Friday, July 31, 2015

Crimson Tide Number 3 In 2015 Preseason Coaches Poll; Greatest Names In Bama Football History-Derrick Lassic; Wisconsin Back Clement Predicts Badger Win Against The Crimson Tide

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Crimson Tide Number 3 In 2015 Preseason Coaches Poll

     The University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team has been at or near the top for a long time. In fact, the 2015 Preseason Coaches Poll marks six consecutive years Bama has been ranked in the top three. The poll was released yesterday morning. The Crimson Tide comes in at number three to start the 2015 season.

     Bama claims half of the last six national championships, quite a feat for any school. And with 12 starters and even more with game experience from last season, the Tide is poised to make another run. Bama finished 12-2 last year, falling to the eventual national champs, Ohio State, in the Allstate Sugar Bowl semifinal.  Under head coach Nick Saban, Alabama boasts an 84-11 record.

     Ohio State comes in at number one. TCU placed second with one first place vote, and Bama third with one first place vote. OSU got the remaining 62 first place votes. A total of eight teams from the Southeastern Conference made the top 25. They are Auburn (7), Georgia (9), LSU (13), Ole Miss (15), Arkansas (20), Missouri (23), Tennessee (25), and of course the third ranked Tide.

     Alabama will open the 2015 season on September 5 in Arlington, Texas facing the Wisconsin Badgers in the AdvoCare Classic at AT&T Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled just after 7 PM CDT on the ABC television network.

Here is the 2015 preseason coaches poll

School Points
1. Ohio State (62) 1,598
2. TCU (1) 1,487
3. Alabama (1) 1,452
4. Baylor 1,365
5. Oregon 1,260
6. Michigan State 1,230
7. Auburn 1,103
8. Florida State 1,057
9. Georgia 1,026
10. USC 1,014
11. Notre Dame 883
12. Clemson 838
13. LSU 727
14. UCLA 697
15. Ole Miss 668
16. Arizona State 577
17. Georgia Tech 573
18. Wisconsin 470
19. Oklahoma 407
20. Arkansas 377
21. Stanford 365
22. Arizona 299
23. Missouri 229
24. Boise State 190
25. Tennessee 166

Other SEC schools receiving votes:
26. Miss St.           164
27. Texas A&M    149
36. So. Carolina      18
48. Florida                2 (tie)
53. Kentucky            1 (tie)


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Greatest Names In Bama Football History-Derrick Lassic




     Many great running backs have played for the University of Alabama. And so many went on to careers in the National Football League. Derrick Owens Lassic is one of those, and is our next featured player as one of Bama's greatest names.

     Lassic was born on January 26, 1970, attended North Rockland High School in New York, and set several records and collected awards as a young man. In high school, he set county records with 1,719 rushing yards, scoring 31 touchdowns and 194 points. He was a big part of his team winning three straight Section 1 Class A bowls, and as a senior was named the New York State large-school Player of the Year. He was also a USA Today High School All-American.

     Lassic was one of two primary running backs for the University of Alabama beginning in his junior year. He started in his senior season, rushing for 905 yards on 178 carries (5.1 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns. He was named the MVP of the 1993 Sugar Bowl after Alabama upset Miami in humiliating style  34-13 to win the National Championship.

     Drafted in fourth round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, Lassic found himself the starter for the first two games of the season while Emmitt Smith was holding out on his contract. In ten games, including three starts in 1993, Lassic rushed 75 times for 269 yards, scoring three times.

     Lassic suffered nagging injuries during his pro career, and was placed on the injured reserve list in December 1994. In the '95 NFL Expansion Draft he was selected by the Carolina Panthers but never played a game and reached an injury settlement with the team with injury problems during training camp.

     He signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 1996 but was waived that same year. In 1998 he signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League but was again waived.


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Wisconsin Back Clement Predicts Badger Win Against Tide




     It seems Wisconsin running back Corey Clement is using some convoluted formula to predict a Wisconsin win over Alabama in the AdvoCare Classic at AT&T Stadium on September 5th. We won't get into the formula, but suffice it to say it's a stretch the way he figured it. He made his pronouncement during Big 10 Media Days in Chicago on Thursday.

     Young Clement is looking forward to the match up. He said, " There's not better way to start a season than to beat a team like Alabama, though it won't be easy. We have a lot of confidence in ourselves, based on what we did the past calendar year."

     Obviously the youngster doesn't subscribe to the Nick Saban process. Basing things on last season's anything doesn't play a part in this season's team.

     However, looking at last season, Wisconsin did okay. In their season-opener against LSU they led 24-7  in the third quarter before the wheels fell off. LSU managed the comeback for a 29-24 win. Then at the end of the season Wisconsin played the other Tigers in the SEC West, Auburn. The Badgers pulled out a 34-31 comeback in overtime.

     New Wisconsin head coach said, "I think our guys are confident. And what a great opportunity. I think your older kids love playing those games, and the younger guys, they'll grow up."