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Texas Longhorns, Steve Sarkisian Have Lot to Learn from Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks

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Texas Longhorns, Steve Sarkisian Have Lot to Learn from Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks


If Texas would not study after being taught a really particular lesson by Alabama twice, then maybe the AAU designation that brings the college such status would not apply to its athletics division.

As an extended line of Arkansas coaches, together with your entire Razorback fan base has discovered, the Alabamas and Georgias of the world do not beat you as soon as. The fallout from going to battle with them normally results in a number of potential losses.

Competing on the prime of the SEC is a battle of attrition. Even when a workforce has the appropriate personnel and loses nobody to damage, the bodily toll such video games take have a tendency to hold over for just a few video games by way of a string of bodily match-ups.

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Sadly for Texas, when it has come time to play the Crimson Tide in a sport that issues, the kind of gamers wanted to carry up have not been there. 

Quarterback Quinn Ewers, back-up quarterback Hudson Card, operating again Bijan Robinson and cornerback D’Shawn Jamison, all important to lastly digging Texas out of the dumpster, got here away injured.

Although Jeff Traylor’s UTSA workforce is a salty bunch who can reap the benefits of so many accidents, a visit by way of the Roadrunners, Texas Tech, West Virginia and Oklahoma is far completely different than following up Alabama with Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky and Oklahoma. 

Accidents can heal with the present schedule. They simply worsen or turn into structural in an SEC schedule. 

That bodily grind permits an Alabama or Georgia sport to echo all through the schedule, leading to losses which may not have occurred at full power as ache and damage turns into worse. 

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There are two issues a workforce must survive a respectable sport in opposition to the elite of the SEC. 

1. Distinctive offensive linemen with a imply streak and a love of brutality.

2a. Both a quarterback like Bryce Younger who has six eyes at the back of his head and the elusiveness of a gazelle being pursued by lions,

or,

2b. A large tank able to absorbing big quantities of punishment like Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson,

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or,

2c. A quarterback with a hair set off like Mississippi State’s Will Rogers who can do away with the ball so quick there isn’t any time to get to him.

Texas has by no means had one in every of these with Alabama on the docket in a significant sport, however might want to study its lesson earlier than time involves enter the SEC, or, as historical past suggests, successful will proceed to not occur in Austin.

The Longhorns misplaced Colt McCoy within the nationwide championship sport after Marcel Darius hit him with what could be a reasonably normal SEC hit and snapped McCoy like a twig.

It was instantly over. The great instances for Texas went down with their quarterback and the Longhorns have spent over a decade attempting to get better.

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This previous weekend in opposition to Alabama, Ewers proved Texas nonetheless prepares for Large 12 defenses although Steve Sarkisian has SEC expertise. Sark’s employees failed Ewers by not instructing him to ensure his toes are grounded when taking successful by an SEC stage defender. 

It is reckless and may have by no means occurred, however then once more, he should not have been on the sphere in opposition to Alabama along with his talent set with out the safety of one other 8-12 kilos packed on from a stringent offseason exercise.

He isn’t fast like Younger and would not have the dimensions of Jefferson. His set off is pretty quick, so that provides him an honest comparability to Rogers.

Nevertheless, Rogers packs extra muscle on his physique to guard himself, will get the ball out twice as quick and had a greater line in entrance of him. 

Again-up Hudson Card, who’s even smaller that Ewers, performed admirably whereas taking a pounding, particularly after the Longhorn offensive line turned overwhelmed all through many of the second half.

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It is a marvel Card solely got here away with an ankle damage after taking so many onerous pictures.

Longhorn followers gave the identical excuse after that nationwide championship sport they gave on Saturday.

Scroll to Proceed

However what if the quarterback hadn’t gotten damage? 

Or on this case, each vital participant on the workforce exterior of receivers Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington.

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That is simply life within the SEC. Gamers are going to get damage, particularly once they line up in opposition to Alabama or Georgia with one thing on the road. 

Simply ask Arkansas. The Hogs have outscored Texas 71-28 the previous two instances the 2 squared off. 

Nevertheless, after actually making the Longhorns give up in 2021, when nationwide champion Georgia rolled onto the schedule the Bulldogs destroyed No. 8 Arkansas. 

Accidents and normal bodily put on and tear helped that loss spiral into three straight losses earlier than the Hogs had been capable of get better and win 5 of their final six, with their solely loss being a detailed one in Tuscaloosa.

It is par for the course within the SEC and why great high quality depth and a effectively timed off-week are essential to surviving the gauntlet. 

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The individuals of Austin might flip their nostril up on the technique of transferring a weaker non-conference opponent from early within the season to a strategically deliberate week halfway by way of the convention schedule, however after just a few years of battling by way of an SEC schedule, they may acknowledge its knowledge.

However then once more, studying essential classes hasn’t actually been a factor these days at Texas.

Arkansas divider

HOGS FEED:

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SEC ROUNDUP: DAWGS, VOLS CANCEL ON OU, AUBURN HAS TEMP AD, MANNING CALLS OUT TENNESSEE, JAY-Z PROTEGE EARNS SHOE DEAL AT LSU

HOG FANS NEED TO TAKE WAIT AND SEE APPROACH WITH THIS TEAM

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WHAT OFFENSIVE LINEMAN BRADY LATHAM, RUNNING BACK AJ GREEN SAID AFTER TUESDAY’S PRACTICE

COMPLETE PRESS CONFERENCE WITH ISAIAH NICHOLS AND CHRIS PAUL

FANS NEED TO WORRY MORE ABOUT BOBBY PETRINO’S TEAM INSTEAD OF WHAT HAPPENED A DECADE AGO

FAYETTEVILLE BULLDOGS MOVE UP IN LATEST STATE HIGH SCHOOL POLL

THREE GUEST SPEAKERS PUTTING LITTLE ROCK TOUCHDOWN CLUB ON MAP

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SEC ROUND-UP: FINEBAUM TEARS INTO FISHER, AGGIES AFTER EMBARASSING LOSS

SEC SHORTS HILARIOUSLY SENDS BAMA, A&M, NOTRE DAME, NEBRASKA TO ER

DREW SANDERS HAS ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS ABOUT LINEBACKERS FOR HOGS

HOW HIRING SAM PITTMAN MADE BIG IMPACT WITH TWO TEAMS

RAZORBACKS MAKE HUGE JUMP IN AP POLL, BUT HOW FAR? WHO ELSE MOVED UP OR DOWN?

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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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