Alabama 22 Ole Miss 3 Final!

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A view from both sides of the ball

Going into this weekend, Alabama leads the series with the Rebels, 45-9-2, but the last four games have been decided by four points or less. Coach Nick Saban noted that "This is probably the best team we have played to this point, all the way around. They have a lot of experience, a lot of good players, and a very good defensive team. Houston Nutt does a great job coaching any team that he has coached and we have had some great games in the past." For further analysis of the match-up this weekend, follow the link above.

If you're interested in what the Ole Miss Rebels are saying about the game, go here and read their analysis. It's always interesting to see how teams and people perceive themselves. Although some of their predictions and prognostications seem absurd to us, they show us their strengths and weaknesses. My favorite absurdity from this analysis: their 42nd ranked rushing offense matches up evenly to 4th ranked rushing defense. I'm so ready for Saturday

Greg McElroy, Mark Ingram, and Javier Arenas were thrown into the mix for a couple of watch lists this season by the Maxwell Football Club. McElroy and Ingram are on the watch list for the Maxwell award which goes to the best college football player this season; in addition, the club will keep a close eye on Arenas for the Chuck Bednarik Award which goes to the best defensive player in college football.

RTR

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Weakside Linebacker Size Comparison, Blue Out and Other Links

As the Ole Miss game approaches kickoff, rumors have been floating around that Jerrell Harris will be reinstated for the game to fill in for the injured Dont'a Hightower. I don't know if the rumors are true, but I do know that we need him. Before his suspension, he was listed as the backup to Dont'a. He probably would have started against Kentucky.

I guess we would not be even speculating about his reinstatement if we all felt 100% comfortable with Corey Reamer filling in at Weakside Linebacker. I am not saying Corey cannot replace Dont'a, but I am saying we missed Dont'a stopping the run. And I am not saying Corey was the problem because Kentucky also ran at Courtney Upshaw and Eryk Anders. Some have said that Corey is not as big as Dont'a. So to give a little understanding of 'size' difference, let's just peek at their sizes listed on Rolltide.com.:

Dont'a Hightower: Height 6' 4", Weight 240

Corey Reamer: Height 6' 4", Weight 234

Jerrell Harris: Height 6' 3", Weight 215

Nico Johnson: Height 6' 3", Weight 225

I can only conclude that Corey plays great in space as an outside linebacker. And I assume that he has the size to fill in for Dont'a, but he might not be the best at shedding blockers. Is a smaller Jerrell or Nico the answer? Maybe. I just think that someone will have to step up and play the weakside as aggressive as Dont'a.

Next item on my list is that there is a rumor floating around that Ole Miss is planning a 'Blue Out'. Can anyone confirm this with a source? I like the fact that Ole Miss needs a gimmick to get ready for this game. If it is true, I think they are scared.

More Links:

Alabama may not start every game strong, but they sure have finished strong. Read more here.

Do you think the pressure is on Eryk Anders to fill Dont'a's role? If so, read more here.

And here is someone that agrees with me that Julio is still valuable despite the low numbers. Read here.

Do you think Greg McElroy still talks to John Parker Wilson? If so, read more here.

RTR

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Upshaw to Anger Management Classes

Courtney Upshaw and Kendall Gryzb have both filed a motion to dismiss the misdemeanor charges that occurred on August 19 after a UA police officer noticed an alleged altercation. Both of the participants are 19 years old and the judge granted Upshaw and Gryzb youthful offender status which means that this incident will not show up on their record. They have both signed up for anger management classes.


With our quest for a complete team, tidesports.com has pointed out that Alabama has an advantage in both yards and time of possession in the final quarters of their football game. Starting linebacker, Rolando McClain explains, 'That's what we pride ourselves on. We have the fourth-quarter program after the season, a lot of running, and we pride ourselves on being a good fourth-quarter team." Hopefully this trend continues and prevents us from experiencing any heart attacks like the 2005 team.






Watch College Football Live talk below about the match up this weekend between the Tide and the Rebels.

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Where in the World is Julio Jones? And More links...

First of all, do not ask Greg McElroy or Coach Saban about Julio Jones' low stats. You will likely get a response similar to this:

Greg McElroy responding to the "Julio Jones" question:

"It seems like every interview I do, somebody is asking me, 'Why isn't Julio getting more involved?' Just because Julio is not catching balls doesn't mean he's not involved. He's very involved. He demands the eyes, four eyes are on him every time we snap the ball. That's two from a safety and two from a corner. He makes a difference whether he catches a ball or not. And the fact that people continue to question, 'Why can't you get the ball to Julio? Why can't you put it in his hands, he's such a good player for you?' Yeah, he is. He's a great player. That's why we can't get it in his hands sometimes.

"Obviously, I'm going to put the ball where my reads take me. And the fact that Julio is such a great target and a great talent, people are going to do their best to limit his touches and limit his production. We're very fortunate because in years' past we haven't always had a lot of solid wide receiver depth. But now we do. We have great players that don't even start every Saturday. We've got guys that come off the bench and make plays. You look at last week, I don't know how many people had catches but it was a solid number. The fact that we have that depth and continuity among the wide receiver corps is a big reason why we've been successful in the offense. And the fact that Julio is so unselfish, he understands that I'm going to give him the ball when I can. I want to get him the ball as best I know how. But when my reads take me elsewhere, I'm not going to force it."

In my opinion, Julio Jones is top ten draft pick even with the low numbers. Defenses still plan their game around him.  I have to say that he might be experiencing a little sophmore slump, but I still think he could have a break out game any weekend now.

Links:

Do you think Nick Saban and Houston Nutt share respect for each other? Read here.

Who is the best Running Back in the SEC? ESPN's Chris Low thinks it is Mark Ingram. Read more here.

Do you think Rolando McClain can get any better? He thinks so. Read more here.

Who do think is the most improved player so far? My vote is Mark Ingram. Read and Vote here.

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Our Quest for a complete team

Chris Low thinks the Tide is a complete team. He cites the fact that this is the first time in the history of Alabama football that the Tide has put 30 points for five consecutive games to start the season. Although, the team was definitely not firing on all their cylinders on Saturday they were still able to put up big points

Even though we posted another "W" in our schedule this past Saturday, not many players are happy with their performance. "Even though it's a win and we'll take the win, we're not really satisfied with it," McClain said Saturday. "We know we could have played a lot better." It just wasn't the style that the defense prefers: a physical presence upfront that stops the run dead in it's tracks. These sort of victories are great for two reasons. First, they keep our National Championship hopes alive and in our control. Second, they keep us humble and rid us of complacency.

Scowling aside, Rolando McClain was honored for his performance on Saturday as he was named the Southeastern Conference defensive player of the week. He recorded 12 tackles (eight solos) and forced a fumble, a pass deflection and an interception.

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