Alabama running back Mark Ingram
Even though No. 2 Alabama is at home Saturday night against No. 22 South Carolina, I have been wondering whether this a trap game for the Crimson Tide.
Coming off their 22-3 domination of Ole Miss last week and before Coach Lane Kiffin brings the hated Tennessee Vols to Tuscaloosa next week, the Gamecocks (5-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) could be catching the Tide (6-0, 3-0) at the right time.
On the other hand, Alabama appears to be a team on a mission and have too many marquee players who love playing football too much to have a letdown, such as quarterback Greg McElroy, running back Mark Ingram, linebacker Rolando McClain and cornerback Javier Arenas.
Coming off their 22-3 domination of Ole Miss last week and before Coach Lane Kiffin brings the hated Tennessee Vols to Tuscaloosa next week, the Gamecocks (5-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) could be catching the Tide (6-0, 3-0) at the right time.
On the other hand, Alabama appears to be a team on a mission and have too many marquee players who love playing football too much to have a letdown, such as quarterback Greg McElroy, running back Mark Ingram, linebacker Rolando McClain and cornerback Javier Arenas.
And then there’s the Saban Factor.
Head coach Nick Saban is consistently preaching consistency. Here’s what he had to say about his team’s identity after six games: “I think that at times, we’ve played physical, tough with great competitive character, but I also think at times we’ve lost our focus a little bit in games and not played and sustained that intensity like you would like. I think that is something we need to continue to work on. … There is just a small difference in having the focus and the intensity and playing extremely well and losing that small edge and not playing quite as well, and making a few mental errors that allows the other team to gain momentum. That’s something that we need to work on, so it would be more from a consistency standpoint than an inability to do it.”
The demanding Saban simply won't let the Tide have a letdown or overlook any opponent. I agree with Birmingham News columnist Kevin Scarbinsky that Saban is a better fit at Alabama than Steve Spurrier ever would have been, even though the South Carolina coach is 2-0 against Saban. Both victories came when Spurrier was at Florida and Saban was at LSU.
But that was then and this is now.
Furthermore, South Carolina will enter the game shorthanded. Freshman running back Jarvis Giles has been suspended and won't play. South Carolina athletic spokesman Steve Fink said Giles violated team and university policy. Giles was the Gamecocks' second-leading rusher this season with 245 yards.
Fink also said offensive line starter Heath Batchelor would not make the trip. Multiple media outlets reported the junior left the team this week. In addition, Fink said second-team receiver Dion Lecorn and backup defensive end Byron McKnight would miss the game because of injuries.
The Gamecocks needed to have their full complement of players to pull off an upset, but now I see another Tide blowout … Alabama 34, South Carolina 13.
(Top Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The demanding Saban simply won't let the Tide have a letdown or overlook any opponent. I agree with Birmingham News columnist Kevin Scarbinsky that Saban is a better fit at Alabama than Steve Spurrier ever would have been, even though the South Carolina coach is 2-0 against Saban. Both victories came when Spurrier was at Florida and Saban was at LSU.
But that was then and this is now.
Furthermore, South Carolina will enter the game shorthanded. Freshman running back Jarvis Giles has been suspended and won't play. South Carolina athletic spokesman Steve Fink said Giles violated team and university policy. Giles was the Gamecocks' second-leading rusher this season with 245 yards.
Fink also said offensive line starter Heath Batchelor would not make the trip. Multiple media outlets reported the junior left the team this week. In addition, Fink said second-team receiver Dion Lecorn and backup defensive end Byron McKnight would miss the game because of injuries.
The Gamecocks needed to have their full complement of players to pull off an upset, but now I see another Tide blowout … Alabama 34, South Carolina 13.
(Top Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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