Tide Tidbits - September 26, 2008

Saban’s Alabama Squad Has Big Chance vs Dawgs
Saturday night, Saban's restoration project hits the national stage between the hedges of Georgia's Sanford Stadium, as 'Bama - 4-0 and ranked eighth - takes on No. 3 Georgia, also 4-0. A victory by the Tide puts them in the national-title conversation. "This is a very different Alabama team,'' former Florida and Giant quarterback and ESPN analyst Jesse Palmer said. "I think they are drinking the Nick Saban Kool-Aid right now. They are believing in the direction, the way Saban wants to go. There are so many more playmakers on this team offensively and defensively. They now have the ability to finish games.

Georgia vs. Alabama could not get any bigger
Just when we thought the Georgia-Alabama couldn't get any bigger, No. 1 USC goes and loses. While an undefeated SEC team was probably going to make the BCS title game anyway, it never hurts when the horse setting the early pace fades.

Cody immovable in Tide’s defense
Huge presence: Alabama lineman can push the pocket ‘into the face of the quarterback.’ “Like moving a mountain,” said Smith, Alabama’s Outland Trophy candidate. “It’s not that much for me, because he only weighs 30 more pounds more than I do. But he weighs a lot more than anyone else.” That will be 60 pounds more than center Ben Jones, the Georgia freshman who will be making his second career start across from Cody. “We have a true freshman on him? That’s not good,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “Ben is a tough kid, but I have not seen anyone who will be a match for this guy on Saturdays. Or Sundays probably.”

Coach turning the Tide
The journey hasn't always been smooth, but Nick Saban has Alabama back among college football's best. It's taken some time. And there were some serious bumps in the road: unfair expectations, unacceptable upsets and more than one public relations blunder. But Nick Saban has Alabama back where it expects to be: highly ranked, highly regarded and right among Southeast Conference's elite.


Roll Tide!