First: Congrats to the Bama players and coaches on the victory.  This was a game that was decided before the first snap.  You had a bunch of top rated athletes playing against a good team from their division.  It was also good to see that Bama did not take this game lightly and played hard. 
Offense:  Bama put together 403 yards of offense and probably would have been more if they hadn’t had the short fields as well as losing 2 offensive possessions because of the punt returns for touchdowns.  I have Bama for 2 negative plays the whole day.  One was a sack which could have been thrown away by Bateman and the other was a tackle for loss which wasn’t blocked well and seem to be some indecision before the play.  I don’t have Bama having any 3 and outs the whole game.  As far as plays for 10+ yards, Bama had 5 runs and 9 passes.   Basically they scored at will and did whatever they wanted on the offensive side of the ball.  I have them getting in the red zone 5 times and scoring 4 touchdowns.  On the other trip they missed a field goal that was taken by Scott.  There were 4 touchdowns scored from outside the red zone and 2 of those were punt returns by Jones. 
QB:  I thought Coker played a very good game.  He did miss on the deep ball, but it also looked like the route may have been off.  He hit the hot on the corner blitz which helps prevent teams from running it.  He threw a dart on the touchdown pass to Ridley.  Bateman also played well.  Two of his best throws were incompletes.  I actually think in a closer game there would have been interference called on the plays in question.  His only knock was he could have thrown the ball away on the scramble which would have saved a sack. 
RB:  They all ran hard.  Henry was Henry and it was good that he was able to get out of the game early.  I like the way Scarbrough ran the ball.  Also, Harris looked pretty good.  I think Clark also has potential.  The only knock was a couple of missed pass blocking assignments.
REC:  The caught the ball well. Nine different rec’s caught the ball, not counting Henry.  The catch by Mullaney was good and a very good example of how to high point the ball as a rec. 
OL:  They dominated and should have.  They out weighted the DL by an average of 60 pounds.  This was a great opportunity to make sure you were taking the proper steps and blocking the assignments as you are suppose too.  There was a couple of missed blocks on the roll out and I know one was the right guard.  The second OL came in and did a pretty good job.  I would have really like early on for the coaches to mix in some of the back-ups with the starters and let them work together. 
Defense:  The defense played well.  This seems to be a common theme.  The defense only gave up 134 total yards.  We also know they were not playing all the starters on the offensive side of the ball.  I have the defense for 5 three and outs and a 2 and out.  As far as negative plays, Bama had 9 tackles for losses, 2 interceptions and 2 fumbles one that was recovered by Bama.  If my numbers are correct they gave up 2 running plays for 10+ yards and 2 pass plays for 10+ yards.  The only concerns I had was Bama allowed them to get on the edge when they lost contain and they actually over pursued and allowed the ball carrier to get a few yards.  Sometimes this is caused because they want to make a play so bad, they lose their assignment.
DL:  They all played well.  Not a lot to say here because they outmanned the other team so bad.
LB:  With the option they had to play sideline to sideline.  I thought Hamilton played well when he was in there. 
DB:  Most of the day they had to come up and play the option.  They did a good job but there were a couple of times when they got cut.  On one option, Brown took a bad angle an allowed the QB to get outside.  They did give up the big pass play and that was the back-ups who were probably so focused on the run they allowed the rec to get deep.
Penalties:  Bama only had two penalties and both of those should have been avoided.  One was the call on #15 on the punt return for the touchdown.  It was behind the play and all the guy had to do was raise his hands and signal touchdown.  The other was the late hit called on Brown when they were far out of bounds.
Special Teams:  Griffith looked good kicking the ball.  The only real return by the other team was when he had to kick from 15 yards back because of the penalty mentioned above.  Jones made a smart play on the first punt return for the TD.  Overall they played well on special teams and set a record with two punt returns for touchdowns.
Finally:  What I really liked about this game was the opportunity to get many players in the game and get valuable game experience.  Plus they got to continue to run their offense and not just run the clock out.
Please feel free to comment.
Good Luck and Roll Tide Roll
15 and counting

Tonight was our annual meeting with Bama football analyst John Garcia and as usual, he has more information on recruits than the mind can comprehend in that short of a time frame. John is very educated in what he does and is very good as well.

He gave us a list of Bama's present commitments for 2016 and 2017 and the top remaining prospects for 2016. His job demands having a good memory, loving to travel, and willing to spend as many hours as it takes to get a scope on the recruits.

Being a committed player isn't always what it may seem to be. These recruits have learned the recruiting path and know that they are the guest of honor when on a visit and they will receive lots gifts and attention, which can easily change their opinion immediately. He didn't go into detail about the gifts though but there is a lot of players flipping these days and I'm sure some special treatment was involved in some way. TLC, that's what it's all about. Also the promise of being able to come into a school and play immediately is another. CNS is not one of the coaches that is going to promise a recruit that he will come in and play immediately and that hurts Bama's chances sometimes with a recruit.

After the recruiting report, there were some questions about the coaching changes that are happening now and would it affect Bama in any way. He stated that there is a good chance that some of Bama's coaches would and already be mentioned for some of the vacancies and there's a good chance that some will could leave. All of this is mere speculation though until any of them sign the dotted line on a contract. There were three Bama coaches mentioned from the audience and John didn't deny that those coaches are a hot item on the possible list of changes. They was also a lengthy discussion on the situation at Georgia concerning Mark Richt and Jeremy Pruitt and how that might end up and everyone pretty much agreed that there is a good chance that one or maybe both might leave the program.

Before closing, John stated two things to always remember in the recruiting wars. One is, which school gets the last visit with the player before signing day and the other is family, especially the mother and who she likes.

First:   Congrats to the Bama players and Coaches on the win vs MSU.  It was a tough battle, but Bama came thru.

Offense:  The offense started the game facing tough field position and wasn’t really able to get out.  The offense had five 3 and out and 1 four and out.  The four and out was when they were working clock at the end of the game. MSU loaded the box and forced Bama to try and throw the ball early and was successful.   I only have Bama for 7 plays of 10+ yards.  This was 3 runs and 4 passes.  They only got to the red zone twice in the game and both of them came in the 4th quarter.  Too me this is something to worry about.  Also, no points came from here.  I know they had the big plays but it didn’t seem like there was a very good rhythm/consistency with the offense the whole game. As far as negative plays this was one of Bama’s better games.  They had 1 sack and 5 tackles for losses; one was slip by the running back.  Bama only had 379 total yards, 144 passing and 235 rushing.

QB:  I thought Coker played a good game, not a great game.  The reason I say this is he missed on a couple of throws.  He was not helped by the drops.  There were a couple of instances where he missed open recs that would have moved the chains and kept drives alive.  The int seemed to be miscommunication between the rec and QB.

RB:   Henry was Henry.  He ran hard and helped secure the game for Bama with his long TD runs.  Prayers go out for Drake on his injury.  Now one of the other two, Harris or Scarbrough is going to have to pick up the slack.

REC:  They didn’t seem to get a lot of separation in the routes, but I couldn’t see everything.  There were at least 3 drops by Ridley and not all were great throws.  Ridley did have the big catch and run for the TD and was aided by the blocks of Drake and Stewart. 

OL:    MSU made it tough on these guys.  I will say again that I think Kelly is too easy to read on his shotgun snaps.  MSU also used the delayed blitz a few time.  There were 7+ in the box many times when Bama tried to run the ball.  The safety was also filling in a hurry. I know Kelly got beat as did Taylor.  Kelly caused Coker to be flushed out of the pocket early once.  Taylor missed a couple of blocks and was beat off the ball a couple of times.

Defense:  This is where the game was one even though they game up more yards than normal. They made stops in the red zone that could have easily changed the outcome of this game.  The defense also had to defend the short field in the early goings.  They gave up 393 yards which was made up of 304 rushing and 89 rushing.  MSU had 4 plays of runs for 10+ yards and 10 passing plays for 10+ yards.   The defense did have 9 sacks and 5 tackles for losses.  They also forced 2 fumbles and recovered one of them.  They also intercepted a pass, but dropped at least 4 other possible interceptions.  As far as three and outs, Bama only had 2, but they had one two and out because of the fumble recovery.   It looked like MSU was willing to spread the field and work the middle where the LB’s had vacated and did this with success. 

DL:  This is where the pressure on DP came from.  Bama rarely had to use blitzes to put pressure on the QB.  All nine sacks came from the DL/OB on the LOS.  The only negative I saw here was they did allow the QB and others to break contain a couple of times. 

LB:  They had to play the whole field with the spread, especially the empty sets.  This is extremely tough when you have a mobile/running QB like DP. 

DB:  They did a very good job on not getting cut by the rec from MSU on the wide rec screens.  MSU made some plays and the DB’s made some plays.  The troubling part is that MSU averaged over 13 yards per completion.   

Penalties:  Bama only had 4 penalties that affected them.  The false start on the punt pushed them back even farther into their territory.  The PI to me was questionable on Jones and here is why.  He had position.  I know he didn’t look for the ball, but did he try and make a play for the ball, or the rec? Another penalty cost Bama valuable field position on the fair caught punt.  Instead of starting at midfield they were back at their own 35.  And then there was a holding call on Taylor. 

Special teams:   Kick coverage was very good all day.  The long field goal probably could have been good from another 10 back.  The blocked FG was a good job coming of the edge and time well.  The punt return was huge because up until that point Bama had done nothing offensively.  Yes, Bama did get away with a block in the back on that play.  Short punts gave MSU good field positon which the D did not let them take advantage of. 

Finally:  This game will raise questions about how good Bama is.  If MSU had a running game besides DP what would happen.  This is what will be compared when you play a Ohio State or even an Oklahoma if it gets to this point. Also, there were a few more missed tackles this game that needs to be cleaned up.

Please feel free to comment.

Good Luck and Roll Tide Roll 
15 and counting

I don't think there is anything more exciting than the last few weeks of the regular season of college football and yesterday was one of the reasons why. There were so many games that would make or break the chances of some teams to make the playoffs and a chance at the National Championship. Well, it isn't over just yet either with a couple of weeks left in the regular season and some critical games yet to play. All I can say is, stay tuned because there is more excitement and heartache awaiting some of the teams and fans still in the running for one of those four spots.

Bama versus Mississippi State. It seems that every year when these two teams play each other, it is one of the most physical games of the season. I don't know if the reason is that they are just so close geographically and recruit for each other or what but they really put on a show each time they play their annual game. Yesterday was no exception as the team doctors were very busy on both sidelines administering aid to some possibly season ending injuries, the usual for his game.

Bama started the game as they do so many times, being very methodical and deliberate and seemingly not playing very well at all. After watching Derrick Henry run through the defense of LSU the last game and then watching Bama come out throwing the football yesterday, I could only scratch my head and ask why. I've learned though that patience can be a wonderful thing with this team in trying to out guess the coaches and their reasons for doing what they do. The bad part about this patience though is that sometimes it takes way late into the game before Bama takes control and does what they do best, win. This is really tough on all of us fans.

I must add though that if Derrick Henry isn't the real deal and not the leading contender for the Heisman Trophy, that award is very skewed as some of us have been saying for a long time. This young man came to Bama as a high school phenom and given no chance of failure as a college running back. How well do we all know Nick Saban? Henry played nothing but special teams his first two years and handled that role exceptionally well as he has done since earning his spot as a runningback. So many of these recruits come in and have very little patience in waiting for their turn and end up making very bad decisions, we just buried one of those bad decisions recently. There are others on the team now waiting for their chances and hopefully there will be more like Derrick Henry that come to Alabama in the years ahead. Congrats to Derrick for all of his accomplishments so far this season and hopefully more awards are in the near future for him and his teammates. 

Alabama is now where most analyst thought they would be at the start of the season with two games left, leading the SEC West, and the Iron Bowl would be the deciding factor of who would represent the SEC West in the SEC Championship game. It's amazing what the annual Iron Bowl means to the SEC and college football.

Getting back to where we should be now and that is the next game, Charleston Southern. What does this game mean to Bama, as far as a challenge? Probably not that much and I know most fans don't like for Bama to play these tier two schools but I think this is smart scheduling by CNS and staff. It's a known fact that CNS doesn't like open dates in his schedule, he says there is too much time for bad things to happen with an athlete during that two weeks and I'm assuming he's talking about off the field distractions when he says that. The Charleston Southern game should provide a chance for the back up players to get some valuable real time playing experience as well as provide the starters a chance to heal some. With the bumps and bruises that the players got yesterday, the next two weeks should mean a lot heading down the home stretch of the season.

What will the next two Saturdays have to offer for the four spots in the playoffs? I think there is more of what we saw yesterday and what more could us fans ask for. There is plenty of speculation of who these four teams will be, but definitely there are no guarantees. How will Alabama handle their chance of making it to the playoffs? There's a lot of anxiety left for us all so let's enjoy it and root for our favorite team in the weeks ahead with mine being a Roll Tide Roll.

There was so much speculation from everyone in what to expect from Coach Avery and the team with all of his predictions and guess what, he produced what he had predicted. From the opening tip off until the final horn to end play, this team very different than team that Bama fans had ever seen play at the University of Alabama. I had an idea of what to expect after having seen them practice but you can trust me that the practice didn't show the intensity that they would come out with last night, offensively and defensively.

The first surprise for me was the attendance there last night. I don't know that there has ever been that big of a crowd at Coleman for the first game of the season. Sure it had been hyped up for the past two weeks with Tide Pride offering ticket specials for the game but if any of you know the Bama fan base, it can be very fickle at times and very unpredictable. I think the sellout came up just a little less than a hundred people short of a sellout. Not all of the ticket buyers showed up at the game but the crowd was massive in comparison to the years past.

What did we see last night? Personally I saw a group of hungry young athletes trying to make a statement that Coach Avery can and will give Alabama the chance of a winning and respected program that he promised when he signed on to take the job. It seemed that all of the players were trying to inject their skills to be the leader of this team which is a blessing. In the past few years it seemed that the players on the team were waiting on one of their teammates to step up and be the spark plug or leader that would take them to victories. Not so much last night though as all of the players seemed to inject their energy in a way to be that leader of the team.

I usually never pay that much attention to the stats of a game as each game seems to bring out a different team due to the opponent being played. Each opponent will bring a different challenge for the team defensively and offensively so each game will be different in a way. There is one part of the game though that Bama will have to improve on if they intend on being in that upper class of competition and that is free throw shooting. For most of the game they were shooting about 30% from the line but did improve down the stretch of the game to improve that stat and seal the victory. I'm sure this part of the game will get the much needed attention that is needed. As far as the other parts of their game, I think they looked green in some areas but game to game experience should help that situation.

I'm happy with what I saw, team and fan wise, last night and hopefully this game lit a fire under the team and the attendance and will only get better as the season progresses. Not saying last night's attendance wasn't good but what will the next games attendance be like. They both need each other to be successful so here's hoping the fans will respond as they did last night and support what I think is a bright future for the program.

Before I start the game notes I just want to thank Jamos and Mrs. J, 2Stater, Chechem, and Gil for the great southern hospitality they showed me and my LSU buddy this weekend.  We were blind going in since I haven’t had the opportunity to go to Tuscaloosa for a game in years.  They took care of us from the time we got there until we left.  Thanks again and let’s do it again.

First:   Congrats to the Bama players and coaches for the victory.  They had an outstanding game plan going in on both sides of the ball and executed it almost to perfection. 

Offense:  The offense had an outstanding game.  The offense put together 434 yards of total offense.  This included 184 yards passing and 250 yards rushing.  Bama had just as many first downs in the first half of the game than LSU did the complete game.  I have Bama for only 1 three and out the complete game.  They also cut down on the negative plays.  I have 3 sacks, 5 tackles for losses, and 2 fumbles.  Only one of the fumbles was lost.  For plays over 10 yards, Bama had 11 runs and 10 pass plays for the game.   I have them getting in the red zone and scoring 3 touchdowns and 2 field goals.  As we know one of the field goals was outside the red zone which measured 55 yards.  One other reason I think this was an outstanding game by Bama was they held the ball almost 19 more minutes than LSU.  It also seems that Bama ran the ball to the right more than they did to the left, but I didn’t actually count.  I looks like there is a new guy for the heavy package. 

QB:  Coker completed 75 percent of his passes.  He made good decision and threw to the open rec.  He was hurt by one pass which was dropped that I thought should have been caught.  There were a couple of instances where I thought he could have stepped up into the pocket instead of trying to spin out and may have gotten the ball off.  One would have given Drake and opportunity to pick up the rusher and maybe get the ball off instead of taking the sack.  One of his best plays was where he did step up and get the ball away right before he was going to get hit and completed the pass for a big first down.   Now something I didn’t notice while at the game but saw on the replay.  It seems Cocker was more in control of the game directing the players and being more conscious of the clock.  He just looked more in control and confident.  There was another play I wanted to mention.  In the crucial 4th quarter drive Coker threw the short pass for the first down and he had a guy down field which may have gone for a TD, but if he had thrown it and it was incomplete the ball would have had to been punted. 

RB:    What can I say here except they both ran extremely well.  Henry was a beast and carried the ball 38 times against what was supposed to be a tough defense.  Drake looked like the Drake of old.  The only flaw was Henry’s the fumble, which he made up for when carried the load on the last drive to ice the game.  I do wish they hadn’t run a couple of those plays and went to victory formation earlier.  I will also add here that Nvsewamder had some key blocks during the night.

REC:  It is getting to where there are reliable recs all over the field, especially, Stewart and Ridley.  Five different players caught passes and there were some key blocks made especially by Mullaney.  Others also blocked well which led to the success of the wide rec screens. 

OL:   I thought they played a very good game.  In my opinion they dominated the D line from LSU.  They got movement and got to the second level several times.  They held their block longer than they have in the past and were down field looking for blocks when they play was run away.  I thought this might be Jackson’s best game.  In the beginning Kelly held the ball and didn’t snap it as soon as he lifted his head and it led to an offsides call. 

Defense:  They played an outstanding game.  They held LSU to 182 total yards, 125 passing and 54 rushing.  LSU is used to running for that amount of yards alone in a game.  I have the defense for 10 negative plays. There were 2 sacks, 6 tackles for losses, an interception, and a blocked kick.  They had 4 three and outs and one 1 and out because of the interception which Bama later put in the end zone.  I have LSU only getting 9 plays of 10 + yards and only three of them were in the second half.  The tackling by the Bama defense was outstanding.  There was also more than one around the ball.  One of the key elements was the backside not allowing LF to reverse his field and cut back.

DL:  They were beating the O line to the point of attack.  They set the edge and force wide runs wider and allowed the run support to show up.  Robinson had a hell of a game. I really don’t know how many tackles he had, but he seemed to be in the middle of the play a lot of the night.  It was a team effort as all players were in on plays at different times. 

LB:  It looked like they were playing a little tighter to the LOS.  They did a great job filling and running to the football.  Lee got a lot of playing time because of the scheme and made the most of it.  Many times he was the one setting the edge allowing others to come up and make the play.

DB:  They tackled well and were not intimidated by the big back from LSU.  They came up and made plays when they were called upon.  The mistake was when the corner blitz came and the safety allowed the rec to get too close before he came out of his back pedal which allowed the rec to get by for the touchdown.

Penalties:  Bama had some penalties.  The penalties were pretty spread out.  There were 3 defensive, 4 offensive, and one special team penalties.  The block in the back on the punt return lost valuable field positon for Bama.  In the long run they didn’t cost Bama the game. 

Special teams:   Pretty good most of the night.  The good news is Griffith hit the 55 yarder which hopefully has his mind back where it needs to be as a field goal kicker.  The bad, another block in the back which cost Bama great field position on a punt return by Jones. 

Finally:  Bama has to forget this game and move on and prepare themselves for the MSU game.  Hopefully, that desire to win it all will now be fueled by the outcomes from this weekend which propelled Bama even further up the polls.

Please feel free to comment.

Good Luck and Roll Tide Roll 
15 and counting

For all of you that didn't get to make it to Bryant Denny last evening, you really missed another LSU/Alabama football classic. I know, most folks these days had rather watch it from home on tv, it is easier and a lot less expensive. For all of us though that did make it to the game, we would have to argue with you about being at the game itself rather than watching it at home on tv because it was really a classic that will be remembered for quite some time. You can't simulate the crowd atmosphere at home like it really is in the stadium.

Bama has been pretty much beaten down by most of the sports analyst this year except for a few of the so called Bama Homers that have a little Crimson blood in their veins. Going into the game last evening, the majority of the experts thought Bama might have a chance with their defense being what it is but still figured LSU would win the game because of hearalded LSU running back Leonard Fournette. Matter of fact some said the Heisman committee could go ahead and give the Heisman Trophy to Fournette after the game because he would dominate the Bama defense as he has done to all the other teams LSU has played this year. Bama was also told that their offense with Coker at QB and the offensive line that couldn't block, was not much of a match for the LSU defense. Bama won a big game against Tennessee last week and something big happened, they pulled out a last minute win that most folks didn't think could ever happen due to the suspected offense. I felt after that game the Tennessee win could and would be the spark that lights a big fire under this team which seemed like all was needed anyway because there is plenty of talent on the team.

That takes us to last night, which Bama team would show up? It didn't take long to find out as Bama came out of the starting gate like American Pharoah, the renowned race horse that won the elusive Triple Crown not long ago. The offensive line blocked really well, the kicking game was excellent, and the defense played like national champions. Sometimes a team can start well but end the game not playing so well but that wasn't the case with Bama yesterday and I think there was a part of the game that kept all that enthusiasm on Bama's side, Derrick Henry. I think the analysts drew the battle line between Bama and LSU with all the brag and talk about how good Fournette is for the last month. All the talk was about Fournette's success this year and how he could and should run through Bama's defense and receive the Heisman Trophy after the game. I think talk woke a sleeping giant known as the Bama defense and a running back named Derrick Henry. Bama couldn't have gotten any better locker room material than the Fournette love affair with the media and there are some very happy players and fans today.

In any case, Alabama has played two good games back to back and that sets the stage for their drive for another National Championship. Most coaches prefer for their team to gradually get better with each game of their schedule and peak at the end of the season and this seems to be just what is happening for Bama. Can they win another National Championship? You bet they can but it will take performances like the Tennesse and LSU games and a lot of desire and dedication moving forward.

Bama has two tough games remaining on their regular season, Mississippi State and Auburn, to make it to the SEC Championship and they are both road games, something that Bama has handled very good this year. Maybe we can hire some of the sports media to break out some more locker room material for those two games to keep the momentum going for the team. There's a lot at stake in the next few weeks for the team as they have played up to their goal for their season after the bad loss to Ole Miss earlier in the year. They were given a reprieve of that loss yesterday with the much needed loss by Ole Miss to Arkansas. Everything about the team moving forward is how well does the team do on and off the practice field to keep that keen edge that they have now. They don't need any unwanted distractions such as injuries and suspensions happening anytime soon which I'm sure worries the heck out of the coaches. Hopefully enough maturity has happened during the season with the players that will eliminate any disciplinary issues and  injuries are something is totally uncontrolled, we just need to be a little lucky there.

At least I slept well last night due to the off week for Bama but I woke up this morning with that queasy feeling of knowing it is LSU week and it is time for Bama to either put up or shut up. The table has been set for Bama to control their own destiny in the race for a slot in the National Championship playoffs but how will the team react to the challenge?

Bama has been a team with many ups and downs this year with no one really knowing just what to expect come game time as to what team will show up, their good one or the not so good one. The team has shown at times the greatness that it takes to be a national champion but on the other hand, they have also shown a team that will be very lucky to make the playoffs. The sports analysts say that all Bama has to do is win out to make the playoffs, but what about Ole Miss if they run the table with the rest of their schedule?

Ole Miss has lost two games where Bama has lost only once but the factor to that argument is that Bama's  loss is to Ole Miss and if both teams win their remaining games, Ole Miss would be the SEC West champion and play for the SEC championship. The flip side of that coin then is what if Ole Miss loses the SEC championship game and let's just say it is to Florida? Does Florida get the playoff spot, provided they win out, or would they give it to Bama? The other argument to that scenario could be that no SEC would be in the playoffs and would that be a bummer.

As we all watch each weeks games, there are some teams and programs that are religously taken care of by the sports media in my opinion. I won't call any names but I think that most everyone that follows college sports know the teams and conferences that I am referencing to. The SEC Conference is what I think the most hated in the college sports world by the sports media and maybe there is a good reason, they are now the most dominant conference in college athletics period. That wasn't the case though until a coach named Bear Bryant arrived on the scene at the University of Alabama in the mid 50's and how things changed after that. Bear Bryant made college football what it is today. He built a program at the University of Alabama that would challenge the powers of college football then and win, which then birthed all rivalries that we see today whether it's on the field or or by the sports media. The NCAA can thank the University of Alabama for the success that they enrich themselves in today.

So here we are as Bama fans, worrying about something that we have no control of what so ever and that is what makes it so bad. Coach Nick Saban says that you should never worry about anything that you have no control of but Coach, we are Alabama fans. The only factor that we have in what happens with the team's success moving forward is by showing up at the games and screaming our heads off to try and make a difference in the result of the game. So just maybe that does give us the right to worry after

The LSU game is here and I do know it doesn't take much to get the fans of LSU and Bama ready for their annual game. It's one of the fiercest rivalries in college football today thanks to Coach Bear Bryant and Coach Charlie McClendon as they established that with their first game played against each other back in the Billy Cannon days. I bet if both coaches were alive today they would be quick to say that it is the best rivalry in college football and I couldn't argue with that at all.

So hang on Bama fans as we head into the last games of the season, can Bama go all the way and win yet another National Championship? I don't bite on my fingernails but I might start, remember that we have the right to worry now that us fans can make a difference in the outcome of the game. RTR!!!

The third Saturday in October is still all about Crimson and Orange but I don't think the intensity of the fans is anywhere near where it used to be. Many years back you could be anywhere near Legion Field, Neyland Stadium and now Bryant Denny early in the morning and already be hearing the Roll Tides and Go Vols. Yesterday I was around the stadium four hours before game time and never heard one yell for either team and it seemed very strange compared to the earlier years. Even after the game started, the stadium was never really that noisy unless one of the teams made a big play. There was much talk on the many sports outlets during the week about the rivalry between Bama and the Vols and had it lost it's luster, my vote is yes. The argument on the Bama side is that most of the Bama students are now from out of state and  know very little about Bama's history in football and this could be true. I just wonder how long Bama will hang on to Tennessee being their choice of playing them every year, the SEC has grown some with new rivalries now being made.

So much for the stadium talk and so let's talk some football. I found it a little hard to decide on whether Bama played that bad or Tennessee played that good for most of the game. Maybe it was a case of the teams being a little more evenly matched than what all of the analysts had us believing. I was very skeptical of which Bama team might show up Saturday especially after the big game with Texas A&M the Saturday before. Bama has been known to have a bad game following such a big game. I thought Bama got off to a good start yestrerday but then seemed to find ways  to shoot themselves in the foot with penalties and bad decisions. I will say I'm not so sure about some of the calls that were called against Bama as well as some that were not called. Sometimes I think the SEC officials just get lost in the flow of the game.

There was a lot of talk earlier in the season as to whether Coker could  handle the QB job at Bama. After each game there was always plenty of talk about whether he could bring the Bama team back if they were trailing late in the game as all the great QBs at Bama have done. I was guilty of this as well, I just had my doubts about the mental side of him being able to handle that situation. After traveling to Georgia to see the team play in that monsoon, I came away from there with a different opinion of his abilities, he was a different QB in that game. Little by little he has shown us fans that he can handle the pressure even though I still think he needs to remember to get rid of the ball rather than take the long yardage sacks as he did yesterday. When the game got midway through the fourth quarter yesterday I got pretty nervous because I felt that the only reason that Bama was in the game was because of the defense and they were now looking tired and could they hold the Tennessee offense at the end. Thanks to the defense again as they stopped Tennessee by taking the ball away and gave it to Coker and the offense. The time had come for him to show that he could lead the team to a win when trailing late in the game and he did what most thought he couldn't do, he got them into the end zone on a beautifully executed play where every player on the offense did their job and Bama won.

So as bad as the rivalry atmosphere may have seemed before and during the game, it all changed at the end of the fourth quarter, it seemed like the days of old with the Tennessee fans screaming holdem and the Bama fans screaming for a touchdown. Maybe the young ones got a glimpse of what the blue haired fans, us seniors, are all about when they reminisce about the past history of this rivalry and how important it is for Bama football. There were a lot of cigars being smoked after the game which is symbolic for Bama to do after a win against the Vols but I don't think most of them really understood that Bear Bryant started this and this was his way of saying we just beat you again.

Hopefully the younger ones will remember the excitement of the fourth quarter last night and how it felt to win a game that seemed hopelessly lost and to smoke that cigar. Hopefully they will want to go to Knoxville next year remembering how it feels to beat Tennessee and to carry on this great rivalry that some of us have enjoyed for so many years. I can still remember the banner at Legion Field that said"Nothing Sucks Better Than A Big Orange". Roll Tide Roll!!!

First: Congrats to the Bama players and coaches on the victory.  This was a hard fought victory on both sides of the ball.  I said this before the announcers, but the Bama team looked tired especially on defense.
Offense:  Bama put 364 yards of total offense on the board which included 247 passing and 117 rushing. They had a chance to put the game away but couldn’t score from the one twice in the game.  They settled for field goals which means they left 8 points on the field.  I only have them for 1 three and out the whole game.  However, they did have 11 negative plays which included 5 sacks, 5 tackles for losses and an interception.  As far as positive 10 plus plays they had 13 pass plays and 4 running plays.  In the red zone they got there 4 times and had 2 touchdowns and 2 field goals.  One of the most important aspects of the game was in the second half Bama scored on 3 of 4 drives.  The last drive was a kneel down to end the game.  That last drive for the TD could be what could possibly propel them to the National Championship but mistakes must be corrected.  One thing I noticed was UT put one safety up tight and if he read run he was filling and if it was pass he was dropping.
QB:  Coker played a good game, and his receivers help turn it into a very good game.  The reason I say this is because of the catches the receiver made that were not put right on the money.  He was 21 for 27 and made good decisions.  Probably one of the best jobs was his scrambles that did not lead to sacks or minimal losses.  I will say he was a little late on the throw on the goal line which allowed the pass to be broken up and Bama not score the TD.
RB:  Henry had an outstanding game.  He ran hard and was hit numerous time and still gained yardage.  He ended up 28 carries for 143 yards.  He also blocked well on pass plays.  Now this is just my opinion, but I thought UT pushed the limit and hit him when he was already down more than once.  Drake ran hard in the few opportunities he got to run. 
REC:  These guys played well.  It was a game that featured Steward, Ridley, and Howard.  Steward and Ridley both came up with big catches.  They continually high pointed the ball beating the defenders to the ball.  I don’t know if you noticed but there should have been no review on the completion none of the UT coaches signaled incomplete letting me know it was a good catch.
OL:  This is the Jekyll and Hyde of the team.  At times they look great but then they can’t block a simple stunt.  The problem is it is not just one it is all of them making mistakes.  I purposely focused on them when I watched the game again.  Two sacks came from Robinson, and he was beat on at least one tackle for a loss.  Also, Jackson took bad angles or came off the combo late to allow the LB to run thru the gap.  I would love to see Bama put two backs and three wide outs in a couple of times to help with the blocking.  At least once in the game every OL got beat.  One thing I have noticed when coaching and you are an OL, if your player goes inside there is more than likely someone coming your way.
Defense:  The defense gave up 303 yards of total offense.  This included 171 passing and 132 rushing.  When they ran the ball and were effective they ran to the edges which Bama gave up numerous times.  I think it was the tired legs or they misinterpreted the speed of the UT players.  They still came up big late and secured the win for Bama.  They are only credited for 2 three and outs.  As far as negative plays they had 4 sacks, 6 tackles for losses and 1 fumble recovery.  For positive plays UT had 8 running plays and 7 passing plays for 10 plus yards.  I also looked at how Bama’s coverage effected the game.  Secondary coverage led to the 4 sacks, 3 throw aways, and 5 scrambles.  Of these 5 scrambles there was only 1 effective play where Dobbs got a first down.  Two of the balls thrown on the scramble should have been picked.  The big concern was the missed tackles that extended plays.
DL:  Even though they gave up more total yards rushing than they have in the past, they played a pretty good game. They did give up the edge in this game more than the past few.  This also seem to be where most of the yards were made.
LB:  They played pretty good.  They were having to play up the middle and wide since many of the throws and runs were wide. 
DB: They gave up a few plays especially one the quick drive where UT scored to take the lead.  They also could have help put the game away if they had come up with the three interceptions they should have made.  They covered well since I have them effecting 12 plays with coverage alone.
Penalties:  Bama had 7 penalties but is only counted for 6 since one was off setting.  Five of the seven was by the offense.  The one by Drake was just stupid.  This gave up yardage which was needed since it was 4th and long punting from deep in your own territory.  The false starts hurts Bama because if usually happens on first down or after a good gain which the penalty negates.  The best job the offense had to do was when they had to overcome 2 penalties on the drive for a field goal.  One of the calls was questionable.  I also thought that the false start on #89 was caused when a UT player entered the neutral zone.
Special Teams:  Special teams was good for Bama today except for 1 kickoff return where many tackles were missed.  AG kicked well.  All of his extra points and field goals were perfect.  JS had an outstanding day punting and helped flip the field.
Finally:  Bama needs this break.  Hopefully they will get healthy and work on fundamentals especially with the offensive line.
Please feel free to comment.
Good Luck and Roll Tide Roll
15 and counting