Your Friday Hoodoo Thread | Week Five

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Your weekly dose of football superstition and the lovely Freida Pinto.

You're welcome. Except for the soundtrack. Sorry. :/

That time again folks. Throw yourselves on the mercy of the Football Gods with embarrassing admissions, superstitious rituals, foolhardy vows, and whatever else you got. My standing pledge to read 50 Shades of Grey in return for an SEC Title (and perform and record a dramatic reading from said book for a BCS title) is still in effect. Fire away in the comments below.

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Alabama Looks to Keep Rolling Against Improved Ole Miss

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Ole Miss faces an uphill battle in Tuscaloosa, but the Rebels may not be quite the patsy most have anticipated.

After racing to 4-0 without breaking a proverbial sweat, Alabama faces something of a mild surprise in week five of the college football season: Ole Miss may not be quite the outright patsy that most had anticipated. The Rebels won't be stamping its ticket to Miami in the near future -- or, arguably, even Shreveport -- but Ole Miss has been something of a pleasant surprise in the opening month of the season.

New head coach Hugh Freeze deserves credit for bringing something to Oxford it hasn't seen in three years: A semi-reasonable degree of respectability. In his final two not-so-glorious campaigns at Ole Miss, Houston Nutt stretched the lower bounds of SEC incompetence for programs not named Kentucky and Vanderbilt. While garnering only one victory over a BCS conference opponent in the past two years, Nutt's self-promoted black gold turned into snake oil, with the Rebels becoming a glorified bye week for the conference's best programs. In the wake of his departure, he left behind a roster filled with gaping holes at nearly every position.

Freeze hasn't been able to make any of those holes go away in the short-term, and only time will tell if he can have the successes on the recruiting trails and in player development necessary to forge a long-term solution in Oxford. Nevertheless, through four games, Freeze and his staff have done reasonably well working around the biggest roster shortcomings and taking full advantage of what little talent is at their disposal. Their 3-1 record is largely inflated due to a weak schedule in the opening month, but in fairness to Freeze the Rebels have won those three games in relative ease, and a year ago they would have arguably been on the losing end more often than not.

Offensively, Ole Miss will remind many of Gus Malzahn on Saturday night. Routinely operating without a huddle, the new-look Rebels use a variety of formations and spread the field, and pre-snap motion and misdirection are the norm. Despite the spread philosophy, the offense is decidedly run heavy, and the quarterback position provides legitimate dual threat options.

The real shortcoming for Ole Miss is a lack of ability at the point of attack. Center Evan Swindall is a solid player, but tackle play outside has been poor and pass protection in general has been horrendous. Nevertheless, skill talent is sufficient on the offensive side, and quarterback Bo Wallace has been one of the biggest surprises in the conference to date. Donte Moncrief will be arguably the best receiver on the field tomorrow night, and despite his diminutive size, tailback Jeff Scott provides an explosive element at the position. Combined, the quick strike offense has been able to work around the weaknesses on the offensive line, and Ole Miss has found ways to score points despite being consistently overmanned in the trenches.

The biggest problem in Oxford has been non-existent production on the defensive side of the football, where defensive coordinator Dave Wommack has been unable to work any magic, with his defense ranked at or near the bottom of the conference in nearly every major defensive category. Ugly performances have been the norm, and browsing the roster it is easy to see why.

The defensive line is filled with tweeners, and there is no one in the rotation who really stands out as either a pass rusher or a run stuffer. At linebacker, Mike Marry is a load at 6'3 and 255 pounds, but the outside linebackers are undersized players even by 4-3 standards, and Denzel Nkemdiche in particular would be a free safety in Tuscaloosa. The defensive backfield has seen a handful of bodies rotated in and out, but there has been no consistent pass rush to give the secondary a boost and the defensive backs have struggled in space. David Ash of Texas, not exactly known for his passing prowess, posted a Playstation-esque stat line against this group two weeks ago.

Ole Miss normally operates out of a 4-2-5 base set, but they figure to respond with more of a traditional 4-3 look this weekend given the strength of the Alabama running game. A lack of size at linebacker should create numerous opportunities for Eddie Lacy and company, however, and the pickings seem ripe for AJ McCarron to take advantage of what has been a porous pass defense. The Alabama offense has been highly effective to date, and for now it doesn't seem that Colonel Reb should be able to stymie the attack.

Injuries, too, are a net concern for Ole Miss. Alabama comes into this contest reasonably healthy, with only back-up nose guard Brandon Ivory expected to miss the game. Wide receiver Kevin Norwood could be limited with a lower leg injury, but generally the roster is in good health. With Ole Miss, however, Bo Wallace is suffering from a shoulder injury, and while he expects to play, whether or not he can sustain for sixty minutes against the 'Bama defense remains to be seen. Additionally, wide receivers Korvin Neat and Collins Moore may miss entirely, and will all but certainly be limited, and the defensive line could be missing a couple of players from the rotation. The injuries aren't exactly overwhelming, but they do serve to make an uphill battle somewhat more difficult.

Nevertheless, though, this is an interesting test for Alabama. Ole Miss figures to be overmatched in terms of talent and depth, and the line match-ups look lopsided. Even so, their offensive attack should stress defensive back play and fundamental discipline -- which is typically related directly to experience -- and those are two legitimate concern areas in Tuscaloosa. On the opposite side of the ball, Alabama ought to have its way with the Ole Miss defense, so can AJ McCarron and company deliver when necessary given that the defense could possibly experience some issues and surrender some points? That will most likely be a necessity in the stretch run if Alabama is to earn a trip to Miami in early January, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out tomorrow night should it come to pass.

On the whole, Alabama has been untested in the first month of the season, and has yet to face a competitive game deep into the second half. The latter may change tomorrow, but even so an upset would be a major surprise and if Alabama plays like it has in the first four weeks they should win with relative ease. To that end, Nick Saban and company have preached the standard refrain all week: Remain focused, ignore the hype, continue to improve, and do your job. On the backside of Ole Miss, Alabama gets a bye week to prepare for what will be a difficult five-week run starting in October, but for any of that to mean anything 'Bama has to first secure victory tomorrow night in Tuscaloosa.

Hope for the best.

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Alabama coach Anthony Grant gets raise, contract extension

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Alabama men's basketball coach Anthony Grant received a contract extension on Thursday that comes with a $100,000 raise, which will prolong his current deal until 2019. Grant received a two-year extension last year but was not given a raise in salary. In addition, his buyout will be reduced to $500,000 for the final four years of the contract.

Since taking the position in 2009, Grant has steadily improved Alabama's program. After registering a 17-15 record in 2010, Grant led the school to a SEC Western Division title in his second season as coach. In 2012, Alabama earned a berth to the 2012 NCAA Tournament, which was the school's first appearance since 2006.

Grant's first head coaching job came when he was hired at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2006. Compiling winning seasons in all three years at the school, Grant led the team to the NCAA Tournament on two separate occasions managing to reach the second round in his first season.

This story was originally published on SBNation.com.

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The Jumbo Package | 9.28.12

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John David Mercer-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire

Your daily fix of Crimson Tide and college football news.

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TideSports.com - Milliner expecting more action than usual

Like most cornerbacks, Dee Milliner understands the football cliche that he is "alone on an island" in man-to-man coverage. That doesn't mean he wouldn't welcome visitors. Milliner is likely to see more traffic than usual Saturday night when the Ole Miss Rebels come to Bryant-Denny Stadium for an 8:15 contest against the No. 1-ranked University of Alabama. The Rebels rely on a quick offensive tempo but aren't afraid to take shots down the field regardless of which quarterback, Bo Wallace or Barry Brunetti, takes the field. "We know coming in that they are going to throw vertical passes, double moves, all that sort of things," Milliner said after the Crimson Tide's Wednesday practice. "Lately, teams haven't done much of that against us, but hopefully they will take some shots and we will see what happens."

Statistical Analysis: How much better is Alabama than Ole Miss? - Red Cup Rebellion

Through just four games, Ole Miss can boast among its SEC compatriots the third most offensive yards per game, the most rushing yards per game, the third most sacks, the highest third down conversion rate, the second most prolific red zone defense, and a multitude of other measurables which serve to demonstrate that the Ole Miss Rebel football team of 2012 is in significantly better shape than its 2011 version. But how does team, even with its statistical improvements, compare to the team which they will be playing this weekend, the consensus number one ranked Alabama Crimson Tide? The brief answer to that is "not all that well, for the most part." The more in depth answer is that, "while this team has come a long way, it still has a long, long way to go, and this weekend should demonstrate that."

Give me 5: On officials, evaluating people, organizing special teams and more highlights from Nick Saban's radio show | al.com

Saban revealed the the Tide practices against the hurry-up style routinely, even when it isn’t the style of the next opponent. "The more you practice against that and the more you play against that, the more your players get used to that pace," he said. Saban later said that he believes his team is well-conditioned, but he is "a bit concerned" about the fact that his starters have not played a full game.

SEC Notebook: Alabama takes lead early and never gives it up | jacksonville.com

Alabama has yet to trail in a game so far this season. Why? Because the top-ranked Crimson Tide has outscored foes 56-0 in the first quarter. Overall, Alabama has scored a touchdown on 41.7 percent of its drives (20-of-48), while allowing a touchdown on 6.4 percent of opponent drives (3-of-47). Alabama is also plus-10 in turnover margin. So far this season, the Tide players have been able to maintain their focus after building a lead. "I think that we are constantly trying to teach our players that you play the next play," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "You are not worried about the circumstance in the game. That is an external factor. You need to focus on what you need to do to execute the very next play. Whether you’re ahead in the game or behind in the game, that really doesn’t matter. That is something that we’re constantly trying to instill in our players, from a competitive standpoint."

Alabama's Chance Warmack one of the best at one of football's least glamorous positions | al.com

Since he replaced All-American Mike Johnson as a sophomore, Warmack has started 30 consecutive games. Over that time span, Alabama has averaged more than 225 rushing yards per game and saw running back Trent Richardson come up just short of winning the Heisman trophy. Warmack, an SI.com preseason first-team All-American who has already been named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week once this season, has preferred to hover in the background while he dominates the foreground. "I feel like I could have done better every game," Warmack said. "People tell me all the time, ‘You played your best game ever.’ I don't feel that. I'm still looking to have my best game."

Nick Saban referencing Tim Tebow, Tide watching video of 'The Promise' | al.com

"I think this is a game that should be all about what we have at stake," Saban said after practice Wednesday. "If you have a chance to be significant as a team, it's about what you do each week in this game. This is the most important game of our season because it's the game we play this week.

Ole Miss hopes to pull out a win Saturday | The Crimson White

Freeze acknowledged the trip to Tuscaloosa will be a challenging one – he even referenced David and Goliath in the press conference – but the fact of the matter is that Ole Miss has nothing to lose in playing Alabama. "Why not go and have fun with it?" he said. Despite these feelings, Freeze does have certain expectations for his team. "Our defense is going to play better than it did against Texas," Freeze said. "I don’t think we played our best football that night on the defensive side. I hope we come out and play more inspired, maybe be a little more disciplined with our eyes and tackle a little better."

Ole Miss WR Moncrief in Alabama's sights | The Clarion-Ledger | clarionledger.com

So far this season, Alabama has only given up two passes of 30 yards or more, both against Michigan in the season opener. There’s a reason for that, Ole Miss wide receiver Donte Moncrief said as he prepares to play the Crimson Tide this Saturday (8:15 p.m., ESPN). "They like to play over top, so it’ll be harder. So we’ll go underneath and a lot of short stuff that will get some pass stuff in," Moncrief said. Then, Moncrief said, is when you test the Bama secondary. "Do a double move to get deep," Moncrief said.

Ole Miss offense could test Tide streak - Stats & Info Blog - ESPN

Heading into its game this week at No. 1 Alabama, Ole Miss is scoring nearly 37 points per game. Therefore, the Rebels might be a test for a Tide defense that has allowed a total of three touchdowns in its last nine games against SEC competition. Ole Miss was one of the teams that managed a single TD against the Tide defense last year; Florida and Mississippi State were the others. What's amazing is that Alabama doesn't even have the SEC's longest active streak of allowing no more than one TD to a conference opponent's offense. After last weekend's game against Auburn, LSU has now done that in 11 consecutive games.

Alabama-Ole Miss game holds historical significance | The Crimson White

While there is little for Alabama fans to get excited about in this game – other than seeing Rebel Black Bear in Bryant-Denny Stadium for the first time – there is some historical significance to this series and even Saturday’s game. When Paul "Bear" Bryant’s Crimson Tide squared off against Johnny Vaught’s Rebels on Oct. 4, 1969 at Legion Field, the two were squaring off under the lights. It was the first time a Southeastern Conference game was televised in prime time to a national audience. Today, the majority of SEC football games are played in prime time on national television. That Alabama-Ole Miss game 43 years ago led the way to what has become one of the most popular sports on television in our country.

Georgia helping lead SEC East revival | Nooga.com

"I think the SEC East is an outstanding part of our league," Georgia coach Mark Richt said on Tuesday. "Preseason everybody had an opinion on everybody’s schedules, and I felt like we just aren’t going to know how tough everybody’s schedule is until you play the season and you have a better idea of how tough it is. We felt like we had some very outstanding teams in the East, and so far they are proving it."

More signs of balance between SEC East and West - College football- NBC Sports

Of the six straight national titles won by the SEC, four of the last five, including the past three, have been won by either Alabama, Auburn or LSU, all teams from the West. Florida - during the Urban Myer era - was the lone team from the East to win national championships in that span, in 2006 and 2008. During the past two seasons, the team representing the East in Atlanta struggled to mount much of a challenge to the West Division winner. LSU crushed Georgia, 42-10, last season, only to lose in the BCS title game to Alabama, which had finished second in the SEC West. Certainly, when last season ended, the power in the SEC appeared heavily concentrated in the West, not only because of the Crimson Tide and Tigers, but because of Arkansas finishing fifth in the final AP Poll. Arkansas has subsequently fallen on hard times with the scandalous departure of coach Bobby Petrino and a 1-3 start under interim coach John L. Smith. Alabama still looks all but invincible, but LSU less so after narrowly escaping with a 12-10 victory at Auburn last weekend.

and etc.

And now, Nick Saban wearing dad glasses - SBNation.com

Tide's Barrett Jones a semifinalist for Campbell Trophy | al.com

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

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POLL: How Many Points Will the Ole Miss Offense Score Against Alabama?

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RBR polls its readers about how many points the new and improved Ole Miss offense will score against Alabama.

Needless to say, Ole Miss has been pretty dreadful the last couple of years: 4-8 in 2010 and 2-10 in 2011. With the exception of a pair of 9 win seasons in 2008 and 2009, they were pretty dreadful for a good 4-5 years before that too. Though they still have a long way to go to be contenders in the SEC, there have been signs of improvement under new head coach Hugh Freeze and the Rebels are off to one of their best starts over the last decade or so. At 3-1, the Rebel offense is putting up 36.8 points per game, good for 29th overall in the FBS (though the 49 points they put up on FCS team Central Arkansas skews those stats a good bit.)

Alabama, on the other hand, currently has the second best scoring defense in the nation. They're surrendering a mere 5.25 points per game (21 points total.) 7 of those came in garbage time against Florida Atlantic when Alabama was emptying its bench.

Though anything can happen on a given Saturday, Alabama (a 32 point favorite), should win this game pretty easily. And yes, I'm aware that Nick Saban won't like that statement, but I'm just saying what everyone is thinking. My question is this: given the strength of Alabama's defense, how many points do you think the Ole Miss offense scores on Saturday?

How many points will the Ole Miss offense score against Alabama?

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Week Four BlogPoll Released | Alabama Still #1

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The Crimson Tide holds onto the #1 spot, but some unlikely suspects have wormed their way into first place votes.

As expected, the Crimson Tide remained at #1 while LSU dropped a few spots after their underwhelming performance in Auburn. Equally expected, Oregon and Florida State have risen past them. Beyond that, a few thoughts on this week's poll.

LSU remains ahead of Georgia in the final poll, but I voted them one spot ahead on my ballot. At this point in the season their strength of schedule/quality of wins is roughly the same, but Georgia hasn't looked as if they were ever in any doubt of losing a game (much less one to a team who's only win came in OT against a Sun Belt team).

Including South Carolina at #7, The SEC has four teams in the top ten (and five in the top eleven with Florida knocking on the door). What's surprising is the seeming shift in the balance of power between the divisions. Alabama and LSU still look like the class of the conference, but UGA, South Carolina, and Florida all look to have righted their badly listing ships and are no longer the top contenders in the East by simple default.

Speaking of Florida, someone voted them #1, while Notre Dame, Stanford, Kansas State, and Florida State also received #1 votes. I know this is a "blogpoll" and we all have our own weird ways of filling out our ballots, but Notre Dame? We don't even consider Michigan a "quality" win anymore. Whatever.

Glad to see Oregon State getting some attention. They are quietly putting together a nice start to the season.

Also nice to see Rutgers getting some attention, even though I didn't vote for them and hardly think they have any quality wins on their schedule. Still, they strike me as "plucky," and I kinda sorta root for them.

In the others receiving votes category: who keeps voting for Miami? Louisiana Tech would have been a good choice for Mr. Irrelevant. Cincinnati still plays football? I thought we were over them. Wisconsin? Purdue? Central Florida? This poll has no merit. :/

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