Bleacher Report - Articles by Aaron Harrell

Grading The Crimson Tide: Virginia Tech

Aaron Harrell — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 11:34:03 -0400

Offensive Line

Miscues were early in the game. William Vlachos had difficulty keeping his snap off the ground, the line also had false start penalties, as well as holding penalties, but all that aside, the offensive line played fairily decent overall.

The holes were opened up in the second half and the pass protection got better, after McElroy was getting harrassed from every angle. Giving up two sacks against a veteran defensive line that practically returned all four starters and paving the way for 240 yards rushing, it was a pretty good game for them.

Grade: B+

Running Back

The strength of this offense didn't disappoint. Mark Ingram got stronger as the game went on and had a career night. Roy Upchurch didn't show any ill-effects from his neck injuries after plowing through two Hokie defenders to a 92 yard night. Other than Upchurch being careless with the football, the backs as a whole played well.

Grade: A

Quarterback

If Greg McElroy was being graded for the first half he would have at least a D- for going 2 of 12 and one interception. He looked shaky and for the first time in a long time, he had doubts about himself. Be that as it may, this is why we play two halves of football.

He went 13 of 18 in the second half with a touchdown pass and looked off Julio Jones (who was being bracketed all night) and found other receivers such as Colin Peek and Darius Hanks.

Grade: B-

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Julio Jones had four catches for 46 yards and was being bracketed all night. Darius Hanks had a spectacular first quarter catch that went for 35 yards, as well as a few key 3rd down conversions.

Marquis Maze benefited from a 48 yard bomb that was made possible by good pass protection and using Jones as a decoy, but the story of the night was Colin Peek. Peek was a weapon in fourth quarter and had the Hokie defense on their heels.

Grade: B

Defensive Line

There is not much a 'Bama fan can say about the way the line played last night. Marcel Dareus did more than just fill in for Brandon Deaderick. He had one and half sacks and pressured Tyrod Taylor all night.

Lorenzo Washington did an excellent job in containment as well as getting in the backfield to blow up an option run late in the second quarter. As a whole, the line generated two sacks and controlled the line of scrimmage all night.

Grade: A

Linebackers

New linebacker coaches James Willis and Sal Sunseri could sit back and marvel at a job well done. The trio of Dont'a Hightower, Eryk Anders, and Rolando McClain were all over the field. Anders led all linebackers with eight tackles and McClain had two sacks.

At times in the game, Hightower lined up at the Jack spot and had a tremendous push at the line. The only sore spot would be the double penalty on McClain that led to a Virginia Tech touchdown. Other than that, the performance from the linebackers was solid.

Grade: A

Secondary

The secondary held Taylor to 91 yards passing, but 43 of them came from a wheel route which was contributed to busted coverage by Marquis Johnson. Other than that, the secondary had six tackles as a whole with Javier Arenas and Johnson both having three.

When your secondary doesn't have to make a lot of tackles, that means your front seven is doing their job. Mark Barron played well and hurried Taylor into some bad throws, as well as Arenas. Other than the busted coverage, the secondary played considerably well.

Grade: A-

Special Teams

Leigh Tiffin went 4 of 5 from field goal range and PJ Fitzgerald first punt contributed to a muffed punt by Virginia Tech. Fitzgerald had three punts inside the 20 yard line and averaged 44.8 yards per punt.

But they will take a major hit due to Dyrell Roberts 195 yards from kick coverage that produced good field position for one drive and a 98 yard kick return for a touchdown.

Grade: C

Offensive Playcalling

Jim McElwain shocked everyone outside the Tide football team by lining up in the Wildcat on the first play of the game. Ingram had daylight ahead of him, but ran into Brad Smelley. The Tech defense were able to pin their ears back in the first half and double cover Jones.

However, in the second half, McElwain started to move Jones around in the slot to take advantage of Tech's double coverage and used screen passes to keep them off balance.

By the fourth quarter, McElroy started to get comfortable and was able to pick the Tech defense apart, while Ingram ran for 81 yards in the quarter. Alabama was only a mere two yards away from having 500 yards of total offense.

Grade: A-

Defensive Playcalling

The defensive coaches should deserve a round of applause. They did what they wanted to do in holding Tech to 155 yards. They made Taylor one dimensional and confused him all night long.

In fact, they made Tech burn all three of their timeouts in the first quarter. The defense met up to the expectations that were handed to them during the preseason. They may have to shore up some issues with their third cornerback against a team who can throw better if they want to contend for the SEC title.

Grade: A

Alabama-Virginia Tech: How They Match Up

Aaron Harrell — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:11:01 -0400

The season is finally upon us.

College football may officially start today, but everyone is looking to the first Saturday of the season to kick it off right.

The marquee matchup of the first weekend is without question the game between No. 5 Alabama and No. 7 Virginia Tech.

Both teams are coming into the game with something to prove. Alabama rides in with a two-game losing streak and has to break in a new offensive line, while Virginia Tech comes into the game wanting to show the critics they are worthy of a top 10 ranking.

Alabama's O-Line vs. Virginia Tech's D-Line

The talk of the preseason for No. 5 Alabama is their offensive line. When a team is breaking in three new starters versus a defensive line that returns three seasoned starters, it does give cause for concern. Mike Johnson is the unquestioned leader of the Tide's offensive line that is looking to regain the same success as last year.

Jason Worlids anchors the Tech defensive line with 18.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Cordarrow Thompson slimmed down to 308 pounds and John Graves provide experience in the interior.

The only spot that could be in question is the other end position occupied by Nekos Brown, but Brown played in all 14 games last year while starting two of them. One of the games he started was the Orange Bowl against Cincinnati.

Advantage: Virginia Tech

Alabama's Running Backs vs. Virginia Tech's Linebackers

Probably the biggest offensive strength Alabama has going into the season is their depth at running back. They have three guys who have seen quality action in Mark Ingram, Terry Grant, and Roy Upchurch. This is a lineup that returns over 1,000 yards rushing between the three of them. Add highly touted freshman Trent Richardson into the mix and you have a fearsome backfield.

Cody Grimm leads the linebacking corps for the Hokies. Despite starting only one game all season, he is the returning leader in tackles with 71. Barquell Rivers and Jake Johnson are the new starters beside Grimm, but they only have 11 tackles between them. They are young with some playing experience, but they could be exposed.

If the Tide can get to the second level, it could pose a problem for Tech.

Advantage: Alabama

Alabama's Pass Offense vs. Virginia Tech's Secondary

Greg McElroy has been in this offense for quite some time now and offensive coordinator Jim McElwain has stated that he has full trust in McElroy, which means a more diversified offense for the Crimson Tide.

McElroy is in his first start in a big-time program, so this is nothing new to him, since he was in the same situation in high school. His favorite target will be Julio Jones, which is no shock to anyone, but McElroy has shown he has the ability to check down on his progressions—something his predecessor John Parker Wilson could not do.

If the Tide can get production out of someone else—whether it is from the tight ends (Colin Peek and Brad Smelley), or the wide receivers (Marquis Maze, Kevin Norwood, and Mike McCoy)—it could be a long day for Tech.

Victor "Macho" Harris is now in the NFL, and he took with him his ability to cover the best opposing wide receiver. But considering he was tied with returning cornerback Stephan Virgil with six interceptions, it could possibly be not that big of a drop-off. Kam Chancellor is the anchor of a secondary that returns a wealth of experience, which was ranked 28th in pass efficiency defense.

If they can generate confusion for McElroy while double-teaming Jones, it will be tough sledding for Alabama to generate any offense through the air.

Advantage: Virginia Tech

Alabama's Return Game vs. Virginia Tech's Punt Defense

Statistically, Javier Arenas is the best returner in Alabama football history. Last year, he was ranked sixth in the country in punt returns and he is a special teams nightmare for the opposition. He's good for a positive gain every time he touches the ball.

Brent Bowden ranked 58th in punting last year for the Hokies, but the glaring statistic for Virginia Tech is their punt return defense, which was ranked 104th. For "Beamer Ball" that's not good, and if they can't contain Arenas it's going to be a long day for the Hokies.

Advantage: Alabama

Virginia Tech's O-Line vs. Alabama's D-Line

Sergio Render leads the Hokie offensive line, and, just like his counterpart Mike Johnson, he's one of the best offensive guards in the nation. Also like Alabama, they are breaking in new starters on the line, but Virginia Tech was ranked 111th in sacks allowed last year. New starter Beau Warren will have his hands full with Alabama's Terrence Cody.

What may have been an issue two years ago is certainly not an issue any more. Alabama has a ton of depth on the defensive line. Even with Brandon Deaderick being cleared to play by the medical staff after his gunshot wound, Alabama has capable players who have seen enough playing time to not be intimidated. Expect the Tide to rotate as many as five defensive linemen to keep fresh legs on the field.

Advantage: Alabama

Virginia Tech's Running Backs vs. Alabama's Linebackers

The Hokies lost their leading rusher Darren Evans to a torn ACL a few weeks ago. Today, they named redshirt freshman Ryan Williams as the starter, but running backs coach Billy Hite mentioned that in addition to Williams, Josh Oglesby and David Wilson will play in the game as well.

Alabama has arguably the best inside linebacker combo in the nation in Rolando McClain and Dont'a Hightower. Eryk Anders is a speedster off the edge and has improved in run support while Cory Reamer brings his enormous intelligence and reliability to the field. This is probably the most talented group of linebackers Alabama has had in a long time. Their reserves are young, but they return with them some valued game experience.

Advantage: Alabama

Virginia Tech's Pass Offense vs. Alabama's Secondary

The knock on Tyrod Taylor is simply this: He threw two touchdowns and seven interceptions last year. He makes up for his shortcomings with his ability to make plays with his feet.

His favorite target will be TE Greg Boone, who is a fan favorite. Watch out for redshirt freshman Xavier Boyce, at 6'4", 223 pounds he gives Taylor another big target.

Alabama had to deal with the questions after the losses to Florida and Utah, but the biggest question of them all would be the replacement of Rashad Johnson. Justin Woodall is sliding over to free safety, while fan-favorite Mark Barron will take over as strong safety. Kareem Jackson and Javier Arenas are capable cover corners who have been in the system for a long time.

This is not the deepest position Alabama has, but it is one of the most experienced.

Advantage: Alabama

Virginia Tech's Return Game vs. Alabama's Punt Defense

Virginia Tech has to find another punt returner with the loss of Macho Harris. Harris was the 47th best returner in the nation, but as a team they were ranked 59th. Look for Ryan Williams to man the duties because of his ability to play in space.

PJ Fitzgerald was ranked 41st in punting and their punt defense was ranked 61st. The Crimson Tide has to be able to keep Williams contained in order to maintain good field position, which is something that Virginia Tech relies on to have a chance at winning.

Advantage: Alabama

Projection: 24-13 Alabama

What Crimson Tide Fans Should Take from the First Scrimmage

Aaron Harrell — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:28:00 -0400

What should a Crimson Tide fan take from the first scrimmage?

Exactly the same thing they took from last year's first scrimmage.

Last year, Nick Saban was pleased with the effort of his team. If you were to look back at Saban's first fall camp scrimmage in 2007, comments were made, such as "controlling the line of scrimmage," "playing with consistency on both sides of the ball," and "doing things the right way."

Now, for the second year in a row, Saban has expressed that he's "seen improvement" in key areas that were weaknesses the year before.

In 2008, there were improvements at the line of scrimmage—partly due to the signing of Terrence Cody. Players played with consistency, and demonstrated leadership. But the lack of a pass rush was considered a weak link during the Tide's run last year.

On Saturday, Saban expressed that he has seen improvement in that area, especially with the linebackers consisting of 23 total tackles, five tackles for loss, four sacks, one pass breakup, and a forced fumble.

Rolando McClain and Don'ta Hightower were the stat leaders for all the linebackers, combining for 15 tackles. In this case, it's not a bad sign when the defense plays a bit better than the offense, considering that this offense is breaking in new starters on the offensive line.

Greg McElroy had a solid game, going 17-for-29 with 188 yards and one touchdown, Julio Jones picked up where he left off, from his freshman campaign, with six catches for 100 yards and a touchdown reception that went for 34 yards, and Mark Ingram ran for 55 yards on 17 carries with three touchdowns. Out of all the freshmen, Kevin Norwood stood out with three receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown.

In comparison, the numbers from last year to this year are almost like night and day.

Last year, John Parker Wilson threw for 309 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Mike McCoy had the best day of all the receivers with three catches for 119 yards and a touchdown, and surprisingly on defense, Charlie Higgenbotham led all defensive players with eight tackles.

I wonder how many people were saying how much Higgenbotham was going to see some playing time on defense and McCoy was going to have his breakout season.

But to be honest, there is not much to take from these scrimmages.

We don't know whether or not these stats are from situational packages, or if the first team offense was up against the second team defense, or vice-versa. But what we do know is simply this: If Saban was pleased with the effort on both sides, then the team should focus more on getting better and not being complacent.

In this case, Tide fans should focus more on what Saban says than scrimmage stats.

Bama's Backs Looking to Improve

Aaron Harrell — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:47:55 -0400

You can never have too many good running backs.

At Alabama, they have three good running backs with experience and two true freshmen that are getting ready for practice later this evening.

Last year behind a powerful offensive line, the Tide's running backs gained 2,585 yards on the ground, an average of 184 yards per game. It was a steady improvement from the 2007 season where they gained 1940 yards and averaged 149 yards per game.

What is more impressive is that Alabama gained 133 first downs through running the football.

Although Glen Coffee has taken his 1,383 yards to San Francisco, the cupboard is not exactly bare in Tuscaloosa.

Mark Ingram is hoping to duplicate his solid freshman campaign and he is without question, the No.1 running back on the depth chart.

The sophomore from Flint, Michigan took everyone by surprise during the Clemson game with his ability to run between the tackles. However, he had some signs of slowing down throughout the season due to a few injuries he suffered.

Roy Upchurch will probably take the role as the change of pace running back. His career at Alabama has been sketchy at best. Due to injuries and off the field issues, we haven't seen Upchurch play a full season.

Last year, he had the role of the third down back and became a playmaker every time he touched the ball, but in the latter part of the season where 'Bama could have used him, he was out with back spasms.

Terry Grant had the role of the "forgotten man" last year. In 2007 his first carry was a 47 yard touchdown run, displaying the speed that he was known for in high school.

He ran for 891 yards and eight touchdowns that year, but he wasn't the same after suffering a sports hernia. His running style didn't fit into the offense last year, but during the A-Day game, he displayed that he was willing the run in between the tackles, instead of trying to outrun everyone.

There are two running backs that didn't practice this morning who probably have more upside than the three backs mentioned so far.

Trent Richardson came from Emmitt Smith's high school of Escambia, Florida and most are saying that he is the best running back from that high school since the NFL's all-time leading rusher.

He is a weight room warrior who won the Florida state weightlifting championship, by benching 380 pounds and did the clean and jerk at 325 pounds. Rumors close to the Tide program are saying that Richardson is benching over 400 pounds, while still maintaining a 4.4 time in the 40 yard dash.

Eddie Lacy has become a name that has garnered a lot of attention lately. Probably due to his YouTube highlight, but the Geismar, LA. running back is now a fan favorite.

He suffered through injuries in his senior season in high school and was considered an afterthought for qualifying for the fall semester at Alabama. He has since overcome both of those obstacles and now the question of whether or not he will become a better running back than Richardson are starting to come to fruition.

Alabama now has five running backs and one ball.

It sounds like a problem, but at Alabama, it's a good problem to have.

The 10 Best SEC Champions Since 1992

Aaron Harrell — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 23:42:35 -0400

The SEC has arguably been the best conference in the nation for the past seven years.

In those seven years, the SEC champion went 6-1 in bowl games, including going an impressive 4-0 in the BCS National Championship, outscoring opponents 124-66 in those games.

Since the inception of the SEC Championship game in 1992, the SEC has won seven national championships, with the SEC Eastern Division winning four, and the West winning three.

The SEC became the first conference in the NCAA to hold a championship game since the league's expansion in 1991. The first two games were held in Birmingham, AL then they were moved to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA. Since then, the Georgia Dome hasn't equaled the attendance of the first championship game, where 83,091 spectators witnessed Alabama defeat Florida.

Overall, the SEC champion is 11-6 in their bowl games.

The SEC has produced great football teams during this era and it is hard for anyone to select the best 10 teams during the Championship Era. There are fans of certain teams that are going to be upset, but nonetheless, it's just a list, and this is open for debate.

It helped the team's cause by winning their bowl game, the significance of the game, and the team they either beat, or lost to at the time.

But here are the teams who just barely missed the cut in no particular order:

1999 Alabama Crimson Tide

Finished 10-3 (7-1) ranked No. 8 in the AP.

Notable losses: Louisiana Tech by one point at home and Michigan in the Orange Bowl by one point in overtime.

Notable wins: At Florida by one in overtime.

Defeated No. 5 Florida 34-7 in the SEC Championship.

The '99 Alabama team was one of the best teams they put on the field. Led by Shaun Alexander and Chris Samuels on offense, they ran through the SEC with their only conference loss coming to Tennessee at home.

They also defeated Florida twice in the same year, once in Gainesville by one in overtime, and by 27 in the championship game. They suffered a heartbreaking loss to Michigan in the Orange Bowl due to a missed extra point.

That same Michigan team was led by eventual Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady.

2001 LSU Tigers

Finished 10-3 (5-3) ranked No. 7 in the AP.

Notable losses: At Tennessee by eight, Florida by 29, and Ole Miss by 11 at home.

Notable wins: At Alabama by 14 and Tennessee in the SEC Championship by 11.

Defeated No. 2 Tennessee 31-20 in the SEC Championship.

LSU suffered back-to-back losses to Tennessee on the road and Florida at home. They got back on track to beat Kentucky and Mississippi State, but stumbled at home against Ole Miss.

Then they played Alabama the following week and exploded with the combination of Rohan Davey and Josh Reed. Davey went 35 of 44 to throw for 528 yards with Reed catching 19 of those passes for 293 yards and defeated Alabama 35-21. They would then capture the West Division and in a rematch against No. 2-ranked Tennessee (without Davey); they would defeat the Vols 31-20 to earn a berth in the Sugar Bowl and defeated Illinois 47-34.

1995 Florida Gators

Finished 12-1 (8-0) ranked No.n 2 in the AP.

Notable loss: Nebraska by 38 in the Fiesta Bowl.

Notable wins: Tennessee by 25 and Florida State by 11.

Defeated No. 23 Arkansas 34-3 in the SEC Championship.

This was a tough omission. The decision to leave them in and take a team who won their bowl game out weighed heavily.

They outscored their opponents 558 to 263, scoring over 50 points four times. They also hit the 60-point mark twice. Danny Wuerffel had a great season that year throwing for 3,266 yards and 35 touchdowns.

Unfortunately, the omission of the Mighty Gators was due to their poor performance in the Fiesta Bowl against Nebraska giving up a videogame-like 524 yards rushing en route to a crushing 62-24 loss. The Gators came into the game as a slight favorite to win.

With that being said (plus my deepest apologies to the Gator fans), here are the top ten SEC champions in no particular order:

1993 Florida Gators

Finished 11-2 (7-1) ranked No. 5 in the AP.

Notable losses: At Auburn by three and Florida State by 12 at home.

Notable win: Alabama in the SEC Championship by 15 and West Virginia by 34 in the Sugar Bowl.

Defeated No. 16 Alabama 28-13 in the SEC Championship.

Led by quarterback Terry Dean and defensive players Kevin Carter and Ellis Johnson, the Florida Gators ripped through the SEC losing only one conference game. This is probably the only team who had the respectable losses and the notable win to back up their claim of being on the list.

They lost to undefeated Auburn by three on the road and lost to the eventual national champion Florida State at home.

Due to Auburn's probation, they ended up playing and Alabama in the championship game and then blew out undefeated and No. 3-ranked West Virginia 41-7 in the Sugar Bowl.

They outscored their opponents 513-244.

2002 Georgia Bulldogs

Finished 13-1 (7-1) ranked No. 3 in the AP.

Notable loss: Florida by seven.

Notable wins: Tennessee by five at home and Florida State by 13 in the Sugar Bowl.

Defeated No. 22 Arkansas 30-3 in the SEC Championship.

Georgia was loaded with talent in 2002. Led by the two David’s—Pollack and Greene—and linebacker Boss Bailey, the Bulldogs climbed up as high as No. 5 in the AP Poll. With an 8-0 record, they faced their rivals the Florida Gators in their annual game in Jacksonville, FL.

This time, with Ron Zook as the head coach, the Gators beat the undefeated Bulldogs 20-13.

The Bulldogs would bounce back and win their last five games, including beating Arkansas 30-3 in the championship game and defeated Florida State 26-13 in the Sugar Bowl.

2004 Auburn Tigers

Finished 13-0 (8-0) ranked No. 2 in the AP.

Notable wins: LSU by one point at home, Georgia by 18, Tennessee on the road by 24 and by 10 in the championship game, and Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.

Defeated No. 15 Tennessee 38-28 in the SEC Championship.

Auburn may have gone undefeated and didn't win the national championship, but it's hard to keep an undefeated team off the list. Especially a team who defeated four ranked opponents.

This team was solid on offense and fierce on defense, but the team was led by their backfield consisting of quarterback Jason Campbell and the running back duo of Ronnie Brown and Carnell "Cadillac" Williams. Carlos Rogers won the Thorpe Award that year for best defensive back in the nation and defensive end Stanley McClover became an overnight star making a living in the offensive backfield.

Had it not been for Oklahoma and USC both going undefeated, Auburn probably would have played for the BCS title.

1996 Florida Gators

Finished 12-1 (8-0) finished No. 1 in the AP.

Notable loss: At Florida State by three.

Notable wins: At Tennessee by three and Florida State in the Sugar Bowl by 32.

Defeated No.11 Alabama 45-30 in the SEC Championship.

The Gators had redemption on their minds in 1996. After their loss to Nebraska the previous year, the Gators with new defensive coordinator Bob Stoops, complimented the high octane offense led by Heisman winner Danny Wuerffel.

The Gators jumped out of the gate with a 10-0 record which included beating No. 2 ranked Tennessee led by Peyton Manning and setting up a No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle with arch-rival Florida State. After their loss, they beat Alabama 45-30 in the SEC championship to earn a rematch against No. 1 Florida State.

The Gators got their revenge by blowing out the Seminoles 52-20 and with some help from Ohio State beating No. 2 Arizona State in the Rose Bowl, the Gators became national champions.

1998 Tennessee Volunteers

Finished 13-0 (8-0) finished No. 1 in the AP.

Notable wins: At Syracuse by one, Florida by three in overtime at home, at Georgia by 19, Arkansas by four at home, and Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl by seven.

Defeated No. 23 Mississippi State 24-14 in the SEC Championship.

Trivia question: Who is the only SEC team to ever go into the SEC Championship Game ranked No. 1 in the nation and win?

That team on Rocky Top.

A team who lost Peyton Manning, but returned almost everyone on defense including the unquestioned leader Al Wilson, the Vols had a brutal schedule with heart-stopping finishes, starting with a back-and-forth 34-33 win against a Donavan McNabb-led Syracuse team, and snapping a five game losing streak against Florida.

Even losing Jamal Lewis to an ACL injury didn't derail the Vols' chances. Travis Henry picked up the slack and led the team in rushing.

Their last close game against Arkansas as they fell behind 21-3 in the first half, came back to within two points, and due to the "stumble and fumble," Henry scored the final touchdown in the waning moments.

They went on to win their second straight SEC title and defeated Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl as Peerless Price had 199 yards receiving in the win.

2003 LSU Tigers

Finished 13-1 (7-1) ranked No. 2 in the AP.

Notable loss: Florida by 12 at home.

Notable wins: Georgia by seven at home and by 21 in the SEC championship, at Ole Miss by three, and Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl by seven.

Defeated No. 5 Georgia 34-13 in the SEC Championship.

The Bayou Bengals had probably the most physically imposing team in the country that year.

Led by Marcus Spears, Chad Lavalais, and Lionel Turner on defense, they held their opponents to 154 points. Their offense was led by quarterback Matt Mauck, their three headed monster of running backs—Justin Vincent, Joseph Addai, and Alley Broussard—and the talented Michael Clayton.

Their offense scored 475 points, hitting the 50-point mark twice.

However, this team was tested, especially with a stunning loss to an unranked Florida team, defeating No. 7 ranked Georgia by seven and defeating an Eli Manning-led Ole Miss team.

In the SEC championship game, they embarrassed No. 5 ranked Georgia 34-13.

Due to USC's No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll, they split the national championship, but LSU has the crystal ball in their possession since finishing No. 1 in the BCS Standings.

2006 Florida Gators

Finished 13-1 (7-1) ranked No. 1 in the AP.

Notable loss: at Auburn by 10

Notable wins: at Tennessee by one, LSU at home by 13 and Ohio State by 27 in the BCS National Championship Game.

Defeated No. 8 Arkansas 38-28 in the SEC Championship.

Talk about a team who got better as the season went on that year.

Chris Leak may have led the offense, but Reggie "Eraser" Nelson, and Brandon Siler carried the defense.

Florida had a preseason top 10 ranking in 2006, but they were under the radar. In 2006, Ohio State was everyone's favorite to win it all. On the other hand, Florida quietly made noise and crept up in the rankings. They traveled to No. 10 Auburn ranked No. 3 in the country and were taken surprise by the Tigers.

Dropping five spots, they proceeded to win their last five games of the season, gaining a berth in the SEC championship against No. 8 Arkansas. Arkansas pulled out every trick in the book, but it wasn't enough as freshman Percy Harvin ran "hog" wild as Florida defeated Arkansas 38-28.

Their victory was enough to leap No. 2 Michigan—who lost to Ohio State—in the BCS Standings.

They would go on and throttle No. 1 Ohio State in the BCS National Championship 41-14 to earn their second National Championship.

1992 Alabama Crimson Tide

Finished 13-0 (8-0) ranked No. 1 in the AP.

Notable wins: At Tennessee by seven and Miami by 21 in the Sugar Bowl.

Defeated No. 12 Florida 28-21 in the SEC Championship.

This team finished No. 1 in the country and No. 1 in the hearts of all Alabama fans. In their 100th year of football (another recurring theme), 'Bama fielded statistically one of the best defenses in the history of college football allowing only 122 points in 13 games and pitching three shutouts. Their defense was led by the "Bookends" Eric Curry and John Copeland, while Antonio Langham and George Teague patrolled the secondary.

The offense was led by Derrick Lassic who led the team in rushing and Jay Barker who didn't put the fear of God in opposing defenses, but he never made mistakes.

No team scored more than 21 points on the defense all season.

This team is more known for the 34-13 beating of No. 1 ranked Miami in the Sugar Bowl. Miami talked a lot of trash before the game, but they didn't say much during the game.

It must have been hard to speak when a football is rammed down your throat.

2007 LSU Tigers

Finished 12-2 (6-2) ranked No. 1 in the AP.

Notable losses: at Kentucky by six in three overtimes and Arkansas by two at home in three overtimes.

Notable wins: Virginia Tech by 41 at home, Florida by four at home, and at Alabama by seven.

Defeated No. 14 Tennessee 21-14 in the SEC Championship.

One of the most talented teams in recent memory, the LSU Tigers had almost just as many convincing wins as they did nail biters. Be that as it may, it takes a great team to win the close games as well.

What goes unnoticed is they played half their games against ranked opponents—Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, and Ohio State. Slice that anyway you want, that is a pretty tough schedule to have. Led Matt Flynn and Jacob Hester, the Tiger offense scored an impressive 541 points, while Glenn Dorsey anchored a talented defense.

Even after losing a heartbreaker to Arkansas a week before the SEC Championship Game against Tennessee, LSU needed a miracle to play for the BCS Championship—needing Missouri and West Virginia to lose—and win without Flynn as Ryan Perrilloux would lead the way and their victory catapulted them to the BCS Championship Game against Ohio State.

Since the Championship Game was held in New Orleans, it turned into another home game for LSU as they dominated Ohio State 38-24 to earn their second BCS Championship.

2008 Florida Gators

Finished 13-1 (7-1) ranked No. 1 in the AP.

Notable loss: Ole Miss at home by one.

Notable wins: LSU at home by 30, and Georgia by 39.

Defeated No. 1 Alabama 31-20 in the SEC Championship.

Led by Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, and Brandon Spikes, the Gators were flying high, ranked No. 4 and had to play Ole Miss. Losing a hard fought game, Tim Tebow delivered his speech, and after that, the Mighty Gators outscored their four remaining ranked opponents 201-52, en route to a showdown against No. 1 ranked Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

The Gators were tested in a back-and-forth game that was decided in the fourth quarter as Tebow would simply will them to win as they scored 14 points and defeated Alabama 31-20, to earn a spot in the BCS Championship Game against Oklahoma.

The Gators imposed their will on the Sooners as they forced Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford to throw two interceptions, defeating Oklahoma 24-14. Tebow was the Offensive MVP.

The Gators tied the 1996 offense by scoring 611 points, but their defense held their opponents to 181 points.

Alabama Football: Five Fall Camp Storylines To Watch

Aaron Harrell — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:27:29 -0400

Fall practice can't get here soon enough for Tide fans.

The Alabama Crimson Tide head into the 2009 season with most preseason magazines ranking them in the top 10. Last year, they were ranked in the bottom half of the Top 25 and shocked everyone by winning 12 games in a row and held the No. 1 ranking for the latter part of the season.

With exactly one week to go until fall practice starts, here are the storylines to watch out for.

5. Can Alabama generate a consistent pass rush from the defensive line?

Projected 2009 starters: Brandon Deaderick, Terrence Cody, and Lorenzo Washington

It can be argued that Alabama hasn't had a consistent pass rusher since Wallace Gillberry in 2007 (27 tackles for loss and 10 sacks). The starting defensive line from last year (Brandon Deaderick, Bobby Greenwood, and Terrence Cody) didn't equal those numbers, with 17 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks total.

Granted, Cody's presence helped the Tide's linebackers to stop the run, but spread teams like Florida and Utah took Cody out of the game with their passing ability.

Cody has lost weight to better prepare him for the season so he can play on third down, but it remains to be seen whether or not the defensive line can disrupt the timing of opposing quarterbacks.

4. Will Alabama have a playmaker from the Jack linebacker position?

Contestants: Courtney Upshaw, Eryk Anders, and possibly, Dont'a Hightower

Nick Saban hasn't had a playmaker from this position since Jason Taylor. Yes, the Jason Taylor who plays for the Miami Dolphins.

In 2006, Taylor recorded 13.5 sacks, 10 forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns. Because of those efforts, he was selected as the 2006 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

If Saban can get close to this type of production, he will proabably sleep better at night.

Brandon Fanney was the starter last year at the Jack position, but he was more of a run stuffer than a playmaker, recording only one sack through 14 games.

Courtney Upshaw has the potential to be a playmaker from this spot with his size and speed, but he lacks game experience. Eryk Anders has shown he can get to the quarterback, but he is undersized when it comes to run support. And Hightower, who plays as an inside linebacker, was used in the Sugar Bowl as an experiment.

3. Can Mark Ingram be a featured running back?

Tide fans will miss the way Glen Coffee ran the football. Anytime you run for 1,383 yards and 10 touchdowns, your presence was felt. His vision, strength, and speed is what separated him from the rest of 'Bama's running backs.

What was impressive about Coffee's total was the amount of carries he split with Ingram and Roy Upchurch. Ingram was a great change of pace running back last year that gave defensive coordinators another person to account for in the backfield.

However, as good as Ingram was (728 yards and 12 touchdowns), there were times last year that his play was limited, especially the Tennessee game.

If you look at both Upchurch and Ingram, pushing their statistics aside, you could make the argument that Upchurch is the better all-around running back. When he is healthy and out of Saban's doghouse, he has shown the ability to be a big time playmaker. His ability to pick up blitzes and make catches out of the backfield should not go unnoticed.

Going into his final year, it remains to be seen if Upchurch becomes the highly-touted running back that Tide fans have waited for since he signed his LOI in 2005.

It is no secret that Saban likes to rotate his running backs in order to keep defenses off balance. Last year, the rotation of Glen Coffee, Ingram, and Upchurch did just that.

This year, look for Ingram, Upchurch, Terry Grant, and true freshmen Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy to crack the rotation.

2. Will the Tide have a receiver to throw to other than Julio Jones?

Contestants: Mike McCoy, Marquis Maze, Darius Hanks, Kenny Bell, and Michael Bowman

The Tide's passing game consisted of the following options: Throw the ball to Julio Jones.

If he's not open, throw it to him anyway.

If he happened to be double-teamed, throw it to him anyway.

If all else fails, get him the ball anyway.

Without question, Jones was the main receiving threat that the Tide had. His 58 catches and 924 yards receiving led the team.

But after Jones, the wide receiver who finished second in catches and yards was Mike McCoy with a whopping 16 catches and 191 yards receiving.

If that doesn't produce a red flag, then I don't know what does.

Later in the season, teams began to catch on to Alabama's offensive gameplan and forced the offense into third-and-long situations by bringing eight defenders into the box on first and second downs and daring John Parker Wilson to beat them deep.

This year, a reciever not named Julio Jones will have to step up, or else the offense will stay in neutral. Greg McElroy's experience in knowing the expanded playbook should alleviate some of those problems in getting the offense out of bad situations.

1. Who will start on the offensive line?

Contestants: People who aren't named Mike Johnson and Drew Davis.

Greg McElroy cannot be a good quarterback if he's on the ground most of the time, and there is no question that the offensive line is the hottest topic among Alabama football fans.

Mike Johnson at left guard and Drew Davis at right tackle are the only spots that are written in stone, considering they are the two returning players who started last year.

After that, you can say that William Vlachos will man the center spot since Evan Cardwell will not play due to injury, junior college transfer James Carpenter will play at left tackle, and Brian Motley will play at right guard.

That seems simple enough, since they were the A-Day starters for the first-team offense.

Or is it?

Not by a long shot.

This group comes in with more questions and combinations that has taken up the entire talk on all the message boards. With the center, left guard, and right tackle spots taken up, the right guard and the important left tackle position are still up for grabs.

Considering that James Carpenter played left tackle during the spring, there is talk about highly touted freshman D.J. Fluker to come in and take that spot. A dream scenario for fans would be for Fluker to play at left tackle and move Carpenter to right guard.

But here's the dilemma: Would you play a freshman—who played left tackle for the first time ever in his senior year in high school—against preseason All-ACC first-team Jason Worilds, who had 18.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks in 2008? Or would you start Carpenter since he has the experience?

Either way it goes, this is one of the many reasons why Alabama is paying Saban the big bucks to make these kinds of decisions.

Four-Star RB Corey Grant Commits to Alabama

Aaron Harrell — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:08:20 -0400

Opelika High School running back Corey Grant has ended his recruitment and committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide today.

This was a tough pull for Nick Saban, due to Opelika's close distance to Auburn.

The four-star and the top rated back in the state of Alabama had offers from other SEC schools, but the process came down between Alabama, Florida, and Auburn.

With tight end Brian Vogler committing to Alabama yesterday, this gives the Tide back-to-back commitments in consecutive days.

Grant is also a track champion, having won the state 100 meter dash twice during high school. He won the state championship with a time of 10.51 seconds.

Last year, Grant had 88 carries for 724 yards and 14 touchdowns. He added 16 receptions for 235 yards and two touchdowns.

Grant is now Alabama's 18th commitment in the 2010 class.

Sudden Impact: Alabama's New Faces to Watch

Aaron Harrell — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:07:16 -0400

The Alabama Crimson Tide started last season ranked No. 24 in the country, with the talk revolving around whether or not their highly touted '08 signing class could make an impact.

The question was answered emphatically during the Clemson game, with players Terrence Cody, Julio Jones, Mark Ingram, Dont'a Hightower, Mark Barron, Courtney Upshaw, and others making significant contributions during the Tide's 34-10 win.

Almost everyone in the nation knew about Julio Jones while he was in high school. He was rated the top wide receiver by most recruiting services. Jones led all Alabama wide receivers in receptions (58), yards (924), touchdowns (four), longest catch (64 yards), and average yards per game (66).

Cody was a household name for the Crimson Tide. At 6'5", 365 pounds (his weight is down to 350), his presence in the nose tackle position clogged up the middle, which forced running backs to try their luck outside, where the linebackers would await them.

One of those linebackers was Hightower, who played the "Will" position next to middle linebacker Rolando McClain. At 6'4", 250 pounds, Hightower was one of the team leaders in tackles (26 solo, 38 assisted) and looks for his role on defense to expand.

If there was a surprise impact player from the class, it would have to be Ingram. He turned heads in the Clemson game, running for 96 yards on 17 carries. While he never started a game last year, he led the Tide in rushing touchdowns (12) and was second to Glen Coffee in rushing yards (728).

Special team players such as Barron, Upshaw, Jerrell Harris, and Robby Green made strong contributions as well. As the season grew on, so did their confidence.

Upshaw and Barron were both favorites on special teams. Harris started off slow, but his level of play increased as the year went on, and Green's (while many thought he would take a redshirt year to get stronger) high football IQ started to get noticed.

Most of the players from the '08 class had to redshirt, and transfer Colin Peek from Georgia Tech was probably the most talented tight end on the team. Couple that with a 2009 recruiting class that comes in with high expectations as well, and you have fans that are very excited about the future of this program.

Alabama is getting to the point where they may have to redshirt four and five-star talent in the upcoming years, but that is not considered bad news.

These are the 10 new faces (true freshmen, redshirt freshmen, and transfers) that Alabama fans need to look for this year, in no particular order.

Special Teams

Rod Woodson, freshman defensive back, 5'11", 210 pounds, Olive Branch, MS

If you have never seen film of Rod Woodson, you should check him out. If you have seen film of Woodson, then you know what he is capable of doing on the field. He reminds me of Troy Polamalu with his instincts, being able to time snap counts and blitzes.

He is a heat-seeking missile who can inflict a serious amount of pain, which is rare for a defensive back, and he possesses a 40" vertical leap. He had 140 tackles in his senior year of high school as his team advanced to the state semifinals and has the potential of being a force on special teams.

If he learns Nick Saban's defense in his first year, the sky is the limit for this kid.

Tana Patrick, freshman linebacker, 6'3", 220 pounds, Stevenson, AL

I was wrestling with the thought of placing him on the defensive side to start, but I can see him making an impact on special teams. He has great lateral movement and runs between a 4.5-4.6 40-yard dash.

It will be hard for the staff to redshirt him just so he can play one of the linebacker spots. Patrick also played offense in high school, so his athletic ability should not be questioned.

Defense

Dre Kirkpatrick, freshman cornerback, 6'2", 180 pounds, Gadsden, AL

A cornerback over 6'0" with good speed is hard to find. Saban was able to find him in the state of Alabama. Teams were afraid to challenge him in high school, and he made them pay when they did, as he had 80 tackles and six interceptions.

What goes unnoticed is Kirkpatrick's ability to turn interceptions into touchdowns, due to his natural ability to make people miss when he has the ball in his hands. His height and flexibility puts me in the mind of San Diego's Antonio Cromartie. He was a five-star prospect and the consensus No. 1 cornerback in the nation.

Nico Johnson, freshman linebacker, 6'3", 240 pounds, Andalusia, AL

Johnson's high school team may not have produced the best results, but it didn't stop him from producing some quality numbers (78 tackles, 11 interceptions). For his size, he possesses uncanny quickness to get to ball carriers and brute strength to shed blockers.

He was one of the bright spots in the Army All-American game as he showcased his ability as a sure tackler. He gives the coaching staff added flexibility with his ability to play the "Will" position to possibly move Hightower to the "Jack" position for certain situations.

Alonzo Lawrence, redshirt freshman cornerback, 6'1", 185 pounds, Lucedale, MS

Lawrence's stock rose after the Ala-Miss. All-Star game where he held his own against DeAndre Brown in practice and had the honor of covering Julio Jones in the game. Both wide receivers were over 6'4" and weighed over 200 pounds.

He is a raw athlete who was never asked to study nuances of the game in high school, which is probably why he had to redshirt last year. The ability is there, but with Kirkpatrick on his heels, the light needs to come on for him, or else he will be passed on the depth chart.

Offense

Colin Peek, senior tight end, 6'6", 241 pounds, Jacksonville, FL

Peek, the transfer from Georgia Tech, came into the program highly regarded. He is a big target for quarterback Greg McElroy and a good blocker for the running game as well.

With his soft hands and deceptive speed, it can be said that the Tide may have upgraded the tight end spot from a playmaking standpoint. He had an impressive showing on A-Day with three catches for 32 yards.

James Carpenter, junior offensive lineman, 6'5", 305 pounds, Coffeyville, KS

Carpenter was one of the two offensive linemen who participated in spring drills at Alabama (the other was Chance Warmack). Offensive line is a question mark for the Tide, and since Carpenter is a JUCO transfer, he is asked to fill that void immediately. He played the left tackle spot and emerged as a potential starter at that position.

He has the range to play tackle but has the ability to excel at the guard position as well, since he played a bit of the guard position for Coffeyville, as well as his high school team.

D.J. Fluker, freshman offensive lineman, 6'7", 350 pounds, Foley, AL

For his size, Fluker has unreal athletic ability. In fact, he has a 40 time less than five seconds. He spent most of his time in high school on the defensive side of the field. When he went to Foley High School, he was moved to left tackle and had a phenomenal year. He's a natural at his position as he recorded 60 pancake blocks.

He's a monster at run blocking but has some trouble with quick defensive ends for pass blocking, which was shown in the Army All-American Game. Despite that, he has the potential of being one of the great linemen in Alabama history.

Can you imagine the battle between Cody and Fluker in practice? He'll be a key factor in the offensive line battle in fall camp.

Michael Bowman, freshman wide receiver, 6'4", 205 pounds, Rossville, GA

Bowman recently received news that he has qualified and will report for fall camp. He puts Tide fans in the mind of another Julio Jones. He's hard to cover one-on-one and has athletic ability for a jump ball situation.

He may not have the speed to break away from defenders, but that didn't stop him from having over 1,000 yards receiving and over 10 touchdowns. He will push for playing time at Alabama due to unproven talent at the position outside of Jones. His brother Adarius was a star at Oklahoma State.

Trent Richardson, freshman running back, 5'11", 215 pounds, Escambia, FL

This is as close to a no-brainer as you could get. Richardson had a game where he ran for 419 yards and ended his season running for 2,090 yards and 25 touchdowns. Richardson possesses excellent vision and patience as a runner. He can catch passes out of the backfield, and he's a solid pass blocker.

He has the ability to run between the tackles to punish defenders and shows the speed to escape them as well. He will no doubt come into the running back rotation and challenge for playing time. Although he may not be the starter out of fall camp, Saban has shown that he likes to spread the carries out to keep fresh legs in the game.

Losing One of Our Own: Remembering Steve McNair

Aaron Harrell — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:55:11 -0400

I remember Steve McNair.

The first time I've heard of McNair was when I watched his highlights on SportsCenter carving up defenses while playing at Alcorn State. He accounted for 647 total yards and threw eight touchdown passes against Tennessee-Chattanooga.

At the time, I never heard of McNair, or Alcorn State, but I was intrigued. I was wondering what would come of "Air" McNair.

Later on in his senior campaign, he would see his stock rise, as he became an All-American, a winner of the Walter Payton Award, and finish third in the Heisman voting. He also accounted for an incredible 53 touchdowns.

He was the third pick in the 1995 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. The fact that he came from a I-AA school and drafted that high really sent a message to the rest of the league and the fans of the NFL.

He would prove that his third place finish in the Heisman voting wasn't a fluke and maybe he should have held the trophy.

He spent two years backing up Chris Chandler, while starting and winning two games in his rookie season.

When the Oilers moved to Tennessee in 1997, I was able to get a good look at "Air" McNair. He became the full-time starter, which became a title he would never relinquish. He went 16-16 in his first two years at Tennessee, throwing for 2665 yards his first year as a starter and 3228 yards in his second year starting. The fans were seeing him progress and he became a fan favorite.

However in 1999, his legend began to grow as he led the Titans to a 13-3 record and a berth in the Super Bowl. It was in that game that Titan fans, as well as the rest of the NFL, experienced the toughness that McNair would be known for.

Down 23-16, with 1:48 left in the game, one timeout, and 88 yards to go, McNair would orchestrate a masterful drive.

Using his arm and his feet, he would march the Titans down the field to the St. Louis 26-yard-line. On 3rd-and-5 with 22 seconds left remaining, McNair had probably the best quarterback escape in Super Bowl history before Eli Manning's in Super Bowl XLII. Wrapped up by two defensive linemen, was able to stay on his feet, then delivered a 16 yard strike to Kevin Dyson, burned their last timeout, and leaving five seconds remaining in the game.

The Titans would eventually lose that game at the one-yard line, but the Titan fans couldn't ask for anything more than what McNair would give them. Although the Titans haven't been to the Super Bowl since then, he would give the fans memories that would last a lifetime.

We watched him put up Pro Bowl numbers from 2000 to 2003, throwing for more than 3000 yards and over 20 touchdowns in each of those years.

He led the Titans to a memorable run in 2002, where they won 11 out of 12 games. They had a six game winning streak before losing to the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship.

His best year came in 2003, when he was named the Co-MVP. He had a QB rating of 100.4, throwing for 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He led the Titans to a 12-4 record (going 10-4 as a starter), losing to the eventual champion New England Patriots in the Divisional Playoffs.

On a side note, it was probably his best year in the Madden NFL video game series after the roster update.

He orchestrated 19 fourth quarter comebacks, where the Titans tied, or took the lead in the final two minutes of play.

He was elected to the Pro Bowl three times.

He played through more injuries than a typical quarterback would go through in a career. I remember hearing McNair not being able to practice, but somehow, some way, you would see No. 9 on the field on Sundays. Bruised sternums, bad back, fractured pinkies, turf toe, you name it, and he played through it like he wasn't hurt at all.

It broke the hearts of the Titan fans to see him play for the rival Baltimore Ravens in 2006. He would later retire at the end of 2007 season. He finished his career throwing for 31,304 yards and 174 touchdowns. A shoe-in for the Hall of Fame. We thought it was bad when the front office let him go.

Then on July 4, 2009, it got worse.

We lost our quarterback for good.

He was 36 years old.

When I first heard the news, I was in a state of shock, I couldn't believe it.

McNair was without a doubt, the most beloved Titan to ever put on the uniform. He represented the organization, as well as the city of Nashville, with class and dignity, that we will not see for a long time.

His efforts in the community and the legacy he leaves behind will never be forgotten.

He will never have to worry about being in pain like he did throughout his career.

Looks like he will still hold true to his nickname, "Air" after all.

The Deuce: One of Alabama's Best

Aaron Harrell — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:11:01 -0400

If you were born in the late '80s or early '90s, you missed out on probably the best pure athlete in Alabama football history.

Before fans were in awe of Reggie Bush, there was David Palmer.

Before we watched Percy Harvin carve up defenses at Florida, Palmer was doing it at Alabama.

Before the young Alabama fans get excited over the return abilities of Javier Arenas, the old-school fans held their breath when Palmer touched the ball.

He had his trademark of flipping the ball in the air after a touchdown (which is now an unsportsmanlike penalty).

From 1991 to 1993, he was so electric, that Alabama Coach Gene Stallings had figure out ways to get him the football. He was more than a kick/punt return specialist and a wide receiver—at times he was a quarterback. He didn't run all the time while he played quarterback; he also threw passes to keep defenses honest.

He was an All-American in 1993 and finished third in the Heisman Trophy ballot. His third-place finish is the highest for an Alabama player (and maybe he would have won, if not for two DUI sentences).

Before Palmer was slithering his way through defenses in college, he was electrifying the crowds at Jackson-Olin High School in Birmingham, Ala. Rumor has it his high school highlight tape trumps the moves he pulled off in college. That is hard to believe on my end, but when you hear the same thing from more than one person, you almost have to believe it.

The message board saying, "Pictures, or it didn't happen," never applied to Palmer.

The first time I saw Palmer play was against Vanderbilt in 1991, which was his freshman year. I was an eight-year-old pup at the time, a few months off of watching Michael Jordan switching hands on the Lakers in the Finals.

Vandy punted to him, and he caught it at the Alabama 44-yard line. The man was surrounded by six Vandy defenders (which is over half the defense), made one move to the left, then hopped back to the right, and took it back to the house. The sick part about the run was that no one touched him, and no one blocked.

If you think this is one of those exaggerated stories you hear from older people, you may want to think again. If Al Michaels was calling the play, it would have ended with him saying, "He did what?!”

After watching him play that first time, I was hooked to the television screen. I wanted to see Palmer at least touch the football. I remember begging my mom to buy me a No. 2 Alabama jersey, but, to my dismay, it never happened.

Palmer's freshman year was nothing short of amazing. He made a name for himself with his 90-yard punt return against LSU, and followed that up with a quarterback sweep to the right side for a touchdown that made the difference against Auburn in the 1991 Iron Bowl.

But it was the 1991 Blockbuster Bowl against Colorado that made jaws drop, ankles break, and turned Palmer into the most exciting player in college football at that time. He caught a punt at the 50-yard line, high stepped and went back a couple yards, then he split three defenders, made another one miss, and the rest was history. Teammate Antonio Langham didn't have to block the punter on that play, but he did anyway.

The play of the night however, was when Palmer lined up at quarterback on a 2nd-and-10. He was under center, dropped back (and I'm not sure if it was part of the play), and four Colorado defenders got in the backfield. But Palmer spun out of the jam and broke up field for a first down. I scratched my head in amazement. He caught a touchdown pass later on, while I was still wondering how he got that first down.

Palmer may not have been the fastest guy you would see on the field, but he had what is called "next man" speed. Meaning, if the guy that was chasing him ran a 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds, Palmer would run as if he ran it in 4.3 seconds.

That speed was evident in the 1993 Sugar Bowl against defending champion Miami.

We heard it from the media:

"Miami has too much speed."

"Alabama doesn't stand a chance."

"Alabama is too slow."

All it took was one punt return from Palmer to put 'Bama in Miami territory to make Miami look like the team that was slow. If Palmer had run to the open gap, it would have been a touchdown. If Miami didn't respect his speed after that play, then there was a reverse where a Hurricane player had the angle on him and Palmer ran right by him.

You can't look back at Palmer's statistics to measure his impact. Alabama didn't start to throw the football until his junior year, in which he had 61 receptions and 1,000 yards receiving (an Alabama record at the time), and a school record 217-yard receiving day against Vanderbilt. There's no telling how many yards he would have had if 'Bama threw the ball earlier in his career.

That year, due to Jay Barker's injury, Palmer also played a few games at quarterback and went 15-for-30 for the season with two touchdowns and three interceptions. His longest pass play went for 54 yards against Ole Miss. He also threw for a career-high 116 yards in a loss against LSU, while completing six of 10 passes.

Ask anyone who had a chance to see him play in person and they will tell you that he was worth the price of admission. Hell, I would have been glad to see him play on pay-per-view.

Players like Freddie Milons, Tyrone Prothro, AC Carter, and Javier Arenas, are players that come to mind as "the next David Palmer."

If Reggie Bush was called a "human video game," then Palmer was a "cheat code."

There are so many plays he made at Alabama, that it is hard for me to remember all of them.

In his day, Palmer was a man among boys.

To this day, if you ask a Tennessee fan about the 1993 game between 'Bama and UT, they still don't want to talk about it.

Greg McElroy: One Pass Is Not a Barometer of Success

Aaron Harrell — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:46:28 -0400

Crimson Tide fans already know the story about redshirt-junior quarterback Greg McElroy.

At Southlake Carroll High School in Texas, he was the backup to Chase Daniel, the 2004 EA Sports National High School Player of the Year.

McElroy played one season of varsity football. In 2005, he made that one season count, throwing for 4,687 yards and a Texas 5A-record 56 touchdowns. Southlake Carroll won its third state title in four seasons.

He also led them to a 16-0 record.

He was committed to play for Texas Tech, until he changed his mind and decided to sign with Alabama after he visited the campus a few weeks after the 2006 Cotton Bowl.

He backed up John Parker Wilson for three years. Thus far, he has thrown for 196 yards and two touchdowns.

Alabama fans remember what happened on 3rd-and-6 on the Auburn 34-yard line. Shotgun snap, McElroy looks off the safety, then throws a perfectly thrown 34-yard pass to Marquis Maze for a touchdown, which capped off six years of Alabama frustration in losing to their in-state rival. The message boards were buzzing after that play.

Thinking about the 2008 Iron Bowl made me think of this question:

What if that 34-yard pass against Auburn didn't happen?

Ever since then, the Bama Nation has placed high expectations on McElroy based off this one pass, and his high school career.

That was the last pass he threw. But everyone is forgetting McElroy's last image as a 'Bama quarterback.

Let's go back to Fayetteville, Arkansas, where No. 9-ranked Alabama had a commanding...well, scout-team 42-7 lead over Arkansas in the fourth quarter. McElroy faced a 3rd-and-4 on the Alabama 29 yard line. He dropped back, looked to his right, and threw a pass that was intercepted by Arkansas' Ramon Broadway.

He didn't throw another pass for the rest of the game.

The message boards did not sound too positive after that throw. Few posters then conceded to the fact that the interception was the reason Wilson was the starter and maybe there was a reason why McElroy couldn't beat out Wilson for the starting job.

Had that 34-yard pass never happened, Crimson Tide fans would have the image of McElroy's interception, and his stellar high school career.

The point of all this is that we don't know how well McElroy will perform this year for the Crimson Tide. He hasn't played against other SEC defenses yet, and he faces the daunting task of his first start against a highly-touted Virginia Tech defense. He may practice every day against one of the nation's best defenses, but game speed is a different story.

There is not much that we can base off of McElroy. All we know is that being the quarterback of the Alabama Crimson Tide is probably the third-toughest job in the state, behind the head coach of Alabama and the Governor, respectively.

But it is not fair for the young man to have his season predicated on one pass.

Alabama To Appeal NCAA Ruling

Aaron Harrell — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:02:28 -0400

The University of Alabama has announced that it will appeal the sanctions that were handed down last week by the NCAA Department of Infractions, involving 16 sports programs and 201 athletes, seven of which were on the football team.

Today, UA President Robert Witt confirmed that the school will file an appeal prior to the 15-day deadline (June 26). Last week's verdict placed the Alabama football program on three years probation, vacating over 20 wins starting in the 2005 season through midway in the 2007 season.

Below is President Witt's statement:

“The University of Alabama will appeal the sanctions announced on June 11 by the NCAA Committee on Infractions regarding violations of the NCAA’s policies on textbooks for student-athletes. We appreciate that the Committee recognized the isolated nature of this violation as well as UA’s immediate and aggressive actions to correct the situation as soon as we discovered the problem.

“However, we are disappointed with the excessiveness of the sanctions in view of the facts of this case and the penalties in other textbook infractions cases. There is no evidence or allegations of other NCAA violations; no coaches or administrators were involved; no players obtained books and sold them for cash, and all the books were returned or charged to the student’s account as required by the UA textbook policy in effect at that time.

“We are in the process of preparing our Notice of Appeal and will file it prior to the 15-day deadline (June 26). The University of Alabama remains committed to doing things the right way, and we will continue to work with the NCAA and the SEC as we focus on strict compliance with all NCAA regulations."

Lakers-Magic: Second Quarter Run Helps LA Pull Away, Win 15th NBA Championship

Aaron Harrell — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:39:02 -0400

Until midway through the second quarter, Game Five of the NBA Finals had all the makings of a classic. It started out with neither team giving up an inch to the other, as they both made every possession matter.

Then, the Los Angeles Lakers proceeded to win their 15th NBA Championship in a matter of five minutes and 53 seconds.

How did it happen?

With his team down 40-to-36 at the 5:53 mark in the second quarter, Game Three hero Derek Fisher hit a three to pull the Lakers within one.

Trevor Ariza and Hedo Turkoglu then both received double technicals following a Magic timeout.

After that, Ariza took over.

He came back after the timeout and nailed a three from the left wing, then added eight more points during their 20-6 run, which ultimately won the Lakers the game. During that stretch, the Lakers made eight straight field goals, and scored 16 unanswered points.

Everything was over but the crying, as the Lakers would finish off the Magic, 99-86.

Finally, the shadow that Shaq cast over Bryant since their split was gone for good.

Bryant filled up the stat sheets with 30 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four blocked shots averaged. Phil Jackson finally got his elusive 10th NBA Championship—his fourth with the Lakers after six with the Chicago Bulls, finally passing Red Auerbach of Celtics dynasty fame.

Even Shaq congratulated Bryant on Twitter by saying, "Congratulations Kobe, u deserve it. You played great . Enjoy it my man enjoy it."

The Laker role players stepped up throughout the Finals, as well.

Pau Gasol made sure that no one would put him and the word "soft" in the same sentence again, scoring 14 points and 15 rebounds in the clincher. Lamar Odom contributed a double double (17 points and 10 rebounds) off the bench, and veteran Derek Fisher ended with 13 points.

In the end, Orlando died with their three-point shooting, going 8-for-27.

The Magic didn't have enough left in the tank after a Game Four collapse that will be added to their history of playoff futility.

Dwight Howard, who ended the game with 11 points, was visibly frustrated by the Lakers' length throughout the series. Hedo Turkoglu scored 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting, and Rashard Lewis had 18 points from 6-for-19 shooting, but went 3-12 from three-point territory.

The Lakers came into the season with their Game Six loss in last year's Finals—when the Boston Celtics drubbed them by 39 points—in their minds. They played with the same passion that the Celtics had throughout the Finals, and Bryant's determination was evident through the five games.

It remains to be seen whether this team can stay together for another title run. Both Odom and Ariza are free agents in the summer, and it will be interesting to see who the Lakers will re-sign.

But at this moment, their front office is not thinking about that.

Now the Lakers should focus on celebrating of a historical kind.

Nelson's Activation Was Not the Best Idea

Aaron Harrell — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:18:16 -0400

Let's take a stroll on this road called Memory Lane.

On February 19th, the Orlando Magic received word that their All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson would be out for the remainder of the season with a torn labrum.

On February 20th, Rafer Alston, who was just picked up from Houston, became the starting point guard, where he and Magic backup point guard Anthony Johnson would continue Orlando's winning ways.

The Magic stayed afloat during the remainder of the season and entered the playoffs as a three seed, where their first round opponent was the Philadelphia 76ers. The Magic won that series, clinching it in Game Six (on the road) without their leader, Dwight Howard.

Up next, was the defending champion, Boston Celtics. It was a hellacious seven game series, filled with tough play, big shots, and a show of resiliency that would later on be Orlando's trademark. Up until that point, Boston never lost a series where they led 3-2.

In the Conference Finals, they had another tough test. MVP LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers were coming off sweeping their first two playoff opponents and were looking unbeatable. Orlando took down Cleveland in six games, showing their resiliency being down by 20 in a few games, and also, having to answer questions about LeBron's game-winning shot that everyone talked about for days.

On May 31st, the Associated Press reported that Nelson was looking to a possible return to the lineup for the NBA Finals.

On June 2nd, he took part in a team practice where he had his teammates convinced that he was ready to play.

On June 4th, it looked like he was going to be held out of Game One.

He played 23 minutes and scored six points. Alston had six points in 25 minutes of play. It was a stunner for everyone to see Nelson play that many minutes having being out for four months.

Now that the walk down Memory Lane is over, it is time to face the truth:

Since the activation, Orlando's postseason is equal to the 50-foot plunge on Splash Mountain.

I understand that he's a competitor and he wants the team to be successful, but at the same time, he needs to do what is best for the team and just step aside. Stan Van Gundy has mishandled his point guard situation in Games One, Two, and Four, which just so happened to be the games that Orlando lost.

Nelson is averaging close to 20 minutes a game in the Finals. Interestingly enough, Anthony Johnson averaged close to 15 minutes in the playoffs.

Nelson is not the player he was before the injury and it doesn't look like he'll turn into that player with the maximum of three games left to play in the season.

He's turning down open jumpshots, he's not breaking down his defender and going to the basket, he's careless with the basketball in late-game situations, he's a defensive liability, he's been more than a step slow, and to top it off, he even admitted that he's not 100 percent.

There's an old saying, "Dance with the girl that you took to the prom". At this point, Van Gundy needs to scrap the Nelson experiment and go back to what got them there in the first place. It was far too late for Van Gundy to add him into the mix, due to team chemistry.

Alston needs to be the guy that plays the majority of the minutes (close to 30), and it's time to see a little more of Johnson. When Alston is aggressive and going to the basket, he gives the Lakers problems (see Game Three), when he settles for jumpshots and plays passive, they lose.

Going into the Finals, Orlando's record was 12-7.

They are now 1-3.

If the prom analogy is not good enough, then Kevin Costner said it best in the movie Bull Durham, "Never **** with a winning streak."

Lakers-Magic: Orlando Only Has Itself to Blame for Its Game Four Collapse

Aaron Harrell — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:23:04 -0400

A three-headed monster defeated the Orlando Magic last night.

No, I'm not talking about Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and (surprisingly) Trevor Ariza.

I'm talking about missed free throws, turnovers, and bad basketball IQ in the fourth quarter.

Hedo Turkoglu, who sliced and diced his way though the Lakers defense, came up short in two critical moments in the fourth quarter. With 5:06 left in the game and the Magic down 77-76, Turkoglu (an 85 percent free throw shooter in the playoffs) went to the line to shoot two with a chance to put them ahead by one point.

Both of them rimmed out.

He had a chance to redeem himself with 3:24 left in the game with Magic down by one.

He made one of two.

In his defense, when the score was tied at 82, he did hit a clutch, step-back three-pointer (that took some serious lower intestinal fortitude to take at the time) to put them up by three, and then followed up with a runner to give the Magic a five-point lead with under 1:20 left to play in the game.

That's when the game really got interesting.

The Lakers closed to within three on a fast break off of a defensive miscue (one of many miscues by Orlando). Then Orlando went to their bread and butter, as Turkoglu found Dwight Howard making his move toward the basket. He was fouled by Kobe Bryant, sending him to the line with 11.1 seconds left to play in regulation.

It is these 11.1 seconds that will haunt him throughout the remainder of the series.

Howard had a monster game, scoring 16 points, bringing down 21 rebounds, and blocking an NBA Finals record nine shots. But he will be remembered for the final 11.1 seconds in regulation.

One free throw makes it a two-possession game.

Howard went to the line, went through his normal routine.

First shot rims out.

The game's excitement level rises up a notch.

Second shot goes back iron, and Ariza rebounds the ball. Lakers call timeout with 10.4 left in the game.

The Lakers inbound the ball from full court. Bryant has the ball, gets doubled, finds Ariza, who then finds Derek Fisher, who dribbles to the right wing, stops, and pulls up a three as Jameer Nelson (who shockingly played off of him) can only get a hand up.

Before Fisher took that shot, he was 0-5 from three.

He was 1-6 after that.

Why didn't Nelson just play up on Fisher and let him dribble to the basket, which would have taken time off the clock? It would have given the Magic a one-point lead.

Instead the game goes into overtime, and the rest is history.

You can't beat anyone when you go 22-37 from the foul line.

You can't beat anyone when you turn the ball over 17 times.

You can't beat anyone when you don't know the time and score.

It looks real bleak for Orlando right now.

Magic fans, I have one question before I go: Where was Rafer Alston in the fourth quarter?

Just thought I'd put that out there.

Could The Lakers Have Punched Themselves Out?

Aaron Harrell — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:07:46 -0400

If you were to tell me before Game Three, that the Los Angeles Lakers would shoot 50 percent from the field, Kobe Bryant would have started out making seven of his first eight shots en route to 20 points at the half, while ending the night scoring 31 points, and dishing out 8 assists. Meanwhile, Pau Gasol would score 23 points on 9 of 11 shooting, and they would lose?

I wouldn't believe you.

In fact, I would have told you that you would have a better chance at winning the lottery before the Lakers would lose a game where they produced those kind of numbers.

Granted, the Magic shot lights out, shooting a blistering 62.5 percent from the field, an NBA Finals record, which was previously held by the 1991 Chicago Bulls, who happened to play against...

The Los Angeles Lakers.

Bryant was spectacular Tuesday night in the first half. He was efficient and in control of the game, however, he didn't count on Orlando missing only eight shots in the first half. Normally a start like that out of Bryant, would spell certain doom for the opposition. The Lakers went into halftime believing that Orlando couldn't keep this pace up.

But they did, to a certain extent.

Rafer Alston, who was on the other side of a milk carton in Games One and Two, had a Rucker Park flashback, skipping all over Derek Fisher, while Turkoglu made contested shots, Pietrus thinking that he's playing FIBA Basketball, Lewis showing his deadly marksmanship, and what has become a recurring theme, Howard making a living at the charity stripe.

But the question remains:

Could the Lakers have punched themselves out of this game or the series?

This was their best performance of the Finals so far. In Game One they shot 46 percent from the field. Orlando played horrible in Game One, shooting a dismal 29 percent, while being out-rebounded by 13. However, both teams took care of the ball as well, as both teams had eight turnovers. In Game Two, L.A. shot 46 percent, lost the rebounding battle, but had 12 turnovers to Orlando's 20. Orlando shot better in Game Two (41 percent), but shot themselves in the foot with turnovers.

If the Lakers play good basketball and Orlando doesn't, it equals a Lakers win.

If the Lakers play good basketball and Orlando plays a bit better than the game before, it equals a Lakers win.

If the Lakers play their best game and Orlando gives their best game, hate to say it, but Orlando is winning that game.

The Lakers tried to knockout the Magic last night. A 3-0 lead would have been insurmountable for the Magic and total confidence for the Lakers. Instead, it leaves the Lakers frustrated, knowing they went all out for this game, and it still wasn't enough.

Be that as it may, the Magic still has to play catch-up, as they are still down 2-1 in the series.