Had anyone asked me on August 29 of this year (and I suppose several people did) what I would have anticipated Alabama's final regular season record to be, I'd have likely said (which is to say, I'm sure I did say) that I would expect 8-4, would be pleased with 9-3, and positively thrilled with 10-2.

And who wouldn't have been? It'd have been wholly unreasonable to expect more. And while reason is not necessarily a quality often ascribed to the more rabid among our number, I'd imagine one would be hard-pressed to find any Bama fan who could honestly say they expected anything approximating what we've seen.

As difficult as it may be to recall the rather dark days we all experienced as last autumn drew to a close, I think it important that we all do so, if only to be able to fully appreciate what has been accomplished in a dizzyingly brief amount of time.

A perfect regular season is a special thing. A perfect regular season in the SEC is an incredibly special thing. And a perfect regular season in the SEC following a 6-6 season? Well, that just doesn't happen in the real world. Not in 2008.

But it has. And no matter what happens come Saturday in Atlanta and in January, what Coach Saban and his staff and, most importantly, this group of young men has accomplished these past several months should be appreciated, applauded, and revered. By any standards, this is one hell of a football team.

That said, I will employ the same state-of-mind that I had as the Tide approached a neutral-site non-conference season-opener against the then 9th ranked team in the country: one of cautious optimism.

Twelve down. Two to go.

Roll Tide.