On the Yellowhammer Sports Podcast, Michael Brauner and CJ Duncan break down what is going on in the world of SEC athletics, national stories, what you should have your eye on, and much more.
In this week’s edition, Michael and CJ break down the NCAA Tournament bracket, talk about the seeding and draws for Alabama, Auburn, and the rest of the SEC, and give their Final Four and national championship projections.
You can check it out right here on Spotify:
As one of the most popular Tuscaloosa bars, Gallette’s is known for being one of the go-to spots on game day and just about every other weekend in the Druid City.
And now, the bar which has been open since 1976, is paying homage to its most famous drink with a 5-foot tall sculpture of a Yellowhammer beverage in the iconic yellow Gallette’s cup.
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Matthew Simmons, a local artist who works on commission only, brought the signature cup to life in a big way. You can see all of Matthew’s work on his website MattTheMaker.com as well as his various social media channels under the name “Matt the Maker”
With the Crimson Tide on a by-week, there might be less Yellowhammers poured today, but those headed to the matchup against LSU next week at home should be aware — the massive cup is only for looking at.
The year of 2020 will go down in history for many things, most of which we are happy to see in the rearview mirror.
In spite of the craziness of the past 12 months, the entire Yellowhammer News team would like to say “THANK YOU” to our tremendous audience whose support helped make 2020 another record-breaking year for our company.
As evidenced by our continued year-over-year audience growth, we are proud to provide a reliable daily product that resonates with the people of Alabama. From everyone at Yellowhammer, we sincerely appreciate and value the trust you put in us.
Thank you, Yellowhammer readers!
HOOVER — At the 2018 “Women of Impact” event held at the Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa on Thursday, Yellowhammer News honored Joann Bashinsky, the vice president of 1996 SYB Inc., and also the vice president of the Bashinsky Foundation Inc., with a Lifetime Service Award.
Bashinsky was given the award for “a lifetime of selfless generosity and dedication to improving the lives of Alabamians.”
Yellowhammer Multimedia is pleased to announce a new daily television show, Yellowhammer TV Live with Dale Jackson. The new show will air live starting tomorrow—Tuesday, July 11, from 5:00-5:30 am on ZTV 11 in Athens, Alabama. Each day, the show will also be posted on Yellowhammer TV.com at 1:00 pm.
Most Yellowhammer readers will recognize the name, Dale Jackson, as he hosts one of the most popular radio talk shows in Alabama—The Dale Jackson Shows on WVNN from 7-11 weekday mornings.
On Yellowhammer TV Live with Dale Jackson, Dale will cover a wide range of Alabama-specific news and political issues, as well as some stories of national interest. The show will consist of Dale and a rotation of guest panelists in a roundtable format similar to The Five on Fox News, hosted by Greg Gutfeld.
The show’s guest panelists will range from astronauts to college professors, providing viewers with a diverse take on the most relevant topics of the day.
“I’m excited to host this Yellowhammer program because it will cover the topics our viewers care about and in a way that’s interesting and entertaining,” Jackson said. “One thing I can assure you is, just like my radio program, this show will not be dull.”
Jamie Cooper, the owner of ZTV 11, concurred. “Dale’s dynamic personality and his uncanny ability to cut the crux of the issues will make this show great. With a unique Alabama spin, this is a program that viewers across the state will not want to miss.”
Dale Jackson grew up near Panama City, Florida and left his hometown to join the U.S. Army. After the Army, he began his radio career in 2003 while attending the University of Florida with “The Attack Machine,” a weekly program on WSKY in Gainesville. Known for his relentless authenticity and unapologetic humor, Dale made a name for himself in the swampland before coming to Huntsville in 2007. Dale has been nationally recognized as a multi-time Talkers Magazine Top Talker and had a resolution passed in the Alabama Legislature honoring his commitment to local issues.
As Yellowhammer Multimedia CEO Brian Ellis said, “Yellowhammer has forged a reputation of providing honest news and a conservative editorial voice the people of Alabama have come to rely upon. Dale fits that mold and we’re excited to partner with him because this show will not only keep our followers informed, it’s keen analysis and edgy commentary will hold their attention in a way that only Dale Jackson can.”
You can follow Dale on Twitter @theDaleJackson
In Episode two of The Warrior Wednesday Podcast, former NAVY Seal Jeremiah Patrick “JP” Dinnell discusses his time on SEAL Team 3. From being a sniper to a budding entrepreneur, Dinnell explains his journey.
Dinnell lives in Southaven, Mississippi and is the founder of Never Settle Consulting. The company specializes in corporate team building to improve communication, leadership, and growth. It also offers high-level training in shooting, tactics, and combat to law enforcement groups and select private citizens.
RELATED: Yellowhammer launches new “Warrior Wednesday” podcast
Sponsored by XTreme Concepts and Kill Cliff, the Warrior Wednesday Podcast features the stories of American servicemen and women. It is hosted by Scott Chambers of Yellowhammer Radio. Check out the new Warrior Wednesday website and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.
LISTEN BELOW: Warrior Wednesday: former Navy SEAL shares his story about transitioning from the battlefield to the business world
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Yellowhammer once again expanded its brand on Wednesday with the launch of its new “Warrior Wednesday” podcast. Sponsored by XTreme Concepts and Kill Cliff, the weekly podcast will feature the stories of American service men and women.
Warrior Wednesday continues Yellowhammer’s tradition of sharing the stories that are not covered by the mainstream media. On its website and radio show, the company has been a pioneer of sharing the stories of everyday Alabamians with its audience. In that vein, Yellowhammer CEO Brian Ellis noted that there are no people more deserving of having their stories told than America’s heroes in uniform.
“The goal of Warrior Wednesday is to honor some of the men and women that have made huge sacrifices for us to have the lives that we have here in the United States,” Ellis said. “These are going to be stories that you can’t get anywhere else.”
The weekly podcast will be hosted by Scott Chambers of Yellowhammer Radio. He said that throughout his career in broadcasting, his favorite people to interview have been members of the U.S. Armed Forces. “I’ve interviewed everyone from heads of state, to local politicians, and in that world they love to brag. Our service members don’t brag. They are appreciative of their time served,” he said. “Warrior Wednesday will make you realize we have great men and women protecting our nation. That makes me feel better when I close my eyes at night.”
You can check out the Warrior Wednesday episodes at the new website linked here.
HOOVER, Ala. — Hoover Tactical Firearms has partnered with Yellowhammer News to offer the “YELLOWHAMMER NEWS NIGHT AT THE RANGE“. The once monthly event will allow customers to access special range rates and deals on ammunition.
Both Hoover Tactical and Yellowhammer News are excited about the new partnership. “This is just a great opportunity for the Yellowhammer Family and Fans to get together to hang out and have some fun,” said Brian Ellis, Yellowhammer’s Chief Business Development Officer. “We’re very thankful to Hoover Tactical for hosting us at their state of the art range. Looking forward to seeing everyone!”
The first Yellowhammer Night will take place this Thursday, Dec. 8, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
This Saturday, Dec. 10, Hoover Tactical will host Kris ‘Tanto’ Paronto, one of the several survivors of the terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi. Paronto will be at the range from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to meet customers and sign copies of his book, 13 Hours: The Inside Account Of What Really Happened In Benghazi
RELATED:Benghazi hero to visit Hoover Tactical Firearms
Hoover Tactical is located on Montgomery Highway and houses a pistol, rifle, and archery range. You can learn more about the facility by visiting the range’s website here.
Next Friday evening, May 29, 2015, Yellowhammer is hosting our inaugural “Power of Service” reception at the Renaissance Ross Bridge in Birmingham. The event will honor members of our annual “Power and Influence 50” who leverage their stature to make a positive impact on our state, and you’re invited!
You can get a lot more details and buy tickets online over at Yellowhammer’s Events Page, but here are five quick things you should know:
1. A legend is emceeing the event
The man. The myth. The Legend. World-renowned meteorologist James Spann will be the master of ceremonies at Yellowhammer’s inaugural Power of Service reception.
“The state of Alabama is very special to me, and I am thankful for the hard working men and women that will be honored during this event,” said Spann. “They have gone above and beyond to make our state a better place to work and live. I am looking forward to it.”
2. The guest list is crazy
The Governor, Lt. Governor, numerous congressmen, Speaker of the House, dozens of senators and representatives and a who’s who of Alabama CEOs will be there, along with grassroots activists and up-and-comers from the state’s business and political communities. If you’re a fan of Alabama talk radio, you’re favorite host will probably be there, too.
If you’re a networker, you really can’t afford to miss this.
3. The music is going to be incredible
Tired of stuffy, rubber chicken political dinners? We are too. That’s why Yellowhammer invited Act of Congress (AOC) to provide the musical entertainment and set to mood at this event.
Act of Congress is consistently voted one of the “must see live acts of Alabama.” They’ve performed all over the world and Dave Higgs of NPR calls AOC “one of the freshest sounding, exuberant bands in all of the known acoustic universe.”
AOC has performed for the likes of Paste, SXSW, Disney, NPR and Billboard. They have opened Live Nation VIP areas for John Mayer and Edwin McCain, and backed up country music star Sara Evans and American Idol winner Taylor Hicks. The band performed two acclaimed concerts at Regions Field backed by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.
Yea, it’s going to be good.
4. The food is going to be out of this world
Shrimp and grits? Check. Beef tenderloin. Yep. Four cheese macaroni bites? You bet. Filet and lobster crostini? Oh yea. The list could go on and on, from tomato mozzarella skewers to cream cheese and artichoke tarts. You’re going to go home happy… and full.
5. Tickets are going to sell out in the next few days
Only a few hundred people will be able to attend this year’s event, and with 10 days to go, we are already almost at capacity. But we want you to be there! So grab your tickets online HERE while they last.
We look forward to seeing you there!
(Note: Email Morgan at events (at) yellowhammernews (dot) com if you have any questions.)
Like this article? Follow me on Twitter and let me know what you think.
— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) December 3, 2014
Yellowhammer’s Cliff Sims recently shared a short, but powerful story on his Facebook page about the importance of kindness, and it’s a perfect reminder for the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
I’ve been frustrated with the lack of response Yellowhammer News has gotten from a company whose product we use on a daily basis. It’s a company that hundreds of millions of people use daily, actually. But although Yellowhammer is a small fish compared to some of their other clients, I’ve been waiting to give someone at the company a piece of my mind for their lack of response to our issue. This morning a friend introduced me to someone at the company. My initial thought was, “here’s my chance!” But I googled the person first, and one of their social media accounts came up. When I clicked to learn a little more about them, their bio said “future cancer survivor” and their latest picture — from about an hour ago — was a picture of them at the hospital receiving treatment. It looks like there’s a good chance he’d been emailing me while receiving chemo. Wow. Be kind today. Everybody’s dealing with something.
After Sims posted the story, several commenters shared how it really hit home for them.
“Dang, Cliff. That is an eye-opener,” said one. “That’s conviction right there!” Added another.
And another commenter shared a great Oswald Chambers quote that really drove home the point: “There is always one fact more in every man’s case about which we know nothing.”
With the chaos of the Holidays in full effect, we will all have plenty of opportunities to perform simple acts of kindness. Pass this one along to help inspire others!
Not much changed this week in college football. It was a bye week for most of the SEC. Ok, not a bye week, but with the caliber of the opponents, it looked like it.
With this weekend’s rivalry games poised to settle many debates, here are your Week 14 power rankings.
Alabama had a ton of players injured, but the Crimson Tide eventually blasted Western Carolina. Auburn comes to town this weekend, and the chance for revenge is only a few days away.
Oregon had no problem dispatching a woeful Colorado team and look to be the most dominant team outside of the SEC. The Ducks have Oregon State this weekend and then it’s on to the Pac-12 title game.
Mississippi State’s overall résumé took another hit with the free-fall of Ole Miss. But with a win in the Egg Bowl, the Bulldogs still have a strong case for a playoff spot.
Ohio State is playing some great football, but it needs some other teams to lose for a chance at the top four. Even if they don’t make it, we get to see how many points Urban Meyer hangs on Michigan on Saturday.
More of the same from the Seminoles. They probably should have lost to Boston College but they didn’t. The defending national champions have become football zombies, and it’s up to Florida this weekend to finally finish the job.
Baylor still has the head-to-head advantage over TCU but its schedule isn’t as strong. With wins over Texas Tech and Kansas State, the Bears still have an outside shot.
TCU still has Texas on Thanksgiving, and, when it all comes down to it, Baylor should get the nod with its win over the Horned Frogs.
Georgia needs Missouri to lose to win the SEC East and get a chance to knock off the SEC West champion. Losing Todd Gurley hurts but the Bulldogs still have Nick Chubb waiting in the wings.
UCLA won its third straight game over cross-town rivals USC and are the Pac-12 South leaders. The Bruins could potentially sneak into the playoff four, but that would require them upsetting Oregon in the Pac-12 championship.
Kansas State beat West Virginia on Thursday night, but its hopes for the final four are almost over. If any team(s) will make it from the Big 12, it’ll be TCU or Baylor. And that home loss to Auburn looks worse and worse as the weeks roll on.
Anything related to the College Football Playoff is interesting, especially things that are quantifiable.
FiveThirtyEight editor and statistical oracle Nate Silver gives Alabama the highest chance to not only make the playoff, but to win the national championship.
As it currently stands — of course this is before the Iron Bowl and SEC Championship — Silver’s data states Alabama has an 80.8 percent chance of making the playoff, a 48.6 percent chance of reaching the final game, and a 27.2 percent chance of being crowned champion. Alabama also has a 58.2 percent chance of being the No. 1 overall seed in the playoff bracket based on Silver’s simulations.
It isn’t a large statistical lead for the Crimson Tide, with Oregon holding a 24.5 percent chance of winning it all, but Alabama is in the lead and has been since beating Mississippi State.
Here’s the entire graph from FiveThirtyEight.
Silver rose to national fame by successfully predicting the results of the presidential race in every state in the country. Tide fans are no doubt rooting for Silver’s accuracy to continue.
For the second time in three weeks, ESPN’s traveling college football pregame show College Gameday will be live from the Walk of Champions in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The show most recently visited Alabama for the Mississippi State game, and is on its way back for this year’s Iron Bowl. Gameday was present at last year’s Iron Bowl as well.
#Breaking: GameDay is heading to Tuscaloosa for the #IronBowl! #GetUp4GameDay pic.twitter.com/4LjExavJoH
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 23, 2014
Many have questioned why College Gameday would return to Alabama after just being there, but the Iron Bowl is the best game on the schedule this weekend. Even with all of the rivalry games scheduled for the last weekend in November, Alabama vs. Auburn is the most competitive on paper, and has the most at stake.
Only a few weeks back, The Egg Bowl between Mississippi State and Ole Miss looked like it was shaping up to be the game to watch, but it lost its national relevance once the Rebels returned to winning the party, but losing their games. Oregon-Oregon State and Ohio State-Michigan should be blowouts. And as much as Florida State likes to play poorly against inferior opponents, betting on Florida is a long shot, to say the least.
With the show’s location settled, a guest picker must emerge. Melissa Joan Hart will probably remain the prohibitive favorite, though, two weeks ago, the show went off the board and went with former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell. The inspiration behind “Lone Survivor” correctly picked Alabama, and also inspired the team with a stem-winder of a speech.
The intrigue over the show’s location was anticlimactic, but maybe the guest picker will be another interesting surprise.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.–Alabama beat Western Carolina 48-14 but it wasn’t pleasant.
In games like this when one team pays the other over $400,000 to play, the end result is usually a foregone conclusion. But the Catamounts came to play and became the first team all year to score a touchdown on the opening drive against Alabama.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban attributed the team’s slow start to a noticeable lack of energy.
“I don’t think that we started the game out the way we’d hoped to or how we planned,” Saban said. “It’s really up to me to make sure that the guys have the right psychological disposition when we come out and play a game.”
Western Carolina confused Alabama initially with some misdirection on offense, but the real problem for the Crimson Tide was the seemingly non-stop flow of injuries.
Alabama lost five players in the first half alone. Wide receiver Amari Cooper, defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson, and linebacker Reuben Foster all left the field limping or with help from trainers and never returned.
Then midway through the second quarter fullback Jalston Fowler and offensive lineman Cam Robinson went down on the same play, but Fowler later returned. Wide receiver ArDarius Stewart had to be helped off with an apparent leg injury, and tight end Brian Vogler followed that when he injured his left knee and limped straight into the locker room near the beginning of the second half.
At one point in the game it seemed more important to track who was in the locker room or the training table than to follow the actual game.
And all of those in-game injuries don’t even include the pre-game decision to leave running back T.J. Yeldon, wide receiver DeAndrew White and kicker Adam Griffith on the bench to help them heal nagging injuries.
Saban said Cooper has a bruised knee and both Cam and A’Shawn Robinson sprained their ankles and could have returned to the game but weren’t needed. Vogler and Stewart had stretched knee ligaments and their recovery will be monitored closely as the Iron Bowl approaches.
But even without Yeldon, the Tide’s run game finally took over, which was Saban’s goal. Derrick Henry had 92 yards rushing and scored three touchdowns, which was a career high. Tyren Jones was a sparkplug for the offense with 75 rushing yards and a touchdown.
The passing game also had its good moments, with quarterback Blake Sims having 222 yards and two touchdowns and backup Jake Coker slinging the ball for 115 yards and one touchdown through the air.
But Alabama came out flat today — “flat as a pancake” as Saban put it. All the energy Alabama had last week was gone. There was no bouncing to “Jump Around” on Alabama’s sideline today. Not even the song stylings of C-Murder could help the team, though, it definitely raised morale when it seemed like there was another Alabama player injured on every play.
The glorified bye week became a sloppy, injury riddled game. The “good little team from North Carolina” came to play, but it did ultimately provide a chance for inexperienced Alabama players to see the field once the Tide started to cruise.
“When guys fall out, the next guy’s got to be ready,” Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland said. “He has to go through the whole week preparing the way he should because he never knows when his turn is going to come.”
Of course, Saban would never say the upcoming game against Auburn had an effect on the team, but some of the players admitted it.
Now Alabama has to refocus and re-energize, as well as try to return the half-dozen of its injured players for next week’s game against the Tigers, which once again has huge SEC Championship and national title implications.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — With homecoming this weekend and the Iron Bowl next Saturday, Alabama’s seniors — a group that has experienced both championships and heartbreak on the football field — only have two home games left in their college careers.
This team is No. 1, like many Alabama teams have been in the past, but the rapport this year’s leaders have with younger players feels different than last season.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban and the seniors themselves acknowledged that.
“We have a very good group of seniors this year, we have a very good leadership group,” Saban said. “I think… the best thing about our seniors is they’re really well-liked by their teammates. I think that really starts with the fact that they care and they care about other people on the team and they’re willing to spend time to help the other people on the team…I think that’s made the team chemistry really good.”
Saban has already talked about this team not having any “energy vampires,” which is Saban-speak for players that demand coaches’ attention and distract the team. The players are motivated and communicate well, and leaders have emerged, sometimes surprisingly.
“Some of the guys that are doing a really good job of that, without me mentioning any names, are actually guys that struggled maybe early on being able to do those types of things,” Saban said. “When it was their turn to take a leadership role, regardless of what their role was on the team, they really did it in a first-class way and that’s been very helpful with team chemistry.”
Alabama senior wide receiver Christion Jones said the atmosphere among players is similar to that of 2011 — a national title-winning season. Jones also mentioned Jalston Fowler, Blake Sims and DeAndrew White on the offensive side as guys who have really stepped up.
“Everybody is comfortable with each other from the seniors to the freshmen,” Jones said. “Everybody has a good vibe. We haven’t had any problems on the team amongst each other with dislike or any outcasts.”
This is a different story from a team that had a cloud of disarray around it following last season’s consecutive losses to Auburn and Oklahoma. Former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron repeatedly blamed the younger players on the team for not buying in and called some players on the team selfish. Even Saban said the team needed a hard restart after last season’s poor finish.
Teach chemistry was clearly a problem last year, and it become evident in post-season interviews. But Alabama cornerback Cyrus Jones had only positive things to say about the Tide’s bond this season.
“This year everybody’s so tight; it’s a well-knit group,” Jones said. “There aren’t really cliques on the team, everybody pretty much hangs out with each other all the time, has each other’s backs. Once you have that cohesiveness — especially with the leaders — it just trickles down to everybody else. I think this team is on the right track.”
Before Alabama plays Auburn in the 2014 Iron Bowl, it has to play the Western Carolina Catamounts.
While Alabama head coach Nick Saban said, “This is a good little team we’re playing,” on his SEC coaches teleconference, the Catamounts are clearly not very good compared to the No. 1 Crimson Tide. But they are drastically improved from where they once were.
Western Carolina is a team from North Carolina — obviously — and it used to be “where football came to die.” The team hasn’t achieved a winning record since 2005 when the team finished 5-4 and hasn’t won more than five games since 2001. But this year’s squad currently sits at 7-4 and could advance to the FCS Playoffs with a win over the Crimson Tide. Stop laughing, it could happen.
This won’t be too much a problem for Alabama, who will take its starters out midway through the second quarter. So, other than getting to know Alabama’s future starters, intrigue must be found elsewhere, since it probably won’t be on the football field.
The most intriguing thing about this Southern Conference Carolina team is their mascot. Western Carolina is the purple and gold Catamounts. No, not a catapult or a mounted cat. I had no idea what that was so I figured we’d all learn together.
A catamount is defined as any wild cat, like a bobcat, cougar or lynx. The fearsome non-specific mascot was selected in 1933 when the school had an athletic rebranding.
While a catamount itself still doesn’t make much sense if it has to be explained to people, it sure beats the previous alternative.
“At the time, the school was called “Western Carolina Teachers College” and its teams were known as “the Teachers,” according to the school’s website.
Vermont University is the only other NCAA school to use the mascot, but it’s still unique. Western Carolina’s head coach at the time, C.C. Poindexter, preferred the catamount as the mascot over the second place finishing “Mountain Boomers, a small ground squirrel that scampers about the woods and is extremely difficult to catch.”
While Mountain Boomers would be even better and harder to explain, the catamount is a fine mascot for a football team on the rise. Also, how did a catamount win over Mountain Boomers? Maybe they would be better at football if they were a team of scampering ground squirrels.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama’s 25-20 win against Miss. State on Saturday was fueled by a dominant defense. That defense was fueled by the magnitude of the game, and some new music selections blaring from Bryant-Denny Stadium’s loud speakers.
The sellout crowd in Tuscaloosa was on its feet for the majority of the game and hung around for every second, but the updated playlist added a little extra boost.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban didn’t notice the change of soundtrack.
“I know nothing about it,” Saban said. “If it’s helping us win, I’m all for it.”
Saban said he never includes the team’s reactions to specific songs in their film sessions, but sarcastically admitted he might look into it.
“It may be something,” Saban said. “We need to probably put it on the film so we can analyze that when we look at the plays that we run and then we’ll probably have a better idea of how it’s working.”
There was a noticeably different atmosphere on the sideline Saturday. Players were jumping around throughout the game, and not just when “Jump Around” by House of Pain was played. Wiz Khalifa’s “We Dem Boyz” blared after the defense got a stop or forced a turnover, and “On To the Next One” by Jay-Z has become the team’s go-to anthem during warm-ups.
The typical AC/DC “Hells Bells” on third down accompanied by an elephant video was largely unheard, pushed aside in favor of a beat from a song by C-Murder featuring Snoop Dogg. Only the instrumental from this song was played because many of Bryant-Denny’s patrons would faint if they heard the lyrics.
Every time it was played, though, the defense — mostly the defensive line — would start pumping their fists and motioning to the crowd for some energy, which seemed to be contagious for the rest of the team.
“When they’re hyped and they’re jumping up and down and they’re putting pressure on the quarterback, it makes our job a lot easier,” Alabama safety Nick Perry said. “Whatever can get those guys hyped like that, whatever song they’re playing, they need to continue to play it.”
It wasn’t that the typical songs were left out — the band Alabama’s “Dixieland Delight,” a crowd favorite, was played three times — but the fans and players both seemed to enjoy a little musical diversification.
“We’re already a fired up team,” Alabama defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson said. “So, when you play music we like we just jam out to it and get fired up.”
Alabama’s sound system still has its difficulties, like not being able to produce audio of Bear Bryant that is understandable or not adjusting the levels to help make that particular clip of Bryant is more than loud grumbling. The Alabama Million Dollar Band had two microphones in front of it, causing a split-second delay, but ultimately raising the volume of the marching band for the better.
But by most accounts Saturday’s music selection was a move in the right direction. The players and fans both enjoyed the playlist, and the energy level in the stadium got a significant boost.
But whatever you do, just don’t look up the lyrics to the C-Murder song.
There was some shifting in the college football landscape this weekend, with one key team losing and many just barely surviving. Alabama beat No. 1 Miss. State, which didn’t surprise too many people as the Crimson Tide was the clear favorite. Florida State continued to win, TCU almost lost to Kansas, and Auburn has lost two in a row.
Here are your power rankings for Week 13
Multiple funds have been established to help LSU Police Sgt. Chris Gresham with his recovery after he was hit by a car following the Alabama-LSU game.
Last week, Gresham was part of the motorcade leading cars with University of Alabama president Judy Bonner, athletic director Bill Battle and Alabama’s team doctors from the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center to their plane for the trip back to Tuscaloosa. The motorcade was only a few miles away from Tiger Stadium when Gresham was hit by a car and thrown off his motorcycle.
The 33-year-old Gresham suffered a broken leg, injured knee, fractured arm and multiple fractured ribs in the accident, and was stabilized by Alabama’s team doctors until local paramedics arrived.
Gresham has had three surgeries to date to repair the damage, and has another surgery planned for the near future.
Funds have been created to help Gresham’s wife and his two young children with these costs and to offset his loss of income. A “Go Fund Me” page has raised $2,250 of its intended $15,000 goal. Two other funds were established through the Campus Federal Credit Union and the LSU Foundation titled the “Chris Gresham Family Support Fund,” and donations can be made online or through mailed checks.
Gresham, an eight-year veteran of the LSU Police Department, is expected to make a full recovery and return to full duty, but that will take months.
With Auburn losing, a hole was left vacant in the College Football Playoff top four. The top two shifted, with Miss. State and Oregon at first and second, respectively. The Ducks jumped Florida State for the second slot, with the Seminoles coming in third. TCU came in at No. 4, leaving Alabama static in fifth. Auburn fell out of the bracket all the way to No. 9.
Alabama is still on the outside looking in this week, but that could quickly change with a win over No. 1 Miss. State on Saturday.
Numerous teams can still dictate where they finish if they win out, and it’s interesting to watch what the selection committee regards as the most important criteria. Baylor beat TCU but the Horned Frogs still rank ahead of the Bears. Maybe head-to-head isn’t as much of a factor as strength of schedule.
Here are this week’s College Football Playoff rankings:
1. Mississippi State
2. Oregon
3. Florida State
4. TCU
5. Alabama
6. Arizona State
7. Baylor
8. Ohio State
9. Auburn
10. Mississippi
11. UCLA
12. Michigan State
13. Kansas State
14. Arizona
15. Georgia
16. Nebraska
17. LSU
18. Notre Dame
19. Clemson
20. Wisconsin
21. Duke
22. Georgia Tech
23. Utah
24. Texas A&M
25. Minnesota
With each passing week in college football, a team or two is eliminated from Playoff contention. These highly ranked teams all happen to play each other, which helps prevent outright chaos and keeps the fans of those teams truly in contention a little calmer. Alabama survived its trip to Death Valley, Auburn fumbled away a game to a downtrodden Texas A&M, and Ohio State is the best team in the Big Ten.
Here are your power rankings for Week 12.
The Bulldogs did what they had to do against UT-Martin in what was a glorified bye week before their trip to Tuscaloosa on Saturday.
It wasn’t pretty, but the Tide showed championship-level resilience at LSU. The offensive play on the road still needs some serious work, but the defense kept Alabama in the game. Miss. State is undefeated and has been steady all season, but it hasn’t faced Alabama yet.
Oregon keeps mowing down the Pac-12. While the Ducks were fortunate that Utah committed one of the worst fumbles in recent memory, it ultimately didn’t matter with Oregon winning 51-27. Other than the Pac-12 title game, Oregon should cruise through its remaining schedule of Oregon State and Colorado.
The Horned Frogs are on a roll with consecutive wins against West Virginia and Kansas State, and look like the best team in the Big 12. But their one loss against Baylor may hinder their playoff run with the Bears still playing well and beating Oklahoma.
Florida State hasn’t won many games resoundingly, but they remain undefeated. Now all the Seminoles have to do is beat Boston College and two other schools from their state. Miami and Florida won’t be easy wins, but they shouldn’t give FSU too much trouble.
The Buckeyes got a seriously high-quality win at Michigan State on Saturday. They may be the hottest team in the country, but it probably won’t matter. Basically, if Ohio State had beaten Virginia Tech at home in Week 2, it would be a lock for a playoff spot. They didn’t, so they’re not.
Arizona State got a big lead, lost it, then got it back on Saturday against Notre Dame. The Sun Devils look like Oregon’s only risky game between now and the playoff, which would be in the Pac-12 title game.
Auburn fumbled away the game on Saturday against Texas A&M. While it appeared the Tigers would come back, as they normally do, they magic finally ran out. Auburn still has games against Georgia and, of course, the Iron Bowl against Alabama, but it needs a lot of help to get into the final four.
Baylor beat TCU, but its non-conference schedule’s strength — or lack thereof — hurts them. Even though the Bears trounced Oklahoma this weekend, they really needed to go undefeated with their strength of schedule.
The Rebels would have to win out and hope for a lot of help to force a tie in the SEC West. They are still a good team, but the playoff may now be out of reach.
Alabama’s dramatic win over LSU means it still controls its place in the Playoff chase, but it also gives even more importance to Saturday’s game against Mississippi State.
With a top four showdown coming, ESPN will set up its traveling tentpole show College Gameday in front of the Walk of Champions at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
#Breaking: College GameDay is heading to Tuscaloosa for Mississippi State vs Alabama! #GetUp4GameDay pic.twitter.com/Z3JjECpCB3
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 9, 2014
It is the first time the show will visit Alabama this year, and the second time the Crimson Tide will be involved after Gameday went to Oxford for Ole Miss-Alabama. It starts bright and early at 8 a.m. Central and Alabama’s crowd turnout will be measured against the massive turnouts at the Grove or Miss. State’s Junction, and especially against North Dakota State.
While Alabama usually has a drop-off in the week following LSU, the Crimson Tide are 9-3 in the past five years when Gameday is in town, per AL.com.
No game time has been announced yet but it will most likely be 2:30 p.m. Central on CBS.
Now all we need to know is who the guest picker will be. Last season against LSU, MLB pitcher Jake Peavy was the picker, but this season will hopefully be more exciting. Maybe they’ll finally convince Joe Namath to do it.
Who would you like to see as Alabama’s guest picker?
Alabama and Auburn both control their own destiny into the Final Four of the College Football Playoff. All they have to do is win the rest of their games. Easy enough, right?
Alabama moved up one spot in the poll from sixth to fifth as it heads to No. 16 LSU this weekend. But even with the bye week rankings boost, Nick Saban still doesn’t care.
“This is the game we play this week, and that’s where our total focus is — on this one game, because that’s the most important thing to us right now this week,” Saban said Monday. “Be where your feet are. This is where we are right now, this is the most important thing to us.
“Rankings really mean nothing right now at all to our team, but if we’re going to have a chance to end up where we have any opportunities at the end of the season, whether it’s SEC or Playoff or anything like that, then we have to care of business today.”
But just in case you are not Saban and would like to know where the teams sit in this second week of the committee ranking, here it is.
1. Mississippi State
2. Florida State
3. Auburn
4. Oregon
5. Alabama
6. TCU
7. Kansas State
8. Michigan State
9. Arizona State
10. Notre Dame
11. Mississippi
12. Baylor
13. Nebraska
14. Ohio State
15. Oklahoma
16. LSU
17. Utah
18. UCLA
19. Arizona
20. Georgia
21. Clemson
22. Duke
23. West Virginia
24. Georgia Tech
25. Wisconsin