The Alabama football team practiced on Sunday for the twelfth time in preparation for the Texas Longhorns and the BCS National Championship Game. The full pads practice was once again held at Orange County College and Costa Mesa High School.

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The Alabama football team held its first practice in the state of California on Saturday. Don't let the calendar fool you... for the team this was a Monday practice. Though, for the first time all season, Bama practiced in pads during the first practice of the week. The practice held at Costa Mesa High School and Orange County College was the first of five practices that Bama will have leading up to Thursday's BCS Championship Game against Texas.

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Happy New Year!

2010 has begun, and the Alabama football team has arrived in southern California. A four hour plane ride from Birmingham to Santa Ana, California, and then a short bus ride to the Newport Beach/Costa Mesa area saw the Tide make its way to the team hotel.

They team will make a short visit to Disneyland tomorrow, and they'll get to work. Bama will practice five times in California is preparation for Thursday night's game. Coaches and players will be made available to the media at the discretion of the BSC, but we'll let you know if anything important happens.

Roll Tide! And I hate orange!

On Wednesday afternoon the Alabama football team held its ninth practice for the BCS Championship Game. Due to rain in Tuscaloosa, the team worked inside the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility. The full pads practice was the penultimate one in Tuscaloosa, and the final one that will have a media viewing period.

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The Alabama football team was back outside in the cold Tuscaloosa weather for their eigth practice in preparation for the Texas Longhorns in the BCS National Championship Game. With just two more practices remaining before the Tide heads to California, Bama was in full pads.

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The Alabama football team worked out in the brisk cold of Tuscaloosa on Monday afternoon. The practice was in shells, though the team was in sweat pants rather than the customary shorts.

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After taking a three day break for the players to go home for Christmas, the Alabama football team reported back to campus for bowl practice number six. As was the case with practice number five on the 23rd, today's practice was closed to the media. It looks as though everyone made it back to Tuscaloosa on time for what was expected to be the first practice to really focus on Texas. Monday's practice is expected to have the normal media viewing period, and we'll have our normal report up at that time.

Updating yesterday's big news... It looks as though Florida head coach Urban Meyer has decided to take a leave of absence, rather than completely step down as the Gators' coach. New offensive coordinator Steve Adazzio will handle the reigns of the program as the interim head coach through the 2010 season, at which point Meyer is hoping to return. ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting that Meyer has a heart valve defect that has caused him problems for nearly four years. Hopefully Meyer's time away from football will be brief, mainly because that means that he will have gotten his health under control.

Citing health concerns, Florida head football coach Urban Meyer has announced that he is retiring.

That's pretty sobering news for a fan base that has been riding pretty high for the last three (plus) years. And, really, it should serve as sobering news to any college football fan. Rivalries aside, Urban Meyer is a great football coach, and him having to retire because of health issues, especially at his age, is a terrible thing.

Our collective hearts here at the BSR go out to Coach Meyer, his family, and the entire Florida family.

Guess who's been a lousy blogger lately? If you guessed me, you win! If it weren't for nxojkt holding down the fort here lately, it would have been a real ghost town. Sorry about that gang.

OK, it's about time for a long-overdue Weekend Roundup.

• Jennifer Floyd Engel argues that Alabama shouldn't be in the BCS title game due to probation. Let me help you out here. Alabama was slammed for "major violations", but is not on "major probation". There's a difference, and Engel knows it. She's being disingenuous.
• Texas is already poking fun at us. Everyone seems fascinated with Alabama fans' fascination with one of the best coaches every to roam the sidelines. It's an old joke now, guys.
• Doug at Every Day Should Be Saturday has a hilarious piece up about the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl up - even if the game is over, it's still funny.
• There's already a 2010 preseason poll... and the Tide is ranked first.
• And Mike Wise of the Washington Post has one of the saner Tiger Woods takes you'll see. Ever. Good writing and great perspective.

The Alabama football team practiced again on Tuesday in pre-Christmas preparation for the Texas Longhorns and the BCS National Championship Game. The Tide worked outside and in shells.

Here's what you need to know: