Today, I will take a look at what's it like to be a Michigan State Football Fan. This is purely football focused because we all know MSU has wonderful basketball and hockey programs.
The flowing depicts the ups and downs of an MSU fan in a typical football season:
↑ MSU starts the season strong and has 4 wins in a row with a big win over ND
↑ MSU new coach brings hope that this will be the year
↓ The Big Ten season starts and MSU loses some games they should have won
↑ If MSU wins out they will be headed to a bowl game
↓ Remaining schedule has teams like OSU, Michigan, and PSU on it
↓ The Spartans lose out and are home for the holidays
↓ Thoughts go through their head like, “If we had only hired that up start coach from Bowling Green (Urban Myer) instead of John L. Smith”
↑ There’s always next year!
This seems to be the same broken record every year. Of course there are some things that happen differently, like the State clock operator “forgetting” to stop the clock, but the above seems to happen most years.
Since I summarized why OSU is not getting respect nationally yesterday, I will do the same for the Spartans:
· MSU’s top rival is Michigan. Michigan’s is OSU, ND, then MSU
· Nick Sabin left East Lansing because he couldn’t recruit against Michigan, OSU, and PSU in the Midwest. He wanted to go where he was the top school in the state (aka LSU)
· John L. Smith was a terrible hire. They turned down Urban Myer; I wonder how he has done.
· Getting Mark Dantonio from Cincinnati was a good move, but they had another strong candidate in Brian Kelly that was a home state favorite
· MSU just hasn’t won enough games against Michigan
· The late year fade seems to be a habit
↑ Don’t worry Sparty you have another chance this weekend!
↓ Looks like Hart and Henne will play
News and Notes
- The real Big House is under attach by the Fed's. I guess it does not provide enough wheel chair access. Hopefully those are in the construction plans for renovation. http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071029/UPDATE/710290459/1361
- H20 says he is playing this week (and could of played last week) http://media.www.michigandaily.com/media/storage/paper851/news/2007/10/29/Football/Harts.Return.To.Field.Likely.For.InState.Battle-3062323.shtml
- Michigan State installed a count down clock for the Michigan game last winter. The Michigan players are getting a chuckle out of it..........
Johnson: “I guess they can keep time. I guess if they need that for motivation, to get ready for the game, good for them.”
Cornerback Morgan Trent: “That’s cool. Whatever, we know when the game is. So that’s fine.”
Carr: “I can remember checking my watch just to make sure I knew what time it was. The only clock I’m concerned with is mine.”
- Look for a special guest post on Thursday for the preview of Thursday nights Tech Bowl.
LSU Defensive Tackle Glenn Dorsey - Questionable against 'Bama
Whether All-American LSU senior defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, 6 feet 2, 303 pounds, plays or not against Alabama on Saturday in a Southeastern Conference game, he's getting plenty of love from the other side.
Players on offense and defense at Alabama are impressed with Dorsey, who might sit out because of a sprained knee.
Full Story @ nola.com
Players on offense and defense at Alabama are impressed with Dorsey, who might sit out because of a sprained knee.
Full Story @ nola.com
"The Saban Bowl" What Does it Mean for 'Bama?
Saban has the Crimson Tide on the cusp of returning to the SEC championship game for the first time since 1999. While Alabama's march to Atlanta still goes through Auburn, Saban and the Tide could relish the SEC West's top spot by beating LSU and Miles and douse water on the Tigers' national title hopes at the same time.
On top of all of that, a win over the No. 3-ranked team would do wonders in terms of jumpstarting the Alabama program, getting it back on the road to SEC dominance.
A loss means nothing, really, other than it would be Alabama's third of the year. Realists never expected the Tide to win the SEC West, much less make it to Atlanta. Eight or nine wins was expected of Saban in year one, and even if it loses to the Tigers, the Tide still has a chance to reach that mark with winnable games against Miss. State and Louisiana-Monroe, including a bowl game.
Full Story @ msn.foxsports.com
On top of all of that, a win over the No. 3-ranked team would do wonders in terms of jumpstarting the Alabama program, getting it back on the road to SEC dominance.
A loss means nothing, really, other than it would be Alabama's third of the year. Realists never expected the Tide to win the SEC West, much less make it to Atlanta. Eight or nine wins was expected of Saban in year one, and even if it loses to the Tigers, the Tide still has a chance to reach that mark with winnable games against Miss. State and Louisiana-Monroe, including a bowl game.
Full Story @ msn.foxsports.com
LSU Player Suspensions
Backup quarterback Ryan Perrilloux and linebacker Derrick Odom are not expected to play for No. 3 LSU against No. 17 Alabama on Saturday because of their part in a nightclub brawl.
Coach Les Miles said Monday they will not practice this week.
"We will prepare to play without these guys," Miles said.
No one was arrested in the fight near the LSU campus early Friday when Perrilloux and Odom got into a shoving match with a group of bouncers, the police report said.
Full Story @ msn.foxsports.com
Coach Les Miles said Monday they will not practice this week.
"We will prepare to play without these guys," Miles said.
No one was arrested in the fight near the LSU campus early Friday when Perrilloux and Odom got into a shoving match with a group of bouncers, the police report said.
Full Story @ msn.foxsports.com
Respect the Vest?
As Buckeye John points out in his Monday report, many Buckeye fans are feeling slighted that the media feels OSU isn't the best team in the country. Let's take a look to see why ..............
- Big Ten is way down this year, thanks to App. State, Wisconsin's free fall, and no other real contenders for the Big Ten Championship but the Big Two.
- A poor non-conference schedule. Early on the Washington win looked good, but they haven't won at PAC 10 game this year. 2-6 overall
- Wins over currently ranked teams: 0 (Purdue and PSU were ranked when OSU beat them)
- Last years National Championship Game and The Rose Bowl. Big Ten beat downs
- Style of Play: OSU is consistent and play very fundamental football. They are not flashy but they win
- The Big Ten Network. From my account the Buckeyes will be on this channel 4 times this year. That means the nation is not seeing your team
- Lack of a superstar. The team is solid at every position but no Heisman candidate after Troy's rise to the top last year
- The difficulty of the other conferences. SEC has 2 or 3 games each week matching ranked teams. The Big Ten only has 2 ranked teams
- The Florida curse
- All the upsets this year. When is it OSU turn?
So during a "rebuilding year" it seems OSU has "reloaded". OSU has Wisconsin at home, Illinois at home, and Michigan at the Big House. We might not know how good this team really is until the meet someone (from a top conference) in New Orleans.
Fix the Wolverines
This will be my regular Tuesday post on what I would do if I controlled the Michigan football team or was in Lloyd Carr's shoes:
- Do something different on first down: This is the best down to throw on and you maybe have the best receivers in the nation. Everybody and their brother is looking for you to run. Throw the Damn ball!
- Run Some Play Action: Since everybody knows that Michigan runs the ball a ton, you would think play action would freeze the linebackers and give Chad or Ryan big passing lanes to throw the ball in.
- Dress Hart and Henne. I believe both of these guys will be ready to play this week but both should have been dressed this past Saturday. For goodness sake, we all most needed Henne to go the the dressing room get changed and hand the ball off.
- Throw to the tight ends and use the center of the field. Is the center of the field haunted? Is the middle of the field just for running? What's the deal? Throw it down the middle and stop running those WR screens.
- Fix the center snap issues.
- Play everyone like your playing OSU. I don't care how bad the team is across the field, crush them from the kickoff. Don't wait to turn the page of the playbook until your down two scores. You would be 8-1 and ranked #4 in the country if you did.
- Play to win and not to lose.
- If it's 3rd and 6. Make sure you have a 7 to 8 yard pass play called. I can't stand it when we throw a 4 yard crossing route on 3rd and 6.
- Play a night game, at home once every two years. I know the old alums cry and moan, (they can afford a room at the Holiday Inn) but there would be nothing bigger then a Michigan - ND night game at the Big House.
- Recruit a kicker every year
- Recruit speed
- and most importantly after the bowl game, take the assistant AD job and hire Les Miles for $3M a year.
You Have to Love Nick Saban
From the LSU Game Week Press Conference TranscriptOctober 29, 2007 .... What a great answer!!!
(Q) Just out of curiosity, have you talked to any of your former players, former LSU guys that are in the pros now or are working or whatever and have called you?
(A) “Didn’t I already answer that? I thought so. I answered that question already. Nobody is going to accuse anybody in this room of having attention deficit or anything like that or ability to pay attention...But I do talk to guys on occasion. I didn’t talk to anybody today. Does that answer it better?”
Full Transcript @ rolltide.com
(Q) Just out of curiosity, have you talked to any of your former players, former LSU guys that are in the pros now or are working or whatever and have called you?
(A) “Didn’t I already answer that? I thought so. I answered that question already. Nobody is going to accuse anybody in this room of having attention deficit or anything like that or ability to pay attention...But I do talk to guys on occasion. I didn’t talk to anybody today. Does that answer it better?”
Full Transcript @ rolltide.com
Monday's Buckeye Report: PSU Edition
“White Out”…….Shmite Out!!!!!
For the third time this year, Ohio State ventured into dangerous territory (conference games…on the road….at night) and came away with another impressive victory. This one was 37-17 in Happy Valley. First the “Gold Out” at Minnesota, then the “Black Out” at Purdue and last night in front of 110,000+ Penn State fans and their famous “White Out” game. I think the idea of “Insert Team Color Here….Out” games is getting a little old. Since Michigan refuses to play night games at home I guess I’ll never get to see what a “Maize Out” would look like in the Big House. Too Bad!!!!!
I have to admit that I was a little nervous about this game. After all, Ohio State suffered its last regular season loss two years ago in this same game. Having been to several big night football games (OSU-Texas, ND-Michigan) I know how crazy the fans can be after a day of tailgating in the sun. Add a little white paint and who knows what might happen. Watching Corso put the Brutus Head on during College GameDay didn’t help. How did the Buckeyes respond you ask? Well, I think they turned in their most complete game of the year. Todd Boekman went 19-26 for 253 yards and 3 touchdowns and Beanie Wells adds another 130+ yards on the ground. The Silver Bullets were not able to match pervious performances but giving up only 10 points isn’t all that bad. My pre-game prediction of 27-17 was looking strong until Morelli decided to gift wrap a pick-6 to for Malcolm Jenkins and the Buckeye Special Teams decided not to tackle on the ensuing kick-off. Oh well.
I think the story of the game was Ohio State offense refusing to be intimidated by the fans and the atmosphere in Beaver Stadium or the Nittany Lion defense. Taking the opening kick-off down the field for a field goal helped to quiet the crown and generate some much needed momentum. Responding to Penn States subsequent touchdown drive with one of our own may have been bigger. The first 20 minutes of the game proved to me that this offense can be as big an asset as the defense. I like that balance. I also like the big play capability the offense is starting to show on a regular basis. 2002 offense…..this aint!
In summary:
· OK, it has been demonstrated that the Buckeyes can be run on….a little. I got a little tired of being gashed by Kinlaw in the first half. It seemed he like he ran for way more than 83 yards. It made me wonder what a healthy Mike Hart would hang on us.
· I’m still a little down on Boekman throwing the long ball. I know….I know, Robiskie and Small keep catching them and some even result in long touchdowns but come on…..Small was 7 yards past the closest defender and had to slow up to catch the pass on the first touchdown drive. That should have been an easy six. Just a little less air under the ball would make me happier.
· The Buckeyes tied (with Michigan…..who else) the all time Big 10 record for consecutive conference wins (19). A win next week against Wisconsin would break the tie.
· I love the fact that the offense is matching the defense performance for performance. I think that team “balance” will have a huge role in determining how the next three weeks work out.
· I’m getting a little tired of hearing about how the Buckeyes are overrated at #1 in the BCS. Who else has played as consistently this year? Who else has won all the games they were supposed to win and even some that many had as questions on the schedule. I still believe this was/is a bit of a rebuilding year for the Buckeyes. They may or may not deserve the #1 ranking in the BCS. They may or may not make it back to the BCS Championship Game. They may not win the game even if they do make it back. But I’ll tell you one thing.....you better start giving the Buckeyes a little love now because next year the team is going to be a wrecking crew. I feel better now. Thanks for listening.
· Let’s see…….offensive balance + defensive dominance + back at the Shoe…..34 – 13.
· 19 more days!!!!!
See you next week.
Buckeye John
For the third time this year, Ohio State ventured into dangerous territory (conference games…on the road….at night) and came away with another impressive victory. This one was 37-17 in Happy Valley. First the “Gold Out” at Minnesota, then the “Black Out” at Purdue and last night in front of 110,000+ Penn State fans and their famous “White Out” game. I think the idea of “Insert Team Color Here….Out” games is getting a little old. Since Michigan refuses to play night games at home I guess I’ll never get to see what a “Maize Out” would look like in the Big House. Too Bad!!!!!
I have to admit that I was a little nervous about this game. After all, Ohio State suffered its last regular season loss two years ago in this same game. Having been to several big night football games (OSU-Texas, ND-Michigan) I know how crazy the fans can be after a day of tailgating in the sun. Add a little white paint and who knows what might happen. Watching Corso put the Brutus Head on during College GameDay didn’t help. How did the Buckeyes respond you ask? Well, I think they turned in their most complete game of the year. Todd Boekman went 19-26 for 253 yards and 3 touchdowns and Beanie Wells adds another 130+ yards on the ground. The Silver Bullets were not able to match pervious performances but giving up only 10 points isn’t all that bad. My pre-game prediction of 27-17 was looking strong until Morelli decided to gift wrap a pick-6 to for Malcolm Jenkins and the Buckeye Special Teams decided not to tackle on the ensuing kick-off. Oh well.
I think the story of the game was Ohio State offense refusing to be intimidated by the fans and the atmosphere in Beaver Stadium or the Nittany Lion defense. Taking the opening kick-off down the field for a field goal helped to quiet the crown and generate some much needed momentum. Responding to Penn States subsequent touchdown drive with one of our own may have been bigger. The first 20 minutes of the game proved to me that this offense can be as big an asset as the defense. I like that balance. I also like the big play capability the offense is starting to show on a regular basis. 2002 offense…..this aint!
In summary:
· OK, it has been demonstrated that the Buckeyes can be run on….a little. I got a little tired of being gashed by Kinlaw in the first half. It seemed he like he ran for way more than 83 yards. It made me wonder what a healthy Mike Hart would hang on us.
· I’m still a little down on Boekman throwing the long ball. I know….I know, Robiskie and Small keep catching them and some even result in long touchdowns but come on…..Small was 7 yards past the closest defender and had to slow up to catch the pass on the first touchdown drive. That should have been an easy six. Just a little less air under the ball would make me happier.
· The Buckeyes tied (with Michigan…..who else) the all time Big 10 record for consecutive conference wins (19). A win next week against Wisconsin would break the tie.
· I love the fact that the offense is matching the defense performance for performance. I think that team “balance” will have a huge role in determining how the next three weeks work out.
· I’m getting a little tired of hearing about how the Buckeyes are overrated at #1 in the BCS. Who else has played as consistently this year? Who else has won all the games they were supposed to win and even some that many had as questions on the schedule. I still believe this was/is a bit of a rebuilding year for the Buckeyes. They may or may not deserve the #1 ranking in the BCS. They may or may not make it back to the BCS Championship Game. They may not win the game even if they do make it back. But I’ll tell you one thing.....you better start giving the Buckeyes a little love now because next year the team is going to be a wrecking crew. I feel better now. Thanks for listening.
· Let’s see…….offensive balance + defensive dominance + back at the Shoe…..34 – 13.
· 19 more days!!!!!
See you next week.
Buckeye John
News and Notes
- Game time for the Michigan - MSU game is now set at 3:30 and will be shown on ABC
- Game time for the Michigan - Wisconsin game is set at 12:00 EST and will be shown on ESPN (which means no more BTN for Michigan this year)
- Michigan made a big jump in the BCS rankings from #20 to now #12
- OSU vs Wisconsin game will be on the Big Ten Network
AP Poll - SEC Teams
'Bama up to #17
#3 - LSU
#10 - Georgia
#18 - Florida
#19 - Auburn
#24 - Tennessee
Complete Rankings @ espn.go.com
Wake up Maggie
I think I have something to say to you. It's late October and I think we should be playing football soon.
Sorry for the bad Rod Stewart impression but I am getting a little tired of the Michigan football team getting behind bad football teams and not playing in the first quarter. Saturday was another example of that very thing. Michigan found themselves down 10 - 0 to the 1 win Minnesota Golden Gophers and getting out played in every aspect of the game. That's right, #20 Michigan Wolverines were losing 10-0 before they woke up. Well, it's time to wake up and start playing football right from the kickoff because the schedule is tough from here on out. They hit the road for MSU and Wisconsin before finishing off the year with the annual showdown with Ohio State at home.
After Michigan's 10-0 wake up call. They dominated the Golden Gophers with a great running performance from Minor and Brown and long passing plays from Mallett and Mario. As my preview suggested, Minor (157 yards) and Brown (136) each got over a 100 yards in the game. Manningham again showed why he should be a super star and put up 162 yards of receiving.
Michigan finally let freshman Ryan Mallett win a game by letting him throw "safe" long balls. Mario continued to make great catches on great throws which got Michigan out of it's early fog (btw Ricky Foggy was no where to be found).
This was a game Michigan should have won big which they did 34-10. The problem in my mind was the 10-0 deficit. If they do that in the next three weeks, they are going to put themselves into a big hole. Look for Hart and Henne to be back next week, I don't have any inside information but they will be dressed for the Spartans. Count on it!
Cheers:
Sorry for the bad Rod Stewart impression but I am getting a little tired of the Michigan football team getting behind bad football teams and not playing in the first quarter. Saturday was another example of that very thing. Michigan found themselves down 10 - 0 to the 1 win Minnesota Golden Gophers and getting out played in every aspect of the game. That's right, #20 Michigan Wolverines were losing 10-0 before they woke up. Well, it's time to wake up and start playing football right from the kickoff because the schedule is tough from here on out. They hit the road for MSU and Wisconsin before finishing off the year with the annual showdown with Ohio State at home.
After Michigan's 10-0 wake up call. They dominated the Golden Gophers with a great running performance from Minor and Brown and long passing plays from Mallett and Mario. As my preview suggested, Minor (157 yards) and Brown (136) each got over a 100 yards in the game. Manningham again showed why he should be a super star and put up 162 yards of receiving.
Michigan finally let freshman Ryan Mallett win a game by letting him throw "safe" long balls. Mario continued to make great catches on great throws which got Michigan out of it's early fog (btw Ricky Foggy was no where to be found).
This was a game Michigan should have won big which they did 34-10. The problem in my mind was the 10-0 deficit. If they do that in the next three weeks, they are going to put themselves into a big hole. Look for Hart and Henne to be back next week, I don't have any inside information but they will be dressed for the Spartans. Count on it!
Cheers:
- The Running Game - two backs over a 100 yards
- The Long pass - great touch by Ryan Mallett and great catches by MM
- The Defense - Gave up an early field goal and that was it!
- The entire team for playing well with out their two stars on offense
- KC continues his 8-8 kicking streak. Keep it going my man! Well done!
Jeers:
- Ryan and his hands. Another lost fumble and this time it cost us a return for a touchdown.
- A Slow Start. Why? No reason for it.
- ESPN Classic was terrible - it was BTN quality
- Next Weeks game ESPN, ABC, or BTN?
Coming Monday: Look for Buckeye John's update on the PSU game, where OSU played their most complete game of the year.
"Saban Bowl I"
'Bama vs. LSU - Nov 3rd
The game has several major story lines in addition to the coaching match-up. No. 3 LSU (7-1) and No. 22 Alabama (6-2) will be playing for first place in the Southeastern Conference West. Each team is 4-1 in the West with three league games to play. Alabama, which appeared in the first three and in four of the first five SEC championship games from 1992-96, has not played in the SEC title game since 1999 when it beat Florida 34-7.
The Tigers will also be playing to stay in contention for the Bowl Championship Series national championship game on Jan. 7 in New Orleans. No team has ever made that game with two losses.
Both teams took the weekend off after practicing most of last week.
Full Story @ theadvertiser.com
The game has several major story lines in addition to the coaching match-up. No. 3 LSU (7-1) and No. 22 Alabama (6-2) will be playing for first place in the Southeastern Conference West. Each team is 4-1 in the West with three league games to play. Alabama, which appeared in the first three and in four of the first five SEC championship games from 1992-96, has not played in the SEC title game since 1999 when it beat Florida 34-7.
The Tigers will also be playing to stay in contention for the Bowl Championship Series national championship game on Jan. 7 in New Orleans. No team has ever made that game with two losses.
Both teams took the weekend off after practicing most of last week.
Full Story @ theadvertiser.com
Extra Intensity
The next two practices involve as much hitting as any to this point.
Alabama is using this bye week to work not on third-ranked LSU, but on itself, correcting missteps of previous weeks without concern about an upcoming opponent.
And everyone is working.
"There's a lot to do. I don't feel like I'm letting up any," Saban said.
"We've developed a little higher standard, which is good in terms of the expectation of how we can play, what we can do," Saban said. "Hopefully, we can build on that in the future."
Not everything is the same in practice this week. Repetitions have increased for the second-string units, whereas starters receive the majority of plays on a normal game week.
Full Story @ al.com/alabamafootball
Alabama is using this bye week to work not on third-ranked LSU, but on itself, correcting missteps of previous weeks without concern about an upcoming opponent.
And everyone is working.
"There's a lot to do. I don't feel like I'm letting up any," Saban said.
"We've developed a little higher standard, which is good in terms of the expectation of how we can play, what we can do," Saban said. "Hopefully, we can build on that in the future."
Not everything is the same in practice this week. Repetitions have increased for the second-string units, whereas starters receive the majority of plays on a normal game week.
Full Story @ al.com/alabamafootball
'Bama has the Highest-Paid Coaching Staff in the SEC
Alabama has the highest-paid coaching staff in the SEC to go along with the highest-paid head coach in the nation.
Major Applewhite, Offensive Coordinator: $250,000
Burton Burns, Running Backs: $220,000
Curt Cignetti, Receivers: $170,000
Bo Davis, Defensive Line: $190,000
Ron Middleton, Tight Ends: $230,000
Joe Pendry, Offensive Line: $350,000
Kirby Smart, Defensive Backs: $275,000
Kevin Steele, Defensive Coordinator: $350,000
Lance Thompson, Linebackers: $210,000
Todd Alles, Director of Football Operations: $96,300
Scott Cochran, Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach: $120,000
Geoff Collins, Director of Player Personnel: $140,000
Willie Carl Martin, Director of Player Development: $105,000
Jeremy Pruitt, Director of Player Development: $80,250
Story @ blog.al.com/bamabeat
Major Applewhite, Offensive Coordinator: $250,000
Burton Burns, Running Backs: $220,000
Curt Cignetti, Receivers: $170,000
Bo Davis, Defensive Line: $190,000
Ron Middleton, Tight Ends: $230,000
Joe Pendry, Offensive Line: $350,000
Kirby Smart, Defensive Backs: $275,000
Kevin Steele, Defensive Coordinator: $350,000
Lance Thompson, Linebackers: $210,000
Todd Alles, Director of Football Operations: $96,300
Scott Cochran, Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach: $120,000
Geoff Collins, Director of Player Personnel: $140,000
Willie Carl Martin, Director of Player Development: $105,000
Jeremy Pruitt, Director of Player Development: $80,250
Story @ blog.al.com/bamabeat
SEC Coaches Performance Report - Week 8
#2
Bama beats rival Tennessee in Tuscaloosa 41-17. Saban is still in the hunt. Life was good for the Crimson Tide on Saturday. QB John Parker Wilson threw for 363 yards. Wide receiver DJ Hall is solid. This week Alabama has a bye week. We will keep the Crimson Tide at a solid 4**** confidence rating.
Full Story @ secsportsreport.com
Bama beats rival Tennessee in Tuscaloosa 41-17. Saban is still in the hunt. Life was good for the Crimson Tide on Saturday. QB John Parker Wilson threw for 363 yards. Wide receiver DJ Hall is solid. This week Alabama has a bye week. We will keep the Crimson Tide at a solid 4**** confidence rating.
Full Story @ secsportsreport.com
DJ Hall - AT&T All-America Player of the Week
Following his record-setting performance last Saturday against Tennessee, University of Alabama senior wide receiver DJ Hal has been chosen this season’s eighth recipient of the AT&T All-America Player of the Week award, the only major college football award chosen exclusively by fans.
Hall caught a school-record 13 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Crimson Tide to a 41-17 win over No. 20 Tennessee last Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Hall’s 16-yard pass from John Parker Wilson with 11:16 left in the second quarter gave the Tide a 17-14 lead it would never relinquish. He also added a 2-yard touchdown grab with 12 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Tide a 24-14 lead. Hall later added a pass reception on a two-point conversion as UA built a 38-17 lead in the fourth quarter.
Hall received 54% of the votes to beat out University of Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart 24%.
Hall caught a school-record 13 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Crimson Tide to a 41-17 win over No. 20 Tennessee last Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Hall’s 16-yard pass from John Parker Wilson with 11:16 left in the second quarter gave the Tide a 17-14 lead it would never relinquish. He also added a 2-yard touchdown grab with 12 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Tide a 24-14 lead. Hall later added a pass reception on a two-point conversion as UA built a 38-17 lead in the fourth quarter.
Hall received 54% of the votes to beat out University of Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart 24%.
The Little Brown Jug Battle Preview
For those of you that are not familiar with the history of the Little Brown Jug, the following information is partly true. If I were you, I wouldn't quote any of these so called facts on your Michigan Football History Test on Monday.
- The Little Brown Jug is the oldest trophy in college football
- It's actually a jug of water that Michigan left in Minnesota back in 1823. Side note this was JoPA first year at Penn State.
- When the Michigan AD called (which I assume was over two tin cans and a long string in 1823)the Minnesota AD said we will play you for it next year.
- Michigan has dominated this series and the Jug.
- Moments in history where Minnesota won: Two years ago at Michigan stadium, the Golden Gophers were running the ball and trying to get over-time when the Michigan Defense forgot to tackle and let their RB go 60+ yards for the winning field goal. Glen Mason was the hero of the day, but gets fired the next year. Remember when Glen thought he was the front runner for the OSU job? Darn it! He was clearly the best candidate and should have gotten that job. The second memory is of Minnesota coming in to play the #1 ranked Michigan Wolverines lead by big mouth Jim Harbough. The Golden Gophers were lead by Ricky Foggy at QB. Like this year, Michigan had trouble containing an athlete at QB and lost to the Golpen Gophers a week before the OSU game. After the game Jim "guarantees" a Michigan victory against the Buckeyes. As most of you know that guarantee was accurate.
Ok Professor how about the preview of Saturday's game? Are you 90 years old or something? Nobody remembers Ricky Foggy!
OK Sorry......
This game should be played at U of M hospital instead of the Big House. Michigan's #1 QB and #1 Running Back is slowed with injuries and most likely will be in street clothes. Ryan Mallett is coming off a game where he preferred to fumble snaps and throw to guys in orange then the guys in white.
Minnesota maybe the worst team in Division 1. They have won one game this year and just gave up 400 yards to Division 1A team (that didn't win the national championship last year). They are also starting 3 new defensive backs for the Michigan game. Let me understand this.... ESPN is showing this game but not the Purdue game? Actually it's ESPN Classic. Surely this won't be a classic game. Get on with the preview and stop calling me Shirley!
Sorry........
Michigan should have a fairly easy time with this game even with Ryan at QB and Carlos (aka Santana) Brown at running back. Minnesota is too bad and too beat up. The flip side is, if Hart was healthy he could go for 300 yards and challenge Matt Ryan for the Heisman. Knowing Carr he will rest both Hart and Henne for the MSU, Wisc, and OSU stretch run. Michigan 38 Minnesota 10
Sing Hail to the victors if.........
- Ryan throws to the right team and keeps his hands under center
- Carlos goes to 225 and plays a mean guitar at halftime
- Minor goes over 100 yards
- The entire Michigan WR staff gets touchdowns as the Minn Freshmen DB's curl up in the fetal position
Open the bar and start drinking if...............
- App State shows up in the Golden Gophers uniforms
- Michigan totally overlooks this game and has been preparing for the Spartans all week
- Ricky Foggy has one year of eligibility left and plays QB
Enjoy the 3:30 start on the non-HD ESPN Classic. Look for the Michigan game review on Sunday and the Buckeye Update from Buckeye John on Monday.
Weekly Big Ten Preview
Game of the week:
8:00pm: OSU at PSU: The #1 ranked Buckeyes will be hitting the road for the White Out in Happy Valley. The un-defeated Buckeyes have a great defensive that is giving up a touchdown a game on average. PSU is lead by its senior QB Anthony Morelli who will get his last shot at OSU after starting the Big Ten season with opening losses to Michigan and Illinois. OSU last conference loss came in 2005 at Happy Valley in a win over the Troy Smith lead Buckeyes 17-10. “Jimmy” as JoPa calls him, will have his hands full with a tough PSU defense but clearly has a better team. These types of road games have not been a problem for “Jimmy” in the past but OSU struggles in Happy Valley and mostly at night. The crowed will be the 12th man on Saturday and Morelli wants at least one big win in his career at PSU. This game in my mind is a tossup. Vegas says that OSU is giving 4 points on the road. OSU has the better team but JoPa seems to play “Jimmy” pretty tough. OSU cannot throw 2 pick 6’s and think they will win this one. OSU 17 PSU 14
12:00: MSU at Iowa: MSU got beat by the #1 ranked team in the BCS last week. While the Hawkeyes, couldn’t put two wins in a row together with a blowout loss to Purdue. Playing at Iowa is not an easy task and the Spartans are looking past them for their game against in-state rival Michigan in two weeks. The pressure is on the Iowa program with the highest paid coach in the BigTen but their injuries are just too wide spread to win in this one. MSU 9 IOWA 6
12:00 Northwestern at Purdue: Replace the lights on the scoreboard because these teams are going to light it up. This game includes two big offenses and O defense. It would make more sense for each team to line up on the 25 yard line and play until someone hits 100 points. This is going to be an old fashion WAC shoot-out that might take 5 hours to play. Northwestern 47 Purdue 51
12:00: Indiana at Wisconsin: IU had high hopes for this year while enjoying their cupcakes early in the season. Wisconsin was ranked #5 in the country just a few weeks ago. Both got slapped down in the middle of the BigTen season and now just trying to keep the boat a float. Wisconsin running game will pound the IU defense into cheese. IU 21 Wisconsin 31
12:00 Ball State @ Illinois is a non-conference game.
As always, I will do the battle of the brown jug preview on Friday.
8:00pm: OSU at PSU: The #1 ranked Buckeyes will be hitting the road for the White Out in Happy Valley. The un-defeated Buckeyes have a great defensive that is giving up a touchdown a game on average. PSU is lead by its senior QB Anthony Morelli who will get his last shot at OSU after starting the Big Ten season with opening losses to Michigan and Illinois. OSU last conference loss came in 2005 at Happy Valley in a win over the Troy Smith lead Buckeyes 17-10. “Jimmy” as JoPa calls him, will have his hands full with a tough PSU defense but clearly has a better team. These types of road games have not been a problem for “Jimmy” in the past but OSU struggles in Happy Valley and mostly at night. The crowed will be the 12th man on Saturday and Morelli wants at least one big win in his career at PSU. This game in my mind is a tossup. Vegas says that OSU is giving 4 points on the road. OSU has the better team but JoPa seems to play “Jimmy” pretty tough. OSU cannot throw 2 pick 6’s and think they will win this one. OSU 17 PSU 14
12:00: MSU at Iowa: MSU got beat by the #1 ranked team in the BCS last week. While the Hawkeyes, couldn’t put two wins in a row together with a blowout loss to Purdue. Playing at Iowa is not an easy task and the Spartans are looking past them for their game against in-state rival Michigan in two weeks. The pressure is on the Iowa program with the highest paid coach in the BigTen but their injuries are just too wide spread to win in this one. MSU 9 IOWA 6
12:00 Northwestern at Purdue: Replace the lights on the scoreboard because these teams are going to light it up. This game includes two big offenses and O defense. It would make more sense for each team to line up on the 25 yard line and play until someone hits 100 points. This is going to be an old fashion WAC shoot-out that might take 5 hours to play. Northwestern 47 Purdue 51
12:00: Indiana at Wisconsin: IU had high hopes for this year while enjoying their cupcakes early in the season. Wisconsin was ranked #5 in the country just a few weeks ago. Both got slapped down in the middle of the BigTen season and now just trying to keep the boat a float. Wisconsin running game will pound the IU defense into cheese. IU 21 Wisconsin 31
12:00 Ball State @ Illinois is a non-conference game.
As always, I will do the battle of the brown jug preview on Friday.
Offensive Coordinator of the Week
Major Applewhite, Alabama. In a signature win for Nick Saban in his new digs, the Tide offense gutted Tennessee for 510 yards and 41 points, season-highs since the opener with Western Carolina. Applewhite's protégé, John Parker Wilson, enjoyed a career day, going 32-for-46 with 363 yards and three touchdown passes.
Full Story @ foxsports.com
Full Story @ foxsports.com
It's always about the Money $$$$
One thing Jim Rome always says on his radio show is very true. When an athlete says "it's not about the money" it always is.
Today's blog post is about Money, how to make it in big time sports and who has an opinion about how to spend it.
I guess beating OSU and winning national championships is a great way to bring more money to a university. Enclosed is an article on the Florida Gators and why they are considered the Most Admired Corporation in College Football. It's about the money! http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/18/news/companies/florida_gators.fortune/?postversion=2007101908
The U of M Faculty doesn't like the new stadium upgrade plan. They give reasons why they don't like it in the article. I bet it's about the $$$! http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071024/SCHOOLS/710240306/1131/SPORTS0201
HBO is doing a documentary on the Michigan and OSU game. They are advertising it now. It should be available on HBO on 11/13. For those of you that are scheduled challenged: that's the week of Michigan - OSU game.
Recruiting Update: Jonas Gray, Top Michigan High School running back recruit who had verbally committed to Nebraska has changed his mind due to the coaching and AD turmoil and verbally committed to Norte Dame. I assume Jonas missed the USC game last weekend.
Today's blog post is about Money, how to make it in big time sports and who has an opinion about how to spend it.
I guess beating OSU and winning national championships is a great way to bring more money to a university. Enclosed is an article on the Florida Gators and why they are considered the Most Admired Corporation in College Football. It's about the money! http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/18/news/companies/florida_gators.fortune/?postversion=2007101908
The U of M Faculty doesn't like the new stadium upgrade plan. They give reasons why they don't like it in the article. I bet it's about the $$$! http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071024/SCHOOLS/710240306/1131/SPORTS0201
HBO is doing a documentary on the Michigan and OSU game. They are advertising it now. It should be available on HBO on 11/13. For those of you that are scheduled challenged: that's the week of Michigan - OSU game.
Recruiting Update: Jonas Gray, Top Michigan High School running back recruit who had verbally committed to Nebraska has changed his mind due to the coaching and AD turmoil and verbally committed to Norte Dame. I assume Jonas missed the USC game last weekend.
2007 SEC - Week 9 Game Previews
'Bama needs Auburn to loose this week. The Tigers are playing the Rebels in Auburn this Saturday... It's a long shot, but GO REBELS!!!!!
'Bama & LSU are both on Bi-Weeks.
Complete SEC Game Previews @ SECSPORTS.COM
Tuesday is for Healing
MASH report:
- The Detroit News is reporting that Henne has a shoulder sprain which is classified as a grade 1 shoulder separation but remains day to day
- Hart is still day to day with a high ankle sprain
- Alex Mitchell is still out and won't practice this week
TV Report:
- Michigan's bye week aka Minnesota game will be on the non-HD ESPN Classic this week. If you look really hard at the TV you will see Mike Hart and Chad Henne in street clothes on Saturday.
- Lots of nervous people with cable in Michigan are worried about the BTN carrying the Michigan - MSU game. Come on ESPN can't you find one of your 20 stations to carry this game? There really can't be that many poker tournaments. We should know more by the end of the week.
- Rick Reily is joining ESPN and leaving SI on June 1st 2008. Does the SI jinx apply to him?
Wild Ramblings:
- Did USC play Baylor on Saturday? Those ND uniforms were terrible.
- Is Ryan Mallett doing better or worse at this point in the year?
- I like Les Miles because he makes the tough calls and tries to win football games.
- This PSU blog has some very funny separated a birth pictures of some OSU players. http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=157#s=157&f=1395&t=1260184
- Michigan has the best punter in the NCAA! Hail Zoltan!
Quiet Monday News
- Minnesota lost to a Division 1-AA school. I can't believe that happened. That would never happen in Ann Arbor.
- Henne and Hart are questionable for Saturday. Look for them not to play.
- The MSU Game will be at 12:00 or 3:30 on ABC, ESPN, or BTN. Tell us something we didn't know.
- Michigan is now #20 in the BCS Poll. If they win out, look for them to be around 15 for the showdown against #1 OSU.
- Penn State is #25 which sets up a #1 vs #25 this weekend.
- LSU moved up to #3 (got to support the next Michigan coach!)
Players Status Remains in Question
Two days after the University of Alabama suspended five football players, including three key members of the offense, their playing status remains in question while an investigation into impermissible receipt of textbooks continues.
Offensive linemen Antoine Caldwell and Marlon Davis, both starters, were held out of Saturday's home win over Tennessee along with running back Glen Coffee and defensive backs Chris Rogers and Marquis Johnson.
How quickly any or all of the players are reinstated first depends on the speed of the university's own investigation. Whether or not the investigation expands to athletes from other sports will play a major role in its expedience. Once the findings are complete, they will be forwarded to the conference office and the NCAA, which then would conduct a review of their own. Typically, when an NCAA review finds that a member institution's own investigation is satisfactory, it restores player eligibility quickly. When it opts to conduct its own inquiry, the case, by contrast, can drag for months.
Full Story @ alabama.rivals.com
Offensive linemen Antoine Caldwell and Marlon Davis, both starters, were held out of Saturday's home win over Tennessee along with running back Glen Coffee and defensive backs Chris Rogers and Marquis Johnson.
How quickly any or all of the players are reinstated first depends on the speed of the university's own investigation. Whether or not the investigation expands to athletes from other sports will play a major role in its expedience. Once the findings are complete, they will be forwarded to the conference office and the NCAA, which then would conduct a review of their own. Typically, when an NCAA review finds that a member institution's own investigation is satisfactory, it restores player eligibility quickly. When it opts to conduct its own inquiry, the case, by contrast, can drag for months.
Full Story @ alabama.rivals.com
The Monday Buckeye Report
With the very painful memories of the 1998 MSU game (an agonizing home loss as the #1 team in the nation) still remarkably fresh in our minds our Buckeyes pulled out a 24-17 victory over the Spartans. In a game that wasn’t really as close as the final score shows Ohio State road a career day by Chris “Beanie” Wells (31 touches, 221 yards and 1 touchdown) and another solid outing by Todd Boekman (15-23 for 193 yards and 2 touchdowns) to the win. Wells’ production was especially welcome as he has recently been hobbled by a lingering ankle injury and questions about his toughness on the field.
Many fans and fellow bloggers will point to the two turnovers the opportunistic Spartan defense cashed in for scores late in third quarter as the story of the game. Big, no doubt. However for my money, the story of the game was the Ohio State defense (affectionately known as the Silver Bullets). For the fourth time in five weeks the Buckeye D held a potentially potent offense to well under their normal production levels. In fact, the Sprtan offense only managed to run a handful of plays on their side of the field during the entire game. What more needs to be said about this defense? Try these stats on for size.
· Ohio State is first in the nation in: scoring defense, pass efficiency defense, rushing defense and total defense. They are second in rushing defense. That’s sick!!!
· Michigan State was leading the Big Ten in total offense before Saturday’s game, averaging almost 450 yards per game. They achieved only 185 against the Buckeyes.
· The first team defense has now allowed 23 points in eight games. Hell….the offense has given up 16 points to apposing teams.
In summary:
· The emergence of a power running game is a welcome development as we enter the toughest stretch of our schedule. I can’t think of a better way to silence 110,000 crazy Penn State fans than to run the ball down their throats.
· I still feel like Boekman has gotten too comfortable throwing the long ball thinking that Robiskie will go get it. I’d also like to see him put a little less air under his long throws. They seem to hang in the air forever. He won’t be able to get away with that next weekend in Happy Valley.
· Nobody runs on the Buckeyes!!!!
· I like our chances against Penn State next week. The defenses are about the same but Ohio States offense is much better. I have it 27-17 Buckeyes.
· 27 more days!!!!!
See you next week.
Buckeye John
Many fans and fellow bloggers will point to the two turnovers the opportunistic Spartan defense cashed in for scores late in third quarter as the story of the game. Big, no doubt. However for my money, the story of the game was the Ohio State defense (affectionately known as the Silver Bullets). For the fourth time in five weeks the Buckeye D held a potentially potent offense to well under their normal production levels. In fact, the Sprtan offense only managed to run a handful of plays on their side of the field during the entire game. What more needs to be said about this defense? Try these stats on for size.
· Ohio State is first in the nation in: scoring defense, pass efficiency defense, rushing defense and total defense. They are second in rushing defense. That’s sick!!!
· Michigan State was leading the Big Ten in total offense before Saturday’s game, averaging almost 450 yards per game. They achieved only 185 against the Buckeyes.
· The first team defense has now allowed 23 points in eight games. Hell….the offense has given up 16 points to apposing teams.
In summary:
· The emergence of a power running game is a welcome development as we enter the toughest stretch of our schedule. I can’t think of a better way to silence 110,000 crazy Penn State fans than to run the ball down their throats.
· I still feel like Boekman has gotten too comfortable throwing the long ball thinking that Robiskie will go get it. I’d also like to see him put a little less air under his long throws. They seem to hang in the air forever. He won’t be able to get away with that next weekend in Happy Valley.
· Nobody runs on the Buckeyes!!!!
· I like our chances against Penn State next week. The defenses are about the same but Ohio States offense is much better. I have it 27-17 Buckeyes.
· 27 more days!!!!!
See you next week.
Buckeye John
'Bama back in the Top 25 @ #22
SEC in the AP Top #25
#3 - LSU
#9 - Florida
#14 - Kentucky
#15 - South Carolina
#20 - Georgia
#22 - Alabama
#23 - Auburn
Complete AP Top #25 @ secsports.com
#3 - LSU
#9 - Florida
#14 - Kentucky
#15 - South Carolina
#20 - Georgia
#22 - Alabama
#23 - Auburn
Complete AP Top #25 @ secsports.com
A Champaign Toast
The game last night was very interesting from whichever fan base you sit in. Michigan played with out it's leader and the nation's #1 rusher. Illinois did everything they needed to win except taking way too many silly penalties and not capitalizing on Michigan's turnovers.
In a game where I thought maybe all Michigan All Americans were going to get knocked out to having Chad Henne come back twice from the locker room to save the game. This game had more twists then a Hardy Boys mystery (do they sell those books anymore?). Mike Hart was in street clothes (not good!), we give up a huge kickoff return and a quick touchdown pass, Chad throws a ball behind Mario which is picked, and Illinois is in business again in Michigan territory and it looks like it's going to be a long night for the Wolverines against another spread offense. If you read my preview below it was time to "open the bar". Michigan found itself down 14-3 with it's Freshmen QB in the game and no Hart. Time to open your best bottle of Kentucky Whisky!
Well, something funny happened on the way to this loss. Michigan on both side of the ball decided that September was behind them and it was time to open up the play book and make a few stops on defense. Chad comes back "like the spirit of 76" and leads Michigan to 2 first half touchdowns and a slim 17-14 lead at half.
Then for a reason only the coaches know, they play Mallett to start the second half. Ryan moves the offensive but makes two major mistakes when it was time to score. One fumbled snap and one very bad pick on the 5 yard line. I like what Ryan will bring to next year's team, but if Michigan is going to win the Big Ten they need a healthy #7.
Latest news is that Henne headed to the team bus with his arm in a sling. The good news is that Michigan has the "Golden Gophers" on deck and most likely could win that game with Chad and Mike in street clothes.
When Chad came back in the 4th quarter it made all the difference. Deboring decided to open up the play book, play from the shot gun and try to win this thing. With help from a gift from the Illinois punt return fumble, Michigan used some "tricker-ation" to win this game. It also made a 40 yard field goal to put the game away. Yes, a made field goal. Alert the Press!
"Cheers"
- Chad for being "brass". Playing through pain and winning this game
- Mario for stepping up and making big plays
- The un-song hero award goes to Carlos Brown. He had 113 yards in replacing Hart. This was game ball worthy
- The Defense got hit early but didn't go down and won the fight in a decision
- Mike Debord for finally trying to win a game instead of "not losing" one
- KC and the Sunshine band for making two field goals
"Jeers"
- 3 Fumbled Snaps. This is something that should happen once a year and it happened 3 times in one game. This has to be fixed.
- Ryan Mallett gave away two scoring opportunities due to turn overs
- The 3rd Quarter Strategy - we did want to win this one right?
- We shouldn't need penalties and a late turn over to win this game - but a win is a win.
- Kick off coverage
"Up Next"
The Little Brown Jug. I wonder who will start this one?
Look for the Buckeye Update from Buckeye John on Monday.
Misc Stats from the Vols Romp
- Alabama had very good success on first downs, averaging 7.9 yards.
- Alabama ran 36 first down plays for 286 yards.
- DJ Hall set a new Alabama record for catches in a game with 13 with 185 yards and 2 TD's.
- DJ Hall extended his steak of games with a reception to 27.
- Tailback Terry Grant had 26 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown and now has set Tide records for rushing yards by a freshman (697) and rushing attempts by a freshman (127). He has seven rushing touchdowns.
- Freshman Kareem Jackson’s two interceptions marked the first time an Alabama player has had two interceptions in a game since in a game since Simeon Castille did it against Tennessee last year.
- Leigh Tiffin had a career best day with his four field goals.
More News & Stats @ alabama.scout.com
“Thinking about all that just makes you sick when you lose a game like (Saturday),’’ said UT quarterback Erik Ainge.
Among the things Ainge has to get over was an interception he threw in the third quarter, killing a potential game-tying drive.
Earlier, Ainge directed the Vols to touchdowns on back-to-back drives to wipe out a 10-0 Alabama lead. A 2-yard TD run by Arian Foster and a 3-yard Ainge pass to Luke Stocker put Tennessee up 14-10 as the second quarter began.
The Vols, however, would have only a 45-yard Daniel Lincoln field goal to show for their final eight possessions.
Alabama opened the fourth quarter with a 10-play, 82-yard drive capped by Terry Grant’s 8-yard touchdown run to make it 38-17.
Leigh Tiffin added a 44-yard field goal to close the scoring. UT’s three-game winning streak and momentum were history.
Full Story @ knoxnews.com
Third Saturday In October - GAME DAY!
John Parker Wilson: 32-46-0 for 363 Yards & 3 TD's
DJ Hall: 13 for 185 & 2 TD's
Terry Grant: 25 for 101 & 1 TD
Kareem Jackson: 2 Int's
Did you see that Kick? 4:55 left in the Game. 44 Yards, hits the upright and is GOOD! 'Bama 41 - 'Vols 17!
BREAKING NEWS 5 Football Student-Athletes Suspended for Today's Game
'Bama vs. 'Vols - Follow the Game on line @ Fox Sports
Alabama (5-2, 3-1) is in a three-way tie atop the Western Division with LSU and Auburn after winning back-to-back games.
Both teams are the epitome of balance when it comes to offense. Alabama sports an average of 226.6 passing yards and 173.3 rushing yards, while Tennessee has made better use of the air (270.5) than the ground (155.0)
Alabama-Tennessee How they Match Up
SEC Coaches Report Week 7
DJ Hall: 13 for 185 & 2 TD's
Terry Grant: 25 for 101 & 1 TD
Kareem Jackson: 2 Int's
Did you see that Kick? 4:55 left in the Game. 44 Yards, hits the upright and is GOOD! 'Bama 41 - 'Vols 17!
BREAKING NEWS 5 Football Student-Athletes Suspended for Today's Game
'Bama vs. 'Vols - Follow the Game on line @ Fox Sports
Alabama (5-2, 3-1) is in a three-way tie atop the Western Division with LSU and Auburn after winning back-to-back games.
Both teams are the epitome of balance when it comes to offense. Alabama sports an average of 226.6 passing yards and 173.3 rushing yards, while Tennessee has made better use of the air (270.5) than the ground (155.0)
Alabama-Tennessee How they Match Up
SEC Coaches Report Week 7
Breaking News........
The Line for the Michigan game has dropped from Michigan +3 to +1 or Pick em'
The rumor mill is saying Hart is out for Saturday's game and that is the reason for the change in the betting line. Those Vegas guys are sneaking good with inside info.
We will see.................
The rumor mill is saying Hart is out for Saturday's game and that is the reason for the change in the betting line. Those Vegas guys are sneaking good with inside info.
We will see.................
A trip to Champaign, Ill
The #25 ranked Michigan Wolverines take their show on the road for only the second time this year. Back in August, we all dreamed of an undefeated team heading into Champaign with nothing but National Championships ringing in our heads. That dream died early as our Wolverines opened the year with a embarrassing lost to a team from the "hills" and a pretty good Oregon team.
Since then the boys have turned the ship around putting 5 wins in a row and their dreams of National Championships have turned to a Big Ten Championship and a win over "The Sweater Vest". Mike Hart has been the Big Ten Player of the year and is running in the top 3 on most Heisman trackers. The defense has showed up and put it's most complete game of the season together last week in a blowout against Purdon't. The offensive with maybe the most dangerous weapons in the country finally got their act together and put up some points on the the Boilermakers.
The top 25 ranked Fighting Illini found themselves in a trap game on the road at Iowa last week and laid a 6 point egg to Iowa's 10. Illinois has a mobile QB that is a quick and slippery as he name implies (Juice) and they like to run the spread. The problem is Juice can't hit the ocean from the beach and would rather run then throw. They also have a punishing back named Rashard Mendenhall that has been running through Big Ten and preseason defenses.
Their lack of a passing game makes them one dimensional and easier for Michigan Defensive Coordinator Ron English to plan against.
You will hear on every college studio show that Michigan struggles against the spread and mobile QB's. That's true, but QB's that both can pass and run. I am more concerned about this being a night game in Champaign where the "fighting Zooks" are looking for some national exposure on their turn around. The place will be Jumping! Zook has circled this game and been pointing to it all year. He just got a 3 year extension to his contract (shouldn't they have waited until after the Michigan game or after the road trip to Columbus?) and will put it all on the line for a win on ABC with the nation watching.
Sing "Hail to the Victors" if:
- Hart starts and is healthy all game
- Hart goes for 100+ yards
- Henne plays like he did against Purdue
- The defense makes Juice a delicious drink and not a 2008 Heisman candidate
- We stop the run and the QB shuffle begins
- Mike DeBoring opens up the play book and actually calls plays people don't expect
Open the bar and start drinking if:
- The spread continues to confuse the Michigan defense and all the Michigan coaches
- Mike Hart is in street clothes
- We have a non-scholarship running back handling most of the carries
- Rashard looks like Mike Hart and runs for 150 yards
- Chad and Mario are not on the same page
"If I were a betting man":
Michigan 31 Illinois 20
Will Hart Play?
The guy with the most "heart" in college football is nursing a sprained ankle this week after a 2nd quarter tackle in the Purdue game last Saturday. The big question remains will he play this Saturday Night on national TV against Illinois. This game would be a great platform for Mike to show the nation that he is the #1 Heisman candidate with a 100+ yard game.
So will he play? The players think he will. Carr's said he won't know for sure until Saturday. Even Mike's mom doesn't know. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3068092
From this smile how could he not play?
The "Game" back to Noon!
The Big Ten and ABC finally did something right this year. They put the "GAME" back to 12:00 on November 17. As many of you might remember, last year's shoot out in Columbus had a 3:30 start time. Noon is where this game belongs! There were reports earlier in the year that this game might show up on the Big Ten Network to prove a point to the cable companies not carrying the BTN. Thank goodness that didn't happen!
Hoosier Trap?
The Lions travel to Indiana to take on the Hoosiers. With #1 Ohio State looming, can the Nittany Lions stay focused?
Thursday Big Ten Big Game Previews
I will preview the Michigan - Illinois game on Friday but every Thursday I will give you a quick preview of the Top Big Ten Games of the week.
3:30 on Saturday: MSU at OSU: Can MSU find the same magic they had in 1998 when they upset the #1 ranked Buckeyes? One thing I know for sure is Mark Dantonio played The Sweater Vest very tough at Cincinnati. Does he know the secrets of the vest? Can he take the Spartans to the promise land? Is the #1 ranked team in the nation jinxed? The answer is maybe but not on Saturday. MSU might play OSU close for a quarter or so, but the Buckeye Defense will be the difference. Final Score: MSU 13 OSU 27.
Noon: Iowa at Purdue: Both of these teams are trying to find themselves. Iowa comes off a big home win against Illinois and Purdue comes off a terrible blow out loss at the Big House. Iowa had lost 8 Big Ten games before beating Illinois and Purdue was ranked just two weeks ago. Purdue finds in offense in this one and beats Iowa with out too much trouble. (look for a couple of onside kicks after the game is out of reach) Final Score: Iowa: 7 Purdue 32
Noon: PSU at IU: Indiana got spanked in East Lansing last week and Coach Paterno is more concerned about female drivers on campus then Indiana this week. PSU starting RB is in lock down at the local jail but JoPa can easily find a Linebacker to fill in. PSU continues to win as the White Out against OSU looms. Final Score: PSU 20 IU 10
The rest of the games are non-conference sleepers. NW vs Eastern Michigan, Wisconsin vs N. Illinois, and Minnesota vs North Dakota State.
Side Note: Hopefully Sammy runs for 300 yards tonight on ESPN 2!
3:30 on Saturday: MSU at OSU: Can MSU find the same magic they had in 1998 when they upset the #1 ranked Buckeyes? One thing I know for sure is Mark Dantonio played The Sweater Vest very tough at Cincinnati. Does he know the secrets of the vest? Can he take the Spartans to the promise land? Is the #1 ranked team in the nation jinxed? The answer is maybe but not on Saturday. MSU might play OSU close for a quarter or so, but the Buckeye Defense will be the difference. Final Score: MSU 13 OSU 27.
Noon: Iowa at Purdue: Both of these teams are trying to find themselves. Iowa comes off a big home win against Illinois and Purdue comes off a terrible blow out loss at the Big House. Iowa had lost 8 Big Ten games before beating Illinois and Purdue was ranked just two weeks ago. Purdue finds in offense in this one and beats Iowa with out too much trouble. (look for a couple of onside kicks after the game is out of reach) Final Score: Iowa: 7 Purdue 32
Noon: PSU at IU: Indiana got spanked in East Lansing last week and Coach Paterno is more concerned about female drivers on campus then Indiana this week. PSU starting RB is in lock down at the local jail but JoPa can easily find a Linebacker to fill in. PSU continues to win as the White Out against OSU looms. Final Score: PSU 20 IU 10
The rest of the games are non-conference sleepers. NW vs Eastern Michigan, Wisconsin vs N. Illinois, and Minnesota vs North Dakota State.
Side Note: Hopefully Sammy runs for 300 yards tonight on ESPN 2!
Welcome to the Big House Blog!
Welcome Wolverine Fans,
Here you will find my opinions, rants, and raves on our Michigan Football program. You will get updates on breaking news, game previews, game reviews, and my biased opinion on why we have all the talent in the world and continue to post 2 and 3 loss seasons.
I grew up in A2 and a Michigan fan for many years. I hope you enjoy my takes as we laugh and cry together as Michigan beats PSU for the 25th time in a row and when the Sweater Vest out coaches us again.
H20 for Heisman!
Enjoy the show! ...............................
Here you will find my opinions, rants, and raves on our Michigan Football program. You will get updates on breaking news, game previews, game reviews, and my biased opinion on why we have all the talent in the world and continue to post 2 and 3 loss seasons.
I grew up in A2 and a Michigan fan for many years. I hope you enjoy my takes as we laugh and cry together as Michigan beats PSU for the 25th time in a row and when the Sweater Vest out coaches us again.
H20 for Heisman!
Enjoy the show! ...............................
Javier Arenas was named Special Teams Player of the Week
Javier Arenas was named Special Teams Player of the Week following his team’s 27-24 victory over Ole Miss in Oxford on Saturday.
Arenas had one of the best games in his career in the win over the Rebels, helping the Tide earn its fifth victory of the season. He returned two punts for 71 yards in the game, including a key play in the fourth quarter. Arenas took an Ole Miss punt back 54 yards to the Rebel 21-yard line with 8:56 left to go in the game, setting up the Tide’s game-tying drive that culminated in Terry Grant’s 3-yard touchdown run.
The Tampa, Fla., native added 93 return yards on the kickoff team, including a 35-yard effort and also played extensively in the Tide secondary as the sixth defensive back. Arenas ranks second in the SEC and is 12th nationally in punt return average with a 16.2 yard per return mark.
Full Story @ rolltide.com
Arenas had one of the best games in his career in the win over the Rebels, helping the Tide earn its fifth victory of the season. He returned two punts for 71 yards in the game, including a key play in the fourth quarter. Arenas took an Ole Miss punt back 54 yards to the Rebel 21-yard line with 8:56 left to go in the game, setting up the Tide’s game-tying drive that culminated in Terry Grant’s 3-yard touchdown run.
The Tampa, Fla., native added 93 return yards on the kickoff team, including a 35-yard effort and also played extensively in the Tide secondary as the sixth defensive back. Arenas ranks second in the SEC and is 12th nationally in punt return average with a 16.2 yard per return mark.
Full Story @ rolltide.com
'Bama vs Ole Miss - Team Stats
In team statistics, Alabama had 26 first downs to 19 for the Rebels, but Mississippi had the better of it in yardage with the Rebs having 143 rushing yards to Bama’s 114 and Ole Miss having 284 passing yards to the Tide’s 365. (In total offense it was Ole Miss 427, Alabama 379.)
Wilson completed 26 of 40 passes for 265 yards. His one interception came when he was hit from behind as he passed. Hall had 11 receptions for 140 yards and Matt Caddell had seven for 49—all in the first half. Grant had 16 rushes for 62 yards, Coffee 12 for 41, and Roy Upchurch five for 39.
Alabama was good on nine of 16 third down plays, the Rebels 4-12. Alabama was penalized three times for 20 yards, Ole Miss six for 47. Alabama had a grand total of two more seconds of playing time—Bama 30:01, Ole Miss 29:59.
Full Story @ alabama.scout.com
Wilson completed 26 of 40 passes for 265 yards. His one interception came when he was hit from behind as he passed. Hall had 11 receptions for 140 yards and Matt Caddell had seven for 49—all in the first half. Grant had 16 rushes for 62 yards, Coffee 12 for 41, and Roy Upchurch five for 39.
Alabama was good on nine of 16 third down plays, the Rebels 4-12. Alabama was penalized three times for 20 yards, Ole Miss six for 47. Alabama had a grand total of two more seconds of playing time—Bama 30:01, Ole Miss 29:59.
Full Story @ alabama.scout.com
GAME DAY! 'Bama vs Ole Miss
Alabama (4-2) at Ole Miss (2-4)
Saturday, October 13th, 12:30 p.m. (et) on LFS (Lincoln Financial Sports) from Oxford, Miss.
Follow the Game Online @ FoxSports
Saturday, October 13th, 12:30 p.m. (et) on LFS (Lincoln Financial Sports) from Oxford, Miss.
Follow the Game Online @ FoxSports
Badgers Come To Town
Both the Lions and the Badgers have been a bit unsettled as of late. Which team will emerge victorious?
Players to Watch in the Ole Miss Game
QB John Parker Wilson -- Wilson seemed to be making progress over the first three games of the season and played well in the third game, leading the Crimson Tide to a dramatic last-minute touchdown drive in a 41-38 win over Arkansas. Since then, he's been mostly ineffective, but coach Nick Saban said, "I'm not as disappointed as everyone else is in John Parker. He's not doing as bad as everyone thinks."
RB Glen Coffee -- In his first career start last week, Coffee ran for 121 yards and a four-yard touchdown on 30 carries and caught six passes for 30 yards. He will most likely continue to share the ball with Terry Grant and Roy Upchurch but Coffee showed he can carry the load.
WR D.J. Hall -- After catching at least three passes for at least 45 yards in each of the first five games, Hall finished with three receptions for 19 yards against Houston. At times, he appears to be frustrated with the offense, especially when he's not the focal point of the passing game.
DE Wallace Gilberry -- Gilberry's impact seems to increase with each game this season. Against Houston, he came through with a team-high 11 tackles, with nine solo stops, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one sack for a safety and two quarterback pressures to earn SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors.
Full Story @ sportsline.com
RB Glen Coffee -- In his first career start last week, Coffee ran for 121 yards and a four-yard touchdown on 30 carries and caught six passes for 30 yards. He will most likely continue to share the ball with Terry Grant and Roy Upchurch but Coffee showed he can carry the load.
WR D.J. Hall -- After catching at least three passes for at least 45 yards in each of the first five games, Hall finished with three receptions for 19 yards against Houston. At times, he appears to be frustrated with the offense, especially when he's not the focal point of the passing game.
DE Wallace Gilberry -- Gilberry's impact seems to increase with each game this season. Against Houston, he came through with a team-high 11 tackles, with nine solo stops, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one sack for a safety and two quarterback pressures to earn SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors.
Full Story @ sportsline.com
Hottest College Football Tickets!
The top five games on the "Hottest Ticket" list are: Cal versus USC, Michigan versus Ohio State, Florida State at Florida, Alabama versus LSU and South Carolina versus Clemson. Only the first three of those games were ranked in the top 5 on last week's list. The remaining USC versus UCLA, Auburn vs Alabama, South Carolina versus Florida, Georgia versus Florida and LSU vs Auburn.
The average ticket price for the following games proves tradition trumps ranking. Michigan versus Ohio State at $569, USC versus UCLA at $527, Auburn versus Alabama at $505 and even Texas versus Texas A&M at $349 are the going rates to attend the traditional rivalries.
Prices will continue to fluctuate throughout the 2007 season and TicketCity.com will continue to update the hottest games list from week-to-week. View the top 25 games list on the TicketCity.com
Full Story @ prweb.com
The average ticket price for the following games proves tradition trumps ranking. Michigan versus Ohio State at $569, USC versus UCLA at $527, Auburn versus Alabama at $505 and even Texas versus Texas A&M at $349 are the going rates to attend the traditional rivalries.
Prices will continue to fluctuate throughout the 2007 season and TicketCity.com will continue to update the hottest games list from week-to-week. View the top 25 games list on the TicketCity.com
Full Story @ prweb.com
Alabama vs. Ole Miss
What to look for when Ole Miss has the ball:
Quarterback Seth Adams has completed 60 percent of his passes for 10 touchdowns and is fourth in the SEC with 226.2 yards per game. However, he is also tied with Brandon Cox for the most interceptions in the SEC, with seven.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis is fifth in the SEC with 95 rushing yards per game and can punish a defense, especially if the passing game is effective.
Ole Miss will line up and pound Alabama's defense with their running game, but they will also take shots down the field with Adams to speedy receivers like Mike Wallace, who averages 22 yards per catch.
Key match-up for Alabama: John Parker Wilson vs. Rebel secondary:
If Wilson and the rest of the passing game comes out clicking on all cylinders Saturday, it probably won't be a close game for long.
The Crimson Tide will try to establish the run, but Wilson connecting - or not connecting - with receivers on big plays will be the difference for the Tide offense.
Key match-up for Ole Miss: Rebel defense vs. Alabama run game:
Wilson may be tremendous on Saturday, but until he proves it, the key for Ole Miss is to stack the box, stop the run and force Alabama to beat them through the air.
Full Story @ sports.yahoo.com
Quarterback Seth Adams has completed 60 percent of his passes for 10 touchdowns and is fourth in the SEC with 226.2 yards per game. However, he is also tied with Brandon Cox for the most interceptions in the SEC, with seven.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis is fifth in the SEC with 95 rushing yards per game and can punish a defense, especially if the passing game is effective.
Ole Miss will line up and pound Alabama's defense with their running game, but they will also take shots down the field with Adams to speedy receivers like Mike Wallace, who averages 22 yards per catch.
Key match-up for Alabama: John Parker Wilson vs. Rebel secondary:
If Wilson and the rest of the passing game comes out clicking on all cylinders Saturday, it probably won't be a close game for long.
The Crimson Tide will try to establish the run, but Wilson connecting - or not connecting - with receivers on big plays will be the difference for the Tide offense.
Key match-up for Ole Miss: Rebel defense vs. Alabama run game:
Wilson may be tremendous on Saturday, but until he proves it, the key for Ole Miss is to stack the box, stop the run and force Alabama to beat them through the air.
Full Story @ sports.yahoo.com
Injury Update - Ole Miss game
LB Keith Saunders (bruised knee), safety Ali Sharrief (neck) and DE Bobby Greenwood (sprained ankle) are all questionable for the Ole Miss game.
SEC Coaches Performance Report
Our analysis is a big picture evaluation which includes a lot of factors. We are not evaluating how well a coach calls a game, unless he completely blows it with the potential of losing the confidence of his team. In our opinion, the SEC has twelve of the best coaches in the nation.
The confidence factor is our confidence in the program going forward; Five ***** being the highest rating. If you want to play at home, send us your rankings. Until then, enjoy. It is a volatile market. The stars indicate how we are feeling about a particular coach and this years team , but what really matters is the rank order of the coaches week to week.
Alabama has to figure out how to put together two good halves of football. Alabama took an early lead against Houston but had to squeak out a win 30-24. Our belief is a win is a win; so we still like the Tide. Bama travels to Oxford this weekend to play Ole Miss in a 11:30 am CT game carried by Lincoln Financial. We will keep Alabama at a 4**** confidence rating, but we will put them on our watch list for this weekend.
Complete SEC Coaches Report @ secsportsreport.com
The confidence factor is our confidence in the program going forward; Five ***** being the highest rating. If you want to play at home, send us your rankings. Until then, enjoy. It is a volatile market. The stars indicate how we are feeling about a particular coach and this years team , but what really matters is the rank order of the coaches week to week.
Alabama has to figure out how to put together two good halves of football. Alabama took an early lead against Houston but had to squeak out a win 30-24. Our belief is a win is a win; so we still like the Tide. Bama travels to Oxford this weekend to play Ole Miss in a 11:30 am CT game carried by Lincoln Financial. We will keep Alabama at a 4**** confidence rating, but we will put them on our watch list for this weekend.
Complete SEC Coaches Report @ secsportsreport.com
Predicted Outcome: Alabama 24, Ole Miss 20
Alabama is averaging 30.7 ppg and 403.5 total ypg. The offense has proven capable of moving the ball effectively both on the ground and through the air. Of the 22 offensive touchdowns that the Tide has managed, 13 have come via the running game. Terry Grant leads the ground attack with 531 rushing yards and five touchdowns, as he is averaging a stellar 6.2 ypc. D.J. Hall is the most dangerous receiver on the roster, as he has made 26 catches and is averaging 16.9 yards per grab. John Parker Wilson has started all six games under center, and he has completed 54 percent of his passes for 1,248 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions.
The Rebels are far from explosive offensively, as they are averaging 21.7 ppg and 346.5 total ypg. They have a hard time running the football, as their averages of 110.0 ypg and 3.8 ypc clearly indicate. In fact, of the 13 touchdowns that the offense has managed, only two have come on the ground. It's not as if there isn't a talented tailback on the roster. BJ Green-Ellis is a strong runner who is more than capable of big performances, but he has found few holes to run through. Seth Adams has taken almost every snap thus far, and he has completed 59.1 percent of his passes for 1,357 yards and 10 touchdowns with seven interceptions.
Full Story @ kansascity.com
The Rebels are far from explosive offensively, as they are averaging 21.7 ppg and 346.5 total ypg. They have a hard time running the football, as their averages of 110.0 ypg and 3.8 ypc clearly indicate. In fact, of the 13 touchdowns that the offense has managed, only two have come on the ground. It's not as if there isn't a talented tailback on the roster. BJ Green-Ellis is a strong runner who is more than capable of big performances, but he has found few holes to run through. Seth Adams has taken almost every snap thus far, and he has completed 59.1 percent of his passes for 1,357 yards and 10 touchdowns with seven interceptions.
Full Story @ kansascity.com
Key to the Ole Miss Game? Intensity for the ENTIRE GAME!
The Crimson Tide ventures back into Southeastern Conference play this weekend, with a trip to struggling Ole Miss. Though Alabama (4-2, 2-1 SEC) is certain to be a heavy favorite against the last-place Rebels (2-4, 0-3), the Crimson Tide has had trouble putting teams away after building early leads this season.
Saban openly questioned his team's ability to sustain its intensity for an entire game, both after Saturday's win and again in his Monday press conference. Defensive end Wallace Gilberry said the players had already noticed the problem by the end of the Houston game.
'It's kind of funny, man, because that's how we've been playing... it's like a video game,' Gilberry said. 'Once you and your buddies are playing, when you get up 21-0, you put the sticks down and cut the game off. We need to realize that this is real life. There is no starting over.
'The team on the other side of the ball is trying to come back and win. Once we get that NCAA 2008 (football video game) mentality out of our heads, we are going to be pretty good.'
But realizing the problem and correcting it are too different things. Rest assured, though, Saban and the Crimson Tide coaches will drill sustaining intensity into their players' heads during this week's practice sessions.
'It's a habit, like anything else,' Saban said. 'I don't think you can just tell everybody to focus, and everybody focuses. They're gonna focus for five minutes, or they're going to focus for three hours.
'You can't get a shot for it. There's no vaccine for that. That's learned. It's a habit. We've got to make the players aware of it. They have to practice with focus, because it carries over into the game.'
Full Story @ topix.net
Saban openly questioned his team's ability to sustain its intensity for an entire game, both after Saturday's win and again in his Monday press conference. Defensive end Wallace Gilberry said the players had already noticed the problem by the end of the Houston game.
'It's kind of funny, man, because that's how we've been playing... it's like a video game,' Gilberry said. 'Once you and your buddies are playing, when you get up 21-0, you put the sticks down and cut the game off. We need to realize that this is real life. There is no starting over.
'The team on the other side of the ball is trying to come back and win. Once we get that NCAA 2008 (football video game) mentality out of our heads, we are going to be pretty good.'
But realizing the problem and correcting it are too different things. Rest assured, though, Saban and the Crimson Tide coaches will drill sustaining intensity into their players' heads during this week's practice sessions.
'It's a habit, like anything else,' Saban said. 'I don't think you can just tell everybody to focus, and everybody focuses. They're gonna focus for five minutes, or they're going to focus for three hours.
'You can't get a shot for it. There's no vaccine for that. That's learned. It's a habit. We've got to make the players aware of it. They have to practice with focus, because it carries over into the game.'
Full Story @ topix.net
The Alabama-Tennessee Football Game is in danger of not being televised Nationally for the First Time in almost Two Decades.
CBS has requested and been granted a third and final six-day selection period from the SEC for games on Oct. 20. The SEC's television network partner will have until Monday to decide between carrying UT-Alabama or Florida-Kentucky at 3:30 p.m.
Lincoln Financial will carry whichever game CBS doesn't select regionally. ESPN already has selected Auburn-LSU for the other nationally televised game.
The last time UT's game with the Crimson Tide wasn't carried nationally was in 1988, when UT was 0-5 heading into the traditional rivalry.
Full Story @ govolsxtra.comJohn Parker Wilson - Injured?
Junior quarterback John Parker Wilson was obviously hobbling on his left ankle (or foot) was after taking a hit on the 27-yard reception to junior tight end Nick Walker with 12:09 remaining in the third quarter. At that point, he was 12 of 17 for 131 yards and two touchdowns. From then on, he went 3-for-10 with an interception and 26 yards. The injury didn’t seem to really start nagging him until the Tide’s first possession of the fourth quarter. On the first play, an opposing player landed right on his ankle/foot, and two plays later another piled on late on the quarterback sneak, again on the sensitive area. Wilson seemed to aggravate it a final time on the first play of the following possession, when he took a 1-yard sack. Wilson was 2-for-9 on third downs, resulting in just one first down, and completed his only pass in the red zone, the 10-yard gain that made senior DJ Hall the Tide’s all-time receptions leader. Three passes were deflected at the line. Also of note, Alabama changed its cadence. While the Tide was called for two false starts (Smith and Walker), and Houston twice for being offside, it clearly gave the Cougars some problems.
Full Story @ tuscaloosanews.com
Full Story @ tuscaloosanews.com
'Bama's Problem is Execution - Post Game Comments (Houston Game)
After the game, Alabama coach Nick Saban addressed his concerns about some of the offensive decision making for the first time this season.
“I don’t know what it is, but we’ve got to find a way to be more balanced,” Saban said. “In the second half, it seemed like we were trying to run the football way too much. They were bringing everything they had, and it gets difficult to block that. When we’ve spread the field vertically it’s usually turned into a touchdown. I think we need to be doing more things like that.”
So was Saban taking a shot at Applewhite’s playing calling? When asked that question, the Tide coach said no because all decisions go through him.
Instead, the Alabama coach is sticking with the opinion that the problem is execution.
“You’ve got to have faith that your players can make the plays that are necessary,” he said. “If I had a problem with the plays that were being called, I’d just change the play to a pass. All the calls go through me anyway.”
Full Story @ cullmantimes.com
“I don’t know what it is, but we’ve got to find a way to be more balanced,” Saban said. “In the second half, it seemed like we were trying to run the football way too much. They were bringing everything they had, and it gets difficult to block that. When we’ve spread the field vertically it’s usually turned into a touchdown. I think we need to be doing more things like that.”
So was Saban taking a shot at Applewhite’s playing calling? When asked that question, the Tide coach said no because all decisions go through him.
Instead, the Alabama coach is sticking with the opinion that the problem is execution.
“You’ve got to have faith that your players can make the plays that are necessary,” he said. “If I had a problem with the plays that were being called, I’d just change the play to a pass. All the calls go through me anyway.”
Full Story @ cullmantimes.com
DJ Hall - 153 Career Receptions for 2,357 Yards and 14 Touchdowns.
DJ Hall is now the Crimson Tide’s all-time leader for receptions.
Hall finished with three catches for 19 yards. He now has 153 career receptions for 2,357 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Hall already has Alabama records for most receiving yards in both a season and career, and most consecutive 100-yard games. He’s caught at least one pass in 25 consecutive games dating back to the 2005 season, although he was suspended for a game last year.
Full Story @ tidesports.com
Hall finished with three catches for 19 yards. He now has 153 career receptions for 2,357 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Hall already has Alabama records for most receiving yards in both a season and career, and most consecutive 100-yard games. He’s caught at least one pass in 25 consecutive games dating back to the 2005 season, although he was suspended for a game last year.
Full Story @ tidesports.com
'Bama vs Houston Just Enough to Escape with a "W"
After stunning the Houston Cougars for three touchdowns in the first quarter, the Alabama offense wilted in the following three quarters and had to watch its defense preserve the 30-24 homecoming victory Saturday afternoon.
Even with a career performance from running back Glen Coffee, the Crimson Tide offense sputtered when the defense needed late support.
After building a 30-10 lead by the end of the third quarter, Alabama’s offensive woes fueled the Cougars’ comeback as they struck for two touchdowns and pulled within 30-24.
Wilson’s interception occurred in the final three minutes of the game and almost proved fatal, as Houston drove to the Alabama 15-yard line following the turnover. Only an interception by the Crimson Tide’s Simeon Castille on the game’s final play averted disaster.
Full Story @ tidesports.com
Even with a career performance from running back Glen Coffee, the Crimson Tide offense sputtered when the defense needed late support.
After building a 30-10 lead by the end of the third quarter, Alabama’s offensive woes fueled the Cougars’ comeback as they struck for two touchdowns and pulled within 30-24.
Wilson’s interception occurred in the final three minutes of the game and almost proved fatal, as Houston drove to the Alabama 15-yard line following the turnover. Only an interception by the Crimson Tide’s Simeon Castille on the game’s final play averted disaster.
Full Story @ tidesports.com
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Houston Cougars
Kickoff Saturday, October 6, 2007 at 2:07 p.m. CT
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Houston Cougars
Follow the game online CLICK HERE!
Source Fox Sports (Game Trax - Head to Head)
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Houston Cougars
Follow the game online CLICK HERE!
Source Fox Sports (Game Trax - Head to Head)
What are these Nittany Lions made of?
After two tough losses on the road, can Penn State rebound against the Iowa Hawkeyes? It's "gut check" time for the Nittany Lions.
'Bama vs Houston - Bama's a 10 1/2 Point Favorite
The Tide (3-2) has lost back-to-back games by a combined 10 points to Florida State and, in overtime, Georgia.
That means Alabama, a 10 1/2-point favorite, isn't feeling quite so confident as to presume that the team will improve to 10-0 all-time against the Cougars and get a little respite after the close games.
Offensively, the Tide has gotten behind in recent games and had to rely more heavily on the pass than on running Terry Grant and Glen Coffee. But Houston is allowing 178 yards rushing, which ranks 81st nationally.
Tide quarterback John Parker Wilson figures the Cougars will have plenty of motivation to win this one.
"They're getting a chance to come in here and try to beat Alabama," Wilson said. "They're going to be as pumped up as they're ever going to be. We realize that, and we just lost a game so we're going to be pretty pumped up, too."
Full Story @ khou.com/sports
That means Alabama, a 10 1/2-point favorite, isn't feeling quite so confident as to presume that the team will improve to 10-0 all-time against the Cougars and get a little respite after the close games.
Offensively, the Tide has gotten behind in recent games and had to rely more heavily on the pass than on running Terry Grant and Glen Coffee. But Houston is allowing 178 yards rushing, which ranks 81st nationally.
Tide quarterback John Parker Wilson figures the Cougars will have plenty of motivation to win this one.
"They're getting a chance to come in here and try to beat Alabama," Wilson said. "They're going to be as pumped up as they're ever going to be. We realize that, and we just lost a game so we're going to be pretty pumped up, too."
Full Story @ khou.com/sports
Hall - Alabama’s All-Time Leader for Receptions? Just 3 Catches Away!
Hall set Alabama records for most receiving yards (season), most consecutive 100-yard games (season), most receiving yards (career) and most 100-yard games (career). On Saturday, when the Crimson Tide faces the Houston Cougars, Hall can add his name to the top of one more list in the record books.
He is three catches shy of becoming Alabama’s all-time leader for receptions. Hall currently has 150 career receptions and trails Freddie Milons’ (1998-2001) school record of 152 career receptions by two entering Saturday’s homecoming game.
Full Story @ RollTide.com
He is three catches shy of becoming Alabama’s all-time leader for receptions. Hall currently has 150 career receptions and trails Freddie Milons’ (1998-2001) school record of 152 career receptions by two entering Saturday’s homecoming game.
Full Story @ RollTide.com
Saban Comments on South Florida!
Alabama coach Nick Saban took a shot at the Bulls Tuesday in the Birmingham News, suggesting that they admit players who don't qualify in other programs. "The distribution of players is not the same for everybody," he told the News. "There's a significant amount of players who don't qualify (at some schools) and they end up being pretty good players at some other schools. I think there are six guys starting on South Florida's defense who probably could have gone to Florida or Florida State but Florida and Florida State couldn't take them. And if you do a good job of recruiting that way ..." USF coach Jim Leavitt and his players defended the program. Leavitt said only two Bulls were non-qualifiers to play as a freshman and both are on track to graduate. "For a guy to make a statement like that is ... not right," he said. "It's a knock on our program." Senior cornerback Mike Jenkins found Saban's statement ironic because Jenkins had spurned a scholarship offer from the coach, then at LSU.
Full Story @ FoxSports
Full Story @ FoxSports
Keys to the Houston Game:
Alabama Play Calling:
The running game, featuring speedsters such as Terry Grant and Roy Upchurch, who are complimented by bruisers like Glen Coffee and Jimmy Johns, the plethora of quality running backs needs to play a bigger role. If so, defenses will be forced to creep up closer to the line, leaving D.J. Hall and the rest of the receiving corps more capable of making big plays.
Houston Rush Defense:
The Cougars use a 4-2-5 scheme, and return a strong defensive front this season. After starting the season by giving up an astounding 339 rushing yards to an underrated Oregon backfield, the Houston defense has given up 85, 153, and 139 yards on the ground to Tulane, Colorado State, and East Carolina, respectively. To tango with the Tide for four solid quarters, the Cougars will have to play lights-out against the run, plain and simple.
Third Down Efficiency:
To give hope to fading visions of high-scoring success, the Alabama offense must improve its third down conversion percentage. After producing on only 3 of 15 third downs against Georgia, the Tide continued stalling against Florida State (6 of 16). Houston’s two quarterbacks, Blake Joseph and Case Keenum, are both completing better than 62% of their passes, a solid, albeit not spectacular, aspect of their offense. Look for phenom senior receiver Donnie Avery to play a big part in third and long situations for the Cougars.
Alabama’s Defense:
The Tide is surrendering a manageable 330 yards of offense per game, whereas Houston has produced 483 yards per contest. To compliment a stellar passing game, Houston also boasts a productive duo of running backs in Anthony Aldridge and Terrance Ganaway. Aldridge, a senior, led the nation last season when he averaged 10.1 yards per carry, even though he only tallied a minute 95 rushes. Don’t be surprised to see Houston bust a few big runs on a Tide defense expecting the long throw every once in a while.
Game Time:
As it did against Georgia and Florida State, will Alabama forget to show up before the second half is underway?
Full Story @ MVN.COM
Alabama Play Calling:
The running game, featuring speedsters such as Terry Grant and Roy Upchurch, who are complimented by bruisers like Glen Coffee and Jimmy Johns, the plethora of quality running backs needs to play a bigger role. If so, defenses will be forced to creep up closer to the line, leaving D.J. Hall and the rest of the receiving corps more capable of making big plays.
Houston Rush Defense:
The Cougars use a 4-2-5 scheme, and return a strong defensive front this season. After starting the season by giving up an astounding 339 rushing yards to an underrated Oregon backfield, the Houston defense has given up 85, 153, and 139 yards on the ground to Tulane, Colorado State, and East Carolina, respectively. To tango with the Tide for four solid quarters, the Cougars will have to play lights-out against the run, plain and simple.
Third Down Efficiency:
To give hope to fading visions of high-scoring success, the Alabama offense must improve its third down conversion percentage. After producing on only 3 of 15 third downs against Georgia, the Tide continued stalling against Florida State (6 of 16). Houston’s two quarterbacks, Blake Joseph and Case Keenum, are both completing better than 62% of their passes, a solid, albeit not spectacular, aspect of their offense. Look for phenom senior receiver Donnie Avery to play a big part in third and long situations for the Cougars.
Alabama’s Defense:
The Tide is surrendering a manageable 330 yards of offense per game, whereas Houston has produced 483 yards per contest. To compliment a stellar passing game, Houston also boasts a productive duo of running backs in Anthony Aldridge and Terrance Ganaway. Aldridge, a senior, led the nation last season when he averaged 10.1 yards per carry, even though he only tallied a minute 95 rushes. Don’t be surprised to see Houston bust a few big runs on a Tide defense expecting the long throw every once in a while.
Game Time:
As it did against Georgia and Florida State, will Alabama forget to show up before the second half is underway?
Full Story @ MVN.COM
Idiot 'Bama fans will be Punished
University of Alabama students who threw cups at University of Georgia players celebrating their victory over the Crimson Tide will be punished.
Delta Kappa Epsilon and Theta Chi fraternities will lose their seats close to the field for the next two home games, according to The Tuscaloosa News.
For a first offense, the student will be forbidden from attending the next three games of that team with a student ticket. The punishment would extend into the next season if necessary. Andreen said the student must also attend "Capstone Character Class."
If caught twice, the student cannot buy student tickets for that sport again. After a third violation, the student will be barred from all sporting events for the rest of his or her academic career.
Story @ WSBTV
Delta Kappa Epsilon and Theta Chi fraternities will lose their seats close to the field for the next two home games, according to The Tuscaloosa News.
For a first offense, the student will be forbidden from attending the next three games of that team with a student ticket. The punishment would extend into the next season if necessary. Andreen said the student must also attend "Capstone Character Class."
If caught twice, the student cannot buy student tickets for that sport again. After a third violation, the student will be barred from all sporting events for the rest of his or her academic career.
Story @ WSBTV
Saban Drops in SEC Coaches Power Poll
Nick Saban was our early star but he is moving away fast. We liked the way his team came back on Arkansas. We thought they could beat a more talented Florida State team. We were wrong. Saban did a good job of keeping it close; however Florida State wanted it more. This week Alabama hosts Houston (2-2) and it should be a good non-conference game. Pay per view. We are going keep this team at a 4**** confidence rating; but they are on the watch list because they did not play great ball.
Story @ SecSportsReport.com
Story @ SecSportsReport.com
Recruiting News - Defensive End Toby Jackson & Offensive Lineman Omoregie Uzzi
Georgia-bound Griffin defensive end Toby Jackson said he intends to continue making rounds throughout the ACC and SEC this fall.
“I still want to go to games at Tennessee, Florida State, Clemson, Auburn, Alabama and Georgia,” said Jackson, who attended Georgia’s victory over Oklahoma State and Mississippi State’s upset win over Auburn earlier this month.
After implying that his commitment with Georgia is solid, Jackson went on to say he his intrigued by Alabama.
“I like Alabama a lot,” Jackson said. “Some of the things Georgia has, Alabama also has like the atmosphere, coaches and environment.
“And [Alabama coach] Nick Saban will recruit a lot of guys like myself and be deep.”
Chamblee offensive lineman Omoregie Uzzi continues to consider scholarship offers from programs such as Alabama, Auburn, Central Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Virginia.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound Uzzi was a guest of the Crimson Tide during Alabama’s overtime loss to Georgia on Saturday.
Full Story @ ajc.com/sports
“I still want to go to games at Tennessee, Florida State, Clemson, Auburn, Alabama and Georgia,” said Jackson, who attended Georgia’s victory over Oklahoma State and Mississippi State’s upset win over Auburn earlier this month.
After implying that his commitment with Georgia is solid, Jackson went on to say he his intrigued by Alabama.
“I like Alabama a lot,” Jackson said. “Some of the things Georgia has, Alabama also has like the atmosphere, coaches and environment.
“And [Alabama coach] Nick Saban will recruit a lot of guys like myself and be deep.”
Chamblee offensive lineman Omoregie Uzzi continues to consider scholarship offers from programs such as Alabama, Auburn, Central Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Virginia.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound Uzzi was a guest of the Crimson Tide during Alabama’s overtime loss to Georgia on Saturday.
Full Story @ ajc.com/sports
ESPN's No. 1-Ranked Player in the Country for 2008
Wide receiver Julio Jones (Foley High School), the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2008.
Jones is a rare athlete, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Jones possesses all the physical tools to be an impact player at the next level. In 2006, he hauled in 72 receptions for more than 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns while garnering first team all-state honors.
He has garnered offers from most of the top schools in the country, and he is presumably The No. 1 overall prospect on a lot of their boards. Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Miami and Florida all appear to be high-interest schools, but the reserved prospect prefers not to state any favorites and is not in a hurry to make a choice.
Full Story @ sports.espn.go.com
Jones is a rare athlete, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Jones possesses all the physical tools to be an impact player at the next level. In 2006, he hauled in 72 receptions for more than 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns while garnering first team all-state honors.
He has garnered offers from most of the top schools in the country, and he is presumably The No. 1 overall prospect on a lot of their boards. Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Miami and Florida all appear to be high-interest schools, but the reserved prospect prefers not to state any favorites and is not in a hurry to make a choice.
Full Story @ sports.espn.go.com
Injury Updates 10/2
Defensive lineman Bobby Greenwood’s ankle injury makes him questionable for Saturday’s homecoming game against Houston, Saban said.
Brian Motley played Saturday and came out OK.
Tight end Travis McCall and wide receiver Keith Brown left the game with head injuries. Both practiced Monday and are expected back.
Full Story @ nbc13.com
Brian Motley played Saturday and came out OK.
Tight end Travis McCall and wide receiver Keith Brown left the game with head injuries. Both practiced Monday and are expected back.
Full Story @ nbc13.com
TV Game info.. Houston & Ole Miss
Alabama plays Houston at 2 p.m. this Saturday in its homecoming game. Live broadcast is pay-per-view only.
Next Saturday, the Crimson Tide plays at 11:30 a.m. at Ole Miss in the Lincoln Financial Game of the Week.
Next Saturday, the Crimson Tide plays at 11:30 a.m. at Ole Miss in the Lincoln Financial Game of the Week.
Alabama Football brings in an Average of $12.7 Million Per Game
An interesting read ....
The multibillion-dollar football industry doesn't just make players and team owners rich; the wealth can spread down to any entrepreneur, no matter how unrelated to quarterbacks and touchdowns the company might seem.
For instance, a 2000 study by a group of Virginia Tech economists discovered that football fans spent approximately $1.7 million in their county every time a home game took place. Down South, the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama concluded that Alabama football brings in an average of $12.7 million per game for the businesses in the Tuscaloosa area. And after Katrina hit, one of the first businesses to be re-established was the New Orleans Saints, in part because the franchise made the state more than $80 million annually.
Full Story @ thestreet.com
The multibillion-dollar football industry doesn't just make players and team owners rich; the wealth can spread down to any entrepreneur, no matter how unrelated to quarterbacks and touchdowns the company might seem.
For instance, a 2000 study by a group of Virginia Tech economists discovered that football fans spent approximately $1.7 million in their county every time a home game took place. Down South, the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama concluded that Alabama football brings in an average of $12.7 million per game for the businesses in the Tuscaloosa area. And after Katrina hit, one of the first businesses to be re-established was the New Orleans Saints, in part because the franchise made the state more than $80 million annually.
Full Story @ thestreet.com
'Bama Battered Physically - Here comes Houston!
The Crimson Tide will need as many healthy bodies as it can get Saturday against Houston, the defending Conference USA champions. The Cougars rank 15th nationally in total offense at 483.5 yards per game and are in the top 25 in rushing offense, passing offense and passing efficiency. Houston’s 33.5 points per game ranks 33rd in scoring average.
Saturday is also Alabama's homecoming, and comes before a three-game stretch of games against Ole Miss, Tennessee and LSU, meaning now is the time for the Crimson Tide to begin to re-route a season that looked so promising two weeks ago.
Full Story @ ledger-enquirer.com
Saturday is also Alabama's homecoming, and comes before a three-game stretch of games against Ole Miss, Tennessee and LSU, meaning now is the time for the Crimson Tide to begin to re-route a season that looked so promising two weeks ago.
Full Story @ ledger-enquirer.com
'Bama from AP #22 to AP #35
Alabama's two-week stint in the nation's top 25 polls ended with Saturday's 21-14 loss to Florida State.
The Seminoles climbed to 26th in the AP poll ahead of the Crimson Tide, which fell from No. 22 to No. 35. Alabama opened the season at No. 32 and rose as high as No. 16 after its 3-0 start.
Nick Saban's Tide fell to No. 40 in this week's USA Today coaches poll.
Full Story @ Press-Register
The Seminoles climbed to 26th in the AP poll ahead of the Crimson Tide, which fell from No. 22 to No. 35. Alabama opened the season at No. 32 and rose as high as No. 16 after its 3-0 start.
Nick Saban's Tide fell to No. 40 in this week's USA Today coaches poll.
Full Story @ Press-Register
'Injuries are Becoming a Factor
Health is also once again becoming an issue for the Crimson Tide, with two key players facing uncertain immediate futures on the field. Tight end Travis McCall (concussion) and defensive end Bobby Greenwood (ankle) had to be helped from the field on Saturday, and the extent of their injuries won't be known until today at the earliest.
Linebacker Darren Mustin returned to action Saturday after missing a game and a half with a neck stinger, but sat out most of the fourth quarter with a thigh bruise.
Defensive tackle Brian Motley did play for the first time on Saturday after missing four weeks with a fractured ankle, but is still being worked slowly back into the lineup.
Story @ ledger-enquirer.com
Linebacker Darren Mustin returned to action Saturday after missing a game and a half with a neck stinger, but sat out most of the fourth quarter with a thigh bruise.
Defensive tackle Brian Motley did play for the first time on Saturday after missing four weeks with a fractured ankle, but is still being worked slowly back into the lineup.
Story @ ledger-enquirer.com
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