The Right Team Won

I know a number of Jawja fans that are replaying yesterday's epic SEC Championship game in their minds, rationalizing between the Dawgs' great effort and the misplayed last few seconds.

Georgia played an awesome game and almost stole it, but it was Alabama's title. They won the battle of wills, they won the battle of minds, and ultimately they hung on to win the game.

The game-winning score was definitive, when AJ McCarron went up top to Amari Cooper for 45 yards with 3:15 left to take the lead for good. But the game-winning pass was set up by Alabama's bruising running game that shredded Georgia's star-studded defense for the entire 2nd Half.

Alabama rolled for 350 rushing yards, and Eddie Lacy and T.J Yeldon ran over, through, and around the Dawgs. Check out the 2nd half entries from the game's play-by-play:

Eddie Lacy rush for 17 yards 

T.J. Yeldon rush 31 yards

T.J. Yeldon rush 10 yards for TD

T.J. Yeldon rush up middle for 2 points

Eddie Lacy rush for 32 yards

Eddie Lacy rush for 15 yards

Eddie Lacy rush for 14 yards

T.J. Yeldon rush for 10 yards

T.J. Yeldon rush for 10 yards

T.J. Yeldon rush for 11 yards

That's 10 big running plays in the 2nd half, many of which were with Alabama trailing and in comeback mode. It's not surprising that the play that immediately set up Cooper's TD catch was a 5-yard run by Yeldon on 3rd & 5. And in the overall tapestry that set up a game-wininng long pass, Alabama had run on 20 of their previous 22 plays.

Eddie Lacy gets the MVP award, and I would save his game jersey with Georgia defenders' DNA all over it.

Now Alabama gets Notre Dame, trying for their 3rd BCS title in 4 years. And while I'm an expert, I'm not a professional. I put the line at Alabama -13. Although Brian Kelly was in attendance in Atlanta yesterday, and he got to see his opponent up close before he gets to see the film. You'd think that would be an advantage, but it's really just scary.

Death, Taxes, and T-Town's One-Track Mind

It was a long week full of travel delays, dying laptops, and a long-ass road trip with the kids through the snow (SNOW?) in Alabama. But there's one thing you know you can count on at the end of the road: Tuscaloosa's year-long football season.

For example, the "A" Club Football BBQ Cook-Off at Bryant-Denny Stadium, featuring such exhilarating celebs from the Crimson Tide's past as Ray Perkins and Siran Stacy, had an attendance of 4,500...about half of the Alabama/Arkansas basketball game just down the street at Coleman Coliseum (the reason I was there).

I paid my respects at Coach Bear Bryant's statue, half-hoping he'd make me run some suicides. But he just stared back at me, grumbling "Yankee" under his breath.

Wonder when the Nick Saban statue goes up? They've got the spot for it (not kidding), just a few feet away. And it will be up by next football season.

The obsession with Alabama football has got to end. I married a Crimsonette (there's an old expression that Crimsonettes make beautiful babies, but lousy wives) and married into an Alabama football family. After my Tuscaloosa assignment ended, I went to pick up the kids at the in-laws, and I made sure the kids shouted "War Eagle!" instead of goodbye.

As of Valentine's Day 2010, we are an Auburn family. We're going to end this unhealthy obsession one family at a time.

An Alabama Hit and Run

How was your weekend?

Mine was spent behind the wheel. Took my 5-year old to Grandma's in Cullman on Saturday, then made an about face on Sunday.

First stop, truck stop. Meet the family business.

You can spend an entire day and a lot of money at Jack's Western Wear. My son must think that Crocs grow on trees. I considered buying him one of these T-shirts:

A cursory check yielded no such Christmas requests to play for Gene Chizik at Auburn. Not yet anyway.

When I spent the night at my father-in-law's lakeside estate (more on this in a later post), I found a familiar looking statue waiting for me.

And much like the Savannah version, she guards headstones - in his front yard.

Swung by Talladega Super Speedway on the way back.







If fictional race car driver Ricky Bobby ever enjoyed any Talladega Nights, that would be a fictional account too. If there's any nightlife in this sleepy town, it would be a major upset.

Despite being almost constantly on the road, my XM radio kept me connected with my Yankees. Heard both weekend games in their entirety. Got to watch Federer make quick work and history on Sunday morning. Got home in time to see a vintage Tiger Woods Sunday finish.