Post-mortem: Bama ended up mostly meeting expectations
Alabama mostly met expectations this year, in regards to what kind of team it put on the field. In respect to what it accomplished, Alabama probably exceeded expectations. TideFans.com projected Alabama to capture the No. 3 seed in the College Football Playoff (behind No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Oklahoma and ahead of No. 4 Clemson), but with a regular-season loss to LSU in the mix. When LSU overreacted to an early losses to Wisconsin and Auburn, though, and fired Les Miles, the chances of LSU beating Alabama mostly evaporated.
Clemson preview: Tigers look for revenge, Tide looks for continuity
January 6, 2017 Comments Off on Clemson preview: Tigers look for revenge, Tide looks for continuity
The same dynamic exists this year as last: Clemson will use a talented dual-threat quarterback to trigger an offense that has its roots in spread football and tinted by pro-set alterations, while Alabama will base from a multiple, pro-style attack that has been dabbling with the spread.
Continue reading …Washington preview: Huskies’ offense could turn up the pressure on Bama
December 26, 2016 Comments Off on Washington preview: Huskies’ offense could turn up the pressure on Bama
Despite taking off the better part of the month, Alabama comes into this game still beaten up from the SEC gauntlet, with two key defensive starters out and several other important team cogs gimped in varying degrees. It would surprise few people outside the circle of Alabama diehards if the Crimson Tide got a tougher game from the Huskies than it was expecting.
Continue reading …SECCG preview: Hobbled Gators are living on a prayer offensively
November 30, 2016 Comments Off on SECCG preview: Hobbled Gators are living on a prayer offensively
There is a lot of familiarity between these two teams, thanks mostly to Florida hiring former Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain as head coach, who subsequently attracted former Bama staffers Doug Nussmeier, Geoff Collins and Chris Rumph. The end result is that Alabama will have a hard time surprising Florida, and with the Gators’ defense a tough customer, expect this one to be close at least until the final quarter. Alabama will need to force Florida to make mistakes in order to avoid a low-scoring stalemate.
Continue reading …UT preview: If pressure makes perfect, Vols won’t hit many wrong notes
October 11, 2016 Comments Off on UT preview: If pressure makes perfect, Vols won’t hit many wrong notes
There is no question which team is coming into this game more charged up. It’s Tennessee, and had the Volunteers not lost in agonizing fashion to Texas A&M in overtime last week, the Vols might have come into this game so amped-up that you could have plugged the entire eastern seaboard into Neyland Stadium and it would have stayed lit for a month.
Continue reading …Arkansas wrap-up: Composure in short supply as Bama piles up the points
October 9, 2016 Comments Off on Arkansas wrap-up: Composure in short supply as Bama piles up the points
Alabama’s offense did a solid job against Arkansas, but not a superlative one. Any turnover total greater than zero is too many, and Alabama recorded three of them. But true freshman QB Jalen Hurts continued his ascension to stardom, and the Crimson Tide put together a solid running game even without Joshua Jacobs, who suffered some kind of hand or elbow injury early in the first quarter.
But defensively, Alabama lost its composure, and as a result, Arkansas QB Austin Allen played pitch-and-catch with his receivers despite spending as much time picking himself off the ground as he did actually throwing the football.
Continue reading …KSU wrap-up: Bama beats the heat, Golden Flashes in 48-0 rout
September 24, 2016 Comments Off on KSU wrap-up: Bama beats the heat, Golden Flashes in 48-0 rout
Alabama defeated a poor KSU team 48-0, running up a 41-0 halftime score before having mercy on Nick Saban’s alma mater. Alabama played four quarterbacks and several walk-ons made the participation chart, including a couple that made career debuts. But early in the game, Alabama had a harder time escaping the attention of team doctors than it did the Kent State defense’s grasp.
Continue reading …KSU preview: Bama hopes to build depth against Golden Flashes
September 21, 2016 Comments Off on KSU preview: Bama hopes to build depth against Golden Flashes
Alabama was beaten up a bit against Ole Miss, and could be without the services of three or four starters as a preventative measure. It shouldn’t matter, though, as Kent State may finish the year as one of the worst teams in the old Division-IA.
Continue reading …Ole Miss preview: Bama trying to keep anomaly from becoming a trend
September 14, 2016 Comments Off on Ole Miss preview: Bama trying to keep anomaly from becoming a trend
This game is more about just a win or a loss. It’s about not putting oneself in a position to have to hope for miracles. It’s also about not losing three times in a row to a historical conference also-ran that only recently has achieved status as a contender – and, perhaps not coincidentally, is battling the NCAA over alleged recruiting violations.
Continue reading …WKU preview: Alabama gets tougher-than-usual test for game No. 2
September 7, 2016 Comments Off on WKU preview: Alabama gets tougher-than-usual test for game No. 2
Western Kentucky will likely be a bowl team in 2016, and could actually win 10 regular season games with its schedule. The Hilltoppers are coming off a 46-14 win over Rice in which WKU displayed impressive offensive prowess, particularly in the passing game. If Alabama tries to sleepwalk through this game, as it has been wont to do in the second weeks of past years, this game could get uncomfortable.
Continue reading …