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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Shannon Hale hit 3 of 5 from 3-point range and finished with 19 points and Alabama beat Ball State 77-59 on Friday night.I thought his body language was good, Alabama coach Avery Johnson said. ...What more can I say. That Shannon Hale is the one I consistently want to see.After coming off the bench to score 13 in the first half, Hale was inserted into the starting lineup for the second in place Bola Olaniyan. Reserves ArMond Davis and Avery Johnson Jr. combined to score 30 for the Crimson Tide (2-1), with 17 and 13 points, respectively, to help Alabamas bench to match the Cardinals in scoring.Davis made 5-of-7 3-pointers and Johnson Jr. made 3-of-3 while adding six assists and five rebounds.Johnson Jr. said his teammates were instrumental in his success, but he also said breaking from routine and taking a nap before the pre-game meal helped to settle his nerves.I just kind of told myself yesterday, Im not going to wait until like my fifth or my last year to turn it up, Johnson Jr. said. So I thought this was going to be a good opportunity so once I got there I did some different things in my pregame.It was close for much of the first half and scoreless for the first 4-plus minutes. Hales dunk with 15:20 left in the half was the first made field goal and gave Alabama a 4-0 lead. Alabamas offense picked up from there until it cooled off late in the second half when the team failed to make a shot from the field for nearly 7 1/2 minutes.Despite those struggles, the Cardinals (1-2) were unable to take advantage. Tayler Persons led Ball State with 15 points. Franko House, who came in averaging 22 points and 10 rebounds, finished with 10 points and seven boards.Johnson credited Wednesdays practice with the success of the bench. With three starters missing that day others had to step up.Shannon and Avery and ArMond they practically are on the same team every practice so they are getting in a good rhythm of knowing each others strengths and weaknesses, Johnson said.BIG PICTUREAlabama: The Crimson Tide bounced back from Tuesdays 77-72 loss to Dayton to avoid falling below .500.Ball State: The Cardinals held their first two opponents to exactly 64 points in regulation, but the team didnt have an answer for Alabamas offense once it got going.NEXT UPAlabama: The Crimson Tide will leave the confines of Coleman Coliseum for the first time this season to face Valparaiso in Las Vegas, Nevada.Ball State: The Cardinals will return home to face Coppin State for the chance to claim the teams first home victory of the season on Monday.STAT OF THE NIGHT: Ball State committed 21 turnovers -- 100 more than the Tide. Alabama finished the game with 14 steals and outscored the Cardinals 26-6 on points off turnovers. 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AUSTIN, Texas -- Across the East Texas triangle that connects Austin, College Station and Houston, most everybody is happy with their favorite teams college football coach after the first weekend of the season.Tom Herman has Houston Cougars fans thinking College Football Playoff.Charlie Strong gave Texas Longhorns supporters not just a signature victory against No. 10 Notre Dame -- his words -- but an offense and a quarterback that finally look as if they can compete in the Big 12.Sure, maybe Texas A&M followers left Kyle Field a little frustrated that the Aggies blew a fourth-quarter lead, but a win against a ranked team in overtime is no reason to raise the heat on coach Kevin Sumlins seat.Such is college football in the Lone Star State this year: an almost weekly referendum on the coaches at Texas and Texas A&M, while the sports current boy genius roams the sideline for a non-Power Five school that has a chance to become the story of the season. Two coaches facing pivotal seasons and their possible replacement within reasonable driving distance.For now, things are looking up for Strong. A year after getting humiliated 38-3 at South Bend, Indiana, by the Fighting Irish, the Longhorns beat No. 10 Notre Dame 50-47 in double overtime on Sunday night.Our fans really needed that, said Strong, who got a hug from Gov. Greg Abbott as he left the field and a Charlie! Charlie! chant from a smattering of students who hung around just to see the coach run through the tunnel.Weve been down for so long and people have been talking about us. It was a night for us to make it right. At least for one game, for one game.Strongs standing with fans wasnt great after two seasons, an 11-14 record and an offense that seemed to be trying to reinvent itself weekly. A third straight losing season would probably mean the end of the Strong era in Austin.To fix the offense, Strong hired former Baylor assistant Sterlin Gilbert to install the Bears spread offense. And he handed the keys to freshman Shane Buechele. The 18-year-old passed for 280 yards and a couple of touchdowns against Notre Dame. He throws a beautiful deep ball, and Texas has receivers who can run them down and backs to take advantage of the room that the stretched out field provides.The Longhorns beat Oklahoma last season, but that turned out to be only a temporary respite. Texas would later be shut out by Iowa State on the way to 5-7.Everybody knows this years different, said senior quarterback Tyrone Swoopes, who scored three touchdowns, includding the winner, in his new role as short-yardage quarterback.dddddddddddd We just got a lot of senior leadership. Weve got a lot of young guys, but they play a lot bigger than they are.Strong needs the kids to come through. A small step forward might not be enough for him if Herman is pushing the Cougars toward a playoff berth with an American Athletic Conference team.In 15 games at Houston, Herman, a former grad assistant for Mack Brown at Texas, has become one of the rock stars of college coaching. Hes media savvy and media friendly -- a quarterback whisperer with a diamond grill . He has Urban Meyers blue print, Rich Rodriguezs offense and Vince Vaughns coolness.What I have noticed about him is hes got an incredible ability to relate to 18-22 young men and push them harder than I think theyve ever been pushed before and at the same time, give them a lot of love, Houston athletic director Hunter Yurachek.Houston raised Hermans salary to $3 million after last season when he turned down overtures from South Carolina, and Herman gets $5 million if he helps get Houston into a Power Five conference. But Yurachek knows the next suitors to come calling for Herman could have a lot more to sell than South Carolina did.Theres just certain jobs that are premiere jobs in our industry, Yurachek said Sunday, a day after No. 15 Houston beat No. 3 Oklahoma 33-23. I would not fault Tom for taking a look at those jobs.Is Texas A&M one of those jobs? Maybe. Maybe not. But many Aggies certainly believe it to be, which is why Sumlins 37-16 overall record and 17-16 mark in the Southeastern Conference in five seasons arent enough to appease the base.Just like Strong, Sumlins work will be judged against Hermans this season. And if it doesnt stack up, the Aggies might want to trade in their former rising star from Houston for the latest model.A bidding war between Texas and Texas A&M for Herman would bring the dysfunctional rivalry between the schools to new heights.But for now, Herman seems more likely to be the next LSU coach than the next Texas or Texas A&M boss. Or why not just stay at Houston if it lands in the Big 12?These things change quickly. Strong knows he is not in the clear.No, because Ive still got a few more to go, so I dont have any relief, Strong said with a laugh. No, I dont think you get any relief, no.---Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP ' ' '