Jumbo Package: Dawgs preemptively make excuses for what awaits them in Tuscaloosa

Happy Tuesday, everyone. We have a little comedy for you this morning. Mike Griffith at Dawgnation laments the fact that, should the SEC land on a conference-plus-one deal, Alabama would get a leg up on Georgia if the Tide is able to replace USC on the schedule, since the Dawgs would theoretically preserve their Thanksgiving weekend tilt against Georgia Tech.

Georgia would travel to Tuscaloosa to play Alabama in its season-opening game on Sept. 19 under more than one SEC scheduling scenario under consideration.

Nothing new there.

The twist is the Tide would have already played a game before Sept. 19 in the model involving SEC teams playing a conference schedule plus only one non-conference opponent.

The Bulldogs’ season-opening game with Virginia would fall by the wayside in that scenario.

The Dawgs are a passionate bunch but they can be amusing. One of their writers made a video over the weekend explaining why Jamie Newman went from first round candidate to a pretty solid backup option as soon as Kirby landed a waiver for the tall white QB he so desires J.T. Daniels from USC. If you run across a Dawg today, be sure to wish it a happy 40th anniversary season.

Everyone is talking about the OL haul Alabama has pulled in this season. It is historic.

The Tide’s 2021 class that consists of five-star offensive tackles Tommy Brockermeyer and JC Latham, along with Top50 guard Terrence Ferguson, and the nation’s No. 1 center in James Brockermeyer currently averages .9713 per prospect.

For comparison, the next closest offensive line signing class at UA under Saban is the 2019 group at .9539, a cycle that included Evan Neal, Pierce Quick, Amari Kight, Darrian Dalcourt, and Tanner Bowles.

All three are highly-rated offensive linemen, and when you throw in the June 12 commit of tackle JC Latham, this Alabama class has a shot to be the most talented front-line group of the Nick Saban era.

On paper, they already are.

Tommy Brockermeyer is the No. 1 offensive tackle in 247Sports’ composite while brother James Brockermeyer is the top-ranked center. Ferguson checks in at No. 2 on the guard rankings while Latham is No. 5 at tackle. Only James Brockermeyer is outside the top 50 overall rankings, according to 247Sports. They are another top-ranked guard away from fielding their own freshman all-star team in the fall of 2021.

So, why did the Brockermeyers pick ‘Bama?

“You’ve got the greatest coach in the history of college football and the biggest stage that there is,” he said. “Just with the development of their offensive line and their consistent dominance of college football. It’s not hard to argue with that. Texas has had kind of a rough stretch the last 10 years or so.”

At the end of the day, Blake Brockermeyer said the decision was up to his sons to make. While the family’s bond to Texas remains strong, the chance to help extend Saban’s dynasty was an opportunity too good to turn down.

“I think it’s a tough decision for them because there will be a lot of people that hate me and hate them and think there’s some ill-will we’re trying to do,” Blake Brockermeyer said. “But it’s their decision to make and that’s it.”

People will hate you and them? Surely you jest.

Last, BYU’s AD commented on discussions with Alabama.

“There have been a lot of communications, a lot of conversations with people,” Holmoe acknowledged on BYUtv’s “BYU Sports Nation” show when asked about the Alabama interest. “You gotta look at it this way: It might take me a year, a year and a half, to put together a schedule, normally. And when those two conferences, the Big Ten and the Pac-12, announced they were going conference games only, it opened up games. … Some (possible games) have been reported from their side. And I think that (the reports and rumors) will continue today and tomorrow and until this goes to the point where we are playing football.”

One of the games BYU lost was the Holy War rivalry against Utah, thanks to the Pac 12’s jumping of the gun and the shark. What kind of sense does that make? An in-state rivalry in an area that has not had major outbreaks. Insanity, I tell you.

That’s about it for now. Have a great day.

Roll Tide.