From now until kickoff in Arlington, Texas, we'll be counting down the days before Alabama and Michigan get the season started. Today, we move to No. 54 and what it means to UA football. See all the previous editions here.
In a Nick Saban defense, the heart is located right in center of the action. The nose tackle is the lynchpin, the cornerstone if you will, of the defense. And in No. 54 Jesse Williams, the Crimson Tide have a dynamic building block in the middle.
The flamboyant, tattoo-clad Aussie spent last year at defensive end and will move to nose tackle this season to fill the hole left behind when Josh Chapman and Nick Gentry exhausted their eligibility. But similar to Barrett Jones' move from left tackle to center, there's little concern how Williams will fit in over center.
In early May, Williams was named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch list. As a junior, Williams was an integral part of the No. 1-ranked defense in the country at Alabama, starting all 13 games at defensive end. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound lineman finished the season with 24 tackles, four tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries in his first year with the Crimson Tide. Mark Barron and Dont'a Hightower were both named to the watch list in 2011. Boston College Linebacker Luke Kuechly took home the trophy.
In previewing the 2013 NFL Draft, scouting guru Mel Kiper Jr. listed Williams as one of the top five seniors available at defensive tackle. CBS Sports has him ranked as the No. 41 prospect overall and No. 5 at his position.
In a Nick Saban defense, the heart is located right in center of the action. The nose tackle is the lynchpin, the cornerstone if you will, of the defense. And in No. 54 Jesse Williams, the Crimson Tide have a dynamic building block in the middle.
The flamboyant, tattoo-clad Aussie spent last year at defensive end and will move to nose tackle this season to fill the hole left behind when Josh Chapman and Nick Gentry exhausted their eligibility. But similar to Barrett Jones' move from left tackle to center, there's little concern how Williams will fit in over center.
In early May, Williams was named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch list. As a junior, Williams was an integral part of the No. 1-ranked defense in the country at Alabama, starting all 13 games at defensive end. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound lineman finished the season with 24 tackles, four tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries in his first year with the Crimson Tide. Mark Barron and Dont'a Hightower were both named to the watch list in 2011. Boston College Linebacker Luke Kuechly took home the trophy.
In previewing the 2013 NFL Draft, scouting guru Mel Kiper Jr. listed Williams as one of the top five seniors available at defensive tackle. CBS Sports has him ranked as the No. 41 prospect overall and No. 5 at his position.
Point guard Anthony Barber (Hampton, Va./Hampton) has been sensational in June and July. Considering only the point guards, Barber’s moved his stock to a different level and is sitting as the nation’s No. 3 point at this moment. How’d he do it?
“I’m shooting the ball better and being more vocal as a point guard,” Barber said. “I’m not going at the same speed all the time and I’ve learned how to slow down. I think I’ve improved more as a point guard than I was last year.”
Barber and his Boo Williams AAU team faced adversity in the spring. With plenty of talent, Boo Williams couldn’t get it right and was in jeopardy of missing its first Peach Jam. Then, in Oakland at the final Nike Elite Youth Basketball League session, they got the mix down.
“I’m shooting the ball better and being more vocal as a point guard,” Barber said. “I’m not going at the same speed all the time and I’ve learned how to slow down. I think I’ve improved more as a point guard than I was last year.”
Barber and his Boo Williams AAU team faced adversity in the spring. With plenty of talent, Boo Williams couldn’t get it right and was in jeopardy of missing its first Peach Jam. Then, in Oakland at the final Nike Elite Youth Basketball League session, they got the mix down.
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From now until kickoff in Arlington, Texas, we'll be counting down the days before Alabama and Michigan get the season started. Today, we move to No. 55 and what it means to UA football. See all the previous editions here.
The University of Alabama offense may not have been the flashiest thing in the world, but it was certainly effective. The Crimson Tide produced 55 touchdowns in 2011-12, scoring 34.8 points per game en route to another national championship.
And when you're giving up just 8.2 points per game, how much offense do you really need?
As it turns out, not that much. Looking back on last season, it's surprising to consider how lopsided the games were. With the exception of a three-point loss to LSU in November, no team finished within two touchdowns of the Tide. Penn State came the closest, losing handily, 27-11. As the Countdown pointed out yesterday, UA's margin of victory was 29.08 points.
The touchdowns scored by the Tide came from a number of places. AJ McCarron threw 16 and rushed for two more, Trent Richardson ran for 21 and caught three more, while the rest of the UA backfield combined for 11 scores. Special teams netted one touchdown. Even the defense got involved, putting the ball in the end zone four times -- three on interception returns and once on a recovered fumble.
For all the talk of Alabama's offense being stagnant, UA finished 20th in the country in scoring. Richardson finished sixth in all of college football in scoring and McCarron finished 71st in total offense.
Inside the 20-yard line, Alabama scored 55 percent of the time. Had it not been for a shaky field goal unit, UA could have put up the most points per game in the Nick Saban era.
The University of Alabama offense may not have been the flashiest thing in the world, but it was certainly effective. The Crimson Tide produced 55 touchdowns in 2011-12, scoring 34.8 points per game en route to another national championship.
And when you're giving up just 8.2 points per game, how much offense do you really need?
As it turns out, not that much. Looking back on last season, it's surprising to consider how lopsided the games were. With the exception of a three-point loss to LSU in November, no team finished within two touchdowns of the Tide. Penn State came the closest, losing handily, 27-11. As the Countdown pointed out yesterday, UA's margin of victory was 29.08 points.
The touchdowns scored by the Tide came from a number of places. AJ McCarron threw 16 and rushed for two more, Trent Richardson ran for 21 and caught three more, while the rest of the UA backfield combined for 11 scores. Special teams netted one touchdown. Even the defense got involved, putting the ball in the end zone four times -- three on interception returns and once on a recovered fumble.
For all the talk of Alabama's offense being stagnant, UA finished 20th in the country in scoring. Richardson finished sixth in all of college football in scoring and McCarron finished 71st in total offense.
Inside the 20-yard line, Alabama scored 55 percent of the time. Had it not been for a shaky field goal unit, UA could have put up the most points per game in the Nick Saban era.
From now until kickoff in Arlington, Texas, we'll be counting down the days before Alabama and Michigan get the season started. Today, we move to No. 56 and what it means to UA football. See all the previous editions here.
When the University of Alabama football program took its first steps, they weren't as glorious as you might think. There was no Bryant-Denny Stadium to play in, no Legion Field. Instead, head coach E.B. Beaumont took his team to a baseball park in Birmingham, Ala., on Nov. 11, 1892.
The result: Alabama 56, Opponent 0.
Well, the opponent was a mixture of local high school teams, but still. Back then Alabama had a 19-man team referred to as the "Crimson White", the "Cadets" or "The Varsity." A future governor of the state and future U.S. Speaker of the House were among those on the roster.
Apparently, there was no such thing as a friendly match with those guys. Imagine the reaction if Alabama beat up on a team to the tune of 56-o. It wouldn't be pretty.
Which brings me to the issue of margin of victory. Last season, the Tide won games by an average of 29 points. Let's look at the Nick Saban era:
When the University of Alabama football program took its first steps, they weren't as glorious as you might think. There was no Bryant-Denny Stadium to play in, no Legion Field. Instead, head coach E.B. Beaumont took his team to a baseball park in Birmingham, Ala., on Nov. 11, 1892.
The result: Alabama 56, Opponent 0.
Well, the opponent was a mixture of local high school teams, but still. Back then Alabama had a 19-man team referred to as the "Crimson White", the "Cadets" or "The Varsity." A future governor of the state and future U.S. Speaker of the House were among those on the roster.
Apparently, there was no such thing as a friendly match with those guys. Imagine the reaction if Alabama beat up on a team to the tune of 56-o. It wouldn't be pretty.
Which brings me to the issue of margin of victory. Last season, the Tide won games by an average of 29 points. Let's look at the Nick Saban era:
- 2011-12: UA 453, Opponents 106
Margin of victory: 29.08. Margin of defeats: 3 - 2010-11: UA 464, Opponents 176
Margin of victory: 30.6. Margin of defeats: 6 - 2009-10: UA 449, Opponents 164
Margin of victory: 20.36. Margin of defeats: N/A - 2008-09: UA 422, Opponents 200
Margin of victory: 21.24. Margin of defeats: 12.5 - 2007-08: UA 352, Opponents 286
Margin of victory: 14.57. Margin of defeats: 6
Many of the nation's top prospects are camping at The Opening in Beaverton, Ore this weekend. Here are the Day 2 stories from ESPN's Recruiting Nation:
Mason Kelley: Two of a kind
Alabama commit Cooper Bateman and USC commit Max Browne can't shake each other. But the quarterbacks, who battled at camps all summer and whose teams will meet in the fall, wouldn't have it any other way. From the moment their Cottonwood-Skyline matchup on Sept. 7 was announced, both QBs understood it would surround their summers as they followed each other from an Elite 11 regional to The Opening to the Elite 11 finals and, eventually, the game itself.
Corey Long: Day 2 notebook
News and notes from The Opening, including updates on linebacker Matthew Thomas, safety Priest Willis and athlete Alvin Bailey, plus why Georgia QB commit Brice Ramsey can’t pass the ball enough.
Mason Kelley/ESPN.comRival quarterbacks Cooper Bateman and Max Browne at The Opening.
Alabama commit Cooper Bateman and USC commit Max Browne can't shake each other. But the quarterbacks, who battled at camps all summer and whose teams will meet in the fall, wouldn't have it any other way. From the moment their Cottonwood-Skyline matchup on Sept. 7 was announced, both QBs understood it would surround their summers as they followed each other from an Elite 11 regional to The Opening to the Elite 11 finals and, eventually, the game itself.
Corey Long: Day 2 notebook
News and notes from The Opening, including updates on linebacker Matthew Thomas, safety Priest Willis and athlete Alvin Bailey, plus why Georgia QB commit Brice Ramsey can’t pass the ball enough.
Foster, Hargreaves injured at The Opening 
July, 6, 2012
7/06/12
2:19
PM ET
By
Mitch Sherman and
Damon Sayles | ESPN.com
BEAVERTON, Ore. -- Competition at The Opening began Friday on an ominous note as five-star prospects inside linebacker Reuben Foster (Auburn, Ala./Auburn) and cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III (Tampa, Fla./Wharton), the top two players at the four-day event, limped off the field with injuries.
Foster, committed to Alabama and ranked No. 2 in the ESPN 150 as the top inside linebacker, suffered a hamstring injury during the 40-yard dash, his first drill in the morning round of preliminary SPARQ test on the artificial surface at Nike World Headquarters.
“I’ll be OK,” Foster said after a trainer tended to him on the sideline bleachers. “They said to keep it warm.
Foster, committed to Alabama and ranked No. 2 in the ESPN 150 as the top inside linebacker, suffered a hamstring injury during the 40-yard dash, his first drill in the morning round of preliminary SPARQ test on the artificial surface at Nike World Headquarters.
“I’ll be OK,” Foster said after a trainer tended to him on the sideline bleachers. “They said to keep it warm.
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Want to watch the nation's best prospects at The Opening in Oregon this weekend? Here's you're one-stop shopping ...
Day One: Friday, July 6 starting at 7 p.m. CT
Day Two: Saturday, July 7 starting at 7 p.m. CT
Day Three: Sunday, July 8 starting at 7 p.m. CT
Day One: Friday, July 6 starting at 7 p.m. CT
Day Two: Saturday, July 7 starting at 7 p.m. CT
Day Three: Sunday, July 8 starting at 7 p.m. CT
Watch: Are girls a factor in recruiting?
July, 6, 2012
7/06/12
11:55
AM ET
By RecruitingNation | ESPN.com
As the top recruits across the county assemble in Beaverton, Oregon for Nike’s The Opening, RecruitingNation asked them how much of a factor are the girls when it comes to picking a school.
Tenpenny, Henry look to repeat success
July, 6, 2012
7/06/12
8:37
AM ET
By
Greg Ostendorf | ESPN.com
The nation’s elite high school football prospects have arrived in Oregon for The Opening, but for a select few, it’s a return trip to the premier camp in America.
University of Alabama running back commitment Altee Tenpenny and fellow Crimson Tide targets Derrick Henry and Laremy Tunsil were the only three underclassmen to compete at last year’s camp. The trio is back this year with something to prove.
“It was a great experience,” Tenpenny said. “Going into this year, I feel like last year’s experience will help me out there. I know how everything is going to go.”
University of Alabama running back commitment Altee Tenpenny and fellow Crimson Tide targets Derrick Henry and Laremy Tunsil were the only three underclassmen to compete at last year’s camp. The trio is back this year with something to prove.
“It was a great experience,” Tenpenny said. “Going into this year, I feel like last year’s experience will help me out there. I know how everything is going to go.”
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From now until kickoff in Arlington, Texas, we'll be counting down the days before Alabama and Michigan get the season started. Today, we move to No. 57 and what it means to UA football. See all the previous editions here.
The raspy voice of Paul 'Bear' Bryant pipes through the loud speakers. The crowd waves back and forth. The band plays the fight song and we're off.
It's the Crimson Tide's home field advantage. And last season in Bryant-Denny Stadium, the atmosphere was electric as Alabama went 6-1 on its home turf. The Bama defense fed off the energy of the crowd and allowed just 57 points in Tuscaloosa, an average of 9.5 per game.
With the exception of Georgia Southern putting up 21 in mid November, the defense was nearly flawless at home. They allowed no offensive touchdowns in three games (Tennessee, LSU, Vanderbilt) and gave up just four passing touchdowns to eight interceptions. Only LSU and Georgia Southern rushed for more than 100 yards and three times teams couldn't get more than 50 yards on the ground.
The offense, for its part, did well at home, too. UA rushed for 140 yards or more in all but one game and came out on the positive end of the touchdown to interception ratio. There were moments like AJ McCarron going over the top against Tennessee and Marquis Maze weaving a punt return all the way back to the end zone against Arkansas.
Alabama will break in Bryant-Denny Stadium in Week 2 this season. The Tide will have one more home game than last year. They'll host Western Kentucky, Florida Atlantic, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Western Carolina and Auburn.
Marvin Gentry/US PresswireIn 2012, Alabama will have one more home game than it did last season.
It's the Crimson Tide's home field advantage. And last season in Bryant-Denny Stadium, the atmosphere was electric as Alabama went 6-1 on its home turf. The Bama defense fed off the energy of the crowd and allowed just 57 points in Tuscaloosa, an average of 9.5 per game.
With the exception of Georgia Southern putting up 21 in mid November, the defense was nearly flawless at home. They allowed no offensive touchdowns in three games (Tennessee, LSU, Vanderbilt) and gave up just four passing touchdowns to eight interceptions. Only LSU and Georgia Southern rushed for more than 100 yards and three times teams couldn't get more than 50 yards on the ground.
The offense, for its part, did well at home, too. UA rushed for 140 yards or more in all but one game and came out on the positive end of the touchdown to interception ratio. There were moments like AJ McCarron going over the top against Tennessee and Marquis Maze weaving a punt return all the way back to the end zone against Arkansas.
Alabama will break in Bryant-Denny Stadium in Week 2 this season. The Tide will have one more home game than last year. They'll host Western Kentucky, Florida Atlantic, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Western Carolina and Auburn.
TIGARD, Ore. -- Want to know how important The Opening is to ESPN 150 running back Derrick Green? So important that the Richmond (Va.) Hermitage High School standout was in the weight room at the players’ host hotel Wednesday afternoon -- a full day before the event officially kicks off.
Green, the nation’s No. 6 running back and No. 58 overall player in the 2013 class, was the first player to check into the host hotel on Wednesday, and he is entering Thursday’s action with the goal of leaving Oregon as the top running back. Since the Nike Football Training Camp in Baltimore in May, Green has lost 20 pounds and is now 6 foot and 215 pounds.
“[The Opening] is definitely a blessing, and I’m taking it seriously,” said Green, who was 5-11 and 235 pounds in Baltimore. “I’ve been getting ready and getting my mind focused on going out and winning.
Green, the nation’s No. 6 running back and No. 58 overall player in the 2013 class, was the first player to check into the host hotel on Wednesday, and he is entering Thursday’s action with the goal of leaving Oregon as the top running back. Since the Nike Football Training Camp in Baltimore in May, Green has lost 20 pounds and is now 6 foot and 215 pounds.
“[The Opening] is definitely a blessing, and I’m taking it seriously,” said Green, who was 5-11 and 235 pounds in Baltimore. “I’ve been getting ready and getting my mind focused on going out and winning.
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From now until kickoff in Arlington, Texas, we'll be counting down the days before Alabama and Michigan get the season started. Today, we move to No. 58 and what it means to UA football. See all the previous editions here.
For every championship team there are a few players that fly under the radar, making significant contributions without necessarily making a name for themselves. Last season, when the University of Alabama beat LSU for its second title in three years, one of those understated athletes was No. 58 Nick Gentry.
Gentry wasn't the biggest, the fastest or the strongest player on the roster. He wasn't an NFL draft pick and didn't garner any All-American votes. In fact, he didn't even start for the Crimson Tide. But what he did do, he did well.
The native of Prattville, Ala., switched his game completely his senior season, going from a run-stopper to a pass-rusher. Gentry backed up Josh Chapman at nose tackle, and usually entered the game on third down. Despite being slightly under sized for the position, Gentry wreaked havoc in the middle of the line. He finished second on the team in sacks (4.5), fifth in tackles for loss (6), third in quarterback hurries (4) and even recovered one of the seven fumbles the UA defense picked up all season.
In the end, it was Gentry on the podium, smiling alongside the crystal football trophy.
Who will be this season's role players to make an impact? Vote inside The Tusk.
For every championship team there are a few players that fly under the radar, making significant contributions without necessarily making a name for themselves. Last season, when the University of Alabama beat LSU for its second title in three years, one of those understated athletes was No. 58 Nick Gentry.
Gentry wasn't the biggest, the fastest or the strongest player on the roster. He wasn't an NFL draft pick and didn't garner any All-American votes. In fact, he didn't even start for the Crimson Tide. But what he did do, he did well.
The native of Prattville, Ala., switched his game completely his senior season, going from a run-stopper to a pass-rusher. Gentry backed up Josh Chapman at nose tackle, and usually entered the game on third down. Despite being slightly under sized for the position, Gentry wreaked havoc in the middle of the line. He finished second on the team in sacks (4.5), fifth in tackles for loss (6), third in quarterback hurries (4) and even recovered one of the seven fumbles the UA defense picked up all season.
In the end, it was Gentry on the podium, smiling alongside the crystal football trophy.
Who will be this season's role players to make an impact? Vote inside The Tusk.
From now until kickoff in Arlington, Texas, we'll be counting down from 100 until Alabama and Michigan get the season started. Today, we move to No. 59 and what it means to UA football. See all the previous editions here.
The beginning of bowl games came in 1902 with the Tournament East-West game, sponsored by the Tournament of Roses Association. It pitted Michigan and Stanford against one another on Jan. 1 in the Rose Bowl of Pasadena, Calif. Thus began the whirlwind ride of the college football postseason.
It took the University of Alabama more than two decades until an invitation to the postseason came. It was the Rose Bowl and the Crimson Tide took care of the Washington Huskies 20-19. Over the last 85 years, no team has gone to more bowl games than Alabama. The Tide have participated in college football's postseason 59 times over the years, winning 33 of those games.
Under coach Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide are 4-1 in bowl games. UA beat Colorado in the Independence Bowl in 2007, lost to Utah in the Sugar Bowl in 2009, beat Texas in the Rose Bowl to finish the season No. 1, dominated Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl in 2010 to the tune of 49-7 thrashing and capped the 2011-12 season by winning a rematch against LSU in the Sugar Bowl to take home the school's 14th national championship.
Saban's four bowl appearances at Alabama is bested only by Gene Stallings (5-1), Paul Bryant (12-10-2) and Frank Thomas (4-2). All told, Saban has gone to 13 bowl games in his career as a head coach.
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Tom Szczerbowski/US PresswireThe Rose Bowl was the site of Alabama's first bowl game.
It took the University of Alabama more than two decades until an invitation to the postseason came. It was the Rose Bowl and the Crimson Tide took care of the Washington Huskies 20-19. Over the last 85 years, no team has gone to more bowl games than Alabama. The Tide have participated in college football's postseason 59 times over the years, winning 33 of those games.
Under coach Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide are 4-1 in bowl games. UA beat Colorado in the Independence Bowl in 2007, lost to Utah in the Sugar Bowl in 2009, beat Texas in the Rose Bowl to finish the season No. 1, dominated Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl in 2010 to the tune of 49-7 thrashing and capped the 2011-12 season by winning a rematch against LSU in the Sugar Bowl to take home the school's 14th national championship.
Saban's four bowl appearances at Alabama is bested only by Gene Stallings (5-1), Paul Bryant (12-10-2) and Frank Thomas (4-2). All told, Saban has gone to 13 bowl games in his career as a head coach.
Four-star Safety Tray Matthews (Newnan, Ga./Newnan) and five-star linebacker Reuben Foster (Auburn, Ala./Auburn) have been best friends since middle school. But it was not until after Foster committed to Alabama and Matthews committed to Georgia last summer that the two ESPN 150 prospects began seriously discussing the possibility of playing together at the next level. The two have gone back and forth on the Tide and Bulldogs in the last year. Many wondered whether Matthews and Foster would actually go through with their December pledge to attend the same college. Following Foster’s latest visit to Athens, Matthews said an agreement has been made.
“We are having fun, but we talked last night and we really know where we want to go,” Matthews said. “We both decided on a school and we are the only two that know. A couple of people are not going to like the decision, but we have to do what is best for us. “
Matthews says they will make their announcement together before the beginning of the season, and he feels two others could be joining them.
“We are having fun, but we talked last night and we really know where we want to go,” Matthews said. “We both decided on a school and we are the only two that know. A couple of people are not going to like the decision, but we have to do what is best for us. “
Matthews says they will make their announcement together before the beginning of the season, and he feels two others could be joining them.
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ABOUT TIDE NATION
Greg Ostendorf
Greg Ostendorf joined ESPN.com in 2012 after covering University of Alabama football and basketball recruiting at the Tuscaloosa News and Rivals.com. Ostendorf graduated from the University of Alabama and currently resides in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Email him at gsostendorf.espn@gmail.com.
Alex Scarborough
Alex Scarborough joined ESPN.com in 2012 after covering University of Alabama athletics and high school football for The Tuscaloosa News. He currently resides in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Email him at alexscarborough.espn@gmail.com.