Tide Tidbits - December 26, 2008

Tide taking Sugar Bowl seriously
Bowl games are rewards for great seasons. At least, that’s the common refrain. But a number of Alabama players missed that memo. They look at the Crimson Tide’s Jan. 2 date against Utah in the Allstate Sugar Bowl as a final opportunity to prove — and even vindicate — themselves. There is a genuine urgency to make sure the luster of an undefeated regular season isn’t dimmed by a loss in the SEC Championship Game and a bowl loss.

Cody plays joke on fans
Terrence Cody likes Alabama so much he doesn't want to leave just yet. But that doesn't mean he doesn't like to tease Crimson Tide fans. Cody told Alabama coach Nick Saban last week he would return for his senior season. He then had his girlfriend post on his Facebook page that he was going pro. "It was a joke," he said.Despite being projected as a possible first-round pick in April's NFL Draft, the 6-foot-5, 375-pound Cody didn't want to submit paperwork to receive an evaluation of his NFL Draft status like his teammate Andre Smith, an All-American left tackle.

Alabama's Top 10 sports stories
The Top 10 sports stories for Alabama in 2008, as chosen by The Associated Press: 1) TIDE'S RISE: From No. 2 in the state to No. 1 in the nation, Alabama forged a dramatic turnaround this season. 2) TIGERS' TURMOIL: Auburn struggled to a losing record then coach Tommy Tuberville stepped down and was replaced by Gene Chizik.

Jim McElwain is not on New Mexico State's short list
A highly speculative report from the New Mexico State Rivals' site today named Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain as one of the three candidates for the head coaching job at NMSU. After some checking around, I can safely say I've found nothing solid to suggest this is about to happen but plenty to suggest it will not. Two sources close to that search both said today that McElwain is NOT on a list of three finalists being considered at the moment.

Top 50 recruits in Alabama: 1-10
The state of Alabama has seen a few changes in 2008, starting with the sudden rise of the University of Alabama back to national prominence. Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class helped contribute to the great success on the field, starting with wide receiver Julio Jones, who was Scout.com’s No. 1 player in 2007. Six players from the state of Alabama were selected to participate in the U.S. Army All-American Game on Jan. 3, 2009, in San Antonio, Texas. The Tuscaloosa News presents the state’s postseason Top 50:

Roll Tide!