(The tragedy, Trent, top; Barrett (left) and Carson (right) at bottom.
If you missed the Home Depot College Football Awards Show at DisneyWorld last night, it was something special. Trent won the Doak Walker Award for the best running back in the nation, Barrett Jones won the Outland Trophy award for the nation's top lineman and Carson Tinker represented the team with Trent, Barrett and Mark B. standing by for the Disney Sports Spirit Award.
These guys are special. The story yesterday in The Birmingham News was an amazing piece on Trent. I would recommend reading it. He's something else. Trent just says man I'm playing for my two daughters. He says getting out of Pensacola without getting shot or getting thrown in prison was a victory in itself in the story. What he's gone through and survived and persevered through is pretty amazing stuff. What a special guy. He' s the best football player in the country, too, without a doubt. He may not win the Heisman because of RG III's performance last Saturday, but Trent is certainly deserving. In my heart, I want Trent to win it, and just by watching a ton of football this year, Trent, to me, is the best player in the country. RGIII may have put up tremendous numbers, but if you look at the competition, Trent played against far superior defenses and he was a dominant, game-changing player. RGIII got in the last piece of work last Saturday and had a good showing throwing for 320 and accounting for four touchdown, but Trent's performance in big games (Arkansas, Penn State, Ole Miss, LSU (pretty good game), Miss. State and Auburn) were Heisman performances. His play against AU, though AU's defense struggled this year with a lot of youth, was something special. He's a special player who I hope can make a lot of money in the NFL and have a tremendous career. He's been a great representative of the University and deserves another national championship this season to cap off a stellar career.
Many people said to me two years ago that as great as Mark Ingram was, and Mark is a special player and guy, Trent was even better. I fought it a little bit at first because I loved Mark, but I have to agree today. Trent's power, his elusiveness and his speed are just a little better than Mark's. And that's saying a lot. Mark is going to be a great professional for the New Orleans Saints and he was one special player for the Tide. But Trent is the Cam of running backs. A guy you have once every five to ten years. He's not like Bo or Herschel; he's a different style of runner from them. But to me, his legacy is just as great. Trent wasn't featured as much as those guys, because S's style is to utilize all of his talented players, so Trent's numbers weren't as gaudy as say Bo's or Herschel's, but his impact should be forever etched in Tide history. He's such a class act, too. I love RGIII. I know he got a little caught in the moment and said a couple of things after the Texas game last Saturday that he probably regretted like "I think we brought the Heisman home to Baylor." That's not like him. He's a pretty humble guy usually. I think RGII will probably win it, but I think Trent deserves it more. It's not over; there could be a surprise. This is not clear cut. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens tomorrow night at NYC at 7 PM on ESPN.
Barrett is another very special young man. When Chris Fowler of ESPN asked him about playing the violin very well, Barrett said, "I wish you hadn't mentioned that." It was pretty hilarious. You talk about a class act. Barrett has done mission trips to Haiti and helped mightily with the tornado relief effort in Tuscaloosa. S can't say enough good things about Barrett. What a young man and what a football player.He was the leader along with William Vlachos of a stellar offensive line that helped Trent have a huge year. And Barrett said that Trent made the line look pretty good, too. Just a humble, class act.
Finally, and maybe most importantly because it was a team award, Carson Tinker accepted the Disney Spirit Award for the team in honor of the team's support for the city of Tuscaloosa after the horrendous tragedy of April 27. There was a video of Carson and S talking about that terrible day when Carson lost his beloved girlfriend in that tragic F-4 tornado, one of many that ravaged the great state of Alabama. It was a highly moving piece by Tom Rinaldi of ESPN. It was a highly emotional, moving piece and that brought tears to my wife and my eyes. Carson accepted the award with grace and dignity and couldn't have represented himself, his teammates, his coach and the 'Bama nation any better. He also said his team is looking forward to representing the Alabama fans one more time in New Orleans. He was saying in other words we're ready to kick some tail in the Superdome on Jan.9.
S was classy in his interview with Herbie and Corso. What a program S has built. He's amazing.
I'm starting to shift my thoughts to a 'Bama victory in the national title game. I just think this team has been on a mission all year. S says this team has more character than maybe any team he's ever coached. How they've come forward and helped the city of Tuscaloosa and represented Tide fans in Ttown and throughout the state has been a positive, moving, powerful thing for everybody who loves their football team. They're just a special group.
I think Trent and the Honey Badger of LSU are the best two players in the country, but if I'd have a Heisman vote, I'd vote for Trent. Character should tip the scales for Trent between him and Tyrann Mathieu. Mathieu has been an amazing game changer for the Bengal Tigers, but he's been caught smoking pot and he made an incredibly dirty play on Dre Kirkpatrick in the Nov.5 game when he clotheslined him and took him out with a slight concussion. That just doesn't represent what college football if about to me. Trent will prove in the national championship game who is the better player. He's proven that he is the best character person of the two. Now he'll prove it again in New Orleans. Like the Tide to get it done. Will have a full preview and prediction in early January. But I like Trent, Barrett, Carson and Mark B. to get it done. The Tide had it on Nov. 5 in Tuscaloosa, but some kicking problems and Marquis's pass which was just a little late and Michael Williams inability to haul it in kept the Tide from being the best team in the country in the BCS poll right now.
I'm not knocking Marquis or Michael, they're great players. It was just so close. LSU is a great football team, don't get me wrong. I'm really looking forward to an even more epic game this time. I think the national media likes LSU to win. That, to me, is where the Tide is at its best. LSU is not favored like Miami was heavily in 1993 the Tide when the Tide killed them to win the national title. It's more like Florida two years ago in Tebow's senior year when most people were picking the Gators and the Tide crushed them. A. J.needs to be good. Defense will be fine. Trent will be Trent. Eddie will do his thing. Marquis can return one in the punt return game and receivers need to be good. Like the Tide to get'er done. Think they will.
AU looking for a defensive coordinator. Not sure who that will be yet. Names like Ellis Johnson have emerged. Everett Withers of UNC is another. Withers coached UNC this year, but they hired Larry Fedora of Southern Miss so Withers will be looking for a job. Another possibility is Randy Shannon, the former Miami head coach. While he didn't have a great success as a head coach, he's a fine defensive coordinator and a good recruiter. Tracy Rocker is another guy who could be a candidate.Chiz needs to make more of an imprint on the defense as well. Looks like he'll do that in the bowl game.
Ted Roof 's and AU's parting ways were good for both parties. Auburn needs to get better on defense. There is a lot of young talent that needs to be directed well. I think a new DC could make this defense very good next year. The dline is all young and coming back. There needs to be some better play at linebacker, but getting Kris Frost back next year, who was a five star frosh coming in this year who hurt his shoulder and was out for the season, will help. Need some of the older guys like Jonathan Evans, Darren Bates and Jake Holland to step up next year and younger guys like Harris Gaston and Jawara White need to step up their play in practice and get on the field. Like the future of the secondary. Hopefully,. T'Sharvin Bell can get back to his All- SEC form next season. If he does, he should have a stellar senior season. Like young guys like Chris Davis, Jonathan Rose and Jermaine Whitehead is a stud. The defense will be better.
The running back position should be locked and loaded with a stable full of phenomenal talent with Michael Dyer back along with guys who transferred Corey Grant from Alabama and Mike Blakely from Florida. Those three are awesome talents. Then you have Tre Mason and Quan Bray. Both will be big time impact players in the return game. Throw in freshmen T.J. Yeldon, a five star running back who I've watched and is special, and four star Jovon Robinson and this backfield will be loaded with talent. Line is young and will be a good unit next year with most everybody coming back and with some talented freshmen who were redshirted this year. I'm excited to see Christian Westerman play. Think he'll be a stud at tackle.At wide out, Emory Blake should come back for his senior season. That's not a guarantee yet, but I would think with him getting hurt this year, he may need another year to prove to the scouts that he'll be an impact player on Sundays. That would be big for the team. Trovon Reed will be back. Jaylon Denson from Hoover looks like he'll be a player. Travante Stallworth and DeAngelo Benton will be back. They need to prove themselves next year. Both have talent. C.J. Uzomah should be an impact player either at tight end or out wide. And Lutz should be back, which would be huge.
It's the quarterback that will be the key position as it is most of the time. It's gotta be Kiehl Frazier. He threw for 10,000 yards in high school. They've got to give him a shot to throw the ball. We know he can run. AU just needs to have Cam-like packages for Kiehl and let him play. If Kiehl plays well, the Tigers should be in good shape. The schedule shapes up a lot better, too, with Arkansas, LSU and Georgia coming to the Plains.
AU needs to get off a good start to 2012 with a nice bowl win over Virginia in the Chick Fil A Bowl on New Year's Eve. That would get the guys jump started for 2012.
Excited about this weekend to see if Trent can pull it out and excited for bowl games especially Jan.9 Thinking about recruiting and next year, too. Will have plenty on recruiting and Tide, Tiger and Blazers basketball in the upcoming months. Plenty to talk about.
