The face of evil, and the place it happened for ten years.

But Ariel Castro has taught me a huge, valuable lesson. Well, quite a few, truthfully.

1. First, evil exists. It is as real as real can be. There are some people walking among us without a moral compass who are human by definition only. There are people among us who can get to the mental state Ariel Castro did, where his personal pleasure superceded the very freedom of not one, not two but three (and possibly more) other humans. Humans with families that love them and want them for polar opposite reasons than this man’s demented intentions.

This lesson can’t be drilled into our children enough. Evil exists. Not tree poisoners. Those are psychos. Not teabaggers. Those are sickos. Evil. If you have kids, you need to gently push them in the direction of caution when it comes to the people around them. Not pushing them to the point of paranoia, but to the point of caution, and avoidance of the kind of naivity that puts people in a position of trouble.

2. Our justice system is unjust. There is no law on our books, no penalty that we can legally put into effect, that would serve this pig justice. Personally I think Levitical law covers this kind of thing pretty well. But this is a cretin who should have to experience the same kind of horror he put his victims through.

Elect me president and these kind of crimes are punishable by death. You get 30 days to make your peace with God, man and anyone else. But then after 30 days of daily subjection of punishment at the hands of those you hurt, you’re history. You’re not weighing on our legal system, costing tax payers thousands of dollars. You’re not feeding on taxpayers’ earnings for three squares and a place to sleep, not to mention medical care. You’re in a hole somewhere in 30 days after conviction. And no I’m not talking about gray cases. I’m talking about slam dunks, and this one is a slam dunk.

The thing is, Castro likely already has an attorney working day and night to lessen his sentence or get him off for reasons of insanity. That such a person with this desire exists is sobering in and of itself.

3. There could be an Ariel Castro near you. How many people do you know on your street? There are three on mine that I’ve never met or had a conversation with. We need to be all up in each others’ business.

These girls weren’t held in the middle of the desert or in some mountain cave. There were houses and families ALL AROUND THEM. People tuning in, hoping to see LeBron James get beat by the Cavs. People leaving their homes to see if there was anything to this Trent Richardson wearing #33. People sitting down to Thanksgiving meals…TEN to be exact. People coming and going. Life happening everywhere around these girls while their lives were slowly being taken from them. How in the world could this ever happen??

What’s going on in your neighborhood RIGHT NOW? Maybe nothing this heinous, but who is crying out for help that you’re not hearing?

When the neighborhood watch program came out years ago it was paraded like it was going to be the answer to stopping crime. But let’s get real. The automatic garage door killed the neighborhood watch program years ago. We pull up, push the button, drive in, push the button again, and we don’t have to talk or deal with the people around us. We are insulated, self-interested beings by nature, not exactly “loving our neighbors as ourselves” as the Creator instructed.

There are exceptions, but if you’re honest with yourself, how much have you really tried to get to know the people around you. Evil can’t hide itself forever, which is why I think it’s totally bogus that Castro’s family “was shocked” at the revelation that he had done this.

I’ll even take it a step further. I was eating at a Chinese restaurant this week…a hole in the wall I like to go to…and wondered how many of the women working there had been subjected to this kind of thing. Not abduction (but maybe), but human trafficking. Or how many know others of their nationality that has, or currently is? This is a serious problem, and to stop it, or at least damage it, it’s going to take people unafraid to get dirty.

But we’re often too consumed with which linebacker is going where, or taking pictures of players’ cars to prove they’re getting paid. That’s all well and good, and sports is a diversion that we all need. But when our world becomes sports and sports alone…our teams, and just sports in general…we lose a piece of ourselves that makes humanity humane.

4. I’m glad I’m not God. John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son for us, that WHOSOEVER believes in Him won’t perish but will have eternal life. If that prayer was offered up to me, and I was the big man hearing it, I’d have to act like I missed it. I’d send Ariel Castro to the furthest reaches of hell faster than Onterio McCalleb sprinting out of bounds. But that’s for Him to decide. I am not capable of that job.

All in all, there is no way humanly possible that these poor girls will ever have a normal life. They deserve millions in restitution so that they don’t ever have to think about anything but getting up, nourishing themselves, and putting one foot in front of the other. May God shield them from evil the rest of their days, and may Ariel Castro run into a band of angry inmates (sooner than later) who know who he is and know what he’s done.

(Follow ITK on Twitter for Bama news, commentary and smack.)

Alabama Crimson Tide

Here are the official game notes from UA Media Relations:

4TH QUARTER RALLY GIVES WHITE TEAM 23-17 WIN OVER CRIMSON IN GOLDEN FLAKE A-DAY GAME
The White team scored 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including a game-winning 39-yard catch by Brandon Gibson on the final play, to earn a 23-17 victory over the Crimson Team in the 2010 Golden Flake A-Day Game before a crowd of 91,312 at Bryant-Denny Stadium and an ESPN national television audience. Gibson nabbed the pass from quarterback A.J. McCarron with no time remaining for the victory. Trailing, 17-7, entering the fourth quarter, the White team closed to within 17-14 on a 25-yard pass from Star Jackson to Demetrius Goode with 10:43 left, then tied the score at 17-17 on a 27-yard field goal by Cade Foster with 3:13 remaining. The Crimson Team had built its 17-7 lead on a 20-yard Jeremy Shelley field goal with 3:10 left in the first quarter, a 39-yard pass from Greg McElroy to Marquis Maze with 10:54 remaining in the second quarter and a 5-yard run by Eddie Lacy with 12:20 remaining in the third quarter. The White Team’s only score before the fourth-quarter rally was a 28-yard pass from McCarron to Trent Richardson with 32 seconds left in the first quarter, giving the White Team a 7-3 lead entering the second quarter. Running back Mark Ingram earned the Dixie Howell Memorial Most Valuable Player Award with 90 yards rushing on only 9 carries. Defensive tackle Marcell Dareus earned the Dwight Stephenson Lineman of the Game Award with 3 tackles, including 1 quarterback sack and 1.5 tackles for losses. Dareus was also credited with 2 quarterback hurries. White Team defensive back Robert Lester led all tacklers with 8 tackles. Gibson led all receivers with 8 catches for 142 yards and 1 touchdown while McCarron passed for a game-high 196 yards while completing 12 of 28 passes for 2 touchdowns. McElroy completed 12 of 22 passes for 142 yards and 1 touchdown.

91,312 WITNESS 2009 A-DAY SPRING FOOTBALL GAME
The official Bryant-Denny Stadium capacity for available seating for today’s game was 90,312. With all available seating taken, plus an estimated 1,000 additional standing room only patrons on the field level plaza and on the spiral stairwells in the northeast and northwest corners of the stadium, the official estimated attendance at today’s game was 91,312. That’s the second-highest A-Day Game mark in school history, and the second-largest crowd to witness a spring game at any Southeastern Conference school behind the 92,138+ who witnessed A-Day proceedings in 2007. Last year’s attendance was estimated at 84,050, which now ranks third in Alabama A-Day Game history. The 2008 A-Day Game drew 78,200.

The 2007 A-Day Game drew in excess of 92,138 fans, with fans being turned away at the gate. The attendance mark of over 92,138 fans was well over the previous best for a Southeastern Conference Spring Day game, believed to be Tennessee’s 73,000 in 1986. It also nearly doubled 2007’s second-best attendance mark of 47,500 set by Florida.

The Tide’s last four A-Day attendance marks have bettered the previous Bryant-Denny Stadium A-Day record of 46,700 set in 1994. Prior to the last four A-Day crowds, the previous Alabama A-Day record was 51,117 set April 9, 1988, in Birmingham’s Legion Field. Attendance figures for past A-Day Games are listed at the end of this notes package.

PAST A-DAY ATTENDANCE TOTALS
The top 11 crowds for Alabama’s A-Day Game.

Year Attendance
2007 92,138*
2010 91,312
2009 84,050
2008 78,200
1988 51,117
1994 46,700
2006 40,000
1995 37,323
2002 37,000
2004 35,000
2001 35,000
*A-Day Record.

SPRING FOOTBALL AWARD WINNERS
The following Alabama football players were honored for the performance throughout Spring Football Practice with the following awards bestowed by the Crimson Tide coaching staff:

Lee Roy Jordan Headhunter Award – Marcell Dareus & Mark Barron
Jerry Duncan “I Like to Practice” Award – David Ross, Preston Dial, B.J. Scott
Billy Neighbors Defensive Lineman Award – Josh Chapman
Paul Crane Offensive Lineman Award – James Carpenter
Bobby Johns Defensive Back Award – Dre Kirkpatrick
Johnny Musso Offensive Back Award – Trent Richardson
Ray Perkins Receiver Award – Darius Hanks
Woodrow Lowe Linebacker Award – Courtney Upshaw
Derrick Thomas Community Service Award – Barrett Jones & Mark Ingram
Bear Bryant Outstanding Non-Scholarship Award – Hardie Buck & Will Lowery
Ozzie Newsome Most Improved Freshman Award – Chance Warmack, A.J. McCarron, Dee Milliner, Tana Patrick
Bart Starr Most Improved Player Award – Michael Williams & Chris Jordan
Mal Moore Leadership Award – Greg McElroy & Dont’a Hightower
Sylvester Croom Commitment to Excellence Award – Julio Jones & Luther Davis
Dwight Stephenson Lineman of the A-Day Game Award – Marcell Dareus
Dixie Howell Memorial Most Valuable Player of the A-Day Game Award – Mark Ingram

INGRAM & DAREUS ARE A-DAY GAME AWARD WINNERS
Two players were recognized today for their outings in the A-Day Game. For the second consecutive year, junior defensive lineman Marcell Dareus was voted by the media the winner of the Dwight Stephenson Most Valuable Lineman of the A-Day Game Award. Dareus was credited with 3 tackles, including 1 quarterback sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and 2 quarterback hurries. Junior running back Mark Ingram earned the Dixie Howell Memorial Award as Most Valuable Player of the A-Day Game. Ingram finished the day with 121 all-purpose yards, rushing for 90 yards on 10 carries, including a 60-yard run. He also had 4 catches for 31 yards.

THE GOLDEN FLAKE A-DAY GAME BRINGS END TO SPRING PRACTICE
The University of Alabama football team and head coach Nick Saban wrapped up spring practice today with the 2010 Golden Flake A-Day Game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama opened spring practice on Friday, March 12, and held 14 practices through Thursday, April 15, leading up to today’s A-Day game. The Crimson Tide also held two scrimmages here in Bryant-Denny Stadium this spring (April 2 and April 10) in preparation for today’s game.

WALK OF FAME CEREMONY HONORED 2009 TEAM CAPTAINS
The annual Walk of Fame ceremony took place Saturday at 12:15 p.m. at Denny Chimes. The 2009 permanent team captains – cornerback/return specialist Javier Arenas, offensive lineman Mike Johnson and linebacker Rolando McClain – had their hand prints and foot prints placed in cement at the base of Denny Chimes.

A-DAY GAME FORMAT
The format for today’s game was much like a normal game, with a few minor variations primarily regarding the game clock. The game consisted of four 15-minute quarters with a running clock. The clock stopped only following scoring plays, penalties, and changes of possession. Regular clock rules were used during the final minutes of the second quarter and the fourth quarter.

1. Is Alabama on the verge of a quarterback controversy? The backup quarterback is always a fan favorite, but A.J. McCarron posted good stats from the first spring scrimmage. What are the chances he some significant playing time in 2010? Would that be good or bad?

Todd at Roll Bama Roll: I doubt there could even be a true QB controversy between McElroy and McCarron at this point. Say what you will about McElroy during the middle of last season, he has an SEC ring, a National Title ring, and hasn’t lost a game in like 43 years so I sincerely doubt there is a single person* out there thinking to himself “if we’d ditch that damn McElroy kid we might really have something next season.” Once the season starts, though, all bets are off, especially if McElroy has any struggles resembling his mid-season slump from last year. If that happens, don’t think he won’t get pulled for McCarron if the coaches think he gives the team the best shot at winning.

And even though this isn’t really what they had in mind with “QB Controversy” I tend to think that at some point, should Star Jackson stick it out in Tuscaloosa, there could very well be a growing controversy surrounding why he isn’t getting on the field. We’ve said over and over again on this blog and in Yea Alabama that Jackson isn’t a “running QB,” he’s a pocket passer that’s also a good athlete, but considering the thought “why don’t we let Jackson run the Wildcat?” has popped into my head a few times I know it’s had to have occurred to someone else. With McElroy entrenched and McCarron seemingly the next great ‘Bama QB (and Phillip Sims right there behind him), if Jackson is going to stay at Alabama and a) really wants to get on the field and b) has proven to the coaches that he deserves a shot at being a part of the offense, then running the Wildcat/option may be the only way it’s going to happen.
* there are undoubtedly people thinking this exact thing on an al.com message board right now, but we don’t like to consider them “people.”

Picture Me Rollin: Saban has shown throughout his career that he will stand behind the starter. McElroy is a proven commodity at this point, will be a two-year starter, and has what no other signal caller in the country has: a National Championship Ring. So unless he’s injured (God forbid) he’s going to start and see the majority of the snaps. If there is any issue I have with Saban, it’s that he doesn’t let the backup QB play enough and I’m always scared of what will happen in an injury situation. I just don’t see anybody other than GMac getting a lot of game work. That’s good if he continues the way he’s been going and bad if he gets injured but either way I have no problem with it.

Tower of Bammer: Controversy? Verge? No way another QB starts next year with a healthy McElroy. That said, how healthy was McElroy last year? Were nagging injuries the reason for his midseason Ike/Tina act? Alabama has been pretty lucky with starting quarterback injuries since the glass-elbowed Croyle era, an era long past, when Velociraptors with torn knee ligaments ruled the earth. One of the first things I thought, when it became revealed that McElroy played injured for the BCS game, was “Good Lord, the backups must really be just dicking around!”, and now we have a controversy all of a sudden? I think he saved up enough pigskin pennies in the Bryant Denny bank that he’ll have to do a pretty memorable belly flop into the pool of incompetence to get yanked. Like, yank yanked. But maybe there is enough confidence now in AJ that, if Greg is in debilitating pain in a really big game, maybe he’ll, y’know, sit down and rest his ass.

2. Were there any other bits of good or bad news from the scrimmage that fans should consider?

Mookie of 3sib: In worrisome news, Nico Johnson sprained his MCL, which sounds pretty dreadful but so long as he sits out for a few weeks, which surely the coaches will have him do since they already know he has the potential to be an animal in 2010 and don’t need any more convincing through practice drills and scrimmages, he should recover nicely from this setback. Terrence Codysuffered the same injury in ’08, as did Colin Peek in ’09, and based on their rehabilitations, Johnson could be back in a couple weeks. We’re willing to bet he doesn’t suit up for the A-Day game on April 17.

But on the other side of the ball,Julio Jones is finally healthy. Jones, who had surgery on his wrist, hernia, and shoulder after the ’08 season and battled a knee injury throughout ’09, hauled in eight catches for 105 yards in Friday’s scrimmage and feels better than he has since he was a freshman.

“It’s over,” Jones said. “Now I’m back healthy. The main thing is trying to stay healthy and go out there and have a successful season.”

That’s great news, but while the crown jewel of the ‘Bama air attack got the majority of catches, four other Tide receivers and one tailback, Trent Richardson, had at least three catches on Friday. Of particular note, tight end Preston Dial was the second-leading receiver with five grabs for 45 yards. This may indicate that while Peek has departed for the next level, Alabama still wants to make the tight end position a threat for yardage. Dial is about three inches shorter than Peek, but he’s got the muscle and determination to take a break from his excellent blocking to grind out some direct offensive production.

Picture Me Rollin: The difference in years past and this year, as far as my perceptions of Spring Ball is that I have always looked for anything good that happens to hang my hat on as to how the season will be better. This year, I’m confident we are on the right path. I predicted huge things for Terry Grant, Jimmy Johns and quite a few others based on the way they played in the Spring. That turned out well. Honestly, I’m just not following it as much as I typically do, so I’m not gonna do any crystal ball gazing from what always turns out to be partial glimpses that don’t really tell you anything.

3. Homecoming is October 16 against Ole Miss. Thoughts? Is it ever good to play an SEC squad for homecoming?

Memphis Tider: I see no problem with scheduling an SEC team for Homecoming. While some people have gotten the notion that the homecoming game is always against a weaker or inferior team, a lot of teams prefer a big game for homecoming to draw out more of the alumni and fans. I believe Alabama has been the homecoming game for several teams in the SEC over the years. Homecoming isn’t to schedule an easy win – it’s for alumni coming home. The opponent really doesn’t matter in that case.

Tower of Bammer: I don’t think it is ever a good idea to play an SEC squad on homecoming, I mean, it’s almost like they can literally rain on our parade. But, I understand, with the scheduling and how the Moon Winx Lodge gets booked up so early, that they have to do it sometimes. Did you know the first Alabama homecoming was an Armistace Day celebration? Man, we don’t celebrate Armistice Day like we used to, whats this world coming to. All these people forgot the true meaning of Armistice Day, and now they can’t even point out the Ottoman Empire on a fucking map! Pieces of shit, all of you.

Picture Me Rollin: The scheduling the last few years has made a mid-term patsy harder to come by. Homecoming has gotten to be overrated and a cliche that we hold onto that has little meeting. If your an alumnus and you want to come back to campus and enjoy a game with friends and family, are you gonna chose from between Penn State, Florida, or Auburn or come to the lively festivities surrounding the Georgia State game (who is what I consider HC fodder). Every game means something big. Calling it Homecoming doesn’t change anything. I’m gonna be there regardless and I hope our team shows up and plays to its potential.

4. What does the Menzie injury do to Alabama’s projected depth in the secondary?

Kurtz of 3sib: If nothing else, the loss of Menzie is a shot to the psyche of the Tide fan base. It is ominous and foreboding. A post championship pre-curse curse kind of thing…you know, if your into that backwater voodoo type of thinking. Truth is we don’t know anymore about Menzie’s ability to shore up the thin red secondary than any other player on the Tide roster.

However, Saban has a pretty good track record at Alabama with the JUCO players he’s brought into the program: Terrance Cody and James Carpenter both won starting jobs and made critical contributions immediately. A great many fans, by great many I mean me, felt that Menzie would be the crazy glue that held the young secondary together. But that is what fans do; they find insurance policies. So do coaches. Menzie is a talented player who has, or had, the potential to come in and find a spot in the 2-Deep. Now, the hole he could have filled is frighteningly empty. The loss of Menzie means that both true freshman, Millner and Fulton, will see action this season. If Scott or Kirkpatrick goes down with an injury, a true-blue freshman will man a corner spot, bringing with them all the potluck possibilities that a greenhorn possesses. Worse than that, the Tide coaches will need to prepare a third true freshman for possible playing time this fall, and unlike Millner and Fulton, he won’t have the benefit of spring practice. Scott, Kirkpatrick, and Jones have to stay healthy this season. The Tide coaching staff doesn’t have any insurance to cover them if they don’t.

Todd at Roll Bama Roll: The difference in years past and this year, as far as my perceptions of Spring Ball is that I have always looked for anything good that happens to hang my hat on as to how the season will be better. This year, I’m confident we are on the right path. I predicted huge things for Terry Grant, Jimmy Johns and quite a few others based on the way they played in the Spring. That turned out well. Honestly, I’m just not following it as much as I typically do, so I’m not gonna do any crystal ball gazing from what always turns out to be partial glimpses that don’t really tell you anything.

5. Happy that Duke won the tournament? Happy the basketball season is finally over?

Memphis Tider: Honestly, I really don’t like Duke, so I’m glad they’re done. However, I’m a huge college basketball fan, so I hate to see the season end. I grew up playing basketball and football, and basketball was always my favorite sport to play because it’s a lot faster. I’ll definitely be following the basketball recruiting to see what happens because I enjoy it when the Tide is successful. I think Anthony Grant is on to something here in T-Town.

Todd at Roll Bama Roll: I know a lot of people hate Duke; watching the end of the game the other night The Girl commented that she wanted Butler to win because she’s so sick of hearing about Duke, just like she gets so sick of hearing about Alabama (she went to Ole Miss), and all I could say was “that’s loser talk.” People can talk all they want about how they hate Duke and North Carolina and Kentucky (or, in our case, Alabama football) for phoney baloney reasons like “the refs give them all the calls, their fans are jerks, blah blah blah”, but when it comes down to it the reason they’re hated is because they win, and they win a lot, and odds are that whoever your team is has repeatedly been on the losing end of their success. So even though I was sort of pulling for Butler (everyone loves and underdog, so long as they aren’t playing your team), Duke winning didn’t bother me one bit.

Alabama Crimson Tide scrimmage #2 spring practice 2010 (via UA Media Relations)

Here is the latest on the Alabama Crimson Tide’s football scrimmage. Stats follow below this release from the University. I’ll post some thoughts later. On to the spring practice news:

Defense Shows Improvement in Crimson Tide’s Second Scrimmage (via UA Media Relations)
The University of Alabama football team held its second scrimmage of the spring on Saturday afternoon inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The scrimmage was roughly 120 plays and was played under sunny skies and pleasant temperatures.

“I think the first defense played better,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said following Saturday’s scrimmage. “They didn’t give up the number of big plays and the tackling was better. I think we were more physical, and we affected the quarterback more. A lot of the things that you need to do to win, we were a little better at. ”

Junior defensive end Marcel Dareus provided consistent pressure on the Crimson Tide quarterbacks with five sacks, 10 tackles and several more quarterback hurries. Junior linebacker Dont’a made eight tackles and recorded two sacks while Courtney Upshaw notched three sacks and four total tackles.

The Alabama offense was solid once again with all four of the quarterbacks managing the increased pass rush and producing solid numbers while junior Mark Ingram led the way on the ground with 72 yards on 19 carries and one touchdown.

Senior Greg McElroy completed 17-of-27 passes for 156 yards and a score while redshirt freshman A.J. McCarron was 17 of 30 for 215 yards and three touchdowns. True freshman Phillip Sims missed on only four passes in 19 attempts for 139 yards while Star Jackson was 10 for 17 for 91 yards. Julio Jones and Brandon Gibson led the receiving corps with Jones going for 117 yards on nine receptions and two touchdowns while Gibson grabbed 10 balls for 74 yards and a score.

“The first offense, who played very, very well in the last scrimmage, continued to make some big plays and continued to do things well,” Saban said. “I think they were a little more challenged today. I think all four quarterbacks played well today, and had pretty good passing stats. We did have a couple of turnovers – a couple of interceptions – that we didn’t have in the last scrimmage. I think that was probably due to better play on defense, closer coverage and more pressure on the quarterback.”

The Crimson Tide has two more practices – on Tuesday and Thursday of next week – before the 2010 A-Day Game on Saturday, April 17, at 2 p.m. at Bryant-Denny Stadium. . The game will be televised nationally on ESPN for the second straight season. Rece Davis, Craig James, Mark May and Wendi Nix will call the action for ESPN.

“I think the big message to me is consistency in performance,” Saban said. “Define success. That’s the message I had for the players after the scrimmage. We sort of have days that one side of the ball or another will do extremely well and then maybe not do as well the next day out. We have three opportunities to improve as a team from here on out … the two practices and the A-Day Game to help our team improve and get better. Consistency and performance define success. You can’t be complacent or be satisfied.”

ALABAMA FOOTBALL – SCRIMMAGE #2 (April 10, 2010)
*Stats include 11-on-11, situational drills, red area, goalline, 2-minute
PASSING LEADERS
Greg McElroy – 17 for 27, 156 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
A.J. McCarron – 17 for 30, 215 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT
Phillip Sims – 15 for 19, 139 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Star Jackson – 10 for 17, 91 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

RUSHING LEADERS
Mark Ingram – 19 rush, 72 yards, 1 TD
Eddie Lacy – 10 rush, 28 yards, 1 TD
Trent Richardson – 7 rush, 18 yards,

RECEIVING LEADERS
Brandon Gibson – 10 rec., 74 yards, 1 TD
Julio Jones – 9 rec., 117 yards, 2 TD
Trent Richardson – 8 rec, 39 yards
Preston Dial – 4 rec., 46 yards
Kenny Bell – 4 rec., 33 yards
Demetrius Goode – 3 rec., 79 yards, 1 TD
Hardie Buck – 3 rec., 34 yards
Kevin Norwood – 3 rec., 33 yards

FIELD GOALS
Cade Foster – Made: 27, 32, 24, 33

DEFENSIVE LEADERS
Marcell Dareus – 10 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 TFL, 2 PBU
Dont’a Hightower – 8 tackles, 2 sacks
John Fulton – 5 tackles, 1 TFL
Tana Patrick – 5 tackles
Will Lowery – 5 tackles
B.J. Scott – 5 tackles, 1 PBU
Chris Jordan – 5 tackles, 1 TFL
Jerrell Harris – 4 tackles
Rod Woodson – 4 tackles
Darrington Sentimore – 4 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 Sack
Ed Stinson – 4 tackles, 1 TFL
Robert Lester – 4 tackles, 1 INT
Courtney Upshaw – 4 tackles, 3 sacks

SCORING
Touchdowns – 7 (Jones 11-yard pass from McElroy; Goode 16-yard TD pass from McCarron; Jones 16-yard pass from McCarron; K. Norwood 14-yard pass from Sims; Gibson 5-yard pass from McCarron; Ingram 3-yard run; Eddie Lacy 2-yard run)

Field Goals – 4 (Foster: 27, 32, 24, 33)

Alabama Crimson Tide

The Alabama Crimson Tide’s defense will miss another player in 2010. Alabama defensive back Robby Green is out for 2010. Here is the official word from the University via release:

ROBBY GREEN TO MISS 2010 SEASON
University of Alabama junior defensive back Robby Green has been declared ineligible to participate for the 2010 season by the NCAA. Green will be eligible for practice and will remain on scholarship during the suspension.

“Even though we are very disappointed we will continue to support Robby in every way possible,” said Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban. “He’ll practice and do all the other things with our team in terms of classes and workouts, but just won’t be eligible to play in any games this fall. His attitude has been outstanding through this and his effort in practice has been very good as well. Even if he isn’t playing, he can still have a significant impact on our team by helping out the younger players in the secondary and competing against the offense to make them better. We look forward to having Robby back on the field next fall for his senior season.”

Alabama coach Nick Saban isn’t one to lavish praise on his football team, especially not during spring practice when the goal is improvement.

He’s having trouble finding much fault with an offense that returns virtually every playmaker from last season, including Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram.

“I feel really good about the way we’re going on offense,” Saban said on Wednesday. “The quarterbacks are playing well. We’ve got good skill players all the way around, and they’ve done a really good job.

“I think we’ve improved the passing game.”

Offensively, that would be an important objective for spring practice and next season.

ALSO this from Alabama Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram: “There were times last year when they were putting eight or nine in the box and we were still running it,” Ingram said. “We wouldn’t get the ball out to the perimeter, to our playmakers. That’s just one thing that we have to do, and that’s a point of emphasis that we’re looking at this spring.

“When people are trying to load up the box to stop the run, we get the ball to them so they can stretch the field and make plays. They’re dangerous and we’ve got to give them the ball.”

ALSO this from Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Greg McElroy

“I think it’s safe to say that he’s a different player,” McElroy said. “He stepped it up tremendously. He’s even probably surpassed what he did as a freshman.”

And how are things going this spring?

“They were making plays,” Ingram said. “When we were taking shots downfield, they were making plays. They weren’t dropping balls. Greg was making the right reads, so that showed up. Instead of incomplete passes or interceptions, those were big explosive plays. I don’t think it’s anything that anybody should be too concerned with, because we’re going to stay a balanced offense.

“We’re going to run the ball but we have playmakers and they’re going to make plays. We’ve just got to put them in the right position.” (read the entire AP report embedded below)

Chris Low posted an excellent piece on understanding Nick Saban. It examines why Saban limits his outside commitments—he won’t miss practice. He won’t miss practice for anything. He won’t miss practice even to visit Augusta.

And in case you missed it: “I have people invite me to some art show or something and can’t understand why I can’t go to it,” said Saban, who’s been pulled in a million different ways since the national title. “It’s like they think I should cancel spring practice and go to the art show. … Well, we had practice that day. Everybody got onto me about that deal with the President. Even the players did. But if you were a coach, would you miss practice to go to something like that?

“I’ve never missed practice. People ask me to go to Augusta, and I say, ‘I can’t go. We’ve got practice.’ They say, ‘You mean, you won’t miss practice to go to Augusta?’ and I’m like, ‘Hell, no,’ and I’d love to go to The Masters as much as anybody. But I’d never do that.”

There is much more in the Low piece. It is worth reading if you haven’t already checked it out.

Most people who follow football already understand this about Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban, but it is worth repeating. Alabama’s football coach is focused on work. It is what allows him to be successful. While people are wasting time on some hobby, tweeting or surfing the Internet, Saban works. In an era when people covet spare time, Saban embodies a virtue that is lacking in a world of slackers.

Phelon Jones
There were some interesting bits of information in this story from the Don Kausler. Here is one: “A lot of people don’t know this,” Tony Jones said, “but (LSU coach) Les Miles would not give us a release to Alabama. He gave us a release to Auburn, but we never visited Auburn. Les is a good guy, but I had to talk to him many times. He finally gave Phelon a release to Alabama.”

LSU coach Les Miles was fine with a player going to a divisional rival that is insignificant, but it took convincing to get him to grant the release to a team coached by Nick Saban. Says a lot doesn’t it?

Big Ten expansion?
For those who follow conference alignment talks this is a nice analysis from Team Speed Kills: 16-Team Big Ten Makes Little Sense in Reality.