Thank you, Coach Royal. You are a gentleman and scholar of the highest caliber.

A number of folks who wear the burnt orange on a regular basis and without a shred of irony have appeared on our humble little blog over the last day or so. Quite a few of them have come from fellow SB Nation blog for all things Texas Burnt Orange Nation. We here at Roll Bama Roll would like to welcome you all and hope you choose to stay awhile.

Both football programs boast a formidable amount of tradition, pride and, most importantly, respect for the game as well as their opponents. As much as we want to be the one that emerge victorious on Jan. 7, it's important to remember that what we have in common is much more important that what divides us. The next month is a fantastic opportunity for both sides to learn a bit about each other in a way we may never have a chance to ever again.

And if ever our tempers get frayed we, as Alabama fans, must keep in mind that we owe Texas a debt of gratitude on a scale difficult for us to ever repay. Because in 1970, Coach Bryant traveled to Austin and Texas head coach Darrell Royal was kind enough to  explain the intricacies of his Wishbone offense to him. That fueled Bryant's career resurgence and, arguably, paved the way for three of the National Championship titles we now claim as our own.

So welcome, Texas fans. And Roll Tide!