Looks like Tuberville and Saban are hooking up in 2012.
Texas Tech appears likely to play Alabama in the Red Raiders’ 2012 football season opener, Tech athletic director Gerald Myers said Monday.
Myers said Dave Brown, a vice president of programming for ESPN, ”brought us together on this.’’
“We’ve agreed to do it,’’ Myers said. “I think Alabama’s agreed to do it. But we haven’t gotten down to signing a contract or anything like that.’’
The deal would be for one game at a neutral site — in this case, Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Myers said.
“Coach (Tommy) Tuberville is aware of the game and is in support of playing it,’’ Myers said. “I understand (Crimson Tide coach Nick) Saban is also on board for it. We’re in the talking stages, but we haven’t gotten down to talking contract with it yet.’’
Get The Picture 
Ears must be missing the SEC about now. Which coach needs to get fired for T Tommy to come back?
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Although highly unlikely, I’d love to see Bama’s and Auburn’s reactions if ol’ Ears succeeded The Hat at LSU.
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Just be glad Pete Carroll did not bolt USC a little earlier.
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I know there are many who fret about these intersectional games but as a CFB fan, I love these early season matchups. Games like Bama/PSU, UGA vs ASU/CU/OSU, USC/Auburn, AU/WVU, TN/Ore, Texas/Ohio St, etc. add tremendously to the usual September laughers. For those who support a more meaningful regular season (don’t we all?), this is the best enhancement we can expect. It only takes a dozen or so of these to liven up the college season. Say what you want about Saban, he seems to relish these opportunities and expand his “brand” into new areas. Kudos to TT and Bama if this works out.
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This sort of preseason “bowl” game at a neutral site is a good idea. What is NOT a good idea is to open up at somebody else’s stadium as fodder for the stadium dedication like Damon Evans did to UGA last year. Note that TTU and CTT are not playing Bama in Tuscaloosa. Last year Okie State and UGA were approached by Jerry Jones about this very thing–playing that game in Dallas Cowboy Stadium–and Okie State refused, even though Okie State would have made about $6 Million more by playing there. Why would any rational AD turn that offer down? It smelled at the time and we saw the result.
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Because his largest donor wanted to showcase the new stadium named after him on national TV. Given how much money T. Boone has showered on OSU (a lot more than $6 million), it was a perfectly rational decision.
A choice between massaging two monster egos – you’re gonna go with the home crowd, aren’t you?
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When you are dealing with T. Boone, if anyone is going to welch on a deal it won’t be you. Plus, if the mood strikes him, he’ll pay to have others Swiftboat you.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/t-boone-pickens-says-no-deal/
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I prefer the term “Borked”, thank you very much!
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Good responses, all. Why not bank the $6M and have the “grand opening” to showcase the new stadium at the next game, which then would have been the first home game? How could that offend Mr. Pickens (do his friends call him “Boone” or “T”)? It was my premise all along that the game was a set-up with homer refs with us as the victim. Watching the game reinforced my belief.
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Georgia brought TV cameras that any of their other opponents wouldn’t have.
(And what that meant to the ego-Bottom Line isn’t calculable…except in future donations.)
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My point exactly. Pickens wanted a signature win in his new stadium against a nationally known team on national TV. Whoever showed up (UGA, Bama, FLA, Southern Cal, Ohio State, etc.) was never going to be allowed to leave town with a win. WE (read: Damon Evans) were the only ones stupid enough to let that happen to our team. IMO it changed the whole season. On the bright side, rather than having another 10-3 season, last season forced CMR’s hand, needed defensive coaching changes were made and I think the future of UGA football now is looking as bright as it has ever looked.
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Bama or Fla would have beaten the snot out of them. Ga didn’t lose that game because it was fixed, they lost it because they were a mediocre team with a mediocre qb who was sick. And Bryan Evans.
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I agree Bama or FLA would have beaten the snot out of them on a neutral field, maybe even in Stillwater, (there is only so much a homer ref can do). Most years us, too. We just didn’t have the horses in ’09 to overcome it. On a neutral field, in an honestly called game, even the ’09 version of the Dawgs beats the Pokes team I saw. The Dawgs had them stopped on 4th and goal and the ref gave them a first down which directly led to a TD. The late hit call on Reshad Jones when he hit a receiver while the ball was literally on his fingertips directly led to another TD. The TV announcers were all over both of those calls. I figured at the time in a straight game, worst case, the score is tied in regulation and the game goes into overtime.
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Fla.: do you think it’s true because the NY Times said it?
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I’d support it even more if it weren’t my team.
Like it or not, with the status quo being what it it, UA, UGa, LSU, et cetera don’t need this type of game/risk. Look at Florida…they don’t take these risks and they seem to get to the MNCG whenever they win the SEC. Why should it be different for any of the other top teams? However, drop a game, even if it is to a worthy opponent, and long about October you start hoping that someone in the MidWest or Pacific region pulls an upset of a team that is otherwise on cruise control.
I applaud Bama and Tech for heading down this road, but wonder if Bama shouldn’t have approached someone with the same risk/reward ratio as themselves.
(I like the Penn State and Virginia Tech choices a lot better than Texas Tech)
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Big risk for Bama. No risk for TTU. TT comes out on top just for getting Bama on the same field with TTU. Everyone expects them to lose. Win it and it is a big trophy for both TTU and TT.
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Anything that keeps them from playing the opening game in Atlanta is ok by me.
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I’m sure that in Tuscaloosa they are happy enough to give up the opening game in Atlanta so long as they can keep the closing game!
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I will give ESPN some credit, they want to make money, and they are trying to put games together that will give them a good return on their investment.
I will also give some credit to Ears because this is one change that he is bringing to TTU that IS needed. The Red Raiders like many of their Big 12 brethren are notorious for opening their slate with 4 genuine cupcakes.
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Talk about culture shock. TTU fans are going to go from a 200 mph O to a 35 mph O in 1.2 seconds.
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