When will the SEC learn? You can’t blackout Alabama
You can change your shirts, change your colors, change your stripes. You can hang up a big, honking, high-def TV and crank up the volume till your guests’ ears bleed. You can invite everyone you know to the party, turn your head if they bring cowbells and play dumb when they ring them till the cows come home. Almost anything is possible if you’re a football program in the Southeastern Conference and Alabama’s coming to town. Anything but this. You can’t beat Alabama with cowbells and whistles. Mississippi State warmed up in its traditional maroon jerseys Saturday, retreated to the locker room and came out — for the first time in school history — in black shirts. Nick Saban must’ve been amused when another set of Bulldogs, following in the foolish footsteps of Georgia 2008, made a wardrobe change look like a wardrobe malfunction. [More]

No. 3 Alabama uses big plays to beat Miss St 31-3
Greg McElroy got tired of hearing all the critics. So he did something about it. The quarterback hit three passes of more than 40 yards, including two for touchdowns, to lead No. 3 Alabama to a 31-3 win over Mississippi State on Saturday night. McElroy has learned that being the Crimson Tide quarterback comes with close scrutiny, but for a night at least he won’t hear any complaints. “Three yards and a cloud of dust is pretty much the staple of our offense,” said McElroy, who was 13 for 18 for 192 yards and no interceptions. “But we have the ability to break it for a big play.” That’s an ability Tide fans haven’t seen as much as they would like this season – until Saturday night. McElroy threw scoring passes of 45 yards to Darius Hanks and 48 yards to Julio Jones and Mark Ingram ripped off a 70-yard touchdown run as the Crimson Tide (10-0, 7-0 SEC) improved to 10-0 for the second straight year, something that hasn’t happened since the 1973-74 seasons. [More]

Alabama holds Bulldogs’ dangerous running back to 81 yards
Against a running back who has made a routine of posting 100-yard games this season, a University of Alabama run defense that has made a habit of preventing 100-yard rushers found a supreme challenge Saturday in Mississippi State’s Anthony Dixon. Challenge met. Dixon, who entered having rushed for at least 100 yards in seven of nine games this season, rushed for 81 against the nation’s second-ranked run defense as Alabama rolled to a 31-3 victory at Davis-Wade Stadium. “Defensively, we had a lot of respect for their ability to run the ball and I was pleased with the way we stopped it for the most part,” UA coach Nick Saban said. “A couple runs got out, Anthony Dixon’s a really good running back, and Rolando McClain did a great job. … We did a good job of making adjustments.” [More]

Mark Barron earns two interceptions
Sophomore strong safety Mark Barron took the SEC interceptions leads Saturday night with two picks. And it could have been three. Barron ended a Mississippi State drive at the Alabama 12 with a leaping interception of an overthrown pass by Tyson Lee. It was Barron’s fifth pick of the season, making him the SEC’s leader in that category. Barron’s pick extended Alabama’s streak to seven straight games with an interception. In the fourth quarter, Barron’s interception at the 30-yard line came one play before Mark Ingram’s 70-yard touchdown run. And in the final minutes, teammate Marquis Johnson cut in front of Barron and snared an interception at the Alabama 2. “I kept getting passes defended and my safeties kept getting the ball. I told Mark, ‘No, I needed this one,’ ” Johnson laughed. “‘Man, you took it.’ I was like, ‘I got you one earlier. Can I get one?’ ” [More]

Tide fights through injuries
With two games remaining on the regular-season schedule, the University of Alabama’s fortunes where injuries are concerned depend on one’s perspective. Among the players not already lost for the season, surprisingly few are nursing minor injuries given that the season is in its 11th week. But compared to last year, when almost all the Crimson Tide’s regulars sailed through the season unscathed, 2009 has been a more painful journey. “I don’t think we lost anybody for the season last year, especially a starter,” Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said earlier this week. “We’ve had I don’t know how many games missed by starters this year, probably 20 or 30, and we probably had five last year, so those guys never come back. That affects the depth on your team, and sometimes the wear and tear a little bit.” [More]

Alabama rolls over Mississippi State
Alabama didn’t really win the game in the second half. Sure, big plays by Greg McElroy and Julio Jones and Mark Ingram highlighted Saturday night’s surprisingly easy 31-3 blowout victory over Mississippi State. But this game was won when Alabama took State’s best punches, both in the opening minutes and even before the game, and never blinked. The Bulldogs’ record crowd of 58,103 was charged up when State came out of the locker room in black jerseys after it warmed up in its traditional maroon shirts. But it wasn’t just the jerseys. “I could tell by the way their players were during pregame,” Saban said. “I told our players it was going to be a street fight out there, and you’re going to have to go toe-to-toe with them for a while. “We’re going to have to change the way they think in terms of the way we play and the way we execute.” [More]

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Tide’s wary of MSU trap
Mississippi State’s campus is gearing up for one of its bigger games in recent memory, while visiting Alabama just needs another win. With the largest crowd in school history expected to stand behind them, the Bulldogs (4-5, 2-3 SEC) look to play spoiler at 6 o’clock tonight when the third-ranked Crimson Tide (9-0, 6-0) visits in a game televised nationally by ESPN. Alabama clinched an SEC title game spot by beating LSU last weekend, leaving three final contests standing between a potential BCS title game playoff with top-ranked Florida in Atlanta. Two of the final three are on the road, beginning with tonight. “This is where a lot of teams get caught,” Alabama linebacker Cory Reamer said. “Coming off big wins and then playing another good team the next week, it’s hard to do that back-to-back, especially in this league. We’re fortunate to have to do that more than one time during the season, so we’re kind of used to it.” [More, Similiar]

A loss could not be more damaging
With three games to go, the time is now in Alabama’s 2009 football season. No win is more important than any other. But a loss in any of the three could not be more damaging. As the third-ranked Crimson Tide – now 9-0 and No. 2 in the BCS standings – prepares to meet Mississippi State (4-5) in Starkville this evening, head coach Nick Saban’s “rarified air” of championship aspirations is becoming increasingly thinner. Alabama cleared a giant hurdle in stopping LSU last week to clinch the SEC West Division title. Despite an overwhelming series record against Mississippi State – the Tide holds a 72-18-3 edge – the Bulldogs have taken two of the last three from the Tide. Dan Mullen has rejuvenated the Bulldogs once-benign offense. That offense, along with a physical defense, has kept Mississippi State in nearly every game this season. [More]

Tide’s little big man Arenas terrorizing teams behind the line of scrimmage
David and Goliath are not enemies. They are teammates. They are key members of the nation’s fourth­-ranked defense. And yet, Goliath and others like to sling insults at David. “We tease him a lot about being short and having short-man’s syndrome,” Alabama senior nose guard Terrence Cody said of se­nior cornerback Javier Arenas. “He gets mad a lot. He’s got a quick temper.” If the 6-foot-5, 354-pound behemoth is “Mount Cody,” that would make Arenas a molehill. The pest is gener­ously listed at 5-foot-9, 195 pounds. But what is it they say about big gifts coming in small packages? Arenas is standing out on a defense loaded with standouts. “He has a lot of heart,” Cody said, “because he’s not the tallest on the team. He hates being picked on about being the shortest on the team.” Arenas has excelled in pass coverage. [More]

Cowbell chorus to witness Bama-MSU game
Mississippi State season-ticket holders have seen some excellent football this fall. What Bulldog fans haven’t seen, other than a season-opening win over Jackson State, is a home victory. State’s home schedule has included No. 9 LSU, No. 7 Georgia Tech, No. 13 Houston and top-ranked Florida. Arch-rival Ole Miss comes to Starkville to end the season on Nov.28. First-year State head coach Dan Mullen has enlisted the help of Bulldog Nation for tonight’s showdown. Put another way, with apologies to Saturday Night Live, Mullen needs more cowbell. “We’re expecting a great crowd, for the whole state to get behind us and support us and have a great atmosphere for a nationally televised game,” Mullen said. [More]

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Thrust into action, Michael Williams comes through at a crucial time
When Colin Peek missed Alabama’s 12-10 win over Tennessee with a knee sprain three weeks ago, the University of Alabama tight end’s health and the impact his absence would have on the Crimson Tide offense were of concern up and down the home sideline. But nobody was more worried than Michael Williams. The redshirt freshman tight end grew up that day, stepping in for Peek in his most extensive playing time of the season. “To tell the God’s honest truth, when I saw (Peek hurt), my eyes lit up scared,” Williams said. “I didn’t know what to do. I had to buckle down and get my game-mind ready.” Williams caught the first pass of his career against the Volunteers, and, in Peek’s absence, three other tight ends caught at least one pass each. Two weeks later, Peek was available to play only sparingly against LSU, but this time, Williams knew far in advance that his services could be needed in an expanded role. [More]

Inside Alabama: No huddle? No problem for Tide
Leigh Tiffin kicked off. Ron Brooks returned it, and the ball was spotted on LSU’s 27-yard line. The big game was under way. Alabama’s base defense took the field, but when four LSU wide receivers came off the sideline, linebackers Cory Reamer and Nico Johnson came out and de­fensive backs Marquis Johnson and Robby Green came in. How about that? Substitutions before the first snap. Then the fun began. LSU lined up without a huddle and . . . wait. Slow down. The Crimson Tide wasn’t ready for this. LSU? No huddle? Was this sup­posed to be a blueprint for beat­ing the nation’s second-ranked defense? To LSU’s credit, the Tigers took a 15-10 lead into the fourth quarter. To Alabama’s credit, the Crimson Tide won 24-15. So much for that blueprint. [More]

MSU’s Dixon a challenge for Alabama
Mark Ingram is the Heisman Trophy candidate, but the most prolific running back on the field when Alabama visits Mississippi State on Saturday night will be State’s Anthony Dixon. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound senior is already the Bulldogs’ career rushing leader with 3,604 yards. He’s coming off a school-record 252-yard performance in a win at Kentucky. After an open date, Dixon is eager for a showdown with Alabama’s top-rated rushing defense and a matchup against Ingram, who leads the SEC in rushing with 127.6 yards per game. Dixon is second at 125.1 ypg. “It’s going to be fun…. He’s up for the Heisman race. All props to him,” Dixon said. “I’m pretty sure he’s been over there working hard. I’ve been over here working hard, so both of us make dreams come true. It’s just going to be a showcase Saturday, just to show again what we can do, show what the talk’s about. I’m just excited. Pumped up and ready to go.” [More]

Graduating early has its advantages
Can class schedules be an advantage to a college football team? Consider that Alabama has 13 players who have attained undergraduate degrees, the most of any FBS school this season, according to Alabama’s sports information department. The result in some cases is that those players have fewer class responsibilities and more time to invest in football. “I definitely have more time,” Reamer said. “The grad school program is a little bit more lenient. You don’t have to take as many hours to be a full-time student. I knocked a lot of the stuff out in the summer so I could have a lighter load during the season so I could be up here more, getting treatment, watching film, doing all the extra stuff.” [More]

Ingram named semifinalist for Doak Walker Award
University of Alabama sophomore running back Mark Ingram was named a semifinalist for the 2009 Doak Walker Award, the Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors announced Thursday. The Flint, Mich., native is one of 10 semifinalists, joining junior Donald Buckram (UTEP), junior Jonathan Dwyer (Georgia Tech), senior Toby Gerhart (Stanford), freshman Dion Lewis (Pittsburgh), junior Ryan Mathews (Fresno State), sophomore Jacquizz Rodgers (Oregon State), senior C.J. Spiller (Clemson), senior Ben Tate (Auburn) and freshman Ryan Williams (Virginia Tech) on this year’s list. “It’s an honor,” Ingram said. “Every running back, since he was younger, has a goal of being the best running back in the country. [More]

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Tide kick returner is close to SEC, NCAA marks
Javier Arenas’ play as a defensive back has become a ticket into the NFL, never mind the fact his special teams career will go down as one of the best in college football history. Looking back, it’s odd to think that it almost didn’t happen. The summer before his sophomore season at Alabama, Arenas was “going through a tough time,” teammates said. The cornerback, in fact, had already started informing them that his football career was finished. And it would have been if it weren’t for incoming Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban. “I was just at a point in my life where I didn’t know if I wanted to play anymore,” Arenas said. “I talked to Coach Saban for a great deal of time. He helped me realize. He told me I was making a huge mistake, which at the time I didn’t think I was making.” Arenas heads into Saturday’s 6 p.m. game at Mississippi State needing 172 yards to break the all-time NCAA record for career punt return yardage held by Wes Welker of Texas Tech. He is also 106 yards shy of a 60-year SEC mark set by Vanderbilt’s Lee Nalley from 1947-49. [More]

Red zone woes still plague Tide offense
Alabama’s latest game showed more diversity and promise from the offense, but it also had a pair of breakdowns in the red zone. “Yeah, it’s frustrating,” tailback Mark Ingram said. “Third-and-one at the 2 about to get a touchdown that we needed, put us ahead in the game. It’s frustrating, but you’ve got to move on, try and learn from that kind of stuff.” Julio Jones tried to call a timeout, realizing he was the 12th man in the huddle, but it didn’t save Alabama from a penalty. It didn’t save Nick Saban’s headset, either, as the head coach slammed it to the ground after getting penalized. “When coach gets upset with you, you kind of have to let it go over your head,” Ingram said. “He came back and made a big play, so he made up for it.” [More]

Spread offense a new twist for MSU
The uniforms will be the same, and Davis-Wade Stadium won’t have changed, but something just won’t look quite right when the University of Alabama plays at Mississippi State on Saturday. MSU — for as long as most memories serve, a team that has always employed an offense grounded in old-school principles — is the latest program to turn to the spread offense. First-year coach Dan Mullen, previously the offensive coordinator at Florida, may not have Gators-level talent. But the scheme and the ways in which the Bulldogs have attacked defenses this season is much like the UF offense that has led the way to two national championships in the last three years. “I think it’s changed relative to the personnel that he has,” UA coach Nick Saban said of Mullen’s first MSU offense. “I think the core, the philosophy, the zone dive, zone option, counter plays and quarterback reads are the same.” [More]

Weekend Preview
There is no mystery in the SEC division races, as Florida in the East and Alabama in the West have clinched titles and are headed for a faceoff in the SEC championship game on Dec. 5 in Atlanta. Florida has one league game left, Saturday at South Carolina. Alabama has two – Saturday at Mississippi State and Nov. 27 at Auburn. If they finish unbeaten in conference play, it will be the first time in SEC championship game history (it began in 1992) that there will be two unbeaten division champions. Alabama in 1992, ‘94 and 2008; Auburn in 2004; Florida in 1995 and ‘96; and Tennessee in 1998 are the only teams to finish unbeaten in division play since the SEC expanded in time for the 1992 season. The Alabama teams in 1994 and 2008 are the only teams that lost in the title game. [More]

McElroy says two-touchdown game helped after weeks of criticism
Being the starting quarterback at the Uni­versity of Alabama isn’t always the glamorous job it seems, Greg McElroy has found out lately. Lavished with praise and Heisman Trophy talk the first month of his career as the start­er, McElroy was hammered with criticism, particularly from the national media, after the team went more than a month without a passing touch­down. After throwing a pair of touchdown passes to lead the Tide past ninth-ranked LSU on Saturday, McElroy vented some frustration by saying it was “good to go out and silence ev­erybody” with a good perform­ance. “That means you’re taking your focus away from what it should be on,” said Tyler Watts, an Alabama quarterback who played in 1999 and started in 2000 and 2001 as part of a quar­terback battle with Andrew Zow. “There’s going to be nay­sayers out there no matter what. That’s pretty obvious when they’re 9-0 and people are still trying to find something to com­plain about.” [More]

Caldwell discovers life different in the NFL
“When you’re in college and you install something on Monday, you’ve got three days to work on that same thing, and go work on it for the game,” said Caldwell, who spoke to reporters while visiting the Crimson Tide practice Wednesday. “Up there (in the NFL), you install something Monday morning at 9 (a.m.), we’re on the field at 1 (p.m.) you’d better know everything you just put in. You don’t have the time to rep it like you did in college. That’s been the biggest difference so far.” Caldwell said former Alabama linebacker and Texans Pro Bowler DeMeco Ryans, with whom he was a teammate at the Capstone for two seasons, has helped him through his rookie season. “We hang out two, three times a week — go to dinner and stuff, talk about the game. He’s just like me — loves Alabama — every Saturday we dive in and watch the game so it’s been good,” Caldwell said. “When I first got out there I had the deer-in-headlights look for about a month and a half and he really was able to calm me down, show me the ropes and everything, so it was a good deal.” [More]

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SEC’s best running backs square off in Starkville this week
A side note to Saturday night’s game between Alabama and Mississippi State will be a battle between two of the SEC’s top running backs. The Crimson Tide’s Mark Ingram (127.6 yards average) and Bulldogs’ Anthony Dixon (125.1) rank first and second in the league in average yards per game. “It’s going to be fun,” Dixon said. “It’s what we dreamed about when we were little kids. He’s up for the Heisman race. All props to him. I’m pretty sure he’s been over there working hard. I’ve been over here working hard, so both of us make dreams come true.” Ingram continues to be among the top names mentioned as candidates for this year’s Heisman Trophy. It’s something he’s reminded of often. “A kid just did the Heisman pose in the middle of the street,” Ingram said with a laugh. “That was kind of funny, the most awkward thing I’ve seen around.” [More]

Crimson Tide defense gets another shot at Mullen’s spread offense, this time at State
The first week after assuring a spot opposite top-ranked Florida in the SEC title game, third-ranked Alabama gets a preview of the Gators’ quirky offense during Saturday’s 6 p.m. game at Mississippi State. “I think it’ll help a lot,” Crimson Tide cornerback Javier Arenas said. “We’ll be more familiar with it. It’ll be kind of more second hand or second nature when we finally get to it.” First-year Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen served the past eight years either as offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach at three different schools under current Florida coach Urban Meyer. Mullen was the coordinator of the Florida team that knocked off Alabama in last year’s SEC title game en route to their second BCS national title in three years. “We have a very different team here than I had last year,” Mullen said, “but the same thing is going to go against (Alabama). You’re going to have to take advantage of the opportunities you get going against a defense like this.” [More]

Arenas’ drive creates tackles
Alabama’s 5-foot-9 cor­nerback, Javier Arenas, ranks second in the Southeastern Con­ference in tackles for loss with 10.5. He ranks 41st nationally, behind 31 defensive linemen and nine linebackers. “It’s his heart,” said nose tackle Terrence Cody. “He has a lot of heart because he’s not the tallest. He hates getting picked on about being the shortest on the team. He’s got a lot of heart and he plays with a lot of emo­tion, a lot of enthusiasm.” Arenas played a little of ev­erything at Robinson High in Tampa, Fla., but was best known for his play at defensive back and as a return specialist. Fans never got to see Arenas in practice, but his speed and ath­leticism always made him a good cover corner. It’s just that 5-foot-9 players aren’t big enough to stay on the field in the Southeastern Conference. “We tease him a lot about be­ing short and having short man’s syndrome,” Cody said. “So he gets mad. He has a quick temper.” [More]

Tide looking healthier for Bulldogs
Alabama tight end Colin Peek and tailback Terry Grant practiced again today, having been cleared for contact and being taken off what appears to be a dwindling list of injury concerns as the third-ranked Crimson Tide continues preparations for Saturday’s 6 p.m. game at Mississippi State. Grant missed this past weekend’s LSU game with what Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban deemed to be a pulled muscle. Peek was questionable heading into the previous game with a sprained MCL in his left knee. He ended up playing against the Tigers but was not 100 percent. [More]

Tiffin a semifinalist for Lou Groza Award
Senior place-kicker Leigh Tiffin, who became Alabama’s all-time leading scorer Saturday against LSU, is one of 20 semifi­nalists for the 2009 Lou Groza Award, which is pres­ented each year to college football’s best kicker. Tiffin made each of his three field-goal attempts and his one point-after­-touchdown kick Saturday in the Tide’s 24-15 victory over LSU. He now has scored 347 points, which breaks the re­cord of 345 that Philip Doyle set from 1987-90. Tiffin has made 23 of 26 field-goal attempts this sea­son and leads the nation with an average of 2.56 field goals per game. His 76 ca­reer field goals are two shy of Doyle’s school record. [More]

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Tide QB McElroy: ‘I put more pressure on myself than anyone could ever put on me’
Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy responded to a key interception Saturday just like any passionate Crimson Tide fan, and perhaps a good deal worse. After a pass before halftime was intercepted by LSU’s Kelvin Sheppard to kill a promising drive, McElroy said he was “acting like a child. That’s about as bad a play as you can make,” McElroy said, “and I was so mad at myself after that. I was throwing water bottles, kicking stools. I put more pressure on myself than anyone could ever put on me,” McElroy said, “When I miss a pass, I promise you I’m more mad at myself than any fan, any reporter, any player, any coach, anything. I’m more upset because I know I let myself down, and I let my teammates down. [More]

McClain’s play prevents TD
It was yet another display of incredible athleticism by Alabama line­backer Rolando McClain, but the junior shrugged off his tack­le of LSU receiver Terrance Tolliver in the first quarter.Tolliver caught a quick pass from quarterback Jordan Jef­ferson, then took off down the left sideline after Tide cor­nerback Kareem Jackson had slipped on the play. McClain, who was covering the Tigers’ tight end on the opposite side of the field, ran down the speedy receiver and made the tackle 41 yards later. “As a football player, you’re coached to break on the ball wherever it’s thrown,” McClain said. “You saw (fellow lineback­er) Nico (Johnson), he was right there beside me. I had a couple of steps on him but he was running after the ball, too. If you want to be a good defense, everybody has to get to the ball. That’s just what I tried to do.” McClain’s touchdown-saving play, lost in the excitement of second-half plays, proved huge. The Tigers lost nine yards on their next three plays and were forced to punt. [More]

Saban stands up for SEC officials
Alabama coach Nick Saban is fed up with the recent rash of criticism involving SEC officials. “Can somebody stand up and fight for these guys and what they do for the game ?and probably get less for it than anybody?” Saban said during Monday’s press conference. More attention was shed on the officiating issue Saturday, when LSU’s Patrick Peterson appeared to intercept a sideline pass at the Tigers’ 32-yard line with 5:54 remaining and LSU trailing by six. Referees on the field called the pass incomplete and the replay official ruled there was insufficient video evidence to overturn that decision despite howls from the Tigers’ sideline. In his postgame comments, LSU coach Les Miles politely disagreed with the call but was careful not to run afoul of the league’s gag order threatening fines and suspensions for coaches who are critical of officials. Asked about the play Monday, Saban responded, “If it was an interception, that doesn’t mean they win the game.” [More]

Alabama’s game against UT-Chattanooga set for morning kickoff
Nov. 21 home finale against UT-Chattanooga will kick off at 11:21 a.m. and be televised on a split basis by the SEC Network, UA officials announced this morning. [More]

Another honor for Javy
Go back to this blog before the season on Alabama senior Javier Arenas? Remember how he didn’t want to be viewed as just a return man? Arenas has continued to prove that with his defensive efforts during the season, picking up another accolade today as the SEC defensive player of the week for his efforts Saturday against LSU. He finished with seven tackles — including two for a loss — and now is tied for second in the SEC with 10.5 tackles for a loss this season. [More]

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Mississippi State massing for Alabama’s visit
Each week, Alabama has grown closer to realizing dreams of Los Angeles and a BCS title game played at the Rose Bowl. The first hurdle on the remaining road to the West Coast is far closer, however, sitting about 75 minutes down U.S. Highway 82 in Starkville, Miss. And those Mississippi State Bulldogs intend to be ready. “It’s going to be electric,” MSU athletics director Greg Byrne said. Byrne expects the largest crowd in the history of Davis Wade Stadium when third-ranked Alabama (9-0, 6-0 SEC) visits Mississippi State (4-5, 2-3) at 6 p.m. Saturday in a game to be televised nationally by ESPN. For this game only, the Bulldogs have brought in temporary seating and sold standing room-only tickets to match the demand.[More]

Tide takes over second spot in BCS standings
Alabama jumped back over Texas into second place in the Bowl Championship Standings, but the Crimson Tide, which remains third in the latest Associated Press rankings, no longer has to worry about the BCS standings as it prepares for the final three games of the regular season. The Crimson Tide earned a berth in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game by beating LSU 24-15 on Saturday, assuring itself of a shot at the national championship if the Tide can beat Mississippi State, Chattanooga, Auburn and Florida in its remaining schedule. “I’m extremely pleased and happy that we won the West,” said Alabama coach Nick Saban, “and we now control our own destiny in terms of what else we can accomplish and what else we can do. It was a tough, physical game and, man, those games are fun to be a part of.” [More]

Scoreboard and stats agree: Tide rolled
Lost amid the delirium of Julio Jones’ touchdown and clinching the SEC West were the cold, hard numbers of Alabama’s 24-15 win over LSU. The numbers say Alabama dominated the game. LSU surrendered 452 yards – the most it has allowed in a non-overtime game since coach Les Miles’ first game in 2005. Alabama’s 6.3 yards per play were almost two yards more than the Tigers’ average of 4.5. And now let’s get to the inevitable comparisons, given that little showdown in Atlanta on Dec. 5 that’s now been secured: Florida scored 13 points against LSU, Alabama 24. Florida had 327 yards, Alabama 452. Florida allowed 162 yards, Alabama 253. Hmmm. … looks like that SEC Championship Game could be a lot of fun to watch. [More]

Tide focus is on remaining games, not SEC title game
For the second consecutive season, a hard-fought win against heated-rival LSU unwrapped a Southeastern Conference Western Division title and another trip to Atlanta for the University of Alabama football team. But before the Crimson Tide storm into the Georgia Dome for the conference’s championship game and a long sought-after rematch with Florida, there is the little issue of playing out the three remaining games on the schedule. True to form, Saban and company wanted no part in Florida talk immediately after dispatching LSU Saturday night. They acknowledged that Florida looms, but, to a man, they all spoke of the next game on the schedule and not the top-ranked Gators. “That’s one goal that we’ve accomplished,” senior linebacker Cory Reamer said about winning the West. “We’ve got a lot left we need to do, and it’s going to be a week-by-week thing because we’ve still got two SEC teams left that are definitely good teams. And for us to finish out the season and accomplish the goals we said we wanted to accomplish we’re going to have to work hard. [More]

Countdown To Atlanta Death Match 2009
It is a coincidence that Alabama and Florida are playing for the SEC Championship. Since divisional play began, Alabama has won seven SEC West titles and Florida has won ten SEC East titles, the top two in the Conference (including 2009). It is not surprising then that this will be the seventh time the teams have played for the SEC Championship, and the second time it has been in consecutive years (1992-94 were UF-Bama matchups as well). It is fate though that the Gators and Tide are undefeated and ranked #1 and #2 in the BCS rankings. Both teams have their own pressures to deal with. Florida wears the crown of a champion, which at times has seemed to overwhelm their coaches and players. Alabama has the expectations of history, and the pressure seems to be gaining on them after the angst over their offensive woes, despite improving their total offense with a first year starter. Urban Meyer and Nick Saban are both mercenaries, but have locked into posts where they can make or break their careers. Neither man can top their historic predecessors. But to a generation that will donate more money and follows college football with more passion and intelligence than their parents, they will be the pinnacle of their schools. [More]

Allen commits to Tide
The University of Alabama’s victory Saturday afternoon was capped with a commitment from Scout.com five-star Kennan Allen from Northern Guilford High School in Greensboro, N.C. The Crimson Tide has been a favorite for more than a year when the Tide was the first to extend a scholarship offer. A much earlier decision had been expected, but Allen decided to wait until the weekend of the LSU game to announce his commitment. He looked at several other schools as well including California, Clemson and Oregon. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound athlete is a standout at wide receiver and safety. He is ranked as a five-star safety, but the Alabama coaching staff recruited Allen to play receiver. [More]

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Another year, another division title, but Tide’s celebration must wait
It was their biggest victory of the year, and still no one sprained a wrist patting himself on the back. Hey, there were enough aches and pains to go around after 60 minutes of hand-to-hand and head-to-sternum contact. Senior Javier Arenas, who got the wind knocked out of him at one point, captured the mood among the survivors. ‘‘It kinda hit us after the game that we won the West,” he said. ‘‘I wouldn’t say we’re used to it, like we’ve been dominating forever, but we know how it feels.” When Alabama beat LSU last year to win the West, the Crimson Tide partied right there on the field like it was 1999, the last time the school had earned an invitation to the SEC Championship Game. This team exhaled more than it celebrated. ‘‘I’m extremely pleased and happy that we won the West and we now control our own destiny in terms of what else we can accomplish,” Saban said. In short, don’t look back. The best is yet to come.[More]

Game plan to throw the deep ball pays dividends
Nick Saban said during the idle week he wanted his University of Alabama team to come out “guns blazing” offensively against LSU after struggling the previous three games. And while UA didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard early, the formations and play-calling made it clear the Tigers would be tested deep and often. In Alabama’s 24-15 win, UA quarterback Greg McElroy spent virtually the entire first half in the shotgun formation — often in an empty backfield with five receivers — and attempted to stretch the Tigers defense vertically on numerous occasions. “That’s how we want to play offense here,” Saban said. “I think it’s important that we utilize players and we attack the middle of the field and make them defend the middle of the field,” Saban said. “You’ve got to have some kind of vertical passing game to do that, and even when you don’t hit them — and we hit a few — even when you don’t hit them it affects how they play the next play. Because I work with those corners all the time and whether they catch it or not, they know when they got beat, and it still scares them.” [More]

Tide’s attitude reason for turnaround
After the thrilling comeback, weekly controversial officiating call, celebratory singing of Rammer Jammer and Nick Saban’s postgame statement to the media, finally somebody got around to asking about Alabama clinching the SEC West championship for a second consecutive year to set up a date with No. 1 Florida in the SEC championship game. “We’re proud of it, but it’s not enough,” said senior All-American Javier Arenas. “It didn’t hit us until after the game that we had won the West. I wouldn’t say that we expected it, but we knew how to work for it.” That attitude is a testament to just how far Alabama has come in such a short period of time under Saban. [More]

Bama’s relentless defense hounded the LSU Tigers
Now we know why LSU wears purple and gold. It’s to cover the black and blue. A punishing Crimson Tide defense inflicted the major damage, knocking LSU’s starting quarterback, Jordan Jefferson, out of the game in the second half along with star running back Charles Scott. LSU players were left laying on the field no less than a half-dozen other times with injuries, but most returned to action. “This game is always physical, it’s always a dogfight,” Alabama cornerback Javier Arenas said. “You’ve always got to come with your guards up and you’ve got to come ready to attack. Those guys knew it and we knew it. I hope those guys are all right, but that’s what type of game it is. It’s not something you always want to be happy about, but at the same time you’re kind of, ‘Yeah, we’re doing it.’” [More]

Alabama clinches SEC West
Alabama survived a 60-minute gut check Saturday. But 13 seconds is what Crimson Tide fans will remember. Julio Jones streaked 73 yards for a touchdown, erasing a fourth-quarter deficit and sending the third-ranked Crimson Tide past LSU 24-15 on Saturday afternoon. The nationally televised game clinched the SEC Western Division championship for Alabama (9-0, 6-0). That earned Nick Saban’s team a rematch with top-ranked Florida in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 5 in Atlanta. Just as noteworthy, the victory was Alabama’s first over LSU in Bryant-Denny Stadium since 1999. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of our guys and the relentless competitive attitude that we played with,” Saban said. [More]

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Alabama-LSU puts ‘fun’ in ‘dysfunction’
Heroes and villains. Dirty tricks unseen by referees but caught on video by fans. Outrageous statements alluding to cheating and massive conspiracies. Fines and suspensions. Is this the Southeastern Conference? Or the World Wrestling Federation? Vince McMahon , the brains behind the worldwide explosion of professional wrestling, would have known exactly how to handle these past few weeks of SEC action. But SEC Commissioner Mike Slive is no Vince McMahon. What he desperately needs is a game today between No. 3 Alabama and No. 9 LSU on national television that reminds college football fans that this league is still about playing the best college football in the country, pure and undefiled. Alabama can clinch the SEC Western Division title, setting up the long-anticipated SEC Championship Game rematch against Florida, the winner of which is expected to play for the BCS title.[More]

Can Alabama get its passing game going?
The No. 3 Crimson Tide have to throw the football more effectively to beat No. 9 LSU on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Quarterback Greg McElroy has struggled mightily in his past four games, completing 53 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He failed to throw for 150 yards in each of the Tide’s four games in October. There might be good news on the way. Tide coach Nick Saban said this week that sophomore receiver Julio Jones is as healthy as he’s been all season, and tight end Colin Peek has returned to practice after spraining his knee in warm-ups before Alabama’s 12-10 win over Tennessee on Oct. 24. Jones, the team’s leading receiver with 20 catches, had been bothered by a bruised knee. [More]

McClain’s football smarts off the charts
If the Big Defensive Coordinator in the Sky wanted to sculpt the modern middle linebacker, No. 3 Alabama junior Rolando McClain just may be his prototype: He is 6-foot-4, 258 pounds, and the way his cable-like limbs are connected by a strong torso, he could be mistaken for a small forward. Senior cornerback Javier Arenas described what it’s like as a tackler when McClain arrives to finish off the guy with the ball. “You black out for a second,” Arenas said, “and try to figure out what truck hit you. You see him walking away. OK, it’s him.” “It’s unbelievable how much he understands the game,” fellow linebacker Cory Reamer said. “The second part is how well he knows the defense. He really knows what Coach would like to go to in the situations we get it and he really does a good job communicating it.” [More]

Alabama hopes to rediscover Jones in its offense
An all-points-bulletin has been out for Julio Jones most of this season. There’s some irony in that, too, because Jones’ popularity soared above rock-star status a long time ago in the state of Alabama. He shows up at shopping malls, and they might as well start setting up the barricades. “First they stare, and then they don’t believe it’s me,” Jones says in his own quiet way. “I really don’t go out much anymore.” He’s been equally scarce in Alabama’s offense, at least the version of Jones that burst onto the scene last season as a freshman and paired with Georgia’s A.J. Green to provide the SEC with one of its hottest debates. Who was the better receiver: Green or Jones? “He’s a guy who needs to make plays for us,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “He’s got a lot of talent and a lot of ability. He’s got great size and speed. He’s a great competitor and has to become a part of the offense for us.” [More]

No. 9 LSU at No. 3 Alabama could turn into special event
In a game in which both defenses are superb, both offenses have struggled for stretches and the coach on each sideline has a diamond-studded national championship ring back home, which team has the edge? Special teams. Not surprisingly, both No. 9 LSU (7-1) and No. 3 Alabama (8-0) are strong there, too, and a play there could be the difference today in a game that will give the winner the inside track to the SEC’s Western Division crown. A scan of SEC special teams statistics shows the significant role they have played for the Tide and the Tigers. [More]

LSU at ALABAMA
Alabama senior kicker Leigh Tiffin has 337 career points, eight points behind school record holder Philip Doyle. Tiffin has kicked 72 career field goals, which ranks fourth in Southeastern Conference history. Tiffin is five behind Georgia’s Kevin Butler, six behind Doyle and 15 behind the conference’s all-time leader, Georgia’s Billy Bennett. Today’s game pits two of the top three teams in the Southeastern Conference in turnover margin, with LSU ranking first and Alabama ranking just behind Arkansas. Both teams have generated 16 turnovers in eight games, with the Tigers losing just seven turnovers this season and Alabama losing nine. Both LSU and Alabama have forced five fumbles and snared 11 interceptions. Tide safety Mark Barron leads the conference with four interceptions, while LSU has intercepted at least one pass in 10 consecutive games. Alabama tailback Mark Ingram went over the 1,000-yard mark with his performance against Tennessee two weeks ago, but his 99 yards rushing just missed giving the sophomore his fifth 100-yard effort for the year. The record for 100-yard games in one season at Alabama is seven (Shaun Alexander in 1999 and Sherman Williams in 1994), while four players have tallied 100-yard games six times in a season. Ingram’s 1,000-yard total is the 12th time it has been accomplished in a season at Alabama, starting with Johnny Musso in 1970 (and again in 1971) and most recently by Glen Coffee in 2008. [More]

Today’s top-10 matchup has all the elements, with survivor retaining hopes of bigger prize
The last time Alabama’s football team was on the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium, it was as a No. 1 team enjoying a rock star’s exit. “I haven’t been in very many competitive venues where it was a better place to play a football game than it was that day,” Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said. But throughout a bye week, a question has been left unanswered: Was the Tide’s 12-10, last-second victory over Tennessee a grim warning or merely a speed bump in Alabama’s run for the roses? Two weeks later, the Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0 SEC) is now No. 3 in the nation and searching – for answers offensively and a way to again prove its elite status on a big stage – when ninth-ranked LSU (7-1, 4-1) visits today for a much-anticipated 2:30 p.m. showdown on CBS. [More]

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Very physical Alabama defense could be too much for LSU
Alabama has one of the top defenses in the country and the bye week should have helped a Crimson Tide offense that struggled in October to put points on the board. Its unlikely LSU will run the football with any consistency against Alabama. The Crimson Tide is only allowing 65 yards a game on the ground. LSU ran for a season-high 267 yards last week, but that was against Tulane. That means the Tigers will have to depend on the pass. LSU has had trouble providing adequate protection when other teams blitz. You can bet Nick Saban will be relentless when it comes to putting pressure on the quarterback. I like the Crimson Tide to win, because I think LSU’s offensive line will be outmatched against a very physical Alabama defense. The bye week will also prove to be very beneficial for the Tide as they used the extra week to work out some of the problems they had on offense. It has all the makings for a great SEC game.[More]

Listen to Mark Ingram, vote Rolando McClain for Heisman
Which Alabama player would Alabama’s Heisman favorite vote for as the outstanding college football player in America? Ingram said Rolando McClain. Let me be the first to second the motion. McClain for Heisman. The junior linebacker is the best player on a national championship contender and the physical, spiritual and intellectual leader of the best defense in the land. Ingram explained. “It’s the impact he has on our team,” Ingram said. ‘‘Not just how he plays, but from a leadership standpoint. As a player, he goes out there every day, and he makes plays. He comes to play every day. He knows everything that’s going on with the defense,” Ingram said. ‘‘He knows what the D-line is doing. He knows what the corners are doing. He makes all the calls and makes sure everybody is set where they are supposed to be before the play even starts.” [More]

Nagging injuries pile up for Tide this season
Whether it was good luck or superior conditioning, Alabama blew through the 2008 regular season with impeccable health. Only losses came with less frequency than injuries to impact players last fall. That good fortune, however, did not follow the Crimson Tide into the new year. The season hadn’t even officially started before one player tore his anterior cruciate ligament and the flu swept through the team. “Day-to-day” is the most frequent, yet unwelcomed, words uttered in Nick Saban’s news conferences as nagging injuries pile up. That label was attached to three important players as the third-ranked Tide prepares for No. 9 LSU’s visit at 2:30 p.m. CST Saturday in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Before the season, Saban credited the incredible amount of conditioning done in the offseason for the avoiding some of the inevitable injuries that typically come with a sport like football. The conditioning routine hasn’t changed, but the injuries returned. [More]

Passing game improving
When it comes to his passing offense, Alabama coach Nick Saban points to “a huge improvement” in practice since the Tennessee game. “We’ve worked hard on the passing game, and it shows,” Saban said. “I think our players are playing with more confidence now. (Quarterback) Greg (McElroy) has done a really good job of getting the ball out of his hand on time, and I think that we’ve improved on pass protection.” Saban has stressed that he wants the Crimson Tide’s offense to attempt more throws downfield and test the middle of the field during Saturday’s game against ninth-ranked LSU. Alabama did not complete a pass longer than 27 yards in October. [More]

Saban’s winning formula starts with being the ultimate salesman
The man in the life-sized cutout in the convenience story window implores you to buy a certain soft drink. The film noir commercial, with the man studying film in a room of shadows, urges you to buy a certain brand of truck, whose flinty toughness is symbolic of Alabama football. He courts the fastest and strongest to come play football for him. As much as Nick Saban is a football coach, he is a salesman. They all are, really. And this is what Nick Saban wants you to buy this week: It’s just another game. That it’s the biggest game only because it’s the next game. [More]

Saban handles his movie lines
The movie on Ole Miss tackle Michael Oher, “The Blind Side,” is due out Nov. 20, but has certainly been more a focal point this week because of the upcoming game between third-ranked Ala­bama and ninth-ranked LSU. Alabama coach Nick Saban has a role in the movie as the LSU football coach, a role he played when Oher was being re­cruited out of high school. “The only thing I said to these (movie) guys — and I haven’t seen the movie and I don’t know what’s in it — but when I was sitting there going on a recruiting call and they had the script and I said, ‘I really wouldn’t say this. If I was re­cruiting a player, this is what I’d say and how I’d say it,’” Saban recalled. “And he said, ‘Say it however you want to say it.’ “I didn’t want the people from Alabama (thinking any­thing about the role). It’s a story thing. But my heart’s here, and nobody has to worry about any of that stuff, especially this week.” [More]

Roll Tide!