Rain again in Tuscaloosa. Does anyone actually remember what the sun looks like?

Certainly not the Alabama football team. The Tide was back inside the Hank Crisp Indoor Practice Facility again today. As we talked about yesterday the fact that the game is being played indoors at the Georgia Dome is the only thing keeping this weather from having a major impact on Bama’s preparations.

Clemson is dealing with the same problems. On top of the storm of controversy having been created by defensive coordinator Vic Koenning with some stupid comments the Tigers have had to deal with a real storm. According to the Mobile Press Register a tornado struck the Clemson University campus today.  It looks like there was some property damage, but thankfully no one was hurt.

No one being hurt has been a major theme in Tuscaloosa, and that continued today. Not a single Tide player was in black today, with just 3 practices remaining until the opener. Is it just me or do you expect there to be something disastrous befall the Tide between now and then? Maybe it’s just Bama’s recent history with luck, but I’ll be holding my breath between now and Saturday night.

With the season rapidly approaching reps have really begun to be limited for those guys who are not expected to play. In most cases, especially quarterback, even the #2 guys are seeing the majority of the reps disappear. Frustration does not seem to have set in, which is a great sign. It looks as though a lot more people have “bought in to the system” than at this time last season.

Darius Hanks is still working with the scout team. Most of the time that means a guy is not going to see action, but I don’t think that will be the case for Hanks. I believe that this is simply a case of him being the Tide receiver most capable of doing what is needed on the scout team. I could be totally wrong, but I expect we’ll see Hanks play and be involved in the offense on Saturday.

There has been a lot of talk about Chris Jordan having been listed as the #2 guy on the depth chart at the Will. While he has progressed nicely, the majority of the reps at that position have been given to Don’ta Hightower and Cory Reamer. With Bama expected to play a lot of nickel defense, and Reamer expected to play the position in that formation, the chances of anyone behind these two guys seeing action are slim. If Jordan is able to continue to progress this could change later in the season.

It was not a real surprise that Will Oakley did not make the depth chart given the late start that he had after foot surgery. He appears to be running much better this week than he did last week. If that is the case again next week he could see his role increase.

Ali Sharrief has emerged as a candidate for the star position. I still think that we’ll see both Javier Arenas and Mark Barron split time in the nickel position, but Sharrief does offer a different set of skills than either of these guys. He and Tyrone King are the most likely guys to fill the money spot in the dime defense.

The weather in Tuscaloosa is supposed to have improved by tomorrow, with only a slim chance of rain. That could present the Tide coaching staff with an interesting dilemma. They can get more things accomplished outside, but with the ground having been soaked with almost a week’s worth of rain there is the potential for injury. I’m not a fan of playing or practicing scared, but it might be prudent to stay inside for another day.

Related posts:

1. Practice Report: 8/25/08 The only time of the year when Monday is a...
2. Practice Report - 8/19/08 The Tide football team was in full pads today, after...
3. Practice Report: 8/22/08 The number of practices remaining before kickoff has shrunk to...
4. Practice Report: 8/23/08 It's one week until the season starts! With next Saturday's...
5. Practice Report: 10/28/08 It was back into full pads on Tuesday for the...