Charles Branch

SVP of Business Development, NextSite LLC; Co-Host of the @CrimsonXover ; Co-Host of @TideMachine

[The Tide Machine @TideMachine]

Last season @AlabamaFTBL beat Louisiana-Monroe 73-0 for the most points scored by the Crimson Tide since 77 that happened 53 years ago today in a rout over Virginia Polytechnic Institute on Oct. 27, 1973, inside Denny Stadium.

No. 2-ranked Alabama crushed the VPI Gobblers, 77-6, with its wishbone offense piling up a then-record 748 yards rushing on 63 carries. Today VPI is better known as Virginia Tech and the Gobblers have been renamed the Hokies.

The Crimson Tide has scored more than 77 points but those were all before 1922 and against programs that are considered much lower tiers than Division I.

Four players rushed for 100 yards against the Gobblers that night in Tuscaloosa led by James Taylor (142 yards), Wilbur Jackson (138), Calvin Culliver (127) and Richard Todd (102).

Paul “Bear” Bryant emptied the bench against VPI, but the free-flowing substitutions did not curb the scoring.

“I didn’t want the score to be like that,” Bryant said afterwards. “They just got tired and we played over 70 people who were rested. They’ve got nothing to be ashamed of and I hope people realize that. We definitely were not trying to run up the score.”

[The Tide Machine @TideMachine]

Full Tide Machine episode here 👇

https://t.co/ZkegtkC1jx

[The Tide Machine @TideMachine]

Not pretty. Didn’t have to be. 🐘

@AlabamaFTBL 31, @AggieFootball 20.

The Tide needed a win, and it got one heading into the bye week. @CBranchIV and @msouthern17 break it down on today’s Tide Machine recap.

[The Tide Machine @TideMachine]

For today’s younger generation, it would be hard to imagine @AlabamaFTBL having a stretch of five years without beating a ranked opponent, but that’s how far the program had fallen before Paul “Bear” Bryant returned to restore the honor of his alma mater.

Led by Gary O’Steen’s kicking and running, Alabama upset No. 19-ranked Mississippi State, 9-7, and ruined the homecoming festivities in Starkville 68 years ago today on Oct. 25, 1958.

The Bulldogs entered the game favored by two touchdowns, but O’Steen rushed for 66 yards and his five quick-kicks kept Mississippi State off balance.

Alabama scored its nine points on a 21-yard field goal by Fred Sington and a 21-yard pass from Bobby Jackson to Norbie Ronsonet.

The Crimson Tide finished the 1958 season with a 5-4-1 record, but Bryant had poured the foundation for a championship program. Alabama also stunned No. 20 Georgia Tech, 17-8, later in the season.

Prior to Bryant’s arrival, the last time Alabama had beaten a ranked opponent occurred when the Crimson Tide beat No. 16 Auburn, 10-7, in 1953.

[The Tide Machine @TideMachine]

INSTANT REACTION:
@AlabamaFTBL 31,
@AggieFootball 20

It wasn’t pretty, but with all the injuries today’s homecoming victory was all about surviving.

[The Tide Machine @TideMachine]

Perhaps today’s flashback from 16 years ago will help erase the most recent Third Saturday in October as we remember when No. 8-ranked @AlabamaFTBL rolled into Knoxville and left with a 41-10 victory on Oct. 23, 2010.

Alabama blew open a 13-10 halftime lead with four second-half touchdowns to trounce the Volunteers and enjoy the cigar-lighting tradition in Neyland Stadium.

Despite a fractured his left hand, Julio Jones had 221 yards receiving after having a metal plate and screws inserted, while Trent Richardson rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown and also scored on a 5-yard pass.

Mark Ingram rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns.

Dont’a Hightower led the defense with six tackles and two quarterback pressures.

[The Tide Machine @TideMachine]

No style points. @AlabamaFTBL just needs to beat @AggieFootball and reach the bye week. 🐘

@CBranchIV and @msouthern17 both pick Alabama—but neither expects homecoming to be easy. Our scores👇

[Tide Hoops History @BamaHistory]

INSTANT REACTION
@AlabamaMBB 87,
@AuburnMBB 85

It may have been an exhibition but it felt like a regional final. Amari Allen does not like Auburn and we love him for that.

[The Tide Machine @TideMachine]

While this past Saturday in Knoxville still stings, today we remember what happened 37 years ago when No. 10-ranked @AlabamaFTBL squashed the No. 6-ranked Volunteers, 47-30, inside Legion Field on Oct. 21, 1989.

Running back Siran Stacy seized the moment after subbing for the injured Murry Hill with 317 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns. He rushed for 125 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries, caught nine passes for 158 yards and another score and returned two kicks for 34 yards.

Stacy scored on runs of 9, 6 and 15 yards and turned a quick shovel pass into a 75-yard touchdown reception.

Quarterback Gary Hollingsworth completed 32 of 46 passes for 379 yards and three touchdowns. Besides the shovel pass to Stacy, Hollingsworth threw a 4-yard touchdown to Kevin Turner and an 11-yard score to Lamonde Russell.

The 17-point victory provided a nice birthday present to Alabama head coach Bill Curry.

“Coach Curry got the game ball,” linebacker Keith McCants said. “He told us before the game that he wanted another birthday present, so we got it for him.”

[The Tide Machine @TideMachine]

🎙️ The NEW Tide Machine Podcast is LIVE!

Can Alabama snap its two-game losing streak against Texas A&M on Homecoming?

🏈 Watch the full episode here 👇

https://t.co/HHn3n7mv2r

[The Tide Machine @TideMachine]

🏈 Two straight losses have @AlabamaFTBL fans restless.

@CBranchIV wonders whether @AggieFootball will face a fired-up Crimson Tide or a team surrounded by negativity.

🎙️ NEW Tide Machine Podcast drops TODAY!

[The Tide Machine @TideMachine]

🏈 GET RIGHT GAME? Two straight losses. Frustrated fans. Can @AlabamaFTBL stop the bleeding against @AggieFootball on homecoming?

🎙️ @CBranchIV and @msouthern17 preview Saturday’s must-win situation with a new episode THURSDAY!

[Chi’Cara Upchurch @ChiCaraLewis1]

Can the Alabama baseball fan that gave Myles this card in Pensacola on Saturday also give his mom one this weekend? I’ll be in Tuscaloosa at the Joe on Friday ❤️🐘🙌🏽

[The Tide Machine @TideMachine]

Was Tennessee the breaking point for fans? After the embarrassing 26-10 loss in Knoxville, frustration is boiling over.

🎙️ @CBranchIV and @msouthern17 discuss what went wrong and where @AlabamaFTBL goes from here on The Tide Machine.

Full recap on YouTube.

[The Tide Machine @TideMachine]

https://t.co/FGPYFqERfO

[The Tide Machine @TideMachine]

As a high-school football legend coming out of Yulee, Fla,, Derrick Henry had the size, the speed and the physicality to make an impact as a running back, but opposing recruiters tried to convince the phenom that he would never get the chance to play his preferred position at Alabama.

Henry never wavered in his commitment to @AlabamaFTBL and the Crimson Tide never wavered in its commitment to let him carry the ball, as fans were treated to a preview of things to come 13 years ago today when the freshman exploded for an 80-yard touchdown run against Arkansas on Oct. 19, 2013.

With the Crimson Tide already holding an insurmountable 45-0 lead, Henry got the ball with less than 2 minutes remaining and displayed all his physical talents as he cut around left end for his long touchdown gallop.

The dynamic run left the television announcers stunned as Brad Nessler said on air, “I didn’t know that cat could move that fast…That is a big dude moving at a high rate of speed.”

[The Tide Machine @TideMachine]

After the offense sputtered and misfired in Knoxville yesterday, today's flashback from Oct. 18, 2014, comes with a cruel reminder: There was a time when the Crimson Tide offense purred like a Cadillac instead of a lawn mower with bad gas.

Just 12 years ago, No. 7-ranked @AlabamaFTBL delivered one of the most dominant performances of the Nick Saban era, dismantling No. 21 Texas A&M, 59-0, before 101,821 fans at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The 59-point victory marked Alabama’s largest margin of victory ever against a ranked opponent, surpassing its 61-6 win over No. 14 Syracuse in the 1953 Orange Bowl. It was also the Tide’s largest shutout victory since 1991.

Alabama’s offense exploded for 602 total yards, including a school-record 35 points in the second quarter. Blake Sims threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns, while Amari Cooper hauled in eight receptions for 140 yards and two scores. T.J. Yeldon added 114 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

The Crimson Tide scored on every possession in the first half as it piled up a 45-0 halftime advantage that left even the partisan crowd in somewhat disbelief.

Defensively, Alabama suffocated the Aggies, limiting them to just 172 total yards, 31 rushing yards and eight first downs. The Tide recorded six sacks, forced seven three-and-outs and handed Texas A&M its first shutout loss since 2003.

[The Tide Machine @TideMachine]

https://t.co/x8EQIHn4xc

[The Tide Machine @TideMachine]

TENNESSEE HATE WEEK — DAY 5
@AlabamaFTBL 37,
@Vol_Football 20
October 18, 2025 (Tuscaloosa)

One year ago this month, Alabama delivered one of the most electrifying moments in the history of its rivalry with Tennessee. With the Volunteers threatening to score just before halftime, Crimson Tide defensive back Zabien Brown intercepted a pass at his own 1-yard line and raced 99 yards for a touchdown as time expired.

The stunning reversal helped propel No. 6 Alabama to a 37-20 victory over No. 11 Tennessee before 100,077 fans at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The Crimson Tide had opened the game impressively, marching 91 yards on its opening possession before quarterback Ty Simpson connected with Isaiah Horton for a 2-yard touchdown.

Alabama continued its solid first half when pressure from Yhonzae Pierre forced Volunteers quarterback Joey Aguilar into an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone for a safety. A 1-yard touchdown run by Jam Miller subsequently extended Alabama’s advantage to 16-7.

Late in the second quarter, the Volunteers drove deep into Alabama territory, threatening to cut into the lead before halftime.

With eight seconds remaining and Tennessee at the Crimson Tide 1-yard line, Aguilar dropped back to pass. Brown anticipated the throw, stepped in front of the intended receiver and intercepted the football near the goal line.

What happened next transformed an already intense rivalry game into an unforgettable Bryant-Denny Stadium memory.

Brown raced down the sideline, covering 99 yards as the final seconds of the half disappeared. Instead of Tennessee narrowing Alabama’s advantage to 16-14, the Crimson Tide entered the locker room leading 23-7.

Tennessee tried to rally in the second half, cutting Alabama’s lead to 23-13 on a 44-yard touchdown run by DeSean Bishop. But Simpson answered by directing a remarkable 99-yard scoring drive, capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass to Rico Scott.

After Tennessee narrowed the margin again to 30-20, Alabama responded with a methodical 75-yard drive that consumed more than five minutes. Daniel Hill’s 4-yard touchdown run sealed the 37-20 victory and another memorable Crimson Tide triumph over its longtime rival.

[Christian Sykes @ctsykes13]

The good from last night:

- Cole Cloer
- Rebounding
- Brandon Garrison passing
- Defensive effort for 60% of the game
- Final 4 minutes of the game

The bad:

- No guards obviously hurt the facilitation of the ball
- 10 was not able to secure very many passes
- Lapses in focus when up a lot
- Got sped up quite a few times when Ole Miss forced some ball pressure

Should be some growing pains for the first few games until Diaz and/or Holloway come back. Lucky for Alabama the schedule starts off easy.