Sports

What happened to the soul of Alabama football?

Published

10 months ago

September 17, 2023

What happened to the soul of Alabama football?

An argument could have been made before its 17-3 loss to Alabama Football on Saturday that South Florida was the worst team in the country.

That’s not a low blow or anything. There was compelling evidence.

A review of the sacrificial Bulls:

The last time South Florida defeated an FBS opponent was two seasons ago.

n 2022, the Bulls’ only victory of the season was against Howard. In 2021, South Florida went 2-11 with victories against Florida A&M and Temple. In 2020, South Florida was 1-8 with a win against The Citadel.

South Florida opened this season with a 41-24 loss to Western Kentucky and then struggled last week in a victory against Florida A&M.

That’s five total victories since the pandemic and three of them were against teams in a lower division. In ancient days, when the Greeks sacrificed oxen to the gods, South Florida’s football program might have been described as a hecatomb of the horrendous.

Alabama was tied with that team 3-3 at halftime.

If you came here looking for answers to explain exactly what’s wrong with Alabama football these days, then I got nothing for you. There is no way to explain this mess in rational words. Someone please find the thief who stole Alabama’s soul this offseason. Alabama is supposed to have more blue chip NFL prospects than any team in the country. This team’s offense looks helpless and confused like someone who took the bus to work and then forgot where they parked at the end of the day.

I’ll just go ahead and say the thing out loud that everyone is thinking. It’s starting to look like the beginning of the end for Nick Saban’s time at Alabama. He’ll go out on his own terms, surely, but for the first time since he’s been back in college Saban’s team resembles one of the joyless groups of pros he coached in Miami.

It’s like the players in college are finally being paid like professionals and suddenly Saban is the clumsy magician unable to fool the children. In the end, Saban’s retirement will be the price college football pays for finally allowing the players to make money.

Saban noted after that game that he was proud of the way his players competed. In an odd way, that notion seems somehow discouraging after the game I just watched.

Maybe I’m being too cynical. Hopefully that’s the case. Certainly, though, something needs to change before next week’s home game against Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss. We all know that Kiffin has been dreaming of knocking Saban off his throne ever since Saban fired Kiffin before the 2017 national championship game.

Coincidentally, the 2017 title game was at the same venue where Alabama struggled against South Florida. Here’s a suggestion to Alabama’s schedule makers. Make every attempt to avoid that place in the future. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it’s a fun stadium with a pirate ship. For the Crimson Tide, Raymond James Stadium feels like cursed pirate treasure.

There will be questions about Alabama’s quarterback position going into the game against Ole Miss. From what we’ve seen, Jalen Milroe is clearly the best option going into conference play. At least Milroe moved the ball in the loss to Texas. Alabama’s offense against South Florida was nonexistent and quarterbacks Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson felt like they were one hit away from a serious injury. Why is Alabama’s offensive line performing so badly? It’s inexplicable.

How bad was Alabama’s offense against South Florida? Buchner and Simpson combined to throw for 107 yards. Keep in mind that South Florida’s defense allowed Florida A&M quarterback Jeremy Moussa to throw for 374 yards last week.

Saban’s decision to bench Milroe for Buchner made a lot of sense. Now was the time to see the other quarterbacks in action. Either Buchner was the answer, or he wasn’t. Saban pulled the cord on the parachute pretty quick.

Next up was former third-string quarterback Simpson. Why was Simpson the second choice this week? Saban said at halftime that “Ty was the guy who practiced the best as a backup quarterback.”

That comment suggests that Milroe was dogging it in practice after his uneven performance against Texas. If so, add that concerning problem to the growing pile of all the rest.

This is no national champion contender. At least that much is clear three weeks into the season. Alabama was supposed to be angry about what happened in 2022, but I don’t even know if this team is good enough to make a bowl game. Saban’s team started the season ranked No.4 in the AP Poll. It was all based on reputation. The Tide then dropped to No.10 after the loss to Texas. It should drop out of the Top 25 after the game against South Florida.

It was a win in name only. It was showing up to sacrifice a bull and instead catching a horn to the heart.

Related Topics:alabama football.sports Featured

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Atalanta slam €70m price tag on Lookman

Published

7 days ago

July 20, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Atalanta slam €70m price tag on Lookman

Atalanta have set a €70m price tag on Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman.

The Bergamo-based club are willing to let the forward depart this summer, but only if their financial demands are met. The asking price is similar to the fee they received from Manchester United for Rasmus Hojlund in 2024.

Lookman, who joined Atalanta from RB Leipzig for €10 million in 2022, was instrumental in securing back-to-back European qualifications for the club. His standout performance came in the UEFA Europa League final, where he netted a historic hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen, becoming the first player to achieve this feat in the competition’s final.

CalcioNews24 reports that Atalanta’s €70 million valuation is non-negotiable, and they are prepared to retain Lookman if their demands are not met.

The Italian club’s stance mirrors their approach with Hojlund, whom they sold to Manchester United for €73.5 million last summer, despite the Danish striker scoring only nine league goals in the preceding season.

Lookman ended the season with an impressive tally of 26 goals across all competitions. This prolific form has caught the attention of several top European clubs.

According to reports, Barcelona, Juventus, and West Ham are among the clubs interested in acquiring Lookman’s services.

The Super Eagles forward is no stranger to the Premier League, having previously featured for Fulham, Everton, and Leicester City.

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Kiraa FC Dominates Nationwide League One U-19 Youth League

Published

1 week ago

July 17, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Kiraa FC Dominates Nationwide League One U-19 Youth League

Kiraa FC, a burgeoning football club owned by Franklin Oluwasegun Currie and located in Ijebu Ososa, the hometown of the late theater icon Chief Hubert Ogunde, has quickly made a name for itself in the Nationwide League One (NLO) U-19 youth league. The club, which recently joined the league, is topping the table with 6 points after a series of impressive victories.

Under the expert technical guidance of Coach Akande Fatai Adejumo Smith, Kiraa FC defeated Patriots FC 2-1 at the FC Ebedei Stadium in Sagamu Remo, Ogun State on Tuesday, July 16th, 2024. Despite the tough competition, Kiraa FC demonstrated their professionalism and skill, securing the win. The day before, on July 15th, the club also triumphed over Switch FA, further solidifying their top position in the group.

Smith brings a wealth of experience and expertise to Kiraa FC. A graduate of electronics and electrical engineering from LAUTECH Ogbomoso, Smith has an impressive background as the former Player of Crown of Ogbomoso, Sunshine Stars Akure, and Shooting Stars of Ibadan. He has also played professionally in Asia and Europe and holds coaching licenses from The FA UK, UEFA, CAF, FCAAN, and NIS. Currently, he serves as the National Coordinator and Head of Protocol for FCAAN (Football Coaches Association of African Nations) Nigeria.

The next challenge for Kiraa FC is a match against FC Ebedei Jnr on July 18th. FC Ebedei, based in Sagamu Remo, after relocating from Lagos in 2001, plays in the Nigeria Nationwide League, the third tier of Nigerian football. It also serves as the African football academy for FC Midtjylland in the Danish Superliga championship. Following this, Kiraa FC will face Generation FC on July 23rd. Fans and supporters are hopeful that the club will continue their winning streak in these upcoming games.

Kiraa FC’s rapid rise and consistent performance under Smith’s leadership have not gone unnoticed. The team’s players are recognized for their power, techniques, and dedication, making them formidable opponents in the league. As the club continues to excel, it brings pride not only to its supporters but also to the hub of entertainment that is Ijebu Ososa.

Sports

Nigerian coaches not good enough for Eagles job – Abdallah

Published

1 week ago

July 17, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Nigerian coaches not good enough for Eagles job – Abdallah

Former Super Eagles assistant coach, Usman Abdallah, shockingly stated that no Nigerian coach is good enough for the managerial role of the country’s senior men’s national team, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Abdallah’s assertion comes after the Nigeria Football Federation announced it was considering hiring a foreign coach following the resignation of Finidi George last month.

Of the 27 coaches that had managed the Eagles since its inception, 10 were Indigenous coaches, with Finidi the last to take charge of the team.

The Eagles have been without a head coach since the former winger resigned in June

Finidi quit his role as head coach of the three times African champions following the NFF’s announcement that they would appoint a foreign technical adviser for the team.

The decision came after an outcry by the football-loving populace following the team’s poor performances, including a shock defeat to Benin Republic, in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers last month.

As the federation continues its search for the next coach of the team, with reports indicating officials of the football body had approached Portuguese Jose Peseiro for a possible return, while also considering Frenchman Herve Renard, Abdallah, who served as an assistant coach under Peseiro, isn’t bothered his comments will stir the hornet’s nest.

He insisted the Indigenous coaches weren’t good enough for the job.

“It doesn’t bother me whether the NFF is considering bringing Jose Peseiro back or if they want to hire Hervé Renard as the Eagles coach as long as they can afford to pay their salaries,” he said.

“The issue is, I have heard people say they don’t want us to spend money on the foreign coach but show me a coach qualified for the Eagles job who is a Nigerian whether home or abroad. The fact is we don’t have it.

“The only person we have is Salisu Yusuf, who a lot of people don’t want because of what happened in the past, but I don’t want to argue about that. Nigerian coaches have always been serving as assistants and none of us can argue that we were better than those we’ve worked with.”

However, the former Enyimba gaffer frowned at NFF allowing foreign coaches to bring along their assistants with them.

“Appointing Peseiro or whoever is no issue, but why allow them to come with their assistants when some of us have always been named?

“How do we tap from their experience and grow to become the national team coaches? This is the mistake the federation has always made, and they need to correct that.”