Alabama and Texas A&M faced off in a much anticipated matchup tonight, and the Tide prevailed 100-97.
Alabama
Victory Thread: Alabama outlasts Aggies
This one was played at a breakneck pace from the beginning. Alabama started off hot and led by as much as nine early, but the Aggies battled back and tied things up at 46 headed into the locker room. Texas A&M shot a scorching 45% from three on 20 tries, including 2-for-3 from old friend Rylan Griffen. London Jemison shot it well to lead the Tide with 10 points, followed by nine from Latrell Wrightsell.
Alabama narrowly won the rebounding battle led by six from Aiden Sherrell. Most encouraging was Alabama successfully limiting turnovers to only two against the hyper-aggressive Texas A&M defense. The Tide didn’t shoot it particularly well from three.
Things stayed close to open the second half, as both teams kept pushing the pace and firing threes. With just over 12 minutes to play, Nate Oats was called for a technical foul after a loose ball foul on Charles Bediako with Alabama up 1. The Aggies made all four of the free throws , then got a stop and made a three on the other end. Houston Mallette answered with a three of his own, and the Aggies took a 70-67 lead into the second TV timeout.
A bucket from Rashaun Agee, a 25-year-old playing on a temporary injunction that seems to bother no one, pushed the lead out to five. Alabama pulled within three, but Jemison was called for a three-shot foul after knocking the ball away from Griffen as he loaded to shoot. It looked like Jemison got all ball, but that’s the way the call went and Griffen made all three for a 77-71 lead with just under nine minutes to play.
After an Alabama timeout, Labaron Philon knocked down a long three to pull within three. A stop on the other end set up Aden Holloway, who got into the paint for a floater and a foul to tie things up at 77 at the eight minute mark. Both teams were already in the double bonus at that stage, each with several players in foul trouble owing to the pace of play and physical nature of the game.
The two teams traded buckets for a couple of trips, but Alabama was able to go on a little 8-0 run to open up a 90-83 advantage. Agee was able to stop it with a strong move on the block and the Tide took a five point lead into the final TV timeout. Amari Allen was fouled headed into the break.
Allen made one of two when play resumed. Charles Bediako managed to grab the offensive board on the miss, but the Aggies forced a jump ball from Holloway to gain possession anyway. Alabama led by six at that stage, but the Aggies immediately went on a 6-0 spurt to tie things back up at 91 apiece with three minutes left.
The barnburner sustained, as neither team could keep the opposing guards out of the paint. A Wrightsell three from the corner put the Tide put 97-95 with a minute to play. The Aggies missed at the other end and Alabama was able to secure the rebound. Holloway then made the play of the night.
With the shot clock running dangerously low, Aden managed to get to the baseline and convert a circus shot through contact. He missed the free throw but Alabama still led by four with only 22 seconds left. It shouldn’t be lost on anyone that the Tide missed three free throws very late in this contest that would have put things out of reach.
Hill quickly took the ball to the hole and cut the lead to 99-97 with 15 seconds to play. Aggies coach Bucky McMillan called his final timeout to set up the full court press, and it worked. The ball was loose on the floor and a jump ball was called with 5.1 seconds left on the clock. Exactly 9.9 seconds had elapsed since the ball was inbounded, meaning that the Tide was all of one-tenth of a second from a 10-second violation.
The ball was inbounded to Allen and he was fouled immediately, but again made only one of two. Nate Oats chose to foul up three and it worked out. Agee missed the first unintentionally and the second intentionally. Griffen did get a fortuitous bounce for an open look at a three to tie, but he left it short and Alabama escaped.
This Texas A&M team is a pain to play and will continue to be. They play fast and hard, and can score in bunches. The Tide sorely needed this win.
Next up is a trip to Auburn. Charles Bediako’s attorneys have a conference call tomorrow to determine whether his injunction hearing will proceed on Friday as scheduled, or if his requested continuance will be granted. If Chuck is still eligible to play on Saturday, that game is going to be a circus.
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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Plaintiffs have appealed to the Alabama Supreme Court after a circuit judge last week dismissed their lawsuit against Republican gubernatorial candidate Tommy Tuberville.
The suit argues Tuberville does not meet the Alabama Constitution’s eligibility requirements to serve as governor.
In the appeal filing, plaintiff’s attorney Barry Ragsdale said the issue is “whether the circuit court had subject matter jurisdiction to hear Plaintiffs’ claims.”
It is unclear when the Alabama Supreme Court will rule.
Montgomery County Circuit Judge Brooke Reid ruled July 9 that the court did not have jurisdiction to hear the case.
The plaintiffs, two Alabama voters, claim Tuberville’s primary residence is in Florida and argue he does not meet the constitutional requirement that candidates for governor be Alabama residents for at least seven years before the general election.
On June 29, Tuberville’s legal team and the plaintiffs argued the case in Montgomery County Circuit Court.
Tuberville previously cleared a challenge from fellow Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken McFeeters.
The Alabama GOP Candidate Committee unanimously ruled Tuberville is qualified to run for governor, citing documentation including an Alabama driver’s license, voting record and tax returns.
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In certain outposts throughout the South, it’s pronounced “progrum,” not program.
However you say it, the SEC footprint houses some of the most celebrated and iconic college football programs in all the land, complete with rabid fanbases that breathe college football all year. Games are played in towering cathedrals where the crowds partake in what’s almost a religious experience on fall Saturdays.
When evaluating the SEC’s programs, recent results should be considered, but rankings also should reflect historical success, traditions, blue-blood status and fan support.
Here’s how I rank the SEC’s programs, top to bottom:
Alabama football is more than a program, and it’s bigger than an international brand. It’s a way of life. The Script A represents tradition and excellence. Alabama fans are plugged in year-round to their favorite sport, and expectations rarely dip. Coaches who thrive in T-Town are immortalized in bronze. The GOAT conversation runs through Alabama. Is it Nick Saban or Bear Bryant? Either way, it’s an Alabama coach.
2. Oklahoma
The crimson and cream have blue blood. Among SEC schools, Oklahoma trails only Alabama for all-time winning percentage. Double-digit win seasons remain the standard, although the 2000 Sooners remain OU’s last national champion. Oklahoma ruled the 1950s under Bud Wilkinson, then ran back their dominance with Barry Switzer’s wishbone in the 1970s and 80s. Seven Heisman winners point to the program’s star power.
3. Texas
Texas’ deep war chest suits the NIL era, but don’t mistake the Longhorns for the nouveau riche. They’re a traditional power that emerged from an inexcusable, prolonged slumber in between Mack Brown and Steve Sarkisian. Texas enjoyed its heyday in the Southwest Conference under Darrell Royal, but the Longhorns also showed their horns during the Brown era. They belong among the heavy hitters.
The Bulldogs don’t crack the list of blue bloods, but Kirby Smart made them look like one. Georgia has seized a place of persistent power that was long considered possible, because of the school’s location within fertile recruiting terrain. Smart flawlessly implemented Saban’s recruit-and-develop blueprint. We’re witnessing Georgia’s glory days, decades after Herschel Walker and Vince Dooley supplied the previous peak in the early 1980s.
5. LSU
LSU is the only program to have three coaches win a national championship in this millennium. Lane Kiffin could become the fourth. Money poured in to fund his roster. LSU’s standards are such that Brian Kelly got fired after winning 71% of his games. In-state talent gravitates to LSU, but the Tigers also built a national brand, and a night game at Tiger Stadium is a college football mecca.
6. Tennessee
Few states can match Tennessee’s unrelenting vigor for college football. Gen. Robert Neyland put the Vols on the map and got his name on the stadium. Johnny Majors earned a place of adoration. Phillip Fulmer’s Vols flourished in the 1990s. Since Fulmer, Tennessee’s ravenous fans infrequently had a chance to say, “It feels like ’98.” For too long, it felt more like dysfunction, but Tennessee recaptured respectability under Josh Heupel.
Few individuals mean more to a program than what Steve Spurrier means to Florida. He revolutionized the Gators from an also-ran into one of the premier programs of the 1990s. The Head Ball Coach branded The Swamp and gave the Gators an identity. They became SEC championship game regulars. Urban Meyer injected more glory with two titles. Florida lacks the consistency and history of some higher-ranked programs, but its peaks are just as lofty.
These are dark days for Auburn. The Tigers endured five consecutive losing seasons, their bleakest period since the late 1940s. Auburn’s loyal fan base deserves better. Recent woes aside, this accomplished program achieved undefeated seasons under three coaches since the 1990s. From Pat Sullivan to Bo Jackson to Cam Newton, Auburn produced decorated stars. Now, it just needs to pull out of this funk.
Trivia question: When did Texas A&M last win a national championship? Answer: 1939. The Aggies possess the financial resources, fan support and recruiting location to be top shelf, but greatness stubbornly eludes them. R.C. Slocum’s Aggies ruled the Southwest Conference in the early 1990s. Is it time for a fresh set of glory days? Mike Elko’s early returns suggest it’s safe for the Aggies to dream of ascending to their potential.
10. Mississippi
Those old enough to witness Johnny Vaught remember Ole Miss as a powerhouse. Those who watched Archie Manning remember the Rebels with a superstar. Then, Kiffin and Trinidad Chambliss made it so everyone can remember Ole Miss as a playoff team with a premier quarterback. Kiffin treated the Rebels like they were small by leaving for LSU, but not before spawning an uprising that showed the school’s potential in the NIL era.
Arkansas piled up Southwest Conference hardware under Frank Broyles, along with an undefeated season. The conference crowns ceased after Arkansas left in 1991 for the SEC, where there’s been more famine than feast for the Hogs. Even in the SEC, the Razorbacks enjoyed a few highlight seasons, but those uprisings are fading into the rearview mirror. The Hogs need another Darren McFadden.
The Tigers tout seven seasons of double-digit-wins in the past 20 years. They transitioned to the SEC better than many expected. Gary Pinkel became the best thing to happen to Mizzou since Dan Devine. Eliah Drinkwitz has been a gift, too. Anyone who’s a millennial or older can remember the program’s highlight moments, even if they never resulted in a Big 12 or SEC title.
13. Mississippi State
Dan Mullen and Mike Leach did it well for Mississippi State, but Starkville remains one of the toughest SEC outposts to win big or to sustain success. Jackie Sherrill’s 74 wins are the most for any Mississippi State coach. He needed 13 seasons to reach that number. You can’t take the cowbells away from Mississippi State, nor its 15-12 record in bowl games.
14. South Carolina
Spurrier’s successful 11-year run at South Carolina ranks among the best program-building feats in modern history. He won 11 games three seasons in a row, and his teams finished ranked in the top 10 each year. The Gamecocks never won 11 games before Spurrier, and they’ve never hit double digits since he left. Aside from Spurrier’s tenure, the peaks are few and far between.
A program that employed Bear Bryant (and finished 11-1 under the Bear in 1950) can’t rank last on this list, so here we arrive at Kentucky. What can we say about the Wildcats? Well, they own a winning record against Vanderbilt, and they occasionally aren’t as bad as you’d expect a basketball school to be. Mark Stoops got them to a respectable level, but was unable to keep things afloat.
16. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt’s 10 wins last year register as its single-season record, so you could say the program’s never looked better. The less said, the better, about much of Vanderbilt’s history — unless you want to discuss the 1904 season. That year, Vanderbilt went 9-0 and outscored its competition 474-4. Glory days.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
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