Tag: SEC West

ESPN’s College GameDay crew picks between Alabama and LSU

ESPN’s College GameDay picks between Alabama and LSU live from Tuscaloosa!

Alabama is not only hosting LSU for the highly-anticipated Week 10 matchup in Tuscaloosa, ESPN’s College GameDay also made the trip.

As always, the crew wrapped up the show by making their picks in the biggest matchups of the day and capped it all off with Alabama vs. LSU.

The panel was unanimous in deleting the Crimson Tide. While the Tigers’ offense cannot be underestimated, it’s the defense that is the biggest cause for concern for the two-loss team. Guest picker, comedian Nate Bargatze, also went with Alabama.

Lee Corso talked about how he picked Texas over Alabama in Week 2 when College GameDay was in Tuscaloosa but decided to roll with the Tide and wear the Big Al headgear.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the 2023 season progresses.

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Lane Kiffin supports LSU over Alabama in Week 10 matchup

Lane Kiffin is rooting for the LSU Tigers over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the big-time SEC West matchup

Former Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin has remained very close with the Crimson Tide program after leaving for FAU. His move to Ole Miss brought him back to the SEC and got him closer to Tuscaloosa and Nick Saban. While he’s typically supportive of Alabama, he appears to be anything but in favor of the Tide in Week 10.

During a brief remote appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay, which was broadcasting live from Tuscaloosa, Kiffin talked about rat poison, the Rebels’ game against Texas A&M, and the race to win the SEC West.

Alabama, Ole Miss and LSU could be in a three-way tie for the SEC West with an Ole Miss loss and an Alabama loss. However, if the Tide win and the Rebels lose today, Saban and his team clinch an SEC championship appearance.

Ending his appearance on College Game Day, Kiffin made sure to say “Geaux Tigers,” to show his support for LSU over Alabama in today’s matchup in Tuscaloosa.

How a three-team tie in the SEC West could be decided

Here’s how a three-way tie could be determined at the top of the SEC West.

The SEC West is shaping up to be a three-horse race. Alabama, Ole Miss and LSU all have a shot at the title entering November.

LSU and Alabama are set to face this week in a game that will have major divisional implications. A win for Alabama puts the Crimson Tide firmly in the driver’s seat and eliminates LSU from contention.

A win for LSU opens up a world of possibilities. That would put the Tigers in a three-way tie at the top of the division with Ole Miss and Alabama.

That would mean LSU beats Alabama, who beat Ole Miss, who beat LSU. If all three won out, there’d be a three-way tie at the top of the division.

With that round-robin, the head-to-head tiebreaks aren’t getting us anywhere. So, the tie-breaking procedures get more complicated.

The first step is take a look at the team’s record within the division. In this scenario, all three finish 5-1 against SEC West teams.

Next, we’d move to record against all common non-divisional teams. Again, nothing here, because the three don’t share any common non-divisional opponents.

Here’s where it starts to get interesting. It could come down to who faced the toughest schedule by looking at the best cumulative conference record of non-divisional opponents.

That works in LSU’s favor right now with the Tigers’ East opponents, Missouri and Florida, sitting at a combined 6-3 within the conference, better than the combined 5-5 cumulative record of both Ole Miss and Alabama’s opponents.

It’s unlikely to get to this point with LSU being an underdog at Alabama and Ole Miss still having to face Georgia, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

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Alabama back inside the Top Ten in Week 9 AP Poll

Alabama sneaks back into the top ten in the Week 9 AP Poll

The Crimson Tide picked up a massive rivalry win Saturday afternoon against the Tennessee Volunteers. The Tide entered the second half facing a 13-point halftime deficit before outscoring the Vols 27-0 in the second half to get a sweet revenge victory. If the Tide plays the rest of the season like they did in the second half they could very well be national champions.

Since dropping their second game of the season against the Texas Longhorns, the Crimson Tide have ripped off six straight wins. Alabama will be on bye next week before hosting the LSU Tigers in what is essentially the  SEC West Championship game. The Tide go into their bye week with a 7-1 record and complete control of their own destiny.

After picking up a top-20 win against No. 17 Tennessee, the Crimson Tide have jumped up to No. 9 in the Week 9 AP Poll. It is Alabama’s first appearance in the top ten since the Week 3 Poll ahead of the USF game. The top six stayed the exact same, but Penn State fell from No. 7 to No. 10 after their road loss against Ohio State. Next week, the College Football Playoff rankings will come out.

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PHOTO GALLERY: Top images from Alabama’s win over Arkansas

Checkout the best photos from Alabama football’s 24-21 win over Arkansas

Alabama football survived a scary second-half resurgence by Arkansas. The offense, as expected, was a bit inconsistent; but the defense uncharacteristically struggled at times.

The contest ended with a final score of 24-21, which certainly doesn’t boost the Crimson Tide’s image in the midst of trying to make a College Football Playoff push.

Both sides of the ball had strong moments, which ultimately led to Alabama finishing Week 7 with a win and an improved record of 6-1. Next week, the Tide stays home and hosts Tennessee.

Check out the top images from the Crimson Tide’s win as the second half of the 2023 regular season gets underway.

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Alabama escapes disaster, defeats Arkansas 24-21

Despite an impressive first-half performance, Alabama avoids an upset with a late-game defensive stand. Tide win 24-21

Alabama football’s first-half performance was impressive, but the Tide let off the gas at the start of the third quarter and Arkansas took advantage. A three-point win is still a win and the Crimson Tide’s College Football Playoff hopes stay alive.

Jalen Milroe didn’t have much time in the pocket, but still put up noteworthy numbers. He completed 10 of his 21 passing attempts for 238 yards and two passing touchdowns. He also used his legs to get into the end zone for six points.

This was not the Tide’s prettiest game of the season and many lessons can be learned from the mistakes made. Some issues, like the inconsistent offensive line play, might be something to worry about as the second half of the season progresses.

Next week, Alabama hosts Tennessee in a must-see SEC game that will have plenty of eyes on it based on the outcome of last year’s meeting.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football throughout the 2023 season.

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CFB experts unanimously pick Alabama over Arkansas

Alabama is the clear favorite in the Week 7 SEC West matchup against Arkansas.

Alabama hosts Arkansas for a Week 7 matchup that many believe will go the way of the Crimson Tide. USA TODAY college football experts made their weekly picks and all six are rolling with the Tide.

The Razorbacks enter the matchup with a record of 2-4, but that doesn’t mean they can’t put up a fight. Three of their four losses were by a single possession.

USA TODAY college football experts unanimously picked the Crimson Tide to win, which makes some fans uneasy as it could be seen as rat poison, or outside noise that negatively impacts the team.

I’m of the belief that this team’s mindset has completely changed. The goal is to fight for a spot in the College Football Playoff and compete for a national championship. Similar to the 2015 Alabama team, being ranked No. 13 in the nation was a wake-up call.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the 2023 season progresses.

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PHOTOS: Top images from Alabama’s win over Texas A&M

Check out the top images from the Week 6 matchup against Texas A&M on the road in a major SEC West matchup.

Alabama football earned a hard-fought win over Texas A&M to take over as the sole top team in the SEC West. The Crimson Tide’s offense continues to improve, but the defense was the star of the show.

Nick Saban and his team will leave Kyle Field and Week 6 with a record of 5-1 and took care of arguably the most challenging opponent remaining on the schedule.

If Alabama is able to run the table, they will participate in the SEC Championship game, which would be a huge boost in their College Football Playoff hopes.

Next week, the Tide will return home to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks as they continue their quest to compete for National Championship No. 19.

Crunch the numbers: What do analytics say about Alabama vs. Texas A&M?

Check out the statistical chances Alabama loses in the Week 6 road matchup with Texas A&M.

Alabama, ranked No. 11 in the nation, will hit the road to take on Texas A&M at Kyle Field. While the Crimson Tide is favored, it is expected to be a close game, as a lot hangs in the balance.

The outcome of this matchup will aid in determining which program takes the top spot in the SEC West for the time being and could lead to Alabama falling greatly in the rankings or making a leap in the right direction.

ESPN’s analytics give the Crimson Tide a 66.3% chance of winning, while the Aggies have only a 33.7% chance.

Texas A&M recently lost quarterback Conner Weigman for the season, but their defense still ranks inside the top five in the nation, and the strongest within the SEC.

Both teams enter this game with one non-conference loss – Alabama fell at home to Texas, while Texas A&M lost on the road to Miami.

This is a great test to see where the Crimson Tide are at on their path to improvement. A lot has changed on the offensive side of the ball, whether it be play-calling or quarterback play. How this game goes will tell us a lot about the team and could help predict how the remainder of the season will play out.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the 2023 season progresses.

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Jalen Milroe can’t repeat his 2022 performance against Texas A&M this season

Jalen Milroe’s 2022 performance against Texas A&M likely wouldn’t get the job done this time around.

Alabama enters Week 6 as a near-top-10 team that has only one blemish on its record – a home loss to a top-five Texas team. The Tide will face Texas A&M on the road this week, which carries major SEC Championship and College Football Playoff implications

Last season, The Crimson Tide hosted the Aggies and won by only four points. In fact, Texas A&M was one play away from winning it all as time expired. The quarterback in that game? Jalen Milroe, making his first start at the collegiate level.

The week prior, Heisman-winning quarterback Bryce Young injured his shoulder against Arkansas and was sidelined against the Aggies.

Milroe earned the win, but he could have played better. As an experienced player now with multiple games under his belt and an offensive scheme built to accommodate him, expectations should be higher.

He completed 12 of 19 passing attempts for 111 yards and three touchdowns, he also threw for an interception. He also had 17 carries for 81 yards. In this season’s meeting between the two teams, he will have to manage the game and reman calm under pressure in an environment that will surely be unlike any other he’s had to play in.

Repeating last year’s performance likely won’t be enough to get the job done. He needs to revisit that game and see what needs to improved upon.

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