Jumbo Package: Tide to hire MSU RB Coach Charles Huff, dumb Barner costs Chiefs AFC title

Happy Monday, everyone. It was probably the most exciting NFL weekend in recent memory as both the AFC and NFC title games went to overtime.

Saints fans are crying over an admittedly bad no-call for pass interference late in their game, ignoring that their coach never should have called a pass play to begin with. If Sean Payton runs the ball three times in the red zone and doesn’t get at least a first down out of it, he simply kicks the chip shot field goal with about 30 seconds left and the Rams out of timeouts. Alas, coaches always have to outsmart themselves so he threw the ball twice and gave them almost two minutes and a timeout to tie it up. C’est la vie.

In the other game, Reggie Ragland did this...

...only to watch a Barner give the game away.

Seriously, Dee Ford is going down as an all-time goat in Kansas City, and not the good kind. The Chiefs intercepted a ball off of Rob Gronkowski’s hands with the lead and a minute to play, but it was called back because Ford was lined up like this.

What a shame.

In Alabama news, Mississippi State RB coach Charles Huff has apparently accepted a position on Saban’s staff.

Huff, Maryland native, is also an accomplished recruiter, especially on the East Coast, an area that has been very good to the Tide under former offensive coordinator Mike Locksley. Huff recruited 2017 5-star running back Ricky Slade to Penn State out of Virginia, 4-star defensive end Shane Simmons out of DeMatha Catholic in 2016, among many others.

The move is yet another big-time expected addition in the wake of staff turnover in Tuscaloosa. BamaOnLine reported that Saban is also expected to hire Florida assistant Sal Sunseri, Tennessee assistant Charles Kelly, and former Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood.

Huff followed Joe Moorhead from Penn State to Starkville. He counts Saquon Barkley as his star pupil and was the lead recruiter for the Nittany Lions on five star RB Miles Sanders, plus several blue chips from the DC area. He will likely take over for Locksley in that region. This also probably means that Butch Jones will either coach the receivers or spend another year chilling as an analyst. Doesn’t matter financially since Tennessee is still paying him anyway, and his compensation is reduced by any salary earned elsewhere.

Alabama commits showed out in the Polynesian Bowl. Khris Bogle, who committed to Alabama but seemed a little undecided after the departure of Tosh Lupoi, was a standout.

LB Khris Bogle - The Alabama bound linebacker had a handful of tackles and displayed his ability to chase down ball carriers in the flats. Bogle was tremendous all weeks and just oozes upside given his length and motor off the edge.

Trey Sanders and Taulia Tagovailoa were working hard on Bogle, and seem confident that he will sign. Taulia made some nice throws, this one to Tide signee TE Jahleel Billingsley:

Nice little glimpse of the future for you there.

“Lia” also isn’t conceding the 2019 starting job to his older brother.

“Coach Sark, he’s good,” Taulia said. “He coached in the NFL and in college before.”

Taulia will head to Tuscaloosa and begin his career with the Tide this week. While his older brother has a firm grasp on the starting gig for next season, Taulia still plans to make it a competition this spring.

“I’m going to make him work,” Tagovailoa said.

Hey, you have to love the attitude.

Your annual review of the most valuable football programs has Alabama in its typical #3 slot behind Texas and Ohio State.

Seven of college football’s Top 12 most valuable programs are from the SEC, fueled by Alabama’s financial giant topping $1 billion. That figure includes $140 million in revenue, second only to Texas. Here’s where the other SEC programs not mentioned inside this Top 15 rank nationally, respectively: No. 16 Arkansas: $462.7M; No. 17 South Carolina: $460.7M; No. 22. Ole Miss: $341.5M; 31. Kentucky: $270.8M; 35. Mississippi State: $223.1M; 56. Missouri: $122.3M; 61 Vanderbilt: $81.5M

Last, Al.com examines the 2019 depth chart.

Kicker/punter

PK/KO: Will Reichard, Joseph Bulovas.

P: Skyler DeLong/Will Reichard

Hoover graduate Will Reichard is the latest highly-recruited kicker to arrive in Tuscaloosa. He can both kick and punt and Alabama can definitely use some help in both categories after a historically bad season in both regards.

“Big Mike” Bernier is now out of eligibility, so the punting duties will come down to DeLong and Reichard. Bless us all.

That’s about it for today. Have a great week.

Roll Tide.