The ODK-Foy Sportsmanship Trophy, given to the winner of the Iron Bowl every year. (Copyright photo by Brett Hudson)
Below, we have video of the players taking the court for the presentation, Alabama head coach Nick Saban addressing the crowd, linebacker Nico Johnson after the presentation and a small surprise included.
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Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Alabama, Auburn, Iron Bowl, Nick Saban, Nico Johnson, ODK-Foy Trophy, trophy
Anthony Grant coaching the Crimson Tide to its revenge win over Auburn Tuesday night. (AP photo)
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TUSCALOOSA — Never has a basketball team felt better about itself on the offensive end of the floor after scoring 61 points and shooting 39.3 percent from the floor in a winning effort.
Drawing the regular-season series with rival Auburn to an even draw at one after losing on the road Feb. 6 was enough, but it was more satisfying to know that a groove is in place after the 61-43 win over Auburn.
“I thought the improvement we made over the last 20 days showed because we didn’t let (early offensive struggles) rattle us,” Alabama coach Anthony Grant said. “We had some success and built a lead.”
A large part of the offensive renaissance is junior point guard Trevor Releford, who followed his 36-point explosion Saturday against LSU with a 21-point game on 7-for-13 shooting against the Tigers.
“I think I’ve been preparing better recently,” Releford said. “I’ve been more focused and when I’m focused, I have a lot of confidence in my shot.”
Grant added, “I thought Trevor did a great job. He was locked-in. He was energetic, and I thought that was contagious to our team.”
Fellow point guard, redshirt freshman Retin Obasohan, created opportunities for himself via the dribble-drive to the tune of 10 points. Obasohan also had four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Trevor Lacey had a dozen points for the Tide.
“That’s something I’ve been working on,” Obasohan said of his dribble penetration abilities. “Coach always gets after me to use my athleticism. I guess today was one of those days I was able to make some plays for my teammates.”
When they were not scoring, the guards found 11 of Alabama’s 13 assists setting up big men for offensive opportunities, paving the way for sophomore forward Nick Jacobs to put up 10 points on 5-7 shooting.
“I thought Nick Jacobs came in in the first half and gave us a big boost,” Grant said. “Alabama attributed the upgrade in offensive output to halftime adjustments. Alabama’s shooting percentage in the 20 minutes after the intermission was 14 percent better than the 20 minutes preceding it.
“I guess the message at halftime was we have to come out and hit first,” Releford said. “We just can’t let up, because we know we were going to come out and get their best shot. We just had to hit first.”
Grant added, “When we get good looks, trust your preparation, go play. Don’t be hesitant. I thought the guys did a great job of responding to that.”
The Tigers have done the exact opposite, losing rhythm going down the stretch. From Christmas Day to Jan. 16, the Tigers scored 75.8 points per game. Since then, Auburn has averaged 57.75 points per contest. Auburn’s 43 points was the fewest it has scored against Alabama since 1949.
“If you can put a finger on it, it would be easily fixed,” Auburn forward Rob Chubb said. “People aren’t creating how they should be. Aggressiveness on the offensive end is one of the reasons.”
Chubb led the Tigers in scoring with 13 points. Frankie Sullivan continued to slump for Auburn. He finished 1-of-9 shooting for six points.
Auburn coach Tony Barbee added, “Did you watch the game? Missing layups, missing open shots. We probably missed 20 layups tonight. How are you going to win a game when you miss 20 layups?”
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Tagged Alabama, Anthony Grant, Auburn, Frankie Sulivan, Iron Bowl, Nick Jacobs, Retin Obasohan, Tony Barbee, Trevor Releford
Why, you mash it up with the movie “Apollo 13″ of course?
The good folks at SB Nation have done this, and it’s brilliant. I’ve tried to embed the video, and it’s not working for some reason. However, click here, and you should be able to access the video.
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TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — Alabama coach Nick Saban said during Saturday’s national championship celebration he never has been prouder of a group than he is the 2012 Crimson Tide team.
“To repeat, to win back-to-back national championships is one of the hardest things to do in any sport,” Saban said.
Saban made his comments at the school’s celebration of the national title, which Alabama clinched with the 42-14 win over Notre Dame on Jan. 7 in Miami Gardens, Fla. The Saturday events included a parade and remarks by athletics director Mal Moore, university president Judy Bonner, Alabama team captain Barrett Jones and Saban in a ceremony on the north side of Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Saban closed his remarks with a nod to the Alabama fans.
“We have the greatest fans in the land,” Saban said, “and that makes this special to be a part of. We thank you for that, and roll tide.”
Here’s video of Saban and his wife, Terry Saban, during the parade:
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These folks believe Alabama has the fourth best uniform in college football.
Michigan is first, Texas second and Southern California is third. By the way, Auburn is 22nd. Others of note are Oregon (8), Miami (12) and Notre Dame (13).
What do you think?
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One of the nation’s top football prospects, linebacker Reuben Foster, announced Thursday he has switched his commitment from Alabama to rival Auburn.
MaxPreps rates Foster as the nation’s No. 3 prospect for the class of 2013, while Rivals.com rates him No. 1 in the state, No. 1 among the nation’s inside linebackers and No. 2 overall.
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds by Rivals, Foster committed to Alabama on July 18, 2011, while he was a student at Troup County High in LaGrange, Ga. Following a coaching change, he transferred to Auburn High.
As a junior at Troup, he had 185 tackles and 14 sacks for a team that posted a 9-3 record.
“I have a lot of respect for Alabama, the coaches, and all of the people there and the fans, but at the end of the day I feel like Auburn University is the best place for me and my family,” Foster told reporters at a Thursday news conference at his high school’s cafeteria. “I am 100 percent confident with my final decision. I feel great about my decision and I’m excited to get started.”
Foster is Auburn’s 16th commitment in the 2013 class. He is one of three five-star commitments. The others are Muscle Shoals defensive end Dee Liner and Alpharetta (Ga.) High defensive end Carl Lawson.
According to Rivals’ rankings, Auburn has the No. 11 class nationally, while Alabama, with 17 commitments, is ranked No. 7. Michigan is No. 1.
Take a look at Erin Andrews, ESPN personality, speak with local reporters on a perfect afternoon in Tuscaloosa.
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Here’s the poll just released this morning. The voters rewarded LSU for beating a top-5 team in Oregon.
The USA Today coaches poll was also just released.That can be found at the bottom of the post. You can always find the latest polls by clicking here.
| 1. Oklahoma (32) | 1-0 | 1,448 | 1 |
| 2. LSU (17) | 1-0 | 1,415 | 4 |
| 3. Alabama (9) | 1-0 | 1,409 | 2 |
| 4. Boise St. (2) | 1-0 | 1,310 | 5 |
| 5. Florida St. | 1-0 | 1,196 | 6 |
| 6. Stanford | 1-0 | 1,154 | 7 |
| 7. Texas A&M | 1-0 | 1,033 | 8 |
| 8. Wisconsin | 1-0 | 1,031 | 11 |
| 9. Oklahoma St. | 1-0 | 981 | 9 |
| 10. Nebraska | 1-0 | 947 | 10 |
| 11. Virginia Tech | 1-0 | 906 | 13 |
| 12. South Carolina | 1-0 | 843 | 12 |
| 13. Oregon | 0-1 | 828 | 3 |
| 14. Arkansas | 1-0 | 752 | 15 |
| 15. Ohio St. | 1-0 | 606 | 18 |
| 16. Mississippi St. | 1-0 | 594 | 20 |
| 17. Michigan St. | 1-0 | 530 | 17 |
| 18. Florida | 1-0 | 382 | 22 |
| 19. West Virginia | 1-0 | 357 | 24 |
| 20. Baylor | 1-0 | 284 | NR |
| 21. Missouri | 1-0 | 242 | 21 |
| 22. South Florida | 1-0 | 221 | NR |
| 23. Penn St. | 1-0 | 147 | NR |
| 24. Texas | 1-0 | 135 | NR |
| 25. TCU | 0-1 | 130 | 14 |
Others receiving votes: Arizona St. 119, Auburn 85, Southern Cal 69, Georgia 52, Northwestern 40, Maryland 34, BYU 33, Iowa 29, Houston 27, Utah 24, Notre Dame 22, Michigan 17, Air Force 11, Pittsburgh 11, UCF 10, NC State 8, Hawaii 6, Tennessee 6, Arizona 5, N. Illinois 5, Southern Miss. 4, Clemson 1, Georgia Tech 1.
| 1. Oklahoma (43) | 1-0 | 1,454 | 1 |
| 2. Alabama (9) | 1-0 | 1,412 | 2 |
| 3. LSU (7) | 1-0 | 1,366 | 4 |
| 4. Florida State | 1-0 | 1,198 | 5 |
| 5. Boise State | 1-0 | 1,197 | 7 |
| 6. Stanford | 1-0 | 1,180 | 6 |
| 7. Oklahoma State | 1-0 | 1,038 | 8 |
| 8. Texas A&M | 1-0 | 997 | 9 |
| 9. Wisconsin | 1-0 | 988 | 10 |
| 10. Nebraska | 1-0 | 910 | 11 |
| 11. Virginia Tech | 1-0 | 863 | 13 |
| 12. South Carolina | 1-0 | 827 | 12 |
| 13. Arkansas | 1-0 | 786 | 14 |
| 14. Oregon | 0-1 | 752 | 3 |
| 15. Ohio State | 1-0 | 686 | 16 |
| 16. Michigan State | 1-0 | 584 | 17 |
| 17. Mississippi State | 1-0 | 497 | 20 |
| 18. Florida | 1-0 | 375 | 23 |
| 19. Missouri | 1-0 | 309 | 21 |
| 20. Penn State | 1-0 | 247 | 25 |
| 21. Texas | 1-0 | 231 | 24 |
| 22. Auburn | 1-0 | 197 | 19 |
| 23. Arizona State | 1-0 | 189 | NR |
| 24. West Virginia | 1-0 | 185 | NR |
| 25. TCU | 0-1 | 140 | 15 |
Others receiving votes: Baylor 117; South Florida 97; Iowa 44; Utah 42; Georgia 35; Houston 31; Northwestern 30; Arizona 28; Central Florida 18; Hawaii 17; Michigan 15;North Carolina 15; Clemson 13; Northern Illinois 13; Southern Mississippi 12; Air Force 10; Notre Dame 8; Tennessee 5; Brigham Young 4; Maryland 4; Georgia Tech 3; Washington 3; California 1; Cincinnati 1; Texas Tech 1.
The Tigers left Alabama stunned and out of the BCS championship chase late this afternoon.
LSU 24, Alabama 21.
Read more tomorrow. Let’s just say the post game interviews were brief and solemn.
Here is the lead from my game story I wrote after Alabama’s 41-10 win on Rocky Top. After reading and digesting, vote on the poll below.
KNOXVILLE ― A foreign smell filled the hallway outside the Alabama locker room Saturday night
When the door swung open, the smoke burned from the end of a few cigars as the Crimson Tide walked to the bus through a mob of cheering fans and flashing cameras.
Who said this rivalry lost its flare this fall?
Before lighting up the stogies, Alabama smoked Tennessee with a huge second half to win its fourth straight over the Vols, 41-10 in front of a once-packed Neyland Stadium.
Now vote.
The Associated Press just updated its story on the hospitalization of former Tide point guard Mikhail Torrance. Instead of paraphrasing, here is the entire AP account:
Former Alabama standout point guard Mikhail Torrance collapsed after a workout in Bradenton, Fla. on Friday and is hospitalized in critical condition, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
Torrance had been training at the IMG Academies when he lost consciousness, according to the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the player’s family had not authorized the release of any information.
Torrance
The news is not pleasant out of Florida. AOL Fanhouse is reporting former Crimson Tide point guard Mikhail Torrance collapsed during a workout in Bradenton and was rushed to a local hospital.
The report cited family sources who said Torrance was in critical condition and breathing with a ventilator.
Read that complete story here.
You can only hope this isn’t a result of the heart ailment he recently disclosed and likely kept him from being drafted in June. He joined the Heat summer league team, but never played.
Most recently, he signed a contract to play professionally in Israel.
Stay tuned for updates.
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Posted in basketball, Mikhail Torrance
Tagged Alabama, basketball, Crimson Tide, Miami Heat, Mikhail Torrance
I did a little experimenting with the new video editor feature on YouTube to condense some of the practice tapes posted on the blog. Let me know if you like it better this way.
First, here’s the linebackers working with defensive coordinator Kirby Smart and linebackers coach Sal Sunseri.
Next, Nick Saban works with mostly defensive backs.
Finally, here’s the result of some more toying around with video editing. I tried to line it up with the music as best as possible.
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Posted in Dont'a Hightower, football, Kirby Smart, Nick Saban, video, YouTube
Tagged Alabama, Crimson Tide, Dont'a Hightower, Kirby Smart, Nick Saban, practice video, video
Rob Ezell hams it up in California in this Daily photo by Gary Cosby Jr.
ESPN will take all the credit for televising Athens native Rob Ezell doing a spot-on impression of Nick Saban, but The Bama Blog wants a finder’s fee. It was here that Ezell’s talent was first discovered. Just see the story I wrote about the party trick published back in January:
By Michael Casagrande
Sports Writer
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Rob Ezell’s talent is both a blessing and a curse.
Most players who can do a spot on impersonation of Alabama coach Nick Saban would keep that hidden, but this Thanksgiving, the backup receiver from Athens took center stage.
In Saban’s home.
In front of the coach.
Saban’s reaction?
“He took it all right,” a laughing Ezell said. “He said I did a pretty good job. Mrs. Terry (Saban), she really liked it. I didn’t want to do it, but Terrence Cody put me on the spot.”
Still, he was hoping to avoid the moment until Terry Saban, Nick’s wife, learned of the skill.
“I did it first when coach Saban was out of the room, but it was almost like a movie, he walked in right at the right time when I was in the middle of it,” Ezell said.
Cody, who called it “a real good Saban impression,” was never worried about the coach’s reaction. “We tried to get him to do it last year,” Cody said. “But he was scared, so we finally got him to do it, and it turned out good.”
See a little more of Ezell’s personality from Fan Day in these videos I shot of the new star and his film crew. You might remember that third one since it made it into the broadcast.
UPDATE: Here is the video from the broadcast of Ezell’s impression.
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Posted in football, Nick Saban, Rob Ezell
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