And the National Champions Are…

January 10, 2018 — Leave a comment

Last night was the final game of the college football season. The Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs duked it out to prove who was the best, once and for all.

I was a nervous wreck leading up to this game. All season, Georgia had been so dominant. (To be fair, I was worried about Clemson, too, and the Tide handled them like a boss!)

There was more than just the title riding on this game. Alabama head coach Nick Saban had never been beaten by a former assistant, and he was poised to tie Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant for the most titles won in the BCS/CFP era. The Bulldogs were looking to win their first title since 1980, and of course, Kirby Smart could be the first Saban assistant to defeat the master.

Like I said, the stakes were high.

The game started on a high note for the Crimson Tide, with Tony Brown intercepting a pass, but it was all downhill from there for the rest of the first half. Georgia was on point, and they honestly dominated. It was clear they were there to win. We left the field, down 13-0.

However, following halftime, Alabama showed up. Coach Saban pulled sophomore QB Jalen Hurts and put in the true freshman Tua Tagovailoa, who had never started a game. His gamble paid off — Tua quickly fired a strike that brought us back within six points. Unfortunately, Georgia answered swiftly, and once again, we were down by thirteen.

Things were not looking good. But then, the Crimson Tide freshman cavalry arrived. There is no other way to explain it. On the backs of Tua, Najee Harris, and Jerry Jeudy, we reached the redzone. We scored thirteen unanswered points, tying the game. A missed field goal attempt on Bama’s part sent the battle into overtime.

Alabama was first to defend. They held Georgia to a field goal. The Bama offense trotted onto the field. All we needed was a touchdown to win.

On the first play, Tua was sacked for a substantial loss of yards. I was hiding my face, heart pounding, praying that we hadn’t come back and taken the game to overtime just to lose by three points. And then…

Two true freshmen connected — Tua and wide receiver DeVonta Smith — and the Tide won!!!!! Seventeenth title, sixth in Saban’s career (tying Paul Bryant), Alabama’s fifth title in nine years (and second in three years)…

Best. Game. Ever.

Even if I had about five heart attacks. Lol. If you want an accurate description of how we watched the game, check this out:

Roll Tide!!!!!!! #17

Album of the Week: Motograter’s self-titled

January 8, 2018 — Leave a comment

My introduction to Ivan Moody was Motograter’s “Down.” After listening to a few more tracks from the band’s self-titled record (the only one to feature Moody on vocals), I fell in love with his voice. So my pick for album of the week is Motograter…from Motograter. 🙂

Let’s Talk Covers (Pt. 29)

January 8, 2018 — Leave a comment

1. Bloodrock: “Eleanor Rigby” (The Beatles cover)

2. Lord of the Lost: “Frozen” (Madonna cover)

3. Mudvayne: “King of Pain” (The Police cover)

Playlist Challenge, Day 244

January 7, 2018 — Leave a comment

Traveling Wilburys — “Handle With Care”

Ranked: Alter Bridge

January 6, 2018 — Leave a comment

Alter Bridge’s “birthday” was January 4th. It has been an amazing fourteen years, filled with truly epic music. Here, I will rank their albums from my most loved to my least loved. (My list includes only their studio albums.)

1. Blackbird (2007)

The title track alone is enough to earn Blackbird the number one spot. It blows my mind that anyone can hear that song and not acknowledge Alter Bridge as one of the best rock bands in existence. By the time “Ties That Bind,” “Come to Life,” and “Watch Over You” are added, there is no disputing the strength of this record.

2. Fortress (2013)

This was a tough one, because for me, Fortress and One Day Remains are neck and neck. However, Fortress took number two based on “Lover” and “Waters Rising” (which is in my top 5 favorite AB tracks; I adore Mark’s voice).

3. One Day Remains (2004)

And so we come to Alter Bridge’s debut record, and man, is it a winner. At the time of its release, I was focused on other bands, mainly Avenged Sevenfold, and I missed it almost entirely (though I did see them at a festival on this tour). Once I became obsessed with Alter Bridge, however, I quickly realized there isn’t a single song from One Day Remains that I can’t listen to. My favorites are the title track, “Find the Real,” “In Loving Memory,” and “Shed My Skin.”

4. AB III (2010)

Confession: I don’t love every song from AB III. I don’t hate any of them, but it’s not an album I typically listen to from start to finish. With that said, the songs I do love on it are standouts in Alter Bridge’s career: “Slip to the Void,” “Isolation,” “Ghost of Days Gone By,” “Wonderful Life,” “I Know It Hurts,” and “Words Darker Than Their Wings.” (Again, anything Mark lends his vocals to is alright with me.)

5. The Last Hero (2016)

I like this album. Really, I do. I saw them three times touring for it. But it didn’t have as many songs that jumped out and grabbed me as their previous records. “Show Me a Leader” is great, and “Crows on a Wire” is a punch to the face (in a good way). I also enjoy “Twilight,” “My Champion,” and “This Side of Fate.”