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Alabama Crimson Tide Football
Bama Puts In Saturday Workout
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Kent Gidley
It was the first Saturday football practice in quite some time as the University of Alabama Crimson Tide continued it's preparation for the upcoming College Football Semifinal game. Bama spent two hours outdoors yesterday on the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields in helmet, jersey and shorts. Only three practices remain before the Tide takes a break for the Christmas holiday.
This was the fourth practice of seven scheduled prior to the Christmas break. Bama has a total of 11 practices scheduled, with seven remaining, before the CFP Semifinal game.
Yesterday's practice was the first that the Alabama scout team players actually wore the jersey numbers of the opposing Michigan State players for practice. Also of note, defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson was practicing with a large brace and sleeve on his left arm. Robinson sustained that injury during the SEC Championship Game and had to leave, but did later return to the game.
Though earlier in the season Bama offensive lineman Cam Robinson said he wasn't really feeling one hundred percent, he now says he feels "real well." He said, "I feel fresh. Legs are real fresh."
The Crimson Tide is preparing for battle with the Big Ten Champion Michigan State Spartans on Thursday, December 31st in the 2015 Goodyear Cotton Bowl. The game will be played inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas where the Tide opened its 2015 season with a win over the Wisconsin Badgers. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN television. Chris Fowler will be handling play-by-play duties, Kirk Herbstreit will provide color analysis and Heather Cox will be working the sidelines. The game can also be heard on radio via the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Eli Gold handling play-by-play, Phil Savage providing color analysis and Chris Stewart on the sidelines.
Alabama defeated Florida in the 2015 Southeastern Conference Championship Game while Michigan State downed Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game to make it to the College Football Playoff Semifinal. The Tide's only loss of the season came at the hands of the Ole Miss Rebels early in the season, and enter the contest ranked Number 2 in the nation. The Spartan's loss came in their ninth game of the season to Nebraska by a single point to finish in the Number 3 position.
This will be only the second meeting ever between the two storied football programs. That first meeting saw Alabama come away with a lopsided 49-7 win over the Spartans in the 2011 Capital One Bowl. No one expects that kind of score this go-round.
The Crimson Tide faced off against 11 teams this season that will be appearing in bowl games, more than any other in football team in college football for 2015. According to ESPN.com's College Football Power Index, Southeastern Conference teams represented 13 of the 25 toughest college football schedules in the nation, of which the Tide was first.
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Kent Gidley
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Kent Gidley
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Women's Basketball
Tide Faces Grambling State This Afternoon
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The University of Alabama women's basketball team (9-2) will host Grambling State (2-7) this afternoon at Foster Auditorium. This will be Bama's final game before taking a break for the holiday.
The Tide is coming off a 70-58 loss at the hands of Georgia Tech on Friday night and is looking to go into the holidays with a big win.
This will be the sixth meeting between Alabama and Grambling State, but the first in 16 years. The Crimson Tide won all five previous meetings, with the last one in 1999. Four of the six have been played in Tuscaloosa.
The Lady Tide, incidentally, is unbeaten at home thus far in the season having played seven games already in Tuscaloosa. Today's game will begin at 2 p.m. CT.
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3-Star Safety Shawn Jennings Set To EnRoll In January
Shawn Jennings
Photo Credit: AL.com/Drew Champlin
Three-star safety Shawn Jennings from Dadeville High School in Alabama is slated to join the Crimson Tide as an early enrollee in January. He did take an official visit to UA last weekend.
Jennings said, "The visit went good. I had a lot of fun."
According to TideSports.com, Jennings enjoyed the time he was able to spend with the coaching staff, including new defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt.
While the young man said he's not clear as yet whether he'll be playing on the offensive or defensive side of the ball, he did comment, "...I think I will end up playing defense."
Jennings is scheduled for extensive treatment and rehab when he arrives on the UA campus next month. He suffered a broken kneecap his senior season but has been healing nicely.
