West Alabama Monday Briefing
Good morning West Alabama! It is Monday August 26, 2024. It is game week for the Alabama Crimson Tide and Bama is a 31.5-point favorite.
After months of waiting, it is finally here, game week for the first edition of new head football coach Kalen DeBoer's Bama football team, The game with Western Kentucky kicks off just after 6:00 Saturday night is a sellout, and it will national televised on ESPN and carried from the Crimson Tide Sports Network on 95.3 The Bear and Tide 100.9.
The pre-season predictions mostly include the Tide in the new 12-team College Football Playoff. However almost all have Bama losing one to two games. Then of course there are the perineal Alabama haters in the national media, who see this as an opportunity to stoke the fears of Tide fans by forecasting that the Crimson Tide will be left out with three perhaps four losses.
No worry about "rat poison" this year. This is a Tide team with lots to prove to make some pundits look bad and excite the faithful.
The critics point out that DeBoer is no Nick Saban. He may not be, but his career record proves he is no Mike Shula or Mike DuBose either. After just nine years as a head coach, DeBoer has compiled a 104-12 overall record. He was 25-3 at Washington, including the national runner-up in last year's CFP. And his Huskie QB Michael Penix Jr. was the Heisman Trophy 1st runner-up.
He was also able to do something Alabama couldn't, he beat Texas in the CFP national semi-final game while the Longhorns embarrassed the Tide at Bryant-Denny.
DeBoer was 12-2 against Top 25 teams during his stints as head coach at Fresno State and Washington. And he knows something about winning national championships. He posted three NAIA National Title at Sioux Falls.
And of yes, while some now former Tide players walked away from Tuscaloosa when Nick Saban retired, the cupboard is not bare. Numerous Bama players have been named to various award watch lists. That includes 19 to the post season Senior Bowl watch list and three AP Pre-season All American selections. Plus, Tide QB Jalen Milroe is on the Heisman and the nation's best kicker transferred to T-Town.
I'm not being Pollyanna here, I know things could go wrong, key injuries, a tougher than ever SEC, big game in Wisconsin and problems with the team jelling could all play havoc with the season. And that is what the Alabama haters want. They crave the possibility that a couple of losses could turn Alabama fans into an angry mob similar to what happened between Bear Bryant and Nick Saban. Except for Gene Stallings' 1992 national title, Alabama spent much of the decade after Bryant wandering in the wilderness while Tide fans hung the "he's no Bear" title on each coach.
Kalen DeBoer is not the G.O.A.T. but if Bama fans stay behind him and his players, who is to say he can't be.
As for this weekend's gametime weather, you might want to take a raincoat. There is a 40% chance of rain during the day Saturday and a 20% around kickoff. The good news is those rain chances will be widely scattered and might not impact Bryant-Denny at all.
The Forecast:
Topping the News:
A new bridge will be opened in Jasper today. Congressman Robert Aderholt, state and local officials will cut the ribbon on the Highway 5 Bridge over Highway 69. Gov. Ivey will cut the ribbon for the project that began in January at 1:45 this afternoon.
Former Tuscaloosa County legislator and current State Finance Director Bill Poole will be in Tuscaloosa on Monday, September 9th to update the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama's Biannual "Chamber in Session" on the state's economic status.
The Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter will fully re-open to the public after an outbreak of canine distemper led to a two-month quarantine and the death of more than 50 dogs.
Just in time for the Labor Day weekend, gasoline prices has dropped a bit more
Spurned by the state court system, United Methodist Churches in Hale, Bibb and Marengo counties and southward to the Gulf Coast are making their case before the United Methodist judicial court for leaving the embattled denomination.
Opioids continues to be a scourge in West Alabama. Over the weekend Project Freedom, an Opioid awareness campaign at Annette Shelby Park to inform the public about the dangers of Opioids.
Topping Sports News:
Nicole Auerbach of NBC Sports is reporting that Tide QB Jalen Milroe has announced an NIL deal with Celsius, an energy drink popular with college student.
From UA Athletics: Tyler Gentry, a member of the Crimson Tide from 2019-20, was recalled by the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, marking his first trip to the Major Leagues. His first game appearance will signify his MLB debut. The former Alabama outfielder becomes the first Crimson Tide player to reach the big leagues since Matt Foster in 2020 and becomes the 70th player in program history to reach baseball's highest level.
More From 95.3 The Bear
