'Bama wins 30-24 over the Buffaloes

Alabama used a 20-point first quarter and relied on a stingy second-half defense to withstand Colorado in the PetroSun Independence Bowl Sunday, gaining 388 total yards in a 30-24 win over the Buffaloes at Independence Stadium.

The win extended Alabama’s NCAA-best bowl wins total to 31.

Sunday’s game was Alabama’s NCAA-best 55th bowl appearance. The win extended Alabama’s all-time bowl record to 31-20-3. The Independence Bowl marked Alabama’s fourth consecutive bowl appearance, the first time Alabama played in four consecutive bowls since the Tide played in 10 straight from 1985-94.

Full Story @ rolltide.com

GAME DAY! Independence Bowl

Fearless Prediction: Alabama 30 ... Colorado 17

As the lone bowl game of the day, it should be a worthwhile watch if recent history is any indication. Seven of the last eight Indy Bowls have been decided by seven points or fewer with six of then decided by four points or fewer. Alabama played nine games decided by a touchdown or less, while Colorado has played five, so these two well coached, relatively even teams should play a good 60-minute battle.

Since the bowl started its regular tie-in with the SEC, the league has gone 10-1 with last year's 'Bama loss breaking the string of seven straight wins over the Big 12 in the game.

Follow the Game Online @ FoxSports

Misc 'Bama Info

Injury Update:

Sophomore Javier Arenas (ankle) wore black during individual drills Monday, but has yet to be cleared to participate in practice. Coaches are optimistic that he could be back in red with teammates by the end of the week.“Rest helps anything,” Arenas said.

True freshman running back Demetrius Goode (knee) was also in black for individual drills, and is still on course to be ready for the spring. Sophomore Roy Upchurch (shoulder) and redshirt freshman Terry Grant (hip) are all healthy, and, with Glen Coffee also in the mix, coaches have all three running backs active and at full strength for the first time since midseason.


Three to miss bowl:

Walk-ons Thomas Darrah and Jacob Vane, who were charged with third-degree assault for a Dec. 2 incident, will practice with the team this week, but not make the trip to Shreveport.

Neither will senior linebacker Marcel Stamps, due to academic reasons.

Otherwise, it appears that everyone got through finals pretty well.“I’m really pleased with the way our players finished up academically,” Saban said. “This is going to be one of our better semesters.“The new graduation rates have come out and we have some pretty impressive numbers from 2001-2002.”


Full Story @ tuscaloosanews.com

New Linebacker

Jimmy Johns has a new position with the University of Alabama football team, and it’s on the opposite side of the field.

Source - Tuscaloosa News

Namath Graduates 42 Years after He Started!

Joe Namath, who won a national championship with the Crimson Tide in 1964 but quit school before going on to become a pro football great, returned to the University of Alabama on Friday to pick up the degree he earned 42 years later.

Namath completed a 30-hour program over the last five years to earn bachelor of arts degree in interdisciplinary studies. Bum knees aside, Namath will be one of 900 graduates to walk across the stage at Coleman Coliseum during commencement Saturday morning.

"It was fun, but it was hard," Namath, 64, said at a news conference. "I had a very difficult time getting myself to sit down and spend the time (studying)"

Full Story @ foxsports.com

Crimson Tide’s Ranks No. 3 in the Country in Recruiting

Cornerback Robby Green commits to Alabama

Robby Green, a 6-foot, 170-pound cornerback from John Curtis Christian School in River Ridge, La., committed Tuesday to the University of Alabama.

“I’m going to be playing my college ball at Alabama,” Green said. “I always knew that I wanted to play there and for Coach [Nick] Saban, and now it’s official.

Through nine games, Green had 30 tackles, four interceptions, 10 pass deflections, two fumble recoveries and one kickoff return for a touchdown. He reports a 3.0 core GPA and a 17 on the ACT.

Saban's Process - Those that Won't, will not Be Around Long!

Saban declined to name any specific players who will not be retained on scholarship, saying that was "their decision" and not his, but he indicated one or two players, as he did in August, will be retained on non-athletic scholarships and released from the team for medical reasons.

He also pointed at a rash of suspensions this year as an indicator of the types of problems the staff incurred in enforcing their will on players.

"What I think our calling is, is to try to establish the things that we feel are important, to get consistency in performance and players doing things correctly," Saban said. "It's no secret that you guys know how many players were suspended throughout this season for whatever reasons, so why were they suspended? Did they do what's right? If you do it right, that doesn't mean you are going to have success. But if you don't do it right, you have no chance.

"What defines success to me is consistency in performance. Then you are going to play to a standard of excellence that is not determined by your opponent. It's in you. It's your burning desire of what you want to accomplish and how you want to do it. We just have to continue to build on that."

Full Story @ montgomeryadvertiser.com

First-Team All-SEC

Alabama had Andre Smith, Wallace Gilberry, Simeon Castille and Rashad Johnson make the first teams.

The SEC individual award winners will be released today and the SEC All-Freshman Team will be announced on Thursday.

Full Story @ tidesports.com

Post Season! 2007 PetroSun Independence Bowl

Alabama (6-6, 4-4 in the SEC) will play the Colorado Buffaloes (6-6, 4-4 in the Big 12) in Shreveport, La., on Sunday, December 30, at 7 p.m. (CST) in a nationally televised game by ESPN.

Latest Bowl Projection for 'Bama

INDEPENDENCE: Big 12 #8 vs. SEC #8 (Dec. 30, 8 p.m., ESPN)
The Matchup: Colorado vs. Alabama

Applewhite, "He's not Leaving"

Star Jackson, a coveted quarterback from Palm Beach, Fla., told The Birmingham News that Applewhite informed him Thursday night that "he's not leaving. He's going to stick there. The only way he's leaving is if he gets fired."

As for Jackson, the 6-foot-3, 185-pounder is considered one of the nation's best quarterbacks, along with being the only player at his position on Alabama's commitment list.

Jackson said he and Applewhite "have a trust level that is pretty high" so he believes the coach when he said he does not plan to leave.

"He's one of the reasons I want to go (to Alabama)," Jackson said. "He just got here. Why would he want to try and find something else or another head coaching job? He informed me that whatever happens with Nick, he wants to stay with Nick. And Nick's not going anywhere, either."

Applewhite going to Houston?

The Houston Cougars are in the process of finding a new head coach to replace Art Briles, who resigned Wednesday and signed to take over the struggling Baylor program. And while Maggard will not comment on specific candidates, the lengthy list includes Alabama offensive coordinator Major Applewhite, Notre Dame offensive coordinator Michael Haywood, Texas A&M offensive coordinator Les Koenning Jr., Michigan State defensive line coach Lucious Selmon, Ohio University head coach Frank Solich and former Auburn coach Terry Bowden, who now does football analysis for Westwood One radio.

Source The Houston Chronicle

Recruting News!

Nick Saban secured a big junior college commitment Thursday from Terrance Cody, a four-star defensive tackle from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, Miss.

Cody chose Alabama over scholarship offers from Auburn, Florida State, Tennessee and Ole Miss.

The 6-foot-5, 385-pound prospect recorded 31 tackles and 3.5 sacks this season.