Happy Gump Day, everyone. We will open today with a piece from this Georgia bro, who notes that Georgia has an opportunity to change the narrative in a new era of Alabama football.
The common denominator of the Bulldogs’ poor record against Alabama over the past decade and a half was, of course, Nick Saban who is arguably the greatest college football coach in the history of the sport. Saban announced his retirement from coaching following the 2023 season, capping off one of the most dominant runs a college football program has ever seen.
With Saban’s reign on the college football world over, the Georgia Bulldogs now have an excellent opportunity to turn a new leaf in this storied rivalry. As a victory over the Tide in next Saturday’s matchup could signify the beginning of a new era for the Georgia-Alabama rivalry.
It’s fair to say that all of the pressure will be on Georgia next Saturday. They carry the number one ranking and all the expectations that come with it, and they are going to be feeling at least some local pressure after a putrid offensive showing in Lexington. Alabama fans should fully expect them to play much better in Tuscaloosa, but some doubt could creep in.
Georgia fans had joined the chorus of LSU, Tennessee, and Auburn folk over the past few seasons, pledging that the conference hierarchy would forever change once Nick Saban retired. Well, we’re here now. If Kalen DeBoer is able to handle Kirby’s Dawgs in their first matchup, with a quarterback that we have been told all offseason is clearly inferior to Carson Beck, some feelings are going to be mighty hurt. I’d say that Alabama holds a significant psychological edge in this one, for whatever that is worth. It seemed to be worth something in Atlanta a few months back.
Chase Goodbread has a solid observation about that dagger drive near the end of the first half in Madison.
In similar situations, Saban was known to let the clock run out, happy enough with a halftime lead on the road. The seven-time national championship coach had his reasons, beginning with the impact a turnover might have. Had Alabama lost a fumble or thrown an interception in the final minute, Wisconsin could have cut into the Alabama lead and seized major momentum going into the half. Even a penalty or two, or perhaps a third-down sack, might have presented the Badgers with a reason to call a timeout, force a punt, and make something happen with a quick possession of their own. Saban also usually had a dominant defense he could count on enough to win against anyone, anywhere, with ball-control football.
As for DeBoer’s approach? Here’s how he described it Monday: “We had 36 seconds, you’ve got a field goal kicker you believe in, and I think three timeouts. You’ve got a lot working for you.”
He’s not wrong. No way Saban was chucking it deep from his own territory on first down, with a lead and less than 40 seconds on the clock. It’s just the difference in a defensive minded coach who tended to me more risk averse with the ball, and an offensive minded coach who believes you can never have enough points.
The local beat writers have some bye week takes for you.
The Longhorns have easily been the most consistent and impressive team to date, but the fact Michigan continues to look like a dog devalues that win in the other Big House.
Still, they’re the most deserving No. 1 given the rest of the elite’s inconsistency or insufficient challenges.
Georgia looked incredibly beatable in a 13-12 win against a Kentucky team a week after taking a 31-6 home beating against South Carolina.
Ohio State’s been fine roughing up Akron (52-6) and Western Michigan (56-0). Nothing learned there.
Which SEC game will define Alabama’s 2024 season?
Colin: Georgia will be the game Alabama finds out where it stands. Tennessee will be the game Alabama finds out how it responds to either the weight of contention or adversity depending on the outcome of the Bulldogs game. But don’t look past road games at LSU and Oklahoma. Both could be fighting for one of those final CFP slots or could be looking to play spoiler. Both of the Crimson Tide’s road games in November could really determine where Alabama ends up come December.
This is a nice profile on Alabama basketball’s defensive guru, Brian Adams.
Q: What was Nate Oats’ pitch to you?
A: “No. 1, I had to pitch to him to be a part of this. I had to make sure he felt comfortable with me, one, as a person, and two, as a coach. But more importantly, running the defense. Obviously it’s an area that, with the high potent offense and what it was, last year they took a step back defensively. The years prior, they had been pretty legit. So he had to trust that I was the guy, bringing a team back that was very talented with a great opportunity for us.
So I had to pitch to him my knowledge, my scheme, my opinions on defense. And then at the end, his small pitch to me was, ‘come be a part of this great program that has a real chance to do something special.’ And then he asked me if I want to be a head coach and would I want to be a head coach in college? It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and been intrigued by. That’s a no-brainer. More me (pitching) to him. I don’t want anybody thinking he was pitching to me.”
Pretty cool to hear a dude with significant NBA experience describe the interview process this way. Sounds like a match made in Heaven.
Last, it’s tough not to be impressed with how the Miami Dolphins have handled Tua Tagovailoa since head coach Mike McDaniel came on board. Yesterday they announced that Tua was placed on Injured Reserve, which forces him to miss four games and get honest evaluations without his own competitiveness driving him to rush back at all costs.
The Miami Dolphins are placing Tagovailoa on injured reserve, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported on Tuesday.
The Dolphins later officially announced the move.
Tagovailoa will miss at least the next four games before he’s eligible to return, per NFL rules. Miami has its bye in Week 6, so the earliest Tagovailoa could return is the Dolphins Week 8 game against the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 27.
Rapoport and Garafolo added that the decision was made to give Tagovailoa ample time to progress through the stages of league’s concussion protocol and meet with outside neurologists.
Tua has said that he has no plans to retire. Hopefully he gets a clean bill of health and is able to continue living his dream.
That’s about it for now. Have a great day.
Roll Tide.
The Alabama Crimson Tide are headed back to the Rose Bowl for the College Football Playoff.
One hundred years after Alabama football’s first appearance in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 1926, the Tide will face No. 1 Indiana (13-0) in the CFP quarterfinals in Pasadena on New Year’s Day.
Alabama (11-3) rallied from a 17-0 first-half deficit to win its first-round playoff game, 34-24, against the Oklahoma Sooners (10-3) Friday night at Memorial Stadium in Norman.
Ty Simpson threw two touchdown passes to freshman receiver Lotzeir Brooks, cornerback Zabien Brown had a 50-yard interception return for touchdown, and Daniel Hill capped the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown run as the Tide closed the game by out-scoring Oklahoma 34-7 over the final 36:52.
Conor Talty added two clutch field goals in Alabama’s win, its 10th victory overall in the College Football Playoff since 2014, and its first since the Crimson Tide defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats, 27-6, in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve 2021.
After Alabama’s rally, Tide players did some celebrating on the Sooners’ field.
Follow us at @RollTideWire on X and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Alabama Crimson Tide news, notes and opinions.
NORMAN, Oklahoma — The stage was set for Oklahoma. Heck, the Sooners earned the right to set it. This was supposed to be the ushering in of a new era of postseason football for the No. 8 team in the country that had won 10 games in what was one of the toughest schedules this year.
No. 9 Alabama was even one of those teams that Oklahoma beat on its way to earning this spot. And Saturday night, all was going well for the Sooners. It was going so well, in fact, that after the first quarter, some Oklahoma fans might’ve peeked at flights and hotel rates for the Rose Bowl from inside Memorial Stadium.
And then the Alabama Crimson Tide curled and rolled the Sooners, 34-24, and are headed to Pasadena. After opening with 17 unanswered points, Oklahoma collapsed under the weight of that wave, becoming the only team in College Football Playoff history to blow a 17-point lead. And now, the Sooners have done it twice — before Saturday, in 2018 against Georgia.
[Best Teams in the College Football Playoff Era: Creating the Ultimate 12-team CFP]
Here are my takeaways from Alabama’s College Football Playoff first-round victory against Oklahoma on Saturday:
NORMAN, OKLAHOMA: Zabien Brown #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide stiff-arms John Mateer #10 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the second quarter during the 2025 College Football Playoff first-round game on December 19, 2025. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson is an avid reader and listener of college football news. Following the largest comeback win in Alabama postseason history, Simpson took a moment to facetiously thank media members for choosing Oklahoma to win on Saturday night.
“I guess we can thank you guys for that,” an emboldened Simpson said. “You guys kind of wrote us off in a sort of way. So I appreciate that.”
After building a three-score lead, the Sooners watched the Crimson Tide recover a fumbled punt, pick off Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer and return it 50 yards to the end zone — all before their First Team All-American kicker Tate Sandell missed not one but two field goals in the final minutes to solidify the worst collapse in College Football Playoff history.
Meanwhile, the Alabama Crimson Tide will prepare to take on No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl for the CFP quarterfinal game. This team that punches back and played its best football with its back against the wall is one that the Hoosiers must prepare for on New Year’s Day.
[College Football Playoff Predictions: First-Round Winners to The National Champion]
NORMAN, OKLAHOMA: John Mateer #10 of the Oklahoma Sooners is hit by Deontae Lawson #0 of the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first quarter during the College Football Playoff first-round game on December 19, 2025. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
The Crimson Tide began down — just like they did against Georgia in the SEC championship game. But the last three quarters of Saturday’s game demonstrated Alabama to be just who it says it is: the kind of team that can open with a loss to a bad Florida State and also be the first team in six years to walk into Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, and come out with a win.
DeBoer’s task now is to find a way to make certain that the team that showed up at Georgia earlier this season and at Oklahoma in the first round is the same one against the Hoosiers. Linebacker Deontae Lawson said that’s his job too. But Bama’s best trait isn’t one that shows itself until it’s in a fight for its life.
“Man, I just think we’re a resilient team,” Lawson said. “And even though we were down 17-0, we didn’t really look at the scoreboard. Coach DeBoer always says, ‘Keep playing the game. The game will come back to you.’ … We just keep fighting.”
NORMAN, OKLAHOMA: Head coach Brent Venables of the Oklahoma Sooners speaks to an official during the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide on December 19, 2025. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
Let’s look at the bigger ones:
These are blunders. Errors that aren’t forced but self-inflicted. It’s difficult to win any game with those kinds of mistakes on your drive chart. It’s nearly impossible in a game of this magnitude, against a team as talented and as resilient as the Crimson Tide.
NORMAN, OKLAHOMA: Keon Keeley #31 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates after defeating the Oklahoma Sooners in the College Football Playoff first-round game. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Oklahoma usually plays 50 Cent’s “Many Men” before the start of the fourth quarter. In an attempt to make a statement for its first CFP game at Owen Field, the Sooners brought the rapper himself out onto the field to perform the song for fans in a Hard to Kill Hoodie.
“I didn’t know it was live,” DeBoer said.
“I didn’t know who 50 Cent was,” Simpson said, “but I know that song.”
“We play that song at practice on Fridays,” Lawson said.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him @RJ_Young.
Hello college football fans, and welcome to The Athletic’s live coverage of the 2025 College Football Playoff!
Yes, after a 2025 season full of an incredible amount of twists, turns, controversy and pure chaos, the second edition of the 12-team College Football Playoff gets underway tonight. Our opening matchup is a battle of blue-bloods whose first meeting this season contributed to that chaos, as No. 9 Alabama takes on No. 8 Oklahoma in Norman.
Follow along for live pregame build-up and the latest news, play-by-play updates and real-time analysis from The Athletic’s college football staff!
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