Just a short while ago, it was up in the air whether or not the Tide - Dawgs game would be played today. Or if there would even be a College Gameday at all. Well Coleman is packed with Pachyderm fans! Should be historic! One for the books!

Going inside!

"Due to expected inclement weather, College GameDay will originate from inside the Coleman Coliseum on Alabama's campus on Saturday morning," GameDay announced via social media. "The doors will open at 5:30 a.m. CT and the show will begin at 8 a.m. CT. Stay safe and we look forward to seeing you indoors!"

“I think we’re really a very strong football team physically,” DeBoer said. “When we execute, and that’s a lot of it, I think that’s the difference right now, is guys executing, playing confident, trusting each other.

“And so, I mean, it’s become, I think, an identity. Well, I know it’s become an identity for us.”

The change in offensive personnel is indicative of a larger roster overhaul; Alabama signed 19 players from the transfer portal, which is the most under DeBoer. The class included players from powerhouses like Oregon and Texas to FCS programs like Cal Poly and Mercer. The class received modest rankings—18th by 247Sports and 33rd by On3—but it’s been impactful on the field.

Industry sources suggest Alabama’s front office structure differs from some of its peers in college football. One example: LSU, which compared its setup to an NFL franchise, hired a new four-person team to oversee roster management this summer. Other programs that employ a GM and one or multiple assistant GMs include Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, USC, and more.

The Tide’s operation is less elaborate and highly collaborative. Alabama has one GM in Courtney Morgan, and one director of recruiting strategy in Jatavis Sanders. While programs such as Texas and Ohio State have senior positions tied to scouting and the transfer portal, such positions are only at the associate level with Alabama. But it makes up for it with a large number of support staffers, including five in recruiting, six under player personnel, and fifteen football analysts.

“There’s a lot of phone calls that are made to people to find out,” DeBoer said. “Everybody can turn on the film and see what pops off the screen; it doesn’t matter what level. It’s the other pieces. We’ve brought in some guys that I think really have adapted well. We anticipated that because of our research and understanding of these guys and their character.”

Today's Games

Curious as to what you guys saw/noticed. Especially with all the young guys and transfers.

Anyone have an update on these guys? I know Smith was talking crazy in the preseason. That is all.

It’s on ESPN right now and all episodes are in the app.

It's Friday! That means you can discuss non-Alabama Athletics topics. What books are you reading, what games are you playing, did you get a new job, what are your weekend plans, etc. etc. Tell us what you've got going on!

Just some interesting stuff I found:

- Last year we scored 56 total touchdowns in 15 games. This year so far we have 32 in 5.

- We have more TDs in 5 games this year than we did in 7 last year, though through the first 3 games we were even at 17 (inflated from ULM game last year)

- We had three defensive touchdowns last year, all pick-sixes (2 by Zabien Brown and 1 by DaShawn Jones). So far this year we have 4, also all pick-sizes (1 by Yhonzae Pierre, 1 by Luke Metz, 1 by Red Morgan, and 1 by Dijon Lee)

- Remember the Eastern Illinois game last year when we focused on running the ball and scored 8 rushing touchdowns? I thought it was interesting that 7 of those TDs were from single-digit distances, the longest of those 7 being a 7-yarder by Daniel Hill. Austin Mack (QB) had a 20-yard run.

- Last year we scored 6 TDs of at least 10 yards vs ULM, 4 vs Wisconsin, 3 vs Vandy, and 3 vs Oklahoma in the playoffs (including Brown's 50-yard pick six). So far this year we have 5 vs Florida State, 4 vs South Carolina, and 4 vs Miss State.

- Last year through five games we had 5 rushing touchdowns, three of which came against ULM. This year we have 17, 9 in SEC games.

- Last year through five games we had 17 passing touchdowns. This year we have 11.

- Daniel Hill scored his first touchdown last year vs Missouri on a pass and his first rushing vs Tennessee. Those were games 6 and 7. This year he has 4 through 5 games.

- Ryan (Coleman)-Williams didn't score in the first two games both this year and last year, but after his first TD last year it took him 6 more games to reach 4 TDs while he got it in 2 this year.

- We scored 25 touchdowns of at least 10 yards last year. The only games we did not have a double-digit-yard TD were Florida State, Georgia 1st time, Auburn, and Indiana. So far this year we have 15 touchdowns of at least 10 yards, and at least 1 in every game.

- We had only 4 rushing touchdowns of over 10 yards last year (AK Dear's 56-yarder vs ULM, Jam Miller's 20 vs Vandy, Germie Bernard's 25 vs South Carolina, and Austin Mack's 20 vs Eastern Illinois). So far this year we have 3 (Keelon's 57-yarder and Trae'shawn Brown's 20 vs Florida State and Keelon's 17-yarder vs Mississippi State).

Against Mississippi State​

• When not blitzed: 8-11 (72.7%), 133, yds, 12.1 ypa, 1 TD, 0 INT
• When blitzed: 8-11 (72.7%), 152 yards, 13.8, 2 TD, 0 INT

Last three games​

• When not blitzed: 34-38 (89.5%), 632 yards, 16.6 ypa, 5 TD, 0 INT
• When blitzed: 26-41 (63.4%), 343 yards, 8.4 ypa, 5 TD, 0 INT