Free Republic

Nick Saban’s retiring as the University of Alabama football coach, ESPN reported Wednesday afternoon, turning a long inevitability into a stark reality and sending shockwaves throughout the college football world. It ends arguably the greatest run in college football history where the once famously-nomadic Saban finally planted roots and rebuilt a decaying empire. By reviving a struggling Crimson Tide program — winning 80.6% of his games and seven national titles — Saban placed his name among the all-time greats. That includes Paul “Bear” Bryant, the Alabama coach from six whose national title mark Saban passed in 2020.

A 26-year-old nursing student in Alabama who claimed she was abducted after spotting a toddler along the interstate admitted on Monday she made up the entire story. Carlee Russell claimed that she was kidnapped on July 13 after she stopped to check on a toddler at 9:30pm. She turned up at her parents' house 49 hours later and told police she had been abducted, spinning an elaborate story of fighting for freedom. Yet on Monday, Hoover police chief Nick Derzis read a statement from Russell's lawyer in which she admitted she had invented the story. 'There was no kidnapping on...

The College Football Playoff picture looks pretty clear heading into Championship Saturday. With three undefeated teams at the end of the 2022 regular season, three spots in the four-team playoff look almost guaranteed no matter what happens on the first Saturday of December.

<p>Alabama football, ninjas, and karate have one thing in common, balance.</p><p>Balance is vital in everything. People who have a balanced life are those with more joy.</p><p>Football teams that balance on offense and defense win championships.</p><p>The Crimson Tide suffered a loss to Texas A&M in the 2021 regular season, but it is now in a place it knows well. Alabama is trying to repeat as champions tonight versus Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Tide has found different ways to win all year, and it stems from the “Crimson Crane” celebration with Jameson Williams and John Metchie. After each touchdown, the two celebrated together. Williams is happy to achieve balance in his new home, while Metchie was excited to share responsibilities with his teammate.</p>

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young has already made almost $1 million in sponsorship and endorsement money, according to Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban, Yahoo Sports has reported. Saban’s statement comes as college athletes nationwide have been permitted since July 1 to make money off their name and image rights after the NCAA rescinded its restrictive rules limiting the rights of athletes due to state laws superseding NCAA rules. Saban made his comments at the Texas High School Coaches Association convention, saying that Young “already has approached ungodly numbers. I’m not going to say what they are. He hasn’t even played yet....

Alabama and Notre Dame are scheduled to play a home-and-home series in 2028 and 2029. They will not, however, play in a makeshift nonconference game this season, according to Crimson Tide athletic director Greg Byrne. The idea of Alabama and Notre Dame playing in Week 1 of the 2020 season was floated this past week by a member of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic on the "Thom Abraham Show." The suggestion came after the Pac-12's move to cancel nonconference games this fall in response to growing concern over the COVID-19 pandemic, and among the matchups to be canceled as a result...

MSNBC Reporter is trolled by a University of Alabama Student before last Saturday's game. Love it!

A man was taken into custody Saturday after he stabbed a "Baby Trump" protest balloon on display near the University of Alabama, where the president was attending the Crimson Tide's football game against LSU. Hoyt Hutchinson, 32, was charged with felony first-degree criminal mischief, according to the Tuscaloosa News. The paper reported that Hutchinson posted a Facebook Live video saying he planned to deflate the balloon depicting Trump as a crying baby wearing a diaper and holding a cell phone.

Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes tells WRBL-TV that Harvey Updyke is being ordered to appear in court Oct. 30 to explain himself. Updyke served more than 70 days in jail in 2013 and was ordered to pay about $800,000 in restitution after admitting to poisoning trees at Toomer's Corner in Auburn. Fans traditionally rolled the trees with toilet paper after a win.

The University of Alabama gave back a philanthropist’s $26.5 million donation and took his name off the law school Friday, a week after he called on students to boycott the institution over the state’s new abortion ban. Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr., a 70-year-old Florida real estate investor, said he has no doubt the board of trustees acted in response to his remarks, and he complained that the state of Alabama is only reinforcing its reputation as “the land of the backward,” full of “hicks.” University officials emphatically denied the decision had anything to do with Culverhouse’s stand on the abortion...

Remember when Alabama was the breeding ground for prospective NFL talent for the past decade or so? Don't tell that to the Clemson Tigers. With Trevor Lawrence on the roster for the next two years, the Tigers are poised to have a dominant run over that span, and with head coach Dabo Swinney leading the way, it's safe to say the Crimson Tide are in big trouble. On Sunday, Clemson ​successfully recruited DJ Uiagalelei, a 5-star and top pocket passer quarterback prospect in the 2020 class. Now, the Tigers have their succession plan once Lawrence declares for the NFL Draft...

The biggest problem for the Crimson Tide last season was the offense needed to always deliver. Why? Because the 2018 version of the Alabama football defense was not championship caliber. A 100 percent healthy Tua throughout last season would have produced even more amassing numbers. But he and the rest of the Tide offense would have still needed more help from their defensive teammates. Alabama football finished No. 12 in Total Defense in the FBS last season. College football fans wowed by more than a decade of explosive offenses tend to forget the importance of defense. The old refrain of...

An Alabama fan was fatally beaten in a bar fight at Ponchatoula Pub while celebrating the Crimson Tide's win over LSU. A physical altercation involving 46-year-old Robert Bowers and two individuals, later identified as Azia Crockett and Ryan Anthony, took place inside the pub just after midnight on the morning on Nov. 4.

LSU asked for all the smoke, and boy did it get it. Alabama rendered the Tigers’ pedestrian offense scoreless, while allowing it to total 196 yards on 60 plays from scrimmage. Quarterback Joe Burrow was in fear for his life all game long, especially with Quinnen Williams, Isaiah Buggs, Christian Miller and Anfernee Jennings in his face. He was sacked five times, with two of them coming via Williams. With quite a few National Football League scouts in attendance at Tiger Stadium, the Birmingham native is looking like a concrete first-round pick for next year’s draft. Williams, a redshirt sophomore,...

Many are saying that this could be the best overall team that Nick Saban has ever assembled. That is not good news for opponents since Saban has assembled so many national championship teams. So looking at the current top ten, what are the chances they realistically have to pose a problem to the Tide? Let’s go in order of what this writer who has covered football for long thinks and we’ll start in order of the teams with the worst chance. Starting with number nine of the chart to topple the tide. 9. Michigan – Currently the number 6 team...

The Alabama Crimson Tide paid a visit to the White House the other day and it turned out to be one of those uniquely American moments. For the record – I happen to be a Tennessee Volunteer fan — but what the Crimson Tide did at the White House transcends football rivalries – even Southeastern Conference football rivalries. Coach Nick Saban gladly accepted President Trump’s invitation and said the entire national championship team would attend– regardless of political proclivities. “Coach Saban addressed it and just said, ‘Hey, we’re doing this regardless of your political thoughts,” offensive lineman Ross Pierschbacher told...

The University of Alabama champion Crimson Tide football team showed up for their day at the White House on Tuesday, with several following Coach Nick Saban in saying it was an honor. “You know, not many people get invited to the White House, so not many people get invited to see the president and meet the president. So this is a special day for our team. A team that is being honored here because of their achievements in terms of winning the college football national championship, which makes me very proud,” said six-time championship winner Saban. “A special thanks to...

Prelims on Fox Sports 2 in progress, Main Card at 10 Eastern on Fox Sports 1. Lyoto Machida returns in the main event, facing undfeated (10-0) prospect Eryk Anders, a former Crimson Tide Linebacker Women's Bantamweight Contender Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main, moving down to flyweight. A bout between John Dodson and Pedro Munhoz is off after Munhoz missed weight and Dodson declined to face him at a catchweight.

At least one person wasn’t happy to see Donald Trump in attendance for Monday's national championship game. Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough appeared to yell “F--k Trump!” before taking the field, in a video captured by Sporting News. Scarbrough, who wears No. 9, can be seen in the back of the video appearing to shout the obscenity.

What: 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship, Division 1, Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) When: Monday, 1-8-2018, 8:15 Eastern Standard Time Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta GA, TV and Radio: ESPN (yeah I know) Who: #1 Ranked SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs (13-1), Coach Kirby Smart, versus The #4 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1), Coach Nick Saban. Saban is looking to tie coach Bear Bryant's record 6 national titles. Why: Why not? I heard the President is attending the game