Jumbo Package: Tide remains #2 headed into Tennessee hate week

Happy Monday, everyone. Alabama still sits #2 in the polls after dismantling Georgia’s defense.

Clemson defended its turf with a historic blowout against Georgia Tech. The 66-point rout was the largest ever in an Atlantic Coast Conference football game. Clemson received 54 first-place votes out of 62 from the panel of sports writers and broadcasters.

The Crimson Tide got the remaining eight first-place votes. Notre Dame moved up to a season-high No. 3, No. 4 Georgia dropped one spot and Ohio State moved up to No. 5 a week before the Big Ten starts playing.

It’s rare to say this, but Clemson has a tougher remaining schedule than Alabama. The Crimson Tide is all but a lock to make the Southeastern Conference championship game, given the state of the rest of the SEC West. ‘Bama would have to lose at least twice not to make it to Atlanta, and it’s hard to find a single remaining opponent that looks like a serious threat at this point. Things can change, but as of now the Tide would be at least a two-touchdown favorite in every remaining regular-season game.

Chances of being 10–0 on Dec. 6: Extremely strong.

Chances of whipping Tennessee in Neyland again are similarly strong.

Only 17? Bet the house.

In NFL news, Tua Tagovailoa finally made his debut, completing two passes for ten yards.

After the game, Tagovailoa returned to the field and sat on the turf in his uniform.

“I tried to sit close to where we ended our drive at,” Tagovailoa told reporters at a postgame press conference, “and I ended up Facetiming my parents because they couldn’t be here, so that’s usually how it goes. I usually talk to my parents after a game. My parents usually never miss my game, so that’s what I did. I went out there. I talked to them. So, yeah, that’s what that moment was about. …

“I think the most important thing that came out of my conversation with my parents was just that they were happy to see me out there playing again, especially with what happened last year prior to the injury and whatnot.”

King Henry is getting some MVP love after his 264 total yards effort on Sunday.

Long live the king.

Last, some of you already saw this yesterday, but this from Dawg Sports has to be the most pathetic front page content I have ever seen on a SB Nation site.

With Alabama facing a 3rd & 19 after an intentional grounding penalty and a short gain, Georgia defensive back Eric Stokes was called for a defensive hold on a catch by an Alabama wide-receiver who was well short of the first-down marker. The play did not provide any competitive advantage to Stokes or his team, and the penalty that was called was for normal play between a defensive-back and a wide-receiver. That penalty gave Alabama a first-down, and allowed them to eventually kick a field-goal. That changed the game.

Needless to say, this is just one call with which the writer has beef, but besides the fact that the grounding call was questionable as hell with as John Metchie III in the area, the claim here is that grabbing a receiver first by the collar and then by the arm is “normal play.” There seems to be no mention of Richard LeCounte trapping that interception either, likely because Georgia squandered the chance as usual. I can only hope that this post was written with drunken tears or something. It could serve as a meltdown on its own.

That’s about it for today. Have a great week.

Roll Tide.