Alabama Selected Team Of The Week

With its 34-10 win over Clemson in Atlanta, the Alabama Crimson Tide (1-0) is the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week for games of the weekend of Aug. 30.

For Alabama, it was the Tide's 12th straight win over Clemson and Bama's seventh straight victory to open a season. Alabama was ranked 24th in the pre-season Associated Press poll, while Clemson was ranked ninth.

Following its 34-10 win over Clemson in the season opener, Alabama is now ranked in both polls this week. The Crimson Tide jumped to 13th in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 and debuted at 17th in the ESPN Coaches poll. Alabama opened the season 24th in the AP poll, but moved up 11 spots after its impressive win over Clemson.

Alabama also earned the cover story on this week's issue of Sports Illustrated.

The team of the week honor is a function of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).

The Alabama defense held Clemson to just 188 yards of total offense and 11 first downs. Clemson finished the game with no rushing yards.

John Parker Wilson completed 22-of-30 passes for 180 yards and two scores and Mark Ingram and Glen Coffee combined for 186 yards rushing. Leigh Tiffin also booted four field goals for the Crimson Tide.

Other Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Bowl National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Aug. 30 included:

· East Carolina (1-0): T.J. Lee blocked a punt and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown with 1:52 left in the game to give the Pirates a 27-22 over Virginia Tech.

· UCLA (1-0): Kai Forbath's 42-yard field goal in overtime gave coach Rick Neuheisel a 27-24 win over Tennessee in his coaching debut for the Bruins.

· Utah (1-0): Brian Johnson threw for 305 yards and Louie Sakoda kicked four field goals as the Utes beat Michigan, 25-23, in front of 108,421 in Ann Arbor.

The FWAA has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the fifth season that the award has been sponsored by the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Members of the FWAA board of directors and All-America committee decide the weekly honor. Each Monday during the 2008 college football season, the FWAA will name the Tostitos Bowl National Team of the Week through Dec. 1.