Getting behind 20-0 in the first quarter was not ideal, and there was some carry over effect from the LSU game. That LSU game was such a hard fought affair that the team may have had a little mental fatigue from it. That may sound like an excuse, but it’s just human nature to get tired mentally after a 15-week grind of football, and particularly after a game like the LSU game. And Texas A&M had a lot to do with it. They are playing as well as anybody in the country right now. They are an excellent football team. There is no doubt about that. Manziel, to me, is the co-leader for the Heisman Trophy with Collin Klein of Kansas State. If K-State goes undefeated and Klein keeps it up, he should win it. A player who is the heart and soul of his team that  finishes the regular season undefeated and puts up the numbers to go with it like Klein does, deserves the Heisman. If it’s close with somebody else and his effect on his team and the stats are similar to the other guy who’s on a team that may have lost a couple of games, the guy on the undefeated team should get the nod. I don’t have a Heisman vote, but that’s the way I see it. But Manziel, if he keeps this up, will win the Heisman Trophy possibly next year. The guy is sensational. Highlight reel after highlight reel. Manziel was 24-of-31 for 253 yards and two TDs. His play in the first quarter in which he juggled the ball after the snap, retained possession and then threw a 10-yard TD pass to Ryan Swope was epic. Then his 24-yarder to Malcome Kennedy in the fourth quarter was a beautiful throw and catch in the end zone. Dee Milliner looked like he had pretty good coverage on Kennedy. It was just an exceptional play by Kennedy. Swope caught 11 passes for 111 yards and a TD. He’s the next Wes Welker and he may even be better than Welker as he makes more explosive plays. He should be a pro.

They were ready to play and Alabama had that sluggish start. Should ‘Bama have run when they had it  first and goal on the last drive? Yes, at least two times. But I didn’t think going into that last play that they should absolutely run it.  It could have gone either way with the play call. A&M had the line stacked, so even a run might have been difficult.  Not sure about that particular pass play call. Thought A.J. should have dropped back and had four guys going out with Michael Williams over the middle for a possible TD. But I didn’t totally disagree with the play call. But there’s no looking back now. It’s over. That last first and goal situation was somewhat questionable, but you can’t have it back. Tide has to move forward as hard as that loss was and as questionable as the play calling was at the end. They did try a run with Eddie and it only got a yard. So Doug Nussmeier thought the Tide would have to pass to win it. After A.J.’s final drive performance against LSU, Nussmeier felt he wanted to put the ball in the hands of A.J. and let the line give him time to find a receiver. Thought rolling him out on fourth and goal was a little questionable. A dropback or maybe a run over Fluker were probably better calls, so that was tough to take. It’s over though. For Nussmeier it’s hard to learn on the job because people aren’t patient around here with mistakes when their team is always playing for the national championship and that is expected. So he’s got to learn from this. I hope he gets another shot. He’s done a good job this year, though that last drive play calling was a little questionable at first and goal.

Still have a lot to play for: the SEC championship, of course, the rest of this schedule with the Western Carolina game and the Iron Bowl. The matchup with a very good Georgia team in the Georgia Dome should be classic. That will be a very interesting game with two outstanding football teams. And it’s not out of the question for the Tide to get back in the mix for the national championship. Two teams have to lose in front of the Tide and the Tide HAS to take care of business. Oregon has games at home vs Stanford this Saturday. That’s is not a given. Stanford is a pretty good football team. Don’t know if they can keep up with the speed of Oregon, but if they can control the football, maybe they can pull off the upset. And then the Ducks have a rivalry game against a pretty good Oregon State team at OSU to close out the regular season. Then they’ll play in the PAC-12 championship game assuming they get through Stanford and Oregon State. They could beat Stanford and lose to OSU and still get in PAC-12 champ game. A lot to be decided for Oregon. A loss would probably knock them down behind the Tide. K-State plays at Baylor and at home against Texas to close out their regular season. Those are no kick-ins either by any means. Baylor can put a lot of points on the board and Texas is playing a lot better. They’re both pretty decent football teams. If K-State can get through those two games they’re most likely in. Notre Dame plays Wake Forest at home, and at USC. Wake Forest is pretty winnable, but USC at the Coliseum is no guarantee. So that’s interesting. Then there’s Georgia. If both the Tide and Georgia win out–the Dawgs have Georgia Southern and Tech at home, both should be wins– and the two of the top three teams lose, the SEC title game will be an epic. Should be a tremendous game regardless, but with losses by the 1, 2 and 3 teams–two of them will have to lose–then the title game will have the national title on the line.

So there is a lot to play for. But S is worried about the process; getting better every day as he should. I really learn a lot in his press conferences. He says everybody is concerned with the results, but he and his team need to focus on the process of getting better every day. I think you’ve got to have a mix. Ninety percent should be devoted to the process of getting better every day and 10 percent about the end result, the big picture. You always want to keep championships in your mind, but to get there you have to focus on being the best player you can be every day. You’ve got to improve. That’s S’s consistent message and I agree with him 100 percent. I learn a lot from S in that regard. Anyway, there is a lot of excitement left in college football, and ‘Bama is still in the hunt.

Auburn just need to start over. I thought they would lose handily to Georgia but not even that badly. Wow, that was rough. Chizik has just lost’em. Who do they turn to? Maybe Jimbo Fisher or Kevin Sumlin, but I don’t think they can get Sumlin away from A&M, and I don’t know if they can get Fisher away from FSU. Fisher may be more attainable. Jon Gruden? I’m just throwing out names. He would be an interesting option. Maybe a top flight assistant like the guy at A&M,  Kliff Kingsbury, though that may be a reach going that route. Going from an assistant coach to a high profile head coaching job is a big step. Auburn is going to have to work hard to get a guy that can get this thing turned around, but there are coaches out there they can get who will be good fits for the university and the team, and who can turn this around. Auburn has a very solid football tradition. There are good football players on the Plains. They need a motivator, someone who’ll change the culture to a winning culture, the one Pat Dye had down there. There are coaches out there who can do that.There are good coaches out there who want this job. The players are good though untapped, the facilities are excellent and the support from the Auburn family is excceptional. Auburn just wants to start winning again. They can get that done with the right guy in charge. I’m sorry for Chizik, but he’s lost his authority on this team and he can’t win. Change is necessary and needed. AU fans deserve to be cheering for championships. The program has the tools for it. They just need a good coach. There’s somebody out there, more than one guy, who can get this thing turned around.

Will have more later.