Monday, July 4, 2016

SEC Rankings; Top-25 Football Teams For 2016; SEC Media Days; The Dynasty Lives! Alabama Wins 2015 National Championship; RB Pierce Verbally Commits To Bama Football; Crimson Tide Volleyball Completes 2016 Schedule




Southeastern Conference Rankings By Campus Insiders





Campus Insiders has released its rankings for the projected overall finish in the Southeastern Conference football standings for 2016. They are:

  1.  LSU
  2. Tennessee
  3. Alabama Crimson Tide
  4. Georgia
  5. Ole Miss
  6. Florida
  7. Arkansas
  8. Texas A&M
  9. Auburn
10. Missouri
11. Mississippi
12. South Carolina
13. Kentucky
14. Vanderbilt

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2016 Top-25 According To Campus Insiders

Campus Insiders has released their rankings of all the major college football teams. Here are the top 25 in descending order:

25. Iowa
24. Nebraska
23. Stanford
22. Miami
21. Florida
20. Houston
19. USC
18. Oklahoma State
17. Oregon
16. UCLA
15. Wisconsin
14. Michigan State
13. Baylor
12. Ole Miss
11. Louisville
10. Michigan
  9. Notre Dame
  8. Georgia
  7. Florida State
  6. Oklahoma
  5. Ohio State
  4. Alabama Crimson Tide
  3. Tennessee
  2. Clemson
  1. LSU

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SEC Media Days 2016 Scheduled For July 11th-14th






The annual event called SEC Media Days is upon us, and, as usual, the 2016 edition will be held at the Winfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama. 

Of course Alabama fans will turn out to see and hear University of Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban speak on Wednesday morning. As much as they hate to admit it, fans of the other schools, both in-conference and out, as well as the competing coaches, all like to check out what "The Man" has to say.

Included here is a schedule of the speakers for the week and on what date they will appear.


SEC Media Days 2016 Schedule:


Monday July 11th

Auburn                 Gus Malzhan
Florida                  Jim McElwain
Vanderbilt              Derek Mason
SEC                      Commissioner Greg Sankey


Tuesday, July 12th

Georgia                 Kirby Smart
Mississippi State    Dan Mullen
Tennessee             Butch Jones
Texas A&M            Kevin Sumlin


Wednesday, July 13th

Alabama               Nick Saban
Arkansas               Bret Bielema
Kentucky                Mark Stoops
Missouri                 Barry Odom


Thursday, July 14th


LSU                        Les Miles
Ole Miss                 Hugh Freeze
South Carolina       Will Muschamp




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Alabama Crimson Tide 2015 National Championship Season





The 2015 season was the 121st overall football season, the 82nd as a member of the Southeastern Conference and the 24th in the SEC Western Division for The University of Alabama football program. The team was coached by Nick Saban, now in his 9th season as the head man of the Crimson Tide.

Alabama finished the 2015 season with a 14-1 overall record and a 7-1 record in the SEC. Alabama's only loss of the season came at the hands of the Ole Miss Rebels. With that loss, most of the nation's sports media had written off the Tide, expecting the Tide to not only miss out on playing for the national championship, but more than likely lose again during the regular season and miss out on the Southeastern Conference Championship Game. 

That, of course, did not happen. Saban berated the media on more than one occasion for their comments on the air and in print. When the season was over, it was Nick Saban reminding them all of their low expectations of his Crimson Tide and smiling as he did so.



2015 University of Alabama Football Schedule


Date
                                       Opponent
Score
September 5 #20 Wisconsin W 35-17
September 12 Middle Tennessee W 37-10
September 19 #15 Ole Miss L 37-43
September 26 Louisiana-Monroe W 34-0
October 3 @ #8 Georgia W 38-10
October 10 Arkansas W 27-14
October 17 @ #9 Texas A&M W 41-23
October 24 Tennessee W 19-14
November 7 #2 LSU W 30-16
November 14 #17 Mississippi State W 31-6
November 21 Charleston Southern W 56-6
November 28 @Auburn W 29-13
December 5 #18 Florida W 29-15
December 31 #3 Michigan State W 38-0
National Championship -------- January 10, 2016 -------- Alabama vs Clemson -------- W 45-40


2015. An unforgettable season.

Then "The Game." The No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide against the No. 1 Clemson Tigers. Alabama-native Dabo Sweeney was bringing his boys to try to do what few have done...knock off Nick Saban and the Tide. Even fewer beat them in a national championship contest.

When the sweat and guts and tears were through, it was the Alabama Crimson Tide once again the King of College Football. 

Here is a look at the story that was written and run here on the High Tide blog the next morning following the Crimson Tide's 16th National Championship:



The Dynasty Lives!
________

Crimson Tide Wins 16th National Title

Crimson Tide National Championship Celebration
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Kent Gidley


Be honest.

How many times did you hold your breath last night? How many times did you wonder if this one was not going our way? How many times did you wonder how was that Clemson quarterback shredding the best defense in the nation?

Heart. 

A lot of heart and some trickery.

Execution when needed.

45-40 for the Crimson Tide when it was over.


Calvin Ridley
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Kent Gidley


So much can be said about the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship game. The main thing is, though, that the Alabama Crimson Tide is the 2015 National Champions. 

For the fourth time in seven years, Alabama head coach NICK SABAN led his Bama boys to the pinnacle of college football. Saban, offensive coordinator LANE KIFFIN and defensive coordinator KIRBY SMART had a game plan that brought home to the state of Alabama their 16th national title. This gives Saban his fifth national championship, four of which with the Crimson Tide. In fact, Nick Saban has never lost a national title game. Never. Five trips to the National Championship, and five time bringing home the hardware.

Bama quarterback JAKE COKER had a career-best 335 passing yards and tight end O.J. HOWARD with a career-high five pass receptions for 208 yards showed the Clemson Tigers they had to do more than "try" to shut down DERRICK HENRY. To a certain extent, they did shut Henry down, catching him in the backfield more times than any other team in the country had all season. Henry did, however, still rush for 158 yards. KENYAN DRAKE had a big night himself, including a 95-yard kick-return for a touchdown.

Clemson is undefeated no more. Like the ocean's tide, the Crimson Tide relentlessly pounded, and roared and pounded some more to hand the Tigers their only defeat of the 2015 college football season and drop their formerly unblemished record to 14-1 before an over-capacity crowd of 75,756 (capacity: 71,000) at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Alabama's record improved to 14-1, but their identical record to Clemson's included knocking the goose-egg off the other side.


Derrick Henry scores another one!
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Kent Gidley


Crimson Tide Heisman-winning running back Derrick Henry appropriately opened the scoring for both the Tide and the game on a 50-yard run with 7:55 remaining in the first period to put Bama up 7-0. Clemson bounded back with a 31-yard touchdown toss from Clemson quarterback DeShawn Watson to wide receiver Hunter Renfrow to knot it at 7-7 with 5:18 remaining in the first.

More than a few folks were shaking their heads when another missed field goal kept the Tide from taking the lead. ADAM GRIFFITH had really come on in his kicking as the season progressed, but this miss came at the wrong time and some took it as an omen.

Clemson then marched 73 yards in just seven plays on another Watson-Renfrow hookup of 11 yards to give the Tigers their first lead of the night, 14-7 as the first quarter ended. Two touchdowns in the first period against the vaunted Tide defense? It didn't take long for Bama to get back on the board, but it took a great defensive effort to set it up. Bama safety EDDIE JACKSON intercepted Watson to set up the tying touchdown, with the Tide moving 42 yards to set up a dive right up the center and over the top by Henry to knot it at 14.

Clemson was unable to move the ball on their opening possession of the second half, but the Tide went 64 yards on just three plays to take their second lead of the night 21-14. That score came on a 53-yard pass from Coker to Howard with 12:53 remaining in the third quarter. Clemson then marched down the field with a 55-yard drive of their own but were unable to punch it in and setttled for a 37-yard field goal with 10:10 remaining in the third to narrow Bama's lead to 21-17. However, Clemson again took the lead 24-21 on their next possession on a 60-yard drive with 4:48 remaining in the third period.


Alabama's Kenyan Drake
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Kent Gidley


The Alabama faithful held their collective breath as they awaited a 33-yard field goal attempt by Griffith which did indeed go through the uprights to tie the score 24-24 with 10:34 remaining. It was then that things got interesting, or at least more interesting. Adam Griffith executed a perfect onside kick much to the surprise of everyone in the stadium, and a leaping MARLON HUMPHREY took the ball for Bama at mid-field. It took just one play for the Bama go-ahead score as Coker his a wide open Howard for a 51-yard touchdown strike, putting the Tide up 31-24 with 9:45 remaining in the fourth. Two scores for Bama in less than one minute.

Once again Clemson marched down the field. Again the Tide held them out of the end zone, but giving up a 31-yard field goal as the Tigers cut the lead to 31-27. Then Kenyan Drake took the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to again widen the Tide's lead to 38-27 with 7:31 remaining.


Nick Saban & Reggie Ragland
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Kent Gidley


Clemson again came bounding back with a 75-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 15-yard pass from Watson to Artavis Scott. Alabama shut down a two-point conversion attempt as the Tigers narrowed the Tide lead to 38-33 with 4:40 remaining in the game.

It took only two plays for Alabama to put the winning touchdown on the board. Coker hit Howard for a 63-yard touchdown to set up Henry just six plays later for a one-yard dive for a 45-33 lead with just 1:07 remaining in the game.

But the Tigers death-throes did allow them another quick score on a pass from Watson to Leggett with 12 seconds remaining, narrowing the the lead and a final score of 45-40. An onside kick failed for the Tigers.

Alabama. National Champions.

As has been touted this season: 16 in 2016. 

Roll Tide!

Big Al 
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Kent Gidley


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Running Back Dameon Pierce Verbally Commits To Bama


Dameon Pierce
Photo Credit: 247Sports


The University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team has picked up another commitment from an elite running back in Dameon Pierce, 5'11" and weighing in at 203 pounds. The youngster is out of Bainbridge High School in Bainbridge, Georgia and selected the Tide over his in-state Bulldogs.

Already regarded as one of the nation's best running back prospects, Pierce has shown up big for his high school games. Pierce is coming off a 2,000-yard sophomore season and is a great commitment for the Crimson Tide, after having made an offer to the youngster this past spring. A few months later, Pierce has committed with the help of area-recruiter and secondary coach Derrick Ansley. Piece says that Alabama was the fit for him after a long hard process of making the decision. According to Scout, Pierce is a four-star prospect, ranked the number seven RB in the state of Georgia and the number three RB in the south. The 247Sports composite has him as the No. 66 prospect in the 2018 class.

It is reported that Pierce was holding 17 offers from various schools, including Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Auburn.


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Crimson Tide Volleyball Completes 2016 Schedule


Crimson Tide Volleyball
Photo Credit: RollTide.com



University of Alabama volleyball has finalized its schedule for 2016. This year's contests include two September tournaments at home and nine SEC matches inside Foster Auditorium.

Crimson Tide volleyball head coach Ed Allen has successfully guided the team over these past four seasons, showing an increase in sustained attendance. Bama has surpassed the 12,000 mark in attendance, a feat that had only occurred once prior to 2012.

Alabama opens its 2016 schedule with the Hurricane Classic, hosted by Tulsa on August 26-27. The Crimson Tide will face South Dakota, Tulsa and University of the Incarnate Word. The Tide will then return for its 2016 home opener on Tuesday, August 30th, hosting Samford for a 7 p.m. CT matchup in Foster Auditorium.


The Crimson Tide will then make its way to the island of Puerto Rico for three matches over three days, playing Virginia Tech on Thursday, September 1st, Florida State on Friday, September 2nd and Temple on Saturday, September 3rd. Alabama then hosts the first of two tournaments, the Bama Bash, September 9th and 10th. Next up Bama welcomes Northwestern State, Southern Miss and Lehigh for three matches over two days at Foster Auditorium. The following weekend, Alabama hosts the Crimson-White Tournament September 16-17, playing East Tennessee State, Presbyterian College and Georgia Southern.

Then it's time for Southeastern Conference play to begin, with Bama opening the following weekend at Foster Auditorium with the Texas A&M Aggies on Friday, September 23rd at 6 p.m. CT and then Florida Sunday, September 25th at 12 p.m. CT. Other SEC home matches include Mississippi State (Oct. 12 – 8 p.m. CT), Missouri (Oct. 16 - 1:30 p.m. CT), Tennessee (Oct 28 – 6 p.m. CT), Kentucky (Oct. 30 – 1:30 p.m. CT), Arkansas (Nov. 6 – 1 p.m. CT), Auburn (Nov. 9 – 5 p.m. CT) and Ole Miss (Nov. 23 – 7 p.m. CT).

Alabama hits the road for matches in conference at Georgia (Sept. 30 – TBA), Mississippi State (Oct. 2 – 3 p.m. CT), Auburn (Oct. 9 – 1:30 p.m. CT), Arkansas (Oct. 21 – TBA), Ole Miss (Oct. 23 – TBA), Texas A&M (Nov. 3 - 6 p.m. CT), Florida (Nov. 13 – 12:30 p.m. CT), South Carolina (Nov. 18 – 6 p.m. CT) and LSU (Nov. 26 – 1 p.m. CT).


Broadcast information will be announced at a later date.