Bama Ranks In AP Top 3 For 6th Consecutive Year
For the sixth consecutive year the Associated Press has placed Alabama in the top three in its annual preseason poll for college football. AP released its first poll yesterday, with the Alabama Crimson Tide debuting at No. 3. The defending champs, Ohio State, will be at the No. 1 spot, followed by TCU at No. 2.
The Tide returns 12 starters from last season's 12-2 team. Bama appeared in the first-ever college football playoff, falling in the Allstate Sugar Bowl to eventual national champion Ohio State. Alabama will have to navigate its way through the most difficult schedule in college football in order to make those playoffs this season. The Crimson Tide has won the national championship in three of the past six seasons, and holds an 84-11 record during the tenure of Alabama head coach Nick Saban.
OSU was the unanimous No.1, taking all the first place votes. Then, as previously mentioned, the Horned Frogs of TCU are No. 2, followed by the Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 3. The Southeastern Conference has eight teams debuting in the Top 25, with four of those making the Top 15. UA is, of course, the highest ranked SEC team.
Alabama will face seven teams ranked in the Top 25 this season. They are Auburn (6), Georgia (9), LSU (14), Ole Miss (17), Arkansas (18), Wisconsin (20) and Tennessee (25). The only nationally-ranked SEC team Bama doesn't face this season is the 24-ranked Missouri Tigers. Bama could, however, face them in the SEC Championship game at the end of the season.
The Crimson Tide will open its 2015 campaign and its quest for an unprecedented 16th national championship on September 5th. Bama will travel to Arlington, Texas to meet the 20th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers in the annual AdvoCare Classic to be played inside AT&T Stadium. The nationally televised matchup will kick off at 7 p.m. CT and will air on the ABC network. Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Heather Cox will be calling the game. Incidentally, Vegas has Alabama as a 10.5 point favorite.
This is the Tide's 24th season starting the college football season ranked in the top five.
To see the complete Associated Press Top 25 rankings go to AP.org/poll .
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Golf Junior Robby Shelton Named To 2015 U.S. Walker Cup Team
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
University of Alabama junior men's golf team member Robby Shelton has been named to the 2015 United States Walker Cup team. The announcement came yesterday from the United States Golf Association (USGA). Shelton is the sixth golf team member since 2009, and the seventh overall, to be selected.
Alabama head coach Jay Seawell said, "I am so happy for Robby that he gets to represent USA in this prestigious event. I believe the Walker Cup selection is the highest honor in amateur golf. He has worked extremely hard and is very deserving of this honor. I am also proud of our program. To have six selections to the Walker Cup since 2009 is a great accomplishment.”
Shelton is a two-time PING First Team All-American as well as a first team All-SEC member. He was also a semifinalist for the 2015 Ben Hogan Award, as well as receiving the 2014 Phil Mickelson National Freshman of the Year Award. He finished the 2014-15 season ranked seventh nationally by the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index.
This year’s tournament will be held at the Royal Lytham & St. Anne’s Golf Club in Lancashire, England on September 12-13.
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More Bear Bryant Quotes
Here are more quotes made famous by the late great Paul "Bear" Bryant:
“I think the most important thing of all for any team is a winning attitude. The coaches must have it. The players must have it. The student body must have it. If you have dedicated players who believe in themselves, you don’t need a lot of talent.”
“If a man is a quitter, I’d rather find out in practice than in a game. I ask for all a player has so I’ll know later what I can expect.”
“The idea of molding men means a lot to me.”
“You must learn how to hold a team together. You must lift some men up, calm others down, until finally they’ve got one heartbeat. Then you’ve got yourself a team.”
“If wanting to win is a fault, as some of my critics seem to insist, then I plead guilty. I like to win. I know no other way. It’s in my blood.”
“If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride – and never quit – you’ll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards.”
“Get the winners into the game.”
“Set goals – high goals for you and your organization. When your organization has a goal to shoot for, you create teamwork, people working for a common good.”
