It's Opening-Game Week; Nick Saban Meets With Press Monday; Bama Men's Basketball Adds Graduate Transfer Bola Olaniyan; Alabama Cross Country 7th In SEC; Saban Releases Depth Chart For Bama-USC; Buggs Names Bama In Top 4

It's Finally Here!

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It's Opening-Game Week For Alabama

Alabama Running Back Damien Harris
Photo Credit: AL.com/Vasha Hunt via AP

The University of Alabama football team has officially kicked off its game week schedule and preparations for its season opener with 20th-ranked USC yesterday afternoon. Prior to the two-hour practice session in full pads, head coach Nick Saban and select players met with the media at noon CT. The Crimson Tide practiced in full pads at the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility.

Practice one of game-week prep is down, with three more to follow before the Crimson Tide jets to Arlington, Texas to play the Trojans in the AdvoCare Classic on Saturday, September 3rd. Game time is scheduled for7 p.m. CT at AT&T Stadium with the Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Sam Ponder handling the announcing duties on the ABC Network.

It was Cooper Bateman, Blake Barnett and then Jalen Hurts in the quarterback line yesterday.  David Cornwell participated but was not on the field the entire time.

The only two players still spotted in black, no-contact/limited-contact jerseys were defensive back Nigel Knott and offensive lineman Richie Petitbon.

Junior Bradley Bozeman and sophomore Ross Pierschbacher are settling in nicely to their new positions on the offensive line. Pierschbacher was moved from left guard to center to replace departed Rimington award-winner Ryan Kelly, where he has been playing all spring and summer...until last Friday. He has now been moved to the position vacated by Bozeman...right guard. (See related Nick Saban press conference story.)

Concerning the center-right guard switch, Pierschbacher said, "It's really whatever the coaches want. I told them I’m willing to do whatever it takes for us to put the best unit out there that we can come USC. If that’s best for the team then that’s in my best interest, too."

Pierschbacher also mentioned he was informed of the move this past Friday in a meeting with the coaches. He commented there really wasn't much information given. "It really wasn’t a competition at center, it really was more of what’s the best combination of guys for us to play," Saban commented. "That’s kind of how it is."

The Crimson Tide will practice three more times this week before traveling to Texas on Friday.

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Nick Saban Meets With Press Monday

Crimson Tide Football Head Coach Nick Saban
Photo Credit: RollTide.com

University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban met with the media prior to yesterday's afternoon practice.

In his opening statement Saban said, "Well, we're excited for game week, and we are excited and our players are excited as well to have the opportunity to play a great program with great tradition like the University of Southern California. This is always sort of a bowl-like atmosphere when you play in these first neutral-site games, and I know our players are very excited about it. Opening-game success comes more from an internal scoreboard in terms of where are and if we are doing the things we need to do to play winning football. Are we getting the kind of attention to detail, discipline, focus, so that when you sit down at the end of the day you say regardless of what the score was good bad, or indifferent: Did I play to my standard?; Did we play to our standard?; Are we doing things relative to the standard that we have created for each individual player?;  For my unit?; For our units? You measure yourself based on that, not what anybody else thinks or anyone else says, and I think that is really, really important for our football players and our football team, especially at this point, because there is no identity at all. Regardless of what has been said, voted on our anything else, it means nothing in terms of what we need to try and create as an identity as a football team.

"Southern Cal has an outstanding team. Clay Helton has been there for a good while, and they have been very productive offensively under him. They have nine starters back on offense, which makes them a very good offensive team. They have good runners, JuJu Smith-(Schuster) is one of the best receivers we're going to play against all year. Their offensive line has a bunch of starters between them and they are very quality football players. They have been able to run the ball effectively against most people that they have played, so I know they have a new quarterback, but he is a very talented guy and I'm sure he'll do a great job for them. Defensively, our word is that they are much improved. They have a new coordinator, and he has done a good job with these players. They have an influx of new players, so they have some very talented guys on special teams as well. They have a great returner who is very explosive in the kicking game, so this is going to be another area that is very challenging for us.

"I think this game will be a challenge for us in many many ways in terms of who we are playing as well as who we are, in terms of what we need to do. From a quarterback standpoint – which I know is the first question you are going to ask – we are sort of down to two guys here. Cooper Bateman and Blake Barnett are probably the two guys were getting ready to play in this game and that is the way it's going to be for right now. We are going to try to continue to develop all of our guys, and we make this choice with what is going to give us the best chance to win this game, and it's also about future development of our players. We want to play the guy that's most ready and will give us the best chance, but we also want to develop guys that can compete at this position in the future, and that's kind of where it is right now. So, there is really nothing else to talk about or nothing else to say (in regards to quarterbacks). I know they are going to give you a depth chart, which you guys will just absolutely love. I know that it used to be we created the depth chart, now you create the depth chart based on what you think, so that's okay too. Just know that what you think doesn't count."

Saban also made the comment that "there is no identity" with Alabama at this point. The coach always likes for a team to establish their own identity each season.

The top two running backs to begin the season are really no surprise, though due to past injury issues the others will need to be ready to go. Saban named Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris as the two he'll be looking to in the season-opener with USC.

Then change-up noticed in the last three practice sessions will now stay as is. Saban said Bradley Bozeman will play the center position and Ross Piersbacher will be at right guard. "It really wasn’t a competition at center, it really was more of what’s the best combination of guys for us to play," Saban commented. "That’s kind of how it is."

Saban said the position change wasn’t so much about Pierschbacher losing the center job as it was putting the best five players in the best situation to make an impact along Alabama’s offensive line.

Now, as far as which of the two quarterbacks Saban named will start this Saturday remains to be seen. That may be a game-time decision. Saban is still looking for that certain something from the quarterbacks to make it clear who is ready to get the start.  "There is no perfect way to do it," he said.

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Alabama Men's Basketball Picks Up 

Graduate Transfer Bola Olaniyan

Bola Olaniyan
RollTide.com Photo

Graduate transfer Bola Olaniyan is headed to the University of Alabama campus and is donning a Crimson Tide uniform. Alabama men's head basketball coach Avery Johnson announced yesterday that forward Bola Olaniyan has signed a financial aid agreement and is transferring from Southern Illinois to the Alabama men's basketball program for the 2016-17 season.                                              
Olaniyan has enrolled in graduate school at the Capstone and is immediately eligible to play. He was ranked as one of the Missouri Valley Conference's top rebounders this past season.

Johnson commented, "We are just thrilled to have Bola join our team. His experience and leadership are going to be very valuable for us. We wanted to upgrade in the area of rebounding and that's one of Bola's strengths."


Olaniyan was with Southern Illinois for three seasons, starting in 50 of the 90 games in which he played. He averaged 5.2 points and 6.0 rebounds a game, and shot 51.3 percent from the floor. During his fourth season he earned a spot on the MVC Most Improved Team.

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Arkansas Predicted To Win SEC Cross Country Titles

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Crimson Tide Men & Women Voted 7th

The Southeastern Conference cross country coaches voted as to who they believed would win both the men's and women's 2016 SEC Cross Country Championships. The results were released yesterday. The University of Arkansas men and women have both been predicted to claim the 2016 titles.

Points for the men's poll were based on a 1 through 12 basis, while the women's poll was awarded on a 1 through 13 basis. As is the usual, coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.

Both the University of Alabama men's and women's teams were voted seventh.

The 2016 SEC Cross Country Championships are scheduled for Friday, October 28th in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

MEN

Rank	Team	Points
1	Arkansas(10)	14
2	Ole Miss (3)	21
3	Texas A&M	36
4	Kentucky	49
T5	Florida	67
T5	Missouri	67
7	Alabama	79
T8	Auburn	86
T8	Georgia	86
10	Mississippi State	115
11	Tennessee	118
12	LSU	134
13	Vanderbilt	142

WOMEN

Rank	Team	Points
1	Arkansas (13)	13
2	Vanderbilt (1)	35
T3	Mississippi State	46
T3	Florida	51
5	Ole Miss	64
6	Missouri	66
7	Alabama	89
8	Texas A&M	100
9	Auburn	101
10	Kentucky	112
11	Georgia	134
12	Tennessee	143
13	South Carolina	151
14	LSU	169

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Saban Releases Depth Chart For Bama-USC

University of Alabama Crimson Tide football head coach Nick Saban yesterday released the depth chart for the season-opening contest between the top-ranked Tide and 17/20th-ranked USC. Here is a look at who are the most likely to participate in the opening contest of 2016.

OFFENSE:

QB - Cooper Bateman / Blake Barnett
Jalen Hurts

RB - Bo Scarbrough / Damien Harris
B.J. Emmons/ Joshua Jacobs

WR-X - Robert Foster / Calvin Ridley
Raheem Falkins

WR-Z - ArDarius Stewart
Cam Sims
Derek Kief
T.J. Simmons

WR-H - Calvin Ridley
Gehrig Dieter/ Cam Sims/
Xavian Marks

TE - Hale Hentges
Brandon Greene

TE-H - O.J. Howard
Miller Forristall

LT - Cameron Robinson
Matt Womack

LG - Lester Cotton
Dallas Warmack
Brandon Kennedy

C - Bradley Bozeman
JC Hassenauer
Josh Casher

RG - Ross Pierschbacher
Alphonse Taylor
Brandon Kennedy

RT - Jonah Williams
Korren Kirven


DEFENSE:
DE - Jonathan Allen
Da'Shawn Hand

NG - Da’Ron Payne
Joshua Frazier

DE - Dalvin Tomlinson
Dakota Ball

SAM - Ryan Anderson
Christian Miller / Jamey Mosley

MIKE - Shaun Dion Hamilton
Keith Holcombe

WILL - Reuben Foster
Rashaan Evans
Mack Wilson

JACK - Tim Williams
Anfernee Jennings / Terrell Hall

CB - Marlon Humphrey
Anthony Averett

CB - Minkah Fitzpatrick
Shyheim Carter

SS - Eddie Jackson
Hootie Jones

FS - Ronnie Harrison
Deionte Thompson

Star - Minkah Fitzpatrick
Shyheim Carter

SPECIAL TEAMS:

PK / KO - Adam Griffith
Andy Pappanastos

HOLD - Cooper Bateman
JK Scott

P - JK Scott

SN - Cole Mazza

PR - Calvin Ridley
Trevon Diggs

KOR - ArDarius Stewart / Trevon Diggs

Xavian Marks / Gehrig Dieter

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No. 2 JUCO Player Isaiah Buggs Lists Top 4

Isaiah Buggs
Photo Credit: 247Sports

The number two JUCO player in the nation, Isaiah Buggs, has released his shortened list of programs for which he'd like to play. His list now consists of four schools, all of which are in the Southeastern Conference.

The  6' 5", 290-pound lineman has listed Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Ole Miss as his top four schools.