Alabama shows why they are the No.1 team in the nation, pushing past Arkansas, 24-20

Alabama is a great team -the best team in the nation- and they showed it Saturday in Fayetteville. In the opening moments, the entire Arkansas team was fired up to be at home and get the chance to knock off the No. 1 team. If there are still any doubts about Ryan Mallett, please put them to rest. He threw for 250 yards in the first half, and finished the day with 357 yards through the air. You have to be special to do this against an Alabama defense, albeit a young and inexperienced unit. But I tip my hat to Mallett because he is the real deal. The Razorbacks picked on cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick all game long and exploited his inexperience for a few big plays by Arkansas wideout Jarius Wright (6 catches, 131 yards). In the first half, the upset alert was going off as the wheels were falling off of the Crimson Tide. Greg McElroy was not his steady self in the first half and that had to do with a couple of bad passes and a fired up Razorback team. The second half was when Alabama stuck to their bread and butter: the running game with Mark Ingram (157 yards and 2 TDs) and Trent Richardson (85 yards, no rushing TDs, 1 REC TD), perfect strategy to keep the potent Arkansas offense off the field and wear away at the Razorback defense. Nick Saban’s boys showed resolve and true grit in the face of adversity. McElroy orchestrated drives that put his team in position to win; there was a sense of been-here-done-that attitude by the Crimson Tide. There was no point where I saw this team panic being down for the majority of the game, taking the lead with 3:18 left in the game. Three interceptions by the ‘Bama defense was the key factor to thwarting the Razorbacks. Robert Lester had two interceptions on the day, one very important one, setting up Alabama to take the lead; and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick picked off the last interception to seal the game and put an end to any chances for an Arkansas comeback. I feel in my gut that the Crimson Tide faced their biggest and stiffest test they will see all season. This team will be undefeated and have a chance to be back-to-back national champions. I really believe it and you should too. Greg McElroy will continue to improve, and he’s no longer a game-manager, maybe last year he was but not anymore; he comfortable with the offense and the playmakers around him. McElroy will end up being the most efficient passer in the SEC, or out of the BCS conferences. Arkansas really needs to work on establishing a running game to become more balanced with the passing attack. It’s a lot for Mallett to carry the offense with his arm for four quarters. But this team might just get the majority of their wins in shootouts; and the defense needs to improve as well. There are still signature wins to be had against Auburn, South Carolina, and LSU. And how Mallett performs in these games will put him right in the thick of the Heisman race, but no better win would have been bigger than downing Alabama.

Alabama is more than deserving of the No.1 spot in the nation

Wow, is all I can say about Alabama. I must say that I actually thought Greg McElroy would be the Achilles heel of this team. However, I’m wrong about that. McElroy might be the most efficient passer of the SEC, forget about Ryan Mallett and John Brantley and Cam Newton. They can put up those gaudy numbers, but McElroy will spread the ball around to his receivers and he as the best running back tandem in Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson. Against Penn State, McElroy stood tall in the pocket, checked down to his 1st and 2nd receivers and let the ball fly or broke the pocket for a run. He is more confident in his second year with his playmakers. The only problem might be the young secondary, but with good coaching they might not be that vulnerable as everyone thinks. During the offseason, I was adamant that the Crimson Tide could not repeat as national title winners, but it is looking to me that they have the best shot out of anyone to reach the title game and win. Before I drink their Kool-Aid, I will let them take a bite of their conference pie, first. However, the way things are now, they will be a dominant force in the Southeastern Conference. September 25th @Arkansas and October 9th @South Carolina will be pivotal games. If Alabama beats both teams then they will play for the national title, no bones about it. I can realistically see a rematch for the SEC title game between the Crimson Tide and South Carolina, unless the Gamecocks implode down the stretch and Florida sneaks in through the back door. I’m starting to believe that Florida has legit problems on offense and with Chris Rainey being dismissed from the team, they could be in trouble. In my mind, Alabama is a more complete team than last season, and they are serving notice to everyone in the nation that they are going back to Glendale to take another crystal trophy home with them.

We hope for a speedy recovery...well, Alabama does

It was reported today that Mark Ingram, Heisman-winning running back for Alabama, suffered a knee injury and has underwent surgery. He is expected to miss the opener against San Jose State and likely the Penn State game on September 11th. Alabama is will make an effort to see how he is progressing after the surgery and determine what the timetable is for his return. It was made clear that he will not be rushed back into action, and his future is a concern and priority to them. The Crimson Tide will have his backup, Trent Richardson take on the starting position, so they will not miss a beat with Ingram sidelined. Last season, Richardson ran for 751 yards with eight touchdowns and it is documented that his number of carries would increase with this year as to keep the rotation of him and Ingram with fresh legs. We will watch this story and see how it unfolds as the first weekend of college football kicks off this Saturday.