Jumbo Package: All eyes on “Isaias” as Alabama, Georgia prepare for marquee matchup
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Happy Gump Day, everyone. I wish I could be Gumpy about the weather forecast, but it ain’t looking good.
“The idea of moving the game, it’s on the table,” Spann told AL.com. “I’m saying it’s clearly on the table. It would be a nightmare for everybody involved. But if we do get a Category 1, Category 2 hurricane coming right up Mobile Bay Saturday morning, I don’t know if you wouldn’t be playing that game in Tuscaloosa that you’ve got the chance of winds gusting to 50 miles an hour, torrential rain and the chance of isolated tornadoes on top of everything else.”
Should the storm be named, it would be Isaias, which translates to “God is salvation.”
Spann said he didn’t envy the decision the league might have to make, but he cautioned about the timing of such a verdict. Forecast models still have uncertainty that should become much clearer by Wednesday afternoon.
Alabama and the SEC say that they are monitoring the situation, but for now no change is imminent.
“Alabama athletics is closely monitoring the weather forecast ahead of Saturday’s football game vs. Georgia,” the statement from UA athletics reads. “At this time, there are no plans to alter the contest. We will continue to observe conditions throughout the week and remain in communication with the Southeastern Conference office, as needed.”
We will keep you posted as updates arrive.
Tom Fornelli has Alabama in the top 5 of his power ranking.
The Tide makes the biggest jump in our top 12 this week, and it’s all because of the quarterback. I’ve officially seen enough from Keelon Russell to believe he’s just a little bit different than most, which improves his rating and, in turn, Alabama’s overall offensive rating. If this defense can figure out how to force more field goals when teams reach the red zone, we’ll be staring at a potential juggernaut. Last Week: 8 | Title Odds: +1150
Alabama’s defense has taken on forcing turnovers as an identity.
Takeaways have been a defining feature of Kane Wommack’s “SWARM” defense since he first arrived in Tuscaloosa, and safety Bray Hubbard said the identity starts with preparation
“We do a circuit every day of taking the ball away,” Hubbard said. “So, I mean, no matter what day it is of practice, we start the day off with a takeaway circuit of different ways to get the ball out, whether it’s a punch, an interception, a rake, maybe just to match the hand of a quarterback, just a whole bunch of different things.”
The entire defense takes part. Defensive backs, linebackers and defensive linemen work on different ways to attack the football, creating habits they can rely on when an opportunity comes during a game.
Cederian Morgan and Derek Meadows are staying locked in despite limited opportunity.
“They’ve got to understand that that spotlight will find them, and when they’re ready, they’ll be out there in the right moments, and they just have to trust the process and continue to grow as a player and be ready,” Grubb said. “And I appreciate those guys because Cederian and Derek have been excellent practice players. They ask questions. They prepare like they’re ready to play, you know, 50 downs a game or five downs a game.
“So I think for them, as young players, just watching the guys that are in front of them continue to learn and just grow because that’s what I think we do a great job in this offense is we do develop players and develop receivers that end up being great players.”
Former Alabama players remember Dennis Franchione, who passed away yesterday.
“It depends if you’re talking to a 19-year-old or you’re talking to a 43-year-old,” said Croyle, who is now CEO of Big Oak Ranch, the Christian home for abused, neglected or abandoned children founded by his father in the mid-1970s. “Forty-three-year-old Brodie is going to say I’m grateful for the time, and being with his passing today, I would not have anything negative to say about it. In that time, you feel hurt, you feel all the things that Alabama fans felt. But the more you step away from it and you look back — I still don’t completely understand what the reasoning and all that was. It also wasn’t my decision; he had to make the best decision for him.
“I think as you look back on life, you just take your seasons with people and you can either look at them one way or another — and I’ve just chosen to take out of it the fact that he taught me the willingness to sacrifice what I want now for what I want most, which is what I believe discipline is. And if you are failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail. So why not be the most prepared player you absolutely can be to where you have no regrets if it doesn’t work out? I think he taught all of us that, if we really look back on it through that lens of perspective.”
His relationship with Alabama was certainly complicated, to say the least. May he rest in peace.
Last, in case you missed it, Aden Holloway has been reinstated to the basketball team and will serve a two game suspension.
“We were disappointed by the choices Aden made, but we have been encouraged by the way he has responded,” Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne told AL.com in a statement. “He has apologized, accepted responsibility for his actions, and taken meaningful steps to address his mistakes and move forward in a positive direction. Aden has successfully completed the Second Chance Program, and all charges against him have been dismissed. He has complied with every requirement, and ongoing monitoring and support measures will continue until he graduates.
“Participation in summer workouts was part of the multi-layered process of earning back his place on the team, and we anticipate his official return to the roster on Nov. 9. While his responsibilities to his team, the university, and himself are ongoing, we are encouraged by the progress he has made and look forward to supporting him both on and off the court.”
That’s about it for now. Have a great day.
Roll Tide.
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