Tide Tidbits – June 20, 2009

Nick Saban lays out his ideal blueprint for nonconference scheduling
Saban said he’s happy with the upcoming games against San Jose State and Georgia State. But if he really had his druthers, he would change the way Alabama schedules. “I think it would be good if you picked like… let’s say you had four or five teams,” Saban said. “Notre Dame, Penn State, (schools) that had some sort of connection with the history and tradition of this school. And you just roll home-and-homes (on and off the schedule) so the fans could relate a little bit and look forward to playing that particular team.”

Nick Saban faces challenges head on
Alabama’s summer conditioning program rolls on as football coach Nick Saban takes care of the last of the summer camps before a brief retreat to his summer place in Georgia. Among his tasks in advance of the opening of training camp on Aug. 5 and the first practice on Aug. 6 will be cramming a size 15 foot — the number of signees joining the program — into the size 10 shoe — the size of the roster. Last year’s team had just nine scholarship seniors. Saban signed 27 standouts in landing what some rated the No. 1 recruiting class for the second year in a row.

Alabama’s NCAA sanctions are learning opportunity
“Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in.” So echo the cries of the Alabama faithful, condemned June 11 to suffer through three more years of probation. That scandal-stained word that has haunted the nightmares of Crimson Tide fans for two decades, dating back to the infamous napkin signed by former All-American cornerback Antonio Langham in the offseason following the Tide’s 12th national championship victory in the 1993 Sugar Bowl.

Thursday Thoughts on SEC Football
What a difference a week makes to Alabama. Last Thursday, Bama fans were waiting for the shoe to fall, and it wasn’t as bad as some feared when the NCAA’s decision was finally announced. Now, the Crimson Tide is ready to fight to overturn much of the penalties handed down. Most insiders feel confident Alabama will prevail, but pardon us fans while we sit nervous for a few more months.

Position-by-position look at the 2009 Tide
Depth chart, you say? Well … that’s why there is a question mark. While you’ll never hear coach Nick Saban use the term, we here at TideSports gathered some information on who is returning and who will be battling for playing time at each position for the 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide.

Update: Dre Kirkpatrick expected to enroll at UA next month
Blue-chip Gadsden football prospect Dre Kirkpatrick appears to have cleared a final academic hurdle to be able to enroll at the University of Alabama. Kirkpatrick needed an additional correspondence course this summer to attain eligibility. After obtaining the grade he needed, Kirkpatrick has now been certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse, according to BamaOnline.com.

Mal Moore: “We’re doing this appeal with every intention of winning.”
Moore said, as always, that he has no plans to step down soon) while updating the NCAA appeal. “The important thing, I feel, is that we are responsible to our former players who competed so hard to win those games and for our fans and alumni who have supported us,” Moore said. “We’re doing this appeal with every intention of winning.”

Roll Tide!

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