Event Details
- What: Tennessee at Alabama
- When: Saturday, Oct. 20, 2007, 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m.
- Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium
- Cost: Not available
- Age limit: All ages
Tennessee Stat Book
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - This year in Alabama football is all about change. But you can't tell it by the record.
Alabama made national headlines this year by luring coach Nick Saban from the Miami Dolphins for a record-setting $4 million salary by college football standards. Right now, it's paying Saban prices for a Mike Shula record.
After seven games, this season doesn't look much different from last season.
n Shula's 2006 team was 5-2. So is Saban's first Alabama team.
n Shula's last team beat Ole Miss 26-23. Saban's team beat Ole Miss last week 27-24.
n Shula's team lost in overtime to Arkansas in its fourth game. Saban's team lost in overtime to Georgia in its fourth game.
n Shula's team lost to Florida in Gainesville in its fifth game. Saban's team lost to Florida State in Jacksonville in its fifth game.
n Shula's team held Vanderbilt to 10 points. So did Saban's team.
Despite similar results, Alabama players don't feel they're traipsing down the same path that led to a 6-7 season in 2006.
"It's a lot different now," Alabama senior offensive lineman Antoine Caldwell said. "I think we realize we can win close ballgames now.
"Coach Saban and his staff have come in and changed the attitude. Overall I'm comfortable where we're at. We've just got to take care of our destiny.
"I feel like the SEC West is wide open right now."
Alabama has lost only one SEC game and has yet to play LSU and Auburn, the favorites in the West. But up next is Tennessee, which started the Tide on its downhill slide last season.
After losing 16-13 at Neyland Stadium last year, Alabama beat Florida International the following week before losing lost four consecutive games.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.
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Comments » 2
Bigger_Al writes:
They paid $4MM for a $2MM coach. All Nick had to do to get the extra $2MM was say, "I'm not going to be the Alabama coach". Next thing you know, the "Machine" was raising whatever it took to save face.
CrankE writes:
Dang, I thought I was going to read another article about the Tide paying $150,000 to Albert Means to have him play there.
And saaaay, wasn't he one of those "in state" gems that Tennessee let get away to someone else?
As far as Nick Satan's comparison with last year's Abababa team, here's hoping that UT will help them continue that similarity with yet another loss to the Big Orange (with a much larger margin of victory, please). GO VOLS!!!
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