Jumbo Package: Urban Meyer is in Trouble

Alabama Rumors: Tua Tagovailoa ‘Clear Favorite’ to Win Starting QB Job

Although Hurts might be more athletic and have a stronger arm, the difference in this battle could come from the passing-game contributions.

”While most QBs need a receiver to be open in order to complete a pass, the truly special ones throwing-wise have an ability to read a defense at a very high level, anticipate what’s going to happen and can throw a receiver open even if they’re well-covered,” Zenitz explained. “Tagovailoa has all that.”

Now Bleacher Report is even getting in on the QB action. Nothing we haven’t heard before, but they sound like they’re solely on the Hawaiian side of things.

There is no doubt the Auburn loss benefitted the Alabama Crimson Tide. That loss might not have happened if a healthy Kerryon Johnson had played in the second Georgia game. Why he was not healthy has been clouded in misinformation. It was widely reported he exited the Iron Bowl with a non-contact injury.

Less reported is he injured a shoulder earlier in the game, falling on it after a tackle by Ronnie Harrison. The tackle was hard but not a bone-crusher. More than anything, it caused Johnson to land awkwardly. Without that tumble, Johnson may have been near 100 percent against Georgia. With him severely hampered, the Auburn offense was neutered.

Alabama Football: The margin for a national championship is ever so slim

One play in a lost Iron Bowl might have led to the National Championship victory nearly as much as overtime plays against Georgia six weeks later. Perhaps too much of a stretch is made with the last example of fate. Or maybe the Harrison tackle and the results it triggered, are just what Seneca and Lombardi stated, “preparation meeting opportunity.”

There is no way to define the extent luck favors champions. We can all agree luck is sometimes a factor in losing. If so, it must also sometimes be a factor in winning. And the margin between the two results can be ever so slim

Is it not better to be lucky than good. Alabama football championships are driven by hard work and determination. Being a little lucky never hurts.

Every play, every moment, matters. That is what Nick Saban preaches with every fiber of his being. And when you stop to look at just how often the entire course of a football season can be changed on a single play (Ronnie Harrison putting forth the effort in making that tackle on the 1-yard line on Kerryon Johnson), you really start to realize just how right Saban has it.

College football power rankings: Bama-Clemson, Round IV?

The runaway favorites in the SEC, the defending champion Crimson Tide could have one of their most explosive offenses in years with tons of depth at running back and receiver, led by Damien Harris. The question is: Who plays quarterback? Whether it’s Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurtsor some combination of the two, Nick Saban’s squad should put up points. The defense, however, could be a relative work in progress with four new starters in the secondary and already a major loss at linebacker (Terrell Lewis). But don’t expect anyone to feel sorry for Saban’s latest collection of five-stars. -- Alex Scarborough

ESPN has released some power rankings if you feel like logging on the the world wide web and doing some arguing over someone else’s opinion. That said, they have Alabama #1, as things should be. They’re followed by Clemson, Ohio State, and Georgia in the top 4, in case you didn’t see that one coming.

Drafted by the Giants with the first pick in the second round, Alabama football safety Landon Collins determination to make the teams that passed on him suffer has turned out well.

Alabama Football: Landon Collins on a mission to become best NFL safety

After declaring early for the NFL draft, the NFL advisory board assured him as a surefire first-round pick after leading the Crimson Tide in tackles from his safety position. The memorable Thursday night ended with all 32 teams passing on him.

Displaying a gigantic chip on his shoulder, Landon set out to prove he was ready. Moved to free safety, Collins was a natural tallying 112 tackles and one interception.

The following season, Landon exploded with a breakout season. The Giants drafted free safety Darian Thompson allowing Collins to revert to his natural position, strong safety. His strong play led to NFC player of the month for December. After racking up 125 tackles with five interceptions, Landon’s meteoric rise demonstrated the enormous potential of the former Crimson Tide player.

Further accolades received during the 2016 season included being named to first-team All-Pro, first Pro Bowl and recognized as the 28th best player in the NFL by his peers. His stellar play led to him becoming a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year.

Landon has been nothing short of spectacular since he reached the pros, and despite notching two pro-bowls and and All-Pro season, he seems to be a bit under the radar when it comes to national media accolades and recognition. If the Giants manage to put together a decent season and become a team with some media attention again, it will naturally come to Collins as well.

Legal Angles of Ohio State’s Probe Into Urban Meyer’s Knowledge of Charges Against Zach Smith

As reported by college football reporter Brett McMurphy, Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer is accused of misleading media on July 24 when Meyer alternatively downplayed and denied awareness of domestic violence allegations previously brought against his former wide receivers coach, Zach Smith. During the Big Ten media day July 24—one day after Meyer fired Smith in the wake of Smith becoming the subject of a temporary restraining order—Meyer described a 2009 incident in which Smith was arrested for battering his pregnant wife, Courtney Smith, as “what was reported wasn’t actually what happened.” Further, Meyer said of a 2015 incident in which Smith was accused of battering his wife as being news to him. Meyer explained that he had received a text the night before (July 23) about an incident involving Smith in 2015 but that “there was nothing . . . once again, there’s nothing—once again, I don’t know who creates a story like that.”

Well, it’s not like a culture of lawlessness and chaos follow every program that Urban Meyer is the head of....

It’s all the big news right now, but the situation right now with Meyer is going to be a waiting game for the rest of us. It’s not proven that Smith actually did any abuse yet, nor is it proven that Meyer actually knew about it if it did happen. So, amid a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo (which is why I give you this link to click on, and we also have a resident lawyer in Erik), it seems to me like we’ll just wait a little bit only for it to die down when nothing ever gets proven.

That’s it for today. Roll Tide!