We are two weeks into the season and I’m starting to see something strange about this Alabama team. Sure, Week 1 was all right. They crushed Utah State 55-0, Bryce Young threw five touchdown passes, and backup quarterback Jalen Milroe scored a touchdown pass. Everything seemed normal until the next game.
Then Week 2 happened. The Texas Longhorns vs The Alabama Crimson Tide, are two of college football’s best historic teams and most passionate fanbases. This game was overhyped if you ask me. What made this game so close was the media itself. Everybody was like – Bama is going to win 45-19 or something like that. Texas isn’t back up to speed yet and they won’t win this game. With every statement, I was like, stop, stop; don’t do that. It just adds fuel to this game as much as the heat and humidity did.
Alabama did not play typical Alabama football as Nick Saban said it best. The offense felt like it was just Bryce Young and himself, and the defense made so many mistakes – offsides, pass interference, you name it. They ended up getting the win after a late second field goal by Will Reichard, but Bama did not deserve that win.
The 20-19 score says it all. You can come up with all the excuses you want. The field was too hot, the game was set early, and I couldn’t see… bottom line, they should have dominated Texas the way they were hyped up by the media. Nick Saban likes to refer to the media as “rat poison” and I agree with him on this because keep in mind both teams are listening to what the media were saying. You didn’t think the Texas players liked what they were saying about them, do you?
I don’t know if the players were focusing on several games ahead, but Utah State’s mascot is the Aggies and the Longhorns play in Texas, but there is a certain Aggie team in Texas just down the road in College Station that the players, the coaches and the fans want to see Alabama get their revenge. That game, however, is in October and Saban has always said, “You got to be focused on the now not a few games down the road. Figure out the play in this game that you are going to do now.”
This week the Tide plays Louisiana Monroe. Maybe Saban can get this team disciplined enough by then. People keep on telling me there’s no need to be nervous. Alabama has this in the bag. But I know better. I still remember the Tide lost to this team on November 16, 2007 – so I know better than to let my guard down. Hopefully, everything will work out and they will be back in the national championship contention. I sure hope they do. Roll Tide!
