Tide Tidbits – January 14, 2009

ESPN releases new team rankings
ESPN Scouts Inc. released its latest team recruiting rankings on Tuesday, and Alabama has dropped two spots. The Crimson Tide is now No. 8 nationally, down from No. 6 in the previous rankings. LSU is the new national No. 1. Alabama’s drop is not necessarily based on anything the Crimson Tide did or didn’t do, but on commitments other teams have gotten in recent weeks.

An early signing period for college football?
The American Football Coaches Association convention is taking place this week in Nashville, an event that basically lures every major college coach during a brief recruiting dead period. Alabama coach Nick Saban was there today, as he was scheduled to address the convention for an entire hour this afternoon. Apparently, college commissioners will consider a proposal Thursday to create a mid-December early football signing period in addition to February’s annual National Signing Day. It’s a format similar to the early November date for men’s basketball. While only for a three-year trial basis at first, this change would start this year.

Steele happy with his South Carolina homecoming
On Christmas Eve, Alabama’s assistant coaches got their first day off since late July, so Kevin Steele and his family piled into the car and made the 60-mile drive to Birmingham for some lastminute shopping. When the Steeles got there, they walked out, and who did they run into? None other than Dabo Swinney, his wife Kathleen and their three boys. There was no talk about Swinney’s defensive coordinator vacancy at Clemson – especially since John Chavis, Steele’s best friend since their high school days at Dillon, was a prime candidate for the job – but something seemed right.

Alabama football fans have a ways to go…
I feel like Alabama football fans and Kentucky basketball fans are kindred spirits. Both groups root for programs among the nation’s elite, both are as demanding as they come, and both have seen more than their share of championship trophy presentations. But what I learned tonight just might have nudged UK fans a notch ahead in my mind. [I was sent a linto to] a compilation of Kentucky’s record in almost every game broken down by the official who worked it based on the box score listing.

Roll Tide!

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