National Championship Prep Continues Indoors
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| UA Photo |
Yesterday's practice session the second of six practices prior to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game scheduled for Monday, January 9th in Tampa, Florida. The Crimson Tide will face the second-ranked Clemson Tigers at Raymond James Stadium with the game scheduled for a 7:17 p.m. CT kickoff.
Thankfully there were no new injuries to report and others are showing improvement.
Quite a few visitors were on the sidelines watching the practice session yesterday. Numerous high school coaches were visiting and enjoyed the practice session. Also present were former University of Alabama football standout, former Mississippi State head coach and current Tennessee Titans running backs coach Sylvester Croom was enjoying renewing friendships and shaking hands, as well as last season's H-back/tight end Michael Nysewander.
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit calling the game from the booth, while Samantha Ponder and Tom Rinaldi work the sidelines. This will be the fifth time in the last eight seasons that Alabama has made an appearance in the national championship game.
This will be the 17th meeting between Alabama and Clemson, with the Crimson Tide leading the series 13-3. Clemson did win the initial three meetings, but Alabama has won the last 13 contests, outscoring Clemson 435-94 in those games. The most recent meeting between the two teams was in last season's College Football Playoff National Championship Game, which the Crimson Tide won having to rally to take the 45-40 win to capture the program's 16th national championship.
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Nick Saban Wednesday Press Conference
Watch Alabama head coach Nick Saban in his press conference yesterday afternoon.
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| Click HERE to watch Nick Saban via Tide TV |
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Alabama "Prima Donna" Recruits Harris & Parks
Eenie Meenie Miney Mo
Where Will Najee Harris Go
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| No. 1 Recruit RB Najee Harris Twitter Photo |
At least the drama will soon come to an end. Signing day is only about a month away, so one way or the other, everyone will know whether or not Harris will live up to his commitment to the Crimson Tide. Harris has wavered, more than once, even stating he was not 100 percent sure of where he wanted to play ball. In fact, there have been times he was expected to withdraw the commitment and declare for Michigan.
Harris, as most everyone knows, is the nation's number one recruiting target, according to the 247Sports Composite. Now Harris, while STILL not withdrawing his commitment to the Tide, has said that he will not make any public decision as to where he'll attend school, but will rather just show up at either Tuscaloosa, Alabama or Ann Arbor, Michigan. Only then will the two schools and everyone else know where he has decided to wind up.
Have fun now, Najee, and drive your little fun car, because these antics will be over once you sign on the dotted line. The control you seem to have now will disappear. Enjoying the recruiting process is all well and good, but yanking around institutions, no matter where you end up, isn't really very adult, which of course you're proving you're aren't.
This is the type thing I personally don't like about the recruiting process. Some of the players get the "big-head" and want to shine, want the spotlight to be all on them. Sure, a little ego is a good thing. In fact, it takes a little ego to be the best, but sometimes some of these kids take it a little too far. It can also sometimes be an indicator of what type student-athlete the kid will be. Case in point...an A.J. McCarron or a Jameis Winston personality...a team player or a look-at-wonderful-me type of guy.
Najee's brother wants him to attend Michigan, his trainer wants him to head to The Capstone and still another wants him out in Cali. Indeed, there is a lot of pressure.
The thing is, according to 247Sports, sources say he is making both schools "feel" confident that it is that particular school to which he will show up. He claims he doesn't like the "attention" but makes sure the attention stays on him.
Reportedly University of Alabama quarterback commit Tua Tagolvailoa have been hanging out a lot via Snap Chat. Tagovailoa is to be an early enrollee like Harris. SEC Country reports that the young quarterback is under the impression that he is rooming with the running back when the two get to Tuscaloosa.
Now all this has been going on the past several weeks. Just yesterday there was another twist to the story. Tagovailoa reportedly told 247Sports that Harris was going to be "on the same flight" with him from San Antonio to Birmingham on Sunday.
Tagovailoa told 247Sports, "Everybody is making up stories, and making up stories I think to Michigan is what everyone is saying."
Tua says that Harris is indeed his scheduled roommate in Tuscaloosa.
247Sports said that when confronted with the information supplied by Tagovailoa, Harris was playful in his response of, "What flight? I don't even know my flight."
Jarez Parks And The University Of Alabama
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| Jarez Parks Twitter Photo |
The University of Alabama has left no doubt that it wants four-star JACK linebacker prospect Jarez Parks. Most say that he is a heavy-lean, though uncommitted, to the Crimson Tide. Many of those even go so far to say that it's a "when" situation as opposed to a "where" situation...meaning, when he will actually commit to Alabama
However, SEC Country is reporting that Parks said he really doesn't know why people believe that Alabama is the frontrunner for his commitment. The comment came at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl practice this week.
It could be, Mr. Parks, many keep saying that because of your actions and comments back last July during Alabama head coach Nick Saban's invite-only cookout and comments attributed to you both at the event and following the event. So, most recruiting services believe it's Alabama, but Florida State a fairly close second and then Florida in third.
Alabama linebackers coach Tosh Lupoi is the primary recruiter for the Tide when it comes to Parks, and Parks seems to like him. Of Lupoi, Parks told SEC Country, "He’s a character, but he’s a really good dude. You can tell that he has genuine thoughts about my future and whatnot. He does want the program to succeed due to if I did come or whatnot, but you can tell that he has genuine thoughts about me and my future."
Reportedly Parks likes the fact that Lupoi is taking the time to find out about Parks the person, and not merely how he can help UA. Again, Parks speaking to SEC Country, "He’s actually learning about who I am. He’s learned how to contact me through ways that if I don’t answer my phone, he can still reach other people to get to me. That’s pretty cool."
Parks has no scheduled announcement date, and still is planning to visit both Auburn and Florida this month.
Alabama linebackers coach Tosh Lupoi is the primary recruiter for the Tide when it comes to Parks, and Parks seems to like him. Of Lupoi, Parks told SEC Country, "He’s a character, but he’s a really good dude. You can tell that he has genuine thoughts about my future and whatnot. He does want the program to succeed due to if I did come or whatnot, but you can tell that he has genuine thoughts about me and my future."
Reportedly Parks likes the fact that Lupoi is taking the time to find out about Parks the person, and not merely how he can help UA. Again, Parks speaking to SEC Country, "He’s actually learning about who I am. He’s learned how to contact me through ways that if I don’t answer my phone, he can still reach other people to get to me. That’s pretty cool."
Parks has no scheduled announcement date, and still is planning to visit both Auburn and Florida this month.
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Bama Women's Basketball Hosts Ole Miss Tonight
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| UA Photo |
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama women's basketball team (12-2,
0-1 SEC) will play host to the Ole Miss Rebels (12-2, 1-0 SEC) tonight in Coleman Coliseum in its Southeastern Conference home opener. The
game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. CT start and can be seen on SEC Network +.
The Crimson Tide is 13-21 in SEC home openers, with its last coming just last season with a 62-45 victory over the LSU Tigers.
