Official Alabama vs. Kentucky Game Preview

0:00Alabama set for its earliest conference matchup in 19 years as a Crimson Tide set to play at Kentucky on Saturday afternoon. Bam a 247's Mike Rodak and Brett Grunberg dive deep into the matchup. Talk to latest injury updates and what we're hoping to see from Alabama in week two on the latest episode of Bam a 247 robot. And then there work to welcome to another episode of Rollpod for those that might have missed the news on Wednesday, record this on Thursday morning as usual going into the match against Kentucky. But first off for those that may

1:02miss the news on social media or on Bam a 247, Alex Scarborough who was with us for a couple years has moved on to ESPN in a college football, some tough Eastern type of role. I have made the move from recruiting border to team site things. I'll be covering the team. I'll still do a little bit of recruiting just with the connections I have, but you might be wondering if you're going to be able to take over the team and I can handle the team. I guess I'm replacing Alex there and then we're going to have someone come in to take over my role that we're both very, very excited about and that should be announced very, very soon. So, yeah, again, just Mike and I on the podcast and we'll probably incorporate this new person in the podcast as well. Once he or she gets rolling and gets fully comfortable in Bam a 247. But that's a bigger version of us on YouTube. So, people watching get to see more of our faces or I guess larger versions of our faces rather than the other three box

2:03we're using. So, people get treated to that, which is a great thing, I think. Yeah, if you're watching on YouTube, which I encourage you all to do, I'm like it's subscribe, like it's subscribe. Let's continue to get those numbers up. But during the page, Alabama at Kentucky on Saturday afternoon to 30 Central time on ABC. I don't know if you've done this research, but I feel like you may have. Is this the earliest SEC game in Alabama history? I don't. I see earliest in 19 years. The last time I had one this early was Vanderbilt in 2007. They played in Nashville on September 8th. So, it's something that Kaelin DeBores mentioned a few times. A lot. That's why I brought it up. Yeah. He's, you know, I don't necessarily want to put words in his mouth, but it, he's mentioned it so many times. It feels like he's a little bit annoyed by it. I'm like, oh, this isn't something a lot of teams are doing this early. This is where the first SEC, it's the only SEC game this week. But it's kind of a function of

3:03how the non-conference schedule was scheduled. Like, X number years ago, they scheduled Florida State for the following week. So, he kind of needed an SEC game this week, because, you know, of the nine game SEC schedule. So, I guess in theory, this would have been another non-conference game if there had been eight SEC games, but now there's not. So, it's just kind of the way it shook out. I don't think it's, I can spear see necessarily, but it's, you know, it is, it's tough to go and road in the SEC in week two, especially with a young quarterback. And, you know, it's just, it's a little bit of a different challenge to what you normally have. But yes, it's been 19 years since Alabama's had it this early. And I would say going forward, though, I don't know if we'll see it as much, because the FCS games are going to get moved up. There's the whole thing that they agree to with the SEC that, typically, the FCS games were played

4:05right before Thanksgiving, right before the Iron Bowl. And now, I think they're trying to get rid of that, you know, kind of November cupcake, if you will. And so next year when Alabama plays UT Martin, or side of some two years, I think next year's FCS game will be earlier than it has been. So, there's all sorts of moving parts here, but for this year, Alabama's going to Lexington on September 12th. Right. You know, it's going to, like you said, it just felt like Kale and the board is like, you almost want him to just go all out what he's thinking, but that's not going to happen. You can get the sense that he's not loving necessarily having to play the SEC games, certainly. Well, he's going to have to go on the road to Ohio State, I think, in his next year, pretty early. So that is true. So, as well, get, get, get, get, I guess a little bit used to, I think Ohio State's probably going to be a bigger, better buy-away than Crogre feel. But, and you know, too much further, though, we just keep driving about, what, two hours north of Lexington, you're in Columbus. So, yeah, it's about the same distance road trip.

5:07Absolutely. Whether, minute from Mike, I know, you know, sometimes it's, it's going to be sunny and hot and tussle-oosal. But I don't know, it feels like Kentucky always has, you know, in their big games, there might be some weather coming in. I don't know if that's growing up, watching Florida games, watching Georgia games recently, but it does seem like there's going to be, whether it's going to be another factor in the long list of unknowns that we have that we're going to get into this, this podcast, but Mike, weather, minute. I may have lost them. Yeah, I think, um, bear with us here. um

6:20Um um I'm happy. See, my speed test seems fine. You're a little bit blurry right now. I'm not clear, and you're blurry on my end, but I think we might... I connected to my phone's health coverage, so hopefully that works going forward. But sorry about that. Hopefully we don't drop out anymore. Brief pause in the... if you're watching the YouTube, but I think we should be good now. See.

7:21Alright, I got you still. Okay. We're gonna do good. We're talking about the weather. So, yeah, I mean, it's got to be potentially a game where weather might impact the game. I think it's similar to some other early season games where it's hot. It's probably gonna be fairly humid, and then, you know, there's storms in the area. You know, there's a chance maybe during pre-game as well with rain and or storms moving through. I don't know if it'll be like a wash out or something sustained, but could it start raining at some point? Could it start raining hard? Could it be lightning? Yes, I think all those things are possible. So it's something to watch. You know, I don't know if it will be a huge deal, but you know, we saw it in Tampa a couple years ago. We saw it even for the state beginning in last season where there was some downpours.

8:24You know, it's definitely... there's the potential of that, you know, as we get closer to the game and it seems a little bit more, you know, honed in on the forecast there. Yeah, as I said, there's a lot of unknowns in this matchup that we're gonna get into, but the weather certainly not being ideal doesn't help, you know, the first year or first starter and Kiela also go on the road and so on. So for fun, first we'll start with the injury report SEC requires injury reports to be put out every Wednesday Thursday Friday and then couple hours leading to the game on Saturday. Just one surprise or unexpected addition to the injury report was, Carol, you're starting right guard. You're only returning starter from last year. Obviously, you moved positions from right tackle to right guard, but AKD or J.R. Edwards, both questionable. I don't think just for more to hit you to here. You know, Kiela, we're talking about it earlier this week. They're pushing along. No Rogers is pushing along, but I think AKD or J.R. Edwards may be potentially for Florida state.

9:30I mean, we got that know, but there's probably still a couple more weeks out, but the big one is Michael Carol. You know, a lot of speculation yesterday, you know, look, what could it be? What could it have been made some calls, can was able to confirm you never want to see no spec. I don't want to put anything that didn't feel very confident in, but it seems like my concussion, whether that was suffered in the game against ECU or practice. I didn't really get clarity on that, but I say that, you know, not to downplay concussion by those are, you know, scary things and you don't want to, you know, obviously the brain and, and, you know, that's important. I think it's more of a, I think kind of wanted to put that out to give out of amofans. Maybe a little sense of relief that it's not a, you know, an arm or shoulder or a leg. And that's potentially be like season ending. So I think that's maybe a positive. You take out. I think it's again very mild, but something that you don't want to push, especially early in the season. You want to get him healthy for, you know, for to stay in that gauntlet of schedule, you know, ACC games and then obviously a cup of tea as well. But it's an ideal again, that's another addition to this road game to have a guy that, you know, you could rely on in the office line with the most experience on this group.

10:47It's an ideal. Yeah, it's, it's one of those things where it helps to have these availability reports because I don't know if we would have heard about it. Otherwise in the old days, you know, I remember actually the last time I went to Kentucky, we didn't find out that Jermaine Burton didn't make that trip until pregame warmups when Nick Saban was on the radio. He was sick, whether he was actually sick or not. I don't know, but there is no availability report, you know, for the SEC. So now there is. And so as of Wednesday night, you kind of have to put your cards on the table and, you know, show where you are health wise. And it wasn't something that came up early in the week. So then because of that, it, you know, kind of became a bigger story Wednesday night when it does drop in there, but he doesn't really know the circumstances or the, you know, the context of it. So, you know, maybe can make the argument. It's worthwhile for Alba. I'm going to bring it up earlier, but I'm sure there's also strategic reasons for them holding that back, which is, you know, Kentucky.

11:52If you see a guy is doubtful knows that they probably don't have to prepare for that particular alignment. But, you know, it's, I'd say in all likelihood, if Carol doesn't play and that's certainly what the report suggests right now, then, you know, you're probably looking at Will Sanders and Mel Waldrup at right guard and left guard. My guess is Will Sanders a playwright guard, but you probably do it either way with Waldrup and Sanders. I think they both played both. So, you know, it's, it's a very inexperienced line because of that that will play in this game. You know, Carol, obviously is, you know, played some football last year in the SEC. So other than Javan James, you really don't have a guy who's started the game in the SEC that will be playing for Alabama on Saturday. And again, assuming Carol doesn't play. So, you know, if there's a game to have this happen, like, is it the worst one? No, like, do you want to go to Georgia without Michael Carroll? Like, I think that might be, you know, worse.

12:57So, you know, can you get by against Kentucky Kentucky's defense, I think, is, is, you know, it's not going to make a ton of headlines in terms of like the players. There's no all SEC preseason selections from a draft standpoint. I think there's maybe one guy right now that's really like first half of the draft in that's their defensive end, whose name is escaping me up top of my head. But yeah, there's, there's not from like a talent standpoint, a bunch of guys, you're like super scared about with Kentucky's defense, but there are, you know, there's a few transpersons in there. And it's just the newness of the scheme. And, you know, with J Bateman from Texas, and I'm in, you know, it's, it's going to be a bigger front to, I think that's, that's one thing that stood up to me, just kind of looking at, you know, what they, what they offer as far as their personnel. And they are, they have a nose tackle in, Jamarian Harcliffe, who's a transport mom, Purdue, he's 346 pounds, 6, 3, 3, 4, 6, and then Tavy on Gadson was the draft prospect, but, you know, first half of the draft.

14:07That's right. Head to the abstracts last year, you know, 6, 5, 3, 3, on their, under defensive line, and then a fifth year player that they have as well in McQueen's Humphrey Grace, who's 6, 4, 271. So again, it's not like you're necessarily going up against the 85 bears, you know, with that defense that you're super concerned about, Alabama's offensive line, but one more player down and some less experience to going on the road. And, you know, we saw some of the pre snap issues and even post snap. Last or in this first game, too. So it is definitely an area of concern going into the game. Yeah, you mentioned, well, Sanders, Val-Walder probably tried out there first, like fully believe that's the case. I also, you know, kind of keep in the back of my mind that, you know, Ryan, Rob did mention that, well, Sanders is dealing with an oblique injury. Does that, you know, potentially flare up again early in the game and then just he get out and then do you move while, Val-Walder, or do you keep my Walter put left guard?

15:09Who is that right guard going to be? I think your immediate names that you come to mind and correct me from wrong, but it's even field. So transfer from Ole Miss who doesn't really have, you know, you look at Ole Miss, SEC, but doesn't really have a lot of snaps at Ole Miss. That's that stop and then you also got Nick Brooks who I know they've had it right tackle behind Jamie James, but he played a lot of interior offensive line at Texas. So I think it's those two guys that are kind of next up. I don't believe Ty Haywood and Kaden Strayhorn are ready to go. I know a lot of people are very excited about Ty Haywood. Ty Haywood, he was, you know, kind of a recruit that is now a family. He was the Fox star. He came back. I still think there's kind of a lot to go. A lot left to be made over there with Ty Haywood. We'll see all the odds of line makes out and kind of lead into my, you know, next time kind of going into our VIP round table, that's published every Thursday morning. We too, new head coach, new players, plus transfers, a pre-hendle win over I think it was Youngtown State.

16:15Like there's just so many unknowns I think if you're Alabama, I think that's what we came into board is a little annoyed that he has to go, you know, on the road. So early, I guess they're going to really pose a question here, but I was just interested to hear your kind of thoughts on just how much that may play a part in this England for out them. Right, I mean, East Carolina was in terms of, you know, returning snaps to so there's a lot of blindness to the game and I guess it helps. And now there is one game of film, you know, with Kentucky, but it is new coordinators, whereas like East Carolina, you kind of had an idea of what Blake Harrell is going to run a defense because he was a returning head coach. In this case, you have Will Stein and his head coach, you have a new defensive coordinator, a new offensive coordinator, and you're trying to piece it all together, you know, and make some assumptions based on what you saw in the first game, but obviously if you're Kentucky or you're trying to, you know, from what you showed Youngstown State.

17:18So, you know, it's interesting. We talked to Terrence Green, one of the Alabama defensive lineman, the transfer from Oregon, so he spent his first three years practicing against Will Stein's offense at Oregon and, you know, the biggest thing he told us is like we got to be able to stop the run and, you know, that's obviously true. It's interesting that he wasn't running a ton in their opening game or wasn't really, you know, the biggest percentage of what they were doing. In fact, you know, the yards that were gained on the ground were only 40% of those, which was bottom half, bottom third of the country in week one. So they put up some good numbers through the air, you know, with Kenny Menchie, who completed 18 passes for 300 and one yards, which is pretty good touchdown. So, obviously an FCS opponent there, but, but, you know, they're potentially some, some ability.

18:26Nick Anderson is one guy, even just looking at, you know, who caught passes was very spread out in this, this offense for, you know, for them in the first game. So, again, there's, there's not like, you know, first run NFL draft talent on their offense, but there's just a lot of new players. Right. They have a couple notable guys too that they brought in with CJ Backstart running back you Alabama scene before, you know, a Texas going back a few years and Lance heard, you know, they're, they're big left tackle, who's a five star prospect as well. So they've really turned over their offensive line, I think four out of their five starters or transfers, including Olas Alain and from Alabama. So, a lot of newness and, um, it's right. Analyze it because it's like nobody truly knows what it's going to look like and that could be good. Like there's obviously benefits to Alabama having experience, especially on defense like their defense is played together. Kentucky's offense hasn't really played together, so it works both ways, but, you know, will there be surprises, trick plays, things like that.

19:34Yeah, I would, I would come prepared for that as much as you can. Yeah. 100% coverage, a little spotty. I think it's on my end on my apartment right now. So we may get out of here a little early up, I'll just for that. But just, I feel like I know the answer here and it's in the round table. Like what are you still hoping to maybe see from Alabama, whether that's good or bad. Is it the running back rotation? Is it how the offensive line looked? Is it the pre snap? Is the post snap? Is it defense? You know, the back end of defense not making a big crucial mistake and it's something that, you know, that breaking coverage, which again, came, and I talked about like that potentially look a lot different when you're on the road in front of a crowd and you know, that lead or, you know, you cut the deficit to three points and then, you know, and I'm sounding very negative here, but those are things that they can't happen on the road. So I'm just interested, you know, maybe what, what is one of few things that you're really focusing on? All the above. I think you just wanted to look cleaner. I think even like anybody watching the first game, there's so many little things that were just sloppy.

20:42You know, with the pre snap and the false starts and the legal forward pass and the intentional grounding and the holding, calling back a touchdown and the kick returners running into each other and Jackson Lloyd, not being on the field for the extra point. A lot of things. Yes, first game, clean it up, all that. We want to make sure it doesn't crop up again on the road when there's potentially, crowd noise and pressure and anxiety and all those things that come along with playing on the road in the SEC. So just general cleanliness for lack of a better term. I think it's probably what you want to see because if you don't see it, then I think you're concerned about, you know, going on to get to Kentucky's one thing, but going under a tent of sea or LSU is a different thing. And we saw that out of the gate two years ago, tennis. Remember the first. It wasn't even. The first, you know, penalty. It was, it was like all these things hitting it right at once as the crowd noise hit. So this is the time to kind of get it right.

21:44And I think that's kind of what you're looking for out of Alabama. But, you know, the running backwardation is interesting just because there's a chance AKD years back for this game is questionable. If he does play, you know, is it a super big workload, probably not, but just trying to figure out who are your two or three top guys there. And I think again, we feel good about Daniel Hill being one of those. I think you feel pretty good about DJ Karel potentially being one of those, but just what's the balance, you know, who's the third guy. Kind of, how does that running back room continue to shake out over these next couple games is going to be really interesting to follow probably more than any other position battle right now. Because I don't know if there's a position battle out of like, you know, left guard, which I don't say it's solved, but like I don't think there's going to be battle left guard this week because one of them is probably going to be playing right guard. So, you know, running backs kind of the one unsettle position right now in terms of hierarchy and snap distribution. Shall we say?

22:45Yeah, this is why I find my end is very, very spotty. So I know we're going to start as long as not in depth. But I apologize for that. We're going to get out of here. I'm not going to be in a separate, you know, in a second. But as as we said, you know, Mike's going to be over there in program field running not stop coverage. I'll be working from home. Just this last game that I won't be at in a stadium, whether that's in Tuscaloosa or Baton Rouge Nashville, Knoxville and Starkville. I'm excited to go on onto the team side of things. I think, you know, it's a lot of the recruiting side of things. I think there's going to help out just with some coverage as well on the team side of things. So very excited again, very excited to have our new recruiting reporter get announced, hopefully very soon. Again, I apologize. Wi-Fi is not Wi-Fiing this morning. So we're going to get out of here, Mike's safe travels and we'll be back on Saturday night with a instant reaction of the game. And get all this podcast soon. Apple podcast spotify YouTube and families who are seven. Thank you guys. And sorry again.

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