**********************************************************************************************************
Tide Continues Prep For LSU
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The University of Alabama football team kicked it up a notch yesterday in the week's second full practice in preparation for the CFP 2nd-ranked LSU Tigers. The team participated in a two hour practice in full pads on the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields under sunny skies and very nice temperatures.
The Tide's starting right tackle, Dominick Jackson, was back at it yesterday looking in fine form recovering from an ankle sprain in the Tennessee game back on October 24th. Safety Ronnie Harrison was also practicing, his second consecutive day. He was wearing his full-contact crimson jersey and is much improved. Eddie Jackson was nearly full speed himself in practice yesterday. Jackson, too, was injured in the Tennessee game but the sprained knee is improving nicely.
Alabama, ranked 4th in this season's inaugural College Football Playoff poll, will be looking to put a stop to the SEC's top-rushing offense this season. Though playing only seven games due to a rain-out in their first game of the season, the Tigers lead the league with 2,164 total yards, averaging 309.1 per game. Bama's offense will also have to find a way to consistently move the ball and get points against the SEC's second-ranked defense.
The Tide holds the series lead at 49-25-5, winning four consecutive against LSU beginning with Bama's victory in the 2012 Allstate BCS National Championship in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Alabama hosts LSU this Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium at 7 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on CBS with Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson and Allie LaForce calling the game.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Men's Tennis
Korey Lovett Advances At Players Choice Open
Alabama Sophomore Korey Lovett
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
It was a great victory. After trailing in the first set, 3-6, Alabama sophomore Korey Lovett advanced to the main draw of 16 in singles coming back in two more sets, 7-5 and 6-3, to defeat former TCU No. 1 Nick Chappell at the Player's Choice Open yesterday at Highland Park Tennis Center in Birmingham, Alabama. Lovett will now face Jean-Yves Aubone, the overall number six seed in the tournament, on Thursday.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Men's Golf Leads Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The 15th-ranked Alabama men's golf team leads the Warrior Princeville Makai Invitation in Princeville, Hawaii with a 19-under par 269 after 36 holes yesterday. The Tide's two-day total is 26-under 550, holding a two-stroke lead going into today's final round.
The 19-under for the Tide yesterday is the tied for second-best vs. par in school history. Yesterday's score is tied for the sixth-lowest round.
It was a good day for Crimson Tide golfers individually during yesterday's second round. All five carded rounds of 69 or under, and all are below par as well.
Senior Tom Lovelady leads the Bama golfers, and is tied for third overall at 9-under par 135. Sophomore Jonathan Hardee is tied for eighth overall with a 6-under 138. Junior Robby Shelton, sophomore Steven Setterstrom and freshman Davis Riley are all tied for 14th at 4-under par 140.
The top five through round two are Alabama, Wake Forest, Pepperdine, UAB and Cal Poly.
Alabama will be playing with Wake Forest, UAB and Pepperdine today.
Fans can keep up with live scoring during today's final round, which gets underway at 12:30 p.m. CT, at www.golfstat.com.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Swimming & Diving
Katie Kelsoe Named SEC Freshman Of The Week
Alabama Freshman Katie Kelsoe
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Alabama freshman Katie Kelsoe has been named the Southeastern Conference Swimming and Diving Females Freshman of the Week. The announcement came yesterday by the league office.
Katie, out of Memphis, Tennessee, led the Tide against the South Carolina Gamecocks this past Saturday with a first-place finish as part of the 400 medley relay. She also claimed a pair of individual wins in the 100 and 200 backstroke events. She put in a time of 55.93 in the 100, and 2:01.97 in the 200.
Congratulations, Katie!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First 2015 College Football Playoff Rankings Released
Crimson Tide Number 4
Crimson Tide Number 4
This is it. The very first one. Even though it doesn't mean a lot when you consider several weeks remain in the 2015 college football season, the first poll by the College Football Playoff Committee gives everyone an idea where their heads are. Let's face it, a lot will change between now and the time the playoffs actually begin. After all, Alabama and LSU play each other this week, so when the week 2 rankings come out, one of them will be missing.
Six schools from the Southeastern Conference are in this first week's poll. LSU is the highest ranked from the SEC, followed by Alabama (4), Florida (10), Ole Miss (18), Texas A&M (19) and Mississippi (20).
Here is the complete list of the Top-25 as selected by the College Football Playoff Committee:
1. Clemson
2. LSU
3. Ohio State
4. Alabama
5. Notre Dame
6. Baylor
7. Michigan State
8. TCU
9. Iowa
10. Florida
11. Stanford
12. Utah
13. Memphis
14. Oklahoma State
15. Oklahoma
16. Florida State
17. Michigan
18. Ole Miss
19. Texas A&M
20. Mississippi State
21. Northwestern
22. Temple
23. UCLA
24. Toledo
25. Houston
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
