Bleacher Report - Articles by Franklin Crittenden

How Alabama's Greg McElroy Out-Tebowed Florida's Tim Tebow

Franklin Crittenden — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:56:57 -0500

Alabama's Greg McElroy was the forgotten quarterback on Championship Saturday. All the quarterback talk centered around those other two quarterbacks, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow.

Well, everybody may have overlooked Greg McElroy, but McElroy wasn't overlooking this opportunity.

In the SEC Championship Game, McElroy out-Tebowed Tim Tebow!

McElroy went 12-of-18 for 239 yards and played flawlessly, allowing no turnovers. He averaged 13.3 yards per reception, more than double Tebow's yards per completion.

Tebow's numbers were Tebow-like, but McElroy just flat out outplayed Tebow in the biggest game of the year in college football.

Beyond the statistics, every time Alabama needed a big play it was Greg McElroy, not Tebow, who was able to pull the trigger without blinking.

When Alabama needed McElroy to lead the team down the field for a score, he was up to the challenge. When the Tide needed a crucial first down, McElroy and Alabama delivered, converting 11 of 15 compared to Florida's four of 11.

We all admire Tim Tebow for who he is and everything he has accomplished at the University of Florida. But with all due respect, Greg McElroy out-shined and outplayed Tebow on this day.

Alabama, lead by McElroy's arm and a host of playmakers including Mark Ingram, Collin Peek and Marquis Maze, decimated Florida's No. 1 defense for 490 yards.

The Gators had only allowed 253 yards per game until they met McElroy, Ingram and company.

Alabama's defense was magnificent as well, holding the prolific Gators to only 335 yards, well under their average of 442 yards per game. Many of those yards came in the final desperate minutes of the game.

More than anything, Alabama's defense kept Tebow and company out of the end zone by allowing only one touchdown and two field goals for only 13 points. That is nearly 30 points below their almost-40 points per game average.

When it came time to chose the SEC Championship Game's MVP, no one was surprised when Greg McElroy's name was announced.

McElroy was gracious when accepting the award, saying only that this is why players come to Alabama and praising the Alabama team and its coaches.

Tebow may be college football's Superman, but ask any Alabama fan in Atlanta on Saturday night who their Superman is, and they will tell you it's McElroy.

Tebow is a great quarterback and a great leader. Florida's rivals will be more than happy to bid him farewell and adieu because nobody has looked forward to playing Florida since the quarterback arrived at Florida four years ago.

On the other hand, Alabama's rivals can look forward to much more of McElroy, Ingram, Richardson, Maze, Julio Jones and company in the future. McElroy is the only junior among the group, with the rest being only sophomores.

The exception is Trent Richardson who is, believe or not, a true freshman.

Tim Tebow did not let the Florida Gators down, if anything the Florida Gators let Tebow down. That makes what McElroy accomplished at the Georgia Dome all the more impressive.

Alabama heads into the BCS Championship Game with one of the youngest teams to ever play for the BCS title.

They also head into the game with a boatload of talent and trainload of confidence.

Florida has ruled the SEC for some 15 years, on and off. That dynasty is now being challenged by the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Last night I overheard a Florida fan say, "We may just have to get used to this."

That, my friends, says it all.

Urban Meyer Suspends Carlos Dunlap, Finally Takes a Stand

Franklin Crittenden — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:49:24 -0500

Thank you, Urban Meyer!

I would like to thank you on behalf of the thousands of young athletes who see college football players like Carlos Dunlap as role models, and see college football coaches as leaders and mentors.

I would like to thank you on behalf of all the young athletes you may have just discouraged from taking the wrong road in their future.

I also would like to thank you for those of us who still see college football as part of higher education and coaches as a real part of teaching young people about life.

Finally I would like to thank you for setting a good example for all of the other 85 or so football players under your tutelage in taking this stand.

For those who are not up to speed on this situation, Carlos Dunlap is one of Florida's best defensive football players, and he was arrested at 3:25 AM on Tuesday morning and charged with DUI.

He was driving erratically and after sitting through a couple of red lights, he was approached by police officers and was found asleep at the wheel with his vehicle still in drive. He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and was released from jail later Tuesday morning.

Today, head coach Urban Meyer suspended Dunlap from playing in Saturday's SEC Championship game against Alabama. His future with the team may be in doubt.

Some will argue that college football is no different from professional football and that things are different today and coaches must make concessions in order to attract great athletes.

To that I say bunk!

I personally do not watch professional football anymore because it has become a cesspool of thuggery and for the most part has become a sport of individualism, hot dogs, and showoffs.

I love to see players celebrate a great play, but the choreographed antics of most of these players turns my stomach, not to mention their conduct off the field.

Every time a player is arrested and then is allowed back on the field in the next game we as fans all grow a little more cynical.

Every time we overlook these actions in order to win football games it is another brick in the wall of this Thunderdome world that today's professional sports exemplify. It is a world where anything goes as long as you are winning.

The message I see coming from professional football every day is that if you are good on the field, your conduct off the field is a non-issue.

I want sports heroes for me and my kids to be better than that, and so should you.

We are all human and all make mistakes, but some of the things that are forgiven and swept under the rug in today's NFL cannot be justified.

That sort of behavior and personal conduct is starting to seep into college football and from there it is just a step away from our high schools and even our little league sports.

Young people emulate their sports heroes on and off the field and someone has to eventually take a stand or risk losing what's left of what we loved about our young people being involved in sports like college football.

I for one admire the hundreds of college football coaches who still understand what the college experience and college athletics is supposed to be about. Coaches that want to win just as bad, but realize that they still have to look in the mirror at the end of the day.

Those coaches still expect their athletes to conduct themselves as representatives of the universities that are paying for their education and paving the way for their NFL futures, or where ever their free education leads them.

So, for those reasons I want to thank you, Urban Meyer.

My only regret is that it had to come to this in order for you to see the light and finally do the right thing. Every time you have cut one of your prized players a break you encouraged another young athlete to push his luck to the limit.

Judging by your past actions in these matters, I still wonder if you would have done the same thing if it were not for the close scrutiny Florida is under in these type of situations due to your past actions.

Every time you didn't make an example of a prized player who got in trouble you made it more difficult for parents all over the country to discipline their own kids.

How can I explain to my young athlete why he is being disciplined when ESPN is reporting that you didn't suspend or punish another one of your players adequately for their transgressions?

My son sees the success you and those players are having and questions why it is necessary to conduct himself any differently.

Maybe, just maybe, if you or coaches like you had stood your ground a long time ago Carlos Dunlap would be still part of the Florida squad and be able to participate in what he has worked so hard to accomplish.

Maybe you bare as much of the blame as he does.

Maybe if you had been a little tougher on the previous 24 Florida football players who have been in trouble at Florida since your arrival this incident might not have happened.

I can point to a dozen examples where you could have drawn the line way before now. The most recent was when Brandon Spikes attempted to gouge the eyes of a Georgia player just a few weeks ago.

Maybe if you hadn't made such a mockery of the Brandon Spikes situation by initially suspending him for only one half of the next game Carlos Dunlap might have been too afraid to party it up the week of the SEC Championship Game.

I am told you are a good person and love your players, and I believe that is true.

Sometimes when you love people the best thing you can do for them is create reasonable boundaries for their personal conduct and stick to them. It is called tough love, Urban Meyer—try it, it really works.

We have a saying at my house: If you make your kids afraid to bring home a C on their report card, then you will never have to deal with one of them ever bringing home an F.

You should take that rule and adapt it to your football program.

How about this?

If you make your players so fearful of being caught out after curfew, then you will never have to deal with one of them passing out drunk behind the wheel at 3:25 AM at a red light in front of a police car five days before the SEC Championship.

Just some advice from a nobody who still can look in the mirror at the end of the day.

The SEC Championship: Is Alabama Ready To Take The Next Step in Saban's Process?

Franklin Crittenden — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:31:14 -0500

Looking back it all seems like a bad dream. Alabama had suffered through its most difficult period in over 50 years.

From 2000 to 2006 Alabama had four different head coaches and some of Alabama's players went through as many as three times that number in Coordinators and position coaches.

Alabama's rivals had a field day during this period. Teams like Auburn, LSU, and Tennessee had a combined record of 17-4 over the Crimson Tide during these trying times.

It was the worst of times and the Nick Saban entered the picuture.

Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa, Al in December of 2006 and even though Alabama fans had greeted all of Alabama's past coaches with enthusiasm, the reception that awaited Nick Saban and his family was in the realm of a homecoming for a conquering hero.

Knowledgeable Alabama fans knew that when the University of Alabama hired Nick Saban, the nightmare was finally over.

The last time Alabama fans felt that way was when Paul "Bear" Bryant was introduced to the Crimson Tide faithful in 1958.

In three short years, Nick Saban has turned Alabama from an also ran into one of the nation's premier college football programs. The Tide has spent the better part of the last two years at the top of the polls and the BCS standings.

Nick Saban calls it the "process". The process is just a matter of getting everyone involved on the same page; the players, the coaching staff, the fans, the alumni, and the institution all working as one.

Saban's first year was spent finding out who wanted to be a part of that process among the young men already on campus. Most of them bought in from the start, others are now playing football someplace else.

The next step for Saban was improving the talent level in the Crimson Tide football program, this would take some time. Alabama had some talented players mixed in with the group Saban inherited, but in order to compete at the highest level, Saban had to sell Alabama to the nation's elite athletes.

His first recruiting class in 2006 was a mix of players that were recruited by the previous coaching staff with a few players Saban managed to bring in the closing days before signing day. Those players are among Alabama's junior class who on this year's 12-0 squad. Among them, are players like Rolando McClain.

Saban's next two signing classes were ranked No. 1 by most recruiting services. Among those classes were players like Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, Jarrell Harris Nico Johnson, Dont'a Hightower, D.J. Fluker, A.J. McCarron, and many others that will become household names in the near future.

Saban is now working on adding another stellar group of athletes to his first two recruiting classes already on campus.

Saban surprised even the most optimistic of Alabama fans by leading the Crimson Tide to its first undefeated regular season since 1992, when Gene Stallings led Alabama to a perfect 13-0 record and its 12th National Championship.

Alabama went undefeated in the SEC in 2008 and was the SEC western division champion for the first time since 1999. Alabama came up short in the SEC Championship game and lost to the Florida Gators.

A disappointed Alabama team went on to lose to No. 2 Utah in the 2009 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans to end the 2008 season on a sour note. Saban said that important lessons were learned in the final two games of 2008.

Even though 2008 ended on a sour note, there was now a new optimism at the Capstone. Alabama went into 2009 with ambitious goals of repeating as Western Division Champions in the SEC and returning to Atlanta for another go at the Florida Gators.

This year should have been a rebuilding season for the Crimson Tide with the loss of its starting quarterback, running back, most of the offensive line, and other key players. With the emergence of Greg McElroy at quarterback and Mark Ingram at running back, talk of rebuilding quickly turned into talk of championships.

Alabama patched up its offensive line with the addition of junior college transfer James Carpenter into a pretty solid group.

Alabama did return most of its top defense from 2008, but the offense was a huge question mark. That question was answered in the first game of the season when Alabama beat the highly regarded Virginia Tech Hokies 34-24. That remains the most points scored on the Hokies' stingy defense to date.

Alabama's disappointing finish to the 2008 season would be used as a motivating tool by Saban to refocus the 2009 team and accomplish Alabama's second undefeated regular season in a row.

That feat has not been accomplished by any team in the SEC since Bear Bryant's 1965 and 1966 teams did it over 40 years ago.

Now the Crimson Tide is in position again to take the next step.

Can Alabama take it to the next level by defeating the No. 1 and defending National Champions Florida Gators?

In 2003 while at LSU, Saban's LSU Tigers faced the exact same situation. LSU had finished 2002 with two disappointing losses in the SEC Championship Game to Arkansas and a loss to Texas in their Bowl Game.

Saban said later that lessons were learned that year as well. Saban led the LSU Tigers to the BCS National Championship in 2003 by beating Georgia in the SEC Championship and No. 1 Oklahoma in the BCS Championship.

Can Saban and the Crimson Tide use the lessons learned in 2008 to take Alabama to the next level in 2009 and win the SEC Championship? The winner of the SEC Championship earns a ticket to the BCS Championship in 2010 in Pasadena, Ca.

The Florida Gators would have to be considered the premier college football team in America since the arrival of Urban Meyer in 2004. The Gators won the BCS in 2006 and 2008.

Defeating the defending national champion Gators in the 2009 SEC Championship could be a tall order especially while they are still being led by Heisman Trophy winner and 2009 Heisman candidate Tim Tebow.

That is the task facing Alabama next Saturday in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome.

Florida and Alabama are the two best teams in the country right now. There is a slight possibility that the BCS could pit both Alabama and Florida in the BCS Title Game in a rematch no matter the outcome this Saturday.

That would be true especially if Alabama beats Florida in a close game.

I think in either case, that would be unfair to all involved.

Florida if favored by almost a touchdown in this game and seems to be at the top of their game.

These two teams are very similar and ranked at the top of so many statistical categories that I won't bore you with the list. Both teams are battle tested and come into this game undefeated and pretty healthy.

Alabama has lost Linebacker Donta' Hightower earlier in the year and Alabama's leading rusher, Mark Ingram sustained a hip injury in the Iron Bowl.

On the Florida side, Linebacker A.J. Jones is doubtful, but other than that everyone else should be able to play.

There has never been a No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup in the SEC Championship Game, so we will be seeing history made this coming Saturday at 4:00PM EST.

Last years game pitted the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide against then No. 4 Florida Gators. Florida won that contest and then went on to win the BCS National Championship by defeating the Oklahoma Sooners in Miami 24-14.

The Crimson Tide looks to take the next big step under Nick Saban by beating the Florida Gators and hopefully going on to play for the Tides' 13th National Championship in the process.

Maybe that is the true meaning of the word "process" that Saban often speaks about.

If so, maybe this is the year Nick Saban's "process" comes to fruition and the Alabama Crimson Tide takes another huge step towards making college football history.

Alabama Faces Florida in the SEC Title Game For The BCS National Championship

Franklin Crittenden — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:28:21 -0500

Yes, you read that right. It wasn't a poorly conceived headline and it wasn't a typo.

Alabama and Florida are actually playing for the BCS National Championship on December 5, 2009 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA.

Oh sure, they are playing for the SEC Championship as well, but lets face it, the winner of this game will most likely win the BCS National Championship game when it's played in Pasadena, CA on January 7, 2010.

So for all intents and purposes, this game between the two top teams in the SEC will decide who is to be crowned the BCS National Champion in January. The BCS Championship game itself is just a formality.

Why do I believe that you ask?

Because for the last 11 years, no matter who the opponent has been, the SEC Champion has beaten all comers in the previous BCS Championship games—that is when they were allowed to participate.

So I would have to say that if the SEC Champion were to lose to whomever the BCS chooses for an opponent in the BCS title game, it would have to be considered an upset of monumental proportion.

Every time the SEC plays in the BCS Championship game, they win.

The SEC was not invited in 2004 or 2005, thus giving USC and Texas a chance to win those two titles. But based on the SEC's record in the BCS game, I would have to call those titles illegitimate. The same goes for 1999 through 2002.

Please don't bother telling me about USC. If USC played in the SEC they would be a good team, but someone in the SEC would hang at least one loss on them in the regular season every year, not to mention a possible second loss in the SEC Championship game.

Just the fact that USC doesn't have to contend with a conference championship game should disqualify them from consideration in the BCS, in my humble opinion.

Imagine if they had to face Pac-10 powerhouses Oregon or Stanford for a second time in a conference championship game? I think about half of those national championships they claim would not exist. When I call them powerhouses, I am of course just being funny.

If playing in the Pac 10 is not easy enough, the Pac-10 makes it even easier by avoiding a championship game. If the Pac-10 wants to be respected, they should add a championship game and bring some real competition like Utah and Boise State into their conference.

Everyone knows the SEC is the premiere college football conference in the nation.

The names at the top of the SEC elite have changed over the years from Tennessee to LSU to Florida, back to LSU and then back to Florida again, but the results are always the same. Lets face the facts, the winner of the SEC, if invited, always wins the BCS Championship.

This brings me to Alabama.

It just so happens Alabama has been handicapped during the BCS years, but Alabama is back and they are again operating at 100 percent. Give Nick Saban one more year to recruit and Alabama will be a running like a three deep team shredder operating at full bore!

What does that mean to the SEC and the BCS?

It means that there is about to be a new sheriff in town with a chip on his shoulder and a bad attitude.

Over the past few year, Alabama and its fans have had to sit on the sideline and watch while all the other teams have had all the fun.

Well, guess what? The fun is almost over for some of the teams who have enjoyed this free ride thanks to the folks over at the NCAA.

I am not going to sit here and tell you that Alabama is one of the greatest football program in the country. I don't have to, because it is a fact .

Alabama is only second to Notre Dame by the thinnest of margins in the all time rankings and that is about to change within a blink of an eye.

Alabama is on its way to the top again while Notre Dame continues to struggle.

When Alabama wins its next national championship they will surpass Notre Dame and Alabama will once again be the college football program all others are measured by.

I hope you noticed that I said when. That was not a slip of the lip because I feel confident Alabama will win the national championship.

In fact they will win more than one in the near future.

Now before everyone starts thinking I am being arrogant or cocky, let me say this, I will not have a thing to do with it.

I am an Alabama fan, just like thousands of other Crimson Tide fans, the only thing I am going to do is support the team and the coaches and sit there with a big smile of my face and watch it all happen.

Next Saturday the Florida Gators will be the only thing standing in Alabama's way of becoming the next national champion and the premiere college football program in the country.

The Crimson Tide have caught up with the Gators and are now in position to surpass the defending national champions and represent the SEC in the BCS Championship game in January.

The Gators are very good, but the Alabama team they will face is head and shoulders better than last year's team that took them down to the wire in the 2008 SEC Championship game.

The Florida Gators' better bring their A game and a little luck if they intend on pulling this one out like they did last year.

I would suggest that anyone who loves college football tune in at 4:00 EST on December 5, 2009 on CBS and watch Alabama make history. Until then, now would be the time to give your opinion.

Alabama—Auburn: The Iron Bowl is Not Just a Game, It's in Our Blood

Franklin Crittenden — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:06:10 -0500

My first recollections of just how important the Iron Bowl really was to me was the day that Alabama lost to Auburn in 1972 in the famous "Punt Bama Punt " game.

In that game, Alabama held a 16-3 lead with only six or seven minutes left on the clock. Auburn blocked two punts in the closing minutes to win the game 17-16. The game is still held by Auburn fans in high regard to this day.

That was the first time I remember actually being taunted by the other guys in school who were Auburn fans. It was also the first time I remember not liking Auburn or Auburn fans. That resentment lives on even until this day.

In 1972, I was just a teenager and even though I was already an Alabama fan, that was the day that winning or losing the Iron Bowl became an obsession.

You see, that's what other college football fans across the nation do not understand about the Iron Bowl, it is as personal as personal can get. It's in our blood.

If Georgia loses to Florida, the Georgia fans can get back in their cars and drive away, and when they go to school or work on Monday they don't have a bunch of Gator fans dressed in blue and orange waiting on them to rub it in.

On the other hand Alabama and Auburn fans live in the same cities, towns, and neighborhoods and work and go to church with each other as well. Sometimes they even live in the same house and in some cases, sleep in the same bed.

Because of all of this, they can look forward to 365 days of rubbing salt into the wound everywhere they go for a whole year.

Heck, I even get mad when I see someone wearing an Auburn hat or flying an Auburn flag on their car if Auburn wins the Iron Bowl, I just can't imagine sleeping with an Auburn fan after losing to them.

That's what it is like to be part of an in-state rivalry that has become so very important to its fans, it is not just a game, it is a blood feud and it consumes us.

Almost every student at both Universities is attending school at their chosen University because they grew up fans of either Alabama or Auburn football.

The funny thing is I am not even from the state of Alabama. I was actually born in Tennessee and since my dad was in the military we lived everywhere but Alabama for the first 13 years of my life.

Oh, we passed through Alabama going from North Africa to Denver or Idaho to Germany, but we were never in Alabama for more than a few weeks at the most.

My father was from Alabama and Crimson Tide football was his connection to home. No matter what part of the world we were living in at the time he always knew how Alabama was doing.

Scores were hard to come by in those days, especially if you were living in North Africa or Europe, but dad always kept up with Alabama, and through him so did we.

We knew every time Alabama won and lost and to whom. We celebrated the National Championships of the 60s, even though we didn't find out about them for days after in some cases.

When my father retired from the Air Force in 1968, we moved home to Alabama and that is when being an Alabama fan became a real obsession for us as a family.

My dad started taking us to some of the games and when we didn't get to go, there was always the radio.

In those days you were lucky to see one game per year on television, so the radio was a lifeline to Crimson Tide football for most fans.

I never missed a game from the time I was 13 years old until today. I can remember laying under the tree in our back yard, staring up through the crimson and orange leaves as John Forney and Doug Layton made the Third Saturday in October come alive for me.

I still remember the anguish in their voices as they described the second blocked punt in the "Punt Bama Punt" game in 1972 as well.

The first Iron Bowl I actually went to was in 1973 when the game was played at Legion Field. I can still see the 50/50 split with half the stadium crimson and white and the other half blue and orange. The crowd would erupt on every play no matter who had the ball, it was spectacular!

Alabama won that game 35-0. It was the beginning of Alabama's nine-game winning streak over the Auburn Tigers that lasted from 1973 to 1982.

I know that the games being played at Legion Field was not fair to Auburn, but the 50/50 split should have never been changed, it made the game very special.

My dad passed away some five years ago, my brother and I always place crimson and white flowers on his grave every Fall.

My father fought in two wars and was in the Navy in the Pacific during WWII during the worst part of the war. He must have witnessed some horrific things in his time.

The only time I saw him ever shed a tear was the day we watched Coach Bryant's funeral. My brother and I shed a few ourselves.

My son now lives in California and now I always get several texts during Alabama games wanting to know the score. I guess some things never change.

I grew up and became a man during the years of Alabama's greatest dynasty. I witnessed all the great games and all the great Iron bowl plays.

The Run in the Mud, Punt Bama Punt, Coach Bryant's 315, and Van Tiffin's Kick are forever etched in my memory.

Not to mention all the great players I had the chance to see, Kenny Stabler, John Hannah, Johnny Musso, Ozzie Newsome, Wilbur Jackson, Cornelius Bennett, Derrick Thomas, Richard Todd, Shaun Alexander and on and on.

I was fortunate to be a witness during Alabama's greatest period. Paul "Bear' Bryant was the greatest coach that ever lived and I saw him lean on the goalpost and walk the sidelines hundreds of times.

Coach Bryant knew the importance of the Iron Bowl for the fans and for the state. He also realized that winning or losing this game was the most important job he had other than winning the National Championship, and he did both jobs well.

I had the privilege of seeing many great coaches, Pat Dye, Gene Stallings, Vince Dooley, Joe Paterno, Tom Osborne and Ara Parseghian all in person and all because I was an Alabama fan.

As more and more games were being televised, more and more Alabama and Auburn fans got to see their teams play.

Today seeing your team play on television is taken for granted these days, I would have killed to see some of the games I listened to on the radio on the High Definition televisions of today.

We would have driven thousands of miles to see Alabama play, and we did. I even remember driving to Tuscaloosa once to watch the Iron Bowl on television.

In 1993, Auburn was on probation and that meant its games were not allowed to be shown on television.

That didn't stop The University of Alabama from putting up a giant television screen in Bryant-Denny Stadium so that those fans who didn't have tickets could watch the game.

There we sat with about 40,000 other Alabama fans watching the Iron Bowl on a big screen television. It was surreal and I swear it was almost like being there.

We were all so into the game that we all forgot that we weren't actually watching the game live. There we were, all yelling Roll Tide and screaming like we were actually sitting in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

There were even a handful of Auburn fans in attendance, it was one of the strangest things I ever participated in, but it was awesome!

It was so real to some of the fans who were there that day, that on the last play of the game Alabama quarterback, Jay Barker, was injured. As we left Bryant-Denny Stadium an ambulance pushed its way through the crowd.

I heard someone say, "I wonder if that is Jay Barker," not remembering the game had actually been held some 200 miles away. We would have laughed except we had lost the game 22-14.

Alabama lost to Auburn that day just one year after they won the National Championship by going 13-0 in 1992. 1993 was the year Terry Bowden led the Auburn Tigers to their first undefeated season.

That's just how close this rivalry has always been.

After Bryant retired and passed away in 1983, the Iron Bowl went back and forth for years. From 1983 until 2000, Alabama and Auburn was almost an even split.

Then came Alabama's probation in 2000, with its scholarship reductions.

Auburn thrived during this period. Tommy Tuberville led Auburn to six Iron Bowl wins in a row. It was the worst of times for Alabama fans.

Tommy Tuberville did more to intensify the rivalry for Alabama fans than any Auburn coach in history. His arrogance and taunting of Alabama fans and students was merciless.

During the Tuberville years teasing turned to insults and Auburn fans took rubbing it in to a new level.

Enter Nick Saban.

Nick Saban has brought Alabama out of the wilderness of probation and all of a sudden Alabama fans are looking forward to the Iron Bowl again.

This year's Iron Bowl will be played on Friday at 1:30 PM EST at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium.

It is the first time it has not been played on Saturday since the year that Pat Dye stepped down. I remember that because we had our family's Thanksgiving dinner in the parking lot of Legion Field that year. It's funny just how important this game is to some people.

Tommy Tuberville is gone and now Gene Chizik leads the Auburn Tigers into his first Iron Bowl. Should Auburn lose this game he will find out just how important this game really is to Auburn fans just as so many before him has discovered.

Nick Saban learned that lesson in 2007. In 2008 Alabama beat Auburn 36-0. In the fourth quarter Saban was overheard saying something to the effect, don't let up, you know how much I hate those so and sos.

I guess Tuberville holding up six fingers didn't sit very well with Coach Saban either.

I am sure that everyone can remember how they became an Alabama or Auburn fan and most can remember when the Iron Bowl became the most important football game in their lives.

This is my story, if you would like to share yours feel free to leave a comment.

Alabama Versus Auburn; My 10 Favorite Iron Bowl Jokes

Franklin Crittenden — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:51:12 -0500

This is Iron Bowl week in Alabama.

The Iron Bowl is the anual rivalry game between the University of Alabama and Auburn University.

It is the ultimate neighbor versus neighbor, brother versus brother, sister versus sister, husband versus wife, father versus son, mother versus daughter in state blood feud.

There is no other rivalry games in the nation that even comes close in the shear magnitude and consequences to the fans of both schools. The winner can walk with his head held high for the next year, the loser must slink away and await those consequences.

What the rest of the nation doesn't understand is that, Alabama and Auburn fans literally hate each other. I am not exaggerating, they really do not like each other one bit.

Oh, they may work together and even go to church together and they may even be part of the same family and love each other, but during Iron Bowl week all that changes.

During Iron Bowl Week, the tension ratchets up a notch or two, everybody's jaws get a little tighter and all the small talk goes away.

They may pick at each other and even tell jokes, but they do so knowing full well that they may be just one sarcastic comment away from a full fledged screaming match or even a fist fight.

It hasn't always been this way.

I am not sure exactly when the Alabama/Auburn game took a turn for the worse, other than to say it has taken a turn for the worse somewhere in the past generation. It seemed as though it was a little more fun way back when I was growing up.

Something has changed or maybe I've just changed?

Some say it began with Tommy Tuberville. Tuberville was especially cruel in taunting Alabama's fans and students during his six in a row campaign. His personal wearing of the "Fear of the Thumb" T-shirt after the fourth victory was especially vicious.

Teasing has turned into trash talk and jokes have turned into insults and conspiracies.

Years ago it seemed as though I heard a new Alabama/Auburn joke almost every day.

I always loved hearing them and telling them myself, especially on the golf course or while tailgating.

There were some really great ones, I wished I had written them all down.

My 10 favorite Auburn jokes:

10) Where was O.J. Simpson heading that day in the white Bronco?

To Auburn, because they would never look for a great football player there.

9) How do we know the toothbrush was invented at Auburn?

Because if it were invented at Alabama it would be called the "teethbrush."

8) What is the difference between an Auburn fan and a bag of manure?

The bag.

7) What do you call an Auburn player with a National Championship ring?

A thief!

6) How do you compliment an Auburn fan?

You say, nice tooth!

5) How do you get an Auburn graduate off of your porch?

You pay him for the pizza.

4) Why wasn't Jesus born in Auburn?

Because the Lord couldn't find three wise men or a virgin there.

3) Why couldn't Auburn hold Drivers Education and Sex Education on the same day?

It was wearing out the mule.

2) What do you call a great football team at Auburn?

The Visiting Team.

1) My Auburn favorite joke goes something like this:

During football practice one day an Alabama player walked out on the practice field and made an obscene gesture towards Gene Chizik and then ran into the locker room.

Coach Chizik got mad and told his two biggest linemen to go into the locker room and teach that Alabama player a lesson.

The players ran into the locker room and there was a lot of loud crashing and banging and no one came out.

Chizik got even more irate and ordered the whole defensive Line into the locker room, telling them to teach that Alabama player a lesson that he would never forget.

Again there was a lot of loud crashing banging but again, no one came out.

Finally in frustration, Chizik tells the whole defense to get in there and don't come out until they taught the Alabama player a lesson.

The whole defense runs into the locker room, and again there was loud crashing and banging and then there was a dead silence.

All of a sudden, one player staggers out and yells, "watch out, it's a trap, there is two of them!"

Feel free to add to add your favorite Alabama/Auburn joke below.

Roll Tide!

Alabama-Chattanooga: Move Along, There Is Nothing Else To See Here

Franklin Crittenden — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:38:15 -0500

Wow. Just try to find information about UT Chattanooga football; it almost doesn't exist.

They must have a football program, because Alabama is scheduled to play them on Nov. 21, 2009 in Tuscaloosa, AL at 11:20AM CST. The SEC Network will televise the game regionally.

I couldn't even find a good picture of the football team to use in my article; I had to settle for this very nice picture of their cheerleaders at one of their basketball games.

When I put "UT Chattanooga Mocs football" in my search engine, the response came back with, "No compendia?"

All joking aside, the Mocs do have a football team that is a member of the Southern Conference, the same league that has Appalachian State. You know, the school that ultimately cost former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr his job by upsetting the Wolverines in 2007.

The conference also has Furman, which lost to Auburn 63-31, and had beaten the Mocs 38-20 earlier in the year.

UT Chattanooga is currently 6-4, with wins over teams like the Citadel and Samford.

That's Samford—not Stanford.

Actually, the Mocs have played Alabama in the past and are 0-10 versus the Tide. The last meeting in 1994 ended with Alabama winning 42-13.

They are improving under first year head coach Russ Huesman. (I hope I spelled his name right.) The Mocs only won one game last year, so Huesman is credited with turning the Mocs' football program around in 2009.

Another interesting fact I uncovered was that Brother Bill Oliver held the record for wins as a first year coach at UTC with eight in 1980. Many Alabama fans remember that name, as "Brother" coached for Gene Stallings 1990-1995.

Brother Oliver went on to coach at Auburn under Terry Bowden and actually was made interim head coach after Bowden was fired in 1998. But I digress.

Back to the Moccasins.

The Mocs are a passing team and their quarterback, B.J. Coleman, has passed for 2,312 yards this season. His favorite receiver is Blue Cooper (what a great name!), who averages 10 yards per catch and has 817 yards and seven touchdowns so far this year.

UTC's best rusher is Chris Awuah, who averages 3.1 yards per carry and has rushed for 454 yards this season.

Let's be honest. The Mocs shouldn't have a real chance here, but they are catching Alabama just six days prior to the Iron Bowl.

I am sure Saban's plan is to get a lead and take as many starters out as possible to avoid injuries.

I do believe this is one of those "by how much" games, and I expect Alabama to win big here.

Other than that, you should probably just move along, because there is nothing else to see here.

Alabama Pounds Mississippi State 31-3; One Down and Two to Go

Franklin Crittenden — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:05:56 -0500

One down and two to go, as Alabama played one of its best games in Starkville, Miss., yesterday and the Crimson Tide rolled over the Bulldogs 31-3.

Now there are only two teams between Alabama being undefeated in the regular season for the second year in a row. That hasn't been accomplished by anyone in the SEC since Alabama did it in 1965 and 1966.

Alabama is set to play UT-Chattanooga next Saturday at 11:00 a.m. CST and then play Auburn the following Friday with the time for kickoff set for 1:30 p.m. CST.

Alabama must win those crucial games and the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta in order to play for the BCS Title in January for the BCS National Championship.

It would seem Alabama is reaching its potential at the right time and seemed to be firing on all cylinders in this week's game with the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Watching Alabama play Saturday, it was apparent that this was one of Alabama's most complete games. In fact other than a glitch in kickoff coverage, it was near perfect.

Not only did Alabama outscore the Bulldogs 31-3, they dominated Mississippi State in a way they haven't been dominated all year long.

Alabama more than doubled MSU's prolific offense's output, 444 yards to 213.

Everyone got into the act as McElroy had one of his best games as well. Mark Ingram, Julio Jones, Darius Hanks, and Marquis Maze all made big plays in a game of big plays.

Some in the media were predicting a possible upset due to Alabama's tough game with LSU last week and the Auburn game looming in only 13 days. Not only was that not the case, Mississippi State was never in this game from the kickoff.

So it's one down and two to go in order to arrive at their ultimate destination unbeaten.

Alabama is set to play the Florida Gators on Dec. 5 in Atlanta, and the winner of that important game will be playing for the National Championship in Pasadena on Jan. 7, 2010.

If both Florida and Alabama arrive in Atlanta undefeated, that will be a certainty.

Alabama is playing their best football now and seems to be a team of destiny.

That destiny may include Alabama's 13th National Championship and Nick Saban's second.

If you look at it that way, it actually is one down and four to go.

Tennessee Volunteers Move into the Realm of Organized Crime Under Lane Kiffin

Franklin Crittenden — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:48:11 -0500

The University of Tennessee is no stranger to the police blotter. Over the years the Volunteers have had their fair share of problems with the law.

Phil Fulmer was considered the "King of the Thugs" while he was Head Coach at Tennessee, as apparent by the naming of the fictitious "Fulmer Cup" in his honor. This trophy is awarded to the team that has the most players arrested in a given year.

Under Phil Fulmer, players getting in trouble with the law became a running joke around the SEC, with jokes like:

Question: Why do they dress convicts in orange?

Answer: Once a Tennessee Volunteer, always a Tennessee Volunteer!

Question: What's the difference between a Tennessee player graduating and being arrested for robbery?

Answer: One is supposed to take four years and the other only requires one to five!

Well, what's going on at Tennessee under Lane Kiffin is no joke and nobody is laughing!

Things have a way of coming full circle and it looks like the chickens have come home to roost for Tennessee and Kiffin.

Even though it is said, "what happens in Knoxville stays in Knoxville," sometimes these things just can't be caught, and covered up in time. This is one of those cases.

Just a few days after Lane Kiffin bragged on the SEC conference call about not having a player arrested in 11 months, we found out that it may have been more a case of being lucky, rather than good.

That streak ended this week when three of Kiffin's prized recruits were arrested for armed robbery.

By now everyone knows the details of this sorry incident, but to sum it up:

Nu'Keese Richardson, Janzen Jackson, and Michael Edwards were with a female at a convenience store when they pulled a gun on a group of men parked in front of the store in the wee hours of Thursday morning.

The incident was reported, and the four were pulled over a few miles away near campus where the pellet gun and black hoodies the men were wearing at the time where found in the vehicle.

The victims in this case did not know the thugs that robbed them were actually Tennessee football players until the next morning.

When they discovered this they were ready to forgive and forget, saying they didn't think the players should be suspended.

Many people expected something like this to happen at Tennessee. When your head coach doesn't find it necessary to follow the rules, you can't expect the players to abide by rules either, and Lane Kiffin does not follow the rules.

Since it has become apparent that Lane Kiffin enjoys his bad boy image, it is no wonder this happened under his watch. When your reputation is so bad that thugs like Lil' Wayne include you in their songs, what can you expect?

Assistant head coach, Ed Orgeron, has bragged, "we're not angels, and we're not going to recruit a bunch of angels." How do you expect these types of players to react to this sort of rhetoric?

When you build your program around "thug" music and a we don't give a damn attitude, they will come.

This environment gives the impression that the University of Tennessee football program is running a rehab center, or a halfway house for criminals and misfits.

This impression attracts these kinds of players, and this kind of trouble. Kiffin is building a hatchery for thugs.

The results of these kinds of problems is clear, as represented by Tennessee's loss to Ole Miss 42-17 just after the arrests.

These kinds of athletes serve as a distraction to the other players who are in school, and playing football for the right reasons.

Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant once said, "if you don't have discipline, you can't have a successful program," and that is true; you cannot succeed when you hitch your wagon to this kind of trouble, at least not the success a college fan should be proud of.

Every college football program has its problems, but this last incident has taken Tennessee to a new level in thuggery because of the number of players involved, and the methods used.

Some might say that Tennessee football is beginning to dabble into the realm of organized crime.

I am not making accusations, but why do I get the feeling this is not the first time these individuals have done something like this, either together, or separately?

It would seem to be a classic case of a gang-type robbery.

There was one player sent into the store as a distraction and lookout in case someone in the store called the police. Then there was another player who was the lookout and backup outside, and then there was the thug with the weapon.

The question is, now what happens?

Well, if we follow normal Tennessee football protocol, this problem will just go away.

In the past, Tennessee has found a way to make most of these situations just disappear by either intimidating the accuser, or having the charges dropped.

Another tactic they might use would be to say that only one player was involved, and the others did not know what was going on; this strategy is already being used.

One would have to wonder what Tennessee's new head coach will do.

Kiffin has made a big deal about team discipline and running a clean program.

Will he follow up his words with actions, and remove the players from the team, or will he let the boosters and Tennessee power brokers handle this in the normal Volunteer way?

Even though Kiffin talks the talk, so far he has not been a shining example of doing the right thing. I guess you can tell by my sarcasm that I will be more than surprised to see this handled on the up and up.

The one thing I know is the rest of the SEC and the nation are watching.

Now we will find out which is the real Lane Kiffin.

Is he the coach who brags about running a clean program, or the coach who is proud of his bad boy image, and being mentioned in songs by Lil' Wayne?

Alabama Must Win Out Or They Could End Up On The Outside Looking In

Franklin Crittenden — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:25:00 -0500

For Alabama fans and players there was, of course, a great sense of accomplishment when Alabama defeated LSU and won the SEC's Western Division on Nov. 7 in Tuscaloosa, AL.

There was also a great sense of relief by Alabama players and fans that one of Alabama's goals had been accomplished as well.

Many Alabama fans immediately turned their attention toward Florida and the SEC Championship Game. Some overzealous fans even started looking forward to the BCS Championship to be played in Pasadena, CA on Jan. 7, 2010.

It's not that they weren't aware that there were still three more regular season games on Alabama's schedule, they just would rather fast forward to Dec. 5, 2009, and the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, GA, and beyond.

Who wouldn't rather dream about Championships in Atlanta or Pasadena, Ca rather than picture Alabama being in Starkville, MS on Nov. 14.

Well, I hate to spoil the party for those Alabama fans, but there are still three teams left on the Tide's regular schedule and that might be a problem.

Those teams, Mississippi State, UT Chattanooga, and Auburn would love nothing more than to dash Alabama's hopes of going undefeated and playing for their first National Championship since 1992.

Sure, the SEC Championship Game with the Florida Gators is a certainty, but a loss to any of the teams left on Alabama's regular schedule could torpedo the Crimson Tides hopes of playing in the BCS Championship Game in Pasadena.

Make no mistake, Alabama will be favored in all of the regular season games left on their schedule, but being favored doesn't guarantee a win. There are still at least two teams still on the schedule that could beat Alabama on a given Saturday.

No SEC team has had back-to-back undefeated regular seasons since Alabama did it in 1965 and 1966—and that is a fact. Alabama will have their work cut out for them to make history by being the first in over 40 years to accomplish that feat.

Then there is the BCS Title game that takes place on Jan. 7, 2009.

Some may think that game is a certainty if Alabama beats Florida in Atlanta.

Really?

There are presently six undefeated teams left in the BCS standings. They are Florida, Alabama, Texas, Cincinnati, TCU and Boise State.

If Alabama should stumble and lose to any of the teams left on their regular schedule, they would essentially be eliminated from any chance of playing for the National Championship in my opinion.

They could be one and done as far as the BCS championship is concerned. That is right, Alabama must win out or they could end up on the outside looking in because one loss may not cut it when all the votes are counted.

I know that some Alabama fans are going to argue that if a one loss Alabama beats No. 1 Florida they would still go still to Pasadena and play Texas for the National championship.

My response to that will surprise some of you.

I submit that a one loss Alabama will not play Texas in the BCS Championship Game as long as any of the other three unbeaten teams stay undefeated.

It won't matter even if a one loss Alabama were to beat No. 1 Florida in the SEC Championship. In fact all that would do is possibly eliminate the SEC from the BCS picture completely.

Texas could very well end up playing an undefeated Cincinnati, TCU or Boise State in the BCS Title Game instead of the one loss SEC Champion.

I know this has not been the case in the past, but with Utah beating Alabama last year and there being more and more media people singing the praises of these so called non-BCS teams, I believe it will be almost a certainty this year.

I believe the song about these so called smaller teams not being as good as the major teams has been sung for the last time.

There will be a major push for one of them to get their shot if Florida, Alabama, or Texas stumble.

Since teams like Boise State, BYU, and Utah have beaten teams like Alabama, Oklahoma, and Oregon convincingly of late, there would be a lot of resistance to placing a one loss Alabama ahead of any undefeated team in the Top 10.

Teams like Cincinnati, TCU, or Boise State have the edge this year when it comes to this one loss scenario more than ever before. They have made their point at the expense teams like Oklahoma and Alabama.

The same would be true with Texas or Florida should they should stumble. Texas or Florida might just be watching the BCS Championship on television if they should lose to any of the teams on their regular schedule as well.

The answer to this dilemma as far as Alabama is concerned is simple: don't lose!

Alabama holds all the cards, unlike Cincinnati, TCU, and Boise State who have to hope and pray Florida, Alabama, or Texas lose. All Alabama has to do is keep winning!

What is ahead for Alabama just amounts to a single elimination tournament.

Alabama must play one game at a time and keep winning and eventually they will look up and see Texas across the field from them in January.

There is really nothing to complain about here, after all what more can Alabama fans ask for and what more can Alabama expect?

For Alabama; It Is Not The Red Zone; It Is Becoming The Dread Zone

Franklin Crittenden — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:57:12 -0500

Alabama has become a team that nobody wants to play. They play tough, consistent, football and always finish strong.

Another thing they are becoming known for, however, is struggling in the Red Zone.

The Red Zone is a football term used for the area inside the twenty yard line that is considered scoring territory. Lately for Alabama it has become the Dread Zone.

Alabama scoring problems in the Red Zone began in the Ole' Miss game and continued through the LSU game.

During that period Alabama has had to settle for field goals on almost every trip into the Red Zone. In fact Alabama has only scored one touchdown in the four games from inside the twenty.

That touchdown came against South Carolina where Mark Ingram took the ball in from the four yard line in to take a 20-6 lead in the fourth quarter.

If there is one positive note to take from all of this, it has been Alabama's place kicker Leigh Tiffin. Tiffin has become a scoring machine by kicking fourteen field goals in the last four games and accounting for 46 points including extra points.

Tiffin became the all time scoring leader in the University of Alabama history with his final field goal in the LSU game. The kick also secured a nine point lead and effectively ended any chances of a LSU comeback as time was winding down.

Alabama's Red Zone problems will be the focus of Nick Saban and his staff in the coming days. Saban feels it is more a problem in the execution rather than the strategy.

That makes sense considering the problem waited five games to reveal itself.

Alabama currently ranks No.36 in Red Zone Offense. That is not terrible, but I would imagine that ranking would be much worse if it only included Alabama last four games. Those being the games where this Dread Zone problem first came to light.

Another disturbing statistic is the fact that Alabama has had no passing touchdowns from inside the twenty since September.

Whether it is execution, play calling, or just a mental block, Alabama must break this trend if they have aspirations of contending for the SEC Championship, or going to the BCS Championship in Pasadena, Ca. in January

When I use the term "mental block" I refer to things like players trying too hard or forcing the ball, which often leads to problems like interceptions, fumbles, false starts, procedure penalties, ect.

There is no doubt that Alabama has the weapons to put more points on the scoreboard in the Red Zone.

There is also no doubt that this is becoming an issue with the players, the coaches and media and is creating a controversy.

Alabama must find a way to solve this problem before its second season begins with this weeks matchup with Mississippi State and ends with the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta in December.

That is when Alabama plays Florida in the SEC Championship to decide the SEC representative to the BCS Championship.

Every game counts from this point on as far as reaching the BCS Championship Game on Jan. 7, 2010.

So the question is: since we know Alabama can move the ball down the field, then why are they having so much trouble inside the twenty yard line?

If I knew the answer to that I might have a job coaching football, instead I am just like the rest of you watching Alabama and wondering what the heck the problem is.

I do notice things though.

I notice things like, the plays and players Alabama uses to move the ball down the field are not the same plays and players we use down around the goal line.

For example, Alabama moves the ball well running out of the Wildcat formation with Ingram at Quarterback, but the Wildcat is seldom used in the Red Zone.

I also notice things like, Alabama becomes a little pass happy inside the 10 yard line. Why go there when Ingram and Richardson are such deadly runners outside the tackles?

I do know this, the playing field shrinks inside the Red Zone and that means less ground to cover for the defensive back, safeties and linebackers. That allows the defensive backfield to crowd the line of scimmage which helps in stopping Alabama's rushing game in the Red Zone.

That creates problems as far as using same tactics that moved you down the field in the first place.

So what is the answer then?

Who really knows, but I can just about guarantee there is a room full of coaches down in Tuscaloosa, Alabama working on Alabama's Dread Zone problem right now.

Alabama Beats LSU In A One Sided Battle Of Wills And A Lopsided War Of Attrition

Franklin Crittenden — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:42:17 -0500

Alabama beat LSU 24-15 in a game that could only be described as a monumental battle of wills

Alabama is now the SEC Western Division Champion and will be headed to Atlanta to play the Florida Gators in the SEC Championship game on Dec 5, 2009.

In a game that seemed more like a war of attrition, it began to look like the last team standing would surely win. LSU players had to be helped off the field after almost every big play.

That battle was finally won by Alabama after LSU lost their starting Quarterback, Running Back, two top Linemen, and their best Defensive Back all to injuries as the battle raged on.

It seemed as though there was a LSU player laying on the field motionless after almost every game changing play.

The Crimson Tide survived the game with only minor injuries and for the most part seemed to inflict more punishment on the Tigers than they received as the game wore on.

The score was not indicative of just how much Alabama dominated this game.

Alabama accumulated almost twice as many yards as LSU did Saturday with 452 yards to LSU's 253. They completely dominated LSU in the fourth quarter by holding the ball for almost 11 minutes and holding LSU to only 9 yards total.

Alabama outscored LSU 14-0 in the fourth and had 106 yards themselves.

The days of teams like LSU overpowering and outmuscling Alabama are over, and tonight showed the nation that Alabama has the talent, depth and toughness to play with any team in the country.

The win secured Alabama's spot in the SEC Championship Game where they will face the Florida Gators for the second year in a row.

It will be Alabama's seventh trip to the SEC Championship and Florida's tenth.

Alabama and Florida have appear in the SEC Championship Game more than any other SEC schools since the game was first held in 1992.

Alabama can now focus on revenge for last years loss to Florida.

The Gators prevented No.1 ranked Alabama from making their first trip to the BCS Championship Game in 2008 by holding on to defeat Alabama 31-20.

The 2008 game was in doubt until late in the fourth quarter when Tim Tebow engineered a near perfect drive in the closing minutes to clinch the victory.

Florida advanced to the BSC Game in Miami and won the BCS Championship by defeating Oklahoma 24-14.

It was Florida's second BCS National Championship and third National Title overall .

If Alabama defeats Florida on Dec 5 in Atlanta they will be playing for their first BCS National Championship and shotting for their thirteenth National Championship overall.

Alabama must still face and defeat Mississippi State, Tennessee Chattanooga, and Auburn in order to secure a slot for the BCS Championship.

Florida must still face South Carolina, Florida International and Florida State to fulfill their end on the bargain.

If both SEC teams continue to win it could very well be No.1 verses No.2 in the SEC Championship Game.

The winner of that pivotal match-up would then advance as the SEC representative to the BCS National Championship to be played on Jan.7, 2010 in Pasadena, Ca.

A loss by either team could ruin Florida and Alabama's chances for the trip to Pasadena as well as tarnish some of the luster in the upcoming SEC Championship Game on Dec.5.

Alabama is now over the proverbial hump after beating LSU, and must now guard against a letdown next week in Starkville, Ms and three weeks later down in Auburn, Al.

The question remains, will Alabama be able to catch and pass Texas in the BCS standing?

The answer is, not likely if Texas continues to win big.

Regardless of the BCS Standings, as long as Florida and Alabama stay perfect the winner will play for the BCS National Championship and that my friends, is a fact.

Who they play in that game could still be up to the voters and fate, but it would now appear it will be the SEC verses the Big 12 again as long as Texas wins out.

A Florida/Alabama verses Texas BCS Championship Game seems to be almost a certainly, but I personally wouldn't be willing to count out teams like Boise State, Cincinnati or TCU until the final whistle blows in December.

Alabama's battle for the SEC West is over, they must now refocus on winning the SEC Championship on Dec.5, 2009.

In addition to that they must remember that every game from this point on is a step towards their ultimate goal, the BCS National Championship Game on Jan.7, 2010.

Florida's Urban Meyer Shows Why He Is The SEC's Biggest Hypocrite

Franklin Crittenden — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:08:01 -0500

You heard me right, Urban Meyer is a hypocrite!

The definition of hypocrite is "a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives."

I think that definition describes the Florida Gators Head Coach to a "T."

Meyer is one of those coaches that talks the talk, but doesn't have a guts to walk the walk.

Since Meyer arrived at Florida some five years ago there have been some 24 Florida football players arrested with little or nothing done to improve this embarrassment to the University Of Florida.

Every time Meyer has an opportunity to show some character and class he has fallen short.

Every time he has a chance to set an example of what college football should be about and what a college coach should be, he backslides and squanders the opportunity.

Urban Meyer is an example alright, he is an example of everything that is wrong with college football today.

His latest two gaffes would be laughable if it were for the fact that they are so deplorable.

In last Saturdays game with the Georgia Bulldogs, one of Meyer prized players Brandon Spikes got caught in the act of attempting to blind Georgia Running back Washaun Ealey by reaching through his facemask in an attempt to gouge Ealey's eyes.

Meyer response was predictable, "I don't condone that," Meyer said. "I understand what goes on on the football [field], but there's no place for that. We're going to suspend Brandon for the first half of the Vanderbilt game. I spoke with him. That's not who he is. That's not who we are. He got caught up in emotion."

Blah, blah, blah, give us a break, if that is not what you and the Florida Gators are about then don't insult those us with a half game suspension against Vanderbilt? To me this was laughable and I am sure that was what it was meant to be.

Besides, what kind of a message does this send to the rest of college football? What message does it send to young athletes all over the country?

Then to make things worse Spikes and Meyer come back a couple of days later with this cock and bull story:

In a statement released by Florida, Brandon Spike has decided to do the right thing and suspend himself.

"I really don't want to be a distraction to the team," Spikes said. "I want the guys to prepare without any negative things going on. I feel like if I would play, it would be a big thing. I'm just trying to stay out of the way and just motivate the guys. I'm pretty sure Stamper's my back and my teammates really support me on this decision."

The college football community should put on their hip-waders, because this is getting pretty deep. I don't buy this story for one minute!

Here how I picture this turn of events really going down.

Spikes is called to Meyer's office along with Charlie Strong, who is Spikes' defensive coordinator.

Meyer informs them both that he has come up with a solution to smooth over this whole mess. He says, "This is what we will do, we will have Brandon decide that he should suspend himself for the whole Vanderbilt game."

This way he looks like a decent person and in addition I look like I didn't have to change my punishment because of the ____ storm I brought down on us and the University of Florida.

It's a win/win situation for everyone involved, Meyer says with wry smile.

To be fair, there are actually two versions of this story going around. The other has the three deciding "as a group" to suspend Spikes for the whole game, but doesn't that really mean someone has to be lying?

The one thing that I am sure of is this, a college football player would not dare suspend himself, and if he did have to suspend himself, then what does this say about Meyer?

It says that the player in question may have a better sense of what's right and wrong than his clueless coach, Urban Meyer!

Then we come to the other black-eye given to the University of Florida by Urban Meyer as Meyer becomes the first SEC coach hit with a fine for criticizing SEC officials since Mike Slive's warning that was issued less than a week ago.

In a statement released by the SEC Commissioner, Mike Slive said, "Coach Meyer has violated the Southeastern Conference code of ethics," commissioner Mike Slive said. "SEC bylaw 10.5.4 clearly states that the coaches, players and support personnel shall refrain from public criticism of officials.

This also falls in the category of saving face, but this time it was Mike Slive who saves face.

Here is how I see this one going down.

The phone rings and Mike Slive tells Meyer that he has to do something to regain a little respect in the media after going along with Meyer on the half game suspension in the Spikes debacle.

Meyer says, okay what do we need to do?

Urban, I am going to have to fine you for criticizing the officials in the Georgia game.

Meyer says how much?

Slive says, you tell me, Meyer responds, how does $30,000 sound?

Slive says, that should do the trick. Urban, I hate to do this but me fining you along with your changing Spikes suspension to a full game should get the media off our backs. This should do the trick,

Meyer says, I am all for that Mike.

Now, of course I am being sarcastic, but there is an element of damage control going on here.

The national media is having a field day with this and SEC fining Meyer and the change in Spike's punishment is obviously is a effort to quite the critics.

Urban Meyer has in many ways been great for SEC football and college football in general, but if he doesn't get his act together soon I am afraid he may go down as one of the biggest slime-balls to ever coach college football.

Sure, he is successful as far as win and losses, but as a man who is supposed to be a leader and teacher of young men he is a complete failure.

Here is part of the University of Florida's Mission Statement, I would suggest Meyer take a look at it.

The character of the athletics programs at the University Athletic Association reflects the character of the University of Florida as a major, public, comprehensive institution of higher learning.

The University Athletic Association is dedicated to the intellectual, physical, and personal development of student-athletes, as well as staff, including women and minorities. Demonstrating leadership in all decisions affecting college athletics, the University Athletic Association will act in an ethical and honest manner, will promote an environment fostering the professional and personal achievement of coaches, administrators and staff, will attain excellence in athletic performance, sportsmanship, financial strength, and superior fan satisfaction. This vision in athletics is at the core of our responsibility to the University, to our students, and to the public at large.

I believe Mayer is failing in this endeavor, especially when it comes to sportsmanship and acting in an ethical and honest manner. Not to mention personal development side of things.

My advice to Meyer is, start practicing what you preach by doing the right thing.

When I say do the right thing, I do not mean do the right thing for you and your teams chances of winning games, I mean do the right thing as a man, a teacher and a leader.

Sure, you may go down as one of the greatest football coaches in history of the SEC, but you may also go down as one of the biggest hypocrites to ever coach college football.

Some fans do not care how their coach behaves as long as they are winning, but many fans are expecting much more from Urban Meyer.

Meyer has chosen to win at all cost and not punishing Spikes is proof of that.

The problem is he has sent a message to every player on the team that if you help him win, he will help you, no matter how you conduct yourself.

Alabama vs. LSU; Nick Saban vs. Les Miles; Civilization vs. Barbarians

Franklin Crittenden — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:44:33 -0500

At 3:30 p.m. EST on Nov. 7, 2009 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., the showdown between the two top football programs in the SEC West will finally take place.

It will be Alabama versus LSU, Nick Saban versus Les Miles as civilization is once again attacked by the Barbarians from the swamps in the South.

When these two teams meet this Saturday, it will be reminiscent of when the Romans were attacked by the Barbarians almost 2,000 years ago on the northern borders of the Roman Empire..

The Barbarians were by far more talented, fierce fighters as individuals, they were unorganized as a group and made many strategic mistakes in their battles with the Romans.

Their leaders were inspirational, but they were not military geniuses.

The Romans were well-trained and well-organized and fought as a unit making them a formidable opponent and the most feared army in the world.

It was their leaders and their training that made the Roman Legions such an efficient fighting machine.

Looking at the matchup between Alabama and LSU, I see many similarities between Alabama vs LSU and those epic battles fought between the Romans and Barbarians so many years ago.

Alabama is one of the most well coached college football teams in the country. ESPN has called Alabama the most complete and consistent college football team in the nation

LSU is one of the most talented teams in the country.

LSU has ranked No. 3, 7, 5, 7 in recruiting by Scout over the past four years. That is an average of 5.5, which makes the Tigers one of the most talented teams in the NCAA football.

Nobody has ever called Alabama the most talented team in the nation, but no one has ever called LSU the best coached team in the nation as well.

In watching Alabama play the past two years, it is clear to see that they play to their strengths and hide their weaknesses.

They are well-prepared and very well-coached. Their successes were accomplished as a team and and their failures were as a team as well.

In watching LSU play the past two years, it is plain to see that whatever they have achieved was accomplished by their talented players, and when they have failed, the failure originated with their coaching staff.

If teams take on the personalities of their head coaches, then these two teams are perfect examples.

Saban has transformed the Crimson Tide into a team that has been able to impose its will on other teams. They play consistent, smart football and make very few strategic mistakes.

Les Miles, on the other hand, is a gambler and uses emotion to motivate his teams to play well. He has been know to make coaching decisions that have made experts question his coaching abilities and his team has payed the price for those decisions on several occasions.

If you were to take a look at the way his team played in 2006 when LSU won the National Championship under Miles, and the take a look at his team today, you would see just how much LSU has changed under Miles from the team he inherited from Nick Saban in 2005.

They have gone from a smart, disciplined football team that could impose its will on other teams to a team that plays up and down and uses brute force and speed to overpower teams with shear talent and numbers.

Alabama and LSU are the top two teams in the SEC West, and the outcome of this game will likely determine the Western Division Champion. The winner will play Florida on Dec. 5 in Atlanta and that winner will, in all likelihood, play for the BCS Title in Pasadena, Ca on Jan 5, 2010.

So there is so much at stake for these two teams when they met Saturday.

If LSU loses, it is almost certain that their dreams of another SEC Championship and a possible National Championship will die.

If Alabama loses, they will still have a chance to return to Atlanta, but the Tide will need help from one of LSU's future SEC opponents in order to make that happen. A loss will make a trip to BCS Championship Game in Pasadena almost impossible.

Needless to say, this is the most important game these two teams have ever played against each other and the outcome may not only determine the outcome of the SEC Championship, but the National Championship as well.

Last year, when these two coaches and teams met, there was no doubt about which team had more talent, and yet Alabama somehow came away with the victory.

How else can this be explained, other than to assume that Miles was out coached by Saban in Baton Rouge?

In that case, coaching beat talent.

The question is, will coaching win out over talent again this year when these two teams meet with everything on the line?

The answer will be revealed when the two teams meet this Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Alabama Fans Should Have Expected the Media To Turn on the Tide

Franklin Crittenden — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:15:39 -0500

Get ready for it Alabama fans, the media has turned on the Tide. Listening to the pundits this week the one theme that is being replayed over and over again is that Alabama has lost their mojo.

That's right, Texas, Cincinnati, Boise State, TCU, and Iowa are gaining ground and some of the media's talking heads are now saying that the Crimson Tide needs to be demoted in the rankings.

In fact, Texas has already been moved ahead of Alabama in the all major polls this weekend and Alabama dropped in the BCS standing down to third. Texas now holds the second spot.

Why? Because Alabama has not exactly looked like world beaters lately and have not exactly been blowing teams like Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Tennessee off the field in their past three games.

It doesn't matter that Alabama was at the end of a very difficult eight-game stretch or that the Tide lost one of their best defensive players in Dont'a Hightower. It doesn't matter that they lost their leading receiver Colin Peek either because they don't care.

It also doesn't seem to matter that Alabama’s offense just faced three of the top 25 defenses in the country, or that Alabama's starting quarterback was going through a slump much in the same way Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow did earlier in the season because that doesn't matter either.

Nope, according to the drum that ESPN, CBS, and ABC are beating, Alabama was all smoke and mirrors, and they may not have been what the talking heads thought they were just a few weeks ago.

Not so long ago the same media pinheads were saying things like, "Alabama is the most consistent team in college football" and "Alabama is the most complete team in college football along with several of the same people saying, Alabama should be No. 1. Now they are using terms like one dimensional and unimpressive.”

If the media is starting a campaign designed to influence the voters in hopes of dropping Alabama or raising teams like Texas, Cincinnati, Boise State, TCU, and Iowa, they have forgotten one very important thing.

Alabama still controls its own destiny.

Alabama will play No. 9 LSU this week in Tuscaloosa at 3:30 EST and if they win that game and keep winning they will play No. 1 Florida in the SEC Championship game in Atlanta on Dec 5.

Then if they beat No. 1 Florida in that game, it really won't matter what the talking heads were saying way back in the first part of November.

So what is it going to take to get Alabama back up to speed and playing like they were earlier in the year?

(1) The most important thing has already happened, Alabama has had a chance to rest.

Alabama played eight straight games without a break and even though they weren't the only team in the nation to do that, they were the only team ranked in the top five to have to do that and that wears on any team.

Nick Saban said this team was tired mentally and it has shown in Alabama's past two games.

(2) They have to get their swagger back and start having fun again.

Alabama has been playing like a team that is playing not to lose.

Instead they should be playing the way they were earlier in the year. In Alabama’s first five games they looked like they were having fun, knocking teams off the ball and running and passing at will.

Everyone on the team was playing like there was no tomorrow. Now they look like everyone is trying to take away their Championship Trophy—you know the one that they haven't even earned yet.

(3) Last but not least they need to stop listening to the media and the fans.

All the Heisman Trophy and No. 1 talk has gone to their heads. Have you noticed that every time one of them that was mentioned as the star of the team or a potential Heisman candidate by the media they have gone straight into the tank immediately afterward?

All of a sudden this team looks like they are trying to pose for pictures instead of playing Alabama football.

In Alabama's defense I know they are under a lot of pressure and all of this National Championship and Heisman talk has to have a negative effect on these players.

There is no doubt that the crown is heavy, and Alabama has been wearing this one all season long.

There is no doubt that they have been getting every opposing team's A game and it gets harder and harder to fend them off when you are playing not to lose.

There is also no doubt that if Alabama keeps playing to not lose, that is exactly what will happen, they will lose.

With only five games left between this Alabama team and their first trip to the BCS National Championship Game, I would suggest these players wake up and snap out of it!

If the Crimson Tide doesn't get back to business, they may end up watching the BCS Championship Game on television with the rest of the us when someone like LSU or Florida plays someone like Texas or Boise State for the BCS Title on Jan. 7, 2010 in Pasadena, Ca.

The SEC Invokes The "Lane Kiffin Rule" To Silence Tennessee's Head Coach

Franklin Crittenden — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:41:23 -0400

The SEC commissioner, Mike Slive, has been forced to issue a statement basically saying; Lane Kiffin, either shut up or you may be watching your next Tennessee football game on television!

The statement was issued on Oct. 30, 2009 and will most likely be dubbed the "Lane Kiffin Rule" by the media in honor of Tennessee's loose canon head coach's inability to keep his mouth shut as far as criticizing SEC Officials, fellow coaches, and the SEC's front office.

Kiffin has even gone as far as to criticize a Florida High School, its coach and even one recruit's grandmother for talking him out of signing with Tennessee last spring. He once told a recruit from South Carolina that he would be pumping gas the rest of his life if he didn't sign with Tennessee.

Since Kiffin arrived in Knoxville, Tennessee back on Dec. 1, 2008 he has been in and out of Mike Slive's doghouse numerous times. But it was last week's comments after the Alabama game that finally pushed the SEC Commissioner to make this drastic move in order to put a muzzle on the Vols' Head Coach.

In statements made on his post game football show, Kiffin stated several times he felt as though the SEC officials were helping Alabama by penalizing Tennessee and by not penalizing Alabama.

He also said that Terrence Cody should have received a penalty for removing his helmet after his dramatic block of Tennessee's desperate field goal attempt in the final seconds of the game and that Tennessee should have been allowed a second kick.

That has been proven to not be the case as stated by the head of officials, Charles Bloom, "The foul for taking helmet off is a live ball foul treated as a dead-ball foul," Bloom wrote in an e-mail Saturday night to SportsIllustrated.com. "That is, if it happens on a play where time does not expire then the penalty is enforced on the following play. However since the clock ran out on that play, then there is no next play, so there is no penalty to mark off."

Kiffin also said he would have attempted to move the ball closer before attempting the kick, but he didn't want to put the game in the hands of the officials by giving them a chance to throw another magic flag on Tennessee.

The statement from Slive and the SEC office went as follows;

In an unanimous vote of the Southeastern Conference's athletic directors and with the full support of the conference's 12 Presidents and chancellors, all violations of SEC Bylaw 10.5.4 will be enforced by suspensions and fines, effective immediately.

The length of the suspension and the amount of the fine will be at the discretion of the commissioner.

SEC Bylaw 10.5.4 requires that coaches, assistant coaches, players, support personnel and others associated with the institution's athletics program refrain from public criticism of officials.

Head coaches are advised that suspensions and fines for violations of bylaw 10.5.4 made by assistant coaches or other support personnel will be enforced against the head coach.

"There are proper channels available for head coaches to use when communicating officiating concerns to the conference office," said SEC commissioner Mike Slive.

As is customary practice, the conference office will continue to address reviews of officiating calls on specific plays with each institution's head coach and no public comments will be made concerning these communications.

There is no doubt who this is directed at and I believe the SEC front office believes that if they do not put a muzzle on Lane Kiffin, this situation will get out of control.

In other words, the other coaches in the league have seen how Slive has handled Kiffin so far and they are starting to realize the Lion has no teeth.

Since Slive's warnings have gone unheeded and have had no results, this behavior has the potential to spread to other coaches and even other sports if the SEC doesn't bring down the hammer on Kiffin soon.

Kiffin went as far as saying, "I'm sure we'll get one of those letters that mean nothing, that Bobby (Petrino) got last week, but Florida and Alabama live on.''

This statement was a slap in the face for the SEC office and seemed to be inferring that Mike Slive had no power over Tennessee or Lane Kiffin?

It will be interesting to see if it is even possible for Kiffin to keep his mouth shut going into this weekend's game with South Carolina.

Then if he does manage to, will he then be able to muzzle himself and not blame the loss on the officials, should he lose his fifth game of the season?

Remember, South Carolina's Steve Spurrier and Kiffin already had a run in down at the SEC meeting held in Florida back earlier in the year. There Spurrier questioned whether or not Kiffin had even taken the test required by coaches concerning recruiting in the SEC.

So there is already bad blood between the two and knowing these two coaches there could be a problem.

That would force Mike Slive to use the new powers that he has requested for dealing with prima-donna coaches like Tennessee's Lane Kiffin.

If Kiffin can not restrain himself, will SEC Commissioner Mike Slive use his new power vested in him by the athletic directors and SEC university presidents?

I am betting he will because like the rest of the college football nation, I believe the SEC and Mike Slive has had enough of Lane Kiffin.

Say something else stupid Lane Kiffin, make my day!

Why the SEC Schedule Makers Are Screwing Alabama and How They Are Doing It

Franklin Crittenden — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:24:27 -0400

Lately, there has been some loose talk going around by some SEC coaches and fans that the SEC is somehow trying to help teams like Alabama and Florida win football games.

Some have even gone as far as to say the SEC is hindering other SEC teams in their quest to derail Alabama and Florida.

I guess they are implying that the SEC front office is somehow involved in a plot to help Alabama and Florida win games by means of scheduling and assigning friendly referees and any other means necessary.

Well, I cannot speak for Florida, but I am here today to speak to that issue and debunk this notion once and for all as it pertains to Alabama.

In fact, I will give you proof positive that the opposite may indeed be true, and that the SEC has indeed done just the opposite.

Let me ask you a question Alabama fans, have you ever noticed just how often the Crimson Tide has to face an SEC opponent fresh off of an extra week off?

Doesn't it seem strange to you that an exhausted Alabama team always seems to be facing a sky-high, jacked-up SEC opponent fresh off of an extra week to rest with an extra week to plot and plan against Alabama?

A recent example of this was Tennessee. The Vols were coming off of a two week break when they almost upset the Crimson Tide this past Saturday.

In fact, two of Alabama's next three SEC opponents will have a week off prior to facing Alabama.

Alabama has already played Tennessee after a off week and now must face Mississippi State and Auburn after they have a two-week break as well.

In fact, by my count, Alabama will have faced 11 opponents since 2007 that were coming off of an open date before the end of this season.

How does Alabama end up playing more than twice the number of teams coming off of a bye week as any other SEC team over the last three years?

That may not seem odd to you, but when the next closest SEC team has only had to face four teams off of an off week over the same period of time then it does begin to sound a little biased to me.

These are the number of SEC games played when the opponent had an open date prior to the game since 2007:

Alabama - 11
Arkansas - 0
Auburn - 3
Florida - 4
Georgia - 2
Kentucky - 2
LSU - 4
Mississippi - 1
Mississippi State - 1
South Carolina - 0
Tennessee - 4
Vanderbilt - 3

Let me ask you a question SEC fans, does something look a little strange here?

Everyone knows that the former Commissioner of the SEC was one Roy Kramer, but does everyone know Roy Kramer actually graduated from the University of Tennessee and that he actually grew up in Maryville, TN less than an hour from Neyland Stadium, hmm?

He was instrumental in creating the BCS system in 1998. That year's first National Championship was won by, you guessed it, Tennessee!

Does everyone know these SEC schedules were set up under his tenure as SEC Commissioner?

Yes, if you SEC fans want to play conspiracy games, I can play conspiracy games as well.

How does Alabama end up playing almost as many teams coming off of an off week as the rest of the SEC combined over the last three years?

Next year schedule reflects the same pattern only worse as Alabama will face these teams after an open date;

South Carolina

Ole Miss

Tennessee
LSU
Miss State
Auburn

Now I am not one to believe in black helicopter conspiracies or biased referees, but these numbers do not lie. Alabama appears to be getting the shaft in the SEC scheduling office.

So the next time you hear Tennessee, Mississippi State, or Auburn fans insinuating that Alabama gets all the breaks from the SEC, ask them this question: Why does your off week on your schedule just happen to always fall prior to your team playing Alabama every year?

There you go, put that in your black helicopter and fly it around for a while.

Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium, If We Build It They Will Come

Franklin Crittenden — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:45:56 -0400

If you have recently attended a game in Tuscaloosa Alabama at Bryant-Denny stadium or watched one of the many game on television lately you may have noticed something interesting going on down on the South end of the stadium.

It is hard to miss all the cranes and construction taking place so you may have asked yourself, what is all the excitement about?

Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium will be expanding again in 2010. What began as a 12,000 seat stadium in 1929 under coach Wallace Wade has grown over the years to its present seating capacity of 92,138 is under construction again.

Bryant-Denny's south end zone will be enclosed by adding more than 10,000 additional seats. This will bring the seating capacity to approximately 101,000, making it among the largest on-campus football stadiums in the nation. The expansion is shown in the artist rendition above.

What has happened to cause all of this to take place?

There are many reasons for all the expansions, but the two main reasons are athletic director, Mal Moore, and Alabama's head coach Nick Saban.

In the past 10 years Moore has been instrumental in Bryant-Denny Stadium's expansion, including all the improvements in and around Bryant-Denny and The Walk of Champions. Moore was also instrumental in bringing Nick Saban to Alabama.

The hiring of Nick Saban has assured that all those 100,000 plus seats will be full.

Presently there is a six to seven-year waiting list for season tickets that I am told will not be solved by the 10,000 seat expansion to the south end zone.

Imagine having a capacity of 102,000 fans and still having a waiting list of tens of thousands extending more than five years into the future.

Much has been made of Saban's highly lucrative contract by detractors, well I am here to tell you that Nick Saban may be the best investment ever made in college football.

With all the excitement and optimism created by Saban and the resurrection of Alabama football to a championship program again, money is flowing into Alabama's coffers at a record rate.

Many may have wondered if all these expansions were necessary and if paying, what was at the time, the highest salary ever paid a college coach to Saban was wise.

It would appear now that they were not only a sound investments, it was like Alabama hitting the jackpot!

While many schools' athletic departments are struggling to fill seats and make ends meet, Alabama is having to turn fans away and is swimming in money.

That is why Alabama officials are sure when it comes to expanding Bryant-Denny Stadium;

"If We Build It They Will Come".

Tennessee's Lane Kiffin Should Just Shut Up and Quit Embarrassing The SEC!

Franklin Crittenden — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:55:27 -0400

Enough is enough, Lane Kiffin, it is time for you to grow up and shut up!

Ever since Alabama's Terrence "Mount" Cody blocked Daniel Lincoln's field goal attempt Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Al, all we have heard is Kiffin's false accusations and childish remarks insinuating that somehow Tennessee was cheated in Alabama's 12-10 victory.

Kiffin's biggest complaint is that Alabama's Terrence Cody took off his helmet after the play and that because of that Tennessee should have received a second kick due to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Kiffin had this to say, "If a play's still going, you can't take your helmet off," Kiffin said. "A guy throws his helmet as the ball's still live. He throws his helmet and then two of their guys go and recover the ball. It's a 15-yard penalty, and you kick again."

Let me address this idiotic accusation first.

Because Alabama blocked and recovered the ball, Alabama had possession. The game can't end on a defensive penalty, but because of the possession change, Alabama wasn't on defense.

Here is how SEC spokesman Charles Bloom explained the call to Sports Illustrated .

"The foul for taking helmet off is a live ball foul treated as a dead-ball foul," Bloom wrote in an e-mail Saturday night. "That is, if it happens on a play where time does not expire then the penalty is enforced on the following play. However since the clock ran out on that play, then there is no next play, so there is no penalty to mark off."

Even CBS commentator Gary Danielson said he thought Alabama should have been flagged and Tennessee should have gotten a second kick.

Danielson called a Birmingham sports talk show Monday an apologized to Alabama fans for the mistake.

Kiffin also had this to say when asked why he didn't try to move the ball closer before attempting the kick, "You run another play and you throw an interception or they throw another flag on us -- I wasn't going to let the refs lose the game for us there and some magical flag appear," Kiffin said on Sunday.

Wait, I hear the sound of a black helicopter hovering over Bryant-Denny Stadium. A voice crackles over a secret receiver stuck in the Head Official's ear.

You have got to stop them agent Zebra! Throw a flag on the next play or Alabama and Florida will not accomplish their assigned mission. Use the old phantom penalty trick per plan x. The SEC office will disavow any knowledge of this communication. Do you read agent Zebra, over? The SEC Commissioner is counting on you!

You know this would be funny, if it just wasn't so pitiful.

Kiffin had more to say as he rolled two steel balls in his hand reminiscent of Captain Queeg in the movie, 'Caine Mutiny'

"I'm sure we'll get one of those letters that really means nothing as Bobby got last week, but Florida and Alabama live on," Kiffin said.

Well, Lane you should get a letter, you are accusing SEC officials of conspiring to make Tennessee lose a game.

Meanwhile, Kiffin has been reprimanded again by the Southeastern Conference for criticizing officials who worked the Volunteers' game against Alabama.

Here is an except from the Statement released by the SEC office and SEC Commisioner Mike Slive.

In a statement released today by the league Tennessee's Head Coach Lane Kiffin violated the Southeastern Conference code of ethics.

Kiffin complained Sunday that officials failed to penalize Alabama's Terrence Cody for unsportsmanlike conduct when the defensive lineman removed and threw his helmet after blocking a field goal on the last play of Alabama's 12-10 victory Saturday.

“This is the second reprimand for Coach Kiffin in this calendar year. Coach Kiffin is on notice that for any further violations of SEC policies will subject him to additional penalties including suspension,” Slive said.

Up until now I have called the new coach at Tennessee by his sir name, from this point on I will only address him as Monte's son. If he wants to act like a child every time he doesn't get his way, then we should treat him like a child.

Monte's son needs to understand a few things about college football.

(1) College football is not like pro wrestling, the matches are not fixed and the referees are not part of the show. They are trained professionals who take their jobs very seriously.

(2) Everybody is not out to get you. You are bringing trouble upon yourself Monte's son due to your immature personality and because you act like a child. People are going to respond negatively when faced with someone who acts like a spoiled little girl.

(3) You are supposed to be setting an example for your players and school, if you act immature and blame others for your failures the young men you coach will follow your example. You and your team will never succeed unless you learn how to handle losing and winning.

(4) Sometimes you face adversity in sports and pitching a fit doesn't help and shows your school and team your coaching staff in a bad light. All this sort of behavior will lead to Tennessee failing,not succeeding.

(5) As ye sow, so shall you reap. Do you really believe acting this way will improve your teams character or performance?

Let me give you some advice Lane, instead of worrying about your last game, maybe your time would be better spent worrying about your next game. If my team was 3-4 I would try to get my mind and my team to focus on the next opponent, noy the previous opponent.

Another thing you should keep in mind is to verify and confirm your allegations before you run off at the mouth. Just like when you accused Meyer of cheating and found out later that you were wrong, now you have accused the referees of cheating and that was wrong as well.

I know you are disappointed and you put everything you had into the Alabama game. I know it was your last chance to salvage this season, and I am sure you worked very hard for two weeks with your daddy to come up with a game plan that almost worked.

Even though Alabama was tired and at the end of a tough 8 game stretch and lost their top receiver in warm-ups.

Even though Alabama fumbled the ball at midfield while trying to run out the clock.

Even though Alabama somehow managed to let Tennessee recovered the onside kick, things just didn't work out for Tennessee and you must now move on.

Making accusations and throwing yourself around and insulting the SEC and its officials will not endear you to Vol fans or the media and should be beneath a SEC coach of a formally respected school like the University of Tennessee.

Maybe what needs to happen if for your daddy to sit you down and have a little talk with you?

Maybe he should explain how a head coach of a major university is supposed to behave?

Maybe he should be sent to his room until Saturday and let the adults talk for him?

Maybe it might take more than a talk, may be a timeout, or dare I say, a spanking?

Monte's son in young and immature and has a lot to learn about life, but if he doesn't straighten out pretty soon even die-hard Tennessee fans will grow tired of these tantrums and the blame game he is playing.

This getting mad and taking your ball and going home is starting to wear thin on everybody.

The funny thing is Monte's son never seems to learn from his mistakes.

Monte's son has already running his mouth again and predicting Tennessee will beat Alabama next year. Much in the same way he predicted beating Florida and singing Rocky Top all night long.

If words could win football games, the Vols would be National Champions by now.

I guess it is true, you just can't fix stupid....

LSU Crushes Auburn 31-10 As Down Spiral Continues Under Gene Chizik

Franklin Crittenden — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:05:05 -0400

Back in December of 2008, Auburn officials were met at the Auburn Airport with a lone heckler shouting , "We want a leader, not a loser!" at Auburn officials and Athletic Director Jay Jacobs.

It's beginning to look like that crazy Auburn fan at the airport was not that crazy.

Auburn is heading for a .500 season and even though that is an improvement on Gene Chizik's 5-15 record at Iowa State it is not what Auburn fans are used to and will not be accepted.

Auburn did start out 5-0, but that was a product of a favorable schedule and having a little excitement pumped in by having a fresh start under a new staff.

All of that is behind Auburn now and they must face the reality of ranked SEC caliber competition and the reality of a Head Coach with little success on his resume and a team that is losing faith.

Many observers, including myself, warned Auburn fans that all they were seeing was just smoke and mirrors and once Auburn lost a game Chizik would then have to show if he was really a SEC caliber coach or not.

What we saw in Baton Rouge Saturday was a team of the verge of quitting. The body language and demeanor on the sideline Saturday night was much the same as when Auburn was in the final throes of the Tuberville regime.

Even Chizik's own coaching staff had a look of resignation on their faces as LSU sent in the reserves to finish off the Auburn Tigers in the fourth quarter.

Gene Chizik is a fine Defensive Coordinator, but he doesn't seem to have what it takes to be a Head Coach anywhere much less in an upper-echelon SEC football program like Auburn's.

The question is why did this happen in the first place?

Why would Auburn go after a 5-15 coach of a lower tier school like Iowa State and why would they not just hire a proven coach?

The answer is simple, they liked him.

Gene Chizik has been one of the Auburn family at one time and that is one of the litmus tests for becoming a Head Coach at Auburn these days.

The same thing was true of other candidates for the Auburn job this time with Will Muschamp and Bobby Petrino.

There is no doubt in my mind that Auburn wanted Muschamp, or Bobby Petrino, but they were already taken, so through the process of elimination Gene Chizik landed the job.

The powers that be at Auburn like Pat Dye, Bobby Lowder and Jimmy Rane got their way in this case and here we are today 5-3 headed for a possible 6-6 season and little hope of better days ahead.

The painful truth is it doesn't get any easier in the weeks to come.

Auburn still must face Ole Miss, Georgia and Alabama and if they do not upset at least one of those teams they will be faced with being left out of the Bowl picture for a second year in a row.

Chizik has yet to beat a ranked team and has no signature wins at Auburn or his former school Iowa State to encourage his team or fans into believing he can beat anyone other than teams like Ball State or Miss State.

Some may want to blame the lack of talent, but that just doesn't fly.

Auburn is loaded with SEC caliber talent. Auburn's recruiting classes ranked No.13, 10, 7, 20, 19 in the last five years. That gives them a very solid 13 ranking in recruiting.

That should be at least sufficient to beat teams like Kentucky at home.

The there is the question of what has happened to Auburn offense?

The answer is simple: It is no longer an unknown and it is no longer a mystery.

Earlier in the season I put forth the theory that Malzahn's offense would become ineffective as soon as SEC defensive coaches had time to figure it out.

I compared it to a batter facing a new pitcher, the results would improve the more the batter faces that pitcher. It would appear the SEC has this offense figured out.

The question has to be asked: Can Chizik turn things around, or could he lose control of his team completely?

That is very possible judging by the way they are playing and the way this team is acting. It would seem that it is just a matter of time before this team completely implodes.

Auburn fans are banking on recruiting to save the day and lead them back among the Alabama's and LSU's of the SEC West, but if Chizik keeps losing games, recruits will start baling out like rats off of a sinking ship.

The next four games will decide whether or not Gene Chizik is a failed experiment or not.

If it is a failure then how long will it take Auburn power brokers to undo the mess they have made down on the Plains?

The problem is when Chizik goes, Jacob knows he will most likely go with him.

Someone must take the fall for Pat Dye and friend's mistake and that scapegoat will be Athletic Director Jay Jacobs. Jacobs will drag his feet because he knows that when he fires Chizik he will likely be firing homself.

I am sure the guy at the airport must have thought he was wrong after a 5-0 start, but I am sure he and most Auburn fans woke up this morning thinking;

"You know, that guy at the Auburn airport was absolutely right!"

No. 2 Alabama Defeats Tennessee 12-10 With Mount Cody and Kicking Game

Franklin Crittenden — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:46:00 -0400

In a game that tested Alabama's will to survive, the Tide's biggest hero (no pun intended), Terrence Cody, stepped up and made two key plays to save the Crimson Tide from almost certain defeat.

Cody who is affectionately called Mount Cody by his coaches, teammates and Alabama fans had the best game of his short career at Alabama.

As I write this article, Daniel Moore, Alabama's unofficial painter of historic moments, stares at an empty canvass trying to decide how to portray Mount Cody's moment of glory.

Cody blocked not one, but two crucial field goals to preserve Alabama's 12-10 victory against Tennessee. One to keep Tennessee from pulling the Vols to within one score of the Tide late in the game, and the other in the final seconds that would have surely ended Alabama's undefeated season.

They say you can move mountains, but Terrence Cody is proof positive that mountains can move!

Cody steamrolled Tennessee's Linemen twice and blocked Tennessee's last two chances at upsetting the Crimson Tide.

It appeared that Alabama had secured a 12-3 win with only minutes left on the clock after Tennessee roughed Alabama's punter and was given a first down with time winding down.

Mark Ingram uncharacteristically fumbled the ball at mid-field giving the Vols another chance at the upset.

Crompton and company moved down field against Alabama's Nickel Defense and scored with a little over a minute left on the clock.

Then as if nothing else could go wrong the Vols recovered the onside kick and with time running down needed to move the ball into field goal territory. A completion to Tennessee's Tight End put Tennessee in filed goal range inside the 30 yard line.

With seconds left on the clock Tennessee's Placekicker Daniel Lincoln lined up for what would be the winning field goal, but instead Terrence Cody ended Tennessee's upset bid by placing massive body between Lincoln's kick and the goal post.

Terrence Cody heroic block will surely secure him as one of Alabama's legendary heroic figures like former heros Van Tiffin and Shawn Alexander who helped Alabama win big games with big plays in the final seconds over the years.

Cody, who appeared to be emotional after the game said, he knew they had to dig down deep to prevent Tennessee form upsetting the Tide.

You have to hand it to Tennessee's Defense and Monte Kiffin for holding the Tide to its lowest output of the season.

Even though Tennessee had an extra week to prepare and Alabama did not bring their A game, Tennessee defense played well and deserves credit for almost upsetting the No.2 Crimson Tide.

Alabama now has a much needed break before they face their nemesis, the LSU Tigers on Nov.7 in Tuscaloosa, Al.

This game between these top two teams in the SEC West will determine who will represent the Western Division of the SEC in the SEC Championship Game to be played in Atlanta on Dec.5.

SEC Powers Alabama and Tennessee Chose Separate Means to an End

Franklin Crittenden — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:54:45 -0400

There is no argument, Alabama and Tennessee are the two greatest college football programs in what is now called the SEC. Their fates have been intertwined for over a century.

They have met on the field 90 different times and Alabama holds a slight 45-38 advantage, with seven other games ending in a tie.

They first met in 1901 with that game ending in a 6-6 tie. Since that day, they have been bitter rivals.

During the time of great coaches like General Neyland, Wallace Wade and Frank Thomas, Alabama and Tennessee both won their fair share in this rivalry. Those games from 1926 to 1952 were almost an even split.

During the years when Coach Bear Bryant led the Crimson Tide, Alabama dominated the series by winning almost 70 percent of those games.

After Bryant's retirement and death in 1983, the rivalry was a dead heat again with Alabama and Tennessee both winning 12 of the 25 games, with the 1983 game ending in a tie.

The previous 10 years before Nick Saban's arrival at Alabama, the Vols and Philip Fulmer had dominated this rivalry by winning 80 percent of those games. The Tennessee football program was one of the most stable programs in the SEC during these years.

Alabama's situation during the same years in question were a horse of a different color, as the Tide went through a period of turmoil.

The Crimson Tide had four different head coaches between the years of 1997 to 2006 and Tennessee closed the gap in this heated rivalry by six games.

When Alabama's Athletic Director, Mal Moore, decided to replace the last of those four coaches, Mike Shula, in 2006, he decided it was time to go with a proven coach instead of gambling on another diamond in the rough.

He chose Nick Saban and offered him complete control of the Alabama football program along with one of the most lucrative contracts in the country.

When Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2007, everything changed. Saban breathed new life into the Alabama football program and along with turning the Tide around, he has yet to lose a game to Tennessee as head coach of the University of Alabama.

This decision to hire Saban has paid off in spades for the Crimson Tide. Alabama has lived at the top of the polls for the last two years and has been ranked No. 1 longer than any other team during the last two football seasons.

Philip Fulmer was fired in 2008 after losing two straight to Alabama, and Tennessee's Athletic Director, Mike Hamilton, was faced with the same decision that faced Alabama in 2006.

Hamilton chose a different direction from that of his counterpart at Alabama and decided to hire one of the youngest most inexperienced head coaches in the country.

Lane Kiffin's only experience as a head coach was a failed experiment at the Oakland Raiders, where he compiled a 5-15 record in 2007 and 2008.

So why did Mike Hamilton hire Kiffin?

I feel sure Kiffin sold Hamilton on giving him this chance based on his coaching staff. I also feel sure that if Lane's father, Monte Kiffin, had not come along with the deal that someone like Jon Gruden would be the Vols Head Coach today.

So we have two rival schools who hired head coaches with two very different backgrounds. One hired a proven success and the other chose to gamble on a diamond in the rough.

It's Alabama's Saban vs. Tennessee's Kiffin on Saturday, Oct. 24, in Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

These two men will meet for the first time this Saturday on the field of competition in a rivalry game that dates back over 100 years.

Alabama chose to go with a proven commodity, while Tennessee chose to experiment.

Which university has made the right decision?

This year will not completely determine the answer to that question, but it will go a long way toward giving us a snapshot of the future.

Right now, Alabama is riding a two-game winning streak and nursing a seven-game lead in the rivalry. Will that lead be stretched to eight games on Oct. 24 or will Tennessee's gamble pay off?

The national championship coach, Saban, matched up against the diamond in the rough, Kiffin.

If Kiffin pulls off the upset, he may have secured his future at the University of Tennessee for years to come.

If Saban wins this game, he will still be on course to the SEC Championship Game and a shot at his second National Championship and Alabama's 13th.

Alabama and Tennessee's athletic directors chose separate paths in hiring a new head football coach. A separate means to an end that could will lead one football program to bigger and better things to come and leave the other trying to pick up the pieces.

Either way, this game looms large for the two coaches and the winner and the loser will be headed in completely opposite directions in the larger scheme of things after this game is over.

This game will set the tone for years to come in this rivalry and will also try to answer the question of which school made the right decision for the future of this rivalry and the future of their football program as a whole.

Alabama vs Tennessee: Has the Third Saturday in October Lost Its Mystique?

Franklin Crittenden — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:56:24 -0400

The Third Saturday in October was always reserved for the annual showdown between Alabama and Tennessee. It was the day that was always set aside for the clash of what was then the two best football programs in the South.

The Third Saturday has always been very special to Alabama and Tennessee fans. It was considered the Volunteers and the Crimson Tide's biggest game of the year.

For those of us who grew up as Alabama fans back in the '60s, "The Third Saturday" had no equal.

During the '60s the only team that represented any real threat to Alabama's dominance of Southern football was the Tennessee Volunteers.

In those days, Alabama's goal was always the National Championship, and on more than one occasion Tennessee played the spoiler for Alabama's quest for another National Championship.

Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant hated Tennessee with a passion. It was a hate that began in his playing days, and continued through his days as a coach at Kentucky and Alabama, and did not end until his death in 1983.

Bryant once played in the Tennessee game with a broken leg, and saw this match as more than a game, it was a war between the states of Alabama and Tennessee.

Both teams circled this game on their schedules as the day they would prove themselves, and many of those games became instant classics.

The teams were pretty evenly matched from 1960 to 1970 as shown by their 5-5-1 record.

Close games were common, and two games in 1966 and 1968 that were determined by just one point, and one game ended in a tie in 1965.

Now that is what I call a rivalry!

After 1970 it became a different kind of rivalry, it became a rivalry of streaks.

Alabama did not lose a game to Tennessee from 1971 to 1981, then Tennessee won four in a row, followed by Alabama winning seven in a row, and that was followed by Tennessee winning seven in a row from 1995 to 2001.

Since 2001 the game has gone back and forth ending with Alabama winning the last two games in 2007 and 2008.

There were great coaches involved in this important rivalry.

Wallace Wade, General Neyland, Bear Bryant, Johnny Majors, Gene Stallings, Phillip Fulmer, and some that were not so great, but it didn't matter because it was Tennessee and Alabama, and it was the Third Saturday in October.

So here we are in 2009, and I have to ask the question: Does this game have the mystique for Alabama and Tennessee fans that it used to have?

In the past 20 years other rivalries such as Florida, LSU, Auburn, and Georgia seem to have gained more importance for both teams.

Tennessee now sees Florida, and their biggest rivalry, and Alabama fans, see the Auburn rivalry as head and shoulders above the Tennessee game now.

Tennessee fans see games like Georgia and South Carolina to be just as important as the Alabama game. Alabama fans now sees LSU and Florida as their real competition for the SEC title.

The younger fans of both schools probably do not even remember when this game was always played on the Third Saturday in October. That was all changed when the SEC broke the conference into two divisions back in 1992.

Since then, the date moves according to scheduling demands by the SEC.

I still see this as one of Alabama's biggest games. I still remember things like the victory cigars that were handed out to the Alabama players after a win over the Vols.

I still remember "The Deuce" taking it in for a tie back in 1993 to steal the victory from Tennessee as the clock expired. People act as though the "Wildcat Formation" was invented by the spread coaches, but Gene Stallings ran that play 15 years ago with David Palmer.

I still remember Peyton Manning leading the Tennessee band after beating Alabama four years in a row, I remember every great play, and every mistake as well.

Tennessee will play Alabama next Saturday at 2:30CST in Bryant-Denny Stadium, and even though it will not fall on the Third Saturday in October, for many fans of both schools it is still one of the most important games of the season.

I am not sure that Tennessee's new Head Coach, Lane Kiffin, really understands the significance of this game, but let him lose this game a few times, and I believe Tennessee fans will make him a believer.

This game used to be the only obstacle between either teams chance at greatness. It is now the next obstacle for Alabama and their chance this year.

Has this rivalry lost its mystique for the fans, players and coaches—maybe.

Has this game lost its importance for the fans, players, and coaches of both schools?

Let me answer that question this way: Try losing this game a few times and find out.

No. 2 Alabama vs No. 22 South Carolina, "The Head Ball Coach" vs "The Sabanator"

Franklin Crittenden — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:46:30 -0400

In a day gone by this matchup between Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban would have been a classic showdown between two coaches at the top of their game.

For all intents and purposes, Steve Spurrier was the Nick Saban of the 1990s. He was one of the hottest names in college football, and he and his Florida Gators terrorized the SEC for most of a decade.

When he arrived in Gainesville to take over the reins at the University of Florida, there really wasn't much hoopla from the rest of the SEC. Spurrier was known for running some kinda gadget offense call, Fun and Gun?

It sounded like something from another planet to SEC fans, and everyone was sure the Fun and Gun would just be one and done in the SEC.

It wasn't long before SEC fans realized just how wrong they had been. Within a few years Florida was making the rest of the teams in the SEC look like they were running in slow motion.

The Head Ball Coach's credentials are Hall of Fame material:

Championships
1996 National Championship 1989 ACC Championship 1991 SEC Championship 1993 SEC Championship 1994 SEC Championship 1995 SEC Championship 1996 SEC Championship 2000 SEC Championship
Awards
As a Coach 1988 ACC Coach of the Year 1989 ACC Coach of the Year 1990 SEC Coach of the Year 1991 SEC Coach of the Year 1994 SEC Coach of the Year 1995 SEC Coach of the Year 1996 SEC Coach of the Year 2005 SEC Coach of the Year

Spurrier and his Gators won the SEC championship in his second year. He then proceeded to win five out of six SEC Championships.

The Gators actually won the SEC Championship in Spurrier's first year as well, but were ineligible due to NCAA sanctions.

His only miss in the following five years was in 1992 when the soon to be National Champions, Alabama Crimson Tide, edged out the Gators in the inaugural SEC Championship Game that was, at that time, held in Birmingham, Al.

That was just a bump in the road for Spurrier as the Gators went on to win the next four in a row, which culminated with Florida winning its first National Championship in 1996.

Spurrier was arrogant and cocky back then, but he could back up almost everything he said on the football field on Saturday. He was probably the most hated rival coach in NCAA football.

Nick Saban splashed on the SEC scene in much the same way Spurrier did some 10 years earlier.

Saban came to LSU form Michigan State, and pretty much took the SEC by storm the same way Spurrier did at Florida. The only difference was that it only took Saban three years to win his first National Championship, it took Spurrier six.

Spurrier and Nick Saban have something else in common, they both left their successful situations to try their hand in the NFL. Both men's formula for success in college football did not translate to success in professional football.

You see, their real talent was in convincing great athletes to come and play for them, and in the NFL your hands are tied and someone else decides who plays on your team, not you.

Spurrier had been one of the hottest names since he returned to NCAA football. He was rumored to be courted by almost every team in the SEC, at one time or another, after he left the Washington Redskins in 2003.

He chose the University of South Carolina for his return to greatness, and after almost five years, he now seems to be only a shadow of his former self.

Spurrier was voted the SEC Coach of the Year in 2005, but failed to capitalize on that as the Gamecocks show little sign of improvement in the years to follow.

Spurrier's Gamecocks have lost at least five games every season under Spurrier, and have a less than impressive 15-17 record in SEC play.

The one thing Spurrier has done at USC is upset some pretty good teams.

He has upset almost every decent team in the SEC at one time or another, and now his sites are set on No.2 Alabama.

Nick Saban's story has been completely the opposite of Spurrier's since his return to college football in 2006.

He has taken the Alabama Crimson Tide from the outhouse to the penthouse in three short years, and is now staring straight down his sites at his second possible National Championship.

He also was named National Coach of the Year, and has parlayed that into a back to back No. 1 recruiting classes, and a football program that is now on the verge of greatness.

Saban has acquired the affectionate nickname the "Sabanator" by some Alabama fans, due to his unintentional knack of ending many former SEC coaches coaching careers.

Saban's next obstacle between him and his Alabama team's shot at history is Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks.

The Head Ball Coach will square off with the "Sabanator" at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Oct. 17 at 6:30 CST in a nationally televised game on ESPN.

It will be Spurrier's offense against Saban's defense.

It will be Spurrier's knack for being a giant killer, against Saban's ability keep his team focused and on an even keel.

South Carolina is 5-1 with their only loss to Georgia coming in the last minutes of the game.

Alabama is 6-0 but hasn't faced a team with a better defense than South Carolina's.

The key to this game, in my opinion, is whether Alabama's defense can hold the Gamecocks offense under 20 points.

This will be key, because I expect the Gamecocks to try and limit Alabama's offense to less than 30 points.

Turnovers will be important, and the winner of the turnover battle should win this game.

Touchdowns will be hard to come by due to both teams great defenses.

South Carolina's passing defense is ranked No. 6 in the country, and Alabama's defense in ranked No. 2 in the nation in total defense.

To give you an idea of just how good the Gamecocks' passing defense is, they are ranked ahead of Alabama's passing defense, and the Crimson Tides' pass defense ain't bad!

With all that said:

I know Alabama must be getting tired, but they have to find a way to dig deep enough to beat the Gamecocks if they intend to continue their march to Atlanta and play in the SECCG.

The Gamecocks will give The Crimson Tide a lot of grief, but the Tide should prevail.

No.2 Alabama 30

South Carolina 20

No.2 Alabama and Nick Saban Must Remember That "All Glory Is Fleeting"

Franklin Crittenden — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:44:10 -0400

The Alabama Crimson Tide is currently 6-0, and ranked No. 2 in the nation.

There are some who are even saying the Crimson Tide should be ranked ahead of the reigning National Champion Florida Gators.

Some are even asking why Greg McElroy and Mark Ingram are not on the Heisman Watch List.

Others say this is Alabama's best defense in their history, and their best offense in decades, blah, blah, blah _____ BLAH!

Now comes a truckload of praise, now comes a trainload of accolades, now comes a mountain of adulation, now comes a world of danger!

Alabama is the greatest team in the country!

Alabama is the most complete team in America!

Alabama is the fastest defense in the college football!

Alabama should be ranked No. 1!

The Crimson Tide could beat Florida, and Texas, on the same day!

Imagine being an Alabama players and hearing things like this on ESPN or reading it on Twitter or your MySpace or Facebook day in and day out about you and your team.

The fans are loving it, but this kind of talk is Kryptonite to a super college football team.

Flattery is a tasteless, odorless poison that undermines everything that a team and its coaches have worked so hard to accomplish.

It is an invisible enemy that pretends to be your friend while it saps your will to win.

As the Roman conquerors returned to Rome to a hero's welcome, they would have a servant ride with them, and he would whisper, "Domine memento totalitas gloriae fluxa"—Remember my Lord, all glory is fleeting.

That is my warning to those Alabama players would believe the fickle words of fans, sportscasters, and the so-called college football experts.

They will praise you today, and bury you tomorrow. If you choose to believe what they say about you, do so at your own peril. Remember, you are only as good as your last game.

This is not Nick Saban's first journey down this road, and it certainly isn't the University of Alabama's first either, but it is the first time for many of Alabama's players. They are not immune to this toxic talk.

So how does Saban warn these young men without it sounding hollow this time?

How does he warn them to not listen to the Sirens beckoning them toward the rocky cliffs of despair, without sounding like the boy who cried wolf?

How can he not expect 18-to-22-year-old kids to let these words of praise affect their determination, and their effort in the weeks to come?

That is the task facing Nick Saban and his staff today.

There is another hungry opponent waiting for its chance to slay the giant in the next battle, and the next, and the next. So it goes until the final whistle blows in January.

This team is talented, this team has chemistry, and this team has leadership.

But, does this team have the character to be a true champion?

Alabama is currently ranked No. 2, and they do deserve that ranking. They do deserve to be proud of what they have accomplished.

Yet they haven't accomplished anything, if it all accomplishes nothing in the end.

Alabama spent much of last year ranked No. 1 in the polls, and in the BCS rankings, only to fail in the end.

Everybody remembers that Florida won the national championship, but no trophies were awarded to those who played well earlier in the season.

Those trophies were given to those who were successful when all the dust had settled.

In order to make history you have to be a champion at the end of the season, not in the middle.

Alabama has a great team, but they must prove it over, and over again, until there are no doubters left.

That didn't happen in Oxford, Mississippi on Oct. 10, 2009 or even in Atlanta on Sept.5, 2009, it happens on Jan. 7, 2010 in Pasadena, California.

Anything short of that doesn't matter, and will only be a footnote in the history of college football.

This is this Alabama team's chance to make that history, but if they believe what people are saying about them, they will never accomplish their ultimate goal.

This is what Coach Saban calls "the clutter". He warns his players to avoid falling into this trap of listening to those who would distract them from the task at hand.

This team has a chance to fulfill their destiny.

Will this team be mature enough to stay clear of this clutter, or will they fall victim to those who would praise and flatter them?

Will they take advantage of this opportunity and fulfill their destiny or will they squander this chance and settle for their 15 minutes of fame instead?

Only time will tell.

Crimson Tide Defeats Ole Miss the "Old School" Way

Franklin Crittenden — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:20:50 -0400

In a game that would have made "old school" coaches like Vince Dooley, Johnny Majors, and Bear Bryant smile, Alabama used field position, a strong running game, a dominating defense, ball control, and a sound kicking game to defeat Houston Nutt's Ole Miss Rebels.

Leigh Tiffin went 5-for-5 on field goals moving him even farther up the list of Alabama's greatest kickers, and Mark Ingram rushed for 172 yards, and one touchdown to secure the 22-3 victory for Alabama in Oxford, Miss.

Ole Miss chose a slow death, as time after time their defense turned Alabama away inside the red zone, forcing them to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns.

The Tide pounded at the Rebels' defense like the waves of an angry sea, but still only managed one touchdown on the day.

The only time Ole Miss submitted to the Tide's relentless attack was in the closing seconds of the first half, when Ingram finally broke loose for a 36 yard run down the left side, securing a 16-0 lead for Alabama going into halftime.

It would be the only time that either team crossed the goal line the entire day.

Alabama's passing game seemed a little anemic as its normally efficient quarterback, Greg McElroy, seemed out of sync with his receivers, only going 15-of-34, for 147 yards.

McElroy seemed determined to feed the ball to Julio Jones, but the two failed to connect on several occasions down on the goal line.

Alabama forced five turnovers, and only gave up one, which was instrumental in the outcome of the game.

Even the special teams got into the act when Cory Reamer blocked an Ole Miss punt near the goal line, which led to one of Alabama's scores. Reamer had his best game on defense as well, helping fill the gap left by the injured Dont'a Hightower.

Alabama's defense was spectacular only allowing 72 yards rushing, and causing Jevan Snead to throw four interceptions.

Rolando McClain and company put on a defensive clinic, even without Hightower, who is recovering from knee surgery, and will miss the rest of the season.

It was Alabama's defense that carried the day by smothering Ole Miss, and giving the ball back to its offense time after time.

Both Snead and McElroy spent most of Saturday afternoon picking themselves up off the turf, as both the Tide's and Rebels' defenses harassed, and hurried the quarterbacks mercilessly.

Both teams came in prepared and determined, but the Tide was just too well coached and talented to allow Ole Miss to gain any momentum as the game wore on.

Ole Miss made several attempts to get back in the game in the second half, but Alabama's defense would have none of it, and turned them away again and again.

The game was full of great defense and momentum swings, but the outcome never seemed in doubt as Alabama seemed to control the game from the onset.

Saban said in the post-game press conference that he was proud of his team for playing a complete game, and went on to say, “The turnovers were huge in the game…But I can’t tell you how proud I am of the effort and toughness and competitive character that it took to win this game,”

Next week's game with 5-1 South Carolina takes on even more importance, due to the fact that two of the top three teams in the SEC West lost Saturday.

LSU and Auburn both lost Saturday, and the defeat of Ole Miss by Alabama leaves the Tide sitting on top of the SEC Western Division alone.

With both LSU and Auburn still ahead on Alabama's schedule, Alabama cannot afford a loss to the Gamecocks, if they still want to be in complete control of their destiny.

With the game against Ole Miss now behind them, Alabama is one step closer to returning to Atlanta, and their showdown with the Florida Gators.

The No. 1 Gators knocked off No. 4 LSU in Baton Rouge shortly after Alabama disposed of the Ole Miss Rebels Saturday afternoon in Oxford.

No. 3 Alabama still has six games between them and the SEC Championship Game, Dec. 5 in Atlanta, Ga.

Alabama and its fans must be careful not to look too far down the road, but one thing is certain, if Nick Saban is happy with his team, then Alabama fans should be happy as well.

When Alabama Faces Ole Miss, Houston Nutt Will Be; A Rebel With A Cause

Franklin Crittenden — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:32:28 -0400

Houston Nutt's coaching career has been an enigma.

He is one of those coaches that always seem on the brink of greatness, but never quite reaches his potential.

He is known for great upsets like beating the No.1 Florida Gators at home, and last year's biggest surprise in the BCS Bowl Series when he took his Rebels to the Cotton Bowl and upset the highly regarded Texas Tech Red Raiders.

He is also known for losing important games like the one with unranked South Carolina just when No. 4 Ole' Miss Rebels were on the brink of finally getting nationwide recognition.

Nutt seems to thrive most when he and his teams are an underdog but always seems to struggle just when he and his teams are on the verge of real success.

This has always been the case for the former Arkansas Razorback quarterback.

Houston Nutt was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas and was the last player ever recruited by the great Frank Broyles just before he retired as Coach of the Razorbacks in 1976.

Nutt only played one year at Arkansas and transferred to Oklahoma State when Lou Holtz brought the option offense to Fayetteville in 1977.

Nutt graduated from Oklahoma State in 1981 and from there went straight into coaching becoming an assistant coach at Oklahoma State as the receivers coach for the Cowboys.

After several other coaching stop that included Boise State he was hired as the Head Coach at Arkansas Razorbacks in 1987.

He immediately began improving the struggling Razorback football program that had only appeared in two bowl games in the previous eight years.

Nutt preceded to take Arkansas to new heights as the Razorbacks appeared in three New Year's Day bowl games over the next five years.

Still Nutt was never able to get Arkansas to reach its full potential that he was expecting and Arkansas fans were demanding.

Houston Nutt's finally wore out his welcome in 2007 after several off the field controversies that had been swirling around the Razorback football program finally lead to his resignation on Nov. 26, 2007.

He wasn't unemployed long though and was hired by the Ole Miss Rebels the very next day.

Nutt had an immediate impact on Ole Miss football and led the Rebels to their best season in since Eli Manning lead the Rebels to a 10-3 season in 2003 going 9-4 and accepting a bid to the Cotton Bowl where his Rebels defeated Texas Tech in a shocker.

Going into 2009 the Rebels held their highest preseason national ranking in Ole Miss. history. It was short lived though as the No. 4 Rebels were beaten in Columbia, SC by the unranked Gamecocks in their third game of the season.

This brings us to today and to Oct.10, 2009 where the Ole Miss is set to play the No. 3 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at 3:30 EST on CBS.

This is exactly the type of game that Houston Nutt lives for because he is at his best when things are at their worst. Nutt is one of the best underdog coaches in America.

He relishes the underdog role and can motivate his teams to accomplish miraculous things when the chips are down. He excels the most when he and his team are overlooked and he is able to inspire his team to play their very best game when things look almost hopeless.

I believe he will have his Rebels convinced that Saturday's game against No. 3 Alabama is Ole Miss's chance to show the nation that they really are a Top 10 and deserved the preseason No. 4 ranking.

He will have his team chomping at the bit to redeem themselves and earn back the respect and ranking they deserve.

He will tell them that this is their opportunity to get right back in the SEC and BCS National Title race and they will believe every word he says.

He will tell them they have everything to win and nothing to lose and that will make them a very dangerous team.

Alabama had better show up expecting to play for the SEC and National Title on Saturday because Alabama will face a team will be convinced that is exactly what they are playing for and that is exactly what is at stake.

Houston Nutt has shown the trait of not being able to handle success, but he has also shown the ability to be very dangerous when backed into a corner.

I look for Ole Miss to play their very best in this game and Alabama will have to use every weapon at their disposal to leave Oxford with their undefeated record still intact.

I predict this will be a classic SEC battle and the outcome could be determined in the final minutes of the game. Remember Alabama hasn't beaten Ole Miss by more than 4 points in the last four meetings.

One thing is for sure, this is Houston Nutt's kind of game and Saban will need all of his experience and wisdom if he expects to continue The Crimson Tides march to Atlanta and beyond.

The reason for my warning is simple, Houston Nutt will be a "Rebel With A Cause" when the he and Saban meet and only one team will still control their destiny as the final seconds tick off the clock in Oxford Saturday night.

This game has been circled on both teams schedule all year and for those Alabama fans that are discounting Ole Miss's chances this weekend I say this, hang on to your Houndstooth hats, it's going to be a rough ride!

I feel certain that Ole Miss will approach this game in the same way they approached the Florida game at this time last year. They will feel confident that a win against Alabama would turn their season around and will turn heads in the polls as well.

It will be up to Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide to see that they do not achieve the same results they had in Gainesville, Fla.

Should Alabama be upset in this game it would make the road ahead and the return to Atlanta look very difficult indeed.

There is something about this game that makes me very uncomfortable, and unless you are drinking way too much Crimson Kool-Aid you should be feeling that way too.

Alabama should beat Ole Miss Saturday, but only if they play up to their full potential, anything less could cost Alabama big time.

Coach Saban knows very well what is at stake and it is up to him to get it across to this team that Ole Miss means business.

Alabama needs to arrive in Oxford, Miss. with malice in their hearts and total domination on their minds. If that happens then Alabama fans and the Crimson Tide football team should wake up Sunday still undefeated with destiny in hand.

Alabama Crimson Tide's Julio Jones May Be Key To Victory Against Ole Miss

Franklin Crittenden — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:24:20 -0400

Alabama's Julio Jones has been very quiet so far in 2009; a little too quiet if you ask me.

Jones is not even listed among the top receivers in the country this season. In fact he is not even on the list at all?

If fact, none of Alabama's fine group of receivers are listed anywhere.

Yet, Greg McElroy is ranked No. 6 in passing in the country.

How could this be? The answer is simple. Alabama is spreading the ball around.

Each of Alabama's top four receivers is only averaging between 32 and 38 yards per game. All of Alabama's top receivers are averaging just about the same number of receptions per game. In several games this season, McEroy has thrown to at least 10 different receivers.

That is called spreading the wealth. What does this mean for the Crimson Tide?

It means that Alabama opponents are staying up late at night, banging their heads against the wall trying to figure out how to stop Alabama's passing attack.

Julio Jones is a special talent, and since his arrival at Alabama there has been many attempts to double cover him in order to neutralize his ability to dominate the game.

Alabama coach Nick Saban and offensive coordinator Jim McElwain's solution to this problem was simple: force Alabama opponents to cover everybody on Alabama's offense, including all of the running backs.

This means Jones may soon be getting a lot of passes thrown his way.

He is due to have a breakout game because defenses can no longer just cover him and many believe that breakout game might just be the Ole Miss Rebels.

Ole Miss must keep an eye on all of Alabama's other passing threats, which include Marquis Maze, Colin Peek, Mike McCoy and Darius Hanks. They also have to watch Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson catching passes out of the backfield as well.

So it would be a perfect time to spring the trap that Saban and McElwain seem to have been setting up all year.

How do you cover all of Alabama's gifted receivers and still double-cover Jones at the same time?

You don't.

Some fans claim Jones has been overlooked, while others think he has been injured. Could it be possible that Saban and company have just been baiting the trap that would finally let Jones get his hands on the ball?

Look for Jones to have a breakout game in Oxford, Miss. Look for Alabama's offense to spring the trap.

The Ole' Miss Rebels do have a very good defense.

They are currently ranked No. 18 in the country. Their passing defense is ranked No. 13. So this will be as tough of a task as Alabama has faced all year.

Alabama has not beaten Ole Miss by more than seven points in the last four years.

Anybody that doesn't expect this game to go into the fourth quarter with the outcome in doubt is sadly mistaken.

This could be Alabama's toughest test yet.

It is time for Alabama's star players to step up and Julio Jones is one of those players. Jones has always played his best game when things got tough and it doesn't get any tougher than playing Ole' Miss when they believe they have nothing to lose.

It is a classic Catch 22, do you focus on Jones and risk being burned by Alabama's other talented receivers, or do you not and risk being burned by one of the best receivers in the country?

Keep an eye on No.8 this Saturday in Oxford, Miss. because if the Rebels take their eye off of this talented receiver then Julio Jones might just be the key to victory for the Alabama Crimson Tide against the Ole' Miss Rebels.

Tennessee's Lane Kiffin Needs To Hire a Real Offensive Coordinator

Franklin Crittenden — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:07:06 -0400

I would imagine by now Tennessee fans are beginning to question Lane Kiffin's ability as not only a head coach, but also his ability as an offensive coordinator.

I know Kiffin is not the official offensive coordinator, but everyone knows who's calling the shots. Kiffin should either hire someone who he trusts and is comfortable running the offense or give Jim Chaney a real chance to show what he can do.

Watching Tennessee's offense is painful and embarrassing, and watching Kiffin force his incompetent quarterback to make throws he isn't capable of making is just pitiful.

Knowing that you have NFL caliber running backs but insisting on putting the game on your shaky quarterback's shoulders would be the same as having a NFL caliber quarterback and still insisting to run dive plays over the middle with your overweight Fullback.

Anyone who knows anything about football knows you play to you strengths and try to hide your weaknesses.

There were questions about whether Lane Kiffin made a name by coaching USC's powerful offense and I believe those questions are being answered as Tennessee's misery continues under Kiffin's leadership.

USC had a great offense before Kiffin took over and they still had one the day after he left.

There have been a few head coaches that were able to pull off the head coach/offensive coordinator job at the same time, but Kiffin is not capable of doing both.

Many are beginning to wonder if he can do either?

Alabama had the same problem when Mike Shula tried to hold both jobs while at Alabama. He, like Kiffin, had an official offensive coordinator, but everyone knew who was calling the plays and making the game plan.

Many blame Tennessee's quarterback for these problems and to a certain degree that is true. I would remind those people that Crompton was a five star recruit and an All-American coming out of high-school. What does Kiffin need a fleet of NFL caliber receivers and a six star, All-World quarterback in order to score points?

It sounds like Kiffin is making excuses to me? The question still remains, why does Kiffin continue to play him and who is calling these plays that they say he can't execute?

Smart head coaches play to the strengths of their teams and good Offensive Coordinators should do the same.

Tennessee has a sound running game and Kiffin would be wise to use it to keep his team in the game while throwing higher percentage passes to keep Tennessee's opponents off balance. That along with Monte's solid defense would have this team in every game.

It would have been good strategy especially against a team like Auburn that uses its fast pace offense to wear down your defense.

Lane Kiffen should follow Auburn's Head Coach Gene Chizik's lead and give up his coordinator's headset and just try to be Tennessee's head coach. He needs to stop pretending he knows how to call plays or build an offense—because it is obviously not his strong suit.

Mike Shula's stubbornness in wanting to be the play caller eventually cost him his job at Alabama and I predict Kiffin will not be at Tennessee for long if he continues to try to do both jobs.

Kiffin is barely a head coach and barely an offensive coordinator and by trying to be both he is setting himself up for disaster. When you try to do two jobs at the same time, you often will fail at both.

His overblown ego will likely not let him do the right thing. If that happens, Tennessee will end up staying at the bottom of the SEC rankings and continue looking anemic as an offense.

Even Monte Kiffin is starting to look a little frustrated with the way things are going.

Maybe he can talk some sense into his son and make him realize that it is the best interest of Tennessee and all involved if he would just stick to clapping his hands and trying to look like a head coach and just stay away from Chaney's offense completely.

5-0 Alabama Heads Into The SEC's Version Of "Amen Corner"

Franklin Crittenden — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:29:40 -0400

Just like the 11th, 12th and 13th holes in "The Masters" golf tournament in Augusta, Ga., "Amen Corner" represents the make, or break turning point for golfers, Alabama now faces its own version of "Amen Corner" beginning Oct. 10 and ending Nov. 7, 2009.

This mid-season make or break test begins next week in Oxford, Miss. against the Ole' Miss Rebels, and stretches through the month of October, and ends when Alabama faces LSU in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on Nov. 7.

It consists of some of the SEC's best teams, and includes Ole' Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, and LSU in consecutive games.

If Alabama survives the SEC's version of the "Four Stages of Hell" undefeated, it should be in the proverbial "Driver's Seat" for returning to Atlanta's SEC Championship Game on Dec. 5, 2009.

Florida is already the odds-on favorite to represent the East in the SECCG, but the Western Division is still up for grabs.

Right now the race appears to be shaping up this way: Alabama, LSU, and Auburn are all still undefeated, and Ole Miss has one loss to South Carolina, who is part of Alabama's "Amen Corner" lineup.

Many consider Ole' Miss more dangerous now that they have lost, than when they were undefeated and ranked in the Top Five.

The Ole' Miss Rebels are a talented team, but the question of whether they could handle the pressure of being ranked with all the hype that comes along with that had yet to be answered.

I believe that question was answered when the Rebels' offense obviously choked in Columbia, S.C. at the hands of South Carolina's excellent defense.

If Alabama had faced an undefeated Rebel team, their chances of winning would have been greatly increased. Now Ole' Miss is free of that extra pressure, as proven by their 23-7 thumping of Vanderbilt in Nashville on Saturday night.

Expect the Rebels to be playing fast and loose when they face the Crimson Tide this Saturday, and expect Ole's mss to bring their A-game as well.

On the other hand, Alabama was obviously missing one of its best defensive players, Dont'a Hightower, Saturday in Lexington, Ky. The nation's No. 2 defense gave up just over 300 yards in offense to the Wildcats, which is well over their previous average of just over 200 yards per game.

The Wildcats were ranked No. 108 in passing offense, and that does not bode well, because Alabama must now face Ole' Miss's highly regarded passing attack next Saturday.

Ole' Miss quarterback Jevan Snead went 19 of 34, for 237 yards against Vanderbilt's No. 3 pass defense, so Alabama should expect Snead to give Alabama's secondary one of its most difficult tests to date.

Many of Kentucky's passing yards came in the flats, and in short crossing routes, where Alabama's missing Linebacker, Hightower, would have had coverage, or been applying pressure on Kentucky's quarterback.

Alabama used a combination of Linebackers to fill the void left by the injured Hightower.

Reemer, Upshaw, and Anders did a solid job of taking up the slack, but it is almost too much to ask for anyone to replace the talented Hightower completely. Hightower is considered one of the best young Linebackers in the country.

Alabama has a daunting task ahead of them, and it begins next week at Ole' Miss.

Nick Saban did not appear satisfied with the Tides' performance in Lexington on Saturday, and I am sure that is because he knows it will take a much better performance to beat the Rebels in Oxford next Saturday.

If Alabama should fail in Oxford, then the rest of Alabama's "Amen Corner" will look even more daunting, and Alabama's return to Atlanta will be in jeopardy.

If Alabama can come out of the Ole Miss game with a win, they should be able to go into their biggest test on Nov. 7 undefeated, and that game will likely determine the SEC's Western representative to face Florida in Atlanta.

Anything can happen in the crazy SEC West, and with Tim Tebow sustaining a concussion against Kentucky last week, even the SEC East is still technically up for grabs.

With three of the West's teams still undefeated, and all of the favorites yet to square off against each other, every team has an equal chance and all still have their own destiny in their hands.

The team that survives this single elimination tournament unbeaten will be getting their ticket punched to Atlanta.

For Alabama, the next four games will make or break its season.

Alabama's first test in its version of "Amen Corner" starts this week in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss. at 3:30 EST on CBS___ Amen!