Tag: Greg McElroy

ESPN analysts weigh in on Clemson-UGA matchup

As talking season in college football kicked into high gear this week with ACC and SEC Media Days, ESPN college football analysts Joey Galloway and Greg McElroy took some time during the network’s College Football Live show Tuesday to discuss one of …

As talking season in college football kicked into high gear this week with ACC and SEC Media Days, ESPN college football analysts Joey Galloway and Greg McElroy took some time during the network’s College Football Live show Tuesday to discuss one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the 2021 campaign.

Galloway and McElroy gave their initial thoughts on the Clemson-Georgia showdown on Sept. 4 in Charlotte, where the Tigers and Bulldogs will open their respective seasons in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium.

While the game figures to carry College Football Playoff implications, Galloway believes it’s not a “do-or-die situation” for either team.

“I love that matchup,” Galloway said. “I love it for college football fans. I think it’s great for both teams, and it’s not a do-or-die situation for those two teams to take that game. I think both teams should be credited no matter who wins the game.

“It’s tough. Now, we talk about retooling. Clemson will be retooling. They lost a lot of weapons, but they always do. They’ll be good once again. And we get to see right out of the box what these teams look like. If you’re Georgia, that’s not a do-or-die situation. If you look at the rest of their schedule, there is no Alabama, there is no LSU. They should be favored in the rest of their games. So, even if they lost to Clemson and they win the rest of their games, they’ll be absolutely fine. But I can’t wait to see that matchup.”

McElroy experienced a similar big-time season opener in his first career start at Alabama in 2009, when the Tide took on Virginia Tech in a top-10 affair in Atlanta that Bama won 34-24.

Remembering what it took to prepare for that contest, McElroy knows the Clemson-UGA game will have the same type of effect, in that it will make the two teams practice with a sense of urgency in fall camp and force both sides to be ready from the get-go as soon as the ball is kicked off in Charlotte.

“Obviously playing against a team like Clemson is extremely difficult,” McElroy said. “It doesn’t matter who you are or what kind of talent you have, what kind of expectations you’re going into the season with. But one thing it does – at least, I’ve experienced this as a player – when we were playing in my first start as a college player, we played against Virginia Tech. They were the No. 7 team in the country, we were the No. 5 team in the country. And you know what it forced us to do – it forced us, at least in the summer and even to a certain extent in fall camp, the level of urgency was at an all-time high. Sometimes when you’re coming out of the gates and you’re playing against a team that you’re going to beat and you’re probably favored by four or five touchdowns against, your fall camp’s not going to have the same sense of hey, we better be ready to roll Week 1.”

McElroy added that he thinks the Clemson-UGA game will be beneficial for both teams, regardless of who leaves Charlotte with the victory.

“When you have a team and an opponent like Clemson on the schedule, the way that can affect your mindset as a player, could have a lot of benefits for both Georgia and Clemson, knowing that the preparation is going to be ramped up to another level,” McElroy said. “And on top of it all, even if you lose that game, at least you played against a team that could exploit you. Now, after Week 1, whether you win or lose, you know exactly what you need to work on in the next 11 games in order to better position yourself for a playoff run late. So, I think having a great Week 1 opponent is a real wonderful thing for these teams. And of course, for college football fans, it’s a match made in heaven.”

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Tim Tebow’s former teammate says he ‘wasn’t good’ as a tight end

The two former college rivals were teammates for one season in New York, and Greg McElroy said Tim Tebow didn’t play well at tight end.

Though Greg McElroy and Tim Tebow were rivals on the playing field in college when they played at Alabama and Florida respectively, they spent a season together as teammates in the NFL when Tebow had his stint with the New York Jets in 2012.

But McElroy (who, like Tebow, has had a successful career as an analyst since leaving the NFL) doesn’t think that his former teammate will be successful in his transition to the tight end position with Jacksonville.

Why is that? Well, according to McElroy, this isn’t Tebow’s first attempt at the tight end spot. Apparently, Tebow did try to make a move to tight end before he was released by the Jets, but McElroy said it didn’t go well.

“[The Jets] tried switching him to tight end, and he wasn’t good,” McElroy said on SiriusXM. “That’s what people don’t acknowledge.”

While there isn’t much precedent for quarterbacks successfully moving to tight end (former Gators and longtime NFL tight end Jordan Reed, who started with UF as a passer, is a notable example), many of Tebow’s supporters would point to the success Taysom Hill has had with the New Orleans Saints.

A college quarterback for BYU, Hill developed a sort of hybrid, H-back position in the NFL with the Saints, which has worked fairly well thus far. But McElroy said that comparing Hill to Tebow would be a mistake.

“Tim ran a 4.8 (40-yard dash), Taysom Hill runs a 4.4,” McElroy said. “They’re just two totally different players. Tim is a good dude and I hope the best for him. But it’s a sideshow, and that’s what it will be come training camp time. And I think it kind of undermines what Urban Meyer is trying to build. Maybe he makes the team, maybe he doesn’t, I don’t know. But it’s going to take away from the task at hand, which is trying to put together the most competitive roster in camp.

“And I bet you there’s going to be players, as someone who went to training camp with Tim, there are going to be players who are rolling their eyes at the amount of attention the fourth-string, fifth-string tight end gets, and it’s going to piss people off. As a result, it’s going to affect locker room chemistry, just like it did for us with the Jets. Not because anyone had any animosity toward Tim, they just have animosity with the coverage Tim receives. So, I think it’s a stupid move.”

That isn’t exactly a far-fetched prediction from McElroy. According to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, the decision to sign Tebow has reportedly split Jacksonville’s locker room. But despite the fact that he remains a long shot to make the roster, Meyer seems convinced that Tebow, who he’s known since he was a high school prospect, can help the team. We’ll find out soon enough whether that’s true.

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Former Alabama football defensive lineman Lorenzo Washington, 34, dies

This story originally appeared on TideSports.com. Former Alabama defensive lineman Lorenzo Washington died Sunday at the age of 34. Washington redshirted in 2005 and played sparingly in 2006 before playing for three seasons under Nick Saban. His …

This story originally appeared on TideSports.com.

Former Alabama defensive lineman Lorenzo Washington died Sunday at the age of 34.

Washington redshirted in 2005 and played sparingly in 2006 before playing for three seasons under Nick Saban. His sophomore season was his most productive, tallying 36 tackles and three sacks.

Washington was a contributor for UA’s national championship team in 2009, including two solo tackles, one of them behind the line of scrimmage, in the national championship game against Texas.

Washington went on to stints with the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, New York Jets and Detroit Lions, all of them in practice-squad roles.

Former UA quarterback Greg McElroy called Washington, “a great teammate and friend.”

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LOOK. College football fans believe Ohio State is a tougher matchup than Notre Dame for Alabama

The people have spoken. According to a Twitter poll from College Football Live, Ohio State is a tougher matchup than Notre Dame for Alabama.

Polls can be useful, or they can just be a product of what audience takes them. For instance, a poll that has Good ‘Ole State U. fans as the main respondents is clearly going to be a biased one.

However, I often find that if you get a good sample and slice a non-slanted population, generally speaking, the results tend to be much more believable. It’s not an exact science by any means, and we must note that the collective is not always correct.

That brings us to where we are going with this. ESPN College Football shared a poll on Twitter and asked fans to weigh in on which team would be the more formidable matchup for No. 1 Alabama, Notre Dame or Ohio State?

And overwhelmingly, the people spoke and responded with the Buckeyes in a landslide affair — 76 to 24 percent.

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But it’s not just the fans that agree. Former Alabama quarterback and current ESPN analyst Greg McElroy also put his chips all in on Ohio State over Notre Dame while appearing on Tuesday’s edition of ESPN’s College Football Live.

“I just think they have more pieces offensively you have to account for,” McElroy said. “I think Notre Dame’s excellent running the football. I think they’re decent at wide receiver and getting better, but Ohio State is a nightmare matchup for anybody, just because of how many different things you have to try to defend. The quarterback run, the individual matchup on the outside, being able to run the football between the tackles and on the perimeter. I would say Ohio State is the more difficult team to defend, therefore the more difficult matchup.”

So there you have it. If it came down to it, you have to believe No. 1 Alabama would match up better with No. 2 Notre Dame. I mean the general college football population and a former Tide quarterback can’t be wrong right?

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Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.

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Big 12 Football: Greg McElroy thinks the American conference is deeper

ESPN analyst and former Alabama quarterback doesn’t think too highly of the Big 12 Conference. He would put the AAC up there with them.

The Texas Longhorns don’t have fond memories of former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy. The last time many saw him on a football field came in the 2009-10 BCS National Championship game. Colt McCoy was injured and McElroy would lead the Crimson Tide to the National Championship. Now McElroy is talking about the Big 12, just not in a very positive manner.

During a telecast, he had some interesting comments about the American Athletic Conference over the Big 12 Conference. The Big 12 has come under criticism following the performances of Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Iowa State and Kansas the last two weeks. While he makes the case about the middle of the pack, it is all about the top of the conference. That is where the group is judged but he thinks there is an argument.

“Tell me the American, right now, isn’t deeper than the Big 12, perhaps,” McElroy said during the UCF/Georgia Tech game. “I think the American — you could make a case, based on the first couple of weeks here out in the 2020 season — it’s early but I’ve been far more impressed with the quality of play at the top right now. Of course, Oklahoma, Texas, they’re excellent. But those next teams, three, four, five — Oklahoma State struggled today, Iowa State lost to Louisiana, we know Kansas State struggled last week against Arkansas State, losing that game.”

One could point out that the Big 12 Conference is an easy target at this point. It is for good reason, as a Power Five conference, you don’t expect that a Group of Five conference to give you so much trouble, but here we are.

Navy 1-1
SMU 2-0
Cincinnati 1-0
Memphis 1-0
Central Florida 1-0
South Florida 1-1
East Carolina 0-0
Houston 0-0
Temple 0-0
Tulsa 0-1
Tulane 1-1

It is really a silly argument to try and make after just three weeks of the season. Sure has the Big 12 Conference looked bad through the first couple weeks of the season? Sure. Given how the season has come together with so many concerns about the health and safety of those involved, many should have known it would be slow going.

Alabama football countdown: 12 days until kickoff

We are 12 days from Alabama football kicking off its season on the road against the Missouri Tigers to start a 10-game, SEC only schedule.

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There has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding college football over the last couple of months, but as of right now, the season still looks like it’s a go for the SEC, ACC and Big 12.

So, what does that mean? It means that we can continue the Countdown to Kickoff en route to the Crimson Tide — and the rest of the SEC — getting things underway on Sept. 26.

With it now being Sept. 14, we are officially 12 days away from the start!

Newly added walk-on quarterback Logan Burnett, the grad transfer from Mississippi State and TCU, now wears the No. 12 after former Alabama wide receiver Chadarius Townsend transferred to Texas Tech.

Junior punter Skyler DeLong out of Fort Mill (S.C.) also wears it.

The number is one of the more legendary in Crimson Tide history, however, as several historically great quarterbacks such as Joe Namath, Ken Stabler and even Greg McElroy have worn it.

Nov 26, 2010; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers defensive lineman Nick Fairley (90) trips up Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Greg McElroy (12) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

2020 Alabama football schedule

  • Sept. 26 at Missouri (Columbia, Mizz.)
  • Oct. 3 vs. Texas A&M (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Oct. 10 at Ole Miss (Oxford, Miss.)
  • Oct. 17 vs. Georgia (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Oct. 24 at Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.)
  • Oct. 31 vs. Miss State (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Nov. 14 at LSU (Baton Rouge, La.)
  • No. 21 vs. Kentucky (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Nov. 28 vs. Auburn (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Dec. 5 at Arkansas (Fayetteville, Ark.)

Stay tuned for more updates from Roll Tide Wire, part of the USA TODAY Sports College Wire network!

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Greg McElroy: Mac Jones not as talented as UGA’s Jamie Newman

Former Alabama QB Greg McElroy chimes in on the Alabama QB debate and claims that Mac Jones is not as talented as UGA’s QB Jamie Newman.

Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy, who led Alabama to a National Championship, was a guest on “Xtra 1063” in Atlanta and spoke about his thoughts on the Crimson Tide’s presumptive starting quarterback for 2020, Mac Jones.

In 2019, Jones was thrusted into the starting role after Tua Tagovailoa fractured his hip and required season-ending surgery. Throughout the season, he accumulated 1,503 yards off of 97 completions for 14 touchdowns and three interceptions.

Though his stats are impressive, considering the situation, McElroy believes that Alabama is set to face a UGA quarterback in 2020 that could give them some problems.

Jamie Newman transferred from Wake Forest to UGA, and his presence on the field is expected to be a step up from what the Bulldogs are used to, but more importantly, McElroy claims that he’s “way more talented” than Jones.

“I think Newman is way more talented, I don’t even think its really comparable just given Jamie Newman’s upside,” says McElroy. “I mean, guys, we are talking about top-5 pick upside here. He has that kind of upside here. He’s ridiculous.”

Newman threw for 2,868 yards in 2019 from 220 completions on 361 passes fro 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

The former Alabama quarterback has high praise for Newman’s game.

“There are some nuances to his game, that he needs to learn,” McElroy says. “But just as far as talent is concerned, there’s not many out there in college football like him. He’s extremely accurate, big arm, needs to learn how to layer the football a little more.”

He makes it clear that he is not trying to put Jones down, as he thinks he is a solid option for the quarterback position at Alabama, but that Newman is just the superior player when put side-by-side.

“Mac Jones is a solid player, as well,” says McElroy. “I thought he performed, like I said, very admirably, but I think part of the reason why everyone will feel really good about him is the fact that he’s surrounded by an all-star team, in a lot of ways. I mean, you got two receivers that are as good as anyone in the country, in Waddle and DeVonta Smith. You have an experienced running back and a decent offensive line coming back, as well.”

At the end of the day, McElroy thinks the situation Jones is in, with the players he is supported by, is superior to that of Newman’s in Athens, GA.

“I would favor the situation Mac Jones is playing in, but if I’m going just strictly on talent, I would absolutely favor Jamie Newman” McElroy says.

You can listen to the full clip below.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on Mac Jones and the Alabama Crimson Tide as they get closer to the start of the 2020 college football season!

NFL Draft: Of the 12 QBs chosen in 2011, one remains with the team that selected him

Cam Newton went first and Greg McElroy went last of the 12 QBs drafted in 2011. How did they all do in the NFL?

A dozen quarterbacks were taken in the 2011 NFL Draft. Cam Newton was the first, going No. 1 overall. With the exit from Carolina of Newton, Andy Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals, for now, remains the last quarterback to be with the team that drafted him in 2011.

New York Jets: Greg McElroy (Round 7)

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Greg McElroy still has a home in football, in the broadcast booth. His NFL career consisted of one start, a loss, for the Jets who took him 208th overall. McElroy threw for 214 yards with a TD and a pick in his career.

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