Jumbo Package: Let's Forget About Basketball Now...

Alabama Is Now a Definite Lock for College Football Playoff | Bleacher Report

"We're always pleased with a win, especially on the road. Mississippi State played a really good game," head coach Nick Saban said, according to Alabama's official site. "They have a really good team. Dak Prescott is a tough guy to defend. I know they gained a lot of yards today, but our defense did a really good job of not allowing a lot of points. We got them stopped inside the five (yard line) and a couple times in the red zone, which I think is important."

Bend-don't-break was the alleged new normal until Tucker came alone. Saban doesn't like Alabama playing that way, obviously, but the red zone defense was outstanding and Dak Prescott is a special player.

College football -- Alabama now favorite to win College Football Playoff

Alabama is now the 5-2 favorite at the SuperBook, followed closely by the Buckeyes at 11-4, Clemson at 7-2 and Notre Dame at 8-1. Those four teams topped last week's College Football Playoff rankings, with Clemson at No. 1. Oklahoma is next at 10-1, followed by Oklahoma State at 12-1, Iowa at 20-1 and Florida at 25-1.

I think Glen got this at 18-1 after the UGA game. If you're still holding out, don't. Those odds are going to only get lower after Alabama wins the SEC Championship (every day is Gumpday.)

Alabama cruises by Appalachian State - ESPN Video

Meoshonti Knight leads the way for the Crimson Tide with 20 points as they roll over Appalachian State 93-59.

Kristin Curry's reclamation project of women's hoops continues. The Tide is off to a 2-0 start. Well done.

Alabama's Iron Bowl tune-up isn't traditional paycheck pushover | AL.com

"It's not totally the same, but it's option football. Georgia Southern basically ran more Georgia Tech style offense, which is more three-back," Saban said. "Which they have some of. But they mostly do it with two backs in the backfield and multiple formations, which create adjustment issues to be able to stay sound on the option. But there are some similarities in the plays they run and the way they run the plays."

I was answering a few questions about the Bucs yesterday. They do run a read-option and feature a lot of triple option, as well. It is uptempo, but this isn't Auburn's scheme at all. It will be obnoxious, irritating, potentially injurious, and I'd love for the Tide to quit scheduling option teams late in the season #Pray4THEshawnsKnees

Scheduling non-SEC games can mean 'bargaining and begging' for Alabama | AL.com

Nick Saban on several occasions said Alabama has trouble scheduling the non-SEC games. "You know, we don't have a lot of choices," Saban said Monday. "It's not like going into a restaurant and getting a menu and saying 'OK, we can play these 24 different teams. Which one do you want to play?' Most of the time, we're bargaining and begging to get anybody to play us. So we don't always have a lot of choice."

...but, as Saban points out, it's very hard for the Tide to schedule series against P5 teams. Sure, there are the marquee kickoff games, but someone like UNC or Iowa doesn't want to schedule a home-and-away against the Tide. So, the next time you hear the media blathering about how shameful these games are (and they are) remember that scheduling is not always as easy as Hot Take Merchants make it out to be.

Florida's chances minimal vs. Alabama in SEC title game, Auburn may have 'been .500 team all along,' ESPN's Dari Nowkhah says | AL.com

The Tigers were the preseason SEC favorite according to many, but Nowkhah said "expectations were just far too high" for Gus Malzahn's team. "They may have been a .500 football team all along," Nowkhah said. "But we believed the hype about Jeremy Johnson. We believed the hype about Will Muschamp. But that's also a team when you see them healthy on defense, you see how good they can be. So there is improvement there.

Well, some of us never bought the hype, guys (hint, the entire staff at Roll 'Bama Roll.) Florida, meanwhile, looks to be a prohibitive underdog if and when these two teams meet.

The Iron Bowl with Verne and Gary -- again: Does it bother you? | AL.com

Personally, I like them. Lundquist inherited the mantle of "voice of college football" from Keith Jackson when he rode his hoss into retirement. His work with basketball and football has quietly made him the voice of college sports, no matter what ESPN would like you to think

For a sixth time this season, CBS has exercised its option on an Alabama game. Meaning, for the sixth time, we get the dulcet tones of Verne and Gary at 2:30 central next Saturday. For whatever reason, this announcing duo annoys many Tide fans. I'm not sure why. Gary Danielson knows what he's talking about, even if he does get a bit mawkish and overreach with analogies sometimes. And, Verne does mispronounce a few names. That's okay too, as far as I'm concerned. Would you rather have Blackledge? Mowins? Gilmore?

OHHHH, MYYYYYYYY!!!!

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