM ET

      College Football

      Nick Saban has Alabama fans smiling

      September 2, 2008 /

      Was anyone really surprised when Clemson folded like a house of cards against Alabama on Saturday night? Did anyone really think Tommy Bowden wouldn’t find a way to blow it against Nick Saban? From the first series, it was clear that Alabama meant business, and Clemson just didn’t have the fire to compete.

      We already knew Saban was a great college coach, but now we know he also has some real talent.

      Stewart Mandel explains that Terrence Cody will likely be a star.

      That Alabama may have the next Glenn Dorsey on its hands. Tide fans spent the offseason drooling in anticipation over the arrival of freshman WR Julio Jones, and while Jones did not disappoint in his debut, the truly astonishing newcomer was defensive tackle Terrence Cody. Clemson’s offensive line had no answer for the freakish 6-foot-5, 365-pound junior college transfer, who could be seen storming into the Tigers’ backfield over and over. Clemson’s vaunted rushing attack netted zero — yes, zero — total yards.

      With such a rare combination of size and speed, Cody — who, as legend has it, began the year nearly 30 pounds heavier yet could be seen on the basketball court “dunking and doing 360s with the ball,” Tide center Antoine Caldwell said this summer — looks like the same kind of one-man wrecking crew as the former LSU star. Foes will have no choice to double or triple-team him, which, in ‘Bama’s 3-4 scheme, frees up all kinds of gaps for the linebackers.

      We knew it was just a matter of time before Saban had Alabama back on track. We’ll see how much damage they can do this year.

      College Football

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