ALABAMA VS. OHIO STATE TONIGHT

Thu Jan 01, 2015 11:59 am

CAN I GET A ROLL TIDE?

Happy New Year!

PensacolaKid · Fri Jan 02, 2015 9:07 am

Congratulations to Ohio State and Oregon for spectacular showings yesterday. Wow, the Sugar Bowl was another classic and sadly our SEC powerhouse Alabama failed to stop Ohio State. One thing that I think a lot of people dismissed or perhaps did not know, is the fact that Ohio State possesses some SEC grade of talent and speed. Until last night I would have never thought Ohio State was the best team in America but they may very well be. I don't like Ohio State but they made a statement last night. I believe the Oregon/Ohio State game has the makings for a Hatfields and McCoy's shootout and I am very excited.

Alabama needs to hold their heads high. They are a great team, great coach and will no doubt be ranked in the top three again next season, which for me, can not come soon enough.

I do have a couple of thoughts.

1. Don't be surprised to see TCU as the preseason #1. They have practically everyone on the team returning.

2. Does the beatdown of the SEC in this year's bowl games bring forth and new movement/era/cycle in college football whereby the SEC may not necessarily take a back seat to the PAC 12 or Big 12 but certainly brings a lot more parody into the sport? I think the SEC has had a tremendous run, possibly the best run in the history of college football but I feel a Tide turning, no pun intended where some other schools now are going to be vying for national championships. Where recruits who might have always chosen the SEC schools, might be looking at other options. The Michigan situation has now changed. Ohio State is set to start competing with anyone. A handful of the PAC 12 schools are now going to be loaded. It will be fun to see.

Auburn and Baylor must find a defense and if they do, they can be at the top next year. I am not sure what happened to Kirby Smart and the Bama defense but they allowed one runner to rush for over 200 yards. Bama has always had a stellar defense and this year, they simple gave up too much yardage so something was amiss.

It has been a great fun ride and I can not wait for the 100 degree temperatures and the start of August to signal in the start of College Football 2015.

War damn Eagle, Roll damn Tide, Gig'em Aggies and Woooo Pig Soooie!!!!

PensacolaKid · Fri Jan 02, 2015 9:14 am

Btw...don't be surprised to see Arkansas and Tennessee next year as contenders.

Fri Jan 02, 2015 9:31 am

Ohio State and Oregon both proved yesterday that they deserve to play for the National Championship. I will be pulling for Ohio State.

PensacolaKid · Fri Jan 02, 2015 9:55 am

I am no sure who I will be rooting for. I surely like Mariota and I really like Oregon's coach....just a different dude and a different take on College Football Coach. However, if Ohio State wins, it makes Bama and the SEC look a little better.

This is a toss up to me. You have size and speed with Ohio State and you have craftiness and speed with Oregon. Something in my gut tells me it is going to be Ohio State but I have been wrong a few times this year. For instance, I did not believe for one second the Buckeyes would have beaten Bama.

Fri Jan 02, 2015 10:15 am

We Alabama fans have had a lot of practice of winning with grace. But how we handle a loss shows the true character of our team and fan base. We can take a lesson from Coach Saban, Blake Sims, and Landon Collins on how to behave. All three of them showed great class in the after-game TV interviews last night.

Good luck to our Alabama seniors and welcome aboard 2015 high school recruits.

Roll Tide Forever!

Nidrah · Fri Jan 02, 2015 11:01 am

What a game last night! I hate that Alabama lost, but I don't think it's the end all, be all of the SEC.

In bowl games, the SEC is 5-5 (TN and FL still need to play). That's really not bad, compared to say the Big 12 (-2) which is 1-4. (TCU had a great game and should be ranked high in preseason) The Pac 12 is 5-1, ACC 4-6 and Big Ten is 5-4. SEC is holding their own.

Now, I will say, I don't like Coach Meyer. I really don't like OSU. With Harbaugh at Michigan now, this should balance out that conference so OSU isn't a powerhouse.

Oregon, with Nike funding, will continue to get top recruits that like the flashy uniforms. I do like how they knocked FL State out! And what a bunch of sore losers FLS was, when most of the team headed to the locker room after the game instead of shaking hands with Oregon. That says all you need to know about the character of a Jimbo Fisher team!

Should be a good game. I will be cheering on the Ducks!

PensacolaKid · Sat Jan 03, 2015 10:23 am

I do believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that the SEC although certainly will still be a force to be reckoned with, other schools and conferences will now start to drastically catch up. Too many things changing to keep the SEC year end and year out at the very top. I can see an SEC team winning it all now every 3-4 years vs. potentially every year.

I do know this from traveling as much as I do and speaking with a lot of people from all over the nation, most everyone from outside the SE USA is glad to see the SEC getting beaten and they are certainly glad to see Alabama fall. Hey, I am just the messenger here. They just got sick of seeing and hearing it. Very much like I was with USC several years ago.

There is no doubt the SEC will continue to lead at least for a little while, in recruiting but this year's TCU, Ohio State, Oregon, Baylor's, K State, UCLA, Boise State, Michigan State...even TN and Arkansas and handful of other teams showed incredible size, speed, agility and basically everything the SEC has shown for years, which is why I think the parody has just narrowed even more. Which to me, makes it far more exciting than 1-4 SEC teams simply dominating everyone else.

I will always be an SEC fan first and foremost but I do indeed like the excitement of a really close game. How can you complain about a USC/TEXAS 2006 game or a 2014 Alabama vs. Ohio State or a Baylor vs. Michigan State.

Oh and for your Vol fans....wow, did they look impressive and they are all freshmen and sophmores. Look out SEC West and the nation, the Vols may very well be the team perhaps as early as next year, who knows. Good for them, they have been down too long. And what will Harbaugh bring to Michigan? Could this be the beginning of Michigan resurfacing?

Pete · Sat Jan 10, 2015 8:18 am

PensacolaKid wrote:...whereby the SEC may not necessarily take a back seat to the PAC 12 or Big 12 but certainly brings a lot more parody into the sport?

Or Big-10 (actually 14) = Bowl Game wins - not only Ohio St. over Alabama, but Wisconsin over Auburn, Mich. St. over Baylor - and while an independent, geographically aligned with Big-10 teams, Notre Dame over LSU! Big 10 is not dead!

PensacolaKid · Sat Jan 10, 2015 10:00 am

Not by any means Pete. This year through a variety of reasons and causes, I think we are seeing firsthand the changing of the tide in college football....meaning that the SEC has lost it's grip on the "complete domination" of college football. Look, Either Florida, Alabama or Auburn or LSU has held the trophy for the most part over the last 8 years. That is a darn fine run. Perhaps the only one of it's kind in the history of the sport. Times are changing though and the cycle is changing, just like everything else in this world.

Don't be surprised to see at least 3 Big 12, Big 10, Pac 12 teams along with a possible lone wolf or two in addition to 3-4 SEC teams vying for the prize next year.

I am also pretty excited about my Houston Cougars, of which I am an alum. We are getting the OC of Ohio State (after the game Monday night) as our Head Coach and Major Applewhite, the ex Texas QB and OC at Alabama, among others is going to be our OC. Plus we have some other outstanding Coaching talent coming in. A brand new stadium as well. It may not happen next year but if we can get a handful of really good recruits and perhaps even get re-aligned to another conference, who knows what the Houston Cougars can do. There is supposedly talk of entrance into the PAC 12 for the University of Houston. How cool would that be???

Ohio State is going to be a force for the coming years. I think Arkansas and TN are going to be outstanding. Michigan State is going to be right up there. TCU and I think Baylor will also be making heavy statements. I can not wait for August.

By the way, for those who are missing the Christmas season as this coincides with football....the massive shopping complex next to my home here in Houston had their entire complex decked out with Christmas gear, TWO freaking weeks before Halloween. So, you only have 9 months remaining until the Christmas stuff starts.