Jumbo Package: Kelvin Sampson apologizes, Bryce Young proves Alabama is now QBU

Happy Monday, everyone. First up, that wild basketball game from very late Saturday night.

But the game-deciding play was not well-received by Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson and the rest of Houston’s team, as Sampson and his coaching staff pleaded for a goal-tending call to be made by the officials. When it wasn’t, Houston guard Marcus Sasser followed the referees to the Crimson Tide’s locker room before he was held back by officers at the arena.

“That was disappointing that he didn’t call that,” Sampson said after the game. “I felt bad for my kids, not for me. I’ll live to fight another day. These kids have invested so much and they work so hard, and they played so hard tonight in a tough environment with a lot of things going against them, over and over and over.

Apologies were issued as they certainly should have been, but Houston fans were whining all day yesterday on social media, and that’s mostly caused by this 66-year-old titty baby. In any case, let’s put it to bed one last time. In case you haven’t yet seen it, and shame on you if that’s the case, here is the play in question.

The play was not reviewable because, per current rules, replay review is only allowed in an instance where a call is made. No call was made on this play, so no review. Some folks are calling to have that changed.

In any case, this is the part that gets me. Reasonable people can disagree on whether that ball had a chance to graze the rim had JD left it alone, and by the letter of the rule it would be a goaltend if it did. What nobody with functioning eyesight can claim, however, is that the ball had any chance whatsoever of going in the basket. So, the Coogs are crying not because they made the play to win and had it taken from them, but because they didn’t get a bail out on a ball that very clearly was not going to score.

Maybe Houston has a little Auburn in them.

This is a great breakdown of how Nate Oats uses the pick and roll to manipulate defenses.

Great stuff. This team is playing smarter and more cohesive basketball than any Alabama basketball team I can remember.

Blake Toppmeyer over at USA Today says that Bryce Young has officially crowned Alabama QBU.

Hurts became a second-round NFL Draft pick, while Tagovailoa and Jones were first-round selections. Each is now starting in the NFL.

As good as those three were for Alabama, none meant as much to the Crimson Tide offense as Young does. Alabama is on pace to finish a season with more passing attempts than rushes for the first time ever. With at least one game remaining, Young already has broken Alabama’s single-season record for completions and tied its season record for passing attempts.

This is a great point. Alabama had to throw the ball more this year because the running game wasn’t its usual self, and here we are as the #1 seed in the playoffs. Great show, Bryce. The last two Heisman winners are a WR and QB from Alabama. Imagine thinking that would happen ten years ago. This is what they wanted football to be.

In other QB news, we will soon find out if young Quinn Ewers is as good as he clearly thinks he is.

Quinn Ewers, the country’s top quarterback recruit in 2021, intends to transfer to Texas, sources told Yahoo Sports. Ewers planned on informing the Texas coaching staff of his decision on Sunday evening.

Ewers made national news this summer when he skipped his senior year of high school at powerhouse Southlake Carroll in Texas and enrolled early at Ohio State. He did so with the idea he could make more than a million dollars in endorsements.

Sark needed some good news in a bad way. We’ll see what he does with it.

Meanwhile, in the pasture:

Another notable name could be entering the portal, this time being Auburn star running back Tank Bigsby. Auburn Live’s Justin Hokanson said that he expects Bigsby will enter the portal.

Earlier on Sunday evening, Auburn quarterback Bo Nix announced that he would be entering the portal. Nix and Bigsby were a formidable punch for the Tigers, but now both will be on the move.

Sounds like things are going swimmingly for Harsin.

Last, oh my.

That is.... weird, Brian.

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

Roll Tide.