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Alabama Crimson Tide Football

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Alabama Crimson Tide Football

The Alabama Crimson Tide football team is a college program that represents the University of Alabama and competes in NCAA Division I competition. This traditional program is one of the most prestigious and decorated teams that have ever played. The program had its roots all the way back in 1892, when the school first started gaining national recognition for their athletics. Since then, the Crimson Tide have claimed thirteen national championships and have had numerous other bowl game appearances. Their all-time record remains a strong .707 percent with 802 wins and 319 losses (and 43 ties). Their track record of national success has made them a strong contender in NCAA football with frequent ratings and rankings on ESPN and Sports Illustrated.

There have also been a number of top individual performers to come from the University of Alabama. While there has only been one Heisman Trophy winner in 2009, there have been 47 all-Americans. By far, the most celebrated figure has been famed coach Paul Bryant, who led the team to six national championships between 1958 to 1982. Within NCAA Division one play, the Crimson Tide have won twenty-six conference titles. Among all SEC schools, Alabama holds a winning record over all of them.

The Crimson Tide also play of their home games at Bryant-Denny Stadium, located on the campus in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. With a maximum capacity of over 100,000 fans, this stadium has also gained widespread notoriety. When ranked along all other non-racing stadiums, it is the 7th largest in the world and the 5th largest in the United States. Again, this stadium is named after their famous coach, Paul Bryant who led the Tide with a legacy of extreme success. Indeed, the modern era has left the Crimson Tide with not only a long standing tradition of football, but also success as they have held strong stats for the last decade.

Alabama Crimson Tide

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Alabama Crimson Tide

At the University of Alabama, there are nineteen varsity sports teams. As members of the Southeastern Conference Western Division, they are ranked as one of the best collegiate sports programs in the nation. They also have an immense athletic facility, dedicated to top notch performance and talented recruits. In fact, the 100,000 seat Bryant-Denny Stadium is one of the largest athletic facilities in a college campus. The crimson and white have a strong tradition of athletic excellence, especially in Football. This long standing tradition has spawned some of the most heated rivalries in college sports.

Every year, the Crimson Tide compete directly with Auburn University in virtually every sport. The annual football meeting between the two teams has been nicknamed the Iron Bowl. Sports Illustrated and ESPN has even labeled this rivalry as being right behind the Yankees-Red Sox one. The football team has made fifty eight bowl appearances ever since their first Rose Bowl in 1926. Most recently, they competed in the 2011 Capital One Bowl in which the Crimson crushed the Michigan State Spartans forty-nine to seven. Despite only having a 9-3 record against the Spartans who were 11-1, the Crimson were led by Julio Jones, who played an outstanding game.

The Crimson also had their first Heisman Trophy winner in 2009 when Mark Ingram set the single season rushing record with 1,658 yards. He helped the team capture the BSC National Championship as well as a perfect 14-0 undefeated record for the season. For the 2011 draft, Ingram was selected 28th overall, just like his father, in the first round to the New Orleans Saints. The Hackensack, New Jersey product was only a junior when he entered the NFL draft. As a running back, the Crimson Tide player achieved many awards throughout his career, including the first-team All American (2010), the cover athlete of NCAA football and the SN Player of the Year (2009).

Alabama Crimson Tide Defeats Arkansas in Heated Football Game

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Alabama Crimson Tide Defeats Arkansas in Heated Football Game

In being ranked number 3 and going against a top 15 competitor, Arkansas, Crimson Tide showed who was boss by prevailing with a crushing 38 -  14 win in their home turf. Starting quarterback AJ McCarron performed well as he passed two touchdown throws way down field to give them an early lead. By far, the most electrifying play of the game was an 83 yard punt return by Marquis Maze. There was also a 25 yard interception return by DeQuan Menzie. This early lead set the tone for the rest of the day as Arkansas was slow to respond.

Arkansas did rally back with a brutal drive down field headed by Junior quarterback Tyler Wilson. However, the veracity of Alabama kept going as they would eventually sit on a comfortable 31-7 lead going into the fourth quarter. With four unanswered scores by Alabama, Arkansas struggled to get back into fighting position as a pass to Cobi Hamilton scored a quick 19 yard touchdown. With strong drives and a diversity of scoring plays, Alabama showed that they can push the ball down the field and maintain a strong lead going through the rest of the game.

The veteran linemen and strong coaching staff at Alabama looks to make a strong showing this year after a total of three losses last year to bitter rivals. The 100,000 plus fan base at their home stadium on campus will go wild as Alabama Crimson Tide prepares for a tough schedule for the rest of the year. They have to face the likes of top teams such as the Florida Gators. Analysts and sports odd makers alike are pegging for Alabama to make it to a top bowl game this year and potentially compete for the Championships, However, they will have to eventually meet up with strong teams like Oregon and Texas A&M.

Alabama Crimson Tide Football 2011 Predictions

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Alabama Crimson Tide Football 2011 Predictions

With the 2010 NCAA Fotball season behind them, the Crimson Tide get ready for another long season of grid yard action. Their 10-3 record in 2010 prompts us to have high expectations once again. While winning the first five games of last year with relative ease, they took their first loss at South Carolina by a nine point margin. November was also a tough month as the Tide lost to one of their long time rivals, LSU in a close game. Finally, once again the home fans were angry as they lost to their biggest rival, Auburn, by a mere point at the end of November.

But this year looks to be a promising season as the Crimson Tide are ranked again in the top five. The offense offers plenty of support for a strong season as quarterback Greg McElroy and Julio Jones make up a dangerous combination for long field passes. Jones caught twenty-one passes in 2010 with an average of 14.1 yards per pass. Alabama was ranked 4th for passing downs completed. Their track record of aggressiveness in passing will be seen again as their Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram was drafted in 2011 to the New Orleans Saints.

That does not mean that their running game will be weak. Trent Richardson had over 700 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns last year. He is explosive, dangerous and brutally strong when it comes to plowing through the defense and getting first downs. He will look to be a top performer as he takes the leading back position after Ingram left. Surely, those are big shoes to fill though. Luckily, many of their top linemen are returning. The defense is nothing to sneeze at either. Their defense was ranked in the top 5 and prevented many big plays from happening. Another big year awaits as Alabama looks to reclaim their top spot in the SEC and move towards another championship.

Alabama Crimson Tide and the Mascot Mystery

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Alabama Crimson Tide and the Mascot Mystery

Many have wondered why the Crimson Tide have an elephant as their mascot. The large animal has little do to with any sort of tide and is surely not red by nature. In turns out that the name Crimson Tide goes all the way back to a 1907 football game against Auburn University in Birmingham, Alabama. The term was first used by a former sports editor by the name of Hugh Roberts who commented on how muddy the terrain was and how the odds were favored towards Auburn. The Crimson played such a solid game and tied Auburn 6-6 at the end of the game. Later, sports writer Zipp Newman further popularized the name.

As far as the actual mascot is concerned, this story dates back to 1930. A sportswriter wrote about the Alabama Ole Misss game in a dramatic fashion. In doing so, he commented that a fan yelled out “here come the elephants!” during the start. The name stuck throughout the season and championship season that was to come. It was not until the 1979 Sugar Bowl that the mascot “Big Al” came to be. The actual selection process for the name was chosen by a campus wide vote by the students, faculty and alumni.

Since that time, the mascot has been a fan favorite for the Tide fans. This is widely to do because of the fact that Alabama uniforms do not actually have a logo on them. However, Big Al does appear on much of the merchandise that is offered. Surely, the elephant tradition has grown vastly due to fan popularity. However, it is also still clear that the name Crimson Tide has little to do with the elephant. In the end, it is a mix of tradition, history, campus involvement and prestige.

Crimson Tide Marquis Maze Underrated Receiver in SEC

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Crimson Tide Marquis Maze Underrated Receiver in SEC

Despite not getting as much recognition as some other players, the Crimson Tide’s Marquis Maze has been performing extremely well. He has earned the reputation of being under the radar as well. Despite being overshadowed by fellow wide receiver Julio Jones, Maze was quietly doing his job as well. Last year, he caught 38 passes and averaged 14.7 yards per game. In being a perfect complement to Jones, he managed to accrue more than 15 yards in 31 plays throughout last season. The SEC competition has heavily undervalued the role that this young man has played in the Crimson offense.

For this year, Maze has already started with a fury of solid performance plays. His 83 yard punt return for a touchdown versus Arkansas was easily one of the top plays of the SEC so far in the year. This play was also the catalyst that brought a crushing victory to the rival Hogs. The senior wide receiver has 20 catches and is tied for second in the SEC. He is also third all-time for all-purpose yardage, sitting behind South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore and Florida’s Chris Rainey. His on the field presence is finally beginning to draw more attention for other defensive coaches.

Maze, being as humble as he is, reluctantly admitted that he was nervous about the offense and playmaker capabilities of a talented Razorbacks squad. Nonetheless, as Maze’s plays are making headlines on ESPN, SEC defensive coordinators are combating his quick agility with zone coverage and other strategies to minimize his impact on the field. This will help the Crimson Tide as they face stiff competition this season from their own conference. As Texas A&M will look to join the SEC in 2012, the competition will only grow stiffer for the Crimson Tide. Luckily, standouts like Maze will remain handy.

Alabama Crimson Tide Freshman Dee Hart Spotted Running

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Alabama Crimson Tide Freshman Dee Hart Spotted Running

When Coach Nick Saban recruited Dee Hart, he knew that the true freshman would be one of the most prized signees. However, an injury to his knee has kept him from playing. Before the injury, Hart added some real depth to the Crimson Tide running game as he earned the number 3 running back spot right before he endured his injury. Despite this, the young freshman has been recovering really well from his injury. When being seen at press conferences and media presences on campus, Hart has been spotted on the side minding his own business.

However, there was been some evidence that he may be healthier than anyone could have imagined.  During a few of these media viewing periods, the standout has been spotted running. Not only was he jogging around, but he was also seen sprinting across a football field. Coach Saban remarked that “he is actually running and doing things, but he’s still probably a good month away from being able to do all the things he needs to do to be able to come back and play football.” Indeed, it would be a shocker if Hart came back this season to help out the Crimson Tide.

CBS Sports reported the US Army All-American Bowl MVP tore his ACL during a 7 on 7 drill. He was expected to be fully recovered within 7-10 months. This would jeopardize his 2012 spring camp participation as well. Surely, the coaching staff is content with losing Hart of the 2011 season as they want him to heal quickly and efficiently to prevent further injury. Luckily, the depth chart has other players like Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy who average roughly 7.2 yards per carry. Hopefully, they will stay healthy and be enough to push a strong running game for the Tide.

Crimson Tide Rivalries

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Crimson Tide Rivalries

All teams in all sports have rivalries.  It’s just part of the competitive atmosphere.  But they are rarely more intense than those in NCAA football.  The Alabama Crimson Tide isn’t afraid to pick fights or make enemies in their relentless struggle for dominance in the SEC and the Crimson Tide maintains no less than three strong rivalries every year.

The most regularly scheduled of these rivalries is the Saban Bowl between the University of Alabama and Louisiana State University.  The Crimson Tide first met the Tigers in 1895 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where the Tigers came out on top 12 to 6.  In 1964 the teams began meeting on an annual basis.  The rivalry has been marked by extended stretches of the home team losing and the intensity has only increased as time has gone by.  In the last three decades the teams are evenly matched for wins and losses.  The contest is now called the “Saban Bowl” because in 2007 Alabama hired Nick Saban as their head coach, he was formerly a coach at LSU.

Another annual rivalry is between the Crimson Tide and the University of Tennessee Volunteers.  This game is called the Third Saturday in October which was the date of the game when it was played prior to the 1992 football season.  Since then it has only been scheduled on that date five times.  This rivalry dates back to 1901 and has been clearly dominated by Alabama with a 47-38-7 record.  There has been an off an on tradition, now banned, of handing out victory cigars after the game.  The fiercest of Alabama’s rivalries and what is considered to be one of the hardest fought rivalries in all of sports is between University of Alabama and Auburn University.  It is also the Tide’s oldest rivalry, dating back to 1893.  The first game was won by Auburn 32-22 in front of a crowd of 5,000.  The series record is close at 40-34-1 with the Tide in the lead.  Victory is never guaranteed and its one of the most anticipated games in the SEC.

Crimson Tide Injury Report

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Crimson Tide Injury Report

The Tide is looking strong after four games with only one fairly minor injury condition and one academic complication currently on the books.  Considering the hard hitting Crimson Tide style this is quite an accomplishment and a trend they surely hope to maintain as the Tennessee rivalry game is less than a month away.

Chris Jordan, a 6’3” 240 pound Senior from Brentwood Tennessee has seen a fair amount of action in his time with the Crimson Tide.  In his first year he was one of 16 freshmen to see play time.  He was on the field for 10 games including the three rivalry games and the Sugar Bowl, all on special teams.  He registered three stops in his first season, the first against Kentucky, the second against Auburn, and the third with assistance in the SEC Championship game.  His sophomore year he played 14 games as a reserve linebacker and stalwart on special teams.  He accumulated 12 tackles, 10 of which were solo, and 6 on special teams.

His improvement continued into his junior year when he played 10 games despite injuries.  He managed 15 tackles, 8 of which were solo, including a sack and two tackles for a loss as well as an interception.  Jordan won the Bart Starr Most Improved Player Award after 2010 spring practice suggesting this year would show some truly impressive defensive statistics.  He is currently out of action while the coaches let him heal up from some serious bruising and battering he’s accumulated.  He should be back in action without any trouble after taking some time to heal.  Special teams will need his stopping power as the tougher games come along down the line.  Danny Woodson Jr. has had some academic issues, he has met the requirements and is eligible for play again.

Crimson Tide History

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Crimson Tide History

Since organized football began in 1892, Alabama has had 28 head coaches and played over 1,100 games in 114 seasons.  During their long history, 12 of those coaches have led the Tide to postseason bowl games and eight have won conference championships.  Five have won national championships.  Four of those five, Wallace Wade, Frank Thomas, Paul “Bear” Bryant, and Gene Stallings have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.  The current head coach and fifth national championship winner is Nick Saban.

Football came to Alabama with law student William G. Little who learned the game while at prep school in Andover, Massachusetts.  He taught his fellow students and late in 1892 an official team of 19 players formed with Little as the captain and E. B. Beaumont as the head coach.  Among the players was William B. Bankhead, future U.S Speaker of the House, and Bibb Graves, the future governor of Alabama.  They were called the Cadets, the Crimson White or just the Varsity.  The name Crimson Tide was adopted after the 1907 season.

The Crimson Tide won their first National Championship in 1925 under Wallace Wade.  The Tide completed the regular season with a 9-0-0 record and continued their perfect record through the Championship.  Wade took the National title again the next year with a 9-1-0 record and repeated the perfect season in 1930.  The next time the Tide won a National Championship was under head coach Frank Thomas in 1934 with yet another perfect season.  Thomas led the team to a 9-2-0 championship in 1941 and it was twenty years later when Bear Bryant took the reins and claimed six national titles over the next 18 years.  Gene Stallings won one in 1992 and the current coach Nick Saban won in 2009.  The Tide currently has a perfect record for the season.

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