As we’ve said before: If it weren’t for bad luck, this team would have no luck at all.
Rejoice, for this is the day that we Gump. And, we’re going to do so hopefully healthier than ‘Bama’s football squad.
This is the world that they asked for: to be treated like adults, and moreover to be paid like professional athletes. I’ve been calling for the other shoe to drop for a long time — alongside a professional salary must come professional expectations, professional demands, and professional performance. If you can’t meet them, then welcome to contract recission. And that is finally happening.
With NIL contracts renewing in January, underperformers and non-performers are learning that harsh Day One lecture in Econ 101: There is no such thing as a free lunch. Players not living up to their number are being asked to take a reduced salary, or they’re free to walk. And the attorneys and fly by night “agents” who saw a chance for a lifetime of guaranteed 5% commissions are pissed.
Sorry. Back to the real world. hit the bricks. Money walks, bullshit talks. Coffee is for closers.
He didn’t log much time, playing his first minutes off of injury, but Jaxon Richardson’s first collegiate points — off a windmill dunk — reminded everyone why he’s considered the most athletic recruit ‘Bama has ever signed. Mercy.
#EverythingSchool
For decades, the TV execs have known that the BHM/Tuscaloosa market is the best in the country for college football. And the sales staff at UA know Alabama averages over 14,000 butts in seats per home game. But most people did not know (and I certainly didn’t), the Tide Hoops is also the No. 6 market for Neilsen College Basketball ratings, well outpacing some usual juggernauts:
According to the “Nielsen Scarborough Fandom Index,” released on Tuesday by the media audience research firm, the Crimson Tide play in one of the top college basketball markets in the country.
Nielsen’s data lists the Birmingham market, which includes Alabama and UAB, at No. 6 nationally among both men’s and women’s college basketball programs. The Birmingham market’s fandom index score of 185 ranks one spot below Indianapolis (Butler, Purdue, Indiana) at No. 5 and one spot above Omaha (Creighton, Nebraska).
It will not surprise you to know that Lexington was first. Lawrence/Kansas City, and the Triangle were the two and three. But ‘Bama was ahead of even Little Rock/Fayetteville, CoMo, Gainesville, and Knoxville — alleged “basketball schools. And for ‘Bama to even be in that mix is a testament to what we’ve always maintained: Alabama is a basketball school — the program just needed the resources and coaching to reward a fan base eager for a winner.
So, feel free to join us. All the cool kids are. #BOG
Yet another Wednesday night came, and it was yet another evening with hideous injury news, or at least no new good news to report.
These are just the questionable players for Saturday:
Let this sink in: Starters / Rotational players the Tide could be without are: RB 1A and 2, starting center, WR 1, starting left guard, nose tackle, cornerback 1; and ‘Bama is already without its starting LOLB and his backup, as well as two other DBs sidelined for injury, and another DB just kicked off the squad last week.
We thought last year’s injuries were bad? Pffft. Alabama came out of Fall camp banged up, and have not received a lick of good news since then. Let’s hope KDB is sandbagging a bit on this one, and including everyone with so much as a hangnail. If the Tide goes into Baton Rouge again missing half of its front seven and 40% of the offensive line, then it’s going to be a long, long Saturday afternoon.
Bold Predictions:
BH has posted their weekly Bold Predictions (and I would sadly note, they’re usually wildly off the mark). Among this week’s throw at the dartboard concerns the running game:
1. Alabama eclipses 150 yards on the ground
Ryan Grubb preached patience for Alabama’s run game during his Monday press conference, telling his group through the media to take what the defense allows and not to get greedy. If Grubb can take his own advice, and assuming Delgatty is back at center and perhaps EJ Crowell is available in the backfield, then there’s a path for Alabama to run the ball effectively against LSU.
LSU ranks 5th in the country in rushing yards per game allowed, but Kentucky mustered 155 on them in their upset in Lexington. Alabama was running the ball effectively prior to Delgatty’s injury, but struggled mightily in the two games he missed against Tennessee and Texas A&M.
If he plays, Alabama can run the ball on LSU. Being able to do so will be pivotal to avoid putting too much pressure on sophomore QB Keelon Russell in Death Valley.
Please note: For Alabama to hit 150 yards rushing, LSU would need to surrender almost double its usual yards on the ground. And, the last time Alabama went over 150 yards rushing was a full month ago, in Starkville. One thing is certain in life: This LSU defense is not Mississippi State. Perhaps it might happen if Keelon busts a few broken plays for long gainers, to go with 80-90 yards from the backs, but on their best day, this line was never going to line up and bully the Tiger front.
I respect the Gumpiness though.
Katie Windham at SI also has her weekly column up, Three Storylines, and today she wonders “What Lane Kiffin Has Up His Sleeves?”
Most thought that this matchup between Alabama and LSU would be a CFP elimination game, but after the first round of the rankings was revealed on Tuesday night with Alabama at No. 5 and LSU at No. 14, the Crimson Tide might have a little more wiggle room even with a loss.
The Tigers probably do too, but LSU’s remaining schedule is very challenging with No. 7 Texas and a road trip to No. 13 Tennessee still to come in November. This game would mean a lot to Kiffin regardless, but what’s at stake makes it even more important.
Kiffin notoriously said in a pregame television interview with CBS just before kickoff of the 2021 matchup at Alabama to “get your popcorn ready.” His Ole Miss squad trailed by 28 at halftime and lost 42-21.
He’ll be aiming for a much better start than that this Saturday. Despite two losses on the season to Ole Miss and Kentucky, Kiffin has LSU in a really good spot. The Tigers lead the SEC in total offense and total defense. With players like tight end Trey’Dez Green and defensive end Princewill Umanmielen, LSU has players on both sides of the ball that can be absolute matchup nightmares for Alabama.
Will Kiffin’s Tigers be ready to pounce on the Crimson Tide?
Frankly, I don’t think LMFK has a lot of gimmicks in the works for Saturday. He likely won’t need them either. As we wrote in the CFP Ranking Reveal, this squad — indeed, his very playbook — is seemingly custom-made to beat the ’26 Tide. We don’t think it was necessarily intentional, but it has certainly worked out to be that way.
We explain why:
We think a team that can run the ball very well, has a great defensive line, has a quarterback who can use his legs when the play breaks down, and can stress the Tide’s defensive backs with a lot of communication errors and verticality is a recipe for a nightmare matchup: So, [our worst playoff matchup] is going to be a rematch against LSU. That roster and playbook seem almost custom-made to beat this year’s iteration of the Crimson Tide.
Katie’s SI story follows:
Crootin’ SZN
Because every day is Crootin’ SZN in Tuscaloosa…
Fresh off landing 5-star PF Zion Green last weekend, Nate Oats could be on the verge of reeling in another blue-chip prospect in a few days.
4-star center Yohane Kabongo, a 6-foot-9, 225-pounder out of Daytona Beach, by way of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, will announce his college choice on Sunday. Alabama is a finalist in his recruitment, alongside Mississippi State and Tennessee:
Keep an eye on Kabongo. While the Tide are blessed with riches in the post this season, next year will see ‘Bama lose at least three bigs…and that doesn’t even count Collin Onyejiaka either.
Hope for the best.
Story here.
And, finally, your moment of levity…the always zesty Ryan Long. LOL.
That’s all for now. We have our LSU-Alabama Analytics Preview coming along in a bit. And we’re still trying to crank out Giving Away Money in the hopes of getting that out today, but it may be very late this afternoon, or more probably tomorrow. Sorry about the delay and a very messed up schedule. But it’s been one helluva’ busy week, y’all.
Until then, take care care, and thanks for dropping by.
Roll Tide
Definitely feeling a bit jittery about this game. If we can get Green back, that will be a massive boon, and hopefully that will take some pressure off of Thompkins and free up the LBs as well. I hope Wommack has something schemed up to make Leavitt uncomfortable, I think we will have to have a couple of turnovers to stay in this game, with how schizo our offense can be.
Meanwhile, Wommack’s scheme….
@TiderInTheSouth would approve.
Touche sir, let me look over my index card while we loosen up those kinks in your shoulders lol
where’s the squirrel happy ending?
asking for a friend.
It could always be worse….we could have Ole Miss’ injury list.
If it gets players to give more of a fuck, I’m in favor of this.
Like in a certain other business, if you don’t earn, you get clipped.
Erik back to his normal sunshine self.
WOULD.
But seriously, the last time Erkevawwwwwnz was absolutely dick-hardening SURE that Alabama wasn’t going to Grubb-hub a game away was vs UGA. Then we went to Knoxville and Grubbster was like, “Watch me fuck THIS shit up, yawwwwwl!1!!”
In fairness, Grubby had a LOT of help fucking that one up.
Our only TD was on a play Keelon took into his own hands, SIR. Grubb did his job in keeping us scoreless. SIR.
Y’all yelled when I said we’d beat UGA. Y’all yelled when I said the data liked a handy win over the Vawls.
Now I tell you we’re probably gonna lose and y’all yell at me. Again.
I guess I just like the pain at this point 😭
And we here get zero credit for shitposting? Really? As hard as we work to bring YOU this content, SIR?
Welp, I have zero confidence in a victory this week.
I have plans on Saturday that will keep me from watching the game through at least the 1Q. Depending on how we look, I may just extend those plans until the game is over.
I dare you to go out unironically trick-or-treating during the 2nd quarter and on IF we’re down.
BUT! …it has to be a costume from the discount rack.
AND! …you have to tell the households you go to that you’re doing this in protest against Grubb.
I hid my halloween treats in the endzone this week because at least I knew Ryan Grubb would never find them.
Okay, Sam SHADE.
Whit Weeks is OUT.
A couple of observations:
I’m starting to think Mal’s the bigger issue in the lineup than Delgatty’s absence from it. He’s just too slow in the interior to pull or get to the second level effectively in this offense.
And if we’re not targeting TEs multiple times per drive, especially in the red zone, we’re doing it wrong. Should be in 12 or 13 personnel a majority of this game—helps with run blocking and passing mismatches.