Jumbo Package: Title Town! ‘Bama Soccer enters Final Four play

Tomorrow at 7:00 Central in Cary, NC the University of Alabama begins its first ever appearance in the College Cup — the Final Four of collegiate soccer.

The Tide were the Southeast No. 1 seed this year, hosted a regional, and advanced to the Cup with a 3-2 OT win over ACC powerhouse Duke. ‘Bama also took home the regular season SEC crown and advanced to the finals of the SECT, where they dropped a rematch with No. 6 South Carolina.

With all that success, has come some deserved accolades — and likely far more to come.

From the Coaching Staff being tabbed as the CotY in the Southeast:

Wes Hart and the Alabama soccer staff was tabbed as the United Soccer Coaches Southeast Region Staff of the Year. Along with Hart, associate head coach Mike Piserchio, assistant coach Jerrod Roh and volunteer coach Ashleigh Ellenwood each earned the recognition.

To seating five players in the all-Regional team three of them as First-Teamers:

The Alabama soccer team had five student-athletes named a United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region honoree, the organization announced on Tuesday. Felicia Knox, Riley Mattingly Parker and Reyna Reyes were selected as first-team honorees, while Riley Tanner was named to the second team and McKinley Crone was named to the all-region third team.

And two ‘Bama players have been named semifinalists for the MAC Hermann Trophy, the highest individual award in collegiate soccer:

Riley Mattingly Parker

Snapped a pair of 17-year-old records for single-season goals (17) and points (41)

Scored an NCAA-leading seven game-winning goals this season, topping the program record set in 1994

Ranks sixth in both goals and points nationally while ranking 14^th nationally in points per game (1.64)

Paced by Parker, Alabama leads the nation in total goals (76), total points (220) and total assists (68) and ranks second in scoring offense (2.92) and points per game (8.46)

Three-time SEC Offensive Player of the Week (8/29, 9/5, 10/24)

Named to the United Soccer Coaches First Team All-Southeast Region Team

Was the first Alabama player to be named SEC Forward of the Year

Sixth UA player to earn SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and first to do so since Nealy Martin in 2019

Reyna Reyes

Anchored the Alabama defensive line to a program-record 12 shutouts and 23 wins this season

The Crimson Tide ranks 19^th nationally in goals-against average (0.648), while outscoring its opponents 76-17 in 2022

Despite playing on the backline, Reyes has notched eight goals, third-most on the team, and recorded an assist for 17 points on the season

Has scored two game-winning goals, including the Tide’s go-ahead goal in overtime against Duke in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals

The UA senior’s goal against Duke was her second in the 2022 NCAA Tournament after netting a goal to help lift UA to a 9-0 victory over Jackson State in the opening round

Helped Alabama to a 0.648 goals-against average that ranks 19^th in the NCAA

Made her fourth appearance on the United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region team and earned her second consecutive nod as a first-team all-region honoree

Named the SEC Defender of the Year

The ‘Bama/UCLA semifinal pitting two No. 1 seeds will be streamed tomorrow, on ESPNU. Here’s how to watch, and a good breakdown of how we got here, as well as a game preview.

• Who: Alabama vs. UCLA
• When: 7:30 CT Friday
• Where: WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, North Carolina.
• TV: ESPNU

Roll Tide, ladies. Go bring home a ‘Cup.

Sigh, looks like we’re really going to enter Clown World of CFP expansion — the Rose Bowl was strong-armed into an agreement yesterday.

The Rose Bowl has signed an agreement with the College Football Playoff that paves the way for the event to expand to 12 teams starting in 2024, sources confirm to CBS Sports. The CFP had given the Rose Bowl until the end of the week — at the latest — to agree to terms the bowl had thus far been unwilling to accept.

With the Rose Bowl now in the fold, a formal announcement of a 12-team playoff being held in 2024 and 2025 is expected imminently. The new format was initially agreed upon by the CFP Board of Managers in September.

Though the terms of the agreement signed by the Rose Bowl are not yet known, the bowl had been demanding to play its game in its traditional time slot at 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 1 despite playoff expansion potentially affecting the bowl schedule. That time slot is considered one of the most valuable in sports television. The agreement signed by the Rose Bowl likely creates significantly more flexibility in that scheduling process.

Seaking of CFP expansion, what does Alabama need exactly to jump into a final spot? Perhaps even vault OSU? Dennis Dodd breaks it down here.

Yesterday, CB did a stay-or-go post about the Tide’s Portalpocalypse, and what Alabama’s offense might look like next season. Gone are a lot of underachieving linemen and wideouts — four in just one day — and the Tide are approaching double-digit dudes departed in the span of a week.

Lotta’ candid meetings with Coach this week, in other words. I anticipate the ones with the coaching staff in equal measure. I suspect “Bryce Young 3rd down YOLO” will no longer cut it, even were Mssr. Young to return.

One player that entered the Quitter Hole has been (so far) successfully re-recruited by Nick Saban:

That is a huge retention. Alabama has had moving parts in the defensive backfield since 2018, and it is far too evident.

UPDATE: Welp.

LOL. Will Levis is entering the NFL Draft. As a quarterback. No, I’m not kidding.

The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame was announced yesterday, and among some NBA dudes, we add Karlos Dansby, and a ‘Bammer who will forever live in the hearts of all Tide fans — Roman F’n Harper:

Roman Harper: During his 11 seasons in the NFL, the safety earned Pro Bowl selection in 2009 and 2010 and played in two Super Bowls. In the New Orleans Saints’ 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts to cap the 2009 season, Harper had seven tackles and forced a fumble. Harper spent nine seasons with New Orleans and is a member of the Saints Hall of Fame. An All-SEC selection for Alabama in 2005, Harper had been an All-State pick at Prattville High School in 2000.

One play in particular will stick out as perhaps the brightest spot of the NCAA Doghouse years.

That’s it for now folks. We’ll be back later with some more for you. Roll Tide