Jumbo Package: Crimson Tide are dialed-in for LSU after a great week of practice

After two sluggish games, where Alabama had more than its share of errors and busts, getting focused on the road trip to No. 10 LSU was absolutely critical. Fortunately, Nick Saban has been very pleased with the energy and discipline the Crimson Tide showed this week.

His press conference yesterday was vintage, play-to-a-standard, Process 101...which is refreshing.

He said, “We’ve had good practices all week. It’s a challenge for guys to maintain their intensity and it’s a choice that everybody has to make. Nobody chooses to win. Nobody really chooses to lose.

“But you do have the freedom to choose what you want to do and how you want to do it. And I think that’s the most important thing that players can do, and everybody has a choice to do that in whatever they do in their life. So that’s what we’re trying to get out players to do so we can sustain and maintain intensity throughout the season.

“Obviously, because... rivalry game, playing on the road, good team. So it’s going to be really important that we can do that.

“I’d like for the players to attach themselves to ‘what do I have to do to play my best to prepare the best to be ready to go and play with confidence and understanding of what I’m supposed to do, how I’m supposed to do it, why I’m supposed to do it that way’ and go play fast and do that one play at a time.

Part of that focus is knowing when to establish intensity and “pound your chest”

Calvin Ridley, suspended indefinitely (likely an entire season) for small wagers he made on football while injured has been the subject of much trade speculation. And yesterday, a suitor finally jumped: the talent-hungry Jacksonville Jaguars, where Sunshine is in dire need of an elite, reliable WR1.

“We’re going to always look to add talent to this roster any way possible, any shape or form,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said on Wednesday. “And I feel like we’ve done that. Obviously, we won’t know what we have until the league clears him and all of that, and we understand that. At the same time, we feel like we’re getting a really good football player and adding to a good room. Great leaders in that room that will embrace him when he finally gets here. …

Look, Ridley even made Jalen Hurts look great at times, so he can surely help Lawrence, right?

Some more preseason hardware is coming for ‘Bama hoops:

The SEC announces their preseason All-SEC teams right before Alabama Crimson Tide basketball opens their season against the Longwood Lancers. Making an appearance on the list are two Tide hoopers, senior guard Jahvon Quinerly being named to the first team and freshman forward Brandon Miller being named second team.

He’s not on there, but seriously, keep an eye on Noah Clowney this year too. That guy is a baller. Miller is deservedly getting love, but Clowney seems to be the glue that is going to hold this all together.

Nick Saban all-but confirmed what we’ve long-suspected here: Bryce Young’s injury at Arkansas was hardly consequential. Alabama has played half a season with an offense out of sorts and “left-handed”

Asked how effectively the Crimson Tide offense has used speed at the wide receiver position, Saban pointed to how the leader on that side of the ball has not been healthy since Week 4.

“I don’t think it’s really fair to assess anything that the offense has done because we’ve been a little bit left-handed ever since Bryce got hurt in the Arkansas game,” said Saban after Wednesday’s practice. “He basically hadn’t been able to practice for however many weeks, three weeks and played pretty well in two games. But the continuity of what you do and how you build confidence and timing has been a little bit distorted.

“Now, the good news is I think it was really beneficial to the two backup quarterbacks. I think they got a ton of reps, and I think that’s helped them. But it’s not really fair to sort of see how we’ve sort of developed offensively because probably the most important guy on the team – any team – is the quarterback and most importantly on our team because of the quality of player Bryce is. So we’ve been a little bit out of sorts.

They arrested and charged the kid who shot BRob. And, yes, it was a kid: a 17-year-old beginning his career in armed robbery and aggravated assault.

He was 16 at the time, and I’d be stunned if he’s charged as an adult. Proceedings will likely be kept in juvenile courts (and also kept confidential), and he’ll be out on the streets in two years. That’s just the reality of the system.

Lane is telling Auburn no, without telling Auburn no. Yesterday he said that Deion Sanders would be a great coach for the Barners. LOL.

Expect a lot of guys to use the threat of Auburn to get lucrative extensions and raises. Every Christmas is a good Christmas at Jimmy Sexton’s house.

CBS has some things to say about the first installment of the CFP Rankings. Sallee is remarkably right on the money about some things (Michigan is underrated, Alabama is better than TCU). On some others, he’s a bit off. Wait. No, he’s not.

Actually, I take that back. I actually agree with practically everything here.

Finally, we leave you with the complete presser for LSU week.

I apologize for not getting this out earlier. I was traveling with my dog all day yesterday getting her chemotherapy, and I’m a zombie. I thought it was Wednesday. No harm, no foul right?

On JC Latham...

“JC’s done a good job for us. I think consistency in performance for all of us is what we’re sort of striving to improve on, and I think if you were to ask any player on the team, that’s probably the thing that we all need to do. I think that’s true in the offensive line, and I think that’s true for JC. But we’re really pleased with the way he’s sort of developed and played for us this year.”

On Ja’Corey Brooks...

“The guy’s a real competitor. I mean, he plays great for us on special teams. I don’t care what you ask him to do, what role he plays on whatever team, he does it fast, he does it hard. He prepares well. I think he’s attaching himself to the right things, and I think that’s sort of showing in his production and performance and the consistency that he’s played with.”

Complete text is over at 247, as is this week’s video embed if you’d prefer to listen instead.

We’ll see you folks later, and Roll Tide.