Like it is

Forget media, Nick, they can't stem Tide

Alabama defensive back Ronnie Harrison celebrates after Alabama stopped Arkansas from scoring during the first half an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Alabama defensive back Ronnie Harrison celebrates after Alabama stopped Arkansas from scoring during the first half an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Nick Saban, eat mud and drink sour milk.

The king of Alabama, the man who finally allowed Bear Bryant's memory to rest, the winner of five National Championships and is the clear cut favorite to win another this January, said last week that writing and reporting nice things about his team was like feeding it rat poison.

Well, here's a heaping helping of steaming rat poison Nick: Your team is great and they don't need the media to let them know. And the reason you won, 41-9, was you have recruited an awesome team.

The Tide is No. 1 in the nation and have been since the season started seven weeks ago.

The only team in the country that can beat Alabama is Alabama.

The No. 2 players on the Crimson Tide depth chart are better than most teams' No. 1 players.

What the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville endured Saturday night was a bunch of five-star players with a smattering of four-star players mixed in.

Yet, the Razorbacks never backed down, even though they were wounded on the game's first play when tailback Damien Harris started right, cut to the middle of the field, then down the left sideline and went untouched for a 75-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

In just 15 seconds the Hogs were behind the 8-ball.

Bama would go up 17-0 after half of the first quarter, getting a field goal after a mishandled Razorbacks snap on a punt. The Tide went 65 yards on eight plays after the Hogs went there and out, with Harris getting his second touchdown.

That's when a combination of things happened.

First, the mighty Tide let up a little on both sides of the ball. The thing that Sir Nick fears the most happened right in front of his eyes and he couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't even blame the media.

The other thing was the Razorbacks played some of their best defense of the year during Bama's next three possessions, even knocking them out of field-goal range with a 12-yard sack by De'Jon Harris.

But the Tide put together a 75-yard, 9-play touchdown drive in 3:19 to make it 24-0.

That's when the Arkansas quarterback controversy was truly born.

Redshirt freshman Cole Kelley, starting for injured Austin Allen, drove the Hogs from his own 21 to the Tide 3 with 74 yards coming in the air. Brett Bielema chose to go for the touchdown with :03 on the clock, but when you are down 24-0 to America's top dog you need touchdowns not field goals.

Kelley, who gained invaluable experience in a hostile environment, played with the poise of a veteran. He opened the second half driving the Hogs to the Bama 45, mostly through the air before they ran out of downs. After a Hog interception He passed the team to the Alabama 12 after a Hogs interception, and this time Connor Limpert kicked a 30-yard field goal to avoid the shutout.

Saban then got his team's attention, and the Tide, who has outscored all opponents 299-71, answered like champions going 78 yards for a touchdown in 2:51 and with 1:25 to play in the third quarter Bama led 31-3. And they weren't finished.

The vaunted Tide defense turned Arkansas' first and 10 from its 25 to a fourth and 34 from the 1.

They are that good on both sides of the ball when allowed to be.

The Hogs had 27 yards rushing and Alabama had more than 300.

When Slick Nick isn't playing mind games with his team, when he isn't talking to them and the great fan base through the media, he's got an amazing team that can cruise through this season.

No doubt it's his team. He's in control. And if Alabama doesn't win another championship ring it's on Nick Saban no matter how much flattering rat poison his team ingests.

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Sports on 10/15/2017

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