When you have a 9 month old battling pneumonia and a 2 and a half year old that’s bed time is 9, it makes it difficult to watch the game. Since I couldn’t watch last night, I watched the game this morning. Here are my thoughts.

1) First road test for these young guys and they handled it about how you’d expect. They were loose with the ball and didn’t shoot great for most of the game, but they still played excellent defense. This was a great game to have on the schedule to get this team used to playing on the road and while USA isn’t a good team, they’re a team full of 23 year olds that are very smart and know how to play. Oh, and JQ is back! That will be a huge help to the Tide as he is back a few weeks ahead of schedule. Look for him to get eased into action.

2) Alabama is +66 in rebounding through 3 games. You can tell this whole team sells out to crash the boards and that has been a glaring difference in the team this year and last. Very selfless and makes winning plays. They didn’t shoot well last night, but still made 10 threes which should be about their average. This was also the second game they’ve had 20 turnovers in a game, but that will correct itself as these guys gets experience.

3) This game really wasn’t close most of the second half. Alabama led by as many 20 and got complacent late in the game to make the score look decently close. If you love watching defense and effort, then you’ll love watching this Alabama team this season. It’s refreshing seeing a team playing as hard as they do on defense, even when the shots aren’t falling on the other end.

Here's a look at how Alabama and Austin Peay stack up on paper via their high school star ratings.

jumping out way ahead of south alabama in the ncaa tournament and getting beat at the buzzer on a three-point shot. that was a good bama team. don`t remember the year.

from Matt Hayes :”In the past 5 recruiting classes, Alabama has produced a top-10 NFL Draft pick (Evan Neal), and 3 starters and 5 backups on the 2-deep depth chart from 18 recruits. A more damning way to look at it: 4 of the 18 recruits have developed into starters. In 5 classes.”

Wow..


Wide receivers - without Jameson last year bama is just another average team.

Imagine how much Slade Bolden would help this year ( might have been leading receiver ) .. nuff said

Offensive and defensive lines lack a star

*A Vandy player/ Left tackle had to be brought in to shore up the unit on offense.

Defensive backs - again a transfer is starting

Gibbs is a stud .. but brings up the point : how bad off would bama offense be without his transfer to Tuscaloosa ? Again a reflection on the recruiting

what do y’all think?

Those #1 classes are looking a little bit like paper tigers.

How fast can Bama get the recruiting corrected ?

nobody has got to 60 on us yet. impressive start to the season. be glad when we get 100% healthy. roll tide

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Nick Saban spoke to reporters Wednesday for his final press conference before No. 8 Alabama takes on FCS opponent Austin Peay on Saturday at 11 a.m. inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Here’s a transcript of what he said as well as my takes on what it means.

Opening Statement

"You know, we talk a lot about culture, we talk a lot about identity, but really what makes you sort of motivated — what creates an identity for all of us? We all strive for self-respect, but how do we go about doing it?

"There's a lot of successful people who really aspire to accomplish certain things. They have goals and aspirations, they know exactly what they have to do to do it and they go about every day with a positive attitude — a lot of positive mindset to try to accomplish those things — and when they get to it, they usually have success because they're well-prepared.

"And then a lot of other people need something bad to happen, need to get humiliated before they really sort of respond — because their pride is hurt, their self-respect is hurt — and then they really respond and do well in things.

"It's a life lesson for all of us to choose the first path and that goes a long way in creating an identity for you as a person as well as for us as a team and that's certainly what we're trying to strive for to finish this season. Playing this game for what we want to accomplish, what we want to do, re-establish the identity that we want in Alabama football and that's what we're gonna try to finish and do and it'll be interesting to see how players choose to do that.

"I told the players earlier in the week, I said 'Nobody should be able to come to practice and watch practice and be able to know who we're playing this week.' If you're really motivated to do things the right way and you wanna go play well regardless, then nobody would be able to come here and know who we're playing because it's how you go about your work, it's what you do and I think that's the culture that we're trying to create and what we're trying to get our players to understand and try to do.

"I think a lot of them do it well, some of them are learning lessons on how to do it well."

Tony’s take: This wasn’t the tin-horn speech, but Saban did seem frustrated by his team’s effort coming out of Wednesday’s practice. Too often this season, Alabama hasn’t taken the necessary steps to achieve sustained greatness. That has cost the team in both of its losses as well as several other close calls throughout the year. Saban is right in that it seems like this bunch often waits to face adversity during games before playing up to its full potential.

Austin Peay won’t threaten Alabama this weekend, but the game will be a valuable opportunity for the Crimson Tide to work on playing a complete game regardless of the circumstances.

On if it’s surreal to coach players like Tra Stover, whose dad he coached at Alabama

"Yeah, but that started a long time ago. I mean, I coached Mark Ingram's dad. Yeah, it is but also... [laughs] It also makes me aware of how long I've been doing it, but in a good way. In a good way.

"So yeah it does, but I actually didn't know that. I knew the name of the player, but I never made the association. Appreciate you telling me that."

Tony’s take: Austin Peay defensive back Tra Stover is the son of former Alabama receiver Nikita Stover, who played under Saban during his first two seasons in charge of the Crimson Tide. Saban turned 71 last month and has said he has no plans of hanging up the whistle any time soon. The real question is if we’ll see Saban coach Mark Ingram III in his mid-80s. Probably not... right?

On the injury status of Eli Ricks and Jahmyr Gibbs

"Well we'll see. They're kind of day-to-day in terms of how they're doing, what they're doing and we won't be able to make that determination until closer to the game."

Tony’s take: There’s no point at all in rushing back either Ricks or Gibbs to face Austin Peay. If they are at any risk of further injuring themselves, expect them to sit this one out.

On the progression of the freshmen wide receivers this season

"You know I think the freshmen receivers are a very talented group and I think there have been times when each one of them have made really, really good plays. I think the biggest things is — with young players — is that consistency in performance. They're not used to the grind of this kind of competition over this long a period of time and that comes with experience, it comes with maturity. But I'm very encouraged by that entire class.

"I mean, Emmanuel Henderson has done really, really well, too. He's starting to really blossom on special teams, he knows what he's doing at receiver now, he's very explosive. So you've seen like all the other freshmen that have played to some degree.

"A couple of other guys that are talented guys like Aaron Anderson has been hurt. He's finally healthy and you can see what his potential might be, but it's kind of late in the season to try to get these guys involved in what's happening. But I'm very encouraged about that group."

Tony’s take: Saban seems far more pleased with this season’s freshman class of receivers than last year’s. Alabama hasn’t had to deal with freshmen whining about playing time while not putting in the necessary steps to make it on the field. Instead, this year’s bunch features players like Kendrick Law and Emmanuel Henderson, who have excelled at special teams while waiting their turn at receiver.

The news about Aaron Anderson is a huge positive moving forward. His downfield threat has been missed this season, and he’s definitely one to watch as a breakout candidate next year.

On Pete Golding

“I think Pete has done a really, really good job. He’s very bright. He articulates well with the players. He’s a good teacher. I think he’s a good motivator. I think the players respond well to him. He’s added some things that has helped us get better. I think he’s done a very good job with the personnel that we have, and I just really appreciate the really good job that he’s done. I think he’s made really positive steps every year since he’s been here. I love hiring younger guys like that and let them grow and develop in the organization, and he’s certainly done a fantastic job of that.”

Tony’s take: Much to the surprise of several Alabama fans, Golding was named as a finalist for this year’s Broyles Award given to the nation's top assistant coach. While it could be argued that the defensive coordinator could have gotten more out of his unit this season, the Crimson Tide ranks in the top 20 nationally in scoring defense, total defense and rushing defense.

Like it or not, Golding will likely be back as Alabama’s defensive coordinator next season. That’s probably not a bad thing as the Crimson Tide could very well be making a change on the other side of the ball. Too much change can be a bad thing, and in my opinion, Alabama could do much worse than having Golding in charge of its defense another year.

On if there is a metric to keep track of blue-collar plays

“I’ve been coaching a long time, so you have to define what a blue-collar play is to me. I mean, offensive linemen, they’ve gotta blue-collar play every down. Some positions more than others. Some positions, every time you score a touchdown, you get accolades. Every time you throw a long touchdown pass, you get accolades. Every time you get an interception, you get accolades. But people who play on special teams, people who are core members of the team, who embrace their role, whatever it is, and they do it extremely well and they wanna contribute in every way that they can, even though it may be a small way, they do it the right way. I think those guys are all blue-collar guys. That’s the way I would define it I guess.”

Tony’s take: Unlike Nate Oats, Saban isn’t passing out a Hard Hat Award. Still, blue-collar efforts are noticed by the coaching staff and tend to be rewarded with extended opportunities and playing time. A good example is Law, who worked his way into the first-team offense last week.

On the pros, cons of defensive spies

“Obviously, you have a spy. You can rush three guys and have a spy. You can rush four guys and have a spy. That means you’ve got five guys committed to the rush or you’ve got four guys committed to the rush. But the spy only works in passing situations. The spy only works when the quarterback drops back to pass and then he takes off running. When it’s actually a running play where the quarterback is a runner in the play, like an option or a zone, the quarterback pulls the ball and has the tight end leading in front of him – that’s just like option football. That’s responsibility football. There is no spy for that. Somebody’s responsible for the quarterback, and it could be different guys in different coverages, different defenses.

“But the spy only works – and we’ve done a lot of spying. When we’ve been hurt by the quarterback run, like the 31-yard run at LSU, a guy made a mental error in the stunt that we were running, so we had a pass-rush lane that was open with five guys rushing. So when you have five guys rushing, you wanna push the pocket so the guy can’t get out or you rush four and you have a spy. So we rushed five, probably would have had a sack if we’d have done it the right way. But we didn’t do it the right way, and the guy ran for 31 yards and that set up a score. So we’ve gotta do a better job of teaching guys ash right and ash left.”

Tony’s take: Having a linebacker spy on a quarterback can be useful, but it doesn’t guarantee you will contain dual-threat playmakers. Arkansas had Bumper Pool spying during Jalen Milroe’s 77-yard scramble last month, while Alabama had Henry To’oTo’o spying on LSU’s 31-yard gain earlier this month.

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As expected Arion Carter has decommitted from Memphis. Ever since he received his offer from Alabama it was only a matter of time. If things continue in the direction they’ve been headed Carter could be a later addition to the fold.

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Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. was named a finalist for the Rotary Lombardi Award, the Rotary Club of Houston announced on Thursday afternoon.

The linebacker is joined by Georgia’s Brock Bowers and Jalen Carter along with Tuli Tuipulotu of USC to make up the list of four finalists for this year’s award. Alabama has had two Lombardi winners in program history, first with Cornelius Bennett (1986) followed by Jonathan Allen (2016).

The Rotary Lombardi Award, now in its 49th year, is presented annually to the college football offensive or defensive lineman, who in addition to outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the character and discipline of NFL Hall of Fame head coach Vince Lombardi. The 2022 winner will be announced during a formal dinner and award ceremony on Wednesday, Dec. 7.



Rotary Lombardi Award

Will Anderson Jr., Linebacker

• One of the most feared defenders in all of college football
• Majoring in communications with a minor in sports media and is on track to graduate in December 2022
• Has been a consistent contributor to the Crimson Tide’s community service and volunteer efforts since stepping foot on campus
• Member of Alabama’s leadership group, as selected by head coach Nick Saban
• Totaled seven sacks (-36 yards) and leads the SEC with 13 tackles for loss (-53 yards) as part of his 38 total stops on the season
• Also contributed a team-leading 10 quarterback hurries to go with a blocked field goal and one interception that he returned for a touchdown

He won the award last year.

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Ahh, yes. Everyone's favorite time of the year. Just over a month to go until the early signing period.

While Alabama is in a comfortable position at the top of the rankings (nearly 300 points separate them and No. 2 Ohio State) with 23 commitments, Nick Saban and his staff have a ton of top targets remaining on the board.

With the transfer portal still looming, and the window for prospects to enter under a month away, this projection could be completely outdated rather quickly.

Good thing we've got another one of these planned for next month

COMMITS
QB Eli Holstein
QB Dylan Lonergan
RB Justice Haynes
RB Richard Young
WR Jalen Hale
WR Malik Benson
WR Cole Adams
TE Ty Lockwood
OL Wilkin Formby
OL Ryqueze McElderry
OL Olaus Alinen
OL Miles McVay
OL Raymond Pulido
https://alabama.rivals.com/commitments/football/2023
K Conor Talty
https://alabama.rivals.com/commitments/football/2023
DL Edric Hill
DL Yhonzae Pierre
DL Hunter Osborne
DL Jordan Renaud
LB Justin Jefferson
CB Jahlil Hurley
CB Tony Mitchell
S Caleb Downs
S Bray Hubbard

NEW ADDITIONS-
CB Desmond Ricks (6.1, No. 10 overall)
DE Keon Keeley (6.1, No. 20 overall)
DT James Smith (6.0, No. 55 overall)
DE/LB Jaquavious Russaw (5.9, No. 68 overall)
LB Arion Carter (5.8)
DT Jordan Hall (5.8) OR Kelby Collins (6.0, No. 40 overall)
WR Jaren Hamilton (5.7)

Note: I left off Lawson Luckie at this time due to the growing momentum USC is re-capturing with Duce Robinson. If he ends up at UGA, look for Alabama to land Luckie. It isn't quite that simple, but it is pretty cut and dry that Luckie does not want to be a third TE in a recruiting class.

What does your "dream" recruiting close for the Crimson Tide look like?

Chris Beard can coach basketball. Texas is wearing them out. Looks like what Baylor did to Gonzaga that night in the big dance.

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Lee is a long, rangy corner with good ball skills. If put in the right weight program, he will be able to add strength to be a consistent cover corner. Speaking with sources close to Lee, Alabama is certainly in contention.

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checks all the boxes for the nba but damn he looks thin. what it would be like to be young again.

Besides the obvious situation at Barnville, where there is no head coach to be on the hotseat, is there another head coach in the SEC that will not see next season because he is fired?

The obvious is Jimbo, whose aTm team has underachieved worse than any team in the history of the SEC. An aTm loss this weekend to the -33 underdog UMASS team and there is no amount of money that allows his to stay. Knowing Texass A&M fans and big money people, I find it difficult to believe he gets to keep his job, anyway, but then again $82 million is a lot of money; however, oil companies are making Billions in additional profits.

As for other coaches around the league. South Carolina is not going to fire a young Coach after two years that has Carolina in a Bowl game for the second straight year. Florida is to knew and they knew it was going to be rough. Vandy has no expectations. It's Basketball season in Kentucky, so who cares about football. Missouri just gave their coach a pass. Arkansas is thrilled with the progress. No other SEC Program is in turmoil. Except for the Barn, I don't see anyother firing coaching changes.

By the way, I don't think Lane Kiffin is dumb enough to risk what he has, at the candy shop, to risk the money for four years at the Barn. The last coach to leave Ole Miss for the Barn is no relegated to serving out the remainder of a four year sentence at the Nut Shop, at a pay of $186,000 per year.

Nick Saban

— Saban was asked about the offense changing around Bryce Young: "Bryce has done a good job in whatever we've asked him to do, he's done a good job at it."

— Saban said Will Reichard's consistency doesn't affect the team's playcalling in the opposing territory. He says the team is aways trying to score a touchdown regardless.

— Saban on the development of Bryce Young as a leader: He has an impact on the other players. He has a lot of pride in his performance. He knows he can impact people on what he says and what he does, and I think he's done a good job of that.

They are believing enough now to make us earn every bit of it. I hope they sign Cadillac to a long deal the Friday before the Iron Bowl and BoB and Golding help us drill them in the last game at Bama.

Flips, SEC recruiting champ, best SEC prospect, and the team surprising us most:

For the final time this week, Alabama head coach Nick Saban met with the media prior to the Crimson Tide's game against Austin Peay. Here are the highlights from Wednesday's press conference.

— "We talk a lot about culture, we talk a lot about identity, but what keeps you motivated?" Saban opens on Wednesday.

— "I told the players earlier this week, 'Nobody should be able to come to practice and be able to know who we're playing."

— Saban said Eli Ricks and Jahmyr Gibbs are "day-to-day" and won't be able to give their availability until the team gets closer to game time.

— Nick Saban says freshman Emmanuel Henderson has "really blossomed on special teams" and "knows what he's doing at receiver now." Saban also said Aaron Anderson is "finally healthy" and you "can see what his potential might be."

— Nick Saban said Pete Golding: "He's done a very good job with a personnel that we have, and I just really appreciate the really good job that he's done. ... I think he's made really positive steps since he's been here."

Alabama picks up its third win of the season, downing South Alabama 65-55. Here are three takeaways from Tuesday night's win.

Haynes talks about his UGA visit and lists the players he's reaching out to in hopes of seeing them commit to Bama.

What could possible be the issue with Fisher over Muhammad's wearing arm sleeves and benching him for it? If I remember right I saw other A&M players wearing the sleeves.

Thanks!!