Alabama and Michigan State will meet for the second time in the storied history of the two programs.
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Not his size or style, mind you, but his number – 26.
Alabama and Michigan State will square off on Thursday, Dec. 31, at 7 p.m. CT for the 2015 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. “To not coach in this game, I couldn’t imagine”.
“We respect him for making that decision”.
Which is why Thursday night’s game truly could be a dramatic legacy-changer.
“I wouldn’t be standing here if it weren’t for the opportunities he gave me a long time ago at LSU”, Muschamp said before the Iron Bowl. “He’s prepared for 40 carries, so that’s what he knows”. “Once we got the first down, there was no pain at all”. But that’s what tailbacks want – you want to be fed the ball.
If Sparty is going to be successful in beating Alabama and advancing, Michigan State’s defense is going to have to limit freshman wide receiver Calvin Ridley. Those two are now co-defensive coordinators. McElwain was SEC coach of the year in his debut season at Florida, winning the East after returning to the league following a stint as Colorado State head coach. Henry produced 978 of those yards after contact, the most in the nation. And then we got to come back to Tuscaloosa and really focus on the Michigan State game during this recruiting dead period. Like the rest of the sports-watching world, they have seen the one Scott made against Iowa, a beastly third-down plunge from the 1 in which six tacklers had a shot at him. “We was in New Orleans, guys was going out all the time”. I’m probably the closest to the other running backs than anyone else on the team.
“Originally, I said no because I was afraid”.
“I think that’s what makes us so good. I’m happy for their families”, Saban said. “You keep asking, but I already told you that’s not happening”. The Crimson Tide players are used to playing in big games and always project an all-business attitude. “It shows that he really cares about us, not just a as players but as people, just show his character”. “If somebody else makes a play, you might not even see the field again”.
Though the situation seems awkward from the outside, Smart said Saban had no reservations about having one of his coaches actively recruiting against him for a month.
Alabama has allowed 38 passing plays of 20 or more yards in 2015, 15 such plays of more than 30 yards, and 10 that covered at least 40 yards.
“It’s a lot of guys from Ohio who didn’t get offers from Ohio State and a lot of guys from Michigan who didn’t get offers from Michigan”, Conklin, the offensive tackle from Plainwell, Mich., said. “I can still see guys in there crying”. We all can do everything. Quinn’s advice could be more applicable due to the length of the National Football League season for Super Bowl teams, and subsequent compression of the offseason schedule at the next job. “Like I said, they’re a good team over there, they’ve got some big dudes, they’re physical”.
Would Dantonio be able to accomplish that at a place like Alabama? If he really is the National Football League franchise quarterback many think he’ll be, then he could be just good enough to be the difference. “And he’s done a much better job in the second half of the year handling the defense, changing protections, being the quarterback instead of just trying to win that specific play, managing the play, and managing the entire offense”. Alabama (12-1) has faced plenty of loaded boxes, with defenses crowding seven and eight players tight to the line of scrimmage. “So you’ve got to finish everything, push through everything and try to dominate everything you do”.
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Smart has hired five assistants for his staff at Georgia: offensive coordinator Jim Chaney (Pittsburgh), offensive line coach Sam Pittman (Arkansas), outside linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer (retained from Mark Richt’s staff), defensive line coach Tracy Rocker (retained) and defensive assistant Glenn Schumann (brought by Smart from Alabama).
