High Tide: May 2015

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Lady Tide Eliminated From NCAA WCWS 5-3 Late Last Night; Bama Beats Oregon 2-1 In Afternoon WCWS Game; Tide Track & Field Team Has Good Day At NCAA East Preliminary

Lady Tide Eliminated 5-3 Last Night

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

The Alabama-LSU contest didn't start right at all. Well, at least it didn't start on time. The elimination game that was to begin at 8:30 PM CDT didn't get underway until 10:42 PM. A very long day for the Lady Tide. And in the end, it was the end of the championship chase for the Tide.

The hopes for another NCAA National Softball Championship died late last night for Bama, 5-3, in a double-elimination loss to the LSU Tigers at ASA Hall Of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The actual game, though, looked very hopeful for the first half of the first inning. Things got started with a walk to first base for second baseman Demi Turner, who was hit by a pitch. She was able to advance to second base due to a wild pitch, and later was able to advance to third on an out by Haylie McCleney. An RBI single by Marisa Runyon then brought Turner on home giving Bama the early 1-0 lead.

Unfortunately it was the Tiger's turn at bat that turned the Tide, despite the two-run rally attempt in the seventh inning. LSU was able to get three runs in their half of the first inning, then added two more in the second to take a 5-1 lead into the seventh.

"LSU played a great game," Alabama head softball coach Patrick Murphy said. "Congrats to them. I know they will play really well tomorrow. I always ask our team to at least get the tying run to the plate at the end of the game and see what happens. We showed a lot of fight and grit. I really thought someone was going to get it done in that seventh inning, but unfortunately it just didn't happen."

Runyon set the new season RBI record for Alabama at 80 with that first inning RBI single for the game's first score. It beats the old mark of 79 set back in 2008 by Charlotte Morgan. She also led the Tide offensively going 2 for 4 at the plate.

"The hardest thing about this loss is that not only is our senior class full of good players, but they are also great people," said Runyon. "They are all the definition of an Alabama softball player. It's going to be a hard class to follow up. Not everyone thought we were going to be here, and what it came down to was our one heartbeat as a team. We all have each other's' backs - one through eighteen - and it was just a really fun team to be a part of."

Bama starting pitcher Sydney Littlejohn (16-2) suffered her second loss of the season. Both she and reliever Leslie Jury pitched three innings apiece last night.

"I don't think a lot of people expected us to even make it past the Super Regionals," said Danae Hays. "I think we exceeded a lot of expectations and I think this is definitely a season we can all be proud of. We left everything out there on that field and when we go home and lay our heads down, we can be proud of that."

Despite a valiant seventh inning rally attempt the Lady Tide ends the season at 48-15 in a 5-3 loss to LSU in last evenings final elimination game.

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Bama Beats Oregon 5-1

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

This was the fifth complete game of the postseason for Tide starting pitcher Alexis Osorio (22-9). She held the Oregon offense to only one run on three hits. Osorio had her highest strike-out total of the NCAA Tournament with nine.

Bama's two runs came in the bottom of the second inning. Chandler Dare hit a two-run single scoring Danae Hays, who got on base by a walk, and Danielle Richard who got on base hitting a double.

Oregon's lone score came in the third inning. Though Oregon threatened in the fourth inning, the Tide defense rose to the occasion.

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Tide Track&Field Have Good Day

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

It was a good day for the University of Alabama track and field team yesterday, qualifying four individuals in three events and three relays for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the NCAA East Preliminary meet. Overall, the Tide has 17 qualifiers, consisting of nine men and eight women.

Alabama head coach Dan Waters said, "This was a good meet for us overall. We had some really great performances and athletes across the board stepped up to get the job done. I felt like every athlete who traveled to this meet had an opportunity to qualify for the NCAA meet and I am proud of everyone who competed this weekend. We are ready to head home and start preparing for the NCAA Championships."

Qualifying were senior Nia Barnes and freshman Danielle McConnell in the women's hammer, junior Ahmed Ali in the men's 200-meter dash, sophomore Jeremiah Green in the men's triple jump, then in the 4x400-meter relay it was junior Steven Gayle, junior Cameron Hudson, sophomore Jacopo Lahbi and senior Alex Amankwah.

The Crimson Tide now goes to Eugene, Oregon on June 10-13 to compete in the NCAA Championships.

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Bama Softball Wins 2-1 Squeaker In WCWS; SEC Relaxes Restrictions On Satellite Camps

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

The University of Alabama softball team (48-14) advanced after their 1:30 PM game today by knocking off Oregon (51-8) by a 2-1 score in the Women's College World Series at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

This was the fifth complete game of the postseason for Tide starting pitcher Alexis Osorio (22-9). She held the Oregon offense to only one run on three hits. Osorio had her highest strike-out total of the NCAA Tournament with nine.

Bama's two runs came in the bottom of the second inning. Chandler Dare hit a two-run single scoring Danae Hays, who got on base by a walk, and Danielle Richard who got on base hitting a double.

Oregon's lone score came in the third inning. Though Oregon threatened in the fourth inning, the Tide defense rose to the occasion.

The Tide is to play in another elimination game with LSU (51-13). The game is to get underway at 10:42 PM CDT. The winner of the contest plays Michigan on Sunday.

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SEC Relaxes Restrictions On Satellite Camps

It won't happen this summer, but by next summer the fourteen head coaches and assistants of the SEC schools could be bringing a football camp to the likes of New York, California, Michigan, or Ohio.

The Southeastern Conference has let it be known if the NCAA doesn't do something about the so-called satellite football camps, then the 14 member schools of the SEC are going to be travelling the country doing the same as the other conferences...recruiting in the other guys' back yards. Make no mistake, that's what the satellite camps are: recruiting tools and not the "let's help these kids improve their skills" kinda thing that the Big 10 is blowing up everyone's rear ends.

The SEC would rather see the NCAA ban the satellite camps, or at the very least put restrictions on them. However, it has been decided that the SEC is at a disadvantage not allowing the member schools to do what the other conferences and schools can do, and others actually are doing.

There are those who believe the Big 10 will rue the day they opened this can of worms. Year and and year out the schools in the south out-recruit the others. Thus this new satellite camp gambit.

In poker one might say their hand just got called. And I have a feeling a raise is coming.

Softballer Haylie McCleney Receives Honor; SEC Relaxes Restrictions On Satellite Football Camps; Basketball Scheduling Changes; Track & Field Competes In East Preliminary; SEC Sets NCAA Revenue Record; Bama's Projected Football Wins For 2015

Haylie McCleney Receives Honor

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

For the first time ever an Alabama softball player has been selected as an Academic All-American. Yesterday Alabama junior Haylie McCleney was named the 2015 Capitol One Academic All-American Team Member of the Year for Division I Softball. The announcement was made by the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America.

In her statement McCleney said, "It's a huge honor. It's the best award a student-athlete can get considering all the work we put into balancing athletics and academics. Unfortunately, softball isn't going to last forever and it's hard to make a career out of the game. I want to have a life after softball and I know that starts in the classroom. It's about pushing yourself to learn more and gain more knowledge to be the best student-athlete you can possibly be."

This is the sixth consecutive year that Alabama has had a student-athlete named Academic All-American of the Year in their respective sport stretching from 2010 to 2015. The three prior to this year were eventually named the Academic All-American of the Year across all sports. The announcement for that honor this year will come in late July.

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SEC Relaxes Restrictions On Satellite Camps

It won't happen this summer, but by next summer the fourteen head coaches and assistants of the SEC schools could be bringing a football camp to the likes of New York, California, Michigan, or Ohio.

There are those who believe the Big 10 will rue the day they opened this can of worms. Year and and year out the schools in the south out-recruit the others. Thus this new satellite camp gambit.

In poker one might say their hand just got called. And I have a feeling a raise is coming.

We'll just have to wait and see how the NCAA handles this. The SEC has officially notified the governing body it wants changes. If not, watch for an SEC coach in your neighborhood soon, Urban.

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Basketball Scheduling Changes

A new men's basketball scheduling format was unveiled at the SEC Spring Meeting in Destin, Florida. Each of the teams would have three permanent opponents on their schedules, and would meet these three for two games each season. Each team would play the other teams in the conference once each season, and the final two games would be on a rotating basis.

The University of Alabama would keep as its three permanent games Auburn, Mississippi State, and LSU.

All-in-all this is a good thing for the sport in the SEC. Rivalries will be maintained, yet each team will play the other teams to make up the 18 conference games.

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Track & Field Competes In East Preliminary

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

The 2015 NCAA East Preliminary will be held in Jacksonville, Florida, and the University of Alabama will be a part of the contests. 34 athletes and four relay teams from UA will participate.

The East Preliminary is a precursor to the NCAA Outdoor Championships scheduled for June 10-13 in Eugene, Oregon.

All disciplines from the Crimson Tide team will be represented. Eight throwers, consisting of four men and four women, are in the top 48 individuals in nine events. Seven jumpers will compete, four men and three women. Bama sends nine sprinters and hurdlers made up of five men and four women.

In the middle distance and distance races Alabama will be represented by six runners consisting of three men and three women. Three pole vaulters will be making the trip for Bama, one man and two women. There will be one woman in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.

Head coach Dan Waters said, "This meet is the first step to the NCAA meet in June. I'm very proud of all of the Alabama athletes who have made it this far, and I think they all have a chance to make it to the national championship meet. This meet can be stressful for some athletes, but we have told them time and again that if they do what they've done all season and compete like we know they can, they will see great results."

A complete listing of events and athletes can be found on http://www.rolltide.com/sports/c-xctrack/spec-rel/052815aaa.html .

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SEC Sets NCAA Revenue Record

It's the largest paycheck in NCAA history. It was announced at the SEC Spring Meeting in Destin, Florida yesterday that the Southeastern Conference made $455.8 million this past year. That comes to $31.2 million for each of the 14 schools in the SEC, but does not include the various bowl payouts to individual schools this past year.

This year's payout is a whopping $10 million for each school over last year.

The new SEC Network is to be credited with the majority of the additional money each school received.

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Bama's Projected Football Wins For 2015

If you recall, only days ago I printed some information from 5Dimes giving odds on Alabama not only making the national championship game but the odds of winning it. Bama's adds were extremely good and I won't go into that again. Now we have their projections for the number of wins for the upcoming football season, and if they are correct on this one, then the other one can't happen.

Anyway, 5Dimes has projected the Crimson Tide to finish the 2015 season with 9.5 wins, which would lead the SEC. Nationally, TCU is expected to win 10 games, and the favorite, Ohio State, is projected at 11 games.

Here is a look at the order of projected wins, most to least, in the SEC according to 5Dimes:

1. Alabama 9.5
2. Georgia 9
3. (T) Arkansas 8.5
3. (T) Ole Miss 8.5
3. (T) Auburn 8.5
6. LSU 8
7. Texas A&M 7.5
8. (T) Mississippi State 7
8. (T) South Carolina 7
10. Kentucky 6
11. Vanderbilt 3

No odds/predictions were given for Florida, Tennessee, or Missouri.

Friday, May 29, 2015

Bama Loses In WCWS 1st Round Last Night; 4-Star Recruit Xavier Kelly Visits UA Today; Elite QB Prospect Jawon Pass To Visit Bama; 2015 SEC Opening Games

Bama Loses In WCWS 1st Round

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

It was two home runs that cost the Alabama Crimson Tide softball team a win last night at the Women's College World Series at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Michigan blasted a one-run homer in the first with two outs to score first and take the 1-0 lead. Then it was the fourth inning that put the game out of reach on another home run, but this one a grand slam, making the score 5-0 where it remained through the end of the game.

Bama had only four hits on the evening, and suffered only their second shut-out of the season. That first one came at the hands of Florida back in early March.

Though Bama has had to come from behind in series play this season, even losing the opening game in the Super Regional with Oklahoma, it's the first time since 2009 that the Tide has been defeated in it opening game of the WCWS.

Alabama head softball coach Patrick Murphy said, "It was a great win for Michigan. Congrats to them. Their pitcher was awesome. They had two key hits and, really, other than those two big swings, Lexi (Osorio) pitched a pretty good game. We just didn't do enough offensively to support her."

Even though Osario allowed only four hits, all were costly due to the two home runs. Alabama (47-14) saw the first run scored against by Michigan (57-6) on a solo homer by Kelly Christner. Then the fourth inning grand slam came at the hands of Lauren Sweet in the fourth.

"You have to do something to win and on the other side, unfortunately, if you don't do enough of some other things you lose," said Murphy. "We had way too many 0-fers and I think we only had one kid at second base. You're just not going to win too many games against a very good team offensively like that. We had to put some more pressure on them and we didn't do that."

The only Tide player to actually reach scoring position all night was Demi Turner, who tagged up on a long fly out to make it to second base in the sixth inning. Bama's four hits came from Turner, Andrea Hawkins, and two from Jadyn Spencer.

Next up for the Crimson Tide is Oregon, who fell to UCLA 7-1 last night, in an elimination game to be played tomorrow at 1:30 PM CDT. The game can be seen on ESPN.

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4-Star Recruit Xavier Kelly Visits UA Today

The University of Alabama football program receives a visit today from the number one prospect in the state of Kansas. Xavier Kelly, a four-star recruit out of Wichita, Kansas, was to arrive in Tuscaloosa last night for his official visit today.

Kelly has been recruited by Alabama assistant coaches Billy Napier and Tosh Lupoi, whom Kelly says he keeps in touch with a lot. The 6'5", 245 pounder plays defensive end in high school but says Bama is looking at a possible move to outside linebacker.

Six visits are done, but Kelly still has fourteen more he's working on. He plans to make his decision on January 9th at the Army All-American Game in San Antonio, Texas.

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Elite QB Prospect Jawon Pass To Visit Bama

Elite quarterback Jawon Pass out of Columbus, Georgia is scheduled to visit the University of Alabama on June 8. The 6-5", 220-pound QB is highly sought-after with numerous schools vying for his services.

Pass currently has listed Auburn, Louisville, Alabama, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech as his top five schools. Word is that Auburn and Louisville are his co-leaders.

Pass is expected to announce his choice in July.

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Rating The SEC Opening Games

I came across an interesting article on SaturdayDownSouth.com written by Christopher Smith and want to give him and the site credit up front. The article deals with the ranking the SEC's season openers in order from the toughest to easiest.

It would be a good idea for you to check out their site and read the entire article, so I invite you to go there after you finish here. Just wanted to share the list with you. For a breakdown/analysis on the games, head over to saturdaydownsouth.com and read, "Ranking The SEC's Openers From Toughest To Easiest" by Christopher Smith.

The list was broken down into categories, but I'll just list the games.

Arizona State vs. Texas A&M

North Carolina vs. South Carolina

Western Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt

Wisconsin vs. Alabama

Louisville vs. Auburn

Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Kentucky

Bowling Green vs. Tennessee

UTEP vs. Arkansas

Southern Miss vs. Mississippi State

Louisiana-Monroe vs. Georgia

New Mexico State vs. Florida

Tennessee-Martin vs. Ole Miss

Southeast Missouri State vs. Missouri

McNeese State vs. LSU

That's the order, toughest to easiest, according to Christopher Smith. What do you think?

Thursday, May 28, 2015

4 Bama Softball Players Named All-American; Bama Softball Faces Michigan This Evening In WCWS; Avery Johnson, Jr. To Take Official Visit At UA; Johnson, Sr. Continues Asst. Coach Search; Emma Talley Named All-American In Women's Golf

4 Bama Softball Players Named All-American

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

Once again Alabama softball shines! The National Fastpitch Coaches Association has named four University of Alabama players NFCA All-Americans. This is the fourth time in the last five years for the honor, which was announced yesterday.

Haylie McCleney was named to the First Team, Alexis Osorio made the Second Team, and Demi Turner and Marisa Runyon were named to the Third Team. This is the sixth time for this honor for Alabama softball. McCleney has been named as an All-American in each of her three seasons at UA, with two of those being First Team. McCleney is also only the eighth Alabama player to be named an All-American at least three times.

For the first time in program history Alabama has had two freshmen to make All-American, that being Osario on the Second Team and Turner on the Third Team. This is the first All-American designation for sophomore Marisa Runyon, named to the Third Team.

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Bama Softball Faces Michigan This Evening In WCWS

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

The University of Alabama softball team is in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at the Women's College World Series ready to face Michigan this evening at the ASA Hall Of Fame Stadium at 6 PM CDT for game one. This is the Tide's fourth trip in the last five years, 10th over all, to the WCWS, including a national championship in 2012 and the runner-up position in 2014,

The Tide earned the trip to Oklahoma City by defeating the Oklahoma Sooners in the Tuscaloosa Super Regional. Bama lost the opening game 5-2, but came back to win the last two to earn the trip to the WCWS. The Lady Tide won game two 2-0, and the game three win was a 5-3 affair.

The game will air live on ESPN2.

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Avery Johnson, Jr. To Take Official Visit AT UA

Avery Johnson, Jr. will take an official visit to the University of Alabama next week, according to Alabama head basketball coach Avery Johnson, Sr. The coach made it a point to emphasize he was making this announcement as a father and not a coach.

Avery, Jr. played his freshmen year at Texas A&M and was granted his release on May 8th. A short while ago it was announced he would be attending the University of Alabama as a transfer, but still no word on an actual signing, either by scholarship or walk-on.

No matter the situation, the younger Johnson will not be eligible to play this coming season due to transfer rules. He would be able to join the team for the 2016-17 season. He would, however, be able to practice with the team, giving both himself and the team valuable help.

The head coach said he expects to add another player to Alabama's roster next week. He did not, however, say it would be Jr.

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Johnson, Sr Continues Asst. Coach Search

Bama basketball's head coach also said the coaching search is coming along well. Johnson said the list of candidates for that third assistant coach's position has been narrowed down, and the plan is for both Johnson and A.D. Bill Battle to meet with a candidate next week in that scheduling difficulties caused the meeting to be put off.

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Emma Talley Named All-American In Women's Golf

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

The newly-crowned 2015 NCAA Individual National Champion, Emma Talley, has been named First Team All-American by the Women's Golf Coaches Association. The junior was named to this honor in announcement made yesterday.

Talley hails from Princeton, Kentucky and is now a three-time All-American. She was Second Team as a freshman, honorable mention as a sophomore, and First Team this season. /she had seven top-ten finishes and three in the top five.

The Crimson Tide now lays claim to 24 Women's Golf Coaches Association All-America honors by 10 different players in Coach Potter's 10-year stint with the Alabama program. That list includes eight first-team selections by five different players, three making the second-team as well as 12 honorable mentions.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

SEC Spring Meeting Tackles Tough Issues; Saban Talks About Last Season And Finishing

The annual SEC meeting is underway in Destin, Florida this week, but not all of it is boating, fishing, and sun-bathing. Some issues of interest to all SEC coaches and ADs are being discussed, and as usual, there are some dissensions.

Of course one of the hot-button issues right now is satellite camps. Alabama coach Nick Saban had this to say, "You know, we have a lot of crazy rules. The head coach is not allowed to go out during an evaluation period in the spring, but you can go have a satellite camp anywhere in the country to bring your staff in and bring players to it? Does that make sense to anybody? So I think we should have recruiting periods and evaluation periods, and the only time that you should be able to have camp is on your campus. And if the player is interested enough to come to a camp on your campus, then that should be the way it is. Alright? Now it's not that way. It's that way in our league."

Though Saban has been more vocal on the issue, basically all the other football coaches have roughly the same idea. These camps are bascially a recruiting tool to be used during the period of time the head coach isn't allowed to go out in the spring. It skirts the rule.

The SEC did announce yesterday that it is proposing legislation in the issue of satellite camps that would closely mirror that of the Southeastern Conference. They are letting it be know that if changes are not made nationally, the the SEC will be instituting changes to be more competitive in this issue.

Another issue concerns the transferring of a player from another conference to an SEC school if there are academic improprieties, such as was the case with Golson out of Notre Dame. RollBamaRoll.com quoted the Baton Rouge Advocate with an explanation of the rule:

"The rule requires transfers to have two years of eligibility remaining and a waiver for any player attempting to transfer after being disciplined at his previous school, as was the case for Golson."

Though outgoing SEC commissioner Mike Slive didn't say where he stood on the issue, he did point out that, "We (the SEC) had the rule long before we got here. We've lost sight of the fact that it's an old rule."

Saban and the other coaches believe the rule should be amended or changed in some way to allow the SEC to be more competitive in situations such as occurred with Golson.

The SEC coaches simply want the SEC rules and the other conference rules, as well as the NCAA rules to be the same, to give everyone a level playing field. If the other conferences have a competitive advantage because of their own league rules, or loop holes in NCAA rules and they aren't going to change, they'd like the SEC to make some adjustments.

According to CBSSports.com, Saban commented, "If we're going to compete for the championship and everybody is going to play in the playoff system and everybody is going to compete for that, we need to get our rules in alignment so we're all on a level playing field, whether they're transfer rules, whether they're satellite camp rules, It's a disadvantage not being able to do something in one league and not be able to do it in another. It's a disadvantage not to be able to recruit a player in one league and not be able to do it in another."

In another issue, the SEC begins this season requiring an independent medical observer for all SEC and non-conference football games in which they participate. These observers will have the power to stop the game and remove any player they deem with an injury, especially to the head, that could cause permanent or serious damage.

These and other issues will continue to be discussed this week in Destin.

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Nick Saban Interview By Finebaum

University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban sat down with Paul Finebaum yesterday afternoon on The Paul Finebaum Show on the SEC Network. Saban spoke of his fishing trip, the wedding preparations for his daughter's upcoming nuptials, his grandchild, and Alabama football.

Talk of the fishing trip transitioned easily into last season's team, and more in depth as to the loss Bama suffered in the Sugar Bowl at the hands of Ohio State. Finebaum mentioned to Saban that he has preached finishing in the fourth quarter, and joked that it appeared that's what Saban did to land the big fish.

Saban smiled and spoke of how proud he was that he and his friends all caught a fish, a total of five, and said that he did indeed finish in landing his. He then transitioned to football saying, "...it is one of the things that we've been very concerned about...is how we finished the last two seasons and certainly, hopefully want to do a better job of that this year, you know, with our team. Hopefully we can focus on the team and get our players committed . You know there's a lot of distractions for players late in the season. You have a lot of guys that are gonna get drafted, a lot of juniors that are thinking about coming out early for the draft...a lot of pressure relative to the expectations they have for where you are. So this is something that we need to do a better job of managing so that we have a better chance to compete at a higher level and finish strong."

Finebaum brought up the disappointing Sugar Bowl loss to Ohio State. Saban replied, "We just didn't seem like we played really well against Ohio State. We got ahead 21-6 in the game, but seemed like we got a little relief syndrome like. And they're a very, very good team, and when you play really good teams they're going to compete for 60 minutes in the game and you've got to match them play for play, down in and down out. And you know, we just didn't do a very good job of that."

Saban went on to say he took responsibility for the team not performing to what he believed was their potential once they got into the game with Ohio State. He said that the time between the SEC Championship game and the playoff/bowl game, "we kind of lost our mojo a little bit and it affected how we played."

When Finebaum brought up whether Saban liked the current playoff system, or the possibility of going to eight teams, Saban clarified his stance, saying that he didn't object to the playoff itself, just that it should be kept separate from the bowl games. Whether it was the current four game playoff or changed to an eight game playoff, he was adamant in that the bowl games needed to be preserved and they should be a separate entity from the playoff.

Saban would like to see the bowl games played as the "reward" for the teams for which they had originally been intended. He brought up how the week of the bowls the teams could let their hair down a little and enjoy the festivities leading up to the games. But the playoffs change that with their importance in the overall scope of things.

He further pointed to last year's national championship game, in that it was not a part of a bowl game. It was separate from the bowls. He wants to see that put into effect in the playoffs for all the games, whether a four team format or eight. He then referenced the Sugar Bowl, saying let it be the bowl game as it had always been, then play a separate playoff game there.

Saban currently boasts a 91-17 record during his eight seasons at the helm of the Crimson Tide. Last season's record was 12-2 overall, 7-1 in the Southeastern Conference.

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Saban Talks Fishing, Weddings, Last Season & Playoffs; Bama Football Offers 6 Recruits; Women's College World Series Begins Tomorrow; Summer Football Cranking Up

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

The Women's College World Series begins tomorrow in the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This will be Alabama's fourth trip in five years to make a run at the National Championship.

The Crimson Tide departed early yesterday morning en route to what they hope will be a championship. "I'm so excited to get on that plane because I know what's waiting for me when I get off," senior Danae Hays said. "I wish it was Thursday night right now because I want to play so bad." Hays was a part of the national championship team in 2012 as a freshman.

Junior Haylie McCleney also commented, "It's just really special to go with these amazing girls and all the staff that has helped us get to this point. We have a big group, so for everybody to come and be a part of something so special is great."

Bama has been here before. As mentioned earlier, the National Championship came to the Capstone in 2012. But the Tide represented well last season as well in the runner-up spot. This is the 10th trip overall for Bama to the WCWS.

Michigan will be the Crimson Tide opponent to begin the big show. Alabama and the third-seed Wolverines have already played twice this season, with Michigan (56-60 taking both victories.

The Southeastern Conference is well represented in the field of eight. A Total of five SEC teams will be there, tying a WCWS record for most teams at the dance from a single conference. That record was originally set by the Pac 12 in 1999. Other teams from the SEC besides the Crimson Tide are Florida, Auburn, LSU and Tennessee. Rounding out the remainder of eight are Oregon, UCLA and Michigan.

The winner of the Alabama-Michigan contest on Thursday will face the winner of Thursday's contest between Oregon and UCLA in a game to be played on Friday, May 29 at 8:30 PM CDT. The two losing teams will play on Saturday, May 30 at 1:30 PM CDT in an elimination game.

Both games will be televised. ESPN2 will carry the winners contest, and ESPN will broadcast the elimination game.

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Football

Just a note on 2015 football at the University of Alabama. Summer sessions have begun. Meetings with strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran have and will continue to take place. Several hours of orientation yesterday.

And, no, Braxton Miller is not enrolled at the Capstone this summer. That's an important point since the other new signees are here.

Soon we'll have more information to share. But the great thing is...we get to really start talking Alabama Crimson Tide football.

Again, thank you for your readership. Glad to have you in the boat with me...Rolling with the Tide.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Jansen & Routliffe Repeat As NCAA Doubles Champions; Talley Is Bama's 1st-Ever Women's Golf Individual Champion; Football Recruiting; Women's Basketball Looking For Improvement

Photo Credit: RollTide

This time they did it without having to come from behind.

The reigning NCAA Doubles Champions, the University of Alabama's Maya Jansen and Erin Routliffe, have repeated. The dynamic duo handily defeated Klara Fabikova and Zsofi Susanyi out of Cal 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3. This is only the second time in NCAA women's tennis history that a doubles team has won back-to-back titles.

Starting the season where they left off last year, Jansen and Routliffe marched through this season posting a daunting 19-2 overall record, 9-1 in the Southeastern Conference. They were ranked first in the ITA Division I Doubles Rankings for the season. The Jansen-Routliffe pairing defeated three Top 10 teams throughout the campaign, and carried a perfect 15-0 record into week nine of the conference season.

Routliffe said, "I've talked about an overwhelming feeling of excitement throughout this entire tournament, and what a truly amazing feeling it is to say that we are back-to-back national champions. We stuck to our game plan at crucial times, and played extremely aggressive which helped us to take advantage of a lot of opportunities."

Jansen also commented, "It's an amazing feeling to know that you're a national champion. We are so thankful to be playing for the University of Alabama, and to win a national title for your university is amazing. We are absolutely ecstatic to be bringing a trophy back to Tuscaloosa. None of this would have been possible without all of the support from our teammates, coaches and entire program -- this is a really special feeling."

Jansen and Routliffe became only the second duo in NCAA women's tennis history to win back-to-back doubles titles. Florida's Dawn Buth and Stephanie Nickitas were the only other pair to it, back in 1996-97.

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Women's Golf

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

It's a first for the University of Alabama, certainly a first for Tide golfer Emma Talley. Talley became Alabama's first-ever NCAA women's golf individual champion, shooting a 3-under 285 today at the par-72 Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida. Yesterday's one-shot victory came on a 3-under 69 round.

Talley said, "It was just an incredible week. I had been playing well up to this point, and everything kind of came together and clicked just at the right time. God's blessed me with so much, and I just took it and ran with it."

Talley is the fifth player in history to win a U.S. Amateur and an NCAA Championships individual crown.

The Alabama golf team didn't fare quite as well. They finished Sunday 14th overall at 74-over par, 1,226. Their best round was an 11-over 299.

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Football Recruiting

Here is a complete listing of the 2016 recruiting class commitments for University of Alabama football.

*Deonte Brown, OL (6'3", 330 lbs.), Austin High, Decatur, Ala.
*T.J. Simmons, WR (6'2", 185 lbs.), Clay-Chalkville High School, Pinson, Ala.
Shyheim Carter, CB (6'0", 185 lbs), Kentwood, Kentwood, La.
Raekwon Davis, DT (6'7", 315 lbs. ), Meridian High, Meridian, Miss.
Jonah Williams, OL (6'5", 283 lbs.), Folsom High, Folsom, Calif.
Brendan Scales, TE (6'4", 230 lbs), Lafayette, Ballwin, Mo.
Chris Owens, OL (6'3", 312 lbs), Lamar High, Arlington, Texas
Joshua Perry, DB (6'3", 190 lbs.), Amite High, Amite, La.
Kendell Jones, DT (6'4", 360 lbs.), Shoemaker High, Killeen, Texas

*In-state Commitments

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Women's Basketball

The Crimson Caravan continues its tour through the southeast. Alabama women's head basketball coach addressed the progress of the Lady Tide during the recent stop in Atlanta, Georgia.

"It's going to take some time, but we're excited about the process and the journey we're on," Curry said. Bama finished 13-19 overall, 2-14 in the SEC last season. The team's overall record the previous year was 14-16. The women's team have had only one winning season since the 2001-02 season. They haven't made the NCAA tournament since 1999. It has been a long, dry spell.

But Curry is used to winning. She went 309-149 in 14 seasons at Purdue and Texas Tech prior to arriving in Tuscaloosa. Under her leadership Purdue went to seven straight NCAA tournaments from to 1999-2006.

This coming season could be an up year for Curry and the Tide. Bama returns seven of its top scorers from last season. In fact, all five of the top five will be back. All with one more season under their belts. That experience should be a major plus for Bama.

The vast majority of the points put up by the Tide last season came from freshmen and sophomores, according to Curry. Last year not so good, but as sophomores and juniors with experience it will be better. Another year to develop the moves, perfect the shooting, improve the defensive capabilities.

Seventy-six percent of the Tide's scoring last season came from freshmen and sophomores, Curry said.

A top-25 recruiting class this year should also be a plus. The Collegiate Girls Basketball Reports has Alabama ranked 24th in recruiting.

Curry is high on the top players in Alabama and Mississippi coming to the Tide this season. Add that to the experience...things could be looking up.

Monday, May 25, 2015

Emma Talley Takes NCAA Championships Individual Crown; 2016 Alabama Football Commitments; 2015-16 Women's Basketball Looking To Improve

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

It's a first for the University of Alabama, certainly a first for Tide golfer Emma Talley. Talley became Alabama's first-ever NCAA women's golf individual champion, shooting a 3-under 285 today at the par-72 Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida. Today's one-shot victory came on a 3-under 69 round.

Talley is the fifth player in history to win a U.S. Amateur and an NCAA Championships individual crown.

The Alabama golf team didn't fare quite as well. They finished 14 overall at 74-over par, 1,226. Their best round was an 11-over 299.

*Deonte Brown, OL (6'3", 330 lbs.), Austin High, Decatur, Ala.
*T.J. Simmons, WR (6'2", 185 lbs.), Clay-Chalkville High School, Pinson, Ala.
Shyheim Carter, CB (6'0", 185 lbs), Kentwood, Kentwood, La.
Raekwon Davis, DT (6'7", 315 lbs. ), Meridian High, Meridian, Miss.
Jonah Williams, OL (6'5", 283 lbs.), Folsom High, Folsom, Calif.
Brendan Scales, TE (6'4", 230 lbs), Lafayette, Ballwin, Mo.
Chris Owens, OL (6'3", 312 lbs), Lamar High, Arlington, Texas
Joshua Perry, DB (6'3", 190 lbs.), Amite High, Amite, La.
Kendell Jones, DT (6'4", 360 lbs.), Shoemaker High, Killeen, Texas

*In-state Commitments

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Women's Basketball

Kristy Curry Vasha Hunt/vhunt@al.com (VASHA HUNT)

The Crimson Caravan continues to make its tour through the southeast. Alabama women's head basketball coach addressed the progress of the Lady Tide during the recent stop in Atlanta, Georgia.

Crimson Tide One Of Eight Teams In WCWS; Jansen & Routliffe In NCAA Doubles Championship Today; RB Damien Harris Thankful

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A very special "thank you" to our fallen men and women who gave their all in the service our country. God bless the families of our fallen, and grant them peace.

God bless the United States of America.

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Softball

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

The Bama ladies punched their ticket this weekend, as did seven other teams, and the field of eight is now set for the Women's College World Series, set to begin Thursday, May 28 at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The Lady Tide are making their 10th trip to the WCWS, and the fourth in the past five years. Bama had a runner-up finish in the series last year, and won the national title in 2012.

In addition to the Crimson Tide, the teams participating in the dance this year are Florida, Oregon, Michigan, Auburn, LSU, UCLA, and Tennessee. As one can see from the list, the Southeastern Conference is well represented with five teams in the field of eight, tying a WCWS record for teams from a single conference. The Pac 12 was the last conference to do so, back in 1999.

Alabama's first game will be Thursday at 6 PM CDT. The No. 6 Tide will face No. 3 seed Michigan, with the game airing on ESPN2. The winner of that game will go on to play the winner of the Oregon-UCLA contest on Friday, May 29 at 8:30 PM CDT, with the two losing teams playing Saturday, May 30 at 1:30 PM CDT in an elimination game.

Here is the schedule for all games, according to RollTide.com:

WCWS SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY, MAY 28
#1 Florida vs. #8 Tennessee - 11 a.m. CT (ESPN)
#4 Auburn vs. #5 LSU - 1:30 p.m. CT (ESPN)
#3 Michigan vs. #6 Alabama - 6 p.m. CT (ESPN2)
#2 Oregon vs. #7 UCLA - 8:30 p.m. CT (ESPN2)

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Women's Tennis

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

As has so often been the case, the Alabama Crimson Tide's Maya Jansen and Erin Routliffe came from behind on Sunday to advance to the championship round in the NCAA Doubles Championship. The reigning NCAA Doubles Champions defeated Caroline Doyle and Ellen Tsay of Stanford 5-7, 6-3,6-0 in the semifinals match. The pair will face Cal's Klara Fabikova and Zsofi Susanyi in today's championship match.

Bama's leading duo are excited and looking forward to today's matchup.

"What an overwhelming feeling of excitement,"Routliffe said yesterday. "Everyone at this tournament is really talented and we are just so excited to get back out there tomorrow. Maya and I are so thankful that we have the opportunity to play for another championship."

Jansen and Routliffe brought UA its first NCAA Doubles National Championship ever last year. Today they get to defend it.

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Football

The Crimson Tide's five-star running back, Damien Harris, is excited to be at Alabama and tweeted that fact yesterday. Rated the nation's number one running back during this recruitment, Harris sent out this tweet yesterday:

"Crazy that the next chapter of my life begins today couldn't be more humble and thankful for this opportunity. Greatness awaits! Roll Tide"
10:15 AM -24 May 2015

The young man has officially graduated high school and was leaving for the Capstone yesterday. The 5' 11", 205-pound Barea, Kentucky native arrives on campus excited and ready to begin learning the playbook and getting in on the training and prep for the upcoming season.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Bama Softball Headed To Women's College World Series...Again!; Jansen & Routliffe Return To NCAA Final 4; Bama Golf Currently 13th At NCAAs; Bama-Wisconsin FB Game Prime Time This Fall

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

They did it! The Crimson Tide softball team came back from a one-game deficit in the best-of-three NCAA Tuscaloosa Super Regional to defeat the Oklahoma Sooners 2-0 in the Saturday afternoon contest, and then 5-3 Saturday night.

When it looked like all was lost, down 3-1 and only four outs from packing it in, Marisa Runyon ripped a grand slam in the sixth inning. That punches Bama's ticket for their 10th trip to the Women's College World Series beginning Thursday, May 28 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The Lady Tide have now made the trip four of the last five years, including the big national title year in 2012, as well as the runner-up last season. Only 14 times has a team come back in a Super Regional after losing the opening game to take the series win. This is the second time for Bama to accomplish this task, with the first one back in 2011 against the Stanford Cardinals.

Once again freshman Alexis Osorio (21-8) stepped up big and was one of the deciding factors in the game. She threw 241 pitches combined in Saturday's two games. The Sooners' high-scoring offense was completely throttled in the afternoon game yesterday, falling 2-0. Osorio then gave up three runs on five hits in the evening game that included a pair of home runs from Lauren Chamberlain.

Even if some of the fans and announcers had given up hope, the Lady Tide never gave up hope.

Hitless over her previous 13 at-bats, Marisa Runyon stepped into the box and blasted a grand slam in the sixth to propel the Tide (47-13) to the 5-3 lead and eventual final score. The grand slam now ties Runyon with Charlotte Morgan for the Alabama single season RBI record at 79.

Alabama will face Michigan in their first game in the Women's College World Series on Thursday, May 28. The two teams met earlier in the season, with the Wolverines winning both contests.

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Women's Tennis

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

After dropping the first set for the second consecutive day, Alabama Crimson Tide duo Maya Jansen and Erin Routliffe came roaring back in the 2015 NCAA Doubles Championship. The pair took the win with scores of 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 over Emma Burgic and Blair Shankle of Baylor. The reigning NCAA Doubles Champions continue today when they face Caroline Doyle and Ellen Tsay of Stanford in the semifinals match.

Both ladies were excited and looking forward to the next opponents.

"This is an amazing feeling," Jansen said. "We've fought through a couple of tough matches the last two days, and it feels great to have advanced back to the semifinals. We know we still have work to do, but we're really excited."

Routliffe commented, "Baylor did a really great job of keeping us off the net. Their lobs and ground strokes were really working which forced us to play more defensively. We are most successful when we are the more aggressive team. Baylor was forcing us off of that, but we knew we just had to stick to our game plan."

Jansen and Routliffe ended the dual match season at 19-2, 9-1 SEC and are 30-4 overall on the season. They have been Bama's leading duo the entire season.

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Women's Golf

Photo Credit: RollTide.com

The University of Alabama women's golf team is currently tied for 13th after the second round at the weather-suspended NCAAs at the par-72 Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida. Bama is currently carding a 41-over-par 617 following yesterday's suspended round of 19-over 307.

The second-round weather suspension came at approximately 6:25 PM CDT with 12 teams still on the course, and as many as six holes remaining. The top two teams at close were USC with a 14-over and Duke in second at 23-over. The highest-ranking Southeastern Conference team is the Tennessee Volunteers holding down the third slot at 27-over.

Bama's best player thus far is junior Emily Talley in second place, carding a 1-under-par 143. She trails the first place Annie Park out of Southern California by just one shot. Park still has to complete second round play, with seven holes remaining.

Alabama head coach Mic Potter was very complementary of Talley, saying, "Emma is definitely holding us in there with a chance to make the cut and get into the top eight, all the things you want to accomplish. The thing she is doing is minimizing her mistakes, she is not making big numbers -- her highest score was a bogey. She is also giving herself some chances on the greens and making a couple of birdies. Emma is doing everything you have to do to play this golf course well. We just need the rest of our players to learn from that."

Following her 2nd round performance, Talley had this to say, "Yesterday I came out really strong and that was very important for me. I just know that pars were going to be really good out here and keeping it away from the big numbers was going to be key. I got into trouble out here a few times today, but I got a bogey out of it and that was really important. I've been pretty consistent so far, and I'm hitting and putting the ball pretty well. The course is in great shape and it is really difficult."

The Alabama team tees off the third round some time this morning. At this writing the time had not yet been determined. The field will be cut to the top 15 teams and the top nine individuals following the conclusion of the third round. Those top nine individuals will play 18 holes on Monday to determine the seeding for match play and the individual NCAA champion.

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Football

AT&T Stadium

Alabama is no stranger to big opening games, having played the likes of Virginia Tech, West Virginia and others to kick off the college football season. This match-up of the SEC-Big 10 is highly anticipated.

Lady Tide Defeats Oklahoma To Win Super Regional, Heading to World Series; Bama-Wisconsin FB Game This Fall Moved To Prime Time

Photo Credit: rolltide.com

Even if some of the fans and announcers had given up hope, the Lady Tide never gave up hope.

Alabama will face Michigan in their first game in the Women's College World Series on Thursday, May 28. The two teams met earlier in the season, with the Wolverines winning both contests.

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Football

The opening football game for the University of Alabama will now be "prime time." In a scheduling announcement, ABC will air the Alabama-Wisconsin game scheduled for Septemeber 5th in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas beginning at 7 PM CDT.

Alabama is no stranger to big opening games, having played the likes of Virginia Tech, West Virginia and others to kick off the college football season. This match-up of the SEC-Big 10 is highly anticipated.

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