Do you want to try and block Ford or Lindsay or Pritchett one-on-one? How about being left an an island to defend Kaleb Edwards?
Rejoice, for this is the day that we Gump, and it’s a big week for ‘Bama facing No. 16 Mississippi State on the road in Starkvegas. First things first: we’ve got to get into and beyond Monday!
So, let’s start with the UA official USC/Tide recap video, and for my money, these shorter ones always feed the dopamine receptors a bit better than the longer ones do (though CTSM does outstanding work on both).
The AP Top 25 and coaches polls were released yesterday, and the Tide edged up narrowly, to No. 7. This marks Alabama’s 300th straight appearance in the AP Poll, a feat accomplished by just one other program, Nebraska program that was ranked in every single poll from Osborne in 1981 to Solich in 2002.
The Tide’s streak begun in August of 2008, and hasn’t stopped yet. At this rate, it looks like ‘Bama will set the record too, which is “just” 348 polls. Hey, that’s just three years; don’t sell it short. Alabama should stay a Top 25 program that long, right?
The Tide’s next opponent, the Mississippi State Bulldogs, land at 16th in both polls, and are ‘Bama’s first ranked opponent of the season, though the Kentucky Wildcats are 27th among coaches and Sagarin has them at 28th. ESPN’s FPI places Alabama 7th, as does SP+, with ‘Bama projected to run the season to 10-2, with almost a 20% chance of winning the SEC. However since UA’s schedule has no Texas, Florida or Ole Miss, and includes games against UGA and LSU, I think those odds are probably a bit low. But I would, wouldn’t I?
ESPN’s FPI currently projects Alabama’s win-loss record at 10.0-2.4, while also giving the Tide a 6.7% chance to win out. Alabama’s other current percentages, per ESPN’s FPI, include 18.1% to win the SEC, 72.9% to make the College Football Playoff, and 8.5% to win the national championship.
We’ve covered the suddenly infamous Field 3 that coach Ballou instituted during the summer conditioning session. Months after the fact, not only is still sticking with players, they’re citing it as why the upcoming SEC grind won’t be so daunting. LOL. They are tormented by it, but won’t even discuss it. I shudder to think of what would intimidate Luke Metz.
If you missed the original story of Field 3, here ya’ go:
With the PCSA about to pass the Senate (finally), but held up in the House for at least a month while they all run for reelection, lawmakers have begun circulating a “Plan B”” to the full act, one that focuses just on a few financial aspects of the PCSA and which mainly clarifies that sums in the bill, and funds from “associated entities,” count towards a hard cap.
Power conference leaders are seriously discussing adopting the bill’s new, increased $48.8 million revenue-share cap and more strictly enforcing that cap through the College Sports Commission by limiting NIL deals from school-affiliated entities, according to messages and memos sent to school personnel over the last two weeks. The goal is to establish a harder cap than the soft cap now permitting programs to spend well above the current $21.3 million limitation per school.
Last week, we wrote that attorneys were preemptively howling over the Tubs/Britt amendment which does much the same, so you can imagine how well they’re handling an entire piece of legislation that does something similar, while also giving conferences the power to enforce it, and the NCAA antitrust protection. Howling doesn’t even describe it. But they’re missing a huge part of the puzzle: The lawsuits they’ve been filing are under antitrust under the commerce clause, and as a plenary power of Congress, lawmakers can wave a wand and define the contours of antitrust law — including carving out exemptions for entire industries.
The gravy train is almost at its end…I hope.
The SEC officiating crews may not have any interest in stopping players from takings swings at their opponents, but South Carolina’s Shane Beamer was decidedly more gutsy, indefinitely suspending Dylan Stewart, the Gamecocks’ best player and likely Top 10 NFL draft pick come next May.
Josh Ford was chirping all game, as he does, and eventually Stewart lost his cool after Ford rubbed him out on Daniel Hill’s 1-yard TD run late in the game. But it was his behavior after the play that really did it: ignoring coaches and being slow to get off the field when he was told to.
If Beamer wanted to rein this team back in, it was a necessary suspension for the ‘Cocks. It comes at a bad time though, with suddenly-good Kentucky in town and USC reeling, desperately in need of a win. Still, good for Shane Beamer, one of the sport’s good guys.
In some fairness to Stewart, Ford is a shit talker… getting your ass beat up and down Bryant Denny for three hours, and then getting roughed up on the bottom of the pile while having some smack whispered in your ear, probably was the back-breaker for Dylan.
After Week Four there is one certainty: A lot of high profile jobs will be opening this year. So, whose seat is the hottest before we’ve even reached the end of September? Locksley? Prime? Belichick? There are already a dozen other names you put here too:
Speaking of Josh Ford, in our Three Star recap we singled out the Tide tight ends as playing their best game of the season, one where they were far more integrated into the passing scheme. Coach DeBoer noticed it as well, and praised the group’s growing consistency:
“Yeah, they’re getting very consistent,” head coach Kalen DeBoer told the media when asked about the position during the postgame press conference. “A lot of different guys involved. The touchdown, but Josh (Ford), that was great to see. That throw in the catch at the end to Marshall (Pritchett) was pretty impressive. And you know, when you’re running routes and getting tight ends involved that far down the field, usually you think of receivers running some of those routes. That shows the confidence and the ability level that those guys have, and that we have in them. And so, you know, we can get the run game going. Tight ends are going to open up in the play action game, and that showed up tonight quite a few times, not just with the tight ends, but also with the receivers as well.”
The OL line commentators out there rave about ‘Bama’s TE room, but for most of the country, this group is a secret weapon…until your favorite defender is planted facemask-first at the hashmark, or Kaleb Edwards is roasting your safety for a first down grab.
That in turn is making the Tide’s tight ends a weapon in their own right, turning an already-elite offense into one that is downright terrifying.
In our quest to make you more knowledgeable fans, we also present these nuggets for your perusal: First up, what is exactly is EPA? You see it all the time, and it informs the infamous “Chart” that all coaches use when deciding to go for fourth downs. These are the dread “analytics” of Lane Kiffin that drive old school guys nuts.
And this other piece is from legendary offensive line coach (and one-time ‘Bama OLC) Jeff Stoutland, long a fixture across NFL and college sidelines. He’s started up some social media channels to better explain the ins and outs of O-line play. Sadly, I can’t embed it, but here’s the link, and it’s worth your three-minutes to watch. (And, BTW, if anyone knows how to embed Instagram posts in WordPress editors, hit me up below or email me at: erikevans.trl@gmail.com).
Coach Stout’s channel is here.
If you’ve noticed, in our past several Blog Polls and SEC Power Polls, we’ve consistently had UGA ahead of Texas, being the nation’s most complete team it appears. But why not the ‘Horns, who resume-wise have it all over Georgia? I think Talty finally put a thumb on it: the ‘Horns could just as easily be 2-2 and just haven’t seemed “right” all year, for lack of a better word. And it begins between their ears: It’s a dumb, undisciplined team:
Call it champagne problems but this Texas team looks anything but invincible.
You have the weird issues from the Holly Rowe drama that enveloped Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning to the Colin Simmons‘ “simulating using the restroom” penalty that Sarkisian bizarrely blamed a “look at me” society for happening. There are the dumb on-field decisions like the awful facemask penalty on Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon late in the fourth quarter that kept the Vols’ hopes alive when it was 3rd-and-19. There are the more serious issues like the arrest of linebackers coach Johnny Nansen days after the Ohio State win on charges of driving while impaired, for which Nansen missed one game.
Texas had 11 penalties Saturday, which included that wild Simmons one, and the consequences from those penalties played a big role in the game being as close as it was. Texas was probably lucky to avoid another celebration for unsportsmanlike conduct after running back Raleek Brown had a wild touchdown celebration that also mimed putting his hands down his pants. How Brown thought it was smart to do that after seeing the affect Simmons’ penalty had on Texas — saving Tennessee from fourth-and-forever and maybe changing the momentum of the game — is hard to comprehend.
As difficult as UT’s remaining schedule is, you just know that’s going to wind up biting them in the ass and costing a game or two atop a crowded SEC field.
And, finally, your moment of levity. We’ve all been there, right? Opening your laptop and having a video autoplay when it is least advisable?
That’s it for now. We’ll be back later with the Blogpoll, and I’m going to get to work on finishing up the Meltdown (coming tomorrow), as well as cranking numbers for Giving Away Money (6-1 again last week. *buffs nails*).
There’s plenty to read on the front page though, aside from Monday’s Gump Dump: We have our Sakerlina recap up, some of the best of Saturday in ICYMI, and the SEC power poll. So feel free to shirk those spreadsheets. Have a great morning, thanks for dropping by, and as always take care.
Roll Tide
For the love of God, I hope that is the case.
That asshole should have been kicked off the field right after the punch. But the SEC are apparently blind. That explains a lot, actually.
#ExcitedWhites
EPA: Expected points. Based on say 3rd and 4 at the 50 yard line, how many points have teams traditionally gotten?
Josh Ford gives some strong Colin Peek vibes, incl the circus catch for good measure. RTR
He does remind me of Peek too. He’s more of an instigator though.
they were both transfer players too. how’d that 2009 season work out with Peek, btw??? Gumping hard on a Monday morning….
Speaking of coaches who might be looking for a new home…. I find Venables to be intriguing. His seat has got to be getting warm by now given how putrid they’ve looked so far. He probably has a little more rope given they made the playoffs last year but so far, he hasn’t looked like someone who can get the offence purring.
As a pure hypothetical, if Venables becomes available…. should Bama go for him as DC? I know Wommack’s done a decent job, but it’d be hard to pass up someone of Venable’s pedigree and track record.
It is radioactive. I don’t see any way he survives this season. But you can bet your mortgage that someone like USC or Oregon will throw $5m at him to teach them how to play defense. I wouldn’t rule out him landing on his feet at another head job either.
The sad truth is, we couldn’t afford him even if we wanted to.
Alabama does have a track record of rehabilitating coaches…..ok, sure it was under Saban but maybe KDB can carry on the tradition..
Well, he’s placed two head coaches. And after rhis year, it could be two more.
grubb doesn’t want to be here, and Kane has more than earned a good HC job.
and when they do fire him Oklahoma owes him his entire remaining contractual pay. Gotta love Jimmy Sexton.
I feel like I was just in a discussion about EPA
True story: When I typed that, I went to heat my coffee up and said aloud “I bet someone is gonna TWSS” to me