Alabama

Alabama vs. Miami? Actually, Clemson Is Chaos Agent in CFP Bracket

Published

1 year ago

December 3, 2024

Alabama vs. Miami? Actually, Clemson Is Chaos Agent in CFP Bracket

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney often waxes poetic about his time as a former walk-on turned national champion with his alma mater, the Alabama Crimson Tide. It’s a rags-to-riches story that is a good reminder of what is still possible with a little hard work and a few good breaks going your way.

Going into the ACC championship game on Saturday night against the SMU Mustangs, however, Swinney has a chance to repay his former program by doing the funniest thing possible: send the Tide packing from the College Football Playoff and cause an already existing crisis of confidence in his league to spiral even further.

That’s how things are set up on conference title game weekend in the aftermath of the CFP selection committee’s penultimate set of rankings. As much as fans may have wanted to zero in on potential hosts for those opening-round playoff games or see if that Boise State Broncos bus can drive itself all the way to a first-round bye, the real inflection point was really a narrow band of two bubble teams where the debate this season comes down to.

That would be No. 11 Alabama vs. the No. 12 Miami Hurricanes for the last spot in the bracket. One team left for dead just a few weeks ago is in. The team most assumed was safely in, all of seven days ago, appears down and out for the count.

“Look, both of them are very good,” committee chairman and Michigan Wolverines athletic director Warde Manuel said in explaining the ordering of the pair. “The committee ranked Alabama one ahead of Miami, but it doesn’t diminish how we see Miami, even with the last three weeks where they have two losses. We still think Miami is a very strong team.

“It came down to a difference in their body of work as we evaluated Alabama and Miami, not just wins, not just losses, but the totality of the season and how those teams performed.”

In the 12-team CFP era, the four-seed versus the five-seed is a non-debate—last year’s controversy surrounding the Florida State Seminoles is a thing of the past. With expansion bringing clear guidelines surrounding how teams will stack up against each other and how they’re seeded, the first team out versus the last one in is where all the debate is rooted. This is where the committee is supposed to earn their nonexistent pay.

If you were to ask those in the ACC, well, you’d probably get a response that those committee members voting on teams are not even worth that kind of paycheck at the moment. Conference commissioner Jim Phillips sent out a tersely worded statement all but pleading the same case.

“Miami absolutely deserves better from the committee,” the statement said, in part. “As we look ahead to the final rankings, we hope the committee will reconsider and put a deserving Miami in the field.”

Will they, though? As things stand now, that looks more like wishful thinking as opposed to the reality of the playoff field until Saturday’s results crystallizes it for good.

The Hurricanes have one of the best offenses in the country and are led by a dynamic, Heisman Trophy–candidate quarterback in Cam Ward. The only two blemishes on their resume are a pair of losses on the road by a combined nine points—to the Syracuse Orange and a Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets squad that just pushed the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs to eight overtimes. They had a quality, albeit not top 25, win over the Florida Gators in the Swamp and thumped the South Florida Bulls that the Tide struggled to put away for three quarters. They beat a nine-win Duke Blue Devils side and won a shootout over a solid Louisville Cardinals team, too.

“Miami, up until the last three weeks, they’ve had a very good season. But they’ve lost two of the last three weeks,” Manuel said. “Miami, top offense in the country with 44 points and over 500 yards per game. So it’s really close. It’s not just one data point over the other.”

Meanwhile, the Tide may no longer have Nick Saban as their head coach but the brand bias may take a few years to fully filter out of the system. The committee seems to define them only with regard to their high ceiling as opposed to the glaringly obvious low floor that has shown up in three losses in conference play.

Alabama is 3–1 against top-25 teams (wins against Georgia, the No. 19 Missouri Tigers and No. 14 South Carolina Gamecocks balanced out by a loss at the No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers). The Tide also have some inexplicable losses, all on the road, to the Vanderbilt Commodores and Oklahoma Sooners. Falling by a touchdown to the Vols at Neyland Stadium isn’t terrible, but it is one more in the loss column than Miami has overall.

There’s little doubt the Tide have played a more challenging slate, but they’ve also lost to the dregs of their schedule. It says more about the November chaos that has subsumed the sport that Kalen DeBoer’s team is even in the field as opposed to sitting Selection Sunday firmly out. Such is the playoff picture at the moment, where you have to squint to make out the positives for teams down the rankings and find your reading glasses to parse the negatives.

Then, there’s lil’ ol’ Clemson lurking around, seemingly waiting just for this moment to ruin their national rival from recent playoff runs in Alabama and conference mate Miami.

The Tigers lost to South Carolina, but have the committee sitting on pins and needles this weekend as they backed into the game in Charlotte against SMU. Swinney’s side hasn’t beaten anybody of note (zero top-25 wins) and lost to the three teams with a pulse on their schedule (34–3 to Georgia in the opener, 17–14 to the Gamecocks and 33–21 to Louisville). They ate up a mediocre middle class in the ACC, but find themselves as the great beneficiaries of the new system: win your (Power 4) conference championship and you’re in the field.

To borrow a March Madness term, the first bid thief in the playoff era is set to be Clemson if it can do what no ACC team has done so far and beat the Mustangs.

It might give new meaning to Swinney’s catchphrase: “Bring your own guts.” It certainly is going to cause some queasy ones in Grapevine, Texas, as the committee debates where in the field to put ACC champion Clemson, should the Tigers win, and what might happen to SMU.

“Potentially, yes,” Manuel said when asked if SMU could drop behind Alabama. “And they can move above teams, as well. Again, it just depends on the outcome of the game.”

Spare a penny for those around Phillips on Saturday night should that scenario come to fruition. It’s bad enough his league is being sued by Clemson, imagine how he’ll feel handing over a trophy that may well cost the conference yet another spot in the playoff, too?

If there’s any solace to those in Charlotte, at least a Tigers win will also render the Alabama discussion moot.

Funny how things could work out. Something says the committee won’t be chuckling when they have to cast their final votes in the end, though.

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Alabama

Circuit Judge Collins Pettaway, Jr. steps down after 13 years on the bench

Published

40 minutes ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Circuit Judge Collins Pettaway, Jr. steps down after 13 years on the bench

SELMA, Ala. (WSFA) – After more than a decade serving Alabama’s fourth judicial circuit, Judge Collins Pettaway, Jr. is stepping away from full-time service, closing a chapter that spans nearly four decades in the legal profession.

Pettaway was elected to the bench in 2012 and served in several counties including Dallas, Wilcox, Perry, Hale and Bibb counties, the largest geographical circuit in the state.

Now, he says, it was simply time.

“I never wanted to serve in that capacity forever,” Pettaway said “And plus, I wanted to also make room for some younger, brighter minds to come forward.”

Before becoming a judge, Pettaway practiced law in Selma for nearly 30 years after being licensed in 1985. During that time, he handled cases that helped shape Alabama law; something he says he didn’t fully appreciate until colleagues reflected on his impact.

“I handled several cases which actually affected and changed the direction of the state of the law in our state,” he added. “And I didn’t realize I did all that.”

Friends and fellow legal professionals once presented him with research showing his involvement in Alabama Supreme Court cases that made significant changes in state law; a moment he describes as both surprising and humbling.

During his time on the bench, Pettaway says one of his priorities was maintaining professionalism and respect within the legal system.

He often referenced the Alabama State Bar’s Lawyer’s Creed — a pledge attorneys take promising to treat even their opponents with civility and understanding.

“In that creed, you are promising that you’re gonna treat even your opponents with civility and with kindness and understanding.”

Pettaway says he believes the legal profession — and society at large — must continue working toward a culture rooted in respect and service.

Although stepping away from full-time duties, Pettaway says he is not completely leaving the legal field. He has transitioned to retired active status and plans to assist with cases when needed, while also returning to private practice.

He says this new chapter is about balance.

After decades shaping courtrooms across five counties, Pettaway says he is focused on health, perspective and trusting the next generation to carry the bench forward.

Governor Kay Ivey has appointed former Assistant District Attorney Bryan Jones to serve the remainder of Pettaway’s six-year term.

Jones previously served as senior chief trial attorney under District Attorney Robert Turner Jr. and has also led the Fourth Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force.

The transition marks a new era for the Fourth Judicial Circuit, while closing a significant chapter in its recent history.

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Alabama

Detroit Lions meet with Alabama star OL at NFL combine

Published

13 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Detroit Lions meet with Alabama star OL at NFL combine

As the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine nears its conclusion, the Detroit Lions continue to work to identify potential fits for the franchise.

The Lions own pick No. 17 in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. Though Taylor Decker recently announced his return for the 2026 season, Detroit could still be thinking offensive line in the draft’s opening round.

If the Lions opt to fortify their offensive line, one name to watch for Detroit is Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor. A Lions scout pulled Proctor aside to talk at the East-West Shrine Bowl in January.

Now, Proctor confirmed to Crunch Time Sports that he met with the Lions at the NFL combine.

Proctor started 40 games across his Crimson Tide career, missing just the first two games of the 2024 season with injury.

The 6-foot-7, 366-pound lineman was Alabama’s highest-graded player last season with an overall offensive grade of 85.9, per Pro Football Focus. Proctor had a pass-blocking grade of 84.2, a run blocking grade of 81.1 and allowed just two sacks during the 2025 college football season.

For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Josh on X, @JoshOnLions

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Alabama

Alabama lawmakers react to U.S. early morning military strike on Iran

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Alabama lawmakers react to U.S. early morning military strike on Iran

Alabama lawmakers are weighing in with their opinion after Donald Trump announced that the United States conducted a military strike on Iran overnight.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey responded to a video from the White House X account announcing that we’ve taken military action.

“Strong leadership requires hard decisions,” Ivey posted to X. “This is exactly how we will achieve peace through strength. As @POTUS said, our Armed Forces WILL prevail. May God continue to bless the brave men and women in our military! And may God bless President Trump and our great country.”

Congressman Robert Aderholt said in his own statement that he stands with Trump’s decision. The statement released earlier today, Saturday, Feb. 8, encouraged Trump for taking military action.

“For five decades, Iran has openly called for ‘death to America,’” Aderholt wrote. “I remember clearly when they orchestrated the deaths of 241 U.S. Marines in Beirut in 1983. In the years since, the regime has continued pursuing nuclear capabilities that threaten the United States and our allies. I stand with President Trump has he leads these strikes. May God bless the members of our armed forces carrying out these operations”

In addition to being the Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, Aderholt is also a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall echoed similar sentiment to Aderholt. He cites the same quote.

“For 47 years the vicious Iranian regime has chanted ‘death to America,’” Marshall wrote. “It’s time for swift and decisive action. May God bless the men and women of the Armed Forces. May God bless America.”

Senator Katie Boyd Britt says she echoes Trump’s message from earlier this morning.

“Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism,” Britt said on X. “For 47 years, this murderous regime has operated a terror network that has brought death and destruction to the world and slaughtered innocent Americans. Iran’s nuclear ambitions, ballistic missile capabilities, and funding of proxy terror groups pose a sustained and clear threat to our nation, to our military bases and citizens in the region, and to our allies. This is a defining moment of generational leadership from President Trump to achieve sustainable peace. We are praying for the safety of our men and women in uniform and I echo @POTUS’s message this morning: God bless and protect all of our heroes in harm’s way executing this mission.”

Coach and Senator Tommy Tubberville tweeted, “President Trump has shown time and time again, you NEVER threaten America. God bless our great troops, god bless President Trump, and God bless America.”

U.S. Representative for 1st Congressional District of Alabama Barry Moore responded in a Facebook post.

“May God bless our men and women in uniform,” Moore posted. “Please join me in praying for strength, wisdom, and safety for President Donald J. Trump and all of those keeping our nation safe.”

United States Congresswoman Terri Sewell representing Alabama’s 7th District offered one of the few dissenting opinions from local lawmakers and politicians. Although she acknowledges Iran’s history, Sewell expresses her concern for the lives of U.S. citizens now that peace talks have been abandoned.

“Iran has oppressed their people and supported terrorism in the region for decades,” Sewell said in an official statement. “This fact does not change the President’s obligation under the Constitution to work with Congress on military actions that put our troops in harm’s way and could drag our country into another prolonged war in the Middle East.”

Sewell goes on to say that she’ll work with Congress to arrange a vote on a war powers resolution.

“I am also calling on the Administration to immediately provide a briefing on this ongoing military action, including their justification for abandoning diplomatic talks, as as their strategy for avoiding an extended regional conflict that is not supported by the American people,” Sewell continued. “I am praying for all the service members in the region and their families.”

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