Verification

Just so everyone knows that we are not pulling numbers out of our ass and we are not making things up as we go along, here is the longest and most detailed account of Alabama's current numbers situation, from an actual Alabama website.  We stumbled on it just shortly after our last post while looking for more information on this medical hardship scholarship thing...and as expected, our numbers are dead on the money.

Side Note: we can only chuckle at comments such as these from Alabama fans:

"Great breakdown of the numbers! I was just talking to my Pops the other day about the necessary attrition number moving from 9 to 7 since your last article. Still seems like a long ways to go. Three or four greyshirts from the 18 to enroll in the summer would help, but I get the feeling that Saban and Co want to be able to take as many as possible for 2011 class. Either way I know that the numbers in the senior and junior class suggest we will only take 18-20 at the most. Considering your laundry list of things that can effect the numbers by August 2011, is there any way you see us signing a full 25, or even 28 next February?"

After classes of 25, 32, 27, and 29, why not sign a 28 next year...ugh

Back to the task at hand; we did see something in the article above that adds more fuel to the medical hardship scholarship fire thing.

"After that, though, is when we will start seeing the numbers change. At the close of the spring the writing will be on the wall for several guys, and we'll likely see a transfer or two. There are a few players who have struggled to stay healthy during their career who are also struggling to stay healthy this spring. If things don't improve by the A-Day, we will likely see those guys moved to a medical hardship scholarship. With the spring semester nearing an end just a few weeks after the close of spring practice, this is when the rumors will run the most rampant."

Again, how many frigging guys can you move to a medical hardship scholarship to free up football scholarships????

It appears that this is nothing new to Saban, this is from back in 2007.

"Alabama football players reported to campus Thursday for the beginning of preseason practice, and the Crimson Tide already has lost two with local ties from its roster.

Alabama coach Nick Saban announced that former West Morgan High standout Byron Walton's career could be finished because of a health issue. In addition, Saban said former R.A. Hubbard player Michael Ricks of Courtland is academically ineligible.

Ricks spent the past two years at Northeast Mississippi Community College.

Saban put Walton on medical hardship because of a recurring issue that has plaguing the 6-foot-3, 299-pound defensive lineman throughout the summer. Saban said he has been told that it is a heat-related issue.

"When he exerted himself at the level to do the things you need to do here, he put himself at tremendous risk," Saban said. "It has something to do with how your muscles break down and how your body dissipates that and how it affects your kidneys and liver. It is a serious issue."

Walton will continue to receive his athletic scholarship, but he will not count against the NCAA limit of 85 scholarship players that Alabama has. Saban said three receivers also will receive medical hardships for this season — Tyrone Prothro (leg), Aaron McDaniel (knee)and Jake Jones (leg)."

http://legacy.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/sports/070803/tide.shtml

Does anyone else see the pattern here???  Oversign by 10, send as many as needed to medical hardship scholarships and then transfer the rest, and magically sidestep any APR issues.