Tide Tidbits - October 16, 2008

Bleacher Report "Is Nick Saban Overrated?"
If you are a LSU Tiger fan, more than likely you appreciate the fact that Nick Saban came to Baton Rouge and turned LSU’s football program around. On the other hand, you are probably bitter about the way he handled his departure. If that was not bad enough, he then left the job he left LSU for to accept a job at a school that is in the same conference division as LSU. By now that is old news, but it appears there is still a huge love fest for Nick Saban.

(BF4L note: At the bottom of the article it says "This article is also featured on Purple Growl" so I suspect the author has some LSU ties and is a little bit worried about the direction of the two programs.

Tide hope to continue roll in bout with Rebels
The nation's second-ranked team will put its undefeated record on the line this weekend as the Alabama Crimson Tide plays host to the Ole Miss Rebels in an SEC contest. Ole Miss has been idle since October 4th when it dropped a 31-24 decision to South Carolina. That loss came just one week after the Rebels shocked Florida in Gainesville by a 31-30 final. Under the guidance of first-year coach Houston Nutt, Ole Miss is 3-3 overall and 1-2 in conference. As for Alabama, it is already eligible for a bowl game at 6-0, but Nick Saban's troops have their eyes fixed on a trip to the national championship game.

Rebel offense has new look
It's a different look than any the Alabama secondary has seen this year. The physical style of the Ole Miss offensive front and the added arm of transfer quarterback Jevon Snead give the Rebels their most versatile look since Eli Manning led the Rebels to a 10-3 season. Ironically, that represents the last winning season for Ole Miss, which has compiled a 17-35 record since then, struggling to put together any consistent offense that can match the physical play of its defense.

What a Process
About three months ago, I wrote an article titled "Alabama Football 2008: Better Team, Worse Record." I wanted to follow up with a midseason progress report. When I look at that article now, I must be honest: I think myself and everyone else who looked at this team in no way, form, or fashion saw this coming. Having said that, I still want to withhold my vote on how good I believe this team is until I see how this season ends. We all have heard Coach Nick Saban talk about things like "The Process," intensity, playing physical, and most importantly, finishing, which has been the weakness of this team in recent years. This team has obviously come a long way, but the thing Bama fans must remember is just how far down this program had plummeted.

Roll Tide!