Blogging live: The Nick Saban radio show

It’s time for the second edition of the Nick Saban radio show this season. The potential for big news is there since Saban said a decision on the quarterbacks could come today. Here’s the rundown:

• They’ve danced around the quarterback issue in the first 15 minutes, but nobody is asking the simple question.
• Saban said they approached the Kent State game like an NFL exhibition game, though he didn’t want to make it sound like they took them lightly.
• Saban said freshmen Vinnie Sunseri and Trey DePriest played “like a couple demons” on special teams against Kent State.
• Offensive line was disappointed with the Kent State game saying there was some anxiety among new players.
• The “results-oriented society” speech made a cameo.
• Still no QB starter question midway through the show. You think people are scared to get yelled at for asking about a starter?
• Ball security was an issue for Marquis Maze in the past, but no longer, Saban said.
• A foot injury limited Maze in the two weeks before Kent State game.
• The offense needs more leadership among skilled position players on offense, Saban said. William Vlachos and Barrett Jones are the vocal players on the line.
• We’ve had a caller from Hartselle and Decatur in a Morgan County night over the air.
• Play defense first in overtime if you win the toss, Saban said.
• Offense doesn’t deviate with either QB. Swapping out passers shouldn’t hurt continuity on offense, Saban said.
• Turn down your radio if you call in. That echo comes won’t happen.
• Tide will walk through 50 plays in 20 minutes Friday before leaving for Pennsylvania.
• It will be “us against the world” this Saturday in State College.
• No QB name. Never asked.
• More to come.

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UPDATE: What a mess: Pennsylvania flooding messing with travel

Penn State students Alessa Makuch, left, and Emily Wolf talk during a break in the rain in front of their tent pitched near Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa., on Wednesday for the Alabama game. (AP Photo/Genaro C. Armas)

If you’re traveling from Alabama to Penn State by way of Harrisburg (like me), be prepared to find an alternate route.

According to this story from the Patriot-News of Harrisburg, the road connecting the towns is closed in places. The story, however, stops short of explaining the alternate route, but I’m working on plotting that course.

UPDATE: The reporter from the Patriot-News replied to my email for help saying the best alternate is driving west from Harrisburg to Bedford on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and taking Route 99 to State College.

If you’re flying into Harrisburg, click here to follow the Twitter feed for the airport. It’s been active.

It’s a crazy day here at headquarters in Tuscaloosa. Read more about the weather as it relates to the actual football game that will allegedly kickoff by 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the print editions tomorrow.

Also, stay tuned for any potential quarterback news coming out of Nick Saban’s 7 p.m. radio show.

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‘Bama coaching contracts extended, some get raises

The Compensation Committee of the Alabama Board of Trustees just met and approved a long list of contract extensions for Alabama athletics coaches. A few even got raises. Here’s the rundown:

• Anthony Grant (men’s basketball) extended two years through 2018. No raise from $1.8 million annual pay.
• Sarah Patterson (gymnastics) Extended two years through 2016. No raise from $300,000 annual pay.
• Mitch Gaspard (baseball) Extended tree years to 2015. Pay raised from $275,000 to $300,000.
• Softball coach Patrick Murphy signed a new deal for five years, $225,000 after leaving briefly for LSU, then returning to Alabama a few days later. Click here if you don’t remember all that.
• Wendell Hudson. No extension from contract that runs through 2016. Pay raised from$295,000 annually to $300,000.
• Jay Seawell (men’s golf) Extended two years to 2014. Raise from $142,500 to $158,000.
• Billy Pate (men’s tennis) Extended one year to 2013. No raise from $100,000 pay.
• Jenny Mainz (women’s tennis) extended two years to 2012. Raise from $85,000 to $95,000 annually.
• Todd Bramble (women’s soccer) Extended two years to 2013. No raise from $100,000 annual pay.
• Larry Davis (rowing) Extended two years to 2013. Raise from $60,000 to $67,200 annually.
• Mic Potter (women’s golf) Extended two years to 2014. Raise from $125,000 to $135,000 in salary and $5,000 talent fee added.

It’s worth noting that Sarah Patterson doesn’t get a raise after winning the national gymnastics title.

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Bama hoops adds in-state exhibition opponent

The Crimson Tide will face a local foe after receiving a scare from the same program a year ago. UA-Huntsville will come to Coleman Coliseum at 7 p.m. on Nov. 7 for a tune-up game.

The Chargers, a Division II program, took the Tide to double overtime in an exhibition game last November before Alabama slipped out with a win. Remember Division II UNA’s women’s team beat the Tide last November.

Could there be more preseason intrigue this fall in Tuscaloosa. Stay tuned. We cover basketball here too.

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On the radio

If you want to hear from this Alabama beat writer on the radio, you can tune to 106.5-FM if you’re in the Montgomery area.

If not, you can listen to “In the Tank” by clicking here. I’ll be dropping by once a week to speak with host Mike Tankersley about Crimson Tide football.

Tune in for all the insight I can provide in a few minutes of radio gold.

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Saban talks Jesse Williams, boomerangs, QBs, weather, more

Here are a few more highlights from Nick Saban’s news conference Wednesday besides this rant.

Here he talks about Jesse Williams progress, his Australian family, the quarterbacks, preparing for the weather and noise at Penn State and its fundamental strength.

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Aussie, Brit add foreign flavor to big game

Jesse Williams (54) hits the Kent State QB (Decatur Daily photo by Gary Cosby Jr.)

It took less than a minute of Jack Crawford’s Wednesday teleconference with reporters for me to change plans for today’s print story.

The British accent was the last thing you’d expect from a big time defensive end at Penn State, but would have expected Alabama would have an Australian playing the same position.

Saturday’s game between the Crimson Tide and Nittany Lions will feature a few All-Americans, but the two foreigners were the topic of today’s story:

TUSCALOOSA — The dialect of central Pennsylvania isn’t quite as discernible as that of the Deep South.

It’s more subtle as the Northeast slowly fades into the Midwest.

But two words into any Jack Crawford sentence blows his cover. The Penn State defensive end certainly isn’t from those parts.

His British accent is the giveaway, but it’s not quite as alien as the Australian tone in the voice of his Alabama counterpart, Jesse Williams.

Sure, the meeting of Alabama and Penn State in State College, Pa., is about as American as a sporting event gets, but Crawford and Williams add a little extra flavor to the apple pie and ice cream Saturday afternoon.

For starting defensive ends at two of the proudest college football empires nationally, the pair got a predictably late start in the sport.

“I can’t imagine what it’s like, because I’ve never experienced it,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “I started playing football when I was 10 years old.”

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Watch the video below of Williams from signing day if you’d like that taste of his Australian accent.

 

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