one of saban's best...
reality is better than luck...

 

               I've been giving a lot of thought to where the Alabama win over the Georgia Bulldogs ranks in the Tide's storied football history.  I'm not going to try compare wins in different eras. In reality there is no way to "prove" what the best Alabama win. I don't think the win over Georgia was anywhere near one of the most important wins in school history.It certainly was one of the most important wins in recent school history, but in all fairness to other teams it probably doesn't compare with the Tide's historic win over Penn when eastern football was considered the best in America. It isn't has important as Alabama's win over Washington in the 1930 Rose Bowl. Those two games took Southern football from an afterthought to the forefront of American college football. Those two games were settled on the field, and no longer could biased football writers claim that Southern football was inferior. Alabama went from being a team of a "swamp rats" infested team to the King of College football history. This last SEC Championship would not have happened if it had not been for the landmark wins of the past.

Saban's best win under pressure at Bama...

              In placing the win in importance of the modern era football wins I still don't think it is the best 'Bama win. Under Nick Saban it is almost assuredly the greatest win of all. Why would I say that?  Three times the Tide got up off that canvas and finally prevailed to win the SEC Championship and the opportunity to win national title number 15. Alabama found itself in the rare position of the entirety of college football hoping for a Georgia win. For a time in the game itself it seemed that even Fate itself was on the side of the Bulldogs. Nicki Saban doesn't believe in fate if my guess is correct. He believes that his process trumps fate at every turn. A.J. McCarron, who was considered the second best quarterback on the field in Atlanta that night brought his Crimson teammates from the brink of defeat to a conference championship. Eddie Lacy, who has always been the second violin to other Tide running backs proved he has a rightful place with the elite of the elite. T.J. Yeldon shows every sign of joining that group in the future. Barrett Jones, fighting through pain and adversity of a leg injury knock down Georgia's defensive line time and time again. C.J. Mosley, surely the most underrated linebacker in the NCAA, made a monumental play to deflect a pass that beat the Dogs when it seem for all the world that fate might beat process. Jesse Williams, decorated with more tattoos than humanly possible came back on the field to stop the Georgia running game. Most players would have called it a day with his injury. Not the Aussie. Excuse me, the Alabama nose guard who proved that football players come from all points and directions to play at the Capstone.

the luck of the Irish...


       Alabama didn't play its best game of the season. Georgia probably did play their top game and the Tide still won. In the final analysis it doesn't matter that the game was tighter than a tick. Only the score matters.Alabama players won a lot of personal victories on the field that afternoon, but more importantly the cohesion of their effort produced a win. I bet that a 15th National Championship is going to follow. I don't believe in the luck of the Irish. I believe in blocking and tackling. There is no better coach in America than teaching his players those things. Alabama has a method to win called the process to get them where they are today.  The Irish have had a magical season. We need to remember that in the end magic isn't real. Luck isn't real,  but Nick Saban is.