Jumbo Package: A look at Saban’s unparalleled dominance in season openers

Happy Thursday, everyone. The women’s basketball team plays on SEC Network this afternoon, at 4pm vs. Florida in Gainesville. Jasmine Walker is on fire.

After posting a program-record 41 points Sunday against Auburn, Jasmine Walker was named the SEC Player of the Week.

It is the first SEC weekly honor for Walker and the first for the Crimson Tide this season.

Walker also became the first SEC player to have 40-plus points and 15 or more rebounds in a game since 2003.

She remains the only player in the SEC to rank in the top five in scoring (20.8) and rebounds (10.2) per game.

41 points seems pretty good. The ladies are currently a 7 seed in the NCAA tournament according to ESPN.

247’s Miami site dove into Saban’s record in season openers, and needless to say things don’t look favorable for the ‘Canes.

Here are some interesting takeaways from looking at Alabama’s performances in season openers during the Nick Saban era…

- Alabama is undefeated (14-0) in season openers under Nick Saban.

- All of Alabama’s victories have been by a double-digit margin.

- The average margin of victory by Alabama in season openers is 29 points.

- The average margin of victory by Alabama in season openers against Power Five opponents is 25 points.

- The average margin of victory by Alabama in season openers against ranked opponents is 23 points.

- Six opponents were ranked in the season opening match-up against Alabama. Three of those opponents finished the season ranked.

- Six teams that faced Alabama over the past 13 years went on to have either the same or better win total that season than the year before.

So, seven of the 13 did worse than the year prior when opening up against Saban and company. Some of those statistics are pretty incredible.

The track and field teams are off to a great start.

The No. 5 ranking for the women is the best mark received by the program in the poll since the final rankings of the 2017 season and the first time Alabama has been ranked on week one.

The Crimson Tide women have seven athletes holding marks within the top-10 of their respective events. Tamara Clark is the owner of two of them, as she is ranked third in the 60m (7.26) and second in the 200m (22.90). Mercy Chelangat is ranked No. 2 in the 5000m (15:52.19), while the Distance Medley Relay is also slotted in at No. 2 with a time of 11:54.60.

For the men, its No. 8 ranking marks its best since the final rankings of the 2019 season. Performances by the trio of Champion Allison, Leander Forbes and Eliud Kipsang last weekend at the Carolina Challenge slotted the men into the current positioning.

Charles Barkley is not a fan of fans, at least those of SEC teams.

“When I’m in Alabama, I got friends who are like, ‘We on CBS this week. Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson hate us.’ I got Alabama fans saying, ‘Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson hate us.’ I’m like, ‘Why do you all think that?’

“I said, ‘They don’t give a (expletive) who wins. I know both of those guys. They don’t give a (expletive) about Alabama-Auburn football. They are here to do their job.

“But fans hear what they want to (expletive) hear. It’s that plain and simple.”

So, there you have it, SEC fans. Analysts who call your team’s game, don’t care who wins, according to Chuck.

Sir Charles calling out other people for being obnoxious is pretty rich, but he is funny.

Last, Trent Richardson will be playing some fútbol americano this season.

Former Alabama tailback Trent Richardson has joined Caudillos de Chihuahua, a franchise in Futbol Americano de Mexico. Although he put on a jersey with his name and number on the back after his introduction, Richardson kept quiet on what he’ll be doing with the team.

“My role will be — we’ll have to let y’all know,” Richardson said in a press conference. “Breaking news will come out soon. But I know when I do get here, I do want to win and I do come to win fans. And I’m gonna bring a lot with me as far as my mindset and teaching and helping bring awareness to the community to the team and what this team’s about.

That should be interesting.

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

Roll Tide.