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SEC power rankings: Do surprises emerge with spring ball complete?

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SEC power rankings: Do surprises emerge with spring ball complete?


Spring soccer has come and gone. The brand new faces underneath heart and on the headset throughout the SEC have made their first appearances.

Alabama has a pair of recent coordinators. No less than 5 colleges throughout the SEC will probably be breaking in a brand new quarterback, together with Georgia and Alabama. None has extra hype than the man at … Kentucky?

And that variety of new quarterbacks might develop as competitions warmth up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS94JTBAO0I

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1. Georgia

This spring, Carson Beck seemingly seized management of the chance to exchange Stetson Bennett. The Bulldogs nonetheless have Brock Bowers and added a pair of beginning SEC receivers to bolster Beck’s weapons: Mississippi State’s Rara Thomas and Missouri’s Dominic Lovett. And don’t be stunned if the protection takes a step ahead after ending merely fifteenth in yards per play final season. The 2-time defending nationwide champs will most likely begin the season at No. 1 and have a really actual shot at a three-peat.

The Tigers seemingly have two successful SEC quarterbacks on the roster in Heisman contender Jayden Daniels and backup Garrett Nussmeier, who torched Georgia’s protection within the Tigers’ blowout loss within the SEC title recreation. They’ll work behind an skilled offensive line that needs to be improved. Edge rusher Harold Perkins is perhaps prepared for a Heisman-caliber season, too. Plus, the Tigers get freshman All-American defensive deal with Maason Smith again after he missed almost all of 2022 with a torn ACL. Malik Nabers is a legit No. 1 receiver, and Brian Kelly already received the West in Yr 1. The concept the Tide needs to be favored to unseat them doesn’t make a ton of sense.

GO DEEPER

Mandel’s post-spring Too Early Prime 25

3. Alabama

Alabama has expertise, but it surely lacks expertise. For now. Alabama added Notre Dame’s Tyler Buchner to a crowded quarterbacks group, however the protection will have to be higher to show the Crimson Tide again right into a title contender in what needs to be a contentious SEC West race. Buchner is extra skilled than Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson, however he’s not a returning Heisman winner, both.

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Nick Saban has two new coordinators in Kevin Steele and Tommy Rees, and Alabama has lots to show at receiver after an underwhelming 2022 for a unit that has extra usually been a energy in latest seasons and produced a Heisman winner.

Josh Heupel has Tennessee in place to reload, even after dropping Hendon Hooker, Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman. Bru McCoy might blossom right into a No. 1 receiver, and Oregon switch receiver Dont’e Thornton is a stable portal pickup. Linebacker Keenan Pili, a former crew captain at BYU, also needs to bolster a protection that will enhance. However the Vols will seemingly go so far as quarterback Joe Milton can take them. He’s prepared for his second act as beginning quarterback after dropping the job to Hooker midseason in 2021. If he thrives, he might be a first-round choose this time subsequent 12 months.

5. Ole Miss

The Rebels return quarterback Jaxson Dart, however added a few large portal pickups on the place in Walker Howard from LSU and the skilled Spencer Sanders from Oklahoma State. Zach Evans could also be gone however Quinshon Judkins is a sleeper for the Heisman Trophy. The Rebels are hopeful new coordinator Pete Golding from Alabama may help shore up a protection that ranked forty eighth in yards per play final season.

6. Texas A&M

The wedding between Jimbo Fisher and new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino is many issues, however chief amongst them it’s must-see TV. On paper, if the personalities mesh effectively it might assist revitalize a proficient however underachieving offense led by quarterback Conner Weigman and receiver Evan Stewart. If the 2 headstrong teaching legends don’t mesh, A&M’s $95 million Jimbo experiment may have reached some extent the place an answer looks like a close to impossibility.


Will Texas A&M’s offense and QB Conner Weigman be extra constant underneath the Bobby Petrino-Jimbo Fisher combo? (Daniel Dunn / USA At the moment)

7. Kentucky

The Wildcats went from hitting the reset button at quarterback to grabbing the perfect passer within the switch portal. Including Devin Leary from NC State and reuniting with Liam Coen has introduced loads of pleasure and optimism to Lexington this offseason.

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Few, if any, groups had a greater end than South Carolina, which closed the common season with a rout of Tennessee and a highway win over rival Clemson. Shane Beamer has parlayed that into recruiting success, however he additionally returns quarterback Spencer Rattler and receiver Juice Wells for brand new offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains.

Sam Pittman misplaced offensive coordinator Kendal Briles to TCU and defensive coordinator Barry Odom to UNLV as head coach. KJ Jefferson is again and would be the SEC’s finest returning quarterback, however the Razorbacks will face some stress after struggling irritating losses within the last month of the season to Liberty and Missouri. Dan Enos is again in Fayetteville as OC, and Travis Williams arrives as DC from UCF underneath Gus Malzahn.

10. Florida

The Gators are nonetheless trying to find a solution at quarterback, however Billy Napier’s underwhelming Yr 1 means there will probably be stress for him in Gainesville. He’s recruited effectively however wants a Yr 2 bump in a sport with much less persistence than ever.

Hugh Freeze inherits a proud program mired in a valley and doesn’t inherit a longtime quarterback, although Robby Ashford might be the favourite to win the job. The offensive line was gutted, however Freeze added a dozen transfers to bolster a roster that went 5-7 and 2-6 in SEC play final 12 months. Eight of these dozen are four-star transfers in 247Sports Composite ranking.

12. Mississippi State

Will Rogers returns and first-year coach Zach Arnett is an unknown entity, however the Bulldogs protection ranked thirty eighth in yards per play final 12 months. Arnett is handing off play-calling duties to Matt Brock within the meantime. Offensively, the Bulldogs will run the ball a bit extra underneath new OC Kevin Barbay, and main receiver Jo’quavious Marks is again for his senior season after three years as a co-lead again with Dillon Johnson.

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13. Missouri

The Tigers haven’t solved their quarterback quandary however introduced in Miami’s Jake Garcia to compete with Brady Cook dinner, who sat out the spring with an damage. 5-star receiver Luther Burden stiff-armed the switch portal, however Bush Hamdan, who took over play-calling duties late final season as quarterbacks coach, left to be Boise State’s official offensive coordinator. Shedding defensive lineman Trajan Jeffcoat to Arkansas and receiver Dominic Lovett to Georgia are each large losses, however the Tigers did add receiver Theo Wease from Oklahoma.

14. Vanderbilt

Clark Lea beat Florida and Kentucky in consecutive weeks final 12 months, late in his second season on the helm. He’ll attempt to hold that rolling within the fall, however the Commodores should get higher on each strains and wish a breakout season from A.J. Swann at quarterback after he confirmed a ton of promise in 2022 taking up for Mike Wright.

 (Picture of Joe Milton III: Eakin Howard / Getty Photographs)





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Alabama

Alabama’s recent focus on defense pays off in blowout win over Kent State

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Alabama’s recent focus on defense pays off in blowout win over Kent State


TUSCALOOSA, Ala.Nate Oats started his postgame press conference explaining why Alabama would have a much better winter break after its 81-54 win over Kent State. According to Oats, a happy holiday hinged on the Tide’s defensive performance against the Golden Flashes.

“Much better defensive effort so it’ll be a lot better Christmas break for us,” Oats said with a smile at the podium. “We did make a big point of emphasis on defense, especially after that debacle up in North Dakota with [Fighting Hawks guard Treysen Eaglestaff].”

It was far from a perfect offensive display for the Tide against Kent State. Alabama’s lingering turnover issues reared its ugly head for a second straight and the Tide continued shooting poorly from 3-point range.

However, after defensive letdowns nearly sprang an upset in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Alabama got back to the basics over the next few days at practice. The team worked on defensive fundamentals rather than solely focusing on film study.

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That extra emphasis paid off as Alabama equaled its lowest points allowed in a game this season with 54. Tide forward Grant Nelson swatted a shot attempt by Kent State’s leading scorer VonCameron Davis in the opening few minutes, which helped set the tone the rest of the way.

“I think that [block] and just really everyone loading in the gaps, helping each other out,” Nelson said of Alabama’s defensive performance. “I thought that was huge. I think we kept them to six points in the first three media timeouts, that was huge for us. We emphasized that like I said and just a lot of credit to our guys for carrying it over on the court.”

While Alabama didn’t shoot the ball well, it made sure Kent State’s shooting was even more ineffective. Alabama communicated well on switches and contested shots from beyond the arc. It honed in on Davis, who averages 14.9 points per game but was limited to under 10 points for just the second time this season. Davis scored nine on an inefficient 4 of 15 from the field and had a minus-31 box plus-minus rating.

Coming into the game, Oats also felt like Kent State guard Jalen Sullinger (9.7 points per game) could be a dangerous weapon against Alabama’s defense with the potential to do the same thing Eaglestaff did for North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks guard scored a career-high 40 points, single-handedly pulling them back into the game late.

After missing the mark severely on guarding Eaglestaff, the Tide understood the assignment when it came to Sullinger and locked down the Kent State senior.

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“He ended up shooting 1 of 14 and didn’t score in the second half,” Oats said. “So I think we did a little bit of a better job being locked in to a perimeter guy. We held them to a pretty good field goal percentage, they only shot 28%. Traditionally, this has been one of the hardest playing teams — I was in the MAC for six years and they get all of the O Boards. We gave up too many second-chance points but I thought for the most part our first-shot defense was good.”

Alabama continued to play effective post-defense in spite of the offensive rebounds. The Tide finished with six blocks as a team. Center Clifford Omoruyi won the Hard Hat Award for the most blue collar points and grabbed 12 rebounds while Nelson had 14. Off the bench, Derrion Reid had a pair of steals while Mouhamed Dioubate chipped in with two blocks.

Following the win, Alabama jumped from No. 57 to No. 42 in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com. As the Tide looks to build on its defensive momentum, better play on offense will have to follow. Alabama’s defense is much improved from last season when it was at its best, but it won’t be able to win games on defense alone when league play tips off on Jan. 4.

“We struggled a little offensively, and we’re gonna have to figure some stuff out here before SEC play,” Oats said. “The turnovers have been really just way too many — 13 in the first half. We did the same thing two games in a row. We only had one the second half against North Dakota. We ended up with six in the second half here. So we’ve got to do a better job at turnovers. I don’t have an answer for the free throw problems, but the only way to fix that is get in the gym and work. The good thing for us is we don’t have any school for a few weeks here, so after they get back from Christmas break, we’ll be in the gym and putting some time in.”

Alabama will conclude non-conference play against Summit League side South Dakota State. The Tide and Jackrabbits will tip off at 2 p.m. CT Dec. 29 inside Coleman Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.

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How cold did Alabama get last night? These cities had the lowest temperatures

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How cold did Alabama get last night? These cities had the lowest temperatures


Very cold temperatures greeted Alabamians on Sunday morning.

The National Weather Service said temperatures overnight bottomed out in the low 20s in parts of the state and even were at the freezing mark in south Alabama.

Here were the lowest temperatures between midnight and 6 a.m. Sunday from around Alabama from the National Weather Service:

* Alexander City: 30 degrees

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* Anniston: 23 degrees

* Auburn: 28 degrees

* Birmingham: 24 degrees

* Decatur: 25 degrees

* Demopolis: 25 degrees

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* Dothan: 30 degrees

* Evergreen: 28 degrees

* Eufaula: 28 degrees

* Gadsden: 21 degrees

* Haleyville: 22 degrees

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* Huntsville: 26 degrees

* Mobile: 31 degrees

* Montgomery: 25 degrees

* Muscle Shoals: 24 degrees

* Ozark: 29 degrees

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* Prattville: 25 degrees

* Sylacauga: 24 degrees

* Talladega: 22 degrees

* Troy: 26 degrees

* Tuscaloosa: 25 degrees

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Temperatures today will be a few degrees higher than on Saturday. Highs will range from the low to mid-40s in south Alabama to the 50s in central Alabama, to the mid-50s in south Alabama (today’s forecast is at the top of this post).

Tonight will be chilly again, but not as cold as last night. Here are the forecast low temperatures from Sunday night into Monday morning:

Tonight’s low temperatures won’t be quite as cold as last night.NWS

Gradual warming is expected to continue this week, with the next chances for rain arriving on Wednesday, Christmas Day. The weather service isn’t expecting a lot of rain, and no severe weather is anticipated.

High temperatures on Christmas Day will be warmer, with 60s expected across a wide area and possibly some 70s near the coast. Here are the expected Christmas Day temperatures:

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Wednesday highs

It will be warmer across much of Alabama on Christmas Day. Above is the forecast for Wednesday.NWS

The warming trend looks to hold past Christmas. Here is the six- to 10-day temperature outlook, and it shows a high probability of above-average temperatures for Alabama through the end of December:

6-10 day temp outlook

Alabama has a high probability of experiencing above-average temperatures from Dec. 27- Dec. 31.Climate Prediction Center



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Seth McLaughlin Brings Alabama's Tennessee Victory Cigar Tradition to the Ohio State Sideline

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Seth McLaughlin Brings Alabama's Tennessee Victory Cigar Tradition to the Ohio State Sideline


Seth McLaughlin wasn’t able to play against Tennessee on Saturday night.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t celebrate his team’s dominating 42-17 win the way he used to when he suited up for the Alabama Crimson Tide as an undergraduate student. 

The cigar he had with him was not random or a prop. It was part of a tradition he learned in Tuscaloosa.

As the legend has it, in 1961 one of Bear Bryant’s trainers lit up a stogie following a Tide win which had ended a five-game slide to the Volunteers. This created a tradition maintained over the next two decades – which eventually spread to the opposite sideline.

The Volunteers have been participating in the victory cigar tradition since the early 1980s. It has spread from the sideline into the stands and tailgates. Earlier this season, the Volunteers beat the Crimson Tide in Knoxville, creating a plume of smoke above Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee students light up cigars after an SEC conference game between Tennessee and Alabama in Neyland Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024.

Tennessee students light up cigars after an SEC conference game between Tennessee and Alabama in Neyland Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. © Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

So it was appropriate that McLaughlin, now with the Buckeyes following his Rimington Award-winning season in Columbus found a way to pay homage to his first alma mater while celebrating with his second one.

Ohio State plays Oregon in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. 





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