From Polls to Playoff, Part 2: The System Breaks
Beginning in 1936, the Associated Press ranked the nation’s top twenty football teams and awarded a national championship at the end of the regular season. Although bowl games (usually somewhere between five and seven) existed in these early days, the bowls were not taken into account when determining the national champion. There were several reasons the bowls were not included, including maintaining the amateur emphasis of college football, the fact the bowls were exhibitions, and the fact that most schools or conferences attempted to share the wealth by forbidding teams from attending the same bowl game in consecutive years.
Previews 2014: Alabama Crimson Tide
August 8, 2014 Comments Off on Previews 2014: Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama is one of the most interesting teams in college football in 2014, if for no other reason that a team one play away from a possible shot at a national championship, returning a nucleus of top talent and poised for yet another title run, is actually a team in transition. A new offensive coordinator is in town, the quarterback position is completely up in the air and changes are expected on the defensive side of the ball to correct a downward trend, particularly in front seven performance.
OFFENSE
Alabama is now the employer of one Lane Kiffin, former Tennessee head coach, NCAA scofflaw and general spoiled brat. At least that’s what he’s been in the eyes of Alabama fans until now. These days, he’s the hopeful savior of Alabama’s balanced, but ground-oriented offensive attack built around the idea that beating an opponent into a bloody coma is the pinnacle of college football strategy. But the ultimate determiner of style may be decided by which quarterback wins the starting job.
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While predictions are often a shot in the dark, it is still fun to look ahead and try to predict the future. Here is our annual look at how the SEC might shape up in the coming year, with the bestowing of our annual preseason awards.
Continue reading …BCS wrap-up: Alabama, not Notre Dame, wakes up the echoes of past domination
January 8, 2013 1 Comment
At some point in the next few weeks, after the confetti has been cleared from Sun Life Stadium and the mainstream media’s focus finally diverts from its much-preferred Notre Dame, the question will be asked whether this is the greatest era in Alabama football history.
Continue reading …A-Day: Alabama not partying like it’s 2010
April 15, 2012 Comments Off on A-Day: Alabama not partying like it’s 2010
Spring games always spur a unique set of questions each year, but Alabama fans in 2012 were probably most wanting to know if the 2012 team is in danger of pulling a repeat of 2010. The answer is, not likely.
Continue reading …By Jess Nicholas, TideFans.com Editor-In-Chief April 11, 2012 After two national championships in three seasons, it’s almost inconceivable to think that Alabama might actually have a few positions of instability heading into a season. But it’s true. Thanks to injuries, position experimentation and plain ol’ graduation, there will be several areas of interest […]
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For the first time since Saban’s arrival on campus, Alabama will have two position groups – offensive tackle and quarterback – with a significant talent concern in their lower classes. Putting aside for a moment the realization that the majority of schools would be happy with two position groups being strengths, let alone having the kind of depth across the roster that Alabama enjoys, the reality is Alabama is college football’s superior team at the moment – and Alabama’s placement there didn’t happen overnight, nor did it come easily.
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