5 biggest stories in January: It’s titles won, and about to be won

Even with the regular season deep in the rearview mirror, January was still a very busy month around the SEC. That’s no surprise; it’s how we roll.

There was plenty of good news in January, and some bad news as well. Here at the top five stories for January:

5. Alabama starters decide to return: After Alabama won the national championship on Jan. 11 (see below, obviously), it was presumed that the Crimson Tide was going to have a lot of rebuilding to do on defense, with several seniors graduating and plenty of standout juniors seemingly prepared to leave early for the NFL riches. But then, one by one, several stars decided to stick around and pursue another national title, as if four in seven years weren’t enough. First, speed pass-rusher Tim Williams announced he was coming back, then big defensive lineman Jonathan Allen shocked the world by saying he was coming back too, although many thought he was a potential late first-round pick. And when safety Eddie Jackson opted in, too, suddenly the Alabama defense is scary good again. Preseason No. 1 again for the Tide?

4. Ole Miss NCAA allegations: The investigation has been going on for years, so it was no surprise when word leaked Friday that the NCAA had served Ole Miss with a Notice of Allegations. What was most surprising was that there wasn’t more. Track and women’s basketball were targeted as much as the football program, and most of what’s there with football seems to have happened more than three years ago – before coach Hugh Freeze took over. There are some charges surrounding the Laremy Tunsil incidents from this year, where he was suspended seven games by the NCAA for improper benefits. But if that’s all there is, does Ole Miss simply get a slap on the wrist? Maybe just lose a few scholarships? The naysayers were expecting much worse, of course, and the Rebel haters are surely disappointed. On the flip side, Ole Miss fans aren’t real happy that the NCAA decided to levy the charges less than a week before National Signing Day, but it doesn’t seem to be having any impact on the Rebels’ great 2016 recruiting class.

3. Alabama best memes of the year: Yeah, what can I say? These never get old. This was our No. 1-ranked story for the entire month of January, drawing nearly a quarter of a million page views. There are some classics here, and it’s easy to have fun when you’ve got characters like Nick Saban, Lane Kiffin and even a Manti Te’o mention with a cute photo of royal couple A.J. and Katherine (Webb)  McCarron. Have a really good laugh with this story. Take one more look at this link.

2. SEC quarterbacks reach Super Bowl: Sure, we prefer our football on Saturdays to Sundays, but we also pay close attention to what our SEC stars do in the NFL. There’s nothing bigger than the Super Bowl, of course, and this year the two key combatants are SEC quarterbacks Peyton Manning (Tennessee) and Cam Newton (Alabama). It’s the third time that SEC QBs have squared off in the Super Bowl – Ken Stabler (Alabama) vs. Fran Tarkenton (Georgia) in 1976; Manning vs. Rex Grossman (Florida) in 2006. Here’s the breakdown on Manning vs. Newton. It’s been a great year for Newton. His Panthers are 17-1 and were the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Newton seems to be the heavy favorite to also be named MVP. Manning could be playing his final game in his memorable career. He’s won a Super Bowl, played in two others, and is considered one of the all-time best. It’s going to be interesting to see him ride off into the sunset.

1. Alabama wins another national title: The second year of the College Football Playoff ended with the Crimson Tide winning another national title after an epic 45-40 victory over Clemson in Glendale, Ariz. It was Alabama’s 16th national title and fourth in seven years under Nick Saban. It was a night where seldom-used tight end O.J. Howard had a huge night (208 yards, two TDs on five catches) and became a star. Alabama’s vaunted defense struggled against Clemson, so it was up to Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin to have a huge night, and he did. Jake Coker finished his Alabama career passing for 335 yards and winning a title and Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry ran for 158 yards and three touchdowns to cap off his brilliant record-breaking career.

Tom Brew

Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist and author who is covering SEC football for Saturday Down South.