Crimson Tide Links and Such for Thursday 10/11/07

Glen Coffee knows how quickly the playing rotation can change for Alabama's tailbacks.

At the top one moment, a benchwarmer the next. It's why Coffee isn't taking anything for granted leading up to Saturday's game at Mississippi even after his first 100-yard game for the Crimson Tide.

Just ask Terry Grant. He was the Southeastern Conference freshman of the week following each of the first three games, but had only three carries against Houston.

Coach Nick Saban said that's not a knock on Grant, either.

"Terry's not having any troubles," Saban said. "You guys (reporters) have it in your mind that one guy has to do bad for another guy to do good, and that's not the case.

"They’ll put eight or nine guys in the box," said Tide running back Terry Grant on Tuesday. "We pretty much know to expect that."

That’s tough duty for running backs like Grant, although it’s also ample opportunity for the offense as a whole. The frustration against Houston -- and while it does seem odd to talk about frustration in a game that saw Alabama score 30 points, there was a good deal of it after the first quarter -- wasn’t that Alabama couldn’t run, necessarily. It’s that when Houston sold out against the run, the Crimson Tide couldn’t make them pay by hitting big plays over the top.

Lost in the hubbub and hype is the simple fact that Alabama’s offense is, in fact, scoring more this season. This time last year, the Tide was averaging 24.2 points per game. Currently, it’s 30.7 (although scoring is generally up in the SEC).