College Football Playoff
Selection Committee Rankings
(5th Ranking)
1 Alabama Crimson Tide
2 Ohio State
3 Clemson
4 Washington
5 Michigan
6 Wisconsin
7 Penn State
8 Colorado
9 Oklahoma
10 Oklahoma State
11 USC
12 Florida State
13 Louisville
14 Auburn
15 Florida
16 West Virginia
17 Western Michigan
18 Stanford
19 Navy
20 Utah
21 LSU
22 Tennessee
23 Virginia Tech
24 Houston
25 Pittsburg
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4-Star Linebacker Christopher Allen Chooses Bama
Tide Snags Another From LSU's Backyard
Christopher Allen chooses the Crimson Tide
Photo Credit: 247Sports
They say the rich just keep getting richer. And talent-rich Alabama Crimson Tide football has indeed just gotten even richer with the addition of yet another top linebacker to the 2017 recruiting class.
Four-star Baton Rouge, Louisiana standout Christopher Allen has committed to the Crimson Tide.
The Southern Lab linebacker was originally expected to announce his college commitment during the Under Armour All-American all-star game next month, but shook things up just a bit when he decided to make his announcement for the defending National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide.
Allen spent Saturday watching Alabama defeat in-state rival Auburn 30-12 in the Iron Bowl this past Saturday. He is now preparing to play for the state championship this Friday.
"I was just ready to get the recruiting process over with. And I felt confident that the (Alabama) coaches are going to take me to the next level. I really didn’t have a three. It was just LSU and Alabama.
"I’ll take a couple more visits to Bama after this. But otherwise, my recruiting process is pretty much over. Now I’m focused on this week and the championship game."
Allen is quite the catch, standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing in at 234 pounds. He is an outside linebacker ranked at No. 118 nationally according to the 247Sports composite and is considered the nation's No. 7 outside linebacker as well as the No. 4 prospect out of the state of Louisiana.
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The University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team currently has 23 student-athletes who have committed to furthering their football careers at the Capstone. As new commits are announced the list will be updated and released.
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2017 Football Commitments For Alabama Football
The University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team currently has 23 student-athletes who have committed to furthering their football careers at the Capstone. As new commits are announced the list will be updated and released.
Here is the complete list of 2017 commitments to UA as of 11/28/16:
- Najee Harris, RB (6-1, 210), Antioch, California
- Alex Leatherwood, OL (6-4, 300), Pensacola, Florida
- Chadarius Townsend, ATH, (6-0, 180), Tanner, Alabama*
- Brian Robinson, RB (6-2, 210), Tuscaloosa, Alabama*
- VanDarius Cowan, LB (6-4, 217), Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
- Tua Tagovailoa, QB (6-1, 210), Honolulu, Hawaii
- Elliot Baker, OL (6-7, 295), City College of San Francisco (California)
- Mac Jones, QB (6-2, 185), Jacksonville, Florida
- Markail Benton, LB (6-2, 245), Phenix City, Alabama*
- Brandon Ruiz, K (5-10, 165), Gilbert, Arizona
- Tyrell Shavers, LB ( 6-6, 202), Lewisville, Texas
- Thomas Fletcher, C (6-2, 220), Bradenton, Florida
- Akial Byers, DL, (6-4, 275), Fayetteville, Arkansas
- Jhavonte Dean, (6-2, 189), Homestead, Florida
- Hunter Brannon, (6-4, 290), Cullman, Alabama*
- Jerry Jeudy, ( 6-1, 177), Deerfield Beach, Florida
- Kyriq McDonald, DB (5-11, 185), Madison, Alabama*
- Kendall Randolph, OL (6-5, 290), Madison, Alabama*
- Kedrick James, TE (6-5, 250), Waco, Texas
- Dylan Moses, LB (6-3, 235), IMG Academy, Bradenton, Florida
- Major Tennison, TE (6-6, 230), Bullard, Texas
- Jedrick Wills, OT, (6-5, 318), Lexington, Kentucky
- Christopher Allen, LB (6-4, 234), Baton Rouge, La.
*State of Alabama Recruits/Commitments
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Crimson Tide Football Preps For SEC Championship
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| Photo Credit: Alabama Athletics |
Preparation for the 2016 Southeastern Conference Championship Game is in full swing in Tuscaloosa, Alabama as the top-ranked Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama once again takes to the practice field.
It's not like the Crimson Tide hasn't been here before. But it's a new year. It's a new Southeastern Conference Championship contest. But it's the same Alabama. The same chew-em-up and spit-em out defense that destroys quarterbacks and running backs and decimates defenses.
Alabama football worked out in shells for roughly 75 minutes on Monday afternoon in the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility getting prepped for the 2016 version of the SEC Championship football game to be held this Saturday. After knocking off in-state rival Auburn this past Saturday with an eventual 30-12 spanking, the Tide turns it's sites to the 15th/16th-ranked Florida Gators. The No. 1 team in the SEC and the nation for that matter is preparing a party for the Gators that they'll wish had never been thrown come the end of Saturday's afternoon's contest.
Cornerback Marlon Humphrey had both legs heavily wrapped yesterday. He wasn't participating in drills during the media viewing period. He received a hamstring injury in the Alabama victory over Auburn this past Saturday.
No real change in Reuben Foster's situation either. His hand continues to sport heavy wrapping.
Tony Brown was practicing yesterday and will be ready to go in Saturday's championship matchup. He was ejected in the Iron Bowl for a targeting call.
Cornerback Marlon Humphrey had both legs heavily wrapped yesterday. He wasn't participating in drills during the media viewing period. He received a hamstring injury in the Alabama victory over Auburn this past Saturday.
No real change in Reuben Foster's situation either. His hand continues to sport heavy wrapping.
Tony Brown was practicing yesterday and will be ready to go in Saturday's championship matchup. He was ejected in the Iron Bowl for a targeting call.
Alabama is 12-0 on the season, with the Gators coming in waving the banner for the SEC East with an 8-3 record, 6-2 in the SEC. The two will meet Saturday afternoon in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia for a 3:10 p.m. CT kickoff. The game will be broadcast live on CBS, with Verne Lundquist calling play-by-play for the last time in the game, with Gary Danielson handling color commentary and Allie LaForce working the sidelines.
This will be the 40th meeting between the two teams, with Alabama holding the advantage with a 25-14 (26-14 actual) record. The most recent game had the Crimson Tide defeating the Gators 29-15 in the 2015 SEC Championship game. The two schools lead the league in championship game appearances, with the Gators holding a 12 -11 advantage.
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| Saban & McElwain With SEC Championship Trophy Photo Credit: Dothan Eagle via Bing |
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What Saban Said In Monday's Press Briefing
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| Alabama head coach Nick Saban Photo Credit: Alabama Athletics |
The press once again gather around Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban yesterday afternoon for his usual weekly press briefing. This one dealt with the victory over Auburn, the upcoming Southeastern Conference Championship Game with the Florida Gators and other tidbits thrown in.
In his opening statement, Saban said, "Well not to belabor the point, but I think that as I said yesterday
in the conference call, I was really pleased with how our team played in
the second half (against Auburn). (There were) a lot of things that we
didn't execute really well in the first half, and all of those things
were correctable things that we are going to address with the players
and try to clean up so that we don't have those issues in the future.
"We are really excited that Cam Robinson was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week, and you got our players of the week, but this game is really where our focus is.
"This is the SEC Championship Game, which is one of the most competitive environments that I have had to play in – (especially) against a very good Florida team. There is great tradition and history with both of the teams in this game, which have tradition and history in this game. This is the 25th championship game, and as I said yesterday, to have coach (Steve) Spurrier and coach (Gene) Stallings there, who played in the first championship game, is really sort of something special.
"I think coach Jim McElwain has done a really good job in his time there. They have gotten better and better each year and certainly won games that they had to win to get there and have this opportunity. They have a very good defense, they are one of the best defensive teams in the country; a very good man-to-man team on the back-end, a very dominant front seven in term of their down guys up front; their ability to rush behind the line of scrimmage. Offensively, they try to create great balance with their team this year. Their ability to run the ball – they have had a couple of backs that have helped contribute to that. I think Antonio Callaway and Brandon Powell, the two receivers that they have, are certainly guys that they want to get the ball to that have the ability to make explosive plays. When they have been able to do that, they have done very well of offense. They are very strong on special teams. They have very strong specialists, whether it's returners, punters, or a kicker. They are all very effective and very good, and it's going to be a challenging game for us."
Of course, would it really be a true Nick Saban press conference without one of the patented Nick Saban rants. However, let's face it folks, a lot of these reporters have it coming with some of the comments and questions that couldn't possibly be well thought out. The first question following the opening statement set the Tide head man off.
First question out of the gate was, "Do you expect there to be the competitive fire from players that won't allow them to think that it's OK to lose this game?"
This is where on social media one would insert the LoL or a Hahaha or something of the sort. On Saturday morning cartoons it would be where ol Wile E. Coyote would be seen hanging in mid-air after running off the end of the cliff just before falling.
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| Oops! |
An angry Saban responded, "That's certainly not the mindset that we want. This is a big game for us. It's an opportunity to win the SEC championship, which, to me, is a very significant accomplishment. We hold that in very high esteem, having the ability to do that, having the opportunity to do it, having the ability to play for it."
Thanks, Nick. Huh? There's more?
Of course there's more. You didn't think he'd let the guy off that easily, do you?
Thank you again, Nick. What? More? Yep, another octave in the tone and timbre of Saban's voice was reached.
Saban said, "So. I'd really rather not have any more questions about 'Is it OK to lose this game?' It's never OK to lose a game."
Alabama and Florida square off this Saturday afternoon at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
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McElwain Complimentary Of Crimson Tide
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| Florida's Jim McElwain Photo from Bing |
University of Florida Gators football head coach Jim McElwain is slinging some of those nice, complimentary words out concerning the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide football team. He says, in fact, that this particular Alabama team is probably the best all-around team that Alabama football head coach Nick Saban has had at the Capstone.
"I think (this is) probably the best team that Coach has put together
there from the standpoint of offense, defense and special teams," McElwain commented.
Coaches always seem to get especially-complimentary of their upcoming opponents the week prior. Of course, McElwain and Saban know each other well, so one would expect the things they have to say about one another and their teams are basically heart-felt. After all, McElwain has served as offensive coordinator at UA under Saban, and the two are considered friends as opposed to just friendly. Oh yeah, and McElwain helped Nick Saban win two of his national championships at the Capstone as well.
Saban says that McElwain has been doing a really good job since taking over as head coach for the Gators, and that the team has been improving with him at the helm. McElwain says that Saban is one of the best college football coaches ever. I'd say we have a regular mutual-admiration thing going on here.
McElwain joked earlier that he had only gotten "violently ill" a couple of times while watching game film of the Crimson Tide defense.
McElwain said, "What it tells you is the dominance that they're doing on first down and forcing you into those situations and then being able to attack you from there."
The Crimson Tide defeated the Gators in this very game just last season. At the end of the 2015 SEC Championship Game, when the smoke had cleared, Alabama captured the coveted crown 29-15.
"This is another great opportunity," McElwain said. "Not often in life do you get those opportunities, as a competitor, you get the opportunity to go challenge yourself against the best, a team that is unbelievable. They are clicking on all cylinders, got great players, obviously the best coach in college football and a staff that works the way they do. It's an honor to be able to go play them again. The big thing is, you know, it's a chance to go compete on a big stage and see what you're made of. We're excited to be there."
According to Vegas Insider, Alabama is a 24-point favorite to defeat the Florida Gators and win the 2015 SEC Championship.
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Tide Defensive Coordinator Jeremy Pruitt Honored
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| Jeremy Pruitt Defensive Coordinator |
He's not even completed a full season as the skipper of the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide defense, but Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt has been named one of the five finalists for the Broyles Award, the top award for college football's top assistant.
Pruitt had previously served on Alabama head coach Nick Saban's staff before returning to the fold for the 2016 season. Pruitt held a staff position and then became a defensive backs coach before leaving for Florida State to become the Seminoles defensive coordinator in 2013. From there he headed over to Georgia to serve in the same capacity under then-head coach Mark Richt. And now, after leaving following the hiring of former defensive coordinator Kirby Smart to be the head coach of the Bulldogs, Pruitt has returned to serve once again under Saban.
The Broyles Award will be announced on December 6th.
The Broyles Award finalists for 2016 are Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables, Colorado defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt, Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown and Pittsburg offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
