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What Alabama QB Jalen Milroe thought of first-round CFP blowouts

Alabama football was, obviously, less than thrilled about being left out of the College Football Playoff. Despite losses to decidedly non-playoff teams like Vanderbilt and Oklahoma, not to mention a defeat in Knoxville against Tennessee, the Crimson Tide felt it deserved a bid with a 9-3 record.

Athletics director Greg Byrne opted to go scorched-earth after UA was the first team out, suggesting the Tide will re-examine scheduling difficult non-conference games in the future, even though Alabama didn’t lose those game in 2024. To make Crimson Tide fans even more indignant, the first round of the CFP was full of blowouts, with SMU, the team that made it, ahead of Alabama, falling 38-10 at Penn State.

On Saturday, in the midst of preparing for the Tide’s ReliaQuest Bowl appearance against Michigan, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe was asked for his opinion on the playoff after the first round. He took a measured approach, pointing out that UA cost itself.

“We gotta acknowledge what we did,” Milroe said. “We gotta take care of the opportunity we had during the season. We had every opportunity to take advantage of that to extend our season, and with that, we gotta take care of right now and focus on Michigan.”

Alabama has a chance for some measure of revenge against the Wolverines, who beat the Tide in the Rose Bowl to end its 2023 season. The 2024 Michigan team enters the ReliaQuest Bowl at 7-5.

The Crimson Tide will be favored. Milroe described the attitude his team must take into Tuesday’s game.

“We do acknowledge what we need to do to make every weakness to a strength, make our strengths even stronger,” Milroe said. “And so, all we want to do is perform. Every opportunity we have to play the game we love, we gotta do that, and not look at what we can’t control”

Alabama and Michigan are scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. CT Saturday at Raymond James Stadium. The game will be aired on ESPN.

General

South Alabama offensive coordinator Rob Ezell leaving for Wake Forest

South Alabama offensive coordinator Rob Ezell is leaving to take a similar position at Wake Forest, head coach Major Applewhite confirmed to AL.com.

Ezell has been on the Jaguars’ staff since 2021, working as tight ends coach for three seasons before moving up to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach this past season when Applewhite took over as head coach. South Alabama was among the top offensive teams in the Sun Belt Conference in 2024, averaging 34.4 points and 441.8 yards per game.

“I’m happy for Rob and his family and his opportunity,” Applewhite said. “He did a great job here for four years. We appreciate his efforts and his contributions here.”

Applewhite said he was still formulating a plan on replacing Ezell on the South Alabama staff. Should the Jaguars choose to promote from within, wide receivers coach Paul Petrino has experience as an offensive coordinator in past stops at Louisville, Illinois Arkansas and Central Michigan.

An Athens native, Ezell was a walk-on quarterback and wide receiver at Alabama from 2007-10, and later worked as a student assistant (2011), graduate assistant (2015-16) and offensive analyst under Nick Saban (2017-20). He was also part of Jim McElwain’s Colorado State staff from 2012-14.

Ezell won five national championships at Alabama as a player or staff member. While playing for the Crimson Tide, he achieved a level of fame in the college football world for his spot-on Saban impersonation that was captured by ESPN cameras in 2010.

Wake Forest recently hired Washington State head coach Jake Dickert following the retirement of Dave Clawson. The Demon Deacons finished 4-8 in 2024.

News of Ezell’s hiring by Wake Forest was first reported by CBS Sports.

General

Will ReliaQuest Bowl be Jalen Milroe’s final Alabama football game? QB talks future

If Jalen Milroe wants his NFL future to begin in 2025, the opportunity is likely there. Alabama football’s quarterback was recently ranked No. 3 among QBs who could be in the 2025 NFL Draft, by ESPN analyst Jordan Reid, who projected Milroe as an early-to-mid Day 2 pick.

But first, Alabama faces Michigan in Tuesday’s ReliaQuest Bowl. After the Crimson Tide practiced Saturday in Tampa ahead of the bowl game, Milroe was asked if he’d given any thought to whether it would be his final moment with Alabama.

“I think, for me, it’s all about maximizing right now,” Milroe said. “Taking care of right now, because future-tense, it’s hard to get to that point unless you’re taking care of right now. So taking in the moment of just playing with my guys right now. Prepare as much as possible, practice and take care of right now.”

Milroe has spent the past two seasons as the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback. He finished the 2024 regular season with 2,652 yards passing, plus 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

He also was a major contributor in the run game, finishing the year with 719 yards and 20 touchdowns that way. On Saturday, he described his favorite parts of playing for the Crimson Tide.

“The best thing for me was just the support system of my coaching staff,” Milroe said. “And just along the way, having the great fan base of Alabama. Playing in Bryant-Denny is like no other, so every moment I had, being the starting quarterback at Alabama, I didn’t take it for granted. So it’s just something great, being able to wear the script A, be the quarterback for this great state and represent my family.”

Alabama’s season-finale begins at 11 a.m. CT Tuesday at Raymond-James Stadium in Tampa. It will be aired on ESPN.

General

‘Jeopardy!’ dropped an Alabama sports clue this week: Do you know it?

Alabama has a rich baseball history, and “Jeopardy!” put its three contestants’ knowledge to the test for 800 bucks.

How well do you know your state’s sports geography and history?

Alabama often pops up in clues on the legendary quiz show, sometimes even twice in one episode. But during the Friday, Dec. 27 episode, the state with a rich sports tradition popped up in the back-half of the show.

The first clue came during the “Double Jeopardy!” round.

The category: Minor League Baseball Team Geography

The clue (for $800): The Southern League’s Rocket City Trash Pandas play in Madison but were formerly the Bears of this other Alabama “M” city.

The correct response: What is Mobile?

Megan Riddell, a human resources data analyst from Linthicum, Maryland, buzzed in and gave the correct response. This was after Laura Faddah, a manager from Memphis, Tennessee, rang in to answer “Montgomery” and drop the 800 smackers from her total.

Would you have buzzed in to collect a quick $800? Who are the real Alabama minor league baseball gurus reading this?

The state’s baseball history was celebrated in 2024 with “MLB at Rickwood: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues,” as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-5 in June at Rickwood Field.

The MLB and Birmingham spent millions preparing the nation’s oldest professional ballpark for the nationally televised National League game, the finale to a week that highlighted the significance of the Negro Leagues in baseball’s history.

More Alabama on “Jeopardy!”:

Alabama ‘Jeopardy!’ clue for football fans only: Do you know it?

Alabama man dominates early, falls short on ‘Jeopardy!’

‘Jeopardy’ contestants stumped by another Alabama clue: Help them out!

‘Jeopardy’ contestants could not guess this Alabama music clue: Can you?

General

Man killed in predawn hit-and-run in Bessemer

A man was found dead from an apparent hit-and-run in Bessemer.

Officers were dispatched at 5:45 a.m. Saturday to a report of a man in the road in the 2600 block of Eighth Avenue North. It was not immediately clear when he was struck.

Bessemer police Det. Justin Burmeister said the victim was pronounced dead on the scene. His identity has not been released.

Investigators are working to identify the vehicle and driver.

Anyone with information is asked to call Bessemer police at 205-481-4366, the tip line at 205-428-3541 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.

General

What we saw from Alabama football’s early-enrollees during ReliaQuest Bowl practice

Alabama football’s ReliaQuest Bowl practices represent a valuable opportunity for some of the youngest members of the Crimson Tide. Members of Alabama’s 2025 recruiting class who opted to enroll early were allowed to join the team for practice.

Four of them were defensive players, and all of those were spotted on the field at Berkeley Prep in Tampa Saturday.

“We go right in and they’re taking snaps day one,” Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said on Friday. “And then they’re going with the scout team and they’re taking snaps as well. So, really excited about those guys. It’ll be great when we can get them in more in spring ball and all that stuff, but I would say, from a defensive perspective, it’s a really athletic class. Guys that look good in space, move well and run.”

Justin Hill was wearing No. 8 as an outside linebacker for the Crimson Tide. He stuck close with OLBs coach Christian Robinson throughout the drills.

Hill joined the Crimson Tide as a four-star prospect out of Winton Woods in Ohio. He looked to be fully participating in drills as a member of the scout team defense.

Alabama had two prospects working with the inside linebackers. Both Luke Metz and Darrell “Duke” Johnson were wearing No. 1.

Both of those players looked to be taking scout team reps, going through individual drills against backup tight ends. As the three observable periods came to an end, the group of youngsters joined the scout team in running to the offensive side of the practice field.

Finally, safety Ivan Taylor worked with the defensive backs group, wearing No. 25. Michigan has defensive players wearing all three numbers that the Crimson Tide youngsters were in, so those could be temporary.

After the practice ended, linebacker Jihaad Campbell praised how the young players have responded so far.

“They’re absorbing a lot of great information,” Campbell said. “Obviously, they don’t know everything. But they’re doing a pretty good job just learning the playbook and understanding different things that we do out there in our individual drills, and they’re going to be great guys for our program.”

Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe also said the youngsters have been a positive presence in Tampa so far.

“Very helpful,” Milroe said. “Very helpful to have some guys come in at DB position and linebacker core. It’s been big for us, just to get another look.”

Alabama and Michigan are scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. CT Tuesday at Raymond James Stadium. The game will be aired on ESPN.

General

Dayle Haddon dies from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, trailblazing model was 76

Dayle Haddon, an actor, activist and trailblazing former “Sports Illustrated” model who pushed back against age discrimination by reentering the industry as a widow, has died in a Pennsylvania home from what authorities believe was carbon monoxide poisoning.

Authorities in Bucks County found Haddon, 76, dead in a second-floor bedroom Friday morning after emergency dispatchers were notified about a person unconscious at the Solebury Township home. A 76-year-old man police later identified as Walter J. Blucas of Erie was hospitalized in critical condition.

Responders detected a high level of carbon monoxide in the property and township police said Saturday that investigators determined that “a faulty flue and exhaust pipe on a gas heating system caused the carbon monoxide leak.” Two medics were taken to a hospital for carbon monoxide exposure and a police officer was treated at the scene.

As a model, Haddon appeared on the covers of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle and Esquire in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as the 1973 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. She also appeared in about two dozen films from the 1970s to 1990s, according to IMDb.com, including 1994’s “Bullets Over Broadway,” starring John Cusack.

Haddon left modeling after giving birth to her daughter, Ryan, in the mid-1970s, but then had to reenter the workforce after her husband’s 1991 death. This time she found the modeling industry far less friendly: “They said to me, ‘At 38, you’re not viable,’” Haddon told The New York Times in 2003.

Working a menial job at an advertising agency, Haddon began reaching out to cosmetic companies, telling them there was a growing market to sell beauty products to aging baby boomers. She eventually landed a contract with Clairol, followed by Estée Lauder and then L’Oreal, for which she promoted the company’s anti-aging products for more than a decade. She also hosted beauty segments for CBS’s “The Early Show.”

“I kept modeling, but in a different way,” she told The Times, “I became a spokesperson for my age.”

In 2008, Haddon founded WomenOne, an organization aimed at advancing educational opportunities for girls and women in marginalized communities, including Rwanda, Haiti and Jordan.’

Haddon was born in Toronto and began modeling as a teenager to pay for ballet classes — she began her career with the Canadian ballet company Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, according to her website.

Haddon’s daughter, Ryan, said in a social media post that her mother was “everyone’s greatest champion. An inspiration to many.”

“A pure heart. A rich inner life. Touching so many lives. A life well lived. Rest in Light, Mom,” she said.

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What Germie Bernard, Jah-Marien Latham said about plans for 2025

Neither wide receiver Germie Bernard nor defensive lineman Jah-Marien Latham revealed much about their future plans while Alabama football is preparing for the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa.

Has Bernard made a decision yet?

“Nah, I’ve just been focused on the football game to be honest,” Bernard said. “That’s been my main focus.”

As for Latham …

“That’s something that we’ll see what happens after the bowl game,” Latham said.

Both Bernard and Latham can return to play another season of college football if they want to do so. But both could also enter the NFL Draft or transfer as well.

Some players, such as Jam Miller and Parker Brailsford, have already said they will stay for another season in 2025. Others such as Bernard and Latham have not yet revealed their plans.

Bernard joined Alabama football ahead of the 2024 season, transferring from Washington and making the move with coach Kalen DeBoer.

Latham has spent five seasons with Alabama. This season he has tallied 26 tackles and one sack. The 6-3, 278-pound lineman is from Reform.

Bernard became one of the Crimson Tide’s primary receivers in 2024, starting alongside Ryan Williams.

This season, Bernard caught 46 passes for 714 yards and two touchdowns. The 6-1, 209-pound receiver is a Las Vegas

The Crimson Tide practiced for the second time Saturday at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa ahead of the ReliaQuest Bowl. Alabama will face Michigan at 11 a.m. CT on Tuesday at Raymond James Stadium.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

General

Former Auburn QB commits to Baylor, will face Auburn to open 2025 season

Walker White, a former four-star recruit who played one season at Auburn, announced his commitment to Baylor on Saturday.

The announcement came in a post on his Instagram, two weeks after reports first emerged of White entering the transfer portal.

It won’t be long before White will see his former teammates again, as Baylor will face Auburn in Week 1 of the 2025 season.

White played just one season on the plains, appearing in one game in 2024. He was one of the Tigers’ most promising recruits in the 2024 signing class, ranking as the No. 41 overall player in the country and the fifth-best quarterback, according to 247Sports.

White was one of three Auburn quarterbacks to enter the transfer portal after the season, and the second to find a new home. With White, Payton Thorne, Hank Brown and Holden Geriner all gone, Hugh Freeze will be working with an entirely new group of scholarship quarterbacks.

That group includes transfers Jackson Arnold and Ashton Daniels, along with incoming freshman Deuce Knight.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m

General

Colorado-BYU free livestream: How to watch Alamo Bowl, TV, schedule

The No. 23 Colorado Buffaloes play against the No. 17 BYU Cougars in the Alamo Bowl tonight. The matchup will begin at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

The Buffaloes enter this matchup with a 9-3 record, and they are coming off an impressive 52-0 win against Oklahoma State. During the victory, Colorado’s star quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw for 438 yards and five touchdowns.

Colorado’s elite two-way player Travis Hunter also played well against Oklahoma State. He ended the game with 116 receiving yards and recorded two pass deflections on defense. Hunter won the Heisman Trophy, Biletnikoff Award, and Chuck Bednarik Award this season.

The Cougars enter this matchup with a 10-2 record, and they are coming off a 30-18 win against Houston. During the victory, BYU’s defense played well. The team forced four turnovers and only allowed 250 total yards. With this in mind, the Cougars will try to perform similarly tonight.

Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.