Your latest Crimson Tide news and notes.
Happy Gump Day, everyone. Alabama basketball hosts South Florida tonight, hoping to recover from an embarrassing outing on Saturday night. The game will tip off at 7pm CT, streaming only at ESPN+. We will have preview coverage later on.
We are two days away from the College Football Playoffs, and the Alabama injury report dropped yesterday.
Miller led Alabama running back drills in the open practice period Monday, Dec. 15. DeBoer said Miller is “making good progress” while offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said Miller is “ready to contribute” against Oklahoma.
Josh Cuevas is listed as questionable along with tight end Danny Lewis Jr.
Cuevas warmed up with the Crimson Tide on Monday but did not participate in position drills. DeBoer said Cuevas was “making some progress” and that he was “optimistic” the tight end would return against the Sooners. Grubb said he’s “excited to have (Cuevas) back out there.” Cuevas has not played since the Crimson Tide’s last loss to Oklahoma on Nov. 15.
LT Overton, who was not seen during the Crimson Tide’s open practice periods Monday and was described as “doubtful” for the first-round matchup with Oklahoma by DeBoer, is out.
We may never know what went on with Overton. All indications are that Cuevas will likely play, and both Miller and Kam Dewberry are off of the report. Oklahoma will be getting back a key defender in edge R Mason Thomas, so the offensive line is going to have its work cut out for it. Considering the pressure that Georgia was able to generate, and Alabama’s inability to make them pay for it, expect Oklahoma to crank it up even more than they did in Tuscaloosa.
Turnovers are a hot topic this week for obvious reasons, and Kane Wommack reminds that the margin isn’t all about the offense.
The last time the two teams played, the Sooners won 23-21. But they had a 3-0 advantage in takeaways. That’s something the Alabama offense will look to fix, but it doesn’t sit well with the defense either.
“We cannot walk out of that game minus-3 in the turnover margin again,” Wommack said.
Alabama’s turnovers created short fields for the Sooners. The Crimson Tide defense wants to return the favor for its offense in the rematch in Norman. And frankly, the Alabama offense might need it considering its recent struggles.
“We’ve got to take the ball away,” safety Bray Hubbard said. “That’s what we’ve got to do every week. We’ve got to start taking the ball away more.”
It would be great if the defense could get a takeway or two on Friday. Wommack also spoke glowingly of Deontae Lawson.
“Guys like him that take care of their bodies throughout the grind of a season in the SEC are ultimately gonna put us in position in the playoffs to go compete,” Wommack said. “If I’m looking at Deontae Lawson in terms of the NFL, and his availability, and the way he’s pushed himself, what a guy that is gonna show up every week and he’s only gonna get better and better.”
Lawson has done that over the course of his tenure at Alabama. The Mobile, Ala., native went from playing four games in 2021 and redshirting to becoming one of the Crimson Tide’s most important players in any of the game’s three phases.
“He’s great for his teammates. He’s great in our building. He’s a leader. He holds people accountable. He plays with tremendous effort in practice every day,” Wommack said. “His best ability is his availability. Just keeps showing up. It’s awesome.”
Leadership matters in big games, and Lawson provides that.
Matt Hayes believes that Kalen DeBoer is under substantial pressure to win this one.
We’ve reached critical mass here, and nothing DeBoer and Byrne say can do anything about it. This is about wins and losses now, and heaven help DeBoer if Friday night ends with another poor performance (and loss) to the Sooners.
Three games against Oklahoma, three games as the betting favorite. Three games with the better roster.
It’s not that hard to see where this goes from here if Alabama can’t find a way to beat Oklahoma. No amount of public declarations of support will make it any easier for a fan base that includes deep-pocket boosters — who can and have wielded influence.
How do you think Saban got to Alabama in the first place, after publicly declaring he was staying in the NFL and wouldn’t be the Alabama coach?
I’m not sure that’s the case, and hopefully we don’t find out.
Antonio Morales of The Athletic has an amusing playoff rooting guide.
Why you should get on board: You care for Kalen DeBoer’s physical and emotional well-being and don’t want to see what the Crimson Tide fan base would do to a coach who either went two years without winning a Playoff game or won a Playoff game then lost to Indiana.
Why you shouldn’t: Even though Nick Saban is gone, we’re not too far removed from Alabama dominating the sport. It’s OK if this program experiences some struggles or suffers through a mini-drought.
Bottom line: This Alabama team is in the Playoff, but it’s not built like those Saban-era teams. The passing game, a strength earlier in the year, hasn’t been great of late, and while the defense is good, it doesn’t strike fear into you like those peak-Saban units. If you get behind this team, just know the running game — or, more specifically, the lack of a running game — could lead you down a path of heartbreak early in the Playoff.
Alabama has agreed to hire Derrick Nix away from Auburn to replace JaMarcus Shephard.
Prior to his two years at Auburn, Nix worked as an assistant coach for Ole Miss for 16 seasons. He spent four seasons, from 2020 through 2023, coaching Rebels receivers.
In his final season, Nix coached three receivers to 700 yards or more in Tre Harris (a future second-round NFL Draft pick), Dayton Wade and Jordan Watkins. Over his time in Oxford, Nix also instructed the likes of Jonathan Mingo and Elijah Moore, both of whom went on to become second-round picks as well. Moore was a consensus All-America selection during the 2020 season, finishing as a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top pass catcher.
Nix was a running back by trade and has spent most of his career coaching that position, so we shouldn’t assume that he will be on receivers next season. But as shown above he does have experience there.
Last, add “NHL team owner” to Nick Saban’s bio.
“Although I am now retired as a coach, I still possess a competitive nature and a great passion for sports,” Saban said in a statement released by the Predators. “Being involved in a sports team in Nashville has always been a goal and the opportunity to partner in the Predators with a class act like Bill Haslam created the perfect scenario for us. The Preds are a great organization with a fantastic brand, and we are excited to be part of the future success of the franchise.”
Saban and Agresti are partners in the Dream Motor Group that features 10 car dealerships, including two in Nashville. They’re partners in several other business ventures as well.
They’ll win a Stanley Cup within three years.
That’s about it for now. Have a great day.
Roll Tide.
Category: General Sports
