re: Bama Football Tidings

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The weekly Nick Saban radio show is back again Thursday evening entering the South Carolina.

Things will get started around 7 p.m. when Saban arrives from the practice field. Refresh for updates once things get started.

Fourth segment

-- Nathan on the phone wants to know if Saban uses the 2010 game to motivate the team. He hung up and listened. Saban said Tua Tagovailoa was probably in the sixth grade then but they can use it as a frame of reference to respect South Carolina.

-- Trent is on the phone in Destin, Fla. He’s doing pretty good and wants to know how the focus was on the team this week. Saban said it was “better” this week. One thing is obvious, you play like you practice. It carries over in the games.

The final word: Saban said it the game will come down to will because it’s going to be hot. Who can overcome that will succeed.

Third segment

-- Has Saban’s special teams strategy changed? He said he’s always valued straight line speed on coverage teams. Sometimes it’s like matching positions as if it was a basketball team to get the right people blocked. They are now using a spread punt after being one of the last to do it the old fashioned NFL way.

-- Caleb on the phone wants to know if this is the best group of WRs he’s had. He doesn’t normally like comparison questions, but to have four guys as talented as they have this year, “as a group this is probably the best we’ve had, collectively.” That’s important since they don’t have the balance in the running game right now, Saban said.

-- “When they get emotional, they don’t have a brain,” Saban said about players who react poorly to failure.

Second segment

-- Does Saban like an early game or a late game at home? It doesn’t seem to matter much to him. Whatever time it is, he wants the team to be ready. That said ... he wants the home fans who attend games at a good time when it’s comfortable for them to be there. He appreciates the fans who stuck around Saturday when it was hot.

-- On the heat, Eli Gold noted the lack of cramping in the game. Saban said they give players IVs at halftime if they have a history of cramping.

-- A youngster in the audience asks how Saban is so good at golf. He said his game is up and down. He shot a 77 one day.

-- Saban said the AFLAC duck from the commercial is a puppet operated by four people.

-- Tim from Muscle Shoals wants to know how close he can become with players. He said it’s a lot like parenting. You want to be loose but there’s a time when you have to reprimand them.

First segment

-- Nick Saban arrived right at 7:03. The first question is how Saban coaches pro players vs. college players. He said it’s not all that different, really. The biggest difference is trying to build the total person in college.

-- On not having much film of South Carolina QB Helinski, Saban said you couldn’t tell he was new in his first game. He played the same offense as Jake Bentley and looked very sharp against Charleston Southern.

-- Saban said he’d be a lot better parent now than he was 30 years ago based on what he’s learned since.

-- Does Saban talk football when he’s on vacation? He said he doesn’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable asking him about work on down time. He likes things outside of football but doesn’t want to make someone feel bad about asking about work.

-- Peewee from Grand Bay is up first again on the phone. He makes a joke about basic math, a callback from the postgame news conference Saturday. He wants to know about Landon Dickerson, who is back at right guard after playing center last week because of Chris Owens’ injury. Darrian Dalcourt is now moving into the backup role at center.

-- Alabama will miss Dylan Moses’ leadership as much as they’ll miss his performance on the field.

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Cole said Najee struggles with just planting your foot, squaring your pads and just powering ahead for as much as you can get

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Dang you Tennessee… You have me in VolunTEARS crying my eyes out.
These should be easy pickings, but when you have teams that stink up the SEC like Turdessee, you just can’t be too sure of anything anymore, now can you.
I had a perfect week going with one minute to go in your lousy game and you blow the lead and my perfect prognostication process.
That means I went 12-1 last week and while getting 92 of the games right, it’s of little compensation when you get so close to perfection.

Well this week we still have a lot of cupcake contests and only a couple of watchable warfares to see, so if you have to go visit the inlaws, get caught up on your yard work or go on vacation, this is the week to do it.

So let’s get started and see what cupcakes are on the baker’s shelves for this weekend.
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Arkansas State at Georgia – Boy, that didn’t take long to get to a blowout ballgame did it? The Red Wolves sound like they could be vicious, but these mangy cousins to the Bulldogs are just here for the big check.

Kirby’s Canines haven’t failed to live up to the preseason projections and plan on pounding these puppies into pancakes so pollsters won’t ponder if they’re getting soft after so many cupcakes.

How this made ESPN 2’s broadcast schedule is beyond me. Larry’s loser – Do I have to say it? Arkansas State

After last week, Kirby Smart broke down into his best Jan Brady impression….

Kansas State at Mississippi State – After two cupcake clashes, these two finally play a decent team. Now these Kansas Kitties aren’t the same cat show quality as previous pussycats have been from that school, but they could just surprise these Mississippi Mutts if they ain’t playing their A game.

Now Moorehead’s Mongrels are supposed to win this, but I’m really scared that if they don’t put ’em away early, this could be the place where the upset bug bites me in the butt.

This is gonna be the ESPN noontime game of the day and I think it’ll be the one to watch in that timeframe. In a close one – Larry’s loser – Kansas State


Chattanooga at Tennessee – Now these Indian Shoes sashay over to Tennessee’s crying ground and were only supposed to come by for a butt whipping and a check, but since they’re losing to everyone else, these Mocs now figure they may have a chance too!

And if that happens, look for Jeremy Pruitt to be gone quickly and Phillip Fulmer shuffling around the sidelines pretty darn quick.

I’m going to go with my head and not my heart in this one and if they let me down again, I’m going to take my dog and let him squat in Pruitt’s office on Monday. Larry’s loser – Chattanooga

Jeremy Pruitt’s tried everything else, now he’s turning to God.

Alabama at South Carolina – The last time the Tide went traipsing into the Carolina Coop, they got their trucks stepped on and the Packyderms were shown who had the big peckers.

But this time Nick ain’t planning to leave all pecked up and pitiful and he plans on some payback that the Pullets won’t soon forget.

Forget the friendship between Saban and the head Rooster in this barnyard, Bama’s going to pour it on in this one on CBS. Larry’s loser – South Carolina


Southeast Louisiana at Ole Miss – These loser Lions from a directional school in Louisiana lollygag over to Oxford in yet another cupcake for cash contest.

Now given that Tennessee can lose a cupcake clash, I guess anything’s possible, but last week these Rebels got a taste of winning and they like what they found.

So this week they’ll find out if Lions taste like chicken when they roast up these fur ball footballers and add a little Mississippi hot sauce. Larry’s loser – Southeast Louisiana

Colorado State at Arkansas – The Bighorn Sheep boys from Colorado country come a calling at the big Hog pen in Arkansas and they’re hoping to keep the pain pumping in the Piggies and keep them out of the win column for one more week.

Now I’ve said for two weeks that I can see these little Piggies finally getting to yell Wee Wee Wee! all the home and this might just be the week that this finally happens.

Now the Rams may try to knock down the house of the Hogs, but this ain’t the big bad wolf and they don’t huff and puff enough to break the walls of this Piggy palace. Larry’s loser – Colorado State

Kent State at Auburn – When Kent State carries the crew down to Auburn, it’ll be a bird fight when the Golden Flashes and War Eagles start the football feather fight in the Wiregrass war ground.

But when the plucking commences, there won’t be a lot of Eagle feathers and the ones being flushed won’t flash either and the Flashes won’t be able to fly home afterward.

So good news for Gus as yet another trip to Waffle Shop and those scattered, smothered and covered hash browns seem to be in his future after he makes Larry’s loser – Kent State


Florida at Kentucky – Now folks, this was supposed to be the year that Florida took the next step forward and Kentucky takes the next step down, but somebody forgot to tell these Tabbies from up Kentucky Derby way.

So when the Gators gather in the Wildcat’s part of the jungle, this one could be a real contest and might not be settled until late in the game. Yes the Gators looked great beating Miami, until everybody else beat them too, so….

Now I don’t mind telling you that this one makes me mucho nervous, but I think despite what the Vegas boys say, I see the upset bug biting big time in this ball game and the home team pulls off the big one and Mark Stoops looks like the coach of the year. I want to pick the Kentucky Kitties so bad it’s killing me, but I just can’t pull the trigger after re-writing this games pick three times now. Looks like I’m going with Larry’s loser to be Kentucky.

Are we right to be nervous and the Upset Bug bite the Gator’s gang? Wait and see. And yes we know Kentucky’s playing a backup quarterback.

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Good summation also keep in mind Bama is almost a pass first team now. Tons of 4 WR sets, tons of throws that are high completion. Sark isn’t stupid he is going to ride the train that works just like he did with Bo Scar being the hot hand.

Most of the people I’ve talked to say we will probably continue that more than be a super downhill team.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Antonio Alfano’s father shed some light on the freshman defensive lineman’s recent absence from the Alabama football team. The Twitter account @frankalfano76 posted a thread of tweets Friday morning stating the five-star freshman entered the NCAA transfer portal on Thursday but is still weighing his options.

"I’ve received many messages from the media regarding Antonio,” the tweet from Frank Alfano read. “It’s too bad that most of the media only reach out when there’s potentially bad or negative news. I’m confident my following response will answer all of your questions:

“Antonio’s grandmother recently fell very ill and is still fighting on life support. He is very close with her. Since this illness took effect, Antonio has taken it very hard. He has not attended classes and practices.

“The University of Alabama has been extremely supportive and I couldn’t ask for better support from them. Yesterday, Antonio asked to be placed in the transfer portal to see what his options are.

“Although he’s in the transfer portal, he still can decide to remain at the University of Alabama. My opinion is that Antonio should stay at the University of Alabama. However he’s an adult and it’s his decision. Antonio knows that his family has & will always be there for him.”

Wednesday, Alabama head coach Nick Saban stated Alfano “disappeared a little bit.” The 6-foot-4, 285-pound defensive end has yet to play a snap for the Crimson Tide and has been missing from practice the past two weeks.

“I talked to our team today about the fact that people make mistakes. We all make mistakes. I make mistakes, probably everybody in this room makes mistakes. We make mistakes as parents. We make mistakes as coaches. We make mistakes in just about everything that we do.

“But I think you compound the problem when you don’t confront the mistakes that you make and you create greater consequences for yourself because of the choices and decision that you make after you make a mistake. Hopefully, this will be a learning experience for all the guys in our team.”

Alfano, the No. 5 overall player in this year’s recruiting class, joined Alabama in January as an early enrollee. If he does transfer from the program, he will be the second former five-star prospect to leave the Crimson Tide this offseason. Sophomore outside linebacker Eyabi Anoma, the No. 7 player in the 2018 class, transferred to Houston last month.

In total, Alabama has had seven players depart by way of transfer this offseason including Anoma, quarterbacks Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma) and Layne Hatcher (Arkansas State), offensive lineman Richie Petitbon (Illinois), tight end Kedrick James (SMU), defensive back Kyriq McDonald (Cincinnati) and long snapper Scott Meyer (Vanderbilt).

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