Alabama won its first Southeastern Conference championship in a decade during the first week of December, and is the odds-on favorite to beat Texas (for the first time) and win the program’s 13th national championship. Like we did for the outset of the season, each week leading up to the game we’ll recap the best of the Crimson Tide, captured so ably by the University of Alabama athletics department’s creative media department.
An eye to the past, looking toward the future
Virginia Tech
Florida International
Arkansas
There are 34 bowl games this year, and we’re picking every damn one of them (probably with 60-70 percent success). You can follow the progress or join up and do battle with us through ESPN College Bowl Mania. We’re in “The League” and “The War Against Tebow.” TWAT (jokes!) is the brainchild of decamped S.C. blogger and good time Johnny, Micah Snead, so go there. But beware — Snead’s dad is a total ringer and will probably take the title by 20 points.
Dec. 19, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Fresno State v. Wyoming
Dec. 19, 8 p.m., ESPN
Central Florida v. Rutgers
Dec. 20, 8:30 a.m., ESPN
Southern Miss v. Middle Tennessee State
Dec. 22, 8 p.m., ESPN
No. 18 Oregon State v. No. 14 BYU
Dec. 23, 8 p.m., ESPN
No. 23 Utah v. California
Dec. 24, 8 p.m., ESPN
Nevada v. Southern Methodist
Dec. 26, 1 p.m., ESPN
Marshall v. Ohio
Dec. 26, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 17 Pitt v. North Carolina
Dec. 26, 8 p.m., ESPN
Boston College v. No. 24 Southern Cal
Dec. 27, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Kentucky v. Clemson
Dec. 28, 5 p.m., ESPN2
Texas A&M v. Georgia
Dec. 29, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
UCLA v. Temple
Dec. 29, 8 p.m., ESPN
No. 15 Miami v. No. 25 Wisconsin
Dec. 30, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Bowling Green v. Idaho
Dec. 30, 8 p.m., ESPN
No. 20 Arizona v. No. 22 Nebraska
Dec. 31, Noon, ESPN
Houston v. Air Force
Dec. 31, 2 p.m., CBS
Oklahoma v. No. 21 Stanford
Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Navy v. Missouri
Dec. 31, 6 p.m., NFL Network
Minnesota v. Iowa State
Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 11 Virginia Tech v. Tennessee
Jan. 1, 11 a.m., ESPN
Northwestern v. Auburn
Jan. 1, 1 p.m., CBS
No. 16 West Virginia v. Florida State
Jan. 1, 1 p.m., ESPN
No. 13 Penn State v. No. 12 LSU
Jan. 1, 4:30 p.m., ABC
No. 8 Ohio State v. No. 7 Oregon
Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m., Fox
No. 5 Florida v. No. 3 Cincinnati
Jan. 2, Noon, ESPN2
South Florida v. Northern Illinois
Jan. 2, 2 p.m., ESPN
South Carolina v. Connecticut
Jan. 2, 2 p.m., Fox
No. 19 Oklahoma State v. Ole Miss
Jan. 2, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Arkansas v. East Carolina
Jan. 2, 9 p.m., ESPN
Michigan State v. Texas Tech
Jan. 4, 8 p.m., Fox
No. 6 Boise State v. No. 4 TCU
Jan. 5, 8 p.m., Fox
No. 10 Iowa v. No. 9 Georgia Tech
Jan. 6, 7 p.m., Fox
No. 25 Central Michigan v. Troy
Jan. 7, 8 p.m., ABC
No. 2 Texas v. No. 1 Alabama
Between the orange, the tigers and the fact that it’s an ag school, we have never been big fans of Clemson (hence why we transferred from VCU to Carolina). But we think it’s only a matter of time until the Taters are regulars in the Top 10. Why? There’s a number of reasons. One of the major ones is that the head coach graduated from Alabama. If you don’t think that’s a big deal, say hello to Frank Howard, Charley Pell and Danny Ford.
Then there’s what coach Dabo Swinney said after losing a tough ACC Championship Game.
A small trophy — Spiller’s ACC title game MVP award — sat in front of them, thanks to Spiller’s dazzling 233-yard, four-touchdown rushing effort, but it was hardly what they’d traveled all this way, sweat and worked so much to claim.
They wanted Clemson’s first ACC championship since 1991, but that was headed towards Atlanta with Paul Johnson and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, thanks to a 39-34 win and 336 rushing yards in Saturday night’s ACC championship game.
The Tigers were left with an empty feeling, which Swinney called “sickening.”
If your coach is that upset over losing a big game, the next year is going to feature a juggernaut (see: Saban, Nick; 2008 SEC Championship Game).
Here we go. With the conference championship games over, and only Army-Navy left on Dec. 12, bowl bids are going out hot and heavy. There are some things that were expected, some surprises and — oh man — Clemson totally got jobbed.
BCS National Championship Game
No. 1 Alabama v. No. 2 Texas
Sugar Bowl
No. 5 Florida v. No. 3 Cincinnati
Capital One Bowl
No. 12 LSU v. No. 13 Penn State
Cotton Bowl
Ole Miss v. No. 19 Oklahoma State
Outback Bowl
Auburn v. Northwestern
Chick-fil-A Bowl
Tennessee v. No. 11 Virginia Tech
Music City Bowl
Kentucky v. Clemson
Liberty Bowl
Arkansas v. East Carolina
Independence Bowl
Georgia v. Texas A&M
Papajohns.com Bowl
South Carolina v. Connecticut
Definitely some interesting matchups — Georgia and Texas A&M are a couple big name teams for a small bowl, so that should be good. In other bowls, the Gator Bowl gave a big, wet, sloppy kiss to Bobby Bowden by inviting Florida State and West Virginia. Travesty. Though it was technically OK, Miami and Boston College were higher up in the selection order in the ACC. Southern Cal, the over-hyped 8-4 team, is going to play the Eagles in the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco.
Ooh! There are other BCS games?
Fiesta Bowl
No. 6 Boise State v. No. 4 TCU
Rose Bowl
No. 7 Oregon v. No. 8 Ohio State
Orange Bowl
No. 9 Georgia Tech v. No. 10 Iowa
With two weeks left, and Alabama staring at a trip to Auburn and the SEC Championship Game, Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram still isn’t letting go of first place in the Heisman Trophy race. Against UT-Chattanooga, he was pulled with 10 minutes left in the second quarter, but still put up 102 yards rushing on 11 carries with two touchdowns.
The other major contenders, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy and Stanford running back Toby Gerhart, can’t seem to make the jump to force Ingram out of the top spot. Considering the next two games for Ingram are big ones, and Ingram tends to perform on an exceptional level in big games, could spell the end of the race. However, the Tide need to keep winning. A big showing against Auburn on Friday and besting Florida’s tough run defense would sew it up.
HeismanPundit.com
1. Mark Ingram, Alabama, 58 (10)
2. Colt McCoy, Texas, 40 (1)
3. Toby Gerhart, Stanford, 33 (1)
4. Tim Tebow, Florida, 20
5. C.J. Spiller, Clemson, 13
ESPN.com Heisman Watch
1. Mark Ingram, Alabama, 73 (13)
2. Toby Gerhart, Stanford, 47 (1)
3. Colt McCoy, Texas, 32
4. C.J. Spiller, Clemson, 24
5. Kellen Moore, Boise State, 20 (1)
CBS Sports Heisman Watch
1. Mark Ingram, Alabama, 44 (3)
2. Toby Gerhart, Stanford, 34 (1)
3. Colt McCoy, Texas, 28 (1)
4. Kellen Moore, Boise State, 10
5. C.J. Spiller, Clemson, 6
Of course, Sports Illustrated isn’t doing anything to help the matter, laying the dreaded SI jinx by putting Ingram on the cover and giving him a five-page feature in the magazine.
This month, Nike played fast-and-loose with 10 universities’ uniform combinations because Nike hates America. And freedom, &c. Of special note are the abominations that will or have adorned Florida State, Florida and LSU. And then there’s Clemson, joining the party at the 11th hour as the 11th team in the group. Here’s the funny part, though. Since the Tigers regularly put on unis that make people want to utter the phrase, “I wish I could unsee that,” what Nike did is actually an improvement over the usual kit.
Per Nike, via the Clemson athletics department:
BEAVERTON, OR – On Saturday, November 28, the Clemson University football team will take the field wearing the Nike Pro Combat uniform, a new system of dress and the lightest football uniform Nike has ever created. Clemson will be one of eleven elite football programs to debut the Nike Pro Combat uniform this month before they are officially introduced to the broader market at the start of the 2010 season.
Clemson is joined by the University of Florida, Florida State University, Louisiana State University, the University of Miami, Virginia Tech, the University of Missouri, The Ohio State University, the University of Oklahoma, The University of Texas and TCU as the schools debuting the Nike Pro Combat uniform this month.
The footer to the PDF explaining the whole thing goes like this:
In November 2009, Clemson will be one of eleven elite football programs to debut the Nike Pro Combat System of Dress for one weekend only. The new Clemson uniforms are 37 percent lighter and significantly stronger than current designs. The proud heritage and specifically the undefeated national championship team from 1981 provided design inspiration for the new Clemson uniform.
In 2010, Nike will introduce the Nike Pro Combat System of Dress, a new silhouette that is the lightest, most breathable and durable uniform Nike has ever created. By integrating the Nike Pro Combat padded base layer within the exterior pant and jersey, players will be battle-ready every time they walk on the field.
Lo and behold.
The jersey and pants
The shoes
The gloves
Everything else
We’ve been leery of U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio, because he seems like, oh, a competent version of Gov. Mark Sanford, but you can put the nail in the coffin of Fla. Gov. Charlie Crist, Rubio’s opponent in the Republican primary. Why might that be? Crist just allied himself with Florida State coach Bobby Bowden.
We should be backing Bowden, too. After all, he’s from Birmingham and played quarterback at Alabama before transferring to Samford. But, his days of being a good coach have passed him by. It was thought that happened to Penn State’s Joe Paterno, but the zombie they have coaching the Nittany Lions managed to turn it around. No such miracle looks like it’s in the works for Bowden. It’s been years since the team was relevant, and the state is effectively Florida’s these days. All roads, or at least I-75, lead to Gainsville.
Then there was the news conference recently in which it seemed Bowden was unaware of what happened during the game. In all seriousness, the exchange with the reports had all the markings of dementia, which is bad enough when you have to deal with it with a family member in private. When it’s a coach at a major school, it’s especially bad. Bear Bryant knew when to go before it got this bad. He had already delegated much of his duties to his assistants by the time the 1979 national championship rolled around. The ‘80-’82 seasons showed a precipitous decline, though, and Bryant stepped aside. Shortly after, he was dead. We have a feeling that’s what’s driving Bowden. He’s coaching to live, literally. It would be the same for Paterno, but he’s the living dead. The only way he’s going down is a well-placed spiral to the noggin.
Anyway, here lies the problem for Crist. How do you support a coach who is unpopular among his own fan base, and considered a joke by Florida and Miami partisans? In USA Today, Crist said Bowden should be able to return next year, adding, “I would certainly urge the school to do that. I don’t think I’ll have to urge them too hard, because the man is beloved. He really is.” Crist also said he’d be “heartbroken” if Bowden is forced to resign (or straight-up fired).
Crist has been pretty popular as a governor, and beat the hell out of his Democratic opponent in 2006. You would think he’d be smarter than casting his lot with Bowden, but he must not have been taking the pulse of Florida’s football public in the past few years.
Take note, Clemson fans. The Bulldogs from Georgia do not like orange. And let’s face it — with last week being the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, with Auburn visiting Athens, a group of fraternity brothers probably just thought the kid was from Auburn. After all — an ag school, with orange colors, dubious relationships with cows — the similarities are hard to differentiate.
University of Georgia police are looking into a visiting student’s claim he was held captive at a fraternity house after getting into a fight in an Athens bar.
Police say the 18-year-old Clemson University student had multiple cuts and a swollen right eye when they found him in the street outside a fraternity house early Sunday morning.
Officers say the student told them he was held against his will in the basement of the house and was assaulted.
This is what’s called a learning experience. Unless the opposing fans have that gray-haired, responsible businessman look, you probably should hang out around some other guys.
Alabama running back Mark Ingram is moving even closer to becoming the Crimson Tide’s first Heisman Trophy winner, after his performance against Mississippi State during the past weekend. He had 19 rushes for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Without a doubt, the totals won’t look as good this Saturday versus UT-Chattanooga. In the other patsy games, Ingram put up 56 and 91 yards, respectively. Also, head coach Nick Saban will want to save his starters for the Auburn game the day after Thanksgiving.
Season totals, through 10 games
Rushing: 194 attempts, 1,297 yards, 10 touchdowns
Receiving: 25 receptions, 225 yards, 3 touchdowns
Both HesimanPundit.com and the ESPN Heisman Watch are giving Ingram more points, but what was a one running back, two quarterback race is more of a mixed affair.
HeismanPundit.com
1. Mark Ingram, Alabama, 59 (10)
2. Colt McCoy, Texas, 35 (1)
3. Toby Gerhart, Stanford, 33 (1)
4. C.J. Spiller, Clemson, 23
5. Tim Tebow, Florida, 16
ESPN.com Heisman Watch
1. Mark Ingram, Alabama, 72 (12)
2. Toby Gerhart, Stanford, 42 (1)
3. C.J. Spiller, Clemson, 37
4. Tim Tebow, Florida, 24
5. Colt McCoy, Texas, 23
CBS Sports Heisman Watch
1. Mark Ingram, Alabama, 47 (4)
2. Toby Gerhart, Stanford, 34 (1)
3. Kellen Moore, Boise State, 21
4. Dion Lewis, Pitt, 12
5. C.J. Spiller, Clemson, 9
Nike’s bizarre, “tradition ain’t shit” uniform policy will befoul a number of teams for the rest of the month. Alabama, thank God, has been limited to the swoosh, the NCAA-mandated conference pennant and the script A, through there was that houndstooth collar mess for the 2006 Ole Miss game.
It appears the garish ensemble will come out for the Florida State game (but there hasn’t been a definitive statement). The Seminoles will also be wearing the misfit creation, with a black helmet. Don’t drink too much, as you might not recognize who’s on the field. We haven’t found a picture of the side of the Florida helmet, but unless it’s got the old-school F on that white melon case, it’s going to be even more strange. Throw a blue helmet on there, and you’d swear it’s Kentucky.
The other ones are even weirder. LSU’s look like a direct rip from Washington. The helmets are gold. TCU’s entry has pants that look like scales and red stripes on the helmet. Horned frogs, you see, shoot blood out of their eyes. Miami has two-tone numbers, but the only tradition there is thuggery and fairweather fans, so that’s no big deal.
