🏈 Sugar Bowl Preview: Part One- The External Factors

[CRIMSONTUSKS.COM BLOG]

Sugar Bowl Preview: Part One- The External Factors
December 15, 2008

By Terry Pellman (TerryP)

Along the same lines as the previews published for the Southeastern Conference Championship Game, we are going to look at the upcoming Sugar Bowl in several parts. We’ll talk about the Alabama offense and compare it against the Utah defense and vice-versa. We’ll look at how the coaches match up against each other both in terms of schemes, success, their approach to this game and other assundries.

Assundry. Defined in this case as the gratuitous use of a Southern phrase that really isn’t a word, but it should make a few of our visiting Utah fans pause for a moment, so what the hell. After all, we are Southern folk, aight?

Before getting into the X’s and O’s of this matchup, with consideration of the fact this will mark the first time these two programs have played each other in football, it seems like a good idea to ask, “What external factors outside of what happens in the ‘Dome come into play for the Sugar Bowl?”

From the Football Section of the RollTideBama Blog

 

[bamafan4ever]

Nice foundation for what will no doubt be a great preview. It really addresses the whole "respect" issue.

Nice job!

 

[Guest]

ttt, for the Utes.

 

[reger60]

Excellent read Terry.

 

[Guest]

ttt, to bump the Auburn crap....

 

[CRIMSONTUSKS.COM BLOG]

One last bump before Part Two: The Coaches...coming this weekend.

 

[TerryP]

I'm bumping this to the top because it builds on what I was saying in this part of the preview.

I just got this in my email, I don't know what paper this guy writes for or I would credit the source. If anyone knows, please, let me know.

By Ken Rogers

Published: December 24, 2008

Bowl games are rewards for great seasons. At least, that’s the common refrain.

But a number of Alabama players missed that memo. They look at the Crimson Tide’s Jan. 2 date against Utah in the Allstate Sugar Bowl as a final opportunity to prove — and even vindicate — themselves.

There is a genuine urgency to make sure the luster of an undefeated regular season isn’t dimmed by a loss in the SEC Championship Game and a bowl loss.

Senior quarterback John Parker Wilson and several teammates have put a ton of importance on this final game. They are convinced their legacy is riding on the outcome.

“If we can go out and win this game, win a Sugar Bowl, win a BCS game, it’ll kind of wrap everything up,” Wilson said. “If we don’t, we’ll be just another team, another season.”

Wilson and his senior teammates were freshmen when Alabama started the 2005 season 9-0 and were ranked No. 4 in the nation — their highest ranking since the 2000 preseason poll. But that team lost to LSU and Auburn to finish the season.
A 13-10 victory over Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl didn’t take the sting away from those late losses.

That 10-win team may be among the most overlooked and under appreciated in school history.

Now seniors, those who remember seem determined to finish strong.

They have an appreciation for the history between the Sugar Bowl and Alabama. The Crimson Tide has been to more bowl games (55) than any team. This will be the 13th time Alabama has played in the Sugar Bowl. It is Alabama’s first BCS bowl since the Orange Bowl in 2000.

“We’re playing a BCS game in the Sugar Bowl. It’s a huge deal around here,” Wilson said. “There’s pictures of it everywhere in our weight room from the past teams and the guys in the Sugar Bowl. It’s a big deal, a huge game, and I want to go out on top.”

“What does it mean to me?” running back Glen Coffee repeated. “A BCS game, another chance to show America what Alabama is about. It’s great to be in the Sugar Bowl. It’s a great accomplishment. But it doesn’t mean anything unless we come back with a victory.”

All-American safety Rashad Johnson, a captain the last two years, said the turnaround for this team began last year, when Alabama lost its last four regular-season games to finish 6-6.

“We came in last year after the season — we lost those four games in a row, it was a tough stretch,” Johnson said. “Coach told us we had an opportunity to change things with this last bowl game. I think everybody took the mentality that he’d been trying to get us to take on — we took it one play at a time and we went out and won.”

Johnson said the Crimson Tide got much more out of that Independence Bowl victory over Colorado than a trophy.
“I think that built momentum going into the offseason and let us know, if we just buy in to what coach is telling us, we have an opportunity to have a great team. I think everybody did it — it showed in our offseason workouts — and we took that mentality into the season. We’ve had a great season so far.“

And it’s not over. All-American left tackle Andre Smith said the game is a chance to bury the frustration of the loss to Florida in the SEC Championship Game.

“We had a couple slip-ups, and it is a chance for us to go out there and redeem ourselves for the mistakes we made,” Smith said. “I don’t think it’s going to be that hard for the team to get up because we all want to go out on top.”

Captain and center Antoine Caldwell also said how the Tide bounces back from its first loss will be crucial.

“That’s why I think this game’s so important for a lot of us. Not just seniors but this whole team. The last game we had was tough for us to get over,” Caldwell said. “If we were to slip up this last game, a lot of what we did this season might not be held to the higher standard that it is right now. I definitely think we’ve got to go out there and get this next game, and it’s really important to me and to this football team.”

Senior tight end Travis McCall said he doesn’t want to see a tremendous season tainted.

“I think if we didn’t go out on a good note, it would be sort of a letdown for the season because we’ve worked so hard to get to where we are,” McCall said. “I just want to go out in my last game and play the best game I’ve played all year. I think that would be the only way to go out, going out on top, playing your best.”

The Tide’s other senior tight end, Nick Walker of Brundidge, said, “We’ve got to go out with a win to make it even feel like it was a good season.”

The Florida loss has stayed with this team.

“Oh yeah, especially when you know you could have beat them,” Walker said. “It was a heartbreaker, but we’ve got to bounce back and win this one.”

“We’ve done a lot of great things this year and we just don’t want to mess it up here at the end,” senior defensive end Bobby Greenwood said. “We just want to go out on top with a victory. I know the seniors, we’re going to give it all we’ve got. Like you said, leave our legacy here and get a jump start on next year for the rest of the guys.”

Coffee wants Alabama to turn in a complete performance.

“I’d like to see us just go out with a dominating win in all phases of the game, special teams, offense, defense,” the running back said. “I’d like to see the people who haven’t played much this season get in the game, get in the atmosphere. I want other people to feel what it’s like to play in a big game, big scene.”

That characteristic — playing for and pulling for your teammates — may define this team. Alabama has good players, but they were much better as a team than as individuals. Smith said he’s proud of restoring some of the school’s past reputation for team play.

“I think we did a pretty good job this year of bringing back the old Alabama to the prestige it used to be once upon a time,” said Smith, who caught himself speaking in the past tense. “I think we are doing a pretty good job.”

But Wilson sets the tone for the present. The Sugar Bowl is an important business trip for the Crimson Tide.

“We’ve had a great season up to this point, something we’ll all remember. But I think if we don’t go out and win this game, it will be all for nothing,” the quarterback said.

“We’re looking at this as a one-game season, and we’re going to have to go out and take care of business, put a cap on this one for the seniors. It’s a huge game, playing in the Sugar Bowl. We’re putting a lot of expectations on this game.”

 

[Guest]

^^Good stuff from the players! a$#