thursday, january 26, 2012
Remembering Joe Paterno and Bear Bryant
There is a cruel irony that the anniversary of Paul W. Bryant's death falls so close to that of Joe Paterno. The timing invites already obvious comparisons between the man who was a fixture on the sideline of Penn State football for more than six decades and the man who has come to define Alabama Crimson Tide football.The day of Paterno's death I penned a piece for SB Nation looking at the long and storied gridiron history of the Nittany Lions greatest coach, Joe Paterno: A Legend's Career. It's an effort to get a long view of his football accomplishments amid the crush of commentary racing to declare what it supposedly means.
Today I've posted a piece on Roll Bama Roll looking at Paterno's legacy in comparison with his one-time arch-rival, Bryant. The Legacies and Lessons of Bear Bryant and Joe Paterno begins with the acceptance that both have an almost mythical stature and then examines how they differ in that respect. read more
friday, january 20, 2012
The 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide by the Numbers
The 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide were the fourteenth team wearing the Crimson & White to attain the National Championship. The squad did so with one of the most dominating defenses ever to come out of Tuscaloosa.Alabama led the nation in rushing defense, passing defense, total defense and scoring defense. The only other team to accomplish that feat since they began keeping records in 1937 is Barry Switzer's 1986 Oklahoma Sooner's squad.
Yet, this edition of the Crimson Tide also boasted a very efficient offense as well. While it may not have reached the stratospheric heights of performance seen on the defensive side of the ball, the Alabama offense was a highly effective unit in 2011.
Over at Roll Bama Roll I've produced a series of posts, "Alabama by the Numbers" that breaks down what this year's team accomplished historically and looked with a little more detail in how they made it come to pass. read more
monday, january 09, 2012
The Alabama Crimson Tide & the LSU Fighting Tigers
Alabama and LSU will meet today in New Orleans, Louisiana in a game that will determine the champion of college football for the 2011 season. While this will mark the first time the two teams have faced each other in the title game, in an earlier era both were the key test for the other's championship run.In 1958 Paul W. Bryant had returned to Tuscaloosa, Alabama and faced the Bayou Bengals in his first game as head coach of the Crimson Tide. LSU's powerful single wing attack was a dangerous force when fueled by running back sensation named Billy Cannon but Tiger's head coach Paul Dietzel had another trick up his sleeve - The Chinese Bandits.
Six years later, the Tide and the Tigers met again but this time it was Alabama with the championship momentum and a stout LSU team determined to ruin the run. Both teams were ranked in the top ten and the victor would claim the SEC title and spoils beyond. read more
wednesday, august 24, 2011
Alabama's 1961 National Championship Season
Fifty years ago this season Alabama claimed its first national championship under Paul W. Bryant. It was a return to greatness for a football program that had languished at its lowest point in the decade prior.The championship proved to be the first of six with the man most of the country knew simply as "The Bear" and often it has been overshadowed by later squads who won the title wearing the crimson and white.
Yet, the 1961 squad was no fluke. It was one of the most dominating defenses ever seen at The Capstone and the season was as wild a one ever traversed by a Tide squad in claiming the championship. My story on that incredible Alabama season is now over at Roll Bama Roll.
wednesday, august 17, 2011
Alabama By the Numbers
One of the great things about Coach Nick Saban's philosophy is that it is grounded in a few very basic ideas about how to approach the game. Over time, the team's success (or lack therof) can be examined using the numbers their play on the field has produced.Over the past several weeks I have published a series of articles, Alabama by the Numbers, over at Roll Bama Roll examining Alabama football under in terms of statistics. The idea is to see the trends the on-the-field performance has produced and determine one or to nuggets of information that might help to understand what is in store for the squad next season.
The index of the articles as well as the companions pieces I did looking at the whole of the Southeastern Conference in a few of the categories can be found below.
read more
friday, august 12, 2011
Howard Schnellenberger and the Alabama Crimson Tide
Howard Schnellenberger is a college football icon and his stepping down at the end of this season will mark the end of an era. His legacy is cemented by creating three successful programs - Miami, Louisville and Florida Atlantic - from almost nothing. And his contribution was key for the same transformation at Alabama in the 1960s.Schnellenberger was a player for Paul W. Bryant at Kentucky in the 1950s. When the man known as "The Bear" took over the head coaching job at Alabama he turned to his former protegee to help him make the Crimson Tide a winner again. And that's exactly what they did.
My story on the key role Howard Schnellenberger played in the history of Alabama football is now up over at Roll Bama Roll.
tuesday, may 31, 2011
The College Football Coach's Conundrum
College football coaches are hired to win games. There are other criteria for their employment, of course, but the win/loss record better be up to snuff or the likelihood of continuing to draw a salary is slim.Yet the key to fielding successful teams is acquiring the best quality talent - talent that must wait years to reap the rewards of ability. The temptation to abuse the system is immense.
In my article today on Roll Bama Roll I argue every coach must balance the possibility of incurring infractions against the probability of acquiring wins. For coaches who push that equation too far, the results can be devastating for everyone involved.
tuesday, april 05, 2011
SEC Coaches Salaries
The Southeastern Conference boasts some of the best football in the land and putting together teams of that caliber isn't cheap. The salaries for the coaches in the conference who regularly produce winners has escalated every season and has reached the highest in the sport.To get a measure of exactly how large these numbers are, I put together a comparison of the salaries for each head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator of every team in the conference over at Team Speed Kills.
I also pulled together a comparison of SEC Coaches 2010 Cost per Win which divided each coache's salary by their win percentage.
tuesday, august 31, 2010
Alabama's Football Uniforms Through the Years
At some point in the coming season the Alabama Crimson Tide will sport a new uniform courtesy of Nike. In anticipation of the unveiling of this garb, we at Roll Bama Roll decided to take a look back at the various unis worn by the team since 1892.The familiar crimson and white look has pretty much been the norm since the early 1960s which was when Paul W. Bryant returned to The Capstone and inaugurated his unrivaled run of success. Before that era, though, the garb of the Crimson Tide players varied considerably, partially due to the advances in protective garb.
My look back at the team's garb, Alabama's Football Uniforms Through the Years is up over at Roll Bama Roll.
thursday, august 26, 2010
The Benefits of Post Practice Ice Baths
FACT: Summers in the South are hot. For a football team enduring six weeks of practice in preparation for the upcoming season that's a problem. Particularly if that team is preparing to defend the National Championship,During practice there is little the Crimson Tide's training staff can do to mitigate the heat other than making sure they are properly hydrated. Yet, after the final whistle sounds they can do quite a lot.
Alabama, as well as a growing number of college football teams, are using ice baths to help bring down the player's temperatures after practices to help speed up recovery from the grueling workouts.
My story on Alabama's technique, Frozen Tide: The Benefits of Alabama's Post Practice Ice Baths, is now up over at Roll Bama Roll.
saturday, august 21, 2010
Kleph Goes to The Football Stadium
After a painfully long off-season, college football is almost upon us and I, for one, am ready. In fact, this year I'm planning to enjoy it to the fullest. I'm planning to see as many games in person as humanly possible this year.I've made plans to be at the Alabama home opener with Penn state on Sept. 11 and the Iron Bowl to close out the regular season on Nov. 27. I'll spend almost all of November in Alabama but also will be catching games in Arizona and Louisiana if all goes as planned.
To keep track of all the weirdness I've started a little blog Kleph Goes to the Football Stadium where I'll be posting comments, photos and video from my travels. So check it out and, as always, ROLL TIDE!
thursday, august 12, 2010
The Process by the Numbers
Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban is recognized as a master of the defensive secondary. What is less understood is how his overall approach to the game is designed to play to that one particular strength.In my series The Process By the Numbers over at Roll Bama Roll I looked in detail how that system worked.
To put it in a nutshell, the rushing defense works to force long third downs that requires the opposing team to put the ball into the arms of the defensive secondary. On offense, the Alabama running attack controls the tempo of the game and, at the same time, keep the opposing team's offense off the field.
You can find the index of the three stories after the jump.
read more