You Might Be... #013

You might be a Tennessee fan if...

• Your `huntin dawg' cost more than the truck you drive him around in.
• Your belt buckle weighs more than three pounds.
• You just bought an 8-track player to put in your truck.
• It's easier to spray weed killer on your lawn than mow it.
• You think the three primary colors are John Deere Green, Ford Blue, and Primer Gray.

Roll Tide!

Bama Joke #022

A guy leans over to the guy next to him and says, "Wanna hear a good Auburn joke?"

The guy next to him replies, "Well before you tell that joke, you should know something. I'm 6' tall, 200 lbs., and I am an Auburn grad. The guy sitting next to me is 6' 2" tall, weighs 225, and he's an Auburn grad. And the fella next to him is 6' 5" tall, weighs 250, and he's an Auburn grad. Now, you still wanna tell that joke?"

The first guy says, "No, not if I'm gonna have to explain it three times."

Roll Tide!

Bama Quote #008

"Alabama has won the Rose Bowl before, but, Alabama, you have never met the likes of Southern Cal before. It will be a different story for you."
-- A West Coast writer on the eve of the 1946 Rose Bowl (from Talk of the Tide) BAMA defeated Southern Cal that day 34-14

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You Might Be... #012

You might be an Auburn fan if...

• Your dad walks you to school because you are both in the same grade.
• Down where you come from reruns of Hee Haw are called documentaries.
• You have flowers planted in a bathroom fixture in your front yard.
• On your first date you had to ask your Dad to borrow the keys to the tractor.
• If you refer to the fifth grade as, "your senior year".

Roll Tide!

Tide Tidbits - Jan. 27, 2008

2008 Recruiting
The recruiting services have updated their rankings. Bama slides a little on one them as a dark horse in the race jumps ahead of us. Click here for the details.

Broken promise: As Franchione searched for coaching stardom, his climb to top fell short
An interesting article on Dennis Franchione. Here is a quote from Tyler Watts: “He just burns too many bridges,” says Watts, the former Alabama quarterback. “At some point, you build a track record. People stop believing what you’re saying. He is not as concerned with the welfare of the players as he is of the welfare of Dennis Franchione.”

Fresno State's McElwain
It appears that Fresno State's McElwain is now being considered as a candidate for Alabama's OC position. It is my understanding he was on the staff at Louisville that spanked Stalling's first Bama team in the Liberty Bowl. Here are a few interesting links:

• Fresno State Statistics
• His Profile
• An Article About Him

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Bama Joke #020

Q: How many University of Tennessee freshman does it take to change a light bulb?

A: None, it's a sophomore course.

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Bama Quote #007

"I'll never forget going to the Rose Bowl. I remember everything about it. We were on the train and Coach Thomas was talking to three coaches and Red Heard, the athletic director at LSU. Coach Thomas said, ‘Red, this is my best football player. This is the best player on my team.' Well, shoot, I could have gone right out the top. He was getting me ready. And I was, too. I would have gone out there and killed myself for Alabama that day."
-- Paul Bryant reminiscing about the 1935 Rose Bowl trip and Coach Thomas (from Talk of the Tide)

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You Might Be... #011

You might be a Tennessee fan if...

• You have a rag for a gas cap.
• The third grade teacher says little Bubba could be a mathematical genius because he's got thirteen fingers.
• Fifth grade was the best six years of your life.
• Your lifetime goal is to own a fireworks stand.
• Someone asks to see your ID and you show them your belt buckle.

Roll Tide!

Bama Joke #020

Q: How many Auburn football players does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: One, but he gets 3 credits.

Roll Tide!

Bama Quote #006

"They play like it is a sin to give up a point."
--Coach Bryant talking about his defense before the 1962 Sugar Bowl (from Talk of the Tide)

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Star Rankings Updated

The Star ratings for each of the players have been updated. Below is a summary of the changes:

Rivals:
Terrance Cody..... 4 to 3
Robert Lester..... 3 to 4
Wesley Neighbors.. 3 to 2
Brad Smelley...... 2 to 3

Scout:
Mark Barron....... 4 to 5
Tyler Love........ 4 to 5
Jermaine Preyear.. 2 to 3

You can see the full list here: 2008 Recruiting Class.

You Might Be... #010

You might be an Auburn fan if...

• You can get dog hair from out of your belly button.
• You have a bumper sticker that says, "MY MOTHER'S AN HONOR STUDENT AT LEE COUNTY JR. HIGH."
• You take a six-pack cooler to church.
• Your family tree has no forks.
• You use a weedeater in your living room.

Roll Tide!

Bama Joke #019

Q: Why do University of Tennessee fans keep their diplomas on their dashboards?

A: So they can park in handicap spaces.

Roll Tide!

Tide Tidebits - Jan. 20, 2008

Recruiting Update
The Tide is on the move once again, and this time it is in the right direction! Click above for the latest rankings.

Legacy will play for the Tide
Morgan Ogilvie, son of Major Ogilvie and running back who played for Coach “Bear” Bryant, will join Alabama's class on the Bryant Scholarship.

Assistants speak!
Former coaches Major Applewhite and Ron Middleton broke silences today. Applewhite fielded nearly 20 minutes worth of questions at an introductory press conference with the Texas media and Middleton, who left for Duke, gave an entertaining interview to Jim Dunaway and Ryan Brown on their AM-690 radio show in Birmingham.

From TideSports.Com Forum
Saban will name his offensive coordinator early in the week and recruits will be pleased. Also, expect Ingram to sign with Bama. I did speak to someone this weekend but I refuse to say the word "source" so for the fun of it lets just say a "calculated guess" on my part. I did hear first hand that information flow is at an all-time low coming out of the football program these days and Saban is the reason.

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Bama Quote #005

"Woody is a great coach . . . and I ain't bad."
--Coach Bryant after the Tide beat Ohio State 35-6 in the 1978 Sugar Bowl

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You Might Be... #009

You might be a Tennessee fan if...

• Your front porch collapses and four dogs are killed.
• Your kids take a siphon hose to "Show and Tell."
• You take a load to the dump and bring back more than you took
• Your whole family is Democrats 'cept little Mary. She lernt how to read.
• You think fast food is hitting a possum at 65 mph.

Roll Tide!

Bama Videos - Jan. 18, 2008

BW sent me the following link to a page full of Bama videos. There are some really good clips from the past!

He also sent me this video link to Brad Smelley. BW said "Watch this video and you will see why everyone is saying that he is way underrated. It is long but try to watch it all because it shows why he is listed as an athlete. I like him. I think he has the potential to be a very good player for the Tide."

Thanks BW!

Roll Tide!

Bama Joke #018

It was reported that Auburn head football coach Tommy Tuberville will only be dressing twenty players for the Alabama game. The rest of the players have learned to get dressed by themselves.

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Bama Quote #004

You boys were eight and ten years old last time Alabama was on top. That was before any of you were paying much attention to it. What are you doing here? Tell me why you are here. If you are not here to win a national championship, you're in the wrong place. You boys are special. I don't want my players to be like other students. I want special people. You can learn a lot on the football field that isn't taught in the home, the church, or the classroom. There are going to be days when you think you've got no more to give and then you're going to give plenty more. You are going to have pride and class. You are going to be very special. You are going to win the national championship for Alabama."
--Coach Paul Bryant in his first meeting with his first team at Alabama, 1958.

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You Might Be... #008

You might be an Auburn fan if...

• You need to get one more hole punched in your card to get a freebie at the House of Tattoos.
• You think Sherlock Holmes is an up-scale double-wide manufactured home.
• The centerpiece on your dining room table is an original signed work by a famous taxidermist.
• You think the OJ Trial was a Sunkist and Minute Maid taste test.
• You were acquitted for murdering your first wife after she threw out your Elvis 8-tracks.

Roll Tide!

Bama Joke #017

Q: What do you call a good looking girl on the University of Tennessee campus?

A: A visitor.

Roll Tide!

How Would You Rank The SEC Coaches?

Yesterday I posted a link to Finebaum Ranks the SEC Coaches. Every time I see one of these lists, my initial impression is "No, that's not right it should be like this...". I found that the only way I could remove my bias toward the coaches was to take Saban out of the mix and reword the question as, "If Saban quit (died, moved on, etc.) right after national signing day and you could choose any coach in the SEC to replace him, in what order would you choose?"

Here is the order I would go:

1. Meyer - The #1 slot was the toughest for me to select, great recruiter and coach.
2. Richt - Great recruiter, above average coach.
3. Spurrier - If he were a little younger, best game day coach in the league, average recruiter.
4. Petrino - Fiery coach, hated by those around him.
5. Nutt - At AR he did more with less; he will have more talent this year.
6. Tubberville - Let's just say, I wasn't disappointed when he didn't leave Auburn.
7. Miles - Ok, he won a national championship, but I am not completely sold on him.
8. Fulmer - Great recruiter, average coach, needs good assistants.
9. Croom - He has done better than I thought he would; he could go higher.
10. Brooks - Kentucky looked like a real team this year.
11. Johnson - Who knows? He coaches at Vandy...

I would love to see how you rank them. Click here to enter your list.

Now that I am done, I would put Saban at the top of the list - best recruiter in the league and above average coach. That's a combo that will win you championships!

Roll Tide!

Bama Quote #003

In 1926 "BAMA" traveled west to become the first southern football team to play in the Rose Bowl. Getting no respect from the media or fans across the country, this "BAMA" team was supposed to roll over and many said that was the only reason to invite a team like Alabama. No one gave this little"BAMA" team a chance to win. Final score "BAMA" 20 -- Washington 19. When the coaches met at midfield after the game, the Washington coach told coach Wade we could have beat you on any other day. Coach Wallace Wade's response."WE DIDN'T COME OUT HERE TO PLAY NO SERIES"

Roll Tide!

Tide Tidbits - Jan. 13, 2008

11/9/2008 TideSports.com Forum
Tonight on WJOX's The Sports Tap Show, Barry Every from Rivals said that it is very unlikely that the top 3-5 in the recruiting rankings will change very much from what it is now. He did say that Georgia was pretty much through recruiting and the only way they will get another commitment is if they lose a commitment. He said the team to watch out for to finish #1 is Alabama. He went on to say that he believes we will sign 31 players and would be very hard to beat for the number one class. Click here for latest recruiting rankings.


UA sets A-Day scrimmage for April 12
The University of Alabama announced Friday that the A-Day football scrimmage that traditionally concludes spring football will be April 12 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.Although holding the annual exhibition game a week later would have been ideal for the Crimson Tide, the city had imagined a logistical nightmare, since Tuscaloosa will host a U.S. Olympic triathlon trial on April 19.


Steele, Gran seek South Alabama job
University of Alabama defensive coordinator Kevin Steele and Auburn University running backs coach Eddie Gran interviewed Wednesday to be the head football coach of a program that won't play its first game until 2009.


Let's talk some (more) football
Third, have you looked at next season's schedule? I mean, really looked at it. Geez, it's a nightmare. Alabama could potentially be 0-2 in the SEC before playing its first SEC home game. That's not a happy thought. Also, according to this ESPN.com early look at '08, Alabama will be playing the Nos. 1, 8, 9 and 16 teams in the poll. And Nos. 1, 8, 9 will be away from BDS.


Finebaum Ranks the SEC Coaches
In the many years that I have been ranking the football coaches of the SEC (the first poll appeared in 1990), it has never been more difficult. For starters, there are now five SEC coaches with a national championship ring (Steve Spurrier, Phil Fulmer, Urban Meyer, Nick Saban and Les Miles) and another one, Tommy Tuberville, who went undefeated and was denied the opportunity. You add the shakeup with Houston Nutt to Ole Miss and Bobby Petrino at Arkansas, and trying to sort out the league is next to impossible.

Roll Tide!

You Might Be... #007

You might be a Tennessee fan if...

1. You wonder how service stations keep their restrooms so clean
2. Someone in your family died moments after saying, “Hey guys, watch this!”
3. Your wife’s hairdo was once ruined by a ceiling fan.
4. You think the last words of the “Star Spangled Banner” are, “Gentlemen, start your engines.”
5. You have to go outside to get something from the fridge.

Roll Tide!

Bama Joke #016

Q: Did you hear about the power outage at Auburn’s library?

A: Forty students were stuck on the escalator for three hours.

Roll Tide!

Bama Quote #002

In 1966 Notre Dame & Michigan State played to a 10-10 tie. Michigan State turned the ball over to Notre Dame on downs with a little more than 1 ½ minutes to go in the game. Ara Parseghian elected to run out the clock instead of trying to get into field goal range. His reasoning was that his team had played too hard and he did not want to take a chance of turning the ball over and losing. Both teams wound up tied for first with an undefeated Alabama finishing third even though they beat Nebraska 34-7 in the Sugar Bowl (in my humble opinion, the '66 team was BAMA's best). Coach Bryant, when asked what he thought about ND going for a tie said; "At Alabama, we teach our men to win."

Roll Tide!

You Might Be... #006

You might be an Auburn fan if...

• You've been to a funeral and there were more pick-ups than cars.
• You've ever been kicked out of the zoo for heckling the monkeys.
• You've got more than one brother named 'Darryl'.
• The Blue Book value of your truck goes up or down depending on how much gas is in it.
• You think a woman who is “out of your league” bowls on a different night.

Roll Ride!

Bama Joke #015

Q: Why do they throw out a sack of manure at University of Tennessee weddings?

A: To keep the flies off the bride.

Roll Tide!

Bama Quote #001

Coach Bryant, after announcing his retirement, was asked if he was disappointed that an Alabama player had never won the Heisman Trophy while he was the coach. He said, "No!", and added, "At Alabama our players do not win Heisman Trophies, our teams win national championships."

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You Might Be... #005

You might be a Tennessee fan if...

• Your handkerchief doubles as your shirt sleeve.
• Your house still has the 'WIDE LOAD' sign on the back.
• Your huntin dawg had a litter of puppies in the living room and nobody noticed.
• Your retirement plan involves a lottery ticket.
• Your toilet paper has page numbers on it.

Roll Tide!

Tide Tidbits - 01/06/2008

Bama Recruiting Rankings Change Again
As we approach signing day, we are likely to see more volatility in the rankings. Once again Bama was headed in different directions on the two main rankings. Click above to see where we now stand.

Prospects pick Tigers in TV announcements
LSU picked up two major commitments Saturday, landing verbal pledges from cornerback Patrick Johnson and tight end Tyler Edwards. Edwards, a 6-3, 222-pounder from Monroe, La., chose the Tigers over Alabama and Florida. His brother, Eric, played for Nick Saban when the Alabama coach was at LSU.

Tide goes after top prep prospects
Alabama already has a full recruiting class with 25 commitments, but Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban and his staff would like to add a few more prize recruits to a recruiting class that is ranked No. 2 nationally by both Rivals and Scout. [This article is dated 1/6/08 and the rankings have already changed from when it was published]

Tide recruiting class 'about full'
"By the time I take my visit with them, they're probably about full because everybody's wanting to go there. I'll just go do my own thing." -- Standout Anniston offensive lineman Antoine McClain

Middleton leaves UA for Duke
“We talked about it at length and this was a move he thought was best for both his career, in terms of the role as Associate Head Coach, and most importantly his family [my emphasis]. We’ll miss them, but at the same time, we support Ron and his family 100 percent in this decision and wish them nothing but the best", said Saban [My comments: I am not sure he completely bought into Saban's system and way of doing things. I heard rumors early on there were disagreements. You don't take a lateral position at Duke to further your career, you take that type of position to spend more time with your family.]

UA confirms Clemson, WKU dates, releases 2008 schedule
Alabama athletics director Mal Moore said today [1/4/08] that Western Kentucky will visit Bryant-Denny Stadium on Sept. 13, paving the way for the Aug. 30 season-opener with Clemson in Atlanta's Georgia Dome that was also announced today [1/4/08].

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Bama Joke #014

An Alabama fan was driving down a country road when he came upon two Auburn football players hitch-hiking. He told the Auburn players to jump in the back of his pick-up truck. He then drove down the dirt road rather fast and lost control of the truck as they were going around a curve. The truck landed in a lake. The Alabama fan scrambled to the surface and swam to the bank. When he looked back at the lake, the two Auburn football players were still sitting in the bed of the truck looking frantic. As the truck began sinking the Bama fan yelled for the Auburn players to get out truck, to which they replied, "We're tryin' to get out, but we can't get the tailgate open!"

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Bama Quote #267

"Football is not a matter of life and death. It's much more serious than that."
-- Bill Shankly

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You Might Be... #004

You might be an Auburn fan if...

• You have to hit the dashboard in your truck to get the lights and radio to work.
• You think a quarter horse is a ride out in front of the Wal-Mart.
• You think a stock tip is advice on worming' your hogs.
• You think Possum is The 'Other White Meat'.
• You think TACO BELL is the Mexican Phone Company.

Roll Tide!

Tide Tidbits - 01/03/2007

For those who may not have seen this...

Tide assistant expected to leave
Ron Middleton, Alabama's special teams coordinator and tight ends coach, is expected to be hired as an assistant at Duke by the end of the week, a source at Duke said today. Middleton will be joining the staff of David Cutcliffe, who was hired last month to rebuild the Blue Devils program. Middleton also worked under Cutcliffe at Ole Miss.

Bama Joke #013

Q: How can you tell when an UT man is a married?

A: There will be chawin’ tobacco juice running down both doors of his pickup!

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Bama Quote #266

"It was very close. It went all the way down to the end. I loved the environment there, the southern hospitality, how much they love football. Some people say they love it too much. I'm one of those people who loves football. I'm very passionate about it. So I felt like I fit in there."
-- Tim Tebow when asked how close was he to signing with Alabama in a Sports Illustrated interview

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You Might Be... #003

You might be an Auburn fan if...

• You can remember the fertilizer rate, seed population, herbicide rate and yields on a farm you rented 10 years ago, but cannot recall your wife's birthday.
• You got stopped by a state trooper. He asked you if you had an I.D. And you said, 'Bout What?'
• You had to remove a toothpick for your wedding pictures.
• You have more guns than things worth stealing in your house.
• You have spray painted your girlfriend's name on an overpass.

Roll Tide!

2009 Recruiting Class

Rivals #5

Scout #5

2008

Last updated: 12/17/2008

Welcome Kevin Norwood! The process continues!

Below are the 20 current commitments for Alabama's upcoming 2009 class:

R*=Rivals Star Ranking; S* = Scout Star Ranking; (click R* or S* to see player profiles)

• R* S* Name................ Pos...
• 3* 3* Jonathan Atchison... LB/SLB
• 4* 4* Chris Bonds......... DT/DE.
• 4* 3* Michael Bowman...... WR....
• 4* 4* James Carpenter..... OL/OT.
• 3* 3* Quinton Dial........ DT....
• 4* 4* D.J. Fluker......... DT....
• 4* 5* Nico Johnson........ LB/MLB
• 3* 3* Mike Marrow......... RB/FB.
• 4* 4* A.J. McCarron....... QB....
• 3* 3* Darius McKeller..... OL/OG.
• 4* 4* William Ming........ DE....
• 4* 3* Kevin Norwood....... WR....
• 3* 3* Anthony Orr......... DE/DT.
• 4* 4* Trent Richardson.... RB....
• 4* 4* Darrington Sentimore DT....
• 3* 3* Anthony Steen....... OL/OG.
• 3* 3* Chance Warmack...... OL/OG.
• 3* 3* Gerald West......... DB/CB.
• 3* 3* Kellen Williams..... OL/OT.
• 3* 4* Rod Woodson......... DB/S..

Roll Tide!