So how have they responded in practice this week?
"I think it's made a pretty big change," tight end Brian Vogler said. "We've got a lot of guys over emphasizing on communication. For the offense, that was a big thing for us, so we're really trying to overemphasize that. Even if we're yelling calls and the defense starts catching on to what we're doing, at least we're on the same page as a unit."
Oh, good lord. So our options are a) suck at communicating, or b) tip our hand. Sweet. It was theorized that last year Fluker was inadvertently tipping whether plays would be pass or run, and that that may have contributed to the struggles we had against Western Kentucky and Ole Miss. Hopefully, similar issues won't come up again this time around.
One year since knee injury vs. Ole Miss, DeAndrew White enters game as Alabama's leading WR | AL.com
He's just stepped up," linebacker C.J. Mosley said. "Kind of had his moments last year before he hurt his knee. Kind of showed that in previous years and he just had that knee surgery.
"I'm just happy for him to be making plays now. He's been a good player on special teams and he's a speedy, quick receiver. I expect more big plays from him."
DeAndrew has been a bit of a forgotten commodity among Bama fans. There's been a lot of promis around White, but not a ton of production up to this point. With Amari out some early in the season, White has made the most of his opportunities, and he already has more receiving yards in three games (161 yards) than he had in 5 games last year (105 yards) or in 12 games in 2011 (151 yards). Hopefully, he can continue to be a meaningful presence even after Amari Cooper is put back in the mix.
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Alabama student block seating reinstated for Ole Miss game a week after suspension | AL.com
Just one week after traditional student block seating was suspended for Alabama's first home game against Colorado State, The Crimson White reports the school has officially reinstated block seating in the lower bowl end zone of the student section starting Saturday in the game against Ole Miss.
Block seating, also known as student organization seating, in Bryant Denny Stadium has been a point of contention on UA's campus for years, as traditionally white fraternities were nearly exclusively granted the coveted end zone seats for several years.
Couple things: 1) I don't care at all about this block seating issue. I just want the seats to be filled, and I don't care how that's accomplished. 2) At the risk of relighting a tired powder keg, what is this about "traditionally white fraternities"? I'm regularly surprised by how naive I am, but I had no idea that such things still existed. I went to South Alabama, and while I wasn't in a fraternity, I saw plenty of fraternity bros, and they always seemed pretty well integrated. I don't understand how segregated fraternities could be allowed to persist in freaking 2013.
Alabama cancels home-and-home series with Michigan State | AL.com
"Michigan State graciously granted our request to cancel the games previously scheduled for the 2016 and 2017 seasons," Alabama athletics director Bill Battle wrote in a university statement. "We made the request due to the uncertainty of the conference football schedule in those years. We are very appreciative of Michigan State’s willingness to grant that request."
This is unfortunate news, and you can't help but wonder if this is an indication that the school is anticipating a move to a nine conference game schedule. If that happens, it means the school will alternate between having 8 and 7 slots for home games. Since we can't know when those 7 game years will fall, it makes sense to get out of a contract like this. A drop to seven home games is huge enough. A drop to six home games would be ridiculous.
I know that there has also been some concern about whether Bama will continue marquee out of conference games. I don't see this move as proof that Bama will be abandoning that strategy. I think we will continue to see the big matchups, but how they are structured will be heavily influenced by that 7/8 rotation. For instance, we may do the big neutral site matchup (or even a true away game), but those types of games would most like have to happen in the 8 game years. In the 7 game years, we pretty much have to have someone come to Tuscaloosa.
EA to not produce NCAA Football in 2014, settles cases | USA Today
On a day when video game manufacturer Electronic Arts announced it will not publish a version of its college football game next year and reached a settlement in three lawsuits, the NCAA vowed to fight those cases to the Supreme Court.
EA announced Thursday it will not produce an NCAA football game in 2014 and will evaluate the future of the franchise at a later date.
I did a Q&A for RCR. Check it out here.