Jumbo Package: Will Alabama get Christopher Allen back for the playoffs?

Happy Monday, everyone. Brett Greenberg of the Tuscaloosa News has a little good cheer for us this morning.

Dallas Turner has played quite well in his stead, but a little more senior leadership on the field can’t hurt. Of course, the dude on the other side has become the team’s spiritual leader.

“We most definitely do,” he said Saturday night. “We’re not a perfect team, don’t get us wrong. We’ve had our ups and downs this whole season. But we’re starting to rally together. We’re starting to build that team chemistry. We’re starting to come together, and we’re starting to see that football is the most important thing. We’ve been executing very well in meetings, the facility, everything. Everybody’s been locked in at meetings and practice.

“Everybody knows what’s at stake at this point. I think that’s why everybody’s mindset and starting to change and shift. I think we have been playing some of our best ball right now. It’s not our complete football that we want to be at, but we have been doing a good job.”

Will was named one of Alabama’s four permanent team captains for 2021 along with Bryce Young, Phidarian Mathis, and Evan Neal. You can find all the rest of the awards from Sunday’s team banquet here.

Sporting News has a little Gump for you this morning.

Quarterback Bryce Young now is the heavy favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. He passed for 4,322 yards, 43 TDs and four interceptions. Young was unstoppable in the SEC championship game and is the most-dynamic quarterback in the playoff.

The Crimson Tide will pull down a bunch of other national awards, too, including receiver Jameson Williams (1,445 yards, 15 TDs) and linebacker Will Anderson (14 sacks, 27.5 TFL). The Crimson Tide have the most talent of any team in the field, and Saban showed against the Bulldogs that the “disrespect card” can still be used.

Alabama has been there, done that, and Saban is a good bet to lead them to the CFP championship game for the sixth time in eight years.

We agree.

Luke Fickell was complimentary of Alabama as you might expect.

— Ford has 200 carries, 1,242 yards and 19 touchdowns for Cincinnati as its leading rusher.

— Fickell was a co-defensive coordinator for Ohio State when it beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl semifinal of the inaugural playoff in 2014. It was the only time he saw Alabama other than as a Buckeye player in the Citrus Bowl in the mid-90s. “There are no weaknesses,” Fickell said. “Their players play on special teams,” Fickell said and they use the same idea at Cincinnati.

Playing in that game will have to be fun for Ford. Hopefully it turns out to be a bit frustrating for him too.

Last, Jeff Goodman is pretty high on Tide basketball after that big win over Gonzaga.

God bless Nate Oats.

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

Roll Tide.