Jumbo Package: Wrapping up Tennessee, Tide hoops sneaks in a scrimmage

Happy Monday, everyone. We learned on Saturday that some of our Gen Z folk hate the smell of victory.

Following the postgame meeting with Nick Saban in the locker room, several Crimson Tide players sprinted back onto the field to celebrate with fans.

Of course, they were smoking a traditional victory cigar.

“I don’t like that stink,” Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe said. “I had to take a shower to get that smell off me.”

Running back Jase McClellan had a similar attitude.

“It was bad,” said McClellan, who ran for 115 yards and a touchdown.

I’m no cigar aficionado, but I have partaken on special occasions the smell has never bothered me. Each his own, I reckon.

Hey, it’s #BlameTheRefs season!

The officiating on Saturday wasn’t just bad, it was almost blatantly obvious that the officials were doing everything they could to make sure Alabama didn’t lose.

And look, I’m sure Bama fans are already rolling their eyes and yelling “excuses” to the top of their lungs.

But I’m not accepting that. Not after that debacle.

You can’t win in Tuscaloosa when the officials are that one-sided.

Following the Tide’s 34-20 comeback over Heupel’s Tennessee Vols, one reporter decided to pontificate before asking a question about the officiating.

“It seemed like at points in the second half, your defenders were having to play two-hand touch and they (Alabama) were allowed to play Mortal Kombat out there a little bit. Did you feel like it was a bit one-sided?”

Even Lane Kiffin joined the party.

Look, after Tennessee was allowed to hit Bryce Young in the head with impunity last season, never mind the pass interference debacle that nullified the game sealing interception, I will hear nothing about officiating.

Shehan Jeyarajah was impressed by the second half, as most of us were.

Down 20-7 at halftime against Tennessee, Alabama seemed to be on life support. The Tide barely survived challenges against Arkansas and Texas A&M over the last two games, and all the issues facing Alabama came to a head at one time against a historic rival. And then Alabama woke up.

Quarterback Jalen Milroe hit Isaiah Bond for a 46-yard touchdown on the second play of the second half. A pass and run from Milroe helped set up another. Linebacker Jihaad Campbell picked up a strip-sack and returned it for a touchdown. Suddenly, Alabama ran out to a 27-0 run that iced the game.

Alabama has been playing flat football this season, especially since its 24-10 win over Ole Miss. The Tide sit in first place in the SEC West despite rarely showing a second gear. Clamping down Tennessee in the second half was the first time that Alabama really looked like Alabama, even for a stretch.

Nick Kelly has your first LSU preview. That offense is going to be a challenge.

The Tigers have the SEC’s top offense, averaging 552.88 yards per game. The only other SEC team that averages more than 450 yards is Georgia. LSU is also averaging 47.38 points per game. Quarterback Jayden Daniels could be a Heisman Trophy candidate. He leads the conference with 2,573 passing yards, and he throws to two of the conference’s best receivers in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.; Nabers leads the SEC with 981 receiving yards and Thomas is fourth with 732. They’ve combined for 20 receiving touchdowns, too.

The LSU defense has been much more sporadic and has certainly had some struggles. The Tigers have given up 45 points to Florida State, 31 to Arkansas, 55 to Ole Miss and 39 to Missouri. For reference, the Razorbacks just fired their offensive coordinator Dan Enos after Arkansas scored only three points vs. Mississippi State.

Alabama should be able to score against LSU a fair amount, but not if the Crimson Tide plays offensively like it did in the first half against Tennessee or the second half vs. Arkansas.

Plenty will be written about that one over the next two weeks.

Nate Oats and company snuck in a clandestine warmup with TCU. Sam Walters had himself a day.

Sam Walters led Alabama basketball with 29 points in a secret scrimmage vs. TCU on Sunday that resulted in an 85-81 loss in Birmingham, according to a box score provided to The Tuscaloosa News from Sunday.

Walters did the most damage from beyond the arc, where he went 7-for-12. He shot all but one of Alabama’s 3-pointers.

Aaron Estrada scored 19 while Grant Nelson tallied 13 points. Jarin Stevenson also reached double digits with 10 points.

Jalen beat Tua in a Sunday Night Football game that featured 11 former Alabama players.

Hurts barely acknowledged the injury, saying that it was something that happened in a previous game, and that ,”I’ll be fine.”

He did admit to putting on a knee brace, presumably at halftime.

“He’s got a championship mentality, and he’s a big professional,” Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “That’s why we follow him. He took ownership on the sideline when that happened, and then he’s like ‘Gotta move on.’ Maybe he was taking to himself, but we all heard it. And we went out there, and he did his magic.”

Last, from the “you hate to see it” department:

“We got a lot of decisions to make,” Pittman said after Saturday’s loss. “We owe it to our team. We owe it to our fans. So we’ll figure that part of it out. My biggest thing, to be honest with you, is that the defense has continued to improve. My biggest concern is with the kids and the entire team. Time and time again we ask them, ‘If you’ll just hold them or shut them out, we’ll win.’

“Now, we just weren’t able to do it. Defense is improving. Offense, we got enough talent on offense we ought to be playing better than what we are, and that’s on me, I got to figure that out.”

Couldn’t happer to a better sleazeball.

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

Roll Tide.