TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ā Alabama won the game but lost the debate Saturday night.
The Crimson Tide took care of business in the Iron Bowl and got some of the results it needed to keep its playoff hopes alive on Saturday. However, you couldnāt tell by the Tideās nonchalant attitude in the media room following its 28-14 win over Auburn.
Hey Germie Bernard, why do you think Alabama should be in the playoff?
āThatās not really my focus right now,ā Bernard said when asked to give his pitch after the win. āMy focus is on tonight. We won the game so I just want to enjoy this win with my teammates. And then whatever comes after that, comes after that.ā
The receiver was later asked if he felt Alabama was a playoff team, to which he responded ā100 percent.ā However, when questioned why he looked around, smiled, and responded, āNext question, please.ā
Fair enough, campaigningās not for everyone.
How about you Bray Hubbard? Any thoughts on the playoff?
āI mean, not much,ā Hubbard replied. āJust taking it day by day. I mean, yeah, we think weāre a playoff team, but weāre just gonna take these next 24 hours, clean this game up and see whatās ahead of us and take this thing day-by-day.ā
When asked why Alabama should make the playoff, Hubbard incorrectly brought up that the Tide won five of its last six games. Alabama has actually won four of its last six, but who's counting? Well... maybe the committee.
While Hubbard failed to deliver a convincing argument, weāll give the sophomore safety the benefit of the doubt. Saturday was just his fifth start of the season, and media opportunities have been scarce.
How about someone who is constantly in front of the camera?
Jalen Milroe, what would you say to the College Football Playoff committee?
āI would just say we are very thankful for the opportunity each and every Saturday,ā Milroe responded after giving a slight shrug. āAll we want to do is put on display all the hard work we put in during the week and just know that we have a resilient group thatās part of that locker room. Despite if weāre in or out, Iām just proud of the guys thatās in the locker room. Iām proud of their fight. Because itās easy to dwell, itās easy to give up, but we donāt have that in that locker room.ā
Woof. Good luck clipping that for a campaign video, Crimson Tide Productions.
Even Kalen DeBoerās pitch fell a bit flat. Had Nick Saban been in the situation, heād have provided a 10-bullet PowerPoint presentation complete with a catchy slogan, while hammering the key talking points such as strength of schedule, quality wins and the teamās ceiling moving forward.
DeBoer kind of did that but ended up fumbling through a statement where he admitted āI donāt know the exact stats" before indeed giving the wrong stats.
āWhen you talk about the schedule and what it is week to week, itās just a grind,ā DeBoer said. āHaving to come back every week, really the only conference that has to do that is ours. Thatās what Iād say. Weāve won five of our last six. Playing physical football. I think weāve continued to excel in that area. What the gameās all about. I think those are two pretty big deals. Beat some high-quality teams. Teams that are still out there I believe playing some good ball themselves. And just winning five of the last six in the back half of the season.ā
OK, thatās not too terrible, but it certainly could have been better. Just look at Miami head coach Mario Cristobal, who included a call to action while displaying full command of his resume following the Hurricaneās loss to Syracuse.
"We have to re-emphasize reality,ā Cristobal told reporters. āThis team has won 10 football games against some really good opponents. This last game, it came all the way down to the wire. Our two losses are by one possession left in a touchdown. That makes us one of the better teams in the country."
While Milroe was beep-bop-booping through his typical robotic responses to questions, Miami quarterback Cam Ward hit the committee with an actual human moment.
āIf they knew what was up, theyād put us in the playoffs,ā Ward said via the Miami Herald. āWe are that team. Itās not in our hands anymore, but go look at the stats. We are that team. So you know, every winnerās gotta lose someday.ā
Ultimately, talk will only get a team so far. The committee will compare Alabamaās resume against Miamiās next week. Fortunately for the Tide, the hard facts do a better job of making its playoff case than DeBoer or any of the Tideās players.
ā Alabama has three ranked wins, while Miami has yet to play a ranked team.
ā The Tide has the No. 14 ranked schedule compared to Miami at No. 59.
ā Alabama has been hard done by a few questionable calls, while Miami benefited from a controversial decision earlier this year.
While Alabama might have lost the initial debate Saturday night, thereās still plenty of time left to campaign. The latest rankings wonāt even come out until Tuesday evening. From there, DeBoer has all week to work on making his case. And we know from his 7,000 media appearances this summer heās not shy in front of a camera or behind a microphone.
Alabama proved Saturday that it can walk the walk. With a playoff spot on the line, it might be time for DeBoer and company to start talking the talk as well.
For this drink, youāll need 2 ounces of rye whiskey, Ā¾ ounce of lemon juice, Ā¾ ounce of maple syrup, a small egg white and Angostura bitters.
Add all the ingredients except the bitters into a cocktail shaker and give a dry shake. Then add ice and shake again. From there, strain the ingredients into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass and garnish by dripping the bitters onto your foamy top.
Cheers!
Photo | Punchdrink.com
(Commercial break: My drink of the week section is now sponsored by my friends at Session Cocktails in Tuscaloosa. Session has been a mainstay in Tuscaloosaās cocktail scene since 2019 and offers some of the tastiest drinks in town. Stop by and tell them I said hi!)
Are you a displaced corporate executive or want to put your career in your own hands? Or are you an experienced entrepreneur wanting to diversify? Well, Andy Luedecke can help.
Andy is a longtime Rivals board member, diehard college football fan, and franchise veteran. He owns multiple franchises and businesses and uses his expertise to help others find their American Dream through a very thorough and FREE consultation process.
Call Andy, and put your life and career in your own hands. 100% free, so what do you have to lose?!!
Find Your Perfect Franchise at MyPerfectFranchise.Net
Contact Andy Luedecke anytime at:
andy@myperfectfranchise.net
(404) 973-9901
www.myperfectfranchise.net
The Crimson Tide took care of business in the Iron Bowl and got some of the results it needed to keep its playoff hopes alive on Saturday. However, you couldnāt tell by the Tideās nonchalant attitude in the media room following its 28-14 win over Auburn.
Hey Germie Bernard, why do you think Alabama should be in the playoff?
āThatās not really my focus right now,ā Bernard said when asked to give his pitch after the win. āMy focus is on tonight. We won the game so I just want to enjoy this win with my teammates. And then whatever comes after that, comes after that.ā
The receiver was later asked if he felt Alabama was a playoff team, to which he responded ā100 percent.ā However, when questioned why he looked around, smiled, and responded, āNext question, please.ā
Fair enough, campaigningās not for everyone.
How about you Bray Hubbard? Any thoughts on the playoff?
āI mean, not much,ā Hubbard replied. āJust taking it day by day. I mean, yeah, we think weāre a playoff team, but weāre just gonna take these next 24 hours, clean this game up and see whatās ahead of us and take this thing day-by-day.ā
When asked why Alabama should make the playoff, Hubbard incorrectly brought up that the Tide won five of its last six games. Alabama has actually won four of its last six, but who's counting? Well... maybe the committee.
While Hubbard failed to deliver a convincing argument, weāll give the sophomore safety the benefit of the doubt. Saturday was just his fifth start of the season, and media opportunities have been scarce.
How about someone who is constantly in front of the camera?
Jalen Milroe, what would you say to the College Football Playoff committee?
āI would just say we are very thankful for the opportunity each and every Saturday,ā Milroe responded after giving a slight shrug. āAll we want to do is put on display all the hard work we put in during the week and just know that we have a resilient group thatās part of that locker room. Despite if weāre in or out, Iām just proud of the guys thatās in the locker room. Iām proud of their fight. Because itās easy to dwell, itās easy to give up, but we donāt have that in that locker room.ā
Woof. Good luck clipping that for a campaign video, Crimson Tide Productions.
Even Kalen DeBoerās pitch fell a bit flat. Had Nick Saban been in the situation, heād have provided a 10-bullet PowerPoint presentation complete with a catchy slogan, while hammering the key talking points such as strength of schedule, quality wins and the teamās ceiling moving forward.
DeBoer kind of did that but ended up fumbling through a statement where he admitted āI donāt know the exact stats" before indeed giving the wrong stats.
āWhen you talk about the schedule and what it is week to week, itās just a grind,ā DeBoer said. āHaving to come back every week, really the only conference that has to do that is ours. Thatās what Iād say. Weāve won five of our last six. Playing physical football. I think weāve continued to excel in that area. What the gameās all about. I think those are two pretty big deals. Beat some high-quality teams. Teams that are still out there I believe playing some good ball themselves. And just winning five of the last six in the back half of the season.ā
OK, thatās not too terrible, but it certainly could have been better. Just look at Miami head coach Mario Cristobal, who included a call to action while displaying full command of his resume following the Hurricaneās loss to Syracuse.
"We have to re-emphasize reality,ā Cristobal told reporters. āThis team has won 10 football games against some really good opponents. This last game, it came all the way down to the wire. Our two losses are by one possession left in a touchdown. That makes us one of the better teams in the country."
While Milroe was beep-bop-booping through his typical robotic responses to questions, Miami quarterback Cam Ward hit the committee with an actual human moment.
āIf they knew what was up, theyād put us in the playoffs,ā Ward said via the Miami Herald. āWe are that team. Itās not in our hands anymore, but go look at the stats. We are that team. So you know, every winnerās gotta lose someday.ā
Ultimately, talk will only get a team so far. The committee will compare Alabamaās resume against Miamiās next week. Fortunately for the Tide, the hard facts do a better job of making its playoff case than DeBoer or any of the Tideās players.
ā Alabama has three ranked wins, while Miami has yet to play a ranked team.
ā The Tide has the No. 14 ranked schedule compared to Miami at No. 59.
ā Alabama has been hard done by a few questionable calls, while Miami benefited from a controversial decision earlier this year.
While Alabama might have lost the initial debate Saturday night, thereās still plenty of time left to campaign. The latest rankings wonāt even come out until Tuesday evening. From there, DeBoer has all week to work on making his case. And we know from his 7,000 media appearances this summer heās not shy in front of a camera or behind a microphone.
Alabama proved Saturday that it can walk the walk. With a playoff spot on the line, it might be time for DeBoer and company to start talking the talk as well.
Drink of the week ā Filibuster
In the spirit of Alabama needing to start bumping its gums, this weekās drink of the week is the Fillibuster. The rye-based cocktail was created by San Francisco bartender Erik Adkins is a spicier take on the whiskey sour. After all, Alabama going to need a bit more heat in its upcoming debates this week.For this drink, youāll need 2 ounces of rye whiskey, Ā¾ ounce of lemon juice, Ā¾ ounce of maple syrup, a small egg white and Angostura bitters.
Add all the ingredients except the bitters into a cocktail shaker and give a dry shake. Then add ice and shake again. From there, strain the ingredients into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass and garnish by dripping the bitters onto your foamy top.
Cheers!
(Commercial break: My drink of the week section is now sponsored by my friends at Session Cocktails in Tuscaloosa. Session has been a mainstay in Tuscaloosaās cocktail scene since 2019 and offers some of the tastiest drinks in town. Stop by and tell them I said hi!)
Are you a displaced corporate executive or want to put your career in your own hands? Or are you an experienced entrepreneur wanting to diversify? Well, Andy Luedecke can help.
Andy is a longtime Rivals board member, diehard college football fan, and franchise veteran. He owns multiple franchises and businesses and uses his expertise to help others find their American Dream through a very thorough and FREE consultation process.
Call Andy, and put your life and career in your own hands. 100% free, so what do you have to lose?!!
Find Your Perfect Franchise at MyPerfectFranchise.Net
Contact Andy Luedecke anytime at:
andy@myperfectfranchise.net
(404) 973-9901
www.myperfectfranchise.net
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