When most of us think about FIU, we draw up memories of their brawl that took place back in 2006. Remember that player who used his "head gear" as a weapon? Oh the repercussions of that night. Besides the suspensions on both sides, Lamar Thompson was fired by CSS, and the network edited out his comments when it re-broadcasted the game on October 18. Later in the day, he told ESPN Radio's Dan Patrick that he had gotten carried away in the moment. Well since that infamous street war, Mario Cristobal has made modest improvements with his team, but it's always nice to reminisce about the good ole days, right?
Before you watch Coach Saban's press conference below, check out this commentary from espn.com on why Alfy Hill's commitment has bigger implications than just improving our defense. It literally means that Alabama can recruit from Texas to the Atlantic Ocean in the South and up the East Coast. We haven't seen such an expansive recruiting policy since the Bear.
RTR
Alfy Hill, the fourth ranked prospect in North Carolina, committed to the Crimson Tide today. During a ceremony in front of his student body at West Brunswick High in Shallotte, NC, he choose to play for Coach Saban over offers from North Carolina and other schools. Hill is a 6-foot-4, 225 pound defensive end that is the 22nd commitment for the 2010 season.
Those of you looking for a good scouting report on FIU (remember that this is the time to focus) I have found a site for you to check out. This site explains how FIU has a seasoned offensive group that returns nine starters from last year and 3 or 4 more players that contributed heavily on the offensive side.
Also, get the scoop on this T.Y. Hilton kid, who is somewhat of a Percy Harvin impersonator. Saban gave a very stern warning about watching out for number 4 (Hilton). I have posted a video of this guy returning a punt last year against Kansas. Let's hope a special teams are in better shape for this game.
RTR
Ok. So remember how they released the new polls today? Apparently, there was one AP ballot that ranked 1. Alabama 2. BYU 3. Oklahoma St. 4. Florida. The ballot was filled out by Doug Lesmerises of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Read more about his reasoning and view on the AP voting guidelines.
If you don't think that Saban is taking FIU seriously, then you should read this article published by the Washington Post. When talking about Florida International wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, Saban told reporters, "This guy No. 4 is a better offensive player than anybody that we played against last week." I wonder how the Hokies feel about that statement.
USAToday.com just released the new coaches poll today and the Crimson Tide climbed to the # 4 spot. This ascension is due to their grueling win against the then ranked #7 Hokies (and now ranked #15) and the BYU upset over the Oklahoma Sooners.
In the AP Poll, Alabama moved up a spot to the #4 position while its fellow SEC Westerner, Ole Miss, moved up two spots to claim the #6 spot overall. However, the most notable achievement for the Tide this week in the AP poll was their two first place votes.
All in all, the one spot advancement for the Crimson Tide in the polls was an expected move and welcomed by some and loathed by the rest.
Ok. Labor Day weekend is over, and we are all back at work struggling to remember how to function. Out 24 hours of enjoying the win just got extended a few more days... and then we'll get focused.
Our opponent this weekend is the highly touted FIU which could possibly be one of the top tier teams from the Sunshine State this year (I kid). Their coach, Mario Cristobal, tangled with the Crimson Tide in the past as an all-conference left tackle for the Miami Hurricanes when they lost to the Crimson Tide, 34-13, in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1993. Check out his thoughts on coaching his team and playing against Alabama this weekend.
Does the ACC lead the nation in irrelevance? John Feinstein of the Washington Post thinks so. He says it is so bad that the ACC has been reduced to celebrating a respectable loss to a high ranking team. Apparently, the Hokies had the most respectable showing this past weekend considering two of the ACC members lost to division 1-AA teams. Poor ACC. I hope this does not turn into an effort to undermine the importance of our win, like the Clemson game last year.
Lastly, if you partied too much this Labor Day weekend and forgot why you even started, check out these scenes from the game with some post game commentary. Also, do you love rammer jammer as much as I do? Enjoy and RTR
