Video of Erin Andrews talking Alabama-LSU

Take a look at Erin Andrews, ESPN personality, speak with local reporters on a perfect afternoon in Tuscaloosa.

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Alabama slips in AP poll

Here’s the poll just released this morning. The voters rewarded LSU for beating a top-5 team in Oregon.

The USA Today coaches poll was also just released.That can be found at the bottom of the post. You can always find the latest polls by clicking here.

AP poll

1. Oklahoma (32)	1-0	1,448	1
2. LSU (17)	1-0	1,415	4
3. Alabama (9)	1-0	1,409	2
4. Boise St. (2)	1-0	1,310	5
5. Florida St.	1-0	1,196	6
6. Stanford	1-0	1,154	7
7. Texas A&M	1-0	1,033	8
8. Wisconsin	1-0	1,031	11
9. Oklahoma St.	1-0	981	9
10. Nebraska	1-0	947	10
11. Virginia Tech	1-0	906	13
12. South Carolina	1-0	843	12
13. Oregon	0-1	828	3
14. Arkansas	1-0	752	15
15. Ohio St.	1-0	606	18
16. Mississippi St.	1-0	594	20
17. Michigan St.	1-0	530	17
18. Florida	1-0	382	22
19. West Virginia	1-0	357	24
20. Baylor	1-0	284	NR
21. Missouri	1-0	242	21
22. South Florida	1-0	221	NR
23. Penn St.	1-0	147	NR
24. Texas	1-0	135	NR
25. TCU	0-1	130	14

Others receiving votes: Arizona St. 119, Auburn 85, Southern Cal 69, Georgia 52, Northwestern 40, Maryland 34, BYU 33, Iowa 29, Houston 27, Utah 24, Notre Dame 22, Michigan 17, Air Force 11, Pittsburgh 11, UCF 10, NC State 8, Hawaii 6, Tennessee 6, Arizona 5, N. Illinois 5, Southern Miss. 4, Clemson 1, Georgia Tech 1.

USA Today coaches poll

1. Oklahoma (43)	1-0	1,454	1
2. Alabama (9)	1-0	1,412	2
3. LSU (7)	1-0	1,366	4
4. Florida State	1-0	1,198	5
5. Boise State	1-0	1,197	7
6. Stanford	1-0	1,180	6
7. Oklahoma State	1-0	1,038	8
8. Texas A&M	1-0	997	9
9. Wisconsin	1-0	988	10
10. Nebraska	1-0	910	11
11. Virginia Tech	1-0	863	13
12. South Carolina	1-0	827	12
13. Arkansas	1-0	786	14
14. Oregon	0-1	752	3
15. Ohio State	1-0	686	16
16. Michigan State	1-0	584	17
17. Mississippi State	1-0	497	20
18. Florida	1-0	375	23
19. Missouri	1-0	309	21
20. Penn State	1-0	247	25
21. Texas	1-0	231	24
22. Auburn	1-0	197	19
23. Arizona State	1-0	189	NR
24. West Virginia	1-0	185	NR
25. TCU	0-1	140	15

Others receiving votes: Baylor 117; South Florida 97; Iowa 44; Utah 42; Georgia 35; Houston 31; Northwestern 30; Arizona 28; Central Florida 18; Hawaii 17; Michigan 15;North Carolina 15; Clemson 13; Northern Illinois 13; Southern Mississippi 12; Air Force 10; Notre Dame 8; Tennessee 5; Brigham Young 4; Maryland 4; Georgia Tech 3; Washington 3; California 1; Cincinnati 1; Texas Tech 1.

LSU knocks Tide from title hunt

The Tigers left Alabama stunned and out of the BCS championship chase late this afternoon.

LSU 24, Alabama 21.

Read more tomorrow. Let’s just say the post game interviews were brief and solemn.

Tide smokes Vols, cigars

Here is the lead from my game story I wrote after Alabama’s 41-10 win on Rocky Top. After reading and digesting, vote on the poll below.

KNOXVILLE ― A foreign smell filled the hallway outside the Alabama locker room Saturday night

When the door swung open, the smoke burned from the end of a few cigars as the Crimson Tide walked to the bus through a mob of cheering fans and flashing cameras.

Who said this rivalry lost its flare this fall?

Before lighting up the stogies, Alabama smoked Tennessee with a huge second half to win its fourth straight over the Vols, 41-10 in front of a once-packed Neyland Stadium.

Now vote.

Update on Mikhail Torrance situation

The Associated Press just updated its story on the hospitalization of former Tide point guard Mikhail Torrance. Instead of paraphrasing, here is the entire AP account:

Former Alabama standout point guard Mikhail Torrance collapsed after a workout in Bradenton, Fla. on Friday and is hospitalized in critical condition, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

Torrance had been training at the IMG Academies when he lost consciousness, according to the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the player’s family had not authorized the release of any information.

BREAKING: Torrance collapses, rushed to hospital

Torrance

The news is not pleasant out of Florida. AOL Fanhouse is reporting former Crimson Tide point guard Mikhail Torrance collapsed during a workout in Bradenton and was rushed to a local hospital.

The report cited family sources who said Torrance was in critical condition and breathing with a ventilator.

Read that complete story here.

You can only hope this isn’t a result of the heart ailment he recently disclosed and likely kept him from being drafted in June. He joined the Heat summer league team, but never played.

Most recently, he signed a contract to play professionally in Israel.

Stay tuned for updates.

VIDEO: Linebackers, DBs at practice

I did a little experimenting with the new video editor feature on YouTube to condense some of the practice tapes posted on the blog. Let me know if you like it better this way.

First, here’s the linebackers working with defensive coordinator Kirby Smart and linebackers coach Sal Sunseri.

Next, Nick Saban works with mostly defensive backs.

Finally, here’s the result of some more toying around with video editing. I tried to line it up with the music as best as possible.

VIDEO: Offensive line pounding the sled

Check out this close up look at the Crimson Tide offensive line hitting the sleds at Thursday afternoon’s practice. Coming right into your living room is D.J. Fluker (76), Barrett Jones (75), William Vlachos (73), Chance Warmack (65), James Carpenter (77).

More video to come. Stay tuned for that.

— Your pal Michael

Ezell’s impression of Saban first uncovered here

Rob Ezell hams it up in California in this Daily photo by Gary Cosby Jr.

ESPN will take all the credit for televising Athens native Rob Ezell doing a spot-on impression of Nick Saban, but The Bama Blog wants a finder’s fee. It was here that Ezell’s talent was first discovered. Just see the story I wrote about the party trick published back in January:

Is it Ezell or Saban?

By Michael Casagrande
Sports Writer
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Rob Ezell’s talent is both a blessing and a curse.

Most players who can do a spot on impersonation of Alabama coach Nick Saban would keep that hidden, but this Thanksgiving, the backup receiver from Athens took center stage.

In Saban’s home.

In front of the coach.

Saban’s reaction?

“He took it all right,” a laughing Ezell said. “He said I did a pretty good job. Mrs. Terry (Saban), she really liked it. I didn’t want to do it, but Terrence Cody put me on the spot.”

Still, he was hoping to avoid the moment until Terry Saban, Nick’s wife, learned of the skill.

“I did it first when coach Saban was out of the room, but it was almost like a movie, he walked in right at the right time when I was in the middle of it,” Ezell said.

Cody, who called it “a real good Saban impression,” was never worried about the coach’s reaction. “We tried to get him to do it last year,” Cody said. “But he was scared, so we finally got him to do it, and it turned out good.”

See a little more of Ezell’s personality from Fan Day in these videos I shot of the new star and his film crew.  You might remember that third one since it made it into the broadcast.

UPDATE: Here is the video from the broadcast of Ezell’s impression.

Politics as usual with a Nick Saban twist

Powerful in coaching and politics?

Politics in Alabama can get ugly dirty flat out ridiculous. That held true in a story that developed today on the Birmingham News website.

Long story short, a Bessemer mayoral candidate tried to claim Nick Saban had her back in the upcoming election. In reality, no such endorsement was made. And the photo of her and Saban distributed in a flyer? It was a fake.

It almost sounds too crazy even to be made up, but Saban’s endorsement apparently is the key to the mayor’s office in Bessemer. Powerful enough to trample of the honest political tradition of Abe Lincoln, apparently.

Read the stories as they developed starting here and continuing here.

— Michael Casagrande

A few panoramic looks at Bryant-Denny Stadium

Here are a few panoramic pictures of Bryant-Denny Stadium straight from the trusty iPhone. Click to enlarge all of them. The last few 360 degree panoramics. Just click on each image and scroll to the right to get the full effect.

Finally, here are a few more looks at Fan Day.

Fan Day 2010