Tide continue preparations for BCS national title game

By Bud L. Ellis

Back to work after the Christmas holidays, the Alabama Crimson Tide are moving closer to their date with destiny.

The Tide resumed workouts Sunday night, practicing under the lights in Tuscaloosa in preparation for the BCS national championship game against Texas, Jan. 7 at Pasadena, Calif.

The SEC champions will work out every day this week, before leaving Alabama on New Year’s Day for the trip west. And while 24 days have passed since the Tide beat Florida in the Georgia Dome in a clash of unbeaten teams to win the conference championship and earn a berth in the national title game, the thrill and anticipation of what’s to come the first week in January hasn’t faded one bit.

The matchup drips with storylines. Two of the top programs in the nation – both combined have won 11 national titles. Two of the top impact players in the game – Alabama running back Mark Ingram won the Heisman Trophy; Texas quarterback Colt McCoy is the winningest quarterback in NCAAA history. Two of the best coaches in the game – both Texas coach Mack Brown and Alabama coach Nick Saban are among the most well-paid coaches in the land, and both have won national titles.

While there will be plenty of focus on the offenses, the Alabama defense may very well hold the key in this one. The Tide held Florida and Tim Tebow to just 13 points in the SEC title game, and stepped up time after time in several close games this season. An effort like that on Jan. 7 could very well pay off in a national championship.

—30—

Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at 11:00 pm by bud

Tags: Alabama, BCS national championship, Colt McCoy, Georgia Dome, Mack Brown, Mark Ingram, Nick Saban, SEC, Texas, Tim Tebow

Ingram carries Heisman into Tide’s title showdown with Longhorns

By Bud L. Ellis

Shortly after 9 p.m. Eastern on Dec. 12, the BCS National Championship game took a new twist … and Mark Ingram ended a 75-year drought for one of the college football’s most storied programs.

Ingram, the running back who helped thrust the University of Alabama to the Southeastern Conference championship and a berth in the BCS title contest, became the first Crimson Tide player to win the Heisman Trophy, edging Stanford running back Joey Gerhart in the closest vote in history.

In doing so, not only does Ingram engrave his name into college football history, his winning of the award Texas quarterback Colt McCoy figured to win coming into this season gives another slant to the matchup of Ingram’s Tide and McCoy’s Longhorns for the national title.

After Florida’s Tim Tebow and Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford snagged the Heisman the past two seasons, McCoy looked to be the favorite to make it three quarterbacks in a row coming into 2009. And, while McCoy certainly did more than his share of good things in leading the Longhorns to a perfect season, the Big 12 title and a shot at the national championship, Ingram didn’t miss many opportunities to show the voters his value.

Even though the SEC experienced a down year in 2009, many still consider it the hands-down best conference in college football. Throw out a subpar performance against Auburn in the Iron Bowl, and there was no slowing Ingram. In the SEC title game against unbeaten Florida, Ingram’s 113 yards and three touchdowns helped propel Alabama to Pasadena. He started his season with 150 yards and two touchdowns against Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic at the Georgia Dome and never looked back.

The next time he takes the field, Mark Ingram will be a Heisman Trophy winner. But there is no doubting there won’t be a Heisman hangover when the bright lights come on Jan. 7. For while Ingram is the best player in the nation, he and his teammates have a shot at the team honor.

—30—

Tuesday, December 22, 2009 at 7:55 pm by bud

Tags: Alabama, Auburn, Colt McCoy, Florida, Heisman Trophy, Joey Gerhart, Mark Ingram, Oklahoma, Sam Bradford, Southeastern Conference, Stanford, Texas, Tim Tebow, Virginia Tech

Alabama rolls past Florida, 32-13

The Alabama Crimson Tide surprised most of the college football world with a 32-13 pounding of the Florida Gators in the SEC championship game.

It seemed like Alabama had been thinking about this game ever since they lost to the Gators in last year’s SEC title game.

The Crimson Tide looked like the stronger, faster and more determined team from the opening kickoff.

They beat Florida in every phase of the game, which was really never in doubt.

The win caps off an undefeated season for Alabama and puts them in the BCS national championship game against the Texas Longhorns.

Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 9:11 am by steve

QB McElory steady at helm for title-game bound Tide

By Bud L. Ellis

Mark Ingram gets all the publicity, and rightly so. The Alabama running back has rushed for more yards than any Crimson Tide runner in the program’s storied history and is a frontrunner for this year’s Heisman Trophy.

But the man handing Ingram the ball has come into his own, and during Saturday night’s Southeastern Conference championship game victory over then-top ranked Florida, Greg McElory silenced his critics with a steady, cool performance.

McElory earned MVP honors, completing 12-of-18 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown in Alabama’s 32-13 triumph over the Gators. In doing so, not only did the 6-foot-3 junior helped lead the Crimson Tide to a berth in the BCS championship game against Texas on Jan. 7 in Pasadena, Calif., he established himself as the leader of the 13-0 Tide once and for all.

Coming into the season, there were plenty of skeptics wondering what the Tide would do at quarterback following the graduation of senior John Parker Wilson, and whether McElory could navigate the treacherous waters of Alabama’s schedule. McElory threw just 11 passes as a sophomore.

But starting with the Tide’s 34-23 win over Virginia Tech at the Georgia Dome in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic, McElory has been steady and smooth. Against the Hokies, McElory connected on 9-of-12 passes in the second half, finishing with 230 yards in the air to launch Alabama on its championship-game journey. He opened up the Arkansas game with two touchdown passes of 50-plus yards.

Against Tennessee, McElory completed 18-of-29 passes, did not get sacked, and moved Alabama into position to boot four field goals in holding off the Vols. Against LSU in a showdown for the SEC West title, McElory passed for 276 yards, and his screen pass to Julio Jones started a 73-yard touchdown that gave the Tide the lead.

Beyond the stats, McElroy kept his poise as the Tide dodged several upset bids throughout their undefeated run to the SEC title. The Tide will need more of the same from McElory to upend Texas and win the national championship.

—30—

Monday, December 7, 2009 at 10:12 pm by bud

Tags: Alabama, BCS national championship, Florida, Georgia Dome, Greg McElory, LSU, Mark Ingram, SEC Championship, Tennessee, Virginia Tech

TITLE TIME! Tide tops Gators for SEC crown, moves into national championship game

By Bud L. Ellis

Go ahead and exhale, Tide Nation. Your Alabama Crimson Tide stands tonight atop the SEC, with the grandest of mountains within its regal reach.

The running and catching of Mark Ingram, the passing and coolness of Greg McElory, and the steady leadership of a strong defense forged the path to the BCS National Championship game, Alabama pulling away from Florida 32-13 Saturday night inside the same Georgia Dome where last season the Tide couldn’t hold a three-point advantage entering the fourth quarter.

Ingram, McElory and the Tide defense made sure this one wasn’t within a field goal within the critical minutes. Instead, the final minutes of this one felt more like a coronation, one of sweet redemption for the Alabama program that will play in the BCS title contest Jan. 7 in Pasadena, Calif.

All week long, those who sat on the fence in this game tended to throw their support toward Florida because of Tim Tebow, the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback with two national titles on his resume. But McElory was the more poised, more polished quarterback in this one, finishing 12-for-18 for 239 yards, earning MVP honors.

Tebow got his yards, rushing for 63 and passing for 247. But with a chance to pull

the Gators within 12 points early in the fourth quarter, he threw short and was picked off by Javier Arenas.

In the end, it was the Tide which stepped up and made the key plays. The offense rolled up 490 yards against the top-ranked defense in the nation. Ingram did more than his fair share, rushing for 113 and receiving 76 yards. And now, as a result, Alabama not only stands as the champions of the SEC, it gets to play for the national championship in 32 days.

—30—

Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 10:42 pm by bud

Tags: Alabama, BCS, Florida, Georgia Dome, Greg McElory, Heisman Trophy, Mark Ingram, SEC Championship, Tim Tebow

Bama gets its shot at redemption … and at berth in title game

By Bud L. Ellis

Through the offseason, during the march of 12 consecutive victories, the Alabama Crimson Tide no doubt have thought about 15 minutes of football last December in the Georgia Dome that ended their national championship dreams.

Saturday afternoon, the Tide gets their shot at revenge, and a shot at the national title.

When second-ranked Alabama lines up against top-ranked Florida in an SEC championship game that has the entire sports world buzzing, the Tide will be playing for a shot in the BCS championship game.

They also will be playing to redeem a lost shot at the title last season.

Entering the SEC title game ranked No. 1 in the BCS rankings, Alabama held a 20-17 lead after three quarters. Then the Gators took over, dominating the final 15 minutes, scoring 14 unanswered points and ripping away Alabama’s shot at the national crown, 31-20.

Florida would go on to win the national championship. Alabama would go on to get upset by Utah in the Sugar Bowl.

Now the Tide have earned the ultimate shot at revenge, in a game that amounts to a national semifinal.

Alabama dodged bumps and pitfalls along the way to its 12-0 record and SEC West title. But through it all, there is no denying the Tide have longed for another shot at the Gators, another shot at playing better in the fourth quarter, another shot at earning a trip to the national title game.

Saturday, the Tide get their shot.

—30—

Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 10:28 pm by bud

Tags: Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida, Georgia Dome, Oklahoma, SEC, Sugar Bowl, Utah

Alabama rallies past Auburn, 26-21

The Alabama Crimson Tide used a late fourth quarter drive to get past the rival Auburn Tigers, 26-21.

The Crimson Tide got off to a slow start on the road and actually trailed Auburn for most of the game.

However, the team finally started to get wide receiver Julio Jones more involved in the final drive of the game and he carried them to a victory.

Running back Mark Ingram was very ineffective and eventually left the game with a shoulder injury.

Alabama now heads into the SEC championship game against Florida with a national title appearance on the line.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 7:38 pm by steve