Jumbo Package: Alabama arrives in New Orleans

Happy Tuesday, everyone. Alabama has arrived for their business trip in New Orleans.

Both teams are basically playing at full strength, which should create one of the better games of the bowl season.

These teams don’t believe in the phrase “opt out.”

“I think it’s great,” K-State football coach Chris Klieman said. “It’s great for college football that the best players are going to play in this game. We have a handful of those guys as well that have elected to play in this game. And that’s what it’s about. It’s playing with your brothers one last time for the guys that are going on to the next level. And I think that’s really important for our game in general.”

After a three-day break for Christmas, Nick Saban continued to offer positive reviews of his team’s approach to the bowl game.

“Players have had a really good attitude about how they’ve approached the game and the days we worked in Tuscaloosa,” he said. “So hopefully we can get back to that later today and get ready to play a great football game.”

If Alabama comes out motivated and plays their game, they should win relatively easy.

You can check out all of Nick’s comments below.

Christopher Walsh examines just how undervalued Saban is, even at his current salary.

Nevertheless, Ingram’s point was a head-turner, that if you factored in buyouts, Auburn has spent roughly $10 million more over the same time period, $122 million by the Tigers, compared to $111 by the Crimson Tide.

He then went back and broke it down by wins, with each costing Auburn approximately $1.34 million, compared to just $580,276 for Alabama.

The Barn shouldn’t feel too badly. Texas A&M paid a whopping $1.8M per win for their coach this season.

Chase Goodbread wrote about the obvious reason that recruits continue to choose Alabama.

On the very day Saban stood at a podium to discuss a new collection of talent for 2023, the NFL announced this year’s Pro Bowl rosters. One-eighth of them − 11 of 88 − came from Alabama. That’s an absolutely stunning total, and one that speaks to why the Crimson Tide is a destination program for top recruits. No other school in the Southeastern Conference had more than three Pro Bowlers. Ohio State had two. Clemson? One.

Alabama’s Pro Bowl roll call: Quarterback Jalen Hurts, running backs Josh Jacobs and Derrick Henry, guard Landon Dickerson, defensive linemen Quinnen Williams and Jonathan Allen, linebacker C.J. Mosley, and defensive backs Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pat Surtain, Marlon Humphrey and Trevon Diggs. Pro Bowlers are selected by a vote of fans, players and coaches.

Last, if you want to just gump the hell out for 10 minutes, enjoy this video.

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

Roll Tide.