LSU Tigers Vs Alabama Crimson Tide: The Defining Game Of The Season

Tuscaloosa is always as busy as a beehive on game day, but this Saturday will be unbelievably amped up.  With the nation’s No. 2 LSU Tigers coming to Bryant-Denny Stadium to do battle against No. 3 Alabama, ESPN’s College Gameday will be in T-Town and the passion of politics will blend with the passion of college football with President Trump in attendance.

Since the “Game of the Century” in 2011 when the Tigers defeated the Tide 9-6, Bama has amassed an eight-game winning streak.

Head Coach Nick Saban commented on the national rankings saying, “I don’t talk about that.  I don’t talk about rankings.  It doesn’t matter where you rank if you don’t have success in what you’re doing, you’re not going to be ranked there long.”

In the CFP era, the No. 3 team has never gone on to make the Playoff since it began in 2014 and that is why this game will be the defining game of the season.

Heisman trophy nominee QB Joe Burrows is at the top of his game and Tua Tagovailoa, also a Heisman nominee, is rehabbing from a right ankle injury he suffered against Cowbell U.

Burrows struggled against Auburn two weeks ago and I guaran-damn-tee you linebackers Anfernee Jennings and Terrell Lewis are monsters on the D-line and they will hunt down Burrows in the pocket.  The Cajun Nation’s Derek Stingley and Grant Delpit are tenacious defenders and tailback Clyde Edwards-Helaire led the Tigers with 136 yards on 26 carries against Auburn so Coach Orgeron’s team has the best chance in years to knock off the Crimson Tide.

War Eagle is Bama’s “natural rival” but over the years the contest that ensues either at Death Valley or Bryant-Denny has become an epic battle of titans far more meaningful over the past 25 years than most rivalries the media crow about.

Need proof?

Tigers wide receiver Justin Jefferson was asked how different this team is compared to the 2018 team that lost 29-0 to the Tide in Death Valley.  His answer was, “I don’t really know the answer to that question.  We’re going to dominate.  I mean, there’s nothing much to it.  I mean, we owe them so we’re going to get to it.”

Did his mouth just write a check his ass can’t cash?  My beloved Crimson Tide thrives on disrespect and revenge and there’s no better feeling than making the entire college football world mad as hell when you win again.

This week has been LSU hate week.  I don’t do Hate Week because I happen to love me some Tigahs and because over the years I’ve been honored to cultivate a friendship with fellow blogger and SEC sister Diogenes of Diogenes Middle Finger.

For the last five years we’ve had a friendly bet on this game.  The loser makes a donation to Shriners Hospitals for Children, a network of 22 non-profit medical facilities who change the lives of children through innovative pediatric care.

Here’s hoping Bama has saved it's best for LSU.

UPDATE:  Welcome readers of Whatfinger News.

UPDATE II:  There was a knock at my door after the big game.  Coach Oeaux told me, “From now on Bryant-Denny Stadium is our house.”  How could I argue with that gravelly voice?  My sincerest congratulations to the LSU Tigers and the entirety of the Cajun Nation.

Arkansas Vs Alabama: Homecoming Pig Roast

It looks like Bama gets another SEC conference win as the Pigs of Arky come to T-Town.  Bama has an 11-game winning streak against Chad Morris’ hapless Razorbacks.

It’s Homecoming and the Crimson Tide is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its 2009 National Championship against the Longhorns of Texas; the only Saban squad to finish the season undefeated.

QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered a high ankle injury against Tennessee last Saturday.  The following day he underwent a procedure to repair it and will not play against Arkansas.  Next week is a bye week and Coach Saban believes Tua will be ready for some Murderball against the high-flying LSU Tigers who are currently ranked No. 2 in the nation.

Back-up QB Mac Jones will be starting with Tua out.  Mac went 6 for 11 for 72 yards in the win against the Vols.  If he does well, it’s entirely possible Tua’s brother Taulia may see action in mop-up duty.

The Tide’s defense and LB Terrell Lewis should be able to hog tie the piggies’ offense given they are 10th in total offense and 11th in scoring in the SEC.  The Razorbacks rushed for only 52 yards and passed for a meager 182 yards and that inexplicable fake punt that failed miserably in their 51-10 drubbing by Auburn.

Sadly, Coach Morris admitted the resulting interception wasn’t the result he was looking for saying, “We’d actually been working on that for a couple of weeks…We were going to let the rush come and just a touch pass over the top, like a basketball shot.”

Try that again Chad.  Auburn couldn’t do anything with the interception, but Bama—they know exactly what to do with the pumpkin.

Tennessee Vs Alabama: Smokey Will Don The “Cone Of Shame”

Unranked Tennessee comes to T-Town to face No. 1 Alabama in the first night game to be played under the new lights at Bryant-Denny Stadium. During the off-season the stadium was outfitted with a new synchronized system much like LSU’s Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.

Tonight’s game, the 102^nd meeting, will be Vols Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt’s first trip back to Bryant-Denny since taking the coaching job in December 2017.

The traditional Third Saturday in October hasn’t been competitive for the Rocky Toppers of late.  Bama has a 12-game winning streak that dates back to 2007.  In just the last three meetings the Tide won by a combined 152 to 38.

Will Tennessee start QB Brian Maurer or Jarrett Guarantano tonight?  Apparently, that decision will be made at game time.  Maurer is extremely talented, but there’s a drawback — he’s super error-prone.  Guarantano did a nice job last week against Cowbell U but his shockingly poor performances this season makes me think Maurer starts.

I hope his get-away sticks are strong because Alabama’s defense is devastating at shutting down the deep-passing game and any challenges by Maurer will end badly.

Vols LB Darrell Taylor spouted off this week referring to Tua Tagovailoa as a “decent quarterback”.  So, look for Tua to toss the pumpkin to receivers Jerry Jeudy and Devonta Smith a bunch for a decisive beatdown.

Alabama Crimson Tide VS South Carolina Gamecocks

A lot of people in the run-up to the game between the Tide and the Gamecocks are happy to remind you the last time Bama lost to an SEC East team was nine years ago in Columbia, SC when the Cocks won 35-21.

That year the Gamecocks were led by “Head Ball Coach” Steve Spurrier; the pipsqueak  known as “Darth Visor” for throwing and stomping on his visor when he succumbed to fits of anger like a brat kicking and screaming on the floor of a toy store.  The same Steve Spurrier who left a successful Florida Gators program to coach in the NFL when somebody pissed him off.  The same Spurrier who left the Redskins to come crawling back to college ball when things got bad.

Three years before he resigned in the middle of his 11th season at South Carolina, Spurrier threw some shade at Nick Saban saying, “He’s got a nice little gig going.  A little bit like Calipari.  He tells guys, ‘Hey three years from now, you’re going to be a first-round pick and go.’  If he wants to be the greatest coach or one of the greatest coaches in college football, to me, he has to go somewhere besides Alabama and win, because they’ve always won there at Alabama.”

During his post-game press conference following Bama’s drubbing of New Mexico State, Saban was asked, “What do you get out of a game like this and do you think this level of competition can get you ready for an SEC game a week later?”

His response was, “ Well look, I’ve talked about this before.  We’ve tried to schedule the best teams we can schedule and we’re trying to do that in the future as well.  We can only play the people who are willing to play us. I’ve said my opinion about playing 12 Power-5 schools.  That’s what I would rather do, but a lot of other people don’t agree with that.  I’d rather play 10 SEC games and then play two other Power-5 schools, so all the games are exciting for the fans; all the games are good football.  You wouldn’t have to go undefeated to get into the playoffs because you’d play a more quality schedule.”

“I’ve been through and covered that ground a hundred times.  If you asked me if we should play 12 Power-5 teams my answer would be Yes,” Saban continued.

So…the Tide rolls into Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia to do battle with Coach Muschamp’s Gamecocks.  Muschamp took some heat for his decision to punt at midfield on fourth-and-one in the fourth quarter leading the Tarheels 20-17.  They ended up losing to the Heels 24-20.  Muschamp confessed, “ We played the percentages there with our defense, but I was obviously wrong.”

In that game, starting QB Jake Bentley suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury to his foot giving second string QB Ryan Hilinski the reins against Charleston Southern last Saturday.  Hilinksi completed 24 of 30 passes for 282 yards in their 72-10 victory.

Will Muschamp was an elite defensive coordinator back in the day, but as head coach he’s nowhere near solving the SEC.  It didn’t happen in four seasons at Florida and it hasn’t happened yet in Columbia.  He’s 12-12 through three seasons at South Carolina.

The atmosphere at Williams-Brice Stadium will be electric for Gamecocks fans.  I had tickets to the game but will not be able to attend.  My best friend was hospitalized in critical condition the day before Hurricane Dorian lashed the South Carolina coast and I have chosen to be with my friend.

I know, however, Coach Saban’s murderball will be too much for Muschamp to handle.  The game will be largely lopsided in favor of the Tide as Tua takes advantage of an inexperienced Gamecocks secondary.  Bama’s defense will undoubtedly force multiple turnovers giving Bama another blowout victory to start the 2019 season.

Funny Maine has disabled embedding his videos on other websites.  I hope you'll click on the link to watch "How Bama Fans Watched Week Two Games".

South Carolina Trophy case: pic.twitter.com/EIeM23Pixr

— Blake, hold the B (@lbosey7) August 23, 2019

Tasty, Tasty Cupcakes: New Mexico State Aggies VS Alabama Crimson Tide

NMSU Head Coach Doug Martin knows he faces the unenviable task of playing No. 2 Alabama.  The Tide is a lock to win Saturday’s home opener in Bryant Denny Stadium.

The Aggies, ranked as a dead-last FBS team by CBS Sports, were obliterated by the Cougars of Washington State 58-7 last week.  Can you say the Aggies are the biggest underdog to face Bama in the Nick Saban murderball era?  Sure, you can.

New Mexico State was booted from the Sun Belt Conference two years ago and is now a member of the FBS Independents.  With no conference revenue-sharing, the Aggies are relegated to playing “fundraising games” and so the school will be receive a big, fat check for $1.7 million for the privilege of getting shellacked in T-Town.

Favored by 55 points, Bama has an 83-game winning streak against unranked opponents.  Aggies’ Coach Martin said earlier this week, “I’m not so much concerned about the score as I am about us playing like a winning football team meaning that we don’t beat ourselves.”

NMSU turned the ball over three times to the Cougars of the PAC12-North Conference and allowed 618 total yards.  If that’s not beating yourself, I don’t know what is.

The Aggies will be punting the ball a boatload giving the Tide plenty of chances to score a non-offensive TD or three.  And it’s not unreasonable to assume Tua will carve up the Aggie defense before turning the QB duties to Mac Jones and chillin’ for the rest of the game.  And maybe, just maybe, we’ll also see Tua’s brother Taulia replace Jones in the fourth quarter just like he did against Duke last week.

Funny Maine, who always creates a wildly popular video of “How Bama Fans Watched…” has disabled embedding of his videos on websites, but you can view "How Bama Fans Watched Week One Games" on YouTube™ here.

2018 SEC Championship Game: Georgia Bulldogs Vs Alabama Crimson Tide

Last Saturday Auburn Head Coach Gus Malzahn thought he had his War Buzzard ready to play some Saban Murderball.  Indeed.  They kept the game close through halftime.  When the teams returned to the field, the Tigers kept it close until the last two minutes of the third quarter when DeVonta Smith caught a 40-yd TD pass from Tua.  From that point forward, Bama kept pouring it on hapless Auburn.

Coach Saban said, “Don’t ask me why, but it doesn’t seem like we had the right kind of energy in the first half.  Don’t know if it was anxiety or what it was, but we seemed to settle down and play better in the second half.”

In the locker room at the half, Saban told his team, “We’re going to have to change the way these guys think and get after them because now they think they can win.”

The college football world is wondering if, based on the games against The Citadel and the “Barners”, the Tide can be beaten.  I will acknowledge that everyone watching the SEC Championship Game who isn’t a Buckeye or a Sooner fan will be rooting for Jawja to beat Bama.

With the Wolverines falling to the Bucknutts 62-39 last Saturday, the College Football Playoff Committee is now forced to have a serious conversation about who will be ranked No. 4 on Sunday, December 2nd, the day after Bama and the Bulldawgs clash in the SEC Championship Game.

If Georgia is defeated, I think Oklahoma gets the fourth spot over the Bucknutts because they were horribly embarrassed by Purdue losing to the Boilermakers 49-20.

I’m putting the cart before horse here.  First, the Tide must decimate the Bulldawgs.  That’ll be one mean feat.

What if Coach Smart makes the game interesting by putting in backup QB Justin Fields at some point in the game?  What if the game suddenly rides on the performance of Bama’s special teams?  Kicker Joseph Bulovas is a dismal 4 for 16 FG attempts and has blown 5 extra point attempts.  Georgia’s Rodrigo Blankenship has been deadly accurate all season long. Georgia is better prepared to meet the Tide’s strength this time around. 

Bulldawg tailback Elijah Holyfield adamantly insists, "Last year has nothing to do with this next game coming up.”  Oh?  Second-and-26 is what people remember the most from last year’s National Championship Game.

The Dawg Nation may want to blot that exhilarating play from their memory, but the Tide faithful carry it with them to this day.  Hell, it’ll live forever in Bama’s storied history.

Jawja’s last win over Bama was way back in 2007.

On Thursday, UGA Alumni tweeted an awkward invitation to all the SEC schools to #BeADawgForADay.  It didn’t turn out well.  Here’s one example from War Buzzard:

pic.twitter.com/z1IjxTelkJ

— Auburn University (@AuburnU) November 29, 2018

The Vegas bookies have Bama as a double-digit favorite against Jawja.  ESPN’s Matchup Predictor gives the Tide a 63.7% chance of victory.

Throw out the stats. The team that plays with the most emotion, most pride and sheer dominance will win this slobberknocker. The 2018 SEC Champions will be my beloved Crimson Tide. 

Auburn Tigers Vs Alabama Crimson Tide: 2018 Iron Bowl

The state of Alabama got two holidays this week:  Thanksgiving Day and the 83rd Iron Bowl. 

The Auburn-Alabama rivalry has always been a heated and bitter contest, but something is coming this time:  REVENGE.

Coach Saban won’t have to remind his players about last year. Nope. No sir.  They’ll want their reckoning.

The Crimson Tide has never lost two in a row to Auburn. Defeat has been followed by a victory scoring an average of 25 points and will likely be up by that much by halftime.

War Buzzard fans, buoyed by their defeat of the Tide in last year’s Iron Bowl contest, believe they can ruin their most hated rival’s chances of getting into the College Football Playoffs.

Did they hear what ESPN analyst Trevor Matich said about Saturday’s Iron Bowl? “Literally, if a spaceship comes down and abducts the entire Alabama team, Auburn would have a chance.”

Head Coach Gus Malzahn is 2-3 against Coach Saban’s Murderball in his six years with the Tigers.

Bama QB Tua Tagovailoa is not Hurts, Blake Sims or Jake Coker.  He broke A.J. McCarron’s single season touchdown record against The Citadel last Saturday passing for 340 yards and 4 TDs. On the season, he’s thrown for 2,865 yards, 31 TDs and just two INTs. He’s also added four rushing TDs.

There are other rivalry games:

No. 13 Florida at Florida State (who cares?)

No. 4 Michigan at No. 10 Ohio State (Go Buckeyes!)

Georgia Tech at No. 5 Georgia (who cares?)

South Carolina at No. 2 Clemson (Go Gamecocks!)

No. 3 Notre Dame at USC (Go Trojans!)

Citadel Bulldogs Vs Alabama Crimson Tide

College football Saturdays down South are serious business.  Nothing, but nothing interferes with it.  This, however, is Cupcake Saturday in the SEC so you are cleared to tackle those pesky items on your Honey-Do List.

After the Citadel Bulldogs were crowned 2016 Southern Conference Champions, Head Coach Brent Thompson said of the 2018 schedule which included the Crimson Tide, “These games are important for many reasons and they allow us to provide our cadet-athletes with once-in-a-lifetime experiences.  I’m excited that our team will have the experience of playing in front of more than 100,000 fans against one of the premier teams in college football.”

By any objective measure, this contest will be one of the biggest mismatches of the year in college football. The Citadel rode buses nearly 8 hours from Charleston, SC to Tuscaloosa to be out-manned at virtually every position. For the Bulldogs this game is not about winning; it’s about the money.

One Citadel player, 2006 alum Porter Johnson, chose to have some fun with the overwhelming odds his Dogs face this weekend:

This is just disrespectful. You mean my Alma Mater only as a .1% chance to beat Alabama this weekend....really @espn? We couldn't even get at least 1%? C'mon man...😀 That's alright, we are going to shock the world this weekend. Go Bulldogs!! pic.twitter.com/eD1tRMOayj

— Porter Johnson (@PorterJ40) November 15, 2018

Last week the Mississippi State Bulldogs were the victim of ludicrous officiating by the SEC referees.

On Bama’s first possession of the game there appeared to be a fumble by Damien Harris before his knee touched the ground that was never reviewed.  Minutes later the Tide scored at TD.

At the end of the first half, Missy’s sophomore RB Kylin Hill scored a TD only to have it called back when WR Deddrick Thomas was penalized for an illegal block in the back. Replays shown in real time and slow-motion showed the Tide defender was never touched.  

Absolutely ridiculous call for block in the back to negate that TD. 🙄 pic.twitter.com/FtvPy2hlhQ

— Belle Es You (@SouthernbeLLSU) November 10, 2018

Alabama's new mascot: 🦓

— Wes Blankenship (@Wes_nship) November 10, 2018

The booth’s failure to a review a clear fumble and the official’s phantom flag for a penalty that did not happen gave plenty of ammo to the throng of Bama haters who frequently flap their gums claiming it isn’t fair that teams have to compete with Alabama and the refs calling the game.

Mississippi State Athletic Director John Cohen complained to the Conference saying, “I’ve personally communicated with the coordinator of football officials, Steve Shaw, and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. Both of them assured me that Saturday’s game with Alabama is being fully reviewed and they also stated that the official issues will be identified swiftly and dealt with directly.”

As a dyed-in-the-wool Bama fan since the 1950s, I cannot defend the zebras sorry officiating nor dispel the charges of “Bama Bias” and “Alabama Collusion”.  This team is either good enough on its own or its not.  The zebras should not do anything to cheapen their season.  There.  I said it.  Now, on to the cupcakes of The Citadel and the impending decimation of War Eagle in the Iron Bowl. 

Mississippi State Bulldogs Vs Alabama Crimson Tide

Last year the Tide needed to score 14 points to come from behind against Hail State on their home turf.  They did.  The final score was 31-24.

Mississippi State’s QB, Nick Fitzgerald, believes he can replicate those three strong quarters and marshal his Bulldogs offense to a victory at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Fitzgerald knows that last year has no bearing on today’s game in Tuscaloosa, but he’s confident knowing they held the lead until the fourth quarter giving him the motivation he and his team will need if they hope to beat Bama on the road.

These two teams have done battle on the gridiron going all the way back to 1896 and the series history shows the Crimson Tide has owned the Dogs 80-3-18.  ESPN’s Matchup Predictor gives the Boys from Tuscaloosa an 89.7% chance of victory.

No cupcake, MSST was ranked No. 18 last week in the College Football Playoff rankings and rose to No. 16 after drubbing War Eagle 23-9.

Paul Finebaum said last week the only way Bama suffers a loss on its way to the playoffs is if Tua Tagovailoa gets injured.  “I think we’ve come to that conclusion and it didn’t take 10 weeks to do it,” he said.

CBS analyst Gary Danielson believes the only two teams that have a shot at beating Alabama this season are Clemson and Georgia.  Kirby Smart’s Bulldawgs are currently two touchdown underdogs. We’ll know if Danielson was right on December 1st in Atlanta when they clash in the SEC Championship Game. Dabo will seek revenge against Saban’s Murderball if the fates pair them in the CFP Playoffs.

Hail State’s Head Coach, Joe Moorhead, doesn’t give a whit about their 10-game losing streak to the Tide saying, “We have to concentrate on the things we need to do.  We’re going to have to have great practices.  We have to have great urgency and body language.  Our scout team will have to be great because it’s almost impossible to replicate what Alabama does in all three phases.”  Sounds like a plan to me.

Every team that goes into Davis Wade Stadium is subjected to 61,000 infernal Bully Bells.  The Hail Staters truly believe those damn things intimidate the opposing team.  Well, they don’t.  They’re annoying as hell.  There won’t be any cowbells in Bryant-Denny Stadium.  No siree.

The Bulldogs will be treated to the sounds of the roar of a rampaging elephant over the stadium loudspeakers and AC/DC’s “Hell’s Bells” on every Bama third down.  Oh, and let’s not forget the Athletic Director is once again allowing “Dixieland Delight” to be played at the beginning of the fourth quarter.  That alone will strike fear into Coach Moorhead’s boys and spur the Crimson Tide on to victory.

No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide Vs No. 3 LSU Tigers

The game is simple.  The best ones always are.

It’s been seven long years since the “Game of the Century”. That’s the longest winning streak in the series since Coach Bear Bryant claimed eleven in a row from 1971 to 1981.  The streak lingers like a dark shadow over the Cajun Nation.

The last time LSU beat Alabama was November 6, 2010.  LSU was ranked No. 10 and Bama was ranked No. 6.  The Tigers were trailing the Tide 14-13 in the fourth quarter when Coach Les Miles called for a reverse play to tight end DeAngelo Peterson who rambled for 23 yards to Alabama’s 3-yard line and the go-ahead touchdown. LSU went for the 2-point conversion to make the score 21-14.  LSU was able to add another 3 points on a FG attempt with 5:34 left in the game making the score 24-14.

Bama QB Greg McElroy tossed to Julio Jones for a TD with 3:23 left in the game but it wasn’t enough to pull off a win.  The final score was 24-21.

Under the lights of Death Valley, the Crimson Tide will clash with the Bayou Bengal Tigers of LSU for the 14th time in which both teams have been ranked in the AP Top 20.  Nine times one of them has been ranked either No. 1 or No. 2.

The College Football Playoff Committee released its first rankings on October 30th with LSU in the No. 3 slot. A lot of people expect Alabama to keep rolling.

Here's @stephenasmith's top 5 college football teams ... 😂 pic.twitter.com/qANgLe1jCJ

— First Take (@FirstTake) October 30, 2018

LSU is a legitimate contender in the race for the national championship coming into tonight’s game.  I have the utmost respect for the Tigers.  They’ve got the best QB in Joe Burrows they’ve had in years and he’s made a substantive difference for these tenacious rivals.  This will be a bare-knuckled, slobber-knocker grudge match.  If they beat Bama they will be in the driver’s seat for a playoff berth and the Cajun Nation will be insufferable.

This is LSU Hate Week.  This is a good hate; this is a respectful hate; this is a rivalry that has become far more meaningful over the past 25 years than most rivalries the media crow about.

Hawaiian phenom Tua Tagovailoa remains at the controls of the most intimidating offense in the FBS and has yet to take a fourth-quarter snap in 2018. LSU is the team with the greatest chance of ruining the Tide’s dreams of an unprecedented 18th National Championship.  As such, this may well be the game in which Tagovailoa will finally play in the fourth quarter.

"Alabama has always been the benchmark and Coach Saban has done a fantastic job," Head Coach Ed Orgeron said. "He's going to go down as the greatest college football coach in the history of the game, so give him the credit for what they've done at Alabama.

"We've got to beat them to get to where we want to go and that's a fact."

During this Thursday’s “Hey Coach” press conference, Saban had this to say: 

Nick Saban was just asked what he will choose during the coin toss at LSU -- kick or receive?

Saban: "To be honest with you, I hope we elect to kick ass, is what I hope we do."

— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) November 2, 2018

Oz Music, a Tuscaloosa music store, immortalized the quote by turning it into a good old-fashioned election button: 

Oz Music in Tuscaloosa made some buttons for Saturday.... pic.twitter.com/kSyWilHc5L

— Aaron Suttles (@AaronSuttles) November 2, 2018

So, to the Cajun Nation I say, ”Tell ‘em Alabama’s coming and hell is coming with ‘em.”

Alabama Crimson Tide Vs Arkansas Razorbacks

When the Hogs took the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium last year they had been humiliated the week before by a mediocre South Carolina Gamecocks team 48-22. This year as Bama travels to Fayetteville, the 1-4 Razorbacks are reeling from a stinging loss to Texas A&M 24-17.

The Bacon Bits need to make sweeping changes under Head Coach Chad Morris. They’re really bad. So bad in fact, that Ryan McGee, Senior Writer for ESPN dubbed Arkansas, Nebraska and UCLA the “Arkansaw Corn-Bruins” and ranked them No. 5 in their Bottom 10 feature this week.

Joe Cox at Saturday Down South wrote, “Nothing bold about predicting the Tide to take down the Razorbacks. But how’s this for bold? Leave the offense out of it. Alabama will score more points with its defense than Arkansas scores for the game. Consider this a referendum both on how good Alabama is and how lousy Arkansas’ offense is.”

We’re talking about the SEC here and anything can happen.  The Tide has given every appearance of being a juggernaut after 5 games.  Today, in week 6, we are half-way through the college football regular season.  Maybe the Hogs are tired of getting slapped around.  Maybe the boys from Tuscaloosa have fallen for the rat poison Coach Saban talked about last season.  Anything can happen.

The Tide will run onto the field of Donald W. Reynolds Stadium in front of a throng of angry, disgruntled Razorback fans looking to keep Bama from going to the College Football Playoffs and losing today would be a guaranteed post-season résumé killer.

I’m not worried though.  The Bacon Bits of Arkansas are going to collapse faster than a Life Alert® customer. (My apologies to Life Alert® customers.)

Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Vs Alabama Crimson Tide

We are in Week 5 of college football and today the University of Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns travel to T-Town to play my beloved Crimson Tide.

ULL last played Bama on October 6, 1990 on their home turf and lost.  Neither Billy Napier nor Nick Saban were the head coaches.  These two schools have played each other 8 times beginning in 1941.  The Tide has won each time.

I’d be a fool if I said ULL can’t beat Bama, after all, in 1996 the Cajuns knocked off the Texas A&M Aggies 29-22.  That was then, and this is now.

Louisiana-Lafayette brings its No. 126 rushing defense in the nation to Tuscaloosa to play Saban Murderball. Coach Napier, who worked at Alabama under Saban on two different occasions, will see his former mentor dial it down rather than first downing the Cajuns to death.

Against the Bulldogs of Mississippi State, the Cajuns were pummeled 56-10 with QB Nick Fitzgerald tossing the pigskin for 243 yards.  That tells me Tua leaves the game early on and Jalen Hurts takes over the offense at the half.

ULL is being paid a guaranteed $1.25 million for this beatdown.

The Cajuns’ mascot “Cayenne” better keep his head on a swivel lest he find his way into the pot of chili Bama will be cookin’ up today.

Texas A&M Vs Alabama Crimson Tide

Picture it. Bryant-Denny Stadium in temperatures that will be Africa hot and 101,821 seats filled with impassioned Bama fans and you’re the Aggies of Texas A&M going against two All-American quarterbacks, seven All-American wide receivers and sixteen future NFL defensive draft picks.

This is the Aggies first road game this season.

Imagine the foolishness of a 240-pound Otaro Alaka attempting to cover WR Jaylen Waddle in the slot. If Coach Fisher and Defensive Coordinator Mike Elko do that who’s going to cover wide receivers Henry Ruggs, Devonta Smith and Jerry Jeudy?

A&M has the best defensive athletes of any team Alabama has played to date, but if the “Hawaiian Superman” is on his game, it just won’t matter.

Gary Danielson, commentator for CBS Sports told Saturday Down South, “One of the things they’ve got going for them heading into this game is a belief they can play with the best. After facing Clemson and doing what they did, they get on that airplane believing they have played against the best and can compete against the best. They also bring a quarterback who can throw the ball and a coach who believes in him and moves the ball around.”

Is Kellon Mond a better QB than Ole Miss’s Jordan Ta’amu?  Against Bama Ta’amu completed 7 of 22 passes for 133 yards.  More than half his passing yards came in a 75-yard TD on the opening play before going 6 of 21 for the rest of the game with two interceptions. The remainder of the game he scrambled for his life against the “Alabama Wall”.

To Mond’s credit, he lit up Clemson for 430 yards and three TDs with no interceptions last week, but the knock against him is he isn’t the best at reading defenses.  Bama’s rebuilt secondary with cornerbacks Shyheim Carter and Saivion Smith can reach the end zone turning interceptions into points.

"We practice getting the ball out," Carter said. "During the game, our goal is to get three or more turnovers a game."

"We’re just trying to get turnovers, man," safety Xavier McKinney said. "That's kind of our goal. One of our goals is to get turnovers. We try to make that a big emphasis on trying to get the ball out of the ball carrier or trying to get an interception. Anything that we can do to get points up on the board and get the ball back for our offense, that's what we try to do."

It was McKinney who snagged the ball and raced 30 yards to the end zone for the Tide’s final touchdown against Ole Miss in their 62-7 ridiculously easy romp a week ago.

As far as Bama’s special teams, it appears Coach Saban has finally found himself a reliable place kicker in Joseph Bulovas.  And, yes, I’ll “quit askin’” about the Tide’s kicking game now.

If my beloved boys from Tuscaloosa can rattle Mond’s cage early by forcing him to make unwise decisions that generate a turnover or two, they’ll all but have the game in the bag.