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.

Ingram Destined for NFL Stardom

In the last 25 years only two running backs from the University of Alabama have made a dramatic impact in the National Football League.

One of those would be Bobby Humphrey, a former NFL Rookie of the Year and All-Pro with the Denver Broncos, and the other would be Shaun Alexander, a former MVP with the Seattle Seahawks.

Glen Coffee, a rookie with the San Francisco 49ers, could become the third. But if Coffee doesn’t fill the bill, then there’s another Crimson Tide back on the way.

In a few years, Mark Ingram will be giving NFL defenses fits.

Anyone who saw what Ingram did Saturday night against South Carolina can attest that he is a pro back in the making. The 5-foot-10, 212-pound sophomore from Flint, Mich., rushed for a career-high 246 yards, the most ever for an Alabama player at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and scored a touchdown in the Tide’s 20-6 victory.

Only Alexander and Humphrey have rushed for more yards in a game for the Tide. Alexander holds the single-game record with 291 yards at LSU in 1996. Humphrey ran for 284 yards at Mississippi State in 1986.

Now, the Tide’s workhorse is Ingram, the son of the former New York Giants receiver Mark Ingram, who was sentenced last year to more than seven years in prison for federal money-laundering and bank-fraud charges.

On a night when the Alabama’s passing attack was non-existent, Ingram carried the Tide on his back, shoulder and legs. He had eight carries of at least 10 yards (his 30 this season leads the nation) and was responsible for 269 of Alabama's 356 total yards. Understandably he was named the Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

What he did on the Tide’s only offensive scoring drive in the fourth quarter is the stuff of legends. Lining up the “Wildcat” formation for all but the final play, he carried the ball six times for 68 yards. He scored Alabama’s clinching touchdown on a 4-yard run after taking a pitch from quarterback Greg McElroy.

Ingram was exhausted as he went back to the sideline, but his extraordinary effort had ensured the Tide would remain unbeaten.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban was effusive in his praise for Ingram.

“Mark did as fine a job as anybody I’ve ever been around, and that includes Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown and some really good ones,” Saban said. “He was fantastic. The offensive line must’ve been doing a pretty good job too against a pretty good defense, but the guy ran with tremendous passion and heart.”

Ingram is the total package. He has toughness – most of his yards come after contact; he has great vision, reading blocks and finding daylight; he has that quick burst to get into the open field; and he catches the ball out of the backfield (he has 14 receptions for 147 yards and three touchdowns). He leads the SEC in rushing, averaging 129.3 yards per game, and has 11 total touchdowns.

If he continues to come up big as he did against a solid South Carolina defense, Ingram will become a serious contender for the Heisman Trophy.

Alabama has never had a Heisman Trophy winner. Ingram could become the first, if not this year, then perhaps 2010 or 2011 – unless he leaves early for the NFL, where he undoubtedly will become the next impact back from Alabama.

Dominating 'D' makes Bama best in SEC

The 2009 Southeastern Conference football season has reached the midpoint, so let’s assess the first half and take a brief look ahead to the second half.

Best team: Alabama (6-0, 3-0 SEC). Is there any doubt after the Crimson Tide’s dominating defensive performance against Ole Miss? The Rebels had only 19 yards and one first down on 22 plays in the first half as Alabama posted a 22-3 win.

Runner-up: Florida (5-0, 3-0). The Gators’ 13-3 victory at LSU Saturday night was impressive, but that’s been their only real test so far.

Worst team: Vanderbilt (2-4, 0-3). Losing to Army in overtime shows how low the Commodores have sunk.

Runner-up: Mississippi State (2-4, 1-2). The Bulldogs have shown signs of life under new coach Dan Mullen and they did beat Vanderbilt.

Biggest surprise: Auburn (5-1, 2-1). The Tigers were thrashed 44-23 by Arkansas on Saturday, but no one could have imagined they would start the season 5-0.

Runner-up: South Carolina (5-1, 2-1). A narrow 41-37 loss at Georgia is the only thing keeping the Gamecocks from being undefeated.

Biggest disappointment: Ole Miss (3-2, 1-2). This was supposed to be the season Ole Miss returned to national glory, but the Rebels are nothing more than pretenders again.

Runner-up: Georgia (3-3, 2-2). Giving up 45 points in a loss at Tennessee shows just how far the Bulldogs have fallen this season.

Best coaching job: Gene Chizik, Auburn. He has proven he was the right man to replace Tommy Tuberville, the debacle at Arkansas notwithstanding.

Runner-up: Nick Saban, Alabama. Week in and week out nobody in the nation does a better job of getting his team ready to play than Saban.

Worst coaching job: Houston Nutt, Ole Miss. Blame Nutt for the struggles of junior quarterback Jevan Snead and the Rebels’ demise.

Runner-up: Mark Richt, Georgia. Sure Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno are in the NFL, but he got blown out by Lane Kiffin and the Vols.

Best player: Tim Tebow, Florida quarterback. Just go ahead and give him his second Heisman Trophy.

Runner-up: Rolando McClain, Alabama linebacker (top photo). Since the loss of fellow linebacker Dont’a Hightower to a season-ending knee injury 2 ½ weeks ago, McClain has elevated his game even more and been the most dominant defensive player in the nation.

Best game: Georgia 52, Arkansas 41. The teams combined for more than 1,000 yards total offense in a classic shootout. Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett set school records for passing yards (408) and touchdowns (5), but Georgia prevailed behind quarterback Joe Cox’s 375-yard, five-touchdown passing performance.

Five games worth watching in the second half: South Carolina at Alabama, Saturday; Arkansas at Florida, Saturday; LSU at Alabama, Nov. 7; Florida at South Carolina, Nov. 14; Alabama at Auburn, Nov. 28.

Bold prediction: The SEC Championship Game between Alabama and Florida will decide the national championship because the winner will beat whoever it meets in the BCS title game.

Small-college football a refreshing pastime

In between watching Alabama’s waltz against North Texas and Auburn’s stirring comeback against West Virginia on television Saturday, I took in the Miles College-Samford game.

Now, I truly love big-time college football, especially the Southeastern Conference. I attended Alabama in the 1970s when Paul “Bear” Bryant was still stalking the Crimson Tide’s sideline in his famous houndstooth hat and I was familiar with Auburn and its legendary coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan.

I also loved the NFL. My mother would let me leave church early so I could be at home in time to watch the noon kickoff of the NFL game on TV. I became a big fan of the Baltimore Colts because of Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore and John Mackey and cried when they were upset in Super Bowl III by Joe Namath and the New York Jets.

I didn’t really care for what I thought was small-time football, you know, something besides the NFL, SEC, Pac-10, Big Ten, Southwest Conference and Big Eight. For those of you too young to remember, the SWC and Big Eight were forerunners of the Big 12. The ACC was – and still is to a major degree – a basketball league. And there was also that independent college power from South Bend, Ind., we in Alabama loathed. That would be Notre Dame for those of you who wonder why NBC elects to show games of such a woebegone program.

In recent years, I have gotten a chance to attend a few small-college games and have come to appreciate football at that level. The players work and play just as hard as they do at bigger schools and some fans are just as rabid, but the atmosphere is totally different. It’s more of a pastime. You have few fans yelling at the coaches and calling them idiots for their play-calling. Boos are usually reserved for the refs after what the faithful think is a bad call. And while the adults are watching the game, you have some children beyond the end zone playing their own game, caring little about what’s happening on the field with the college guys.

To some extent, it harkens back to the days of yesteryear when college football still hadn’t sold its soul to money. Greed is rampant among the major schools.

From the billions of dollars the various TV networks throw at major programs and their conferences to broadcast games, to the millions the colleges pay their coaches, to the millions spent on stadium expansions (and the extorting of alumni and boosters to pay for it through the sale of skyboxes), to the millions made in merchandising of products (jerseys, caps, shirts, etc.), to the rising costs of tickets (and making fans attend at sometimes unreasonable hours because of TV), money rules in college football – regardless of any argument pandering college presidents and the NCAA might make.

Despite all that, I still enjoy the Alabamas and Auburns of the college football world, but I also have discovered there’s something refreshing about small-college football.

The Miles-Samford game was one of just two games this season that will feature two head coaches who are both members of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. Samford’s Pat Sullivan was inducted in 1991, while Miles’ Billy Joe was named to the Hall of Fame in 2007. Sullivan won the 1971 Heisman Trophy as a quarterback at Auburn. Joe, in his second season at Miles, ranks second in all-time wins (239) at historically black colleges and universities behind Grambling State legend Eddie Robinson (408). Most of Joe’s wins came in 11 seasons at Florida A&M (86) and 13 seasons at Central State in Ohio (120).

Samford is where Florida State coach Bobby Bowden got his start when the school was known as Howard College and it’s also where his son, Terry Bowden, coached for six years before going to Auburn. Samford is a member of the Southern Conference, which includes Appalachian State, a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) powerhouse that upset Michigan two years ago.

Miles doesn’t have as rich a football tradition, but for many years it was known as one of the top academic black colleges in the nation. It plays in the NCAA Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) that includes Tuskegee, the 2007 national black champion.

The game was entertaining even if the outcome was predictable. Samford rallied from a 12-3 halftime deficit to beat Miles 31-12.

The genteel Joe was magnanimous in defeat. “No question it was great to be part of game in which both institutions stress academics,” Joe said, “and it was a great contest.”

And I left richer for having been there.

Book Tide for SEC title game

As I was watching No. 5 Alabama put the finishing touches on its 34-24 season-opening victory against No. 7 Virginia Tech Saturday night at the Georgia Dome, I turned to my wife sitting on the couch in front of the TV beside me and told her that we could dispense with the rest of the season and go right to the SEC Championship game between the Crimson Tide and Florida.

An astute football fan in her own right, she replied, “It’s just the first game.”

“But,” I responded, “It’s still going to be the Tide and the Gators.”

Florida was always a lock, but I had my doubts about Alabama -- because of their revamped offensive line, not because of new starting quarterback Greg McElroy.

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I think McElroy is going to be brilliant and will make folks quickly forget John Parker Wilson, the three-year starter he replaced.

But replacing left tackle Andre Smith, the No. 6 overall pick in the NFL draft earlier this year by the Cincinnati Bengals, and center Antoine Caldwell, who was chosen in the third round by the Houston Texans, was more problematic.

After some early struggles against Virginia Tech, Alabama’s rebuilt offensive line physically dominated the Hokies, opening gapping holes for running backs Mark Ingram and Roy Upchurch and giving McElroy enough time to scan the field for any receiver he wanted.

Ingram ran for 81 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter as he rushed for a career-high 150 yards. Upchurch gained 90 yards on seven carries and scored a TD.

Meanwhile, McElroy overcame a shaky start to complete 15-of-30 passes for 230 yards, including an 18-yard yard TD toss to Ingram in the fourth quarter.

In the coming weeks, look for the offensive line, with new center William Vlachos and new left tackle James Carpenter, to continue to improve, and the strong-armed McElroy to blossom into the kind of quarterback pro scouts will love.


I haven’t even mentioned wide receiver Julio Jones, who has grown into a beast, or 6-foot-6 tight end Colin Peek, the transfer from Georgia Tech who figures to become a prime target of McElroy as defenses try to take away Jones.

If that is not enough convincing, then how about the Alabama defense with monster linebackers Rolando McClain and Dont'a Hightower and a host of other fast, strong, big hitters? Add to that the defensive schemes head coach Nick Saban and his staff devise, then it’s no surprise the Tide held Virginia Tech to only 155 yards total offense.

The Tide also showed it can wear down an opponent and dominate the final quarter.

Alabama will face tougher competition in the SEC – Virginia Tech is good, but the Hokies still are from the ACC – but it won’t matter. The Tide is bound for a return engagement to the Georgia Dome in December and another date Florida.

Go ahead and book it.

(Photos by Kent Gidley, rolltide.com)