SEC Previews and Predictions: Week 2
All things considered, a 10-3 week wasn’t a bad start for The Predictions Dept., given the level of craziness SEC teams displayed in some of their respective openers. The biggest upset, by rank, was Wisconsin’s surprise victory over LSU that put Les Miles back on the hotseat. But South Alabama beating Mississippi State may have been even more shocking. The quality of games this week takes a nosedive, as it almost always does in Week 2, with the Tennessee-Virginia Tech NASCAR crossover at Bristol Motor Speedway probably taking the prize as the most interesting spectacle.
USC Preview: This may be Alabama’s toughest opening-day test yet
August 31, 2016 Comments Off on USC Preview: This may be Alabama’s toughest opening-day test yet
In most of his seasons in Tuscaloosa, Nick Saban has preferred to schedule a quality opponent for Alabama’s first game of the season. This time, he may have outdone himself. … As it stands, thanks to the talent on hand at USC, Alabama is facing perhaps its toughest opening-day assignment of the Nick Saban era.
Continue reading …2016 Previews: Rating the units of SEC teams
August 8, 2016 Comments Off on 2016 Previews: Rating the units of SEC teams
While college football might be a numbers game to some, putting objective numbers down to predict a team’s chances in the upcoming season can be a challenge – some say impossible.
The system we present to you tries to do the impossible. What follows is a ranking of every position group of every team in the SEC, and we try to make the results as objective as we can.
Continue reading …Rating the 2016 SEC recruiting classes
February 4, 2016 Comments Off on Rating the 2016 SEC recruiting classes
The addition of Jamar King at the last moment brought Alabama up to a rating of “Excellent” in the “Needs Filled” category; otherwise, it would have been hard to rank the Crimson Tide No. 1 in the country overall over Florida State. Alabama, over the past few years, has finished with at least one position group’s worth of signees somewhere to be called best-in-class; in 2016, Alabama did it for at least one position group and maybe as many as three. Alabama got the nation’s best linebacker haul, picking up three 10.0-rated prospects on Signing Day: Ben Davis, Lyndell Wilson and Terrell Hall. But Alabama also was in the running for best OL class, headed by Jonah Williams
Continue reading …MSU wrap-up: Spartans sell out to stop Henry, forget about rest of UA’s team
January 1, 2016 Comments Off on MSU wrap-up: Spartans sell out to stop Henry, forget about rest of UA’s team
Faced with the task of stopping Alabama’s balanced, efficient offense, Michigan State made the understandable call to sell out to stop Heisman Trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry and force Alabama to put the game in QB Jake Coker’s hands.
Three hours later, Michigan State coaches were asking for a mulligan.
Continue reading …Smart to UGA may affect Bama’s succession plan
December 18, 2015 Comments Off on Smart to UGA may affect Bama’s succession plan
Operating from the assumption that all successful businesses invest time in developing a succession plan, the hiring of Kirby Smart at Georgia made a royal foul-up of what was most likely Alabama’s end game regarding Nick Saban’s eventual retirement.
Continue reading …CSU preview: Tide needs to get fast start, then sit starters
November 18, 2015 Comments Off on CSU preview: Tide needs to get fast start, then sit starters
It’s no mystery why Alabama scheduled Charleston Southern here. The Buccaneers’ offense makes a good analog for the Auburn offense Alabama will see a week from now. The Bucs are a quality opponent without being a real threat. If Alabama does mope around too much in this game, it could be a repeat of 2011, when the Crimson Tide let then-FCS Georgia Southern hang around almost too long, in a game that could have cost Bama a repeat shot at LSU had voters been turned off by the Tide’s performance. Ultimately, the goal is to get to the Auburn game with no further injuries, and with a convincing win in Alabama’s back pocket.
Continue reading …LSU wrap-up: Bama not challenged in romp over Tigers
November 8, 2015 Comments Off on LSU wrap-up: Bama not challenged in romp over Tigers
That Alabama defeated LSU in Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday night to retake the reins of its own playoff destiny wasn’t really a surprise to those who are familiar with Alabama’s recent seasons.
What’s surprising is that the Crimson Tide wasn’t really challenged at all by an LSU team that came into the game ranked second in the nation behind the running of RB Leonard Fournette and a quarterback who had yet to throw an interception.
Alabama didn’t just beat LSU Saturday night. Alabama made it look … easy.
Continue reading …Tennessee wrap-up: Bama squeezes Big Orange hearts with late win
October 25, 2015 Comments Off on Tennessee wrap-up: Bama squeezes Big Orange hearts with late win
A game like this was almost expected, the result of Alabama being faced, week after week, with a gauntlet of rested teams, thanks to the SEC office’s inability (or lack of desire) to address unfair scheduling practices.
And in this case, the Crimson Tide nearly paid the price for the circumstances outside its control.
Continue reading …Tennessee preview: Vols could be a tougher foe than Bama expects
October 21, 2015 Comments Off on Tennessee preview: Vols could be a tougher foe than Bama expects
Every season, one or two teams seem to rise above their typical watermarks and give Alabama a tougher game than it would otherwise appear on paper.
Alabama is hoping Ole Miss filled the role in Week 3, but in 2009, that team was Tennessee, then led by a young head coach named Lane Kiffin. It took two blocked field goals by DT Terrence Cody, the second coming as time ran out, for Alabama to hold onto the win and eventually play for a national championship.
Continue reading …