Spring preview: Key SEC position battles - ESPN
As for the quarterback battle, if last season taught us anything, it's not to assume what Nick Saban will do. Many felt Jake Coker being the starter was a foregone conclusion only for Blake Sims to emerge as the guy. This year, it's Coker, Cooper Bateman, David Cornwell and Blake Barnett. Who will emerge from that battle?
Have y'all heard that we have a QB competition going on this spring and fall? Just making sure. Since they asked the question, we might as well answer it. Who is your way-too-early favorite to win the job? Hunches are allowed and even encouraged, there is no accountability here. Answer the poll at the bottom and put your #HotTakes in the comments.
College football players with the most to prove in 2015, starting in the spring - ESPN
Before he'd ever stepped onto campus last year, Coker was anointed by many as Alabama's starter after beginning his career at Florida State and then transferring. Blake Sims had other ideas, and the rest is history. Now that Coker has been a part of the Alabama program for almost a year, it's fair to evaluate what kind of quarterback he really is. He has tremendous arm strength and excellent athletic ability. What he has to prove is that he can lead a football team, make winning decisions and effectively use the talent around him. This isn't Lane Kiffin's first rodeo in developing a quarterback. Look at what he did with Sims last season. Now, it's Coker's time to make that kind of jump.
Indeed, Jake has plenty to prove. He is the senior, has the tools, and is the only competitor who has thrown a pass in an actual college football game. The competition should be his for the taking but, of course, he has to take it.
SEC pre-spring position rankings: DB - SEC Blog - ESPN
The Crimson Tide had a rough year on the back end in 2014, finishing 11th in the SEC in passing yards allowed per game (226). The group has a new secondary coach (Mel Tucker) but a lot of attrition, with Landon Collins, Nick Perry and Jarrick Williams gone. Cyrus Jones, who led the team with 13 pass breakups, and Eddie Jackson, who started 11 games, are back at cornerback as are Tony Brown and Maurice Smith. Geno Smith, who started six games at the Star position, is also back. ESPN 300 safety Deionte Thompson and four-star safety Ronnie Harrison arrived in January so they’ll participate in spring practice.
While some of the offensive rankings in this series seemed a bit low where Alabama is concerned, this one seems fair. There is plenty of talent on the roster but considering that the best player departed a unit that ranked 11th out of 14 in the SEC last season, the Alabama DBs are going to get very little respect in the preseason. Considering the strength in the front seven, you can bet that opposing teams will come out throwing early and often.
Gus Malzahn shrugs off NFL criticism of spread offenses | AL.com
"So many times, you're evaluating a quarterback who has never called a play in the huddle, never used a snap count. They hold up a card on the sideline, he kicks his foot and throws the ball," Arians told reporters. "That ain't playing quarterback. There's no leadership involved there."
NFL coaches talking about how gimmick offenses ruin player development simply warms my heart.
410-pound Baylor lineman getting spring looks at TE | CollegeFootballTalk
Fast-forward two months, and the 6-7 McGowan is now listed as 410 pounds on the team’s official website. He’s also getting significant and meaningful looks at the tight end position during spring practice, with Art Briles stating that the experiment, such as it is, will likely continue through the non-conference portion of BU’s 2015 slate before the staff decides whether to use him at that position during Big 12 play.
I typically don't take much interest in Baylor football, but I would tune in to watch a 400-pound man running pass routes. McGowan makes Brandon Greene look like a slot receiver. There's just something special about a fat guy TD.
Will college football's Big Bowl go cold weather? | News OK
Will college football think about marketing? Think about taking the Big Bowl to New York or Minnesota or Indy, some place north, to spark further interest in a sport that long has ruled south of the Mason-Dixon Line and is becoming more popular than ever?
Interesting question here as several cities are making bids for future championship games. Playing one in Big Ten country could make some sense from a marketing perspective, but asking college football fans to travel to some place like Minneapolis in January seems like a tough sell.
Milo's hamburgers making return to Tuscaloosa | TuscaloosaNews.com
Set to open in late April, the new Milo's is under construction near the intersection of Skyland Boulevard and Alabama Highway 69. "We're really excited about it," said company CEO Tom Dekle. "It really is a great location. It's real easy to get to from any part of the town or area."
A little sad that it won't be in the same location, but good to see one of the best burgers around returning to Tuscaloosa. Always a good stop while in town.
You know," he said before pausing, "I think the biggest thing for me coming in was coach (Anthony) Grant recruiting me, and he was the coach I wanted to play for. He teaches you a lot about basketball, but it was more than basketball. The other things he taught me are about life and always believing in yourself. Randolph continued, "No one can take that away from me. As long as you believe, you’ll always have that. I think that’s my career. Just learning, growing as a man and becoming a better person."
Tough not to like Levi Randolph. He will represent the University well wherever life takes him.
Freshman defensive back Marlon Humphrey is one of 11 Alabama track standouts who earned their way into the NCAA Indoor Track and Field championships. So is Remona Burchell, who set a women's collegiate record in the 60-meter dash last week at the SEC championships. She is the top-ranked sprinter on the women's side.
SEC speed.
Led by two-time Southeastern Conference champion Kaylin Burchell, four Alabama swimmers have earned berths for the 2015 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships which will be held March 19-21 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Burchell, seeded second in the 100 breaststroke and fifth in the 200 breaststroke going into the national championships, will be joined by junior Emma Saunders, sophomore Bridget Blood and freshman Mia Nonnenberg.
Hey, at least somebody made the NCAA Championships! Roll Tide, ladies.