Rue's Rant has moved

Dear Readers:

Rue's Rant -- http://rues-rant-wsb.blogspot.com/2009/11/weve-moved.html -- has moved. Here's the link to the new blog site: http://www.realclearsports.com/blognetwork/rues_rant_on_college_sports_in_alabama/

I appreciate your continued readership.

Regards,
Rubin E. Grant

McElroy Holds Key to Tide's Title Hopes

Greg McElroy throws pass against Tennessee

Before the 2009 college football season kicked off, I posed five questions concerning Alabama and Auburn, and I offered answers for my queries.

Now that we have reached the final month of the season, I want to revisit those questions and answers and see if I had a clue as to what I was talking about as well as give my updated thoughts.

Let’s begin with …

ALABAMA

1. How will Greg McElroy perform at QB?

Then: McElroy, a junior, replaces John Parker Wilson, a three-year starter. He has played in only eight games in his college career, but has completed 16-of-20 passes (80 percent) for 196 yards and two touchdowns in a reserve role the past two seasons. And he did star in his one season as a starter for national high school power Southlake Carroll High School in Texas after taking over for Chase Daniel, the 2004 National High School Player of the Year who went on to star at Missouri. McElroy’s numbers were an eye-popping: 4,687 yards passing with 56 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. I don’t think the Crimson Tide will miss Wilson at all. McElroy is going to be sensational.

Now: Through the first five games of the season, McElroy looked like a Heisman Trophy candidate, but in the Tide’s past three games he has looked like a first-year starter. He did not throw a touchdown pass in any of those games and averaged only 119.7 yards passing per game. It’s a good thing for him that sophomore running back Mark Ingram (1,004 yards rushing, 11 touchdowns, including eight rushing) has emerged as a Heisman candidate and the Tide’s defense has been rock solid. McElroy’s overall passing numbers aren’t bad (1,445 yards, nine TDs, 59.9 percent completion rate, only three interceptions), but if he can’t regain his early season form, Alabama’s hopes for a national title might vanish like its passing attack.

2. How long before the revamped offensive line jells?

Then: Tackle Andre Smith (Cincinnati Bengals) and center Antoine Caldwell (Houston Texans) have taken their acts to the NFL, although Smith, the No. 6 overall pick, is sidelined with a broken foot after a long contract holdout. Senior left guard Mike Johnson and senior right tackle Drew Davis are back, but it will take some time for the line to play as a unit. Expect Virginia Tech to exploit some of the Tide’s weaknesses on the offensive front, but after two exhibition games against Florida International and North Texas (OK, they are regular season games, but they just amount to paid wins for the Tide), the line should be together for the SEC opener against Arkansas on Sept. 26.

Now: Alabama’s offensive line has been solid. The 6-foot-6, 303-pound Johnson and 6-7, 300-pound Davis are All-SEC candidates. Sophomore William Vlachos has played remarkably well as Caldwell’s replacement at center and 6-5, 300-pound junior James Carpenter has been more than adequate as Smith’s replacement at left tackle. They have allowed the fewest sacks (eight) in the SEC and cleared the way for the Tide to average 410.0 yards total offense per game.

3. Who will be the Tide’s other go-to receiver?

Then: The Tide needs somebody to step up, so defensive backs don’t gang up on sophomore sensation Julio Jones. Mike McCoy and Marquis Maze have great speed, but can they make the tough catch in a clutch situation? Perhaps, the Tide will have to rely more on 6-foot-6 senior tight end Colin Peek in the passing game.

Now: None of the Tide’s receivers is having a particularly great season, including Jones. He leads the team with 20 receptions for 229 yards, but has caught only one TD pass. Peek has 19 catches for 213 yards with one TD reception, but missed the Tennessee game two weeks ago after injuring his leg during pregame warmups. None of the other receivers have more than 15 catches. Ingram has been a good receiver out of the backfield with 19 catches for 186 yards and a team-leading three TD receptions. You can trace the receivers’ production to the lack of production from McElroy in recent weeks.

4. Will the defense allow more than two touchdowns in any game?

Then: There’s talk that this Tide team will rival the 1992 group that completely shut down opponents and paved the way for the Tide’s last national championship. Junior Rolando McClain and sophomore Dont'a Hightower could be two of the best linebackers to ever play at Alabama before they are finished. Senior nose guard Terrence Cody and senior cornerback Javier Arenas (also a dangerous punt returner) are as good at their positions as anyone in the nation. In other words, the Tide’s defense will have to take the field in the shadows of their end zone a few times a game for anybody to cross the goal line more than twice in any game. And even if opponents do take over in the red zone, they will have to settle for field goals more often than not.

Now: The Tide’s defense has been even better than advertised, giving up only eight touchdowns, ranking first in the SEC in rushing defense (64.6 yards per game) and second in overall defense (240.6 yards per game). Senior linebacker Cory Reamer has done an admirable job, replacing Hightower, who went down with a season-ending knee injury against Arkansas. Sophomore lineman Marcell Dareus (pictured right sacking Tennessee QB Jonathan Crompton) has emerged as a dominant force, leading the team with 4.5 sacks.

5. Will Coach Nick Saban have back-to-back 10-win seasons?

Then: Saban is the only current Football Bowl Subdivision coach to coach for at least 10 years and not suffer a losing season, but he has never had consecutive 10-win seasons. After guiding LSU to the national championship with a 13-1 record in 2003, the following season the Tigers finished 9-3. Last year, in his second season at Alabama, Saban led the Tide to a 12-2 record (the two losses coming in the Tide’s final two games against Florida in the SEC Championship Game and against Utah in the Sugar Bowl). After beating Virginia Tech – I predict 20-10 – to open the season, the Tide will roll through the regular season 11-1 (the only blemish coming Oct. 10 at Ole Miss), giving Saban back-to-back 10-win seasons. Also look for the Tide to win the SEC West, but lose to Florida (again) in the SEC Championship Game.

Now: The only thing that will keep Saban from winning 10 games is a total collapse and that’s not going to happen. The third-ranked Tide (8-0) even won at Ole Miss and now I look for them to run the table, including a victory over Florida in the SEC Championship Game and over Texas in the BCS Championship Game.

AUBURN

(AP Photo/Todd J. Van Emst)

1. Will Gene Chizik prove he’s the right man for the job?

Then: Chizik distinguished himself as Auburn’s defensive coordinator from 2002-04, including the Tigers’ 13-0 season, but he was a surprising choice to replace Tommy Tuberville, considering he was 5-19 in two seasons as head coach at Iowa State. He had a 10-game losing streak when Auburn handed him the head coaching reins on the Plains. The expectations are low at Auburn this year, so Chizik might get a pass on this season. But if the Tigers get blown out regularly by the top SEC teams on their schedule, then one of those ridiculous www.firecoach(fill in the blank).com websites might show up on the Internet.

Now: Chizik has proven a capable head coach and last week righted the ship with an upset of Ole Miss after a three-game losing streak threatened to wreck the Tigers’ season. At 6-3, he already has won more games at Auburn than he did at Iowa State. The real test will come in recruiting. Will he be able to attract the players who will make Auburn a contender in the SEC West and a contender for the SEC Championship?

2. Can the Tigers rediscover the pass?

Then: New offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn was brought in to restore some balance – i.e., a passing game – to the Tigers’ offense. The Tigers finished 10th in the SEC in passing yards per game (165.4 yards) in 2008 and had the fewest touchdown passes (7) in the league. Senior Chris Todd won the quarterback battle over Kodi Burns in preseason camp, but he has a largely untested receiving corps to work with, especially with senior Montez Billings suspended for the first four games for academic reasons. So the Tigers will have to rely heavily on the run again. At least that should make running backs Ben Tate, Eric Smith and Onterio McCalebb happy.

Now: Todd put up big numbers early against lesser competition, but went three games without throwing a touchdown pass and had some (including me) clamoring for him to be benched in favor of backup Neil Caudle. He played well against Ole Miss last week, completing 12-of-22 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown, but he still ranks sixth in the SEC in passing efficiency. In other words, the running game, led by Tate (1,067 yards, six TDs rushing), is carrying the Tigers again.

3. How will Kodi Burns adjust to wide receiver?

Then: Burns was the Tigers’ starting quarterback for most of last season, but after losing out to Todd for the job in preseason camp, he was switched to wide receiver. Chances are Burns will see more time in the backfield in the “Wildcat” formation, running the ball out of the shotgun than he will catching passes.

Now: Burns has been a non-factor most of the season, including in the “Wildcat” formation. He has only three receptions for 18 yards and has rushed for only 144 yards and four TDs. He has thrown for 75 yards and two TDs.

4. Will Antonio Coleman wish he had jumped to the NFL?

Then: Coleman, a defensive end, passed up a chance to go the NFL to return to Auburn for his senior season. A wise move the scouts said. Another season in college will help him develop physically and improve his overall game, thereby improving his stock. He might have been a late-round choice in the 2009 draft, but could go in the first three rounds with a solid senior season. Plus, Coleman has 14.5 career sacks and needs one more to move into the top 10 in Auburn history.

Now: Coleman had a sluggish start and a few weeks ago had a meeting with Chizik after he went back-to-back games without any tackles or sacks. But he regained his form the past two games. He recorded five tackles against Ole Miss, tying career highs with four tackles for loss (minus 15 yards) including two sacks (minus 11 yards). He also had four quarterback hurries, forced a fumble and blocked a PAT that was returned for a defensive two-point conversion. He leads the SEC with 11 tackles for losses and ranks third with 5.5 sacks. If he continues his stellar play against Georgia and Alabama, in Auburn’s bowl game, in a likely Senior Bowl appearance and in the NFL combine, his draft stock undoubtedly will rise.

5. Will Auburn win enough games to qualify for a bowl game?

Then: After finishing 5-7 last year, leading to Tuberville’s departure, the Tigers open this season with four consecutive home games – against Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, West Virginia and Ball State. If they can sweep those, then yes the Tigers will go bowling. But if they split those, then Auburn will be hard-pressed to win four more games on its schedule, especially on the road at Tennessee, Arkansas, LSU and Georgia and even at home against Ole Miss and Alabama. Figure another 5-7 finish.

Now: A 5-0 start and the victory over Ole Miss mean the Tigers are bowl eligible, and at 6-3 have exceeded my expectations. Now let’s see if they can add a few more wins to their resume to make Chizik’s first season even more successful.

Todd Bounces Back in Auburn Win

Chris Todd throws pass against Ole Miss (AP Photo/ Butch Dill)

I was wrong.

There, I said it, but don’t tell my wife.

Before Auburn played Ole Miss, I wrote that the Tigers should bench starting quarterback Chris Todd in favor of backup Neil Caudle if they stood any chance of upsetting the Rebels.

Well, Auburn head coach Gene Chizik and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn stood by their man and he delivered. Todd wasn’t great, but effective, completing 12-of-22 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown in the Tigers’ stirring 33-20 Southeastern Conference victory that snapped their three-game losing streak.

Senior running back Ben Tate had another big day, rushing for 144 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown jaunt, as Auburn’s offense came back to life against the nation’s ninth-ranked defense.

Auburn’s defense, which had been a sieve during the losing streak, twice came up big in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory. Ole Miss started two drives inside Auburn territory in the period, but didn’t score either time. Defensive end Antonio Coleman had his best game of the season with five tackles, two sacks and four quarterback hurries. Defensive back Walter McFadden alertly picked off a tipped pass and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter during a 21-point outburst in the first seven minutes of the period that gave Auburn a commanding 31-7 lead.

All-in-all, it was a very satisfying win for the Tigers (6-3, 3-3 SEC) as they became bowl eligible.

Moving forward, the Tigers should have an easy time with Furman in their upcoming homecoming game and then comes games against their two biggest rivals, at Georgia on Nov. 14 and at home against Alabama on Nov. 27.

Auburn already has exceeded my expectations and an upset against either Georgia or Alabama would make Chizik’s first season an even more remarkable success.

*****

Magic City Classic

A&M's Thomas Harris runs in for a TD. (Photo by Linda Stelter/Birmingham News)

Perhaps, it was the economy or maybe the NASCAR race that was being held in nearby Talladega on the same weekend or it could have been the rain. Whatever it was, attendance at the Magic City Classic was down more than 13,000 from the record crowd of 69,113 at the 2008 game.

A crowd of only 55,322 watched the Alabama A&M Bulldogs win their fifth consecutive game in the 68th Classic, defeating the rival Alabama State Hornets 21-7 Saturday at Legion Field.

A&M freshman quarterback Deaunte Mason and wide receiver Thomas Harris connected on TD passes of 57 and 22 yards to spark the victory as the Bulldogs improved to 35-30-3 in the series.

Despite the falloff in attendance, the atmosphere at Legion Field was still electric as thousands of tailgaters gathered outside without going inside the stadium for the game. And celebrities such as Tom Joyner, Steve Harvey and Brian McKnight were in town to add to the festivities.

*****

Briefly …

Troy coach Larry Blakeney earned his 150^th career win Saturday as the Trojans (6-2, 5-0) routed Louisiana-Monroe 42-21 to solidify their hold on first place in the Sun Belt Conference. Senior quarterback Levi Brown had another big game for Troy, throwing for 378 yards and four touchdowns … Joshua Harris completed 14-of-21 passes for 191 yards and three touchdowns to lead Tuskegee to a 40-6 win over Lane College Saturday as the Golden Tigers (7-2, 7-1 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) moved within one win of earning their fourth consecutive SIAC title. Coach Willie Slater's four-year career record at Tuskegee is now 39-5. … Top-ranked Division II North Alabama (10-0, 7-0) defeated Arkansas-Monticello 27-13 Saturday to secure the Gulf South Conference championship in Terry Bowden's first season as head coach of the Lions … Finally, UAB quarterback Joseph Webb continues to astound. He had 304 yards total offense, while throwing for two touchdowns, rushing for a touchdown and catching a touchdown pass in the Blazers’ 38-33 win at UTEP.

Sticking with Todd Spells Auburn Defeat

Auburn backup quarterback Neil Caudle (pictured left) has spent all week saying all the right things about how he supports starter Chris Todd, about waiting his turn, about how there’s no
quarterback controvery on the Plains.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Head coach Gene Chizik defended Todd somewhat, saying he isn't solely responsible for the Tigers’ suddenly moribund offense. So, that’s why Chizik is sticking with the ineffective Todd (8-of-14 for 47 yards last week in a 31-10 loss at LSU).

“Let me tell you something, Chris Todd is a quarterback, that when it is third-and-7 and he has five guys in his lap, that's not Chris Todd, that's different people.” Chizik said in his weekly news conference. “It’s just like when in the first five games and we were throwing for this many yards, yeah he threw a nice ball, but last time we checked there were guys protecting for him or a receiver went up and caught a great ball.”

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

The fact of the matter is if Auburn (5-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) has any chance of snapping its three-game losing streak and upsetting Ole Miss (5-2, 2-2) Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, they should forget all the niceties and insert Caudle as the starting quarterback.

He could be the spark to jump-start Auburn’s offense that has scored only 47 points and averaged only 103.0 yards passing during its losing streak.

Yes, it was in mop-up duty against LSU reserves, but Caudle did lead Auburn to its only touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter against LSU. He completed 3-of-5 passes for 34 yards and threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen.


So, why not let Caudle start? Is it because they are afraid to throw him out there against an Ole Miss defense that is ranked ninth in nation in total defense and is allowing only 13.6 points per game? Or are they just content to see another insufferable performance by Todd (pictured right)?

Of course, it might not make any difference who starts at quarterback for Auburn if the Tigers’ defense doesn’t keep the other team’s quarterback from looking like he’s All-SEC.

Last week, LSU sophomore Jordan Jefferson had a career game against Auburn, completing 21-of-31 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Two weeks before that, Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett torched the Tigers for 274 yards and two touchdowns.

Ole Miss’ suddenly rejuvenated quarterback Jevan Snead should continue to trend, especially with explosive wide receiver-running back Dexter McCluster roaming free. McCluster racked up a career-high 260 yards total offense and a touchdown in the Rebels’ 30-17 victory against Arkansas last week.

Quarterback controversy or not, look for the Tigers’ losing streak to reach four games … Ole Miss 31, Auburn 16.

Magic City Classic Takes Center Stage

Alabama A&M players celebrate their 2008 victory in the Magic City Classic (Photo by Joe Songer/Birmingham News)

Back in the day, the moniker “Football Capital of the South” was appropriate for Legion Field.

The stadium on the west side of Birmingham, just a few miles from downtown, was the site of the Iron Bowl, the annual in-state Civil War battle for braggin’ rights between Alabama and Auburn, for many years.

Alabama played all of its marquee home games, such as USC, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Tennessee at the Old Gray Lady on Graymont. Auburn and Tennessee regularly met each other there. In fact in 1968, there was a doubleheader featuring Auburn against Tennessee and Alabama against LSU that attracted more than 137,000 spectators to Legion Field.

In its infancy, the SEC Championship Game also was played at Legion Field.

As the stadium aged and Auburn and Alabama made modern renovations to their on-campus arenas, the Iron Bowl moved to Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium and Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium almost 20 years ago. Both schools wanted the recruiting advantage of bringing high school prospects to their campus.

After 1993, the SEC Championship Game bolted for the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association brought its Super 6 Football Championships to Legion Field in 1996, but beginning this year those games will be played at Alabama and Auburn on a rotating basis.

UAB began a football program to try to fill the void, but Blazers’ football has never really caught on in Birmingham and now is in serious decline.

But there is one game that is still happy to call Legion Field home: the annual Magic City Classic between the Alabama A&M Bulldogs and Alabama State Hornets, the state’s two largest historically black colleges and universities.

It has become a premier event, surpassing the Bayou Classic in Louisiana between Grambling State and Southern as the No. 1 black college classic in the nation. The Alabama Sports Foundation is in charge of running the Magic City Classic and State Farm has signed up this year as the game’s title sponsor through 2011.

The 68^th State Farm Magic City Classic presented by Coca-Cola will be played Saturday afternoon.

The A&M-State rivalry is as intense as the Alabama-Auburn rivalry, but it’s more than a game, it’s an event. The battle of the bands, the fashion show, the parade, the parties are all part of what make the Magic City Classic magical.

In 2008, a record crowd of 69,113 watched A&M edge Alabama State 17-16. There also were more than 40,000 individuals tailgating on the grounds of Legion Field who never stepped foot inside the stadium.

A&M coach Anthony Jones was stunned, not by the outcome, but the fan support.

"When I heard the crowd of 69,000 and some change, it blew me away," Jones told the Huntsville Times after the game. "Both teams are in down years (but) the people in Birmingham know, the people at Alabama State know (and) the people at Alabama A&M know. They know when you line up at the Magic City Classic something magical is going to happen. And, if you miss it ... somebody is going to do something they haven't done all year long and for someone to have to tell you about it isn't the same. You can't beat this. It's great to be a part of this. Next year, you're going to have people scaling the wall in Spider-Man suits on trying to get in."

According to the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau, the 2008 game was projected to have a $12.8 million economic impact on the region, ranking it fourth behind only the Talladega Superspeedway's two NASCAR races and the Regions Charity Classic among the region's annual sporting events.

It should be interesting to see what kind of crowd shows up Saturday since the AMP Energy 500 Sprint Cup race events will held this weekend in Talladega.

I don’t think that will stop the A&M and State folks from making their annual journey to Birmingham. In fact, the recreational vehicles have been arriving at Legion Field since Tuesday.

A&M has dominated the rivalry in recent years, winning four consecutively and eight of the past 10. This year's game has added importance because A&M is trying to stay alive in the SWAC Eastern Division race. The Bulldogs (4-3 overall, 1-2 SWAC) trail Alcorn State (2-4, 2-2) and Jackson State (2-5, 2-2) by a half game and cannot afford another conference loss in their quest to return to the SWAC Championship game. Alabama State (4-3, 1-3) is fourth in the division.

Birmingham understands what a jewel it has in the Magic City Classic and what it means to the city. Earlier this year, it extended the city’s contract to host the game through 2014.

Slater Turns Tuskegee into Powerhouse

Willie Slater makes only a fraction of what Nick Saban makes ($4 million a year) to coach college football, but he’s proving Saban isn’t the only coach in the state of Alabama to turn a program into a national contender.

While Saban’s exploits in three seasons at the University of Alabama have been well chronicled since the Crimson Tide lured him away from the Miami Dolphins at the end of the 2006 season, Slater’s accomplishments at Tuskegee University have flown under the radar.

In his first three seasons at the helm of the Golden Tigers, Slater, 53, compiled a 32-3 record, captured the 2007 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) national championship with a 12-0 record, won three consecutive SIAC championships and twice was named SIAC Coach of the Year.

This season, Slater has guided Tuskegee to a 6-2 record overall – with both losses coming to in-state rivals Miles and Alabama A&M. The Golden Tigers are ranked fifth in this week’s Sheridan Broadcasting Network Black College Football Poll and 16th in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll.

Slater also has Tuskegee in line to win its fourth consecutive SIAC title and 25th conference crown overall. The Golden Tigers put themselves in that position when they rallied in the final minute to beat previously unbeaten Albany State 21-19 last week on the road. Tailback Tony Forney scored the winning touchdown on a 4-yard sweep around left end with 25 seconds remaining to cap an 85-yard drive. The outcome left both teams with 6-1 conference records, but Tuskegee holds the tie-breaker edge.

"This is by far the biggest win for me as head coach for a lot of reasons,'' said Slater, now 38-5. “It means we still have a chance to win the conference. It showed the kids we can come from behind. It has a lot of stuff with it. We've had to go through some things. We've gone through some growing pains. It showed we have grown; we have to keep it going.''

Tuskegee rallied while having to play backup quarterback Joshua Harris for most of the fourth quarter. Harris alternated with redshirt freshman starter Jeremy Williams early in the game, but took over when Williams went to the sidelines with a bruised shoulder early in the final quarter. During the winning drive, Harris completed four of six passes for 70 yards and ran 15 yards on a scramble.

If the Golden Tigers win their remaining conference games at Lane and against Stillman – the bottom two teams in the SIAC – they will win their fourth consecutive SIAC crown.

Tuskegee is Slater’s first head-coaching job. The Coffeeville, Ala., native has been an assistant throughout the state at Troy, West Alabama, North Alabama and Jacksonville State. He also spent two years as an assistant at Temple before coming to Tuskegee. Seventeen of his 30 years in coaching have been as an offensive coordinator.

He is surprised by the success at he has had at Tuskegee. “I’d be lying if I said I knew we’d win as much as have with this being my first head-coaching job,” Slater said. “I knew I could coach, but being a head coach is totally different. In the past, I could pass things on to the head coach, but now it stops with me.

“I didn’t know for sure we’d be this successful, but I was determined to do best I could. The key to all of it is lining up good help. We’ve been fortunate that we have had some good players and some good coaches.”

Legendary Hall of Fame coach Billy Joe, in his second season at Miles, likes the way Slater runs Tuskegee’s program. Before the schools played earlier this season, Joe said, “They play championship type of football every time they step on the field. They are fundamentally sound and they rarely make mistakes to hurt themselves. We’re still trying to get to that championship level.”

Slater, a former quarterback at West Alabama (then Livingston University), said there’s nothing special he’s doing. “My basic philosophy is to get young men to play hard and have good fundamentals,” Slater said. “If you can do that, you’ll have a chance to win.”

Going four-for-four as SIAC champions would mean a great deal to Slater, especially since the Golden Tigers do not compete in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

“We forfeit our eligibility for the playoffs because we play Alabama State on Thanksgiving Day and that’s the first weekend of the playoffs,” Slater said referring to the traditional Turkey Day Classic in Montgomery. “I’d love to compete for the Division II national championship, but the circumstances don’t allow us.

“It would be great to win the SIAC title again. That’s what we try to do. We try to win every game we play and be the best in conference, and the best in the country.”

Slater chuckled when I compared what he has done at Tuskegee to what Saban is doing at Alabama. For the record, Saban is 27-8 with the Tide, including 8-0 this year and ranked No. 2 in nation.

“That’s a different league,” Slater said. “I wouldn’t mind being at that level. When I was at Temple, we played some of those schools, Miami, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Navy when Paul Johnson was there. I think some of same stuff we’re doing works against those teams. I wouldn’t mind having the opportunity to do something against them.”

Who knows, if Slater continues to work his magic at Tuskegee, perhaps one day he’ll get an opportunity as a head coach at the Football Bowl Subdivision level.

(Photos by Mark Almond/Birmingham News)

Observations on Tide, Tigers, Trojans and Blazers

With all four of Alabama’s Football Bowl Subdivision teams on television Saturday – plus some other games of interest – my remote got a workout. It was still smoking Sunday morning from all the channel surfing.

I want to share with you what I learned from my channel flipping.

* Alabama's massive nose tackle Terrence “Mount” Cody might not have great leaping ability, but when he gets penetration with a big push on a field goal attempt he doesn’t have to. That’s how he was able to block two field goal attempts in the fourth quarter to preserve the Crimson Tide’s narrow 12-10 victory against the Tennessee Volunteers and the Tide's perfect season.

* Vols place-kicker Daniel Lincoln made it easy for Cody by not getting any lift on either kick.

* Despite allowing a late fourth-quarter touchdown, Alabama’s defense is still the best in the land.

* Alabama sophomore running back Mark Ingram finally lost his first fumble in 322 career touches to set up Tennessee’s touchdown and he was held below 100 yards rushing (OK, he rushed for 99 yards), but he still deserves serious consideration for the Heisman Trophy.

* If Alabama is going to win the national championship, at some point quarterback Greg McElroy has to deliver in the passing game, something he hasn’t done the past three games. He threw for only 120 yards against the Vols and failed to throw a touchdown pass for the third consecutive game.

* Place-kicker Leigh Tiffin, who accounted for all of Alabama’s points against Tennessee with four field goals, might be the Tide’s most indispensable player right now. He has kicked 11 field goals in the past three games.

* Alabama’s open date is coming at a good time. The Tide is mentally and physically tired after five consecutive Southeastern Conference victories in as many weeks.

* Auburn could use an open date to regroup because the Tigers’ 2009 season is beginning to resemble their 2008 season when they started 4-1, but lost six of their final seven games to finish 5-7. They have lost three consecutive games since starting this season 5-0.

* Auburn’s offense, which was so explosive early in the season, has become a bust during their losing streak. The Tigers managed a grand total of 203 yards in their 31-10 loss at LSU Saturday night.

* Auburn should make a change at quarterback right now. Install Neil Caudle as the starter for the ineffective Chris Todd. Perhaps, that will rejuvenate the Tigers heading into their home game against Ole Miss on Saturday.

* The Sun Belt Conference should rename its offensive player of the week award the Levi Brown Award for the Troy Trojans’ senior quarterback. Brown has been named the conference’s offensive player of the week three of the past four weeks and undoubtedly will make it four of five after throwing for a school-record 469 yards and a touchdown in Troy’s 50-26 victory against North Texas. He completed 27-of-44 passes without an interception.

* UAB is an embarrassment to football. Don’t take my word for it. Listen to what Blazers head coach Neil Callaway said after UAB lost 27-7 at Marshall, while being penalized 15 times for 135 yards. “For us to have however many penalties we had is embarrassing,” Callaway said.

* UAB senior quarterback Joseph Webb should petition the NCAA for an immediate transfer to Auburn. The Tigers could use someone like Webb, who accounted for 329 yards total offense (129 rushing, 200 passing) and a touchdown in the loss to Marshall.