The Battle Plan
12/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | General
A Testament to the Excellence of Coach Saban
Being the only team to make it into the College Football Playoff in both years of its existence is not only a great honor, but a strong statement of the job Coach Saban, his staff and team are doing at The University of Alabama. Not many people realize the hours that coaches and administrative staff spend on coaching, recruiting, and preparing students to be able to compete for championships and, at the same time, preparing them to be champions in life after graduation.
It is an honor and a privilege to be in Dallas this week facing a very talented Michigan State Spartans team. Like Alabama, they have been at the top of the football heap over the last several years. This team is built a lot like ours -- power football, a solid defense, a strong running game with a dangerous passing game as well, and an outstanding kicking game.
It looks like another heavyweight fight with every play having the possibility of making the difference in the game. Michigan State has shown they have staying power for 60 minutes as they beat both Ohio State and Michigan on the last play of the game, and launched a 22-play fourth quarter drive to beat undefeated Iowa in the Big Ten Conference Championship Game.
As I have said before, I think this Alabama team is special. They have worked extremely hard, both at home after finals and in Dallas. As you will see later in this blog they are special in areas off the field as well. Our team is well-prepared and focused on the task ahead. Thursday will be exciting to the nation to see these two outstanding teams face off in probably the best football stadium in the country. I can't wait!
Bowl Games Remain a Special Experience
Playing in bowl games is a special thing for college football players. I remember well the three bowl games we played in back in 1960, '61 and '62. Our first experience was in Houston at the second annual Bluebonnet Bowl. Coach Bryant was pleased to bring his second bowl team at Alabama back to Texas where he coached at Texas A&M for the four years (1954-57) prior to returning home to Tuscaloosa. We played Texas and the game ended in a 3-3 tie, although Pat Trammell, our quarterback, sneaked over the goal line up to his waist on fourth down. The officials ruled differently and the touchdown did not count. The Bluebonnet Bowl was later played in the Astrodome, but we played our game outdoors in Rice Stadium.
My second bowl experience was in New Orleans in the Sugar Bowl. Our undefeated SEC championship team faced an undefeated Arkansas team coached by Frank Broyles and led by All-American running back Lance Alworth. Our outstanding running back, Mike Fracchia, and a stifling defense led Alabama to a 10-3 victory. It was a defensive struggle with Alabama taking a 10-0 halftime lead, allowing a field goal by Arkansas in the third quarter, and hanging on through a scoreless fourth quarter. That win gave Coach Bryant his first national championship at Alabama. The Sugar Bowl was later played in the Superdome, but we played our game outdoors in Tulane Stadium.
Our third bowl game, at the end of the 1962 season, was in Miami at the Orange Bowl against a young but talented Oklahoma team coached by Bud Wilkinson. At the time, Coach Wilkinson was chairman of President Kennedy's council on youth physical fitness. President Kennedy and his wife, Jackie, attended the game, sat on the Oklahoma side, and visited the Oklahoma team prior to the game. It made the Alabama people mad, but everything ended well as we won the game, 17-0. It was closer than the score indicated, as Oklahoma fumbled twice in the red zone. Lee Roy Jordan made 31 tackles in the game. Joe Namath threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Richard Williamson. Cotton Clark scored on a 15-yard run, and Tim Davis kicked a 19-yard field goal. Our team had gotten to be number one in the nation late in the season, but lost to Georgia Tech in Atlanta in a 7-6 defensive struggle. The Orange Bowl victory placed 10-1 Alabama fifth in the final AP Football poll.
All of our bowl games were special to our team and fans back then and they are still special today.
A National Best 29 Alabama Graduates Suit Up Thursday
As I have mentioned many times in the past, we are always very proud when one of our student-athletes reaches their ultimate goal and graduates, so you can imagine how excited we are that when Alabama takes the field on Thursday for the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, there will be a program-best and national-record 29 Crimson Tide players suited up who have already earned their bachelor's degree, including three that have earned their master's degree. Our 29 graduates breaks the previous national mark of 28 that played for us in the 2014 Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma. This year's total means that more 20 percent of those suiting up for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic have at least one college degree already in hand. The Tide's graduate tally is three ahead of second place Temple and seven ahead of third-place Kansas State. Clemson is the closest squad in the College Football Playoff with 15. This year's Cotton Bowl also marks the seventh consecutive year that the Crimson Tide has suited up more than 20 graduates for a bowl game.
A total of 23 members of the Tide's 2015 SEC Championship squad earned degrees during the fall semester, including Kenyan Drake, Reggie Ragland, Cyrus Jones, Jarran Reed, Alphonse Taylor and Dominick Jackson. The Tide's quarterback/center tandem of Jake Coker and Ryan Kelly both graduated with their master's degrees earlier this month. Isaac Luatua also earned his master's degree in December. Other fall Tide graduates include Ryan Anderson, Dakota Ball, Parker Barrineau, Denzel Devall, TY Flournoy-Smith, Brandon Greene, Bernel Jones, Korren Kirven, Darren Lake, Dillon Lee, Alec Morris, Michael Nysewander, Geno Matias-Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson. Nine players already had their bachelor's degrees before the current season began, including Jake, Ryan and Isaac as well as D.J. Pettway, Chris Black, Bradley Sylve, Jabriel Washington, Richard Mullaney and Adam Griffith.
Alabama is one of only six teams that have 20 or more graduates playing in their bowl game this season, joining Temple (26), Kansas State (22), Cincinnati (21), Marshall (20) and Middle Tennessee (20). This marks the third consecutive year in which Alabama leads the nation with graduates on its roster during postseason play (we had 22 in 2014 and 28 in 2013). The academic success of our football program doesn't end there. Here are some other academic tidbits about our Crimson Tide football team that should make you very proud:
- Alabama's last three national title football teams included 60 players who had earned their degrees prior to game time.
- The 2014 team was recognized as one of the nation's top academic programs, ranking third in the annual academic rankings of the top 25 college football teams produced by New America, a Washington D.C. think-tank.
- The 2011 BCS national championship team had 21 graduates playing in the bowl game, which was the second most in the country.
- That 2011 team led the SEC with 38 student-athletes being named to the 2011 SEC Academic Honor Roll.
- The 2009 BCS national championship team led the country with 21 graduates playing in the bowl game.
- Alabama has led the SEC in the number of football student-athletes being named to the First-Year Academic Honor Roll in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Alabama earned a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 86 this year, the highest of all 14 SEC football programs. Over the past eight seasons (2008-15) Alabama has seen 94 degrees earned (graduate and undergraduate) by players still suiting up for the Crimson Tide after already having graduated. Since the 2010 season, Alabama has had an impressive 11 players earn a master's degree before stepping foot on the field. The Crimson Tide ranks third among Associated Press Top 25 teams for its graduation rate of 86 percent. Only Stanford (99 percent) and Notre Dame (93 percent) are ahead of the Crimson Tide.
Help Alabama Win the College Football Playoff Giving Challenge
With our game with Michigan State coming up tomorrow, another competition is in full swing as the College Football Playoff Participants Giving Challenge is going strong. By now, I hope you have heard that we are competing with the other universities playing in the College Playoff Semifinals to see whose fans are the most loyal and committed in a Giving Challenge.
Remember, the competition is based on participation, so we need EVERY Bama fan to make a gift. Any size of donation counts, so please contribute whatever you can. We can't do it without you! So, when you are making your end-of-year giving plans, please remember the Crimson Tide Foundation and make your gift during this challenge, which runs through the end of Thursday, Dec. 31, and show your support for the Tide.
Help us not only beat Michigan State on the field, but also beat the Spartans, Sooners and Tigers in giving participation! Remember, it takes us all to keep the Tide Rising! Check out the Crimson Tide Foundation website for more information.
Sports Updates
Men's Basketball
Coach Avery Johnson's men's basketball team won in overtime against Jacksonville State last night, 67-59, to improve to 8-3 on the season. Arthur Edwards led Alabama by scoring 16 points with five rebounds and three assists, while Riley Norris earned his second career double-double with 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Jimmie Taylor was excellent, scoring 13 points with six rebounds and a season-high five blocked shots. The win extended the Tide's non-conference home winning streak to 14 games. Entering last night's game, our non-conference strength of schedule was rated No. 34 in the nation. Five of the 11 games have come against teams with an RPI of 56 or better and we have a record of 2-3 in those contests. The three losses all have been to teams currently with a top 16 RPI (No. 1 Xavier, No. 11 Dayton and No. 16 Oregon). Last night's game ended our longest regular season road swing since the 2000-01 season, a total of five games away from Coleman Coliseum from Nov. 26 through Dec. 13. Avery's team went an impressive 4-1 over the stretch.
Women's Basketball
Our women's basketball team finished up its non-conference season on Monday with a 68-49 victory over Lipscomb to move to 11-2 overall. Our young squad also remains undefeated at home with a 9-0 record with the nine straight victories in Tuscaloosa marking the best home start since 2006. Sophomore Hannah Cook leads the Tide in scoring with an average of 13.5 points per game, while senior Nikki Hegstetter averages a team-best 7.5 rebounds per contest. As a team, the Tide is scoring 21.2 points per game more than its opponents and is hitting 42.3 percent of its attempts from the floor. We are looking for a big crowd on Sunday as SEC play begins with LSU at Foster Auditorium. The game is set to begin at 2 p.m. CT and will air live on The SEC Network.
Upcoming Action
Here's a summary of athletic events over the next several days (times listed are for the location of the event: CT is Central Time, ET is Eastern Time, MT is Mountain Time, PT is Pacific Time):
Thursday, December 31
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Football | vs. Michigan State |
at College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas | 7:10 p.m. CT |
Saturday, January 2
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Basketball | vs. Norfolk State | Coleman Coliseum | 1 p.m. CT |
Sunday, January 3
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Basketball | vs. LSU | Foster Auditorium | 2 p.m. CT |
| Diving | at Georgia Diving Invitational | Athens, Ga. | All Day |
Monday, January 4
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diving | at Georgia Diving Invitational | Athens, Ga. | All Day |
Tuesday, January 5
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diving | at Georgia Diving Invitational | Athens, Ga. | All Day |
Thursday, January 7
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Basketball | at Ole Miss | Oxford, Miss. | 8 p.m. CT |
| Women's Basketball | at Kentucky | Lexington, Ky. | 6 p.m. CT |
Friday, January 8
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swimming & Diving | vs. Tennessee | UA Aquatic Center | 4 p.m. CT |
Where to See, Listen and Follow Alabama Sports
Here's how to follow Crimson Tide teams in action this week via TV, radio, rolltide.com and social media (access a complete listing of Alabama Athletics social media platforms):
Football
TV: ESPN
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (check local listings)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 80; XM 80
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaFTBL
Women's Basketball
TV: Jan. 3 vs. LSU (SEC Network); Jan. 7 at Kentucky (SEC Network)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (check local listings)
Online Streaming: SEC Network +
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaWBB
Men's Basketball
TV: Jan. 2 vs. Norfolk State (SEC Network); Jan. 7 at Ole Miss (ESPNU)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (check local listings)
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaMBB
Swimming & Diving
Twitter: @AlabamaSwimDive
Catch Alabama Athletics on the SEC Network
Here's a summary of our athletic events to be televised over the next week on The SEC Network and its platforms. Read this schedule closely as some events can be seen via SEC Network +, which is available online via ESPN3. If you can't make it to our games in person, catch us on radio or TV. (All times listed are Central Time)
Thursday, December 31
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 11 a.m. | REPLAY: 2015 Football vs. Wisconsin | SEC Network |
| 1:30 p.m. | REPLAY: 2015 Football vs. LSU | SEC Network |
| 4 p.m. | REPLAY: 2015 Football vs. Florida | SEC Network |
| 7 p.m. | Finebaum Film Room: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic | SEC Network |
Friday, January 1
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | REPLAY: 2015 Football vs. Michigan State | SEC Network |
Saturday, January 2
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 4 a.m. | REPLAY: 2015 Football vs. Michigan State | SEC Network |
| 1 p.m. | Men's Basketball vs. Norfolk State | SEC Network |
Sunday, January 3
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 2 p.m. | Women's Basketball vs. LSU | SEC Netrwork |
| 6 p.m. | REPLAY: 2015 Football vs. Michigan State | SEC Network |
Thursday, January 7
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 6 p.m. | Women's Basketball at Kentucky | SEC Network + |
Friday, January 8
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 12 a.m. | REPLAY: Men's Basketball at Ole Miss | SEC Network |
| 4 a.m. | REPLAY: Men's Basketball at Ole Miss | SEC Network |
| 10 a.m. | REPLAY: Men's Basketball at Ole Miss | SEC Network |
| 8 p.m. | REPLAY: 2015 Football vs. Michigan State | SEC Network |
I hope you are enjoying a wonderful holiday season. I want to, again, extend my personal thanks to all of you who support our programs at events, with your prayers, goodwill, and generosity in endowing scholarships and building facilities. It really does take all of us to Keep the Tide Rising!
Happy New Year and Roll Tide!
