Tuscaloosa, AL University of Alabama football fans can put the 2024 schedule in ink, as the Southeastern Conference released its slate of games for upcoming season. The Crimson Tide is set to compete in 12 contests during the regular season, including five on the road and seven in Tuscaloosa. For the first time since 2006, Alabama will start with two straight home games, hosting Western Kentucky to open the season on Aug. 31, followed by a visit from USF on Sept. 7.
|
Showing posts with label Bama Football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bama Football. Show all posts
Saturday, January 20, 2024
Saturday, January 13, 2024
|
Tuscaloosa, AL The University of Alabama is reportedly set to hire DeBoer from Washington to run the Crimson Tide football program, taking over for the legendary Nick Saban, who retired on Wednesday. The initial report comes from ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Chris Low. According to multiple outlets, DeBoer is meeting with players at Washington's campus this afternoon to inform them of his decision. DeBoer will be the 28th head coach in Alabama history. DeBoer, 49, has no SEC coaching experience but is coming off a 14-1 year with the Huskies, winning the Pac-12 Championship and defeating Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinal before losing to Michigan. DeBoer won three NAIA titles in four years with the University of Sioux Falls from 2005-09, where he played as a wide reciever in the 1990s. ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that a contract had been agreed upon between DeBoer and Alabama. An announcement by UA is expected soon and will likely confirm that DeBoer's annual salary will be at least doubled. On Friday morning, DeBoer canceled a radio show appearance in Seattle as rumors of an extension and meeting with Dannen continued. Coincidentally, Saban interviewed DeBoer's offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb for UA's opening a year ago, which was eventually filled by Tommy Rees of Notre Dame. Grubb appears to be in line to stay at Washington and replace DeBoer, according to various outlets. Rees was among those who interviewed for UA's opening. Now, DeBoer may need to figure out Rees' place on staff, along with other key coaches while bringing in his pieces. DeBoer's connections in the region will be questioned, as well as his reputation as a recruiter. Washington's recruiting class ranked 36th nationally in 2024, 26th in 2022 and 30th in 2021. DeBoer notably brought over Michael Penix Jr. from Indiana, helping develop the quarterback into one of the nation’s foremost throwers. DeBoer was widely recognized for one of the best coaching performances of the season. He was named the Eddie Robinson Award Winner by the Football Writers Association of America, as well as Coach of The Year by The Sporting News and The Associated Press. |
|
Tuscaloosa, AL
Alabama Crimson Tide (Southeastern Conference) (2007-present): (!)-2007 Alabama 2-6 / 1-4 - T-3rd (West) W Independence ---- 2008 Alabama 12-2 / 8-0 - 1st (West) L Sugar 6 2008 Alabama 12-2 / 8-0 - 1st (West) L Sugar 6 6 ---- 2009 Alabama 14-0 / 8-0 - 1st (West) W BCS NCG 1 2010 Alabama 10-3 / 5-3 - 4th (West) W Capital One 11 10 ---- 2011 Alabama 12-1 / 7-1 - 2nd (West) W BCS NCG 1 2012 Alabama 13-1 / 7-1 - 1st (West) W BCS NCG 1 1 ---- 2013 Alabama 11-2 / 7-1 - T-1st (West) L Sugar 8 2014 Alabama 12-2 / 7-1 - 1st (West) L Sugar 4 4 ---- 2015 Alabama 14-1 / 7-1 - 1st (West) W Cotton, W CFP NCG 1 2016 Alabama 14-1 / 8-0 - 1st (West) W Peach, L CFP NCG 2 2 ---- 2017 Alabama 13-1 / 7-1 - T-1st (West) W Sugar, W CFP NCG 1 2018 Alabama 14-1 / 8-0 - 1st (West) W Orange, L CFP NCG 2 2 ---- 2019 Alabama 11-2 / 6-2 - 2nd (West) W Citrus 8 2020 Alabama 13-0 / 10-0 - 1st (West) W Rose, W CFP NCG 1 1 ---- 2021 Alabama 13-2 / 7-1 - 1st (West) W Cotton, L CFP NCG 2 2022 Alabama 11-2 / 6-2 - T-1st (West) W Sugar 5 5 ---- 2023 Alabama 12-2 / 9-0 - 1st (West) (!)-Saban's record for the 2007 season was 7-6. In March 2009, the NCAA ruled that Alabama must vacate 21 victories due to sanctions stemming from textbook-related infractions discovered during the 2007 season, including five for the 2007 season. As such Saban's official record for the 2007 season stands at 2-6. |
Thursday, January 11, 2024
|
• Malzahn has Bama No. 8 • Tuscaloosa, AL The final coaches poll had Alabama No. 5: Michigan, Washington, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Florida State. Arkansas State coach Butch Jones ranked Alabama No. 2. Central Florida coach Gus Malzahn ranked the Tide No. 8, which was the lowest of any of the 63 coaches who took part in the poll. Here is a sampling of where some of the coaches had the Crimson Tide. Included is a coach’s top seven for context. See the full ballots. Nick Saban, Alabama 1-Michigan 2-Washington 3-Texas 4-Alabama 5-Georgia 6-Oregon 7-Missouri Hugh Freeze, Auburn 1-Michigan 2-Washington 3-Texas 4-Alabama 5-Georgia 6-Florida State 7-Oregon Kirby Smart, Georgia 1-Michigan 2-Washington 3-Texas 4-Alabama 5-Georgia 6-Florida State 7-Oregon Terry Bowden, Louisiana-Monroe 1-Michigan 2-Washington 3-Georgia 4-Oregon 5-Missouri 6-Mississippi 7-Alabama Dino Babers, Syracuse 1-Michigan 2-Washington 3-Georgia 4-Florida State 5-Oregon 6-Texas 7-Alabama Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri 1-Michigan 2-Washington 3-Georgia 4-Texas 5-Alabama 6-Florida State 7-Missouri Butch Jones, Arkansas State 1-Michigan 2-Alabama 3-Washington 4-Texas 5-Georgia 6-Oregon 7-Florida State Gus Malzahn, Central Florida 1-Michigan 2-Washington 3-Georgia 4-Florida State 5-Texas 6-Missouri 7-Oregon 8-Alabama Mark Stoops, Kentucky 1-Michigan 2-Washington 3-Georgia 4-Texas 5-Alabama 6-Oregon 7-Missouri Jon Sumrall, Troy 1-Michigan 2-Washington 3-Texas 4-Alabama 5-Georgia 6-Florida State 7-Missouri |
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
|
Tuscaloosa, AL Alabama football added another former five-star to its defense via the transfer portal. On Thursday night, Southern California defensive back Domani Jackson committed to the Crimson Tide. He announced his decision on social media hours after visiting Alabama’s Rose Bowl practice at Dignity Health Sports Park. Jackson is a defensive back from Santa Ana, Calif. He has two years of eligibility remaining. He reportedly chose UA over Michigan, the Tide’s College Football Playoff semifinal opponent. |
|
Tuscaloosa, AL Alabama safety Caleb Downs was selected as the 2023 recipient of the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced Wednesday morning. Downs was one of five finalists for this year's award and was joined by Rueben Bain (Miami (Fla.)), Kevin Concepcion (NC State), Noah Fifita (Arizona) and Dillon Thieneman (Purdue). The Hoschton, Ga., native is the second winner of the Alexander Award in Alabama program history, pairing with Will Anderson Jr., who took home the hardware in 2020. |
|
Tuscaloosa, AL Jalen Milroe was asked about what happened on Alabama’s last play against Michigan in the Rose Bowl after the game. The Wolverines defeated the Crimson Tide in overtime by stuffing Jalen Milroe at the line of scrimmage on 4th & Goal. The Alabama quarterback stated he felt grateful Alabama trusted him enough to put the ball in his hands on the play. “First thing, I’m appreciative of my coaching staff for believing in me to have the ball in my hands in that last play,” Milroe said “You win some, you lose some. It’s all part of the game…It came down to fall back to your level of training, and we just failed in that play because at the end of the day, I just trusted the guys up front for believing in me on the last play to have the ball and unfortunately, we just missed, and we just didn’t get in the end zone.” This article first appeared on Touchdown Alabama Magazine and was syndicated with permission. |
Monday, January 1, 2024
|
Tuscaloosa, AL They're done talking. For nearly a month, debates ranged from who belonged in the Rose Bowl semifinal both on the merits and the morality. That's over now. It's time for football as we put the four-team playoff era to bed with a classic matchup in a postcard setting. Just one more issue to resolve as the sun sets on the San Gabriel Mountains on Monday evening. Is Michigan ready? Seriously, the No. 1 team in the nation. And while that could sound blatantly disrespectful given the fact they're --- the No. 1 team in the nation, it's valid. Here's why. First, they're 1-6 in bowl games under Jim Harbaugh. Alabama's Nick Saban is 11-3 in postseason games since Harbaugh arrived as his alma mater's savior. All three losses came in CFP championship games. Harbaugh's lone postseason win at Michigan came at the Citrus Bowl in Year 1. All that's practically trivia but the Wolverines are 0-2 in playoff semifinals the past two seasons. It didn't have a prayer against Georgia two years ago, clearly in another class despite entering with a 12-1 record and a Big Ten title. Then a year ago, TCU raced to a 34-16 lead and eventually a 51-45 win in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal. The Horned Frogs proved their value a week later when Georgia stuffed them in a SoFi Stadium locker with a 65-7 title-game undressing. Michigan wasn't ready the last two times they were here. Fool me twice? But this is more about the 2023 season on the first day of 2024. Michigan's been the monster of the Midwest, devouring the Big Ten with assembly-line precision. Unbeaten and barely tested is great and the only real objective with which any team should enter a season. Of course there's a reason for that, at least partially. Michigan wasn't tested until November because they played nothing but tin cans the first two months. Even when facing its first ranked opponent, No. 9 Penn State brought just enough offense to get its coordinator fired a day after losing 24-15 to Michigan. No. 2 Ohio State was clearly the biggest challenge, one that Michigan passed with a 30-24 home win before heading to the Big Ten title game. There it beat Iowa, 26-0. Consider Big Ten West champ Iowa's offense averaged the lowest yardage output (239.2 yards per game) of any Power 5 offense since Wake Forest (216.3) in 2014, and the league's balance comes into serious question. Those two games aren't the same. Point is Michigan hasn't had to sweat. Alabama's done nothing but sweat all season. Is Michigan gonna be ready if things are tight entering the fourth quarter? It hasn't trailed a single second of a game after halftime this year. We could get into the whole discrepancy in athleticism between the two. Michigan’s clearly sick of hearing about SEC speed instead of the Big Ten's. "Yeah, I do, because I mean, I really don’t buy into that little SEC bias thing," Michigan safety Rod Moore said Wednesday. "It's just football at the end of the day. Maybe they are faster. Maybe they are not. The film shows it. We'll see. We'll see on Monday." Indeed. And that's a lot to prove, putting Michigan and Alabama in uniquely different roles Monday night. This is a Crimson Tide program that's accustomed to carrying the weight of six recent national title trophies and the crushing pressure of dynasty maintenance. This time, they're the party crashers -- written off early when taking a 10-point home loss to Texas before becoming the most unlikely underdog story. Michigan, meanwhile, is lugging that unbeaten and untested albatross along with a few others. They're fighting for their possibly allegedly tainted dignity that comes with a twice-suspended head coach and still-open investigations. Flat out: They've been credibly accused of cheating. They have to operate knowing even the CFP best-case scenario will be viewed as tainted. Bonus points for doing the impossible. Michigan managed to make Alabama the least hateable option for the casual viewer tuning in from outside of these two bubbles. Michigan will have to overcome its recent CFP semifinal struggles against an Alabama program that's 6-1 in such games. They'll be facing the best team it'll see all season with little experience in a meat grinder season. They're not as athletic as Alabama and will have all the pressure. Ready or not, here they come. |
Friday, December 29, 2023
|
Tuscaloosa, AL Alabama football players revealed Thursday that the Crimson Tide is taking precautionary measures to avoid any infiltration of their preparation for the Rose Bowl against Michigan. Wideout Isaiah Bond said players have had to watch film as a team, not on their own. When Alabama offensive coordinator Tommy Rees spoke to reporters later, he avoided commenting on the matter. “I don’t want to get into the whole Michigan deal with whatever they have going on over there,” Rees said. “That’s not a decision I’m making or anything like that. Our focus has been on, how do we get our players best prepared to go play this game? And really just focus on what we can do and less about them.” |
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
|
Tuscaloosa, AL Before the Tide headed out of town, Nick Saban described his focus for the team, during a press conference on early signing day. “Excellence is not free,” Saban said. “You got to pay the price up front, and there’s a price to pay for it. Working on fundamentals, finishing the play, pushing yourself through, focusing on blocking and tackling and taking care of the ball. A lot of things that we need to pay attention to detail to try to get our momentum back as a team and our confidence back so that everybody’s playing together and we got a great understanding of what we need to do to have a chance to play winning football when the game comes.” The Rose Bowl, which serves as a College Football Playoff Semifinal this year, is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT on Monday. The Sugar Bowl, between Washington and Texas, is the other. Both games will be aired on ESPN. |
Saturday, December 23, 2023
|
Tuscaloosa, AL The Alabama men's basketball team (7-5) defeated the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, 111-67, Saturday afternoon inside Coleman Coliseum in its final game before the holiday break. Rylan Griffen led the Tide scoring with a career-high 19 points while also hitting a career-best five three-pointers. Five others, Grant Nelson (19), Davin Cosby Jr. (12), Sam Walters (12), Aaron Estrada (12) and Mark Sears (11) also scored in double figures. To go along with Estrada's 12 points, he also collected season-highs in rebounds (8) and assists (7). The Colonels (4-8) were led by Isaiah Cozart posting a double-double, scoring 19 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. UP NEXT Alabama returns to action Dec. 30, taking on Liberty in the C.M. Newton Classic inside Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama The game is slated for tipoff at 1 p.m. CT and will air live on SEC Network+ |
Thursday, December 14, 2023
|
Tuscaloosa, AL Alabama football's JC Latham, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Dallas Turner were all named second team All-Americans by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the group announced Friday night as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards. |
Saturday, December 9, 2023
|
Tuscaloosa, AL
The University of Alabama football team held its annual awards banquet Sunday evening inside Coleman Coliseum. Alabama head coach Nick Saban addressed an audience that included members of the team, coaching staff, administration and support staff following the awards session in which he recapped the 2023 season so far. Saban also discussed the team's berth in the College Football Playoff and the upcoming Semifinal matchup with top-ranked Michigan. |
Friday, December 8, 2023
|
Tuscaloosa, AL BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Alabama football team had 10 student-athletes selected to 11 spots on the 2023 All-Southeastern Conference Coaches Teams, which were unveiled Tuesday by the league office. JC Latham (OL) represented the Tide offense on the first team while Justin Eboigbe (DL), Dallas Turner (LB), Terrion Arnold (DB), Kool-Aid McKinstry (DB) and Caleb Downs (DB) were all selected to the first-team defensive unit. Also earning a spot on the first team were specialists Will Reichard (PK) and Kneeland Hibbett (LS) The second-team selections included Tyler Booker (OL) on offense along with James Burnip (P) and Reichard (KOS) as part of the specialists group. |
Monday, December 4, 2023
|
Tuscaloosa, AL The No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide will square off with the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines in the College Football Playoff Semifinal on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. The contest is slated to kick off at 4 p.m. CT (5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT) and will be televised on ESPN. The Crimson Tide and Wolverines will meet for the sixth time in the history of the series that dates back to 1988. It will mark the second-straight time the two storied programs will meet in the postseason as Alabama defeated Michigan, 35-16, in the 2019 Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla. With that win, the Tide now leads the all-time series, 3-2. The winner of the Semifinal between Alabama and Michigan will meet the winner of the contest between the No. 2 Washington Huskies and the No. 3 Texas Longhorns, who will play in the CFP Semifinal Game at the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans on Jan. 1, 2024. The 2024 CFP National Championship Game is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 8 at NRG Stadium in Houston. Alabama will make its eighth appearance in the Rose Bowl with this year's selection, owning a record of 5-1-1 in those contests. Most recently, the Tide defeated Notre Dame in the 2021 College Football Playoff Semifinal Game at the Rose Bowl (game played in Arlington, Texas due to COVID), 31-14. Head coach Nick Saban is 16-6 in postseason games at Alabama, earning wins over Kansas State (2023 Sugar Bowl) Cincinnati (2022 CFP Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic), Ohio State (2021 CFP National Championship Game), Notre Dame (2021 CFP Semifinal Game at the Rose Bowl), Michigan (2019 Citrus Bowl), Oklahoma (2018 CFP Semifinal Game at the Orange Bowl), Georgia (2018 CFP National Championship Game), Clemson (2017 CFP Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl and the 2016 CFP National Championship Game), Washington (2016 CFP Semifinal Game at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl), Michigan State (2015 CFP Semifinal Game at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic). Prior to the CFP, the Tide defeated the Fighting Irish (2013 BCS National Championship Game at the Orange Bowl), LSU (2012 BCS National Championship Game at the Allstate Sugar Bowl), Michigan State (2011 Capital One Bowl), Texas (2010 BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl) and Colorado (2007 Independence Bowl). |
Sunday, December 3, 2023
|
Tuscaloosa, AL ATLANTA - The No. 8/8/8 Alabama football team secured a 27-24 upset win over No. 1/1/1 Georgia Saturday afternoon inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. With the win, the Crimson Tide (12-1) secured the program's 30th Southeastern Conference Championship and the ninth under head coach Nick Saban. Quarterback Jalen Milroe was named the game's Most Valuable Player after leading the team to its 11th consecutive victory. Milroe finished the contest with 221 total yards including 192 through the air on 13-of-23 passing and a pair of touchdowns. Roydell Williams led the ground attack with 16 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown while Milroe contributed 29 yards with his legs. Isaiah Bond led the receiving corps with 79 yards on five receptions, while Jermaine Burton and Jam Miller each caught a touchdown pass in the win. Defensively, Terrion Arnold led UA with six total tackles, including half a tackle for loss (-1 yard), to go along with a pass breakup. Malachi Moore and Trezmen Marshall each contributed five tackles and one TFL apiece with Marshall adding a key fumble recovery. |
Monday, November 27, 2023
|
Tuscaloosa, AL Alabama Crimson Tide football under Nick Saban Athletic director Mal Moore (2007–2013) Bill Battle (2013–2017) Greg Byrne (2017– ) Head coach Nick Saban (2007-2023) Off Field: 17 season, 204–28 (.879) *On Field: 17 season, 200–28 (.877) Stadium Bryant–Denny Stadium Conference Southeastern Conference Division Western Division Bowl record 16–6 (.727) Claimed national titles 6 Conference titles 8 Division titles 10 Heisman winners 4 Consensus All-Americans 45 *Saban's record for the 2007 season was 7-6. In March 2009, the NCAA ruled that Alabama must vacate 21 victories due to sanctions stemming from textbook-related infractions discovered during the 2007 season, including five for the 2007 season. As such Saban's official record for the 2007 season stands at 2-6. |
|
Tuscaloosa, AL AUBURN, Ala. - Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe threw a touchdown pass to Isaiah Bond with 32 seconds left to lift the No. 8/8/8 Crimson Tide football team to a 27-24 victory over Auburn Saturday afternoon in Jordan-Hare Stadium. With the Tide (11-1, 8-0 SEC) trailing 24-20 and facing 4th-and-31, Milroe found Bond for a game-winning 31-yard score to snatch the victory away from the Tigers (6-6, 3-5 SEC). Alabama used a balanced offensive attack to pile up 451 yards of total offense, including 259 through the air and 192 on the ground. Milroe led the Crimson Tide's offense with 366 total yards which included 259 on 16-of-24 passing and 107 yards rushing across 18 attempts. Bond finished the game with a team-leading five catches for 75 yards and a score, while Jermaine Burton had four catches for a team-high 107 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Jalen Key returned to the lineup to lead UA with seven tackles, while Deontae Lawson, also returning from an absence, finished second at five total stops, including one sack (-3 yards). Dallas Turner contributed four tackles, including two for loss and a sack, to go with a quarterback hurry. Lawson and Turner helped the Tide finish with 6.0 TFLs (-41 yards) and four sacks (-28 yards) by day's end. Notes: Alabama's win was the 19th fourth-quarter victory under head coach Nick Saban. Saturday's Iron Bowl win was the Tide's 11th of the season. It marks the 27th time in program history that UA has recorded an 11-win season and the 15th under Saban. The 2023 campaign also marks the 13th straight season with 11 wins under Saban, the longest streak of its kind in Southeastern Conference history. Alabama finished the season a perfect 8-0 in SEC play to mark the sixth perfect conference finish during the Saban era. The Tide also went 8-0 in 2008, 2009, 2016 and 2018 and finished 2020 at 10-0. With his nine points on the night (three PATs, two field goals), placekicker Will Reichard is now tied at 530 points with Keenan Reynolds (Navy) for the NCAA career points record. Reichard is now second on the Alabama career field goals list with 80. He trails only Leigh Tiffin's mark of 83. |
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
|
Tuscaloosa, AL Tim Keenan really wanted bragging rights. The Alabama football defensive lineman was a young Crimson Tide fan in 2011 watching the Iron Bowl against Auburn. It seemed like the Tide had it wrapped up, taking a 24-0 advantage. Then Cam Newton happened, and the Tigers won 28-27 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. “I was kind of disappointed,” Keenan, now a redshirt sophomore for UA, said Tuesday. “But God gave me another chance to make it right.” Keenan, a Birmingham native, and the rest of Alabama’s players have a chance to make it four in a row against the Tigers on Saturday. That’s a feat that hasn’t been achieved since Paul “Bear” Bryant was in charge. For the team members from in-state, the game means even more. “Growing up, playing football, watching football, I was watching the Iron Bowl,” Malachi Moore, UA’s safety from Trussville, said Monday. " It’s definitely a blessing to be able to play in this game. A lot of people look at this game in the state, like you said, it’s big in the state. It just means a lot to suit up for the Crimson Tide to go out there and play in this great rivalry.” Running back Roydell Williams grew up in a house divided. The Hueytown senior grew up a Tide fan, while his sister was loyal to Auburn. His parents didn’t choose a side. “We always got family over to the house,” Williams said. “Watched the game, ordered food — cooked sometimes — we’ll all just fellowship together. It was a big deal for our family, we’ll do a big deal about it.” To this day, he said he didn’t understand his sister’s allegiance. “I don’t know why she’s an Auburn fan. I don’t think she is now,” Williams said. “Hopefully she sees this. I hope she’s an Alabama fan. I hope she is. I never knew why she was an Auburn fan, but I hope she’s an Alabama fan now.” On paper, Alabama will be heavily favored on Saturday, with Auburn coming off a loss to New Mexico State and the Tide still in the College Football Playoff hunt. But the game is at Jordan-Hare Stadium, home to plenty of weird losses for UA. The Alabama natives on the Crimson Tide roster are trying to maintain their focus, knowing the weight of the rivalry. They’ve worked to educate their out-of-state teammates on the game, though the Iron Bowl’s reputation precedes it. “No matter what state you’re from, you do know about the Iron Bowl,” quarterback Jalen Milroe said Monday. “Being from Texas, I know about the Iron Bowl, for sure. I grew up watching it. But to be able to experience the Iron Bowl, it’s going to be a great experience, for sure. Especially going on the road to Auburn. It’s definitely going to be a big challenge for us. But I do know about the history of it, of the game. It’s very exciting going into the week.” |
|
Tuscaloosa, AL After a one-year visit to irrelevancy, the Iron Bowl once again will have a major say in the national championship race in 2023. So how do the Tide and Tigers match up? We take a look in our annual Iron Bowl position-by-position breakdown: Quarterback Alabama’s Jalen Milroe has made one of the greatest in-season improvements in recent program history, and is capable of explosive plays as both a passer and a runner. It took Auburn coaches more than half the season to figure out they should stop rotating Payton Thorne with Robby Ashford, and give Thorne most of the reps. Advantage: Alabama Running back The Crimson Tide uses a backfield rotation of Jase McClellan, Roydell Williams and Jamarian Miller, who have combined for 1,364 yards this season. Auburn’s Jarquez Hunter has thrived as the feature back this year, averaging nearly six yards per carry. Advantage: Even Receiver/tight end For the second straight year, Alabama does not have a true go-to receiver, with Jermaine Burton (29 receptions, 6 TDs) the closest thing to that. Tight end Amari Niblack has developed into a red zone weapon, with his four touchdowns second on the team. Auburn’s tight end, Rivaldo Fairweather, is by far its most dangerous receiving threat, with 33 catches and six TDs this season. Wideouts Ja’Varrius Johnson, Jay Fair, Caleb Burton and Shane Hooks have all had their moments, just not enough of them to keep defenses honest. Advantage: Alabama Offensive line Alabama’s offensive line has played better of late, though it has rarely been the sum of its parts this season. Pre-snap penalties and sacks — 33 of them — have plagued this group all year. Auburn loaded up with transfers and freshmen in the offseason, and has gotten solid-to-good results for the most part. Tackle Gunner Britton has been the team’s best lineman this season, though freshman center Connor Lew appears to have a very bright future. Advantage: Even Defensive line As it has for the last several years, Alabama rotates several players in the front three, without much discernable drop-off. Veteran end Justin Eboigbe (52 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 5 sacks) is playing at close to an All-SEC level, while sophomore Jaheim Oatis does things that don’t show up on the stat sheet to create havoc at the point of attack. Tim Keenan, Tim Smith, Jah-Marien Latham and Damon Payne also make the occasional big play. Auburn senior tackle Marcus Harris has had an excellent season, with 38 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. End Keldric Faulk has held his own as a true freshman, while veterans Justin Rogers, Jayson Jones and Zykevious Walker form the rest of what is a solid group. Advantage: Alabama Linebacker Alabama’s Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell are among the best edge-rushing duos in both the SEC and the country, combining for 15 sacks and 20 tackles for loss this season. Auburn’s two outside linebackers, Eugene Asante and Jalen McLeod, have also been excellent at getting to the quarterback this season (17 TFL, 10.5 sacks combined). The inside linebackers haven’t been nearly as productive, though the return of Austin Keys from a thumb injury in late October has helped somewhat Advantage: Alabama Secondary Kool-Aid McKinstry came into the year as the big name cornerback at Alabama and has played well, but he’s been outshined by Terrion Arnold, who might challenge for All-America honors this year. Auburn plays four seniors and a junior (and sometimes five seniors) in its secondary, with cornerbacks DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett taking a back seat to no one and both likely to play in the NFL next year. Advantage: Even Special teams Alabama kicker Will Reichard is having another excellent season, and should become college football’s all-time leading scorer this week or next. Veteran punter James Burnip has also been excellent. Kendrick Law has been good when he’s chosen to return kickoffs rather than take a fair catch. The coverage units are decent, though not spectacular. Auburn kicker Alex McPherson has not missed a field goal or extra point all season long, though he hasn’t had as many opportunities as some. Punter Oscar Chapman is also consistent and highly productive. Brian Battie on kickoffs and Keionte Scott on punts are among the most-dangerous return twosomes in the SEC. Advantage: Auburn Coaching Advantage: Alabama Overall Advantage: Alabama |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)