Tide Tidbits – October 14, 2009

Rhetoric heats up in appeal
A strongly worded appeal from the University of Alabama was met with even stronger verbiage from the NCAA Committee on Infractions that levied textbook sanctions against the Crimson Tide. The COI called UA a “serial repeat violator” with an “abysmal infractions track record” and an “extensive recent history of infractions cases unmatched by any other member institution in the NCAA,” in responding to the textbook appeal, according to documents released by the school Tuesday. UA released its 14-page rebuttal to the COI’s response Tuesday. Dated Sept. 17, it was the final brief to be filed before the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee a separate entity from the COI. The appeals committee will consider both arguments before issuing a decision. The COI’s response has not been released to the public, but was quoted in the university’s rebuttal.

Tide’s experience concerns Spurrier
Even by Southeastern Conference standards, it doesn’t get much tougher for a young football team trying to build confidence and respectability than going into Tuscaloosa, Ala., to face an unbeaten and second-ranked University of Alabama team at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier, who hasn’t guided a team against the Crimson Tide since arriving at Carolina, gave a hint on Tuesday at his weekly press conference at Williams-Brice Stadium that Saturday’s game presents an opportunity to open it up and play without pressure. “You coach a little differently,” he said. “You may play it a bit more wide open and hope everything hits. You certainly have no chance playing conservatively against a team like this unless you think your defense can play very well.” Spurrier attributed Alabama’s solid numbers to one thing his own team is lacking — experience.

Tide takes on red-zone issues
Alabama ranks seventh in the Southeastern Conference in red zone offense, but the Crimson Tide’s 15 touchdowns are second-most in the league and its 13 field goals are nearly double any other team in this conference. When you’re scoring a lot, the numbers are good. When you’re forced to kick five field goals in one game, however, the offensive struggles overshadow the numbers. “You get in the red zone four or five times and you don’t put it into the end zone, that’s just unacceptable,” observed Alabama tailback Mark Ingram. “We’ve got to capitalize on that.” Alabama’s offense isn’t conservative by nature, but it isn’t a spread formation, either. Head coach Nick Saban could be lumped into a group of old-style coaches who believe in minimizing turnovers and winning with defense, a formula that can sometimes lead to more field goals in the red zone.

Saban’s current talking points
Avoiding complacency and retaining consistency is a favorite among Nick Saban’s rotating talking points these days. Preaching to mostly 18-to-22-year-olds makes fighting the mental battle all the more difficult for the coach of the nation’s second-ranked team who is at the midpoint of the 12-game regular season. “This is one of those things, I’ve used this analogy before, we are kind of climbing a mountain and the higher you get the more treacherous it is, the more focus you need and more discipline and execution,” Saban said Monday nearly echoing his postgame statement following Saturday’s win at Ole Miss. As a top-5 survivor in a group plagued by upsets this fall, the message must be getting through to his players. Last season’s group fought through any midseason contentment to finish unbeaten heading into the SEC Championship Game.

Crimson Tide a thief on the road
The Crimson Tide collected only four takeaways through its first four games. Just two of those were forced by the defense (two others came via special teams), but in road victories the last two weeks at Kentucky and Ole Miss, Alabama has gathered nine takeaways to more than triple its season total. UA coach Nick Saban didn’t have much of an explanation after a 22-3 win over the Rebels, but said the focus in practice on turnovers has gone unchanged. “We did the same thing the first four games of the year to get turnovers that we’ve been doing the last two weeks,” Saban said in his post-game remarks at Ole Miss. “We’ve gotten nine the last two weeks and four in the first however many weeks. So the next time you ask me, I’m going to ask you.”

Unbeaten Alabama wants to get better
Alabama right guard Barrett Jones — whose father is a UA alumnus — answered a question about campus activities Monday afternoon: “It’s homecoming this week?” Meanwhile, teammates have been giving Alabama linebacker Cory Reamer jokes about Mike Tyson, as a result of a large bandage to cover a slice on Reamer’s left ear. Starting quarterback Greg McElroy had a scab dotting a knuckle on his left hand, and as usual in midseason, the Crimson Tide’s training room has been busy repairing assorted bumps and bruises. “There is no rest for the weary around here,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “We don’t really care if we’re ranked at all, honestly,” Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain said. “We just want to keep getting better and keep winning. We’re never satisfied.

Roll Tide!

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