The Commissioner's MVPs

It is customary at this time of year to reflect on the just completed season and single out for special mention those players, plays, games and events that have been those most valuable or significant in Alabama's success. Such a process is inherently subjective and prone to error. My opinion may not be yours and both of us may have overlooked a person or event that had a greater impact than the ones we select. But with that disclaimer, here is my list of 2012 Superlatives:

Most Valuable Players:

Offense: AJ McCarron. The 2012 Crimson Tide was an offensive powerhouse. It was an irresistible force even against some of the most immovable objects that college football defenses put on the field. AJ played his position better this year than in 2011 when he was named MVP of the BCS Championship Game. He set the single season school record for touchdown passes [30] and threw for more yards [2933] than last year while attempting fewer passes. He earned an impressive pass efficiency rating of 175.3 with a completion percentage of 67.2%. During the season, he shattered the school record for consecutive pass attempts without an interception and set a BCS Championship Game record with 4 touchdown passes.

Honorable mention: Barrett Jones. Football is played first and foremost along the line of scrimmage and the 2012 offensive line lived up to its pre-season hype as the best in the college game. Anchoring that line, was a young man who is arguably the best offensive lineman ever to play at Alabama. A four year starter, Jones has played every position on the interior of the offensive line and received national recognition at guard and center. He returned for his senior season rather than go to the NFL and was rewarded with a second SEC Championship and third BCS Championship for his career. Obviously having time on his hands, Jones completed not only his undergraduate degree but also earned a masters degree in accounting.

Defense: CJ Mosley. The unquestioned leader of a stout, no-name, defense. CJ recorded 66 solo tackles during the season. Second place belongs to Trey DePriest who made fewer total tackles [59] than CJ made solo. Mosley's total of 107 tackles included 8 for lost yardage of which 4 were sacks. To this he added 2 interceptions, 2 pass breakups, 4 deflections, 3 hurries and 1 forced fumble.

Special Teams: The easy choice for this recognition in the kicking game would be Jeremy Shelly. He was flawless on 69 of 70 PATs and 11 for 11 on field goals. The only PAT miss was a team miss, and not on the kicker. He is the featured player on a special team that was greatly improved over last year. But my special teams MVP is a player who has been like a block of granite as the foundation of the kicking game. A young man who has endured and overcome more adversity in his college career than the vast majority of his peers.

My Special Teams MVP is Carson Tinker.

Freshman: Amari Cooper made his college football debut in the Michigan game and quickly established himself as a player of incomparable potential. He played in all 14 games and made 59 receptions for 1000 yards and 11 touchdowns. The 2013 Heisman voters may well have a tough choice to make between Cooper and AJ for the recipient of the stiff-armed trophy.

Most Memorable Moments: Here is my Top 10 Memorable Moments. Your list is equally valid, and by limiting the list to only 10 I am necessarily leaving many great moments out:

10. Alabama defeats Michigan to open the season.

9. Eddie Lacy bludgeons UGA's premier safety, Bacari Rambo in the second half of the SEC CG.

8. Jesse Williams knocks ND's star middle linebacker, Manti Te'o, aside with a forearm before pancaking the Irish safety to lead TJ Yeldon into the end zone in the BCS CG.

7. Amari Cooper makes a leaping catch to take away a possible interception, keeping a scoring drive alive against Georgia in the SEC CG.

6. Alabama 49 Auburn 0

5. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix intercepts a tipped pass to snuff out Notre Dame's scoring chance on the opening drive of the second half in the BCS Championship.

4. The Drive Part I: Alabama goes 97 yards on 10 plays in 5:37 to score a TD on its first possession of the second half effectively ending what was left of the BCS CG.

3. The Drive Part II: Alabama gains 72 yards on 5 plays in 0:43 capped off by a TD pass on a screen to TJ Yeldon to come from behind and beat LSU in Baton Rouge.

2. ND Coach Brian Kelly, when asked by ESPN at the end of the first half how the Irish, trailing 28-0, can get back into the game, replies: "I don't know. Maybe Alabama won't come back."

1. The Commissioner celebrates his 60th birthday with his entire family, and 101,000 of his closest friends, at Bryant-Denny Stadium as Alabama beats Western Kentucky University in the 2012 home opener.

It has been a great season and 2013 is not far off. Let's all get ready to travel this fall down the Road To 16!

The Commissioner

BCS CG Grades: The Report From The Tire Store

"Whoa, Nelly." "Oh my goodness." "Holy Cow". "How about that?" At some point during, and more especially after, the game on Monday evening in Miami you had to wonder what broadcasting superlative catch phrase was left to employ, as the 2012 edition of the Crimson Tide rolled over #1 Notre Dame the way a tractor trailer leaves road kill in its wake. Maybe it would be best to just skip the end of the list for Mr. Ledford's "hobnail boot on the throat".

Early in the season we read remarks from a writer who was all atwitter about the Oregon Ducks' exciting offense. He acknowledged that Alabama was effective, but said watching Alabama was about as exciting as watching someone being bludgeoned to death with a bag of nickels. We do wonder what he thinks on this particular Tuesday morning? Not that we actually care -- you can keep the flash and glitter, thanks, we'll take the confetti and the crystal footballs. We find that plenty exciting.

That was an excellent set of grades, Commissioner. We know you went through some trials to see the game and to complete the grades in such a prompt fashion. To have written so quickly and so eloquently is a tribute to your talent and dedication to duty. Because we find no room to quibble, even, about Monday's effort, we thought perhaps a description of some of the things we were privileged to witness might be of interest to readers who did not get the opportunity to go to the game.

A personal note: I don't really have such a thing as a "bucket list". It wouldn't be long if I did. In fact, I'm superstitious enough not to write one down, for fear of checking off everything and unintentionally pulling some sort of cosmic plug on myself. With that said, one of the things that I really wanted to do in my life was see Alabama win a National Championship in football in person. Opportunities have been fairly frequent lately, but life is fleeting and ask any Notre Dame fan who skipped out on the 1988 game, it can be a long time between even opportunities to win it all, much less actual wins. If we experience a 25-year drought in championship games, well, let's just say I feared I might have been a little long in the tooth to attend, or worse. So when an opportunity presented for this January, I took it. I am glad I did.

Here are some observations that might not have made the broadcast.

1. We generously estimate the crowd split was 60/40 in favor of Notre Dame at kickoff. We couldn't actually argue with anyone who said it was closer to 70/30. Their fans support their team, and good for them. Especially when you consider that Notre Dame has never had an undergraduate population of even 10,000 students. They are fiercely loyal and have high expectations.

2. I sat next to a Notre Dame fan from Pennsylvania. Big Mike. Very nice guy. Very knowledgeable football fan. Unlike some of the younger of their number, he was not "talking trash" or predicting the Notre Dame blowout as we heard from some outside the stadium. Big Mike agreed with the coaching staff's decision to defer after they won the toss and seemed pleased that we took the ball, thinking his defense would stuff our offense on the first series. On first down he celebrated. After second down he sat. After we scored he said, "I'm afraid this is going to get ugly." Big Mike left just after halftime, being unable to endure any more. He was not alone. Safe to say they did not think their D-line could be pushed around.

3. Lots of celebrities around on Monday. You all saw the former Alabama players on the sideline. Richardson made an appearance in a skybox not far from where we sat. He is treated like the star he is and was. A young man sitting near us went out to see him in the concourse just to tell him, "you are my favorite player ever." Richardson responded, "Well, thanks." Perhaps you get used to it. Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley sat just down the row from me, decked out in ND attire and completely incognito.

4. We have our share of eccentric fans. Many of you remember Shorty Price. Well, Mr. Price did not have the budget of some of our fans who are starting to compete for oddity with LSU. The guy in the crimson sombrero from the ladies' softball games has inspired followers who have gone with full crimson Spanish wear. We saw a zoot suit of crimson cloth that had a print that said "Roll Tide" in about 72-point font. However, first prize went to the fellow in a full replica #8 uniform, as Eli would say, "white pants with red piping", a shiny face shield, and (I am not making this up) a big championship belt like boxers and WWF wrestlers wear. We, uh, didn't speak to him.

5. The bowl had no clue how to capitalize on this event financially. Or maybe the constant references to Discover Card meant they didn't have to care. There were very few memorabilia sales outlets outside the stadium. Inside, they sold out of the souvenir programs (which were thicker than the Tuscaloosa phone directory) over an hour and a half before the game started. If we had bought advertising in it for radials, we'd be ticked off. By the beginning of the third quarter the fan shop looked like Whoville after the Grinch came through -- nothing but empty racks, wires and strings, well, and some Dolphin stuff that wasn't moving too well. However much they offered, they could have sold much more.

6. It was easy to tell the serious Notre Dame fans. They were concerned and wanted to talk about whether B. Jones could handle their noseguard Nix, whether our safeties could cover their very excellent tight end, and whether a hurry up offense which put Golson on the edges could spread and weaken the Alabama defense. The others were predicting Alabama would be run off the field through a combination of them "calling down the thunder", their superior talent, and how the legend of the Gipper was going to impact their team. We talked to more of the former than the latter. By midway in the second quarter, there really weren't many of the latter any more.

7. The announced attendance at 80,000+ and some must have been SRO. This is a good place to see a game. It is well-staffed and countless employees reminded us to enjoy the game. Traffic was not bad early going in, and by the time the Notre Dame fans had skipped the trophy presentation, getting out was not bad either. Buying upper deck tickets at Sun Life is very different from the same deal at BDS. The upper deck is really just a second level and comes very close to the field. They still call it the 400-level, but that's the only similarity. Food was as expensive as you'd expect. A hot dog, pretzel, and two drinks was $35.

8. We really think Notre Dame's team was very confident in its plan and ability going in; you could tell a pronounced difference in their posture and enthusiasm in the beginning of the game and the end of the first half, beginning of the second.

9. Giving the Alabama coaching staff that long to prepare for a game is a dangerous thing to do. The new playoff series will lessen that advantage, but the rumor is they even worked Christmas afternoon.

10. The perspective makes it awkward to know how big an issue it really was, but in the future, the blimp needs to move well away from the stadium before the Air Force parachute team makes its jump.

In conclusion, it may not sound like a compliment, but it is. This edition of the Crimson Tide is not as talented as last year's version. This is especially true on defense. It may not have been as talented as the 2009, or maybe even the 2010, squad. However, this team worked hard (if Nick Saban says you work hard, then you work hard), did not feel complacent or entitled, and won games in the trenches. All it turned out to be was a champion first of the SEC and then the Nation. We were privileged to see them one last time as they put their hobnail boot on someone's throat and bashed them with their bag of nickels.

Roll Tide, everyone. See you in August.

The Correspondent From The Tire Store

BCS CG Grades

Make no mistake about it: we are living in a golden age of Alabama football.

What Nick Saban has accomplished is clearly equal to the legacies of Wallace Wade and Frank Thomas. Wade put southern football on the national map and won the grudging respect of elite opinion. Saban has almost single-handedly redrawn the college football map so that the rest of the country is looking at the Southeastern Conference and longing to be good enough to be competitive. Thomas built upon the foundation laid by Wade and helped launch the careers of great players and coaches. Saban's coaching tree is loaded with fruit just as the NFL is stocked with future Hall Of Famers born of The Process.

Coach Stallings' achievement with the 1992 championship will always be treasured in the hearts of Tide fans because he rescued the program from the death spiral of the Bill Curry era. He will always be one of the greatest coaches of the modern era, but with the advantage of time, it is clear that his tenure was merely an oasis in a desert whose barren landscape stretches between 1983 and 2007.

Purists-which means most Tide fans born before 1960-are loath to compare any member of the coaching fraternity favorably to Paul Bryant. But, the time has come to admit the truth: Saban is the Paul Bryant of his era.

Before his life's work in complete it may well be that Saban has as many national titles as Bryant. After all, he is two-thirds along the way and his closest rival can claim only half as many. Saban might even match Bryant's total at Alabama, which would give him an unequaled seven titles on his resume. For Saban, however, the result is not what matters; it is the pursuit. The work. The Process.

Speaking with the ESPN Game Day anchors last night, he was asked the customary question about how long he would allow himself to enjoy the victory over Notre Dame. "What's tomorrow-Tuesday?" Saban replied. "We will get back to work on Wednesday. We are behind in recruiting and have a lot to do."

No wonder Urban Meyer, who was guesting on the Game Day set, looked like he was ready to check back into the sanitarium. My Son And Heir questioned whether Meyer's doctors knew that he was in the same building with Saban. After predicting an Irish win in the pre game, Meyer was unstinting in his criticism of Notre Dame's play and by halftime had written them off entirely.

Does anyone seriously think that Meyer was watching that game wishing that Ohio State was not banned from post-season play? I suppose that if the Buckeyes weren't suffering sanctions last night's match up might have featured the Nuts and the Irish. Meyer would have been perfectly happy with that arrangement, but it was obvious that he was not relishing a game anytime soon against Alabama.

In stark contrast to Meyer, stood ND's Brian Kelly. Trailing 28-0 at the half, he handled the on-field reporter's question with wit and refreshing candor. What will it take for your team to turn things around in the second half? "I really don't know. Maybe Alabama won't come back."

He was also very gracious in the post-game interviews, praising his seniors for what the team accomplished during the season, and giving all the credit to Alabama for a well deserved victory. His graceful comments set the tone for how his players handled questions. They were obviously disappointed but made no excuses. Each one acknowledged Alabama as the better team.

Just how much better? Way much better!

Alabama did nothing last night that it has not done all year: run the ball, throw off play-action, mix in the occasional deep ball, stop the run, pressure the quarterback, play tight coverage. But, last night, Alabama did all of that with better execution, especially the offense, which may have played its best game of the year.

Consider this: the Tide scored touchdowns on its first three offensive possessions which came on drives of 82, 61 and 80 yards. It scored on its first offensive possession of the second half on a drive of 97 yards. Each of its 6 drives in excess of 40 yards [82, 61, 80, 71, 97, 86] produced a touchdown. By the end of the first quarter, Alabama had 200 yards of total offense. For the game, Eddie Lacy (140) and TJ Yeldon (108) each rushed for more yards than the Irish defense allowed the average opponent in 12 regular season games. The Alabama offense scored more touchdowns from the red-zone than the Irish had allowed all season.

In New Orleans, the defense was the star of the night, while the offense did its part to control the clock and score when opportunities presented. This year, it was the defense that played the supporting role. Coach Saban remarked several times over the last few days about how this year's team exceeded expectations. That is particularly true of the defense. Do you think that Everett Golson would have been able to throw for 270 yards if Courtney Upshaw, Dont'a Hightower and Dre Kirkpatrick were still on the Alabama roster? I don't. And I also don't think that A&M would have won in Tuscaloosa, or that Johnny Manziel would have won at the New York Athletic Club if the players from the 2011 defense who still had collegiate eligibility remaining had passed on the NFL draft last April.

The 2013 defense may not have a lot of star power, but it has a .50 Cal-load of stopping power. The pundit class was predicting that Golson would do to Alabama what Manziel did in the first half of the A&M game. It did not turn out that way. Golson ran the ball ___ times for a net loss of 7 yards. The entire Irish offense only ran the ball 19 times for a net gain of only 34 yards.

Golson had more success through the air, completing 21 of 36 attempts for 270 yards and a touchdown. He was sacked twice and intercepted once-a stellar play by Ha Ha Clinton-Dix who came out of nowhere to snatch a ball tipped by Dee Milliner snuffing out the Irish' first real scoring threat.
The Irish only converted 2 of 8 possession downs and managed to hold that ball for only 21:47 compared to Alabama's possession time of 38:13. In the first quarter, Alabama held the ball a staggering 12:08, while Notre Dame's offense was on the field for 2:52. This prompted one wag to comment that the Irish defense should sue their offense for non-support.

Predictably, the haters were on radio Tuesday morning braying about how Oregon should have been playing instead and how Ohio State vs. Notre Dame would have been a better game. The SEC Network's Dave Baker had a comprehensive answer: "Just shut up."

Fans who care about the game know what they witnessed Monday night: a team playing at the hight of its potential, achieving something that is as difficult as it is elusive and making a statement about the nature and quality of its program.

Here's how I grade the game:

Offense: A+ AJ completed 20 of 28 pass attempts for 264 yard and 4 touchdowns. He became the first Alabama quarterback since Jeff Rutledge to throw a TD pass in a national championship game.

Amari Cooper caught 6 passes for 105 yards and 2 TDs. Early in the game, Cooper must have attracted attention from the ND defense because AJ went instead to Marvin Shinn [2 for 14], Kevin Norwood [3 for 66] and Michael Williams [3 for 17, TD]. As the game progressed, and Notre Dame brought safety help in a futile effort to stop the run, Cooper and Christion Jones [2 for 40] found themselves uncovered and running free in the Irish secondary. The play-action pass worked to perfection. Alabama unleashed the play-action is every conceivable situation; on first down, to convert third and medium, and near the goal line-Michael Williams was the only person in the end zone as AJ faked the give to Lacy and tossed an easy throw and catch to the Pride Of Reform, over the heads of the ND secondary who were charging to the line of scrimmage.

Lacy scored with :31 to play in the first half on an 11 yard check-down pass. He broke an arm-tackle and spun away from another would-be defender to make the score 27-0. Jeremy Shelley's PAT was good and Alabama went into the intermission with the 28 point advantage that would prove to be the margin of victory.

Defense: A+ Judging from his post-game comments, Nico Johnson would disagree with this grade. The senior linebacker, and member of the Leadership Council told ESPN that if the defense had played to its standard, then ND would not have scored and the Tide's string of consecutive quarters of BCS Championship play without allowing points would have extended to 8. As it was, ND was able to put together two long drives [86, 75] that resulted in touchdowns.

CJ Mosley led all defenders with 8 tackles [1 for loss]. Clinton-Dix recorded 7 tackles and an interception. Robert Lester is credited with 6. Dieon Belue had 4 tackles, all solo. Landon Collins, Trey DePriest and Dee Milliner each recorded 3 tackles. Golson was sacked twice and hurried twice.

Special Teams

Punting: A+ Cody Mandel punted only 4 times for an averages of 49 yards per kick. Two of his punts were for greater than 50 yards and were downed inside the ND 20. Punt returning was a big of a challenge. Chrisition Jones fumbled the first punt of the night but an interference penalty nullified the ND recovery. I am sure that the coaching staff made a note for Dieon Belue who appeared to do more to cause Jones' fumble than the ND gunner.

Kicking: A+ Cade Foster averaged 46 net yards per kick off and 4 of his seven kicks resulted in touchbacks. The return game did not produce any highlight reel moments, but with the way the offense was playing, field position was never a factor.

Place Kicking: A+ Jeremy Shelly was perfect on his 6 PAT attempts which gives him one more successful place kick than he had in last year's BCS CG. I wonder if he intends to lobby for a corresponding number change going into the 2013 season.

Coaching: A+ Alabama was penalized 4 times for 40 yards and Ben Howell did not get any touches in the game. Apart from that, what can you say about the job done by Nick Saban and his staff?

The Twitter-verse was active last night. Some of my favorites:

Cecil Hurt: Barrett Jones just delivered the hardest hit that AJ McCarron has taken all night.

Marc Torrence: Touchdown Notre Dame. Nick Saban's seat just got a little warm.

Cecil Hurt: Tonights actual BCS attendance 80,120. Not sure if that figure includes the 22 missing Notre Dame starters or not.

Marc Torrence: [at the half] Alabama has broken more crystal BCS trophies than ND has points.

The Commissioner: [with the score 35-0] One more touchdown and they are going to have to give Alabama the ring from 1966.

Adam Jakobi: Django is less bloody.

Travis Reier: Some ND media are calling for Reese. Reese is calling for a cab.

Chase Goodbread: [at the half] Well you don't have to pay $1,500 for a ticket now.

The participation report lists 57 players who saw action in the BCS CG. The names of Anderson and Lee are not on that list. Although they were sent home from Miami for disciplinary reasons and made no contribution to Monday night's game, it is possible that they are making a significant contribution to the success of the 2013 and 2014 Crimson Tide. To quote Coach Saban: The Process never stops. Teams that feel entitled do not succeed. The example set by the coaches and senior leaders in how they dealt with whatever infraction Anderson and Lee committed, may well produce results this winter in the weight room, this spring in practice, or this coming fall in the next season.

Fans often feel entitled by success just like players. For Alabama fans who are enjoying this golden age, it is helpful to remember what it was like to wander in that desert between Bryant and Saban. Defeat and adversity are bitter herbs, but they can condition the pallet so that the taste of success is even more sweet. It is fine to enjoy this success, but we should always remember that all glory is fleeting.

Be like Coach Saban. On Wednesday get back to work....

The Commissioner

Pre Game Thoughts

It has been more than a month since I last posted on this blog.

When Alabama defeated Georgia to claim its 23rd SEC Championship, I was unable to grade the game. Our Correspondent From The Tire Store stepped up and posted one of the best post-game reviews ever to grace this blog.

Today, there is a sign on the door of the Tire Store, It reads: Gone To Miami-Will Reopen After The Game.

Our intrepid Correspondent and the entire pit crew will be watching the Tide in person on Monday night. Here's wishing them safe and joyful travel. And here's hoping the Tire Store runs a $15 Oil Change Special and that Andy throws in a free gallon of windshield washer fluid with every service to celebrate Alabama's 15th National Championship.

The topic of discussion wherever I go seems to be turning towards our individual and collective prep for Monday's game. A subject about which I have been a little reticent to engage. But, my inner clock tells me that the time has come.

First, though, a little shout out to the Ole Miss Rebel Black Bears who put a beat down on the Pitt team that took ND to three overtimes in South Bend. About that Irish-Panthers game: I gained a little inside information yesterday afternoon. One of my law partners, a HUGE ND fan [with good cause, since his father is retired from the ND faculty] organized a guys-trip to the ND/Pitt game earlier this season. One of the guys on the trip was a client, Eric, who is a ND law grad. It turns out that three times Eric had been to see Notre Dame play when it was 8-0 and each of those previous times the Irish lost the game that Eric attended. So, when, at the end of the 3rd Quarter, Pitt had a two TD lead, Eric told the others that he had to leave. He knew that his presence in the stadium was working a hardship on the Irish. So, he left the seating area and went out into the outer circular concourse as far away from the field of play as he could get without actually passing through a turn-style. ND rallied, and needed only a PAT to take the lead late in the game. So Eric ventured back towards his seat and got to a place where he could see the field only to witness the ND kicker miss the PAT! So back he went to the outer edges of the stadium away from any line of sight to the playing surface where he remained throughout the three OTs.

I commended him for doing the right thing for his team. For the fourth time in four games an 8-0 Notre Dame had not been ahead on the scoreboard when time expired with Eric attending the game. What more proof do you need? It is bad luck not to be superstitious.

This brings me back to the present. Monday's showdown will be epic. If only we still lived in an age of poets! If there were a Homer alive today, he would sing an epic poem of heroes: Jones and McCarron, Warmack and Steen, Fluker, Cyrus, Lacy, Yeldon, Cooper, Williams, Dial, Patrick, Milliner, Johnson, Mosley, DePriest, Lester and Sunseri. But, also Golson, Nix, Tae'o and more. Whoever wins, this game will be the stuff of legends.

I am completely at peace. Yes, I long for the Tide to be victorious. I want the script crimson A to be the symbol of a football dynasty. A win on Monday night will achieve that goal. But a loss of a game will not mean a loss of the goal. This team is poised to be better in 2013 than it was in 2012. If Alabama is not able to achieve a third national championship in four years, then hats off to Notre Dame. Would anyone argue that the Tide is less than the greatest program in the game if that third title comes in year five? Does anyone reasonably expect ND to replicate what Alabama has achieved under Nick Saban?

The envious have been spreading rumors about Coach Saban leaving Tuscaloosa for the NFL. He has, wisely, eschewed any response to those rumors. How could he respond? If he denied that he had any interest in the Browns job, the haters would simply bray about how poorly he handled the public relations surrounding his departure from the Dolphins, and more fuel would be added to the fire of speculation and distraction.

Here's my prediction about all that: Nick Saban will be the head football coach at the University of Alabama for the 2013 season, and for every season after that until he has achieved what no other member of his profession can claim: six national championships at Alabama [tying Coach Bryant's record] and seven total on his resume [an unparalleled accomplishment].

Here's my prediction about Monday night: when the clock sits at all zeros and the confetti cannons blast their colored chaff into the air, the Crimson Tide will be the undisputed master of all it surveys, and Nick Saban will be half-way towards composing his magnum opus.

The Commissioner