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powered by FreeFind	Each week, the members of the Crimson & White Round, a group of great BAMA websites, get together and answer questions from the BAMA community, and this week we are proudly hosting the event. In this week’s Crimson & White Roundtable we will discuss ALABAMA football rivalries and the outlook for special teams this year. Read the responses from Roundtable members, and then share your comments with us using the link at the bottom of the article. CrimsNkentucky Discuss the two BAMA rivalries that stand out the most to you. The number one BAMA rivalry is the barn. It is the number one rivalry in the nation. It was starting to loose some of it’s venom, but Ears changed that with his classless “Fear The Thumb” episode. He is a shining example for his players and young athletes of quality sportsmanship, the kind of coach every man hopes will coach and direct their sons. NOT! However, he did manage to rekindle the rivalry. That was just the latest of a long list of classless acts committed by old Ears. I love hearing some of the tales of the storied rivalry. One that comes to mind is when Coach Bryant first came to the Capstone. The barners were yelling “Go home farm boy!” to Coach Bryant. After beating them, he walked across the field in front of the student section and acted like he was plowing. Ahhh…..let the good days return. The other team also has that sickening orange for their colors. Orange, kinda reminds you of puke doesn’t it? Yes, I am talking about Tennessee. Again, it was the coach that fired this one back up. Fulmer is kinda like Rodney Dangerfield. His own fans think he is a horrible game day coach, yet his winning record is excellent. Could it be that he is just a man that is easy to dislike? I for one, would like to return to the days when BAMA will represent the West and the Vols represent the East for the SEC championship, with us winning of course. Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future. Special teams have not been that special the last few years, but I look for that to change under the guidance of Coach Saban and Middleton. Let’s compare where BAMA ranks in the SEC to the rivals. ALABAMA was ranked 9^th in kick off returns, averaging 18.2 yards, 7^th in punt returns, averaging 9.1 yards, 5^th in punting, averaging 34.5 yards, 6^th in kick off coverage, 6^th in field goal percentage, 21-30, and 9^th in extra points with 29-31. ALABAMA only had five kickoffs which were touchbacks last year. This year things will start to change. Coach Saban takes special pride in having excellent special teams and has already garnered a commitment from the nation’s number one place kicker in Corey Smith, who will sign with the class of 2008. Click here to read his bio and see video of him in action Placekicking: Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes, and Leigh Tiffin is now an experienced SEC place-kicker, but not that experienced. He took a lot of heat for the three missed field goals and extra point in the Arkansas game last year. BAMA ended up losing 24-23 in double overtime. It’s a shame that people have a tendency to remember the bad much longer than the good. Tiffin would be 8 for 10 on field goals and 12 for 12 on extra points had it not been for that bad day in Arkansas. You know the old saying…”He could of, he would of, he should of, but he didn’t.” Chalk it up to experience and play the next play, you can’t dwell on it. Christensen came back the following week and finished the season. Let’s look at the positives. Jamie Christensen will be returning for his senior year, Tiffin now has some experience under his belt, and I believe that Coach Middleton will coach these young men up. Kickoffs: Rule changes will make kickoffs even more important this year as the ball will be moved back five yards on kickoffs from the 35 to the 30 yard line. Also a kickoff that skirts out of bounds will now result in the other team starting off at their forty yard line. While I expect Christensen to handle the majority of placekicking and kickoffs duties, Coach Saban will make sure we have someone waiting in the wings that is prepared for the task. This will mean playing time and some experience learned the hard way for one or two players. With the new rules fans as well as coaches will be fired up more than ever over costly miscues and mistakes. The ones that learn from their mistakes and learn to put those mistakes behind them and play the next play will be the ones that will be listed first string going into next years spring practice. Punting: It looks like P.J. Fitzgerald will be handling punting duties again this year. Last year he averaged 38.2 yards per punt. We need this number to improve, but honestly I don’t think it will be as critical as it was for last year’s team. This year I think we will see an offense that finds ways to move the ball much more efficiently, negating the necessity to punt. Returns: The new rule of moving the ball back to the 30 on kickoffs will allow for some nice returns. Javier Arenas is the returning kickoff and punt returner. He returned two punts last season for touchdowns. He is a tough player who has shown flashes of greatness, but he still ranks ninth in the SEC in both kickoff and punt returns. I was excited about the thought of having Jonathan Lowe in the mix as well, but he is not listed on the fall roster due to academics. Look for Terry Grant and possibly true freshman Marquis Maze to get looks at returns as well. Both have the ability to be great ones. Coverage: I look for this area of special teams to be completely revamped. There will be new techniques as well as faces. Look for Rashad Johnson, Justin Woodall and Jimmy Johns to be a few of the experienced headhunters and difference makers. I would like to see Travis Sikes get a shot here as well. Tell us what you think. Roll Tide! Joe Todd - RollBamaRoll Discuss the two BAMA rivalries that stand out the most to you. This one is pretty simple. Auburn and Tennessee. They're our traditional rivals, they're the ones I hate to lose to the most and I'm pretty sure they hate losing to us more than anyone else as well. We've obviously been on the bad end of these rivalries for a decade or so now, but here's hoping Coach Saban can turn that around. They're the only two SEC teams (excluding the "new" teams Arkansas and South Carolina) that are really within striking distance of putting the all time series at (.500). Both teams, oddly enough, currently sit only six games behind in the all-time series. Florida is only seven behind, but we play them so seldom that it'd take quite a while to even things out. Tennessee and Auburn though could level the record books in less than a decade and I don't like that one bit. We've had historical dominance over these teams but I could care less about that unless we're also having contemporary dominance, which we aren't. We're 2-8 against Tennessee in the last 10 meetings and 3-7 against Auburn in the last 10. That is horrible and unacceptable. If we don't get the ship turned around Alabama will be staring down the wrong side of history against long standing rivals and the thought makes me cringe. Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future. When I was growing up, Alabama always had fantastic special teams. Philip Doyle were pretty much automatic and I don't remember freaking out every time we attempted a field goal or an extra point. I realize they were kicking off of tees and that kicking off of the ground is more difficult, but still, our kicking game has been pretty sub-par for a while. I find myself sweating extra points now and that was unthinkable years ago. Maybe I'm only remembering the bad stuff, but a lot of our special teams have been pretty shaky lately. A few years ago, I remember that fielding a fair catch without a fumble was cause for celebration. Thankfully that seems to have been improved with Javier Arenas returning two punts for TDs last year. I don't like the trend of putting offensive and defensive starters on special teams. I realize that special teams are important, but special teams are insane, I know, I used to play on punt cover, kickoff cover and kickoff receiving teams. I just can't understand why you would let a receiver or running back be on a kickoff cover team. It seems like you're just begging for an injury. One other thing about special teams is that with the kickoff being moved from the 35 back to the 30 this year we better improve our coverage and hopefully we will find a kicker with a stronger leg in the near future. Neither Christensen or Tiffin can routinely put it in the endzone from the 35 so we're going to be giving away huge chunks of free field position if that isn't improved. As far as what we can expect? I don't really know, but I'm pretty sure they'll be improved under Saban like I think pretty much everything else will be. Memphis Tider Discuss the two BAMA rivalries that stand out the most to you. The two rivalries that stand out the most to me are, of course, the Auburn and Tennessee matchups. Alabama and Auburn because they're instate, and Tennessee and Alabama because they've been playing for Southern Football dominance for quite a number of years. Both of these teams are EXTREMELY hated, for reasons other than football, as well as the fact that we haven't been very successful against them for the past decade. Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future. We picked a very good year to move kickoffs back to the 30. I know that much. We've got two ridiculously good kick returners in Javier Arenas and Johnathan Lowe. They'll both be able to get good returns on kickoffs and punts this year. As far as punting goes, I believe we'll begin using the same kid for everything: Corey Smith. Christiansen and Fitzgerald won't be doing this stuff for us next year, and we've got a stud kicker coming in from West Virginia that will amaze some people, I believe. If he's good enough for Coach Saban to use a scholarship on him, he's good enough with me. Roll Tide! Gary Memphis Tider http://www.memphistider.com Tide Druid 1. Discuss the two BAMA rivalries that stand out the most to you. Since it is so prevalent in my life, the feud with the Auburn Tigers is the first one that comes to mind. Not only do I have friends and co-workers that are Auburn fans, I'm related to a few of them as well (I still love them though). It's hard to avoid the Alabama-Auburn rivalry in this state. Sure, you could probably go a week or two and not have to see or hear anything about it. But, you'll never get away from it entirely. After Auburn, I do have a large amount of disdain for Tennessee and Philly Fulmer when it comes to football; However, you might be a little bit surprised at who I put in the #2 position. I really don't like Mississippi State, nor do I like some of their fans. No, this does not have anything to do with the 2006 loss to MSU (that actually turned out to be a good thing). It has to do with the fact that I grew up with a few State fans who were constantly talking smack about anything involving Alabama. You tend to remember those experiences from childhood. It is more of a broader rivalry, although basketball certainly plays a large factor into my decision. 2. Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future. Well, we will hopefully see one of the best kickers in America setting records in about a year or two (Corey Smith). Other than that, I hope to see Leigh Tiffin get another shot. There were too many people who got on his case regarding the 2006 Alabama-Arkansas game. Jamie Christensen will do his usual thing I imagine. The one aspect about Christensen I really like is how he can always get over a poor performance to make a field goal when it matters. He may not be the most accurate kicker during an entire game, but he has the unique mental ability to forget the past and perform under pressure. Newspaper Hack Discuss the two BAMA rivalries that stand out the most to you. Auburn and Tennessee always bring out the good, ol' fashioned hate, but I remember that when Bama was laying the wood to UT every year, the death-hatred wasn't there. On that note, there are two other teams that I'd like to address: Penn State and Mississippi State. While Bama was playing the Nittany Lions through the '80s, I got really into it. I was young, and since they played every year for a while, it felt like a natural rivalry. For whatever reason, I felt a deep enmity, and it took 'till the mid-'90s to get over it. But it still lingers, like a festering sore. Or the fact that thanks to PSU, there are 11 teams in the Big 10. During the Sherrill years, when Mississippi State was good, they were a pain in the ass to play. I had never cared one way or the other until MSU ended any national title hoped the Tide had with a 17-16 game in Starkville. That was the day I began hating maroon and cowbells. MSU won three of the next four against Alabama. That was hard to take. 2. Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future. 2. I only have one thing to say about the special teams: The next day Leigh Tiffin lines up to kick is a day too soon. Actually, I'm not going to call him "Leigh" anymore. Just "Shank." As in, "Darn, Shank – the uprights are over there." Todd - RollBamaRoll Discuss the two BAMA rivalries that stand out the most to you. Tennessee and Auburn, clearly. We hate UT because they have the audacity to think they are not only our equals, but actually better, and that just won't stand. For Auburn, most Bama fans I know feel more of a pitying annoyance towards the Teagles, mostly because, even after winning five in a row, those pesky little plainsmen long for nothing more than to be Alabama. Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future. Special teams has been a bit of a dissapointment lately, mostly on return coverage. We don't have a kicker that's going to put it in the end zone every kick (and with the new rule change, man are we ever screwed), and our coverage always left something to be desired, so opposing offenses generally had great field position to start their drives from last season. At A-Day the same problems were apparent as Javier Arenas and Jonathan Lowe both returned kicks to mid-field just about every time they had the ball and would have gotten further if not for the two hand touch rule. On the plus side, though, Javier Arenas and Jonathan Lowe both returned kicks to mid-field just about every time they had the ball and would have gotten further if not for the two hand touch rule. Bama Nation Discuss the two BAMA rivalries that stand out the most to you. Obviously Auburn stands out. And for me it's Tennessee. I am from North Alabama and there are a ton of Tennessee fans up there. Nothing better than making them hide that ugly orange for a few days :) Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future. Our punting performance has been less than stellar in the past few years. For me, since Lane Bearden, our punting game has stunk. Bearden could punt farther on one ACL than our punter could last year. Last year Fitzgerald averaged 38.2 yards per punt. That's about 8-12 yards below the average, but we all know that at different points last year he really struggled. I think with some good coaching in the summer, Fitzgerald should be a little better this year. As far as kicking goes. We seem to be "ok" there. Jamie Christensen is a pretty solid kicker. Sometimes his kicks look like trash, but for the most part they go through the uprights. Last year Christensen was 13 of 17 on field goals, and 17 of 18 on extra points. That's pretty solid. He also has a good leg on kickoffs, which will be important this year with the rule change, moving the ball back on the kickoffs. The Capstone Report Discuss the two BAMA rivalries that stand out the most to you. For me the Tennessee game is magical. But it is nothing like it used to be. First, is it even on the Third Saturday in October? Having the Third Saturday take place on the Fourth Saturday is stupid, and proof the SEC's scheduling office is out of its mind. Second, Phil Fulmer created a poisoned environment. In the old days, the rivalry was friendly, but Fulmer's decision to turn informant just undermined the friendliness that once existed between Alabama and Tennessee-the two most storied football programs in the South. The other rival that stands out in my mind is Penn. State. The games created some high drama and memorable moments. I just wish this series was a regular feature on the sports calendar. Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future. The special teams has promise. Having a senior place kicker in the experienced Jamie Christensen is very nice, and very important with the rule changes. Christensen's leg strength is limited (hasn't made a field goal over 50-yards and his career long is 46), but adequate, and he is accurate. I think our kickers will be aided by improved special teams coverage. I expect even with the rules change that our team will cover better this year than last. I'll chalk this up to improved conditioning and intensity from the coaching staff. One last word, Javier Arenas has some potential that I hope we get to see this season. He averaged 19.1 yards per kick return in his freshman campaign. His punt return average was only 9.2 yards. I think both will improve in 2006. He'll get more return opportunities with the new kickoff rules. And I still remember his kick return from the Independence Bowl. Alabama has potential to make a difference with special teams. Alchemist-Eight In The Box Rivalries that stand out for me: Auburn is the game that has been the most important over the course of my lifetime, but for a few seasons after the probation, Tennessee became the big game for me. The last couple of years I'd say Auburn has inched back ahead in terms of being the rival I would like to put an L on year in and year out. There was a time when I had a lot of respect for the teams in the SEC, the two teams mentioned above in particular, but since the probation and all the trouble that followed, I'd say I've soured on the whole conference. I think back on the David Housel Churchhill speech and how fanatical he sounded in his pronouncement that Auburn was good and Alabama was evil. He declared that the Tiger Nation was in an epic battle to overcome the Tide and that they would win in the end. All this time I had thought we just played a football game once a year. Now I know better. Tennessee. What to say? I used to cheer for them when they weren't playing Alabama. What's the joke - If Tennessee was playing Iran I'd pull for Iran? That's how I feel about Tennessee. Overall, I can't say that I hate either team, but I don't have any warm feelings for anyone in the conference. They did want us to get the death penalty, and it has been mentioned in the newspaper and on the radio that conference schools have turned us in to the SEC office at a record rate this year over allegations of recruiting infractions. Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future. Special teams is a bit of an unknown to me. In a lot of cases, the special teams is manned by members of the second team offense and defense which does not bode well for a team that lacks quality depth. If you mix in a couple of starters and a couple of incoming freshman that prove capable, then maybe special teams will be ok. I hope to see more consistency from the kickers, both place kicking and punting. As for the coverage squads, I really don't know what to expect. Click Here to discuss this weeks Roundtable

Each week, the members of the Crimson & White Round, a group of great BAMA websites, get together and answer questions from the BAMA community, and this week we are proudly hosting the event. In this week’s Crimson & White Roundtable we will discuss ALABAMA football rivalries and the outlook for special teams this year.

Read the responses from Roundtable members, and then share your comments with us using the link at the bottom of the article.

The number one BAMA rivalry is the barn. It is the number one rivalry in the nation. It was starting to loose some of it’s venom, but Ears changed that with his classless “Fear The Thumb” episode. He is a shining example for his players and young athletes of quality sportsmanship, the kind of coach every man hopes will coach and direct their sons. NOT! However, he did manage to rekindle the rivalry. That was just the latest of a long list of classless acts committed by old Ears. I love hearing some of the tales of the storied rivalry. One that comes to mind is when Coach Bryant first came to the Capstone. The barners were yelling “Go home farm boy!” to Coach Bryant. After beating them, he walked across the field in front of the student section and acted like he was plowing. Ahhh…..let the good days return.

The other team also has that sickening orange for their colors. Orange, kinda reminds you of puke doesn’t it? Yes, I am talking about Tennessee. Again, it was the coach that fired this one back up. Fulmer is kinda like Rodney Dangerfield. His own fans think he is a horrible game day coach, yet his winning record is excellent. Could it be that he is just a man that is easy to dislike? I for one, would like to return to the days when BAMA will represent the West and the Vols represent the East for the SEC championship, with us winning of course.

Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future.

Special teams have not been that special the last few years, but I look for that to change under the guidance of Coach Saban and Middleton. Let’s compare where BAMA ranks in the SEC to the rivals. ALABAMA was ranked 9^th in kick off returns, averaging 18.2 yards, 7^th in punt returns, averaging 9.1 yards, 5^th in punting, averaging 34.5 yards, 6^th in kick off coverage, 6^th in field goal percentage, 21-30, and 9^th in extra points with 29-31. ALABAMA only had five kickoffs which were touchbacks last year. This year things will start to change. Coach Saban takes special pride in having excellent special teams and has already garnered a commitment from the nation’s number one place kicker in Corey Smith, who will sign with the class of 2008. Click here to read his bio and see video of him in action

Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes, and Leigh Tiffin is now an experienced SEC place-kicker, but not that experienced. He took a lot of heat for the three missed field goals and extra point in the Arkansas game last year. BAMA ended up losing 24-23 in double overtime. It’s a shame that people have a tendency to remember the bad much longer than the good. Tiffin would be 8 for 10 on field goals and 12 for 12 on extra points had it not been for that bad day in Arkansas. You know the old saying…”He could of, he would of, he should of, but he didn’t.” Chalk it up to experience and play the next play, you can’t dwell on it. Christensen came back the following week and finished the season. Let’s look at the positives. Jamie Christensen will be returning for his senior year, Tiffin now has some experience under his belt, and I believe that Coach Middleton will coach these young men up.

Rule changes will make kickoffs even more important this year as the ball will be moved back five yards on kickoffs from the 35 to the 30 yard line. Also a kickoff that skirts out of bounds will now result in the other team starting off at their forty yard line. While I expect Christensen to handle the majority of placekicking and kickoffs duties, Coach Saban will make sure we have someone waiting in the wings that is prepared for the task. This will mean playing time and some experience learned the hard way for one or two players. With the new rules fans as well as coaches will be fired up more than ever over costly miscues and mistakes. The ones that learn from their mistakes and learn to put those mistakes behind them and play the next play will be the ones that will be listed first string going into next years spring practice.

It looks like P.J. Fitzgerald will be handling punting duties again this year. Last year he averaged 38.2 yards per punt. We need this number to improve, but honestly I don’t think it will be as critical as it was for last year’s team. This year I think we will see an offense that finds ways to move the ball much more efficiently, negating the necessity to punt.

The new rule of moving the ball back to the 30 on kickoffs will allow for some nice returns. Javier Arenas is the returning kickoff and punt returner. He returned two punts last season for touchdowns. He is a tough player who has shown flashes of greatness, but he still ranks ninth in the SEC in both kickoff and punt returns. I was excited about the thought of having Jonathan Lowe in the mix as well, but he is not listed on the fall roster due to academics. Look for Terry Grant and possibly true freshman Marquis Maze to get looks at returns as well. Both have the ability to be great ones.

I look for this area of special teams to be completely revamped. There will be new techniques as well as faces. Look for Rashad Johnson, Justin Woodall and Jimmy Johns to be a few of the experienced headhunters and difference makers. I would like to see Travis Sikes get a shot here as well.

This one is pretty simple. Auburn and Tennessee. They're our traditional rivals, they're the ones I hate to lose to the most and I'm pretty sure they hate losing to us more than anyone else as well. We've obviously been on the bad end of these rivalries for a decade or so now, but here's hoping Coach Saban can turn that around. They're the only two SEC teams (excluding the "new" teams Arkansas and South Carolina) that are really within striking distance of putting the all time series at (.500). Both teams, oddly enough, currently sit only six games behind in the all-time series. Florida is only seven behind, but we play them so seldom that it'd take quite a while to even things out. Tennessee and Auburn though could level the record books in less than a decade and I don't like that one bit. We've had historical dominance over these teams but I could care less about that unless we're also having contemporary dominance, which we aren't. We're 2-8 against Tennessee in the last 10 meetings and 3-7 against Auburn in the last 10. That is horrible and unacceptable. If we don't get the ship turned around Alabama will be staring down the wrong side of history against long standing rivals and the thought makes me cringe.

Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future.

When I was growing up, Alabama always had fantastic special teams. Philip Doyle were pretty much automatic and I don't remember freaking out every time we attempted a field goal or an extra point. I realize they were kicking off of tees and that kicking off of the ground is more difficult, but still, our kicking game has been pretty sub-par for a while. I find myself sweating extra points now and that was unthinkable years ago. Maybe I'm only remembering the bad stuff, but a lot of our special teams have been pretty shaky lately. A few years ago, I remember that fielding a fair catch without a fumble was cause for celebration. Thankfully that seems to have been improved with Javier Arenas returning two punts for TDs last year. I don't like the trend of putting offensive and defensive starters on special teams. I realize that special teams are important, but special teams are insane, I know, I used to play on punt cover, kickoff cover and kickoff receiving teams. I just can't understand why you would let a receiver or running back be on a kickoff cover team. It seems like you're just begging for an injury.

One other thing about special teams is that with the kickoff being moved from the 35 back to the 30 this year we better improve our coverage and hopefully we will find a kicker with a stronger leg in the near future. Neither Christensen or Tiffin can routinely put it in the endzone from the 35 so we're going to be giving away huge chunks of free field position if that isn't improved. As far as what we can expect? I don't really know, but I'm pretty sure they'll be improved under Saban like I think pretty much everything else will be.

The two rivalries that stand out the most to me are, of course, the Auburn and Tennessee matchups. Alabama and Auburn because they're instate, and Tennessee and Alabama because they've been playing for Southern Football dominance for quite a number of years. Both of these teams are EXTREMELY hated, for reasons other than football, as well as the fact that we haven't been very successful against them for the past decade.

Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future.

We picked a very good year to move kickoffs back to the 30. I know that much. We've got two ridiculously good kick returners in Javier Arenas and Johnathan Lowe. They'll both be able to get good returns on kickoffs and punts this year. As far as punting goes, I believe we'll begin using the same kid for everything: Corey Smith. Christiansen and Fitzgerald won't be doing this stuff for us next year, and we've got a stud kicker coming in from West Virginia that will amaze some people, I believe. If he's good enough for Coach Saban to use a scholarship on him, he's good enough with me.

Since it is so prevalent in my life, the feud with the Auburn Tigers is the first one that comes to mind. Not only do I have friends and co-workers that are Auburn fans, I'm related to a few of them as well (I still love them though). It's hard to avoid the Alabama-Auburn rivalry in this state. Sure, you could probably go a week or two and not have to see or hear anything about it. But, you'll never get away from it entirely.

After Auburn, I do have a large amount of disdain for Tennessee and Philly Fulmer when it comes to football; However, you might be a little bit surprised at who I put in the #2 position. I really don't like Mississippi State, nor do I like some of their fans. No, this does not have anything to do with the 2006 loss to MSU (that actually turned out to be a good thing). It has to do with the fact that I grew up with a few State fans who were constantly talking smack about anything involving Alabama. You tend to remember those experiences from childhood. It is more of a broader rivalry, although basketball certainly plays a large factor into my decision.

2. Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future.

Well, we will hopefully see one of the best kickers in America setting records in about a year or two (Corey Smith). Other than that, I hope to see Leigh Tiffin get another shot. There were too many people who got on his case regarding the 2006 Alabama-Arkansas game. Jamie Christensen will do his usual thing I imagine. The one aspect about Christensen I really like is how he can always get over a poor performance to make a field goal when it matters. He may not be the most accurate kicker during an entire game, but he has the unique mental ability to forget the past and perform under pressure.

Auburn and Tennessee always bring out the good, ol' fashioned hate, but I remember that when Bama was laying the wood to UT every year, the death-hatred wasn't there. On that note, there are two other teams that I'd like to address: Penn State and Mississippi State.

While Bama was playing the Nittany Lions through the '80s, I got really into it. I was young, and since they played every year for a while, it felt like a natural rivalry. For whatever reason, I felt a deep enmity, and it took 'till the mid-'90s to get over it. But it still lingers, like a festering sore. Or the fact that thanks to PSU, there are 11 teams in the Big 10.

During the Sherrill years, when Mississippi State was good, they were a pain in the ass to play. I had never cared one way or the other until MSU ended any national title hoped the Tide had with a 17-16 game in Starkville. That was the day I began hating maroon and cowbells. MSU won three of the next four against Alabama. That was hard to take.

2. Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future.

2. I only have one thing to say about the special teams: The next day Leigh Tiffin lines up to kick is a day too soon. Actually, I'm not going to call him "Leigh" anymore. Just "Shank." As in, "Darn, Shank – the uprights are over there."

Tennessee and Auburn, clearly. We hate UT because they have the audacity to think they are not only our equals, but actually better, and that just won't stand. For Auburn, most Bama fans I know feel more of a pitying annoyance towards the Teagles, mostly because, even after winning five in a row, those pesky little plainsmen long for nothing more than to be Alabama.

Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future.

Special teams has been a bit of a dissapointment lately, mostly on return coverage. We don't have a kicker that's going to put it in the end zone every kick (and with the new rule change, man are we ever screwed), and our coverage always left something to be desired, so opposing offenses generally had great field position to start their drives from last season. At A-Day the same problems were apparent as Javier Arenas and Jonathan Lowe both returned kicks to mid-field just about every time they had the ball and would have gotten further if not for the two hand touch rule. On the plus side, though, Javier Arenas and Jonathan Lowe both returned kicks to mid-field just about every time they had the ball and would have gotten further if not for the two hand touch rule.

Discuss the two BAMA rivalries that stand out the most to you.

Obviously Auburn stands out. And for me it's Tennessee. I am from North Alabama and there are a ton of Tennessee fans up there. Nothing better than making them hide that ugly orange for a few days :)

Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future.

Our punting performance has been less than stellar in the past few years. For me, since Lane Bearden, our punting game has stunk. Bearden could punt farther on one ACL than our punter could last year. Last year Fitzgerald averaged 38.2 yards per punt. That's about 8-12 yards below the average, but we all know that at different points last year he really struggled. I think with some good coaching in the summer, Fitzgerald should be a little better this year.

As far as kicking goes. We seem to be "ok" there. Jamie Christensen is a pretty solid kicker. Sometimes his kicks look like trash, but for the most part they go through the uprights. Last year Christensen was 13 of 17 on field goals, and 17 of 18 on extra points. That's pretty solid. He also has a good leg on kickoffs, which will be important this year with the rule change, moving the ball back on the kickoffs.

For me the Tennessee game is magical. But it is nothing like it used to be. First, is it even on the Third Saturday in October? Having the Third Saturday take place on the Fourth Saturday is stupid, and proof the SEC's scheduling office is out of its mind. Second, Phil Fulmer created a poisoned environment. In the old days, the rivalry was friendly, but Fulmer's decision to turn informant just undermined the friendliness that once existed between Alabama and Tennessee-the two most storied football programs in the South.

The other rival that stands out in my mind is Penn. State. The games created some high drama and memorable moments. I just wish this series was a regular feature on the sports calendar.

Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future.

The special teams has promise. Having a senior place kicker in the experienced Jamie Christensen is very nice, and very important with the rule changes. Christensen's leg strength is limited (hasn't made a field goal over 50-yards and his career long is 46), but adequate, and he is accurate.

I think our kickers will be aided by improved special teams coverage. I expect even with the rules change that our team will cover better this year than last. I'll chalk this up to improved conditioning and intensity from the coaching staff.

One last word, Javier Arenas has some potential that I hope we get to see this season. He averaged 19.1 yards per kick return in his freshman campaign. His punt return average was only 9.2 yards. I think both will improve in 2006. He'll get more return opportunities with the new kickoff rules. And I still remember his kick return from the Independence Bowl.

Auburn is the game that has been the most important over the course of my lifetime, but for a few seasons after the probation, Tennessee became the big game for me. The last couple of years I'd say Auburn has inched back ahead in terms of being the rival I would like to put an L on year in and year out.

There was a time when I had a lot of respect for the teams in the SEC, the two teams mentioned above in particular, but since the probation and all the trouble that followed, I'd say I've soured on the whole conference. I think back on the David Housel Churchhill speech and how fanatical he sounded in his pronouncement that Auburn was good and Alabama was evil. He declared that the Tiger Nation was in an epic battle to overcome the Tide and that they would win in the end. All this time I had thought we just played a football game once a year. Now I know better.

Tennessee. What to say? I used to cheer for them when they weren't playing Alabama. What's the joke - If Tennessee was playing Iran I'd pull for Iran? That's how I feel about Tennessee.

Overall, I can't say that I hate either team, but I don't have any warm feelings for anyone in the conference. They did want us to get the death penalty, and it has been mentioned in the newspaper and on the radio that conference schools have turned us in to the SEC office at a record rate this year over allegations of recruiting infractions.

Discuss BAMA's special teams and what we should expect to see from them in the future.

Special teams is a bit of an unknown to me. In a lot of cases, the special teams is manned by members of the second team offense and defense which does not bode well for a team that lacks quality depth. If you mix in a couple of starters and a couple of incoming freshman that prove capable, then maybe special teams will be ok. I hope to see more consistency from the kickers, both place kicking and punting. As for the coverage squads, I really don't know what to expect.