Tide continues preparations for National Championship Game

“I know a lot of people wanted Alabama because they’re the best”, All-American defensive end Shaq Lawson said. “He absolutely loves Pelham”. Gone were the signs of wear and tear on the bodys of the Tiger defenders that had shown up at the most inopportune times over the last six games of the season. Because Alabama doesn’t begin its spring semester until January 13 (the title game is January 11), the Tide have no restrictions on their practice time.

Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban has guided his team to three national championships – 2009, 2011, 2012 – and 97 victories in that seven-year span. Clemson has not played for a national title in 34 years.

“Everybody talks about it being insane, me pulling for Clemson, but it’s not for me”.

Swinney said despite his family’s ties to Alabama, nobody in his circle will be cheering for the Crimson Tide.

“This next one, Alabama, it is what it is”, Swinney told the media Tuesday.

We are going to go out on a limb and say that there are more than a few Alabama fans who believe God speaks to them in Bear Bryant’s voice.

The Alabama Crimson Tide opened as a 7-point favorite in almost every sportsbook and they have remained so since the line opened. The only big regular season win they had this year was at home against #8 Notre Dame, and they only beat them by two. “We’ve got a lonely trophy sitting down there in that case”. I know this: Nobody is going to prepare harder. That’s just fine with him.

No, the defense that was on display New Year’s Eve looked the part but more importantly played the part. “They don’t want to admit it, but there’s a bunch of them”, he said. To have the opportunity to be in my first national championship game as a coach, and it comes against Alabama, I just have to smile at God on that one.

If the numbers are such that the Alabama offensive linemen can get a hat on a hat, Coker opts for a run and lets the Heisman Trophy victor go to work.

Swinney, 46, grew up in Pelham and played football at Pelham High School before enrolling at the University of Alabama and joining the football team as a walk-on under then-Alabama coach Bill Curry. Swinney was a walk-on Wide Reciever at Alabama and eventually earned a scholarship. The SEC went 8-2 in bowl games which set the record for the most wins in NCAA history.

Swinney later became a full-time assistant coach for the Crimson Tide in 1996 and spent a total of five seasons at his alma mater, coaching under Stallings and later, Mike DuBose.

Other observers don’t seem to think it will be the thriller I think it will be.

Alabama didn’t get to this point of the season, namely playing for a national championship, without being true to its identity. Mullaney said, “Coach Saban always says 24-hour rule, so you have 24 hours to celebrate this win and after that we just move on to our next opponent”.

Dave Smith, who publishes Pelham’s city news magazine, put Swinney on the cover as a hometown hero after the 2012 season, but he isn’t rooting for Clemson against ‘Bama.

“I’m just taking it a day at a time right now”, he said.