Tide Tidbits – October 17, 2009

Tide’s homecoming game could hinge on Saban’s offense vs. Spurrier’s defense
A familiar face from a different place will pace Bryant-Denny Stadium’s east sideline tonight. Remember Steve Spurrier? Wore a visor? Used to be a villain? Beat Alabama more often than not? Across the field from the fifth-year South Carolina coach will be a coach with a similar background. Like Spurrier, Alabama coach Nick Saban has won a national championship at another Southeastern Conference school. Both coaches gave the NFL a two-year try but came back for SEConds in college football. Saban is the new villain in the SEC. Both coaches have built reputations as hands-on head coaches. But the similarities end there. Spurrier, who dominated the 1990s in the SEC when he coached at Florida (1996 national championship, six SEC titles in 12 seasons), is noted for his offensive knowledge. Saban, who had ruled much of the current decade in the SEC (2003 BCS championship at LSU), is recognized as one of college football’s top defensive experts.

Alabama looking to avoid trap game against Gamecocks
The last time South Carolina visited Alabama, the Crimson Tide was struggling to rebound from a rare losing season. Lou Holtz’s Gamecocks took an early lead as Marc Guillon, starting his second game in place of injured quarterback Brodie Croyle, was replaced by Spencer Pennington. Receiver Keith Brown was knocked out after running into the fence in the end zone at Bryant-Denny Stadium and, after a long delay to attend to Brown, the normally reliable Brian Bostick missed a chip-shot field goal. Nothing seemed to go right for Mike Shula’s Crimson Tide in a 20-3 loss Oct. 2, 2004. “We won the last time we went to Tuscaloosa,” said Steve Spurrier, now the coach in Columbia. “(Tailback) Syvelle Newton had a heck of a game, if I remember right. It’s probably a little bit different Alabama team than it was then, but who knows.”

No. 2 Alabama faces test in South Carolina
The pressure is all on No. 2 Alabama. That’s how South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier sees it. The 22nd-ranked Gamecocks visit the Crimson Tide on Saturday night. South Carolina is a 17-point underdog. But Spurrier’s team could well have something to say about that projected 1-2 Southeastern Conference championship game matchup between Alabama (6-0, 3-0) and Florida. The Gamecocks (5-1, 2-1) host No. 1 Florida next month.

The BCS poll is coming … who’s No. 4?
in the end, you can count on two things about the BCS Championship Game this year: one team will come from the Southeastern Conference, and the other will come from the Big 12. That’s not just my opinion. Listen to ESPN’s BCS expert, Brad Edwards. “As just an observer of the sport, the way Florida and Alabama are playing — and I recognize there have been so many upsets the last few years, anything can happen — but I just get the feeling one of those two schools will win the SEC with no more than one loss and be one team in the BCS (game). … And (after today’s Oklahoma game) Texas doesn’t … have a team on their schedule that really looks losable in the month of November. So just as far as anticipation of any given Saturday goes, it kind of sets up as a really boring November for college football fans.”

Roll Tide!

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