Alabama’s offense will depend on T.J. Yeldon in its 2013 season.

At running back this season, T.J. Yeldon set fire to the gridiron as a freshman, racking over 1,000 yards rushing last season. His numbers combined with junior Eddie Lacy gave Bama two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season for the first time. Add this to his 11 touchdowns and you have more than hope for the Bama football as we look to 2013.

Yeldon became the first true freshman to run for more than 100 yards in his debut game in a 41-14 victory over Michigan. Though Eddie Lacey was the bell cow of the 2012 Alabama team, Yeldon provided the “2″ in the “1-2″ punch we’ve come to expect from Nick Saban’s offenses. Being just a true sophomore, Yeldon can elevate his game. Gaining more tutorship from Tide running back coach Burton Burns means further development, and if it’s an area Alabama football excels over other programs, it’s in player development. What we saw of Yeldon in 2012 was somewhat raw. Now we get to see the player develop under the positions coach who has sent incumbents Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, and Eddie Lacey into the early rounds of the NFL draft.

With Yeldon obviously assuming the role as the starter, he’s flanked by someone unknown and unproven bevy of backs. Kenyon Drake is an exciting runner who showed flashes of promise in 2012, averaging 6.7 yards a touch. Junior Jalston Fowler, a jackhammer of sorts, possesses power behind his 242 lb. frame, averaging 7.2 yards a carry in his career at Bama. The highly touted Dee Hart has shown elusive quickness, but like Fowler saw his 2012 season end in injury. So as Bama enters 2013, with Drake’s need to improve his blocking protection, and the other two experienced backs needing to prove they can sustain a season without significant injury, there are definitely question marks.

Tide fans are excited about the crowd of new running backs from the 2013 signing class, which include the mammoth Derrick Henry, Tyren Jones, Alvin Samara, and Altee Tenpenny, all freshmen. But like Fowler and Hart, Henry’s spring was cut short due to injury.

If he returns healthy this year Fowler will be great addition to Yeldon in the backfield. Alabama looked impressive when it ran the I-formation before Fowler’s injury. Fowlers ACL tear last season was one of the worst that Alabama athletic trainers had experienced and that says a lot with ACL tears taking an average of more than 12 months to recover from. Realistically, it is safe to worry that Fowler will not return to 100 percent health by the beginning of the 2013 season.

Unfortunately, H-Back Dee Hart may face the same fate. This opens the door for competition between the incoming freshmen running backs. However, this could be expected regardless of the situation due to the fact that the running back position tends to be one that at a certain level, can’t be coached and relies on raw natural talent. 2013’s batch of recruits includes 4 backs that were among the top 100 players by Rivals.com. With all this being said, this really is a race to see who gets the second spot in the running back rotation.

Alabama may suffer if it is forced to rely heavily on Yeldon if the incoming freshmen don’t quite step up to the plate. With eight running backs on the team this competition for playing time will most likely become a game of numbers in the form of yards, touchdowns and yards per carry. With Yeldon setting the bar so high and the Fowler/Hart combo seemingly out of commission, this will more than likely mean a move to outside linebacker for someone in the running back slot. Evidence of Bama’s running strength can be seen in the fact that combined, all of Bama’s running backs suffered less than 80 yards lost on plays from scrimmage which is an average of 5.5 yards per game. This is a testament to good running backs and great offensive line play. We’ll examine the offensive line in a future edition of the Alabama football preview.

What do you think about Alabama’s running back situation? Will Fowler be ready for the start of the season? Who will share time in the backfield the way Saban likes similar to the Ingram/Richardson and Richardson/Lacy and Lacy/Yeldon dynamic duos? Share your thoughts below.

Alabama Football Preview 2013: Quarterback AJ McCarron is a Heisman Trophy candidate for the Crimson Tide

Guest Post Alabama Football Preview by Joshua

Right now, the Mighty Alabama Crimson Tide are the “New England Patriots” of college football. But at his point in the 2013 season, the Tide is just like any other college team in the nation. Everybody is undefeated. But what sets Alabama football apart? As Bama sets it’s sites on the new season, it does so eyeing a third consecutive national championship, its fourth in the last 5 years.

The question is, will Alabama be able to three-peat? Taking a close look at Alabama’s 2013 roster should help us answer this question as Alabama head coach Nick Saban has said, “The challenge of college football comes from the annual roster turnover,” an annual reality that can be as high as 25 percent. The 2012 season ended with the loss of 13 major contributors this Alabama team, not including the four players dismissed following their involvement in a second-degree robbery scandal.

So let’s start this Alabama football preview with one of the most important positions…quarterback. Bama currently has six on their roster. As the only senior quarterback on the team, A.J. McCarron comes into the 2013 season as a third-year starter and a legitimate Heisman trophy candidate; two facts that should give Alabama great hope for its offense this season. However, will the pressure of being a Heisman candidate obstruct a much larger goal of winning a National Championship for McCarron and the Alabama offense? One would think so, however, over the last three years McCarron has evolved from the dreaded title of “game manager” into becoming a playmaker, and team leader in the process.

Evidence of his playmaking abilities showed up in passing efficiency, where he led the nation last year. McCarron completed nearly 67 percent of his passes, racking up over 2,800 yards, and breaking a school record of 30 touchdowns, all while throwing only three…three…picks on the year. A feat achieved by only three other quarterbacks since the 1950’s.

McCarron should also have a strong support system this year as junior Blake Sims and sophomore Phillip Ely resume their backup roles, as well as strong-armed Alex Morris, who some said had the best spring among all backups at the position. The two bring experience and leadership to Alabama’s 2013 team. Three promising freshman quarterbacks also entered the fray, as Cooper Bateman, Parker McLeod and walk-on Luke Del Rio mark the beginning of competition for a starter in 2014.

Next year at this time questions will center on who will be the Tide’s next starting quarterback, but with that question firmly answered for this campaign, it’ll be interesting in 2013 to see who gains Saban’s trust in that backup area. During Saban’s tenure at Alabama, backups have been relegated to cleanup work at the end of a blowout. Some programs choose to use their backups early in games to get them experience. Not Saban. So it’s difficult to get a clear picture of what we have in the tank at backup QB.

Expect redshirt freshman Alec Morris, incoming freshmen Cooper Bateman and Parker McLeod to contend for the back-up position throughout the 2013 season. Ely has played sparingly in his short career at Alabama, playing in six games and completing 3-of-4 passes for 42 yards and a touchdown. Junior Blake Sims has the most extensive resume, which again in Saban’s system doesn’t say much. But it’s the running dimension that Sims adds to the Alabama offense. Of 105 men on the Alabama roster, Sims is a true athlete. Bruce Miller, who coached Sims at Gainesville (Ga.) High School vouches for Sims athletic ability, stating, “I’ve been in it 39 years, and he can do it all. There’s nothing on a football field that he can’t do.” LINK

Running Back, Quarterback, Kick Returner, the junior has an armada of talents he brings to the field. His very first days at Alabama were spent at defensive back, a position known for its need for speed and agility. Currently, the 6 ft., 212 lb. junior spends his days practicing at quarterback, looking to be the second option behind McCarron. His stats show versatility with the football with 187 yards on 30 carries and 5-10 passing for 77 yards in 2012. Sims is a player that has such an impressive running game, that you tend to overlook his throwing ability. He eclipsed 2,000 yards in two consecutive seasons in high school, falling just 933 yards short of McCarron.

What do you think? Do you think AJ McCarron has a chance to win the Heisman? What about his chances of leading Alabama to a repeat? What about Alabama’s backup QB situation? Is Blake Sims the best option? Or should Alabama look to one of the younger players as a backup? Share your thoughts below and check back as we continue our look at Alabama football 2013.

Alabama football coach Nick Saban was ready to start preparing for the 2013 season right after the BCS Championship victory in Miami.

And so the narrative goes. Perpetrated by some in the local and regional media, this view of Nick Saban lingers. Saban’s distant personality combined with his icy reaction to being doused with Gatorade in the closing minutes of the 2009 national championship game against Texas has helped support the narrative.

The latest report of Saban’s lack of personality comes from a Florida website. According to 247’s Gatorbait, Florida offensive line coach Tim Davis called Nick Saban “the devil himself” and said, “(Muschamp’s) like the other guy, only he’s got a personality…He’ll smile at you. He’ll talk to you.”

Bully for Will Muschamp and his staff. You just look at Muschamp and can see the warm heart. He shows it so well on the sideline right between all the F words and other swearing.

What this type of presentation does is warp our perception of successful coaches. Will Muschamp is very similar to Nick Saban—they both hold people accountable. For that reason, many people will consider these men to be, in the vernacular, dicks. Nobody wants a boss to yell at him or fuss at him when he fails to do his job. Nobody wants a boss to make sure he does his work. This is a big reason so many coaches get tired of working for the top coaches in the game. It is a big reason that Saban prefers younger, hungrier assistants instead of big, fat, lazy, entitled coaches entering the middle-to-end of their respective careers. That isn’t to say all older coaches are lazy—for proof see Joe Pendry while at Alabama, etc.

However, there is more to this spin regarding Saban. The teams voicing it the loudest tend to be teams most threatened by Alabama.

Who can forget Auburn’s credo during the Gene Chizik regime. Every Auburn coach and fan was screaming, “It is FUN to play at Auburn.”

Fun was code for “No rules.” It was intended as a recruiting philosophy. It yielded bitter results. The Auburn program is a joke today and a punch line regarding NCAA compliance. The stench around the Auburn program is so bad, the Tigers were forced to hire a former assistant coach on Chizik’s staff instead of a marquee name. This former assistant coach was so committed to strict discipline he took a former Auburn running back at Arkansas State who was involved in a whole mess of trouble at Auburn. Sure, the star RB was kicked off the team, but not before embarrassing his new program during the offseason by having a “handgun and a substance believed to be marijuana in the car,” according to reports.

Unlike Auburn, Florida has a coach in control of the program. Simply put, Muschamp will not let the inmates run the asylum.

However, it is interesting when a coach trots out the old Nick Saban is a mean guy theme. Sure it gets cheap laughs, but sometimes is reveals deeper issues within a program.

ESPN will provide coverage of the entire 2013 SEC Big 12 Challenge

2013 SEC Big 12 Challenge schedule (times and networks are to be determined):
Thursday, November 14 Texas Tech at Alabama

Monday, December 2 Vanderbilt at Texas and Auburn at Iowa State

Thursday, December 5 Ole Miss at Kansas State and West Virginia at Missouri and TCU at Mississippi State

Friday, December 6 South Carolina at Oklahoma State and Kentucky vs. Baylor (Arlington, Texas)

Tuesday, December 10 Kansas at Florida

Saturday, December 21 Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma (Houston, Texas)

Here is the text of the press release announcing the event:
The Southeastern Conference and Big 12 Conference have agreed to play in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, a men’s basketball inter-conference event that will begin during the 2013-14 season.

“The ability to showcase SEC basketball in this kind of conference competition makes this a unique and exciting event for our coaches, student-athletes and fans,” SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said. “We are pleased to be able to work with the Big 12 and ESPN to highlight the sport of men’s basketball.”

All 10 of the Big 12’s teams and 10 of the SEC’s 14 member institutions will participate in the annual event. Arkansas, Georgia, LSU and Tennessee will not play in the first year. ESPN will provide exclusive coverage of all 10 games across it networks.

Eight of the 10 games in the 2013 event will be played at home sites (each conference has four home games) and two matchups will be at neutral sites.

The inaugural Big 12/SEC Challenge (the event title will rotate to SEC/Big 12 Challenge in 2014) is a combination of existing games already scheduled along with new matchups created for this event during November and December. The two conferences and ESPN will work to schedule matchups over consecutive days in future events.

It’s been a week since Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops made his idiotic statements to The Tulsa World about the SEC’s perceived dominance being “a lot of propaganda that gets fed out to you.”

His argument was this: The top half of a league isn’t what determines its strength, but instead it’s how well the celler dwellars in the league are doing.

“It depends on who you want to listen to,” Stoops said. “Listen, they’ve had the best team in college football, meaning they’ve won the national championship. That doesn’t mean everything else is always the best.”

I’m not sure what Stoops is smoking, but it sounds like his comments came right after he set the bong back on the table. And apparently, according to this ESPN SportsNation stat, the entire state of Oklahoma is toking right along with him:

52% of Oklahomians don’t believe seven straight national championships makes the SEC dominant.

And then there is the perenial loser Charlie Weis, who by his sheer girth alone is obviously in charge of the post-ganja snacks:

Playing the part of “Chong,” Charlie Weis

Perhaps the best comments on the matter came from Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Florida head coach Will Muschamp. Muschamp, who spent 3 years at the University of Texas, shared his thoughts with the Palm Beach (Fla.) Post:

“I’d be saying the same thing if I were in the Big 12. I said it for three years.”

And Saban, who has perfected the formal “screw you”?

“I’ve got more important things to do than sit around and read what Bob Stoops has to say about anything.”

Until someone can knock off the SEC in that last game of the season, or prevent them from getting into the game itself, you’re going to see more and more animosity around the country from coaches who know better. A streak of three championships to them was intriguing. A streak of five was annoying. A streak of seven is apparently maddening.

These coaches, who get paid to succeed, are getting processed without ever having to face Nick Saban and Alabama, or the league’s other heavy hitters. And to add insult to injury, the once middle-of-the-pack Big 12 member Texas A&M is now doing as much damage to its former league’s image as the others.

On the recruiting trail, coaches like Stoops and Weis are fighting the well-earned perception of the SEC’s dominance on the landscape of college football. And instead of stepping up, learning how to play defense, and winning the game, they attempt to put things on a lower shelf where they and their fans can reach them, and change the game itself. Or at least the game of perception.

Who knows. Maybe if Nick Saban’s last taste of significance came in George W. Bush’s first term, he might say stupid things too. But until that day comes, my guess is the next state to legalize marijuana will be none other than Oklahoma. By the looks of things, they’re halfway there.

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

No, Forbes is about power. Dollars and cents, and a whole lot of business sense. And the periodical read by the ultra successful (and those who want to be) is in love with Alabama. In its latest copy, as usual, the magazine is on the money.

Forbes on the money, again

Nick Saban is the kind of opponent that would make The Bear come into work early and stay late. In fact, earlier this year Forbes identified Nick Saban as the “Best College Football Coach of All Time.” Something else that would’ve gotten Bryant’s attention.

Saban is way smarter than to take on the history laid by Coach Bryant, who was a pioneer for the game he loved. But Forbes isn’t afraid.

Today the magazine illustrates what the Saban effect is having on the University of Alabama as a whole, seeing enrollment jump by 33% in during his tenure. It even chronicles a high school senior from New York who desperately wants to enroll at Bama, though he’s never been there.

It’s an interesting read to say the least, and another among many reasons it is good to be Crimson.

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

Among Tide fans, one of the most popular debates these days has to do with Bama baseball. Not on-the-field play, though Alabama’s season hasn’t finished with the promise with which it started.

Instead, talk among Bama faithful is in the stands. As in, literally up in the stands…where they’re sitting.

If you want to spark a good debate these days, just challenge a “Bama needs a new baseball stadium” proponent with the idea that the team should display success in order to get a new park. In fact, recently I inadvertantly found myself in a little Twitter wrangle over the subject:

Kendall Rogers is the managing editor of college baseball for perfectgame.org. Aaron Suttles covers ‘Bama sports for the Tuscaloosa News, and Kevin Russo is a utilty player for the Detroit Tigers…though that’s not the Kevin Russo I was jawing with. This one is just a sport enthusiast, an LSU grad, and an interesting read on Twitter.

All three are right; Alabama’s baseball stadium is way behind other schools’ facilities in the SEC. Though I’ve never been there, I’m told South Carolina’s is the baseball version of Bryant-Denny. Bama’s is more like, well, Denny’s.

But are we asking the right question when we ask “Does Alabama need a new stadium”? We all know that answer is yes. Should the question instead be “Does Alabama baseball deserve a new stadium?” Has baseball shown enough fortitude to garner the fan support to put butts in the seats?

In the late 90′s and the turn of the century, Alabama baseball was a force. But somehow the Tide baseball program has slipped into Shula-esque mediocrity. And I’m sorry, that may mean people aren’t going to support it.

Should they? That’s another debate altogether. There are some who would say if Bama’s taking the field in something…anything…we as fans and alumni should do what’s necessary to buy tickets, make the drive and be present to cheer them on. But that’s not reality. If you think I’m wrong, then check attendance this season. There have been a few games at the Joe where a line drive fouled into the stands was a threat to NO ONE.

It’s the old chicken or the egg argument…should people come to support the team into success, or should success draw people to support the team? I don’t know the answer. But I do know Bama’s baseball facility is bad. We’ll see if the groundswell becomes large enough to change UA’s commitment to having the worst stadium in the SEC.

Speaking of SEC baseball, here are the current standings…

Auburn is still dead last.

When I pointed out in a March 29th article that Auburn was attempting to finish dead last in all three major sports, an Auburn poster who visits this site (shocker) carried the crybaby mantle for all Auburn fans, whining that the season was too young to make such an assertion.

Well, here we are, and Auburn has climbed from dead last to #10 in a fourteen team league. Way to go Auburn. We knew you could do it. They’re still last in the West, so I’m gonna stick to my point. Jay Jacobs is making a fine salary to lead Auburn into last place.

Speaking of Auburn, what in the world is up with Charles Barkley?
The dude is everywhere. He was an analyst for the NCAA Tournament. He’s on every other commercial, and of course he’s been an analyst for the NBA on TNT for 13 years.

The ever Aubsessed, Charles Barkley

Chuck’s gambling problem has cost him major bucks…$10 Million to be exact. And Charles likes the firewater, and a little honey to go with it…even if it means a DUI.

I like Charles Barkley for several reasons. One because he’s Aubsessed with all things Alabama, not missing an opportunity to voice his disdain for the Crimson Tide. He only validates Bama by harping about them. But the main reason I like him is, he shows you don’t have to be bright, considerate, or politically correct to make it in America…and this in a country where political correctness rules the day. Apparently, neither do you have to win a ring on the collegiate or professional level to be an expert.

Seeking Charles Barkley’s opinion on something…anything…is like seeking the political views of Lady Gaga. Neither mean anything, but both are fun to hear. Somehow Charles has been granted a pass by society to run that mouth. And I say good for him. I have heard as many stories about Barkley showing generosity as I have stories that paint him in a negative light. Go Charles.

Finally, it’s Mother’s Day…and I hope you all get a chance to spend some time with your mom today…or at least speak to her. For the moms out there who visit here, thanks for the endless hours you spend wiping butts, preparing meals, cleaning up, rocking children, refereeing siblings, offering widsom, giving hugs, tucking in, and starting over…the next day doing it all again.

I’m thankful to still have my mom, but that won’t always be the case. Don’t miss the opportunity to tell or show her what she’s meant to your life.

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

The term “processed” has become one of value to Tide fans. Nick Saban has preached the word from the start at Bama. But the list of coaches and programs he has processed has been long and entertaining. Here are just a few:

• Phil Fulmer and Tennessee
• Tommy Tuberville and Auburn
• Urban Meyer and Florida
• Sly Croom
• Bobby Petrino
• Gene Chizik and Auburn, a second time
• Derrick Dooley and Tennessee, a second time
• The entire University of Texas football program (on and off the field)

The look on Urban Meyer’s face when he realized Nick Saban had ended his ride at Florida.

In Meyer’s case, he did it to himself. In fear, the Urban legend retired from the game “to spend more time with his family,” only to emerge about a year later as a candidate at Ohio State as their ship began to sink.

Now, let’s be real. As Bama has proven in all three of its National Championship runs in the last four years, it takes a great deal of luck and good fortune going your way to play for the crystal football. But if Palm is correct and Ohio State does become the unlucky opponent against Saban’s Tide, it’ll be interesting to watch the rest of Meyer’s career at Ohio State if Nick Saban does to him what he just got finished doing to Notre Dame.

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

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.)

Michael Kessens (left) joins the Tide basketball team

Kessens, a native of Nyon, Switzerland, joins fellow transfer Ricky Tarrant (Tulane) as well as two-time JUCO All-American guard Algie Key (Barton CC in Decatur, Georgia) and freshmen forwards Jimmie Taylor (Greensboro, Ala./Greensboro HS) and Shannon Hale (Johnson City, Tenn./Christ School) as the newest members of the Alabama men’s basketball team.

“We are very excited to have Michael join our program here at the University of Alabama,” Grant said. “Michael brings a high skill level and strong basketball IQ to his position. He has a passion for the game and has had the opportunity to learn the college game over the last year. Michael will be an outstanding addition to the our basketball team and the university community.”

During the 2012-13 campaign, Kessens started all 33 games and averaged 13.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 blocks per contest, while shooting 54 percent from the floor and 70 percent from the foul line. He posted 25 double-figure scoring games, five 20-point games and 11 double-doubles, all of which led the Lancers. He finished the year by reaching double figures in 12 of his final 13 games.

Kessens earned numerous accolades last season, including his selection to the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Freshmen All-America Team. Additionally, he was voted as the Virginia Sports Information Directors Associate (VaSID) Rookie of the Year, which encompasses all Division I schools in the state of Virginia, as well as being named to the Big South Conference All-Freshman Team. Kessens also picked up a league-leading four Big South Freshman of the Week awards this past season.

(Courtesy of UA Media Relations)

We all know that Auburn fans are a little dense. They’re Koolaid drinkers eager to lap up whatever the soup du jour Auburn spinmeisters serve up. But in recently talking with a friend of mine, who happens to be of that persuasion, it was fun to experience the revelation come over him that there isn’t a single player on the Auburn football team that has ever scored a point against Alabama. Not one. The entire 100+ man roster hasn’t done it, as it hasn’t been done in three years.

The last offensive point scored against Bama came on the go ahead touchdown in 2010. Offensive guru Gus Bus Malzahn failed to lead his mystical offense into the endzone in 2011…points came from defense and special teams, again from players who are gone. And of course, in the beatdown in Bryant-Denny last year Auburn never came close.

It was even more meaningful to hear him realize that the coach they have to correct this has only been a head coach one year, and must face Nick freaking Saban to right the ship. At the depths of Shula-itis in Tuscaloosa, it was never, ever this bad.

We all know what a sham the Tiger football program is. But when you get to experience one of their fans realizing it before your eyes, it’s a precious, precious thing.

We mentioned yesterday several Tide football commitments already in place for the 2014 class. Another hopeful the Alabama coaching staff hopes to land is Hoover High School cornerback Marlon Humphrey. The 6’1″, 170 son of former Alabama running back Bobby Humphrey is built to play corner, but making him an even more attractive catch is this:

A prototypical corner with unreal speed tutored by the game’s greatest coach who has put four DB’s in the NFL draft’s 1st round at Bama. Come on Marlon, do the right thing.

What kind of team buys its player’s championship rings for winning a non-championship caliber bowl game? Texas, that’s who. Is there a bigger loser in college football than Texas’ Mack Brown? Brown is trying to bring Upward Sports to the University of Texas, where everybody wins. Following an abysmal 2010 season, and middle-of-the-pack 2011 and 2012 finishes, the washed up, also-ran Longhorn head man opted to boost morale and buy his players this for their win over Oregon State in the 2012 Alamo Bowl:

Texas’ rings for winning the freaking Alamo Bowl.

Somewhere Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s notion that “You gotta earn it!” fell to the floor in Austin.

At Alabama you get one of these for winning it all. At Texas, you get one for beating a team not even in the top 10 in a nothing bowl game. Somewhere the seniors from the 2011 Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl are yelling “Hey what the heck? Where’s ours?”

If you want a marker for how far your program has fallen, this is it. If you can’t be a winner according to the rules, change the game. Way to go Texas. In a state where you like to boast of doing “everything big,” add sucking to that list. If this happened at Alabama, I would be embarrassed, ashamed, and a sitting duck for ridicule. Just mark the above photo down at the 1,053rd reason I so appreciate Nick Saban.

Well, it looks like the NFL has its diva for the 2013 season, and what better place for dramatics than at the New York Jets? Geno Smith’s draft saga has already replaced the drama that surrounded Tim Tebow’s presence on the team.

Enough said.

One has to wonder, how in the world former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy hasn’t yet evolved into being the permanent starter? McElroy rallied the Jets past the Cardinals last December but couldn’t get past the egos of the Jet’s front office. And if there’s a place where blind arrogance is the cause of many a bad decision, it’s the NFL.

The Jets shed Tim Tebow in the offseason, acquiring journeyman quarterback David Garrard, a 10-year veteran. Then of course, the epic draft story of Geno Smith, the next circus act in a Jets uni. The two newcomers join Matt Simms, Greg McElroy, and of course, Mark Sanchez. No way all five QB’s will stay in town after drills and cuts begin.

I just hate it for McElroy. I’ve always said the best job in America is 3rd string NFL quarterback; hold a clip board, never get hurt and make $800K. But there are better places to do it than in New York.

The face of wussified failure.

Only in America. Meanwhile, Alabama head coach Nick Saban brings in about $400,000 a month.

Good move there Fran. You saw the challenge at Alabama and you ran. Good luck against Prairie View A&M and South Alabama next season. If you need us at Bama we’ll be vying for our fourth crystal football in five years. But I’m sure you’ve made Kim proud. Just don’t tell her our strength and conditioning coach earns more than you.

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

Zach Whitley

Whitley spurned nearby Texas A&M and Kevin Sumlin in favor of a team that has had more than one good season in 30 years, and becomes the fifth defensive player to commit to the Tide’s 2014 signing class. Whitley chose Bama also over Texas and Oklahoma.

Three of Whitley’s high school coaches were at LSU when Saban and strength coach Scott Cochran were there, so familiarity may have played a factor. Also, Tide receiver DeAndrew White is a former Galena Park-North Shore product.

In addition to Whitley, the Tide has landed a commitment from another linebacker, two corners and a safety, as well as monster running back Bo Scarborough.

Shaun Dion Hamilton of Montgomery-Carver High School is the Tide’s other linebacker commitment to this point. A self-proclaimed Auburn fan growing up, Hamilton projects as a middle linebacker joining Whitley and Tide incoming freshman Reuben Foster in the future. Hamilton committed to Alabama in mid-April.

Again strong relationships played a key in his recruitment, and when momma was sold, he was too. Said Hamilton after his visit to Bama this spring:

“My mom fell in love with Coach Saban. She had nothing but good things to say about him. That’s when I realized that it was Alabama. When my mom got on board with Alabama, I knew that it was the place for me. I was sold.”

Former Bama cornerback and 1st round draft pick Dee Milliner, a childhood friend, surprised Hamilton by attending his commitment ceremony.

“Dee and I have been real good friends growing up. My brother and Dee used to play ball together when they were young. I’ve always looked up to Dee.”

Kalvaraz Bessent, a 5’11″ 170-pound cornerback from Camden County High in Kingsland, Georgia joined the 2014 class in March. The immediate need in Tuscaloosa is corner, and Bessent opted for Bama over offers from Auburn, Florida, FSU, Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Ohio State and Tennessee.

Bessent is joined by fellow corner Stephen Roberts. The 6’1″, 182-pound standout cornerback who grew up 10 minutes from Auburn (in Opelika), was attracted to Alabama by, you guessed it, championships, and Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

Both future Bama corners were attracted by the number of defensive backs Saban and company have placed in the draft. Alabama has placed four defensive backs in the NFL’s first round in the last five years.

Kingsland-Camden County, Georgia safety Chris Williams committed to Alabama over a whittled-down list that included FSU, Ohio State and Ole Miss. Williams is a teammate of Kalvarez Bessent, with the kind of strong commitment that the game’s most powerful and influential head coach has to like:

“I’m shutting down the recruiting process,” Williams said in March. “I’m not going to visit any other schools. All I’ll focus on now is my senior season. I’m also planning to help Alabama recruit.”

Finally, the only current non-defensive player on the commitment list is Bo Scarborough of Northridge High School in Tuscaloosa. If you’ve never seen Bo run, take a minute and watch this:

Bo runs with the kind of fury that’s fun to watch. The thought of the 6’2″, 215lb. running back sharing totes with Derrick Henry, Altee Tenpenny, Tyren Jones and Alvin Kamara is unbelievable. When Bama opens the 2015 campaign against Wisconsin in Cowboys Stadium, Scarborough will already be a factor. And, he may just get some touches against West Virginia in the Georgia Dome to open 2014.

Of course, nothing is final until National Signing Day on Wednesday, February 5, 2014, but this Tide staff has proven staying power when it comes to landing and keeping commitments. Despite the efforts of shady recruiters who wear their hats backwards and work for cults, very few flip.

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

Thanks Jay.

As the cloud continues to hover over Lee County, Jay wants you to know that the NCAA is “satisfied” with Auburn’s defense in the latest (key word there, ‘latest’) rumors involving rampant cheating at Auburn.

Deny, deny, deny, deflect…deny, deny, deny, deflect…it ’tis the Auburn way.

“I’m going to fight for Auburn,” Jacobs told AL.com on Thursday. “When somebody puts something out there that I don’t believe to be true, I’m going to fight back and so that’s what we’re going to do and we’re tired of it. I’m tired of it. When people get the story wrong, it’s my responsibility, and the fight in me, I’m going to get it right.”

Yahoo! Sports reported in November that NCAA investigators were looking into potential violations involving Auburn recruits, players, coaches, boosters and third parties. One of the central figures was 2012 signee Jovon Robinson, who was ruled ineligible by the NCAA in August after it was discovered his academic transcript in high school had been forged.

Former assistants Trooper Taylor and Curtis Luper declined to say whether they were taken off the road recruiting in 2012 due to possible NCAA violations, which were alleged by Danny Sheridan.

When asked Thursday, Jacobs did not say whether the case has been closed by the NCAA. But he does want you to know there’s nothing to see here.

Interpretation: “Hey ya’ll, don’t go ask the NCAA, but all the swirling stories out there, coming from different sources…they’re all untrue, okay? And we’ve been cleared…okay? NO! Don’t go to Indianapolis and dig deeper…just take my word. Okay?”

And what has the NCAA said?

“I cannot comment on current, pending or potential investigations,” Emily Potter, NCAA associate director of public and media relations, wrote in an email to AL.com.

I don’t know know about ya’ll, but I believe Jay. I mean, why would someone who stands to lose everything if all this stuff is true lie about something like this? Yep, Jay has to be telling the truth. Right?

Deny, deny, deny, deflect…deny, deny, deny, deflect…

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

The SEC has partnered with ESPN to launch the SEC TV network and digital platform dedicated to the SEC.

The SEC and ESPN announce a new SEC TV network with 20-year rights extension and a digital platform. Here is the official release from the SEC and ESPN about the television network and the digital platform:

The Southeastern Conference and ESPN Announce new TV Network and Digital Platform
20-Year Agreement and Rights Extension through 2034; AT&T U-verse Will Distribute the Network at Launch

The Southeastern Conference and ESPN have signed a 20-year agreement through 2034 to create and operate a multiplatform network, which will launch in August 2014, it was announced today by SEC Commissioner Mike Slive and ESPN President John Skipper. The new network and its accompanying digital platform will air SEC content 24/7 including more than 1,000 events in its first year.

The network will televise approximately 45 SEC football games, more than 100 men’s basketball games, 60 women’s basketball games, 75 baseball games, and events from across the SEC’s 21 sports annually. Programming will also include studio shows, original content such as SEC Storied, spring football games, signing day and pro days coverage. Hundreds of additional live events from various sports will be offered exclusively on the digital platform. The network and its digital extensions will connect with each SEC institution and create opportunities for each school to produce and develop content.

“The SEC Network will provide an unparalleled fan experience of top quality SEC content presented across the television network and its accompanying digital platforms,” stated Slive. “We will increase exposure of SEC athletics programs at all 14 member institutions, as we showcase the incredible student-athletes in our league. The agreement for a network streamlines and completes an overall media rights package that will continue the SEC’s leadership for the foreseeable future.”

Each weekend throughout the season, the new network will air multiple top-tier matchups from the strongest conference in college football. Since 2006, the SEC has claimed seven consecutive football national championships. In 2011-12, SEC teams won eight national championships: football (Alabama), men’s basketball (Kentucky), gymnastics (Alabama), men’s indoor track and field (Florida), women’s tennis (Florida), women’s golf (Alabama), men’s outdoor track and field (Florida), and softball (Alabama). Since 1990, the SEC has won 149 national team championships for an average of more than six per year.

Skipper said, “The SEC is unmatched in its success on the field and its popularity with fans nationwide. The new network’s top-quality SEC matchups across a range of sports will serve all sports enthusiasts including the most passionate, die-hard SEC fans. Also, it will serve the needs of our multichannel distributors and advertisers by providing extremely attractive programming options across all platforms.”

As part of the agreement, ESPN will now oversee the SEC’s official Corporate Sponsor Program. In addition, ESPN and the SEC also agreed to extend their existing media rights agreement through 2034. ESPN has televised the SEC since 1982. ESPN’s existing networks present more than 1,600 hours of SEC action each year. The new network will focus exclusively on the SEC and add another outlet to deliver sports fans more SEC content than ever.

AT&T U-verse® has been secured as the network’s first national distributor. AT&T U-verse is the fastest growing TV provider in the U.S. and their subscribers will have access to an unprecedented amount of SEC content across all platforms. Subscribers receiving the live linear network via a multichannel subscription will also have access to the network on PCs, tablets, smartphones and select gaming devices like Xbox. Additional games and coverage will be available through an authenticated digital offering. Fans looking to learn more about how to get the SEC Network can visit GetSECNetwork.com for more information.

“We are pleased to be involved with the SEC and ESPN at the very beginning of this great alliance,” said Jeff Weber, President of Content and Advertising Sales, AT&T. “As the fastest growing and most advanced pay TV service, we want to bring our customers the highest value and most compelling product that we possibly can. Access to the SEC Network, across multiple platforms, will only increase the demand for U-verse.”

ESPN’s Justin Connolly, formerly senior vice president, ESPN affiliate sales and marketing, will oversee the network’s day-to-day operations. The network will originate from ESPN’s Charlotte, N.C., offices with additional staff located at the company’s Bristol, Conn., headquarters. Staff announcements and additional details will be made in the coming months.

About the Southeastern Conference (SEC)
The Southeastern Conference was formed in 1932 and consists of 14 member institutions: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt. The league currently sanctions championship play in nine men’s sports and 12 women’s sports. Its headquarters has been located in Birmingham, Ala., since 1948. For more on the conference, visit www.SECDigitalNetwork.com

About ESPN
ESPN, Inc., is the world’s leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of more than 50 multimedia sports assets. The company is comprised of eight U.S. 24-hour television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPN 3D and Longhorn Network) and five HD simulcast services (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS and ESPN Deportes). Other businesses include ESPN Regional Television, ESPN International (35 networks, syndication, radio, digital), ESPN Radio (broadcast, satellite, digital, a growing category led by ScoreCenter), ESPN.com (plus a variety of sport-, college-, and market-specific sites), ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Enterprises and espnW. Multi-screen offerings include WatchESPN (access to several ESPN networks online and via an app), ESPN3 (live multi-screen network available online, on the go and via Xbox LIVE) and ESPN Mobile (mobile Web, mobile TV and video, apps, alerts and messaging). Based in Bristol, Conn., ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.

Such is the case with Reuben Foster. Has there ever been a player whose recruitment was such a circus? And as we all know, there have been a few to behold around the Tide football program as of late.

But in Foster, you have a kid who just wants to make people happy. A kid at heart, inside a full-grown, superhero’s body.

ESPN’s Alex Scarborough offers us a glimpse at the manchild Reuben Foster in a recent interview, featured on ESPN’s Tide Nation.

You know the story. Recruited early by Kirby Smart, Saban and company at Alabama, committed to the Tide as an early junior, then flipped by Auburn and used as a pawn by a self-interested Auburn thug. Then the tattoo. Then much later, the weekend before signing day, Foster leaves his Auburn visit early, heads to Tuscaloosa, commits to the Tide on Monday night and signs his national letter of intent on signing day.

And we thought the Cyrus Kouandjio saga was crazy.

But taking a deeper look, Reuben Foster was almost helpless in his pursuit to make everybody happy. But the result of a final decision from unhappy fans?

“They told me, ‘I hope you tear your ACL,’ ” Foster said. “It’s crazy how people think and what they’d wish upon you.”

This isn’t the Foster you thought you knew…the #1 rated inside linebacker prospect in the country. A man among boys yet to make a collegiate tackle.

This is another Foster. A kid, trying to process the hate generated from choices like his in this football crazed state.

“As soon as I signed the [letter of intent], it all broke loose,” he said. “I didn’t want to come out of the house. I didn’t want to do anything.”

But rather than telling these hate mongers where they can go and where they can stick their hatred, he offers this:

“I didn’t mean for all this to happen,” he said. “I’m sorry to the Auburn fans, to the Georgia fans who I got their hopes up. I tried to make everyone happy. I hope they forgive me. To the Alabama fans, I’m going to try my best to come in and please all of them.”

The article is worth the read, and should serve as a wake-up call for any fan of any team. These are kids we’re following…some barely old enough to drive. Some without dads in the picture. Some without a firm grasp on anything but a football.

Whether or not Reuben Foster ever lives up to the hype and/or scrutiny bestowed upon him by critics everywhere, I pray this kid gets the foundation needed to take on the brutal, relentless opponent called life, where pleasing everyone is never possible.

We’re rooting for you Reuben. On Saturdays, yes. But even more on Sunday thru Friday. And don’t worry about pleasing us. We now know your story, a story that has humbled us all. You’ve already given us more than you ever will in a uniform.

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