Grasp the gravity of the accomplishment, folks...
by outsidethesidelines on Jan 8, 2010 8:00 AM CST
in Football
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PrintAt Alabama, there is a long tradition of winning national championships. All national championships, however, are not created equal. With that that in mind, I urge everyone to go beyond the mere joy of winning a national championship and actually grasp the gravity of this particular accomplishment.
Consider the following... we went undefeated in the SEC at the zenith of the SEC's run as a dominant conference, and did so in a year where being undefeated was an absolute requirement to having a chance at earning a berth in the BCS Championship Game. Furthermore, to go undefeated, we had to defeat on a neutral site arguably the single greatest player in the history of college football, and we had to defeat his team... the defending national champions that practically returned every single key member of their national championship team.
Then once we did earn a berth in the BCS Championship Game, we drew not the pushovers of the world -- no Ohio State for us -- but we drew Texas, an elite team and an elite program in every sense of the word, and also a team that we had never defeated before, not to mention a team that was undefeated in their own right.
Oh and by the way, we were to play this game in Pasadena, site of the effective birthplace of Alabama football, and a game that we had been barred from -- largely due to our own success -- for more than sixty years.
And ultimately we answered the bell. We went undefeated, we beat Florida, we beat Texas, and we lifted the crystal ball high into the sweet Pasadena air. And oh yes, we also picked up a Heisman Trophy along the way, a Butkus Trophy, the Broyles Award, and oh yes we also had six All-Americans.
Again, not all national championships are created equal. This is most certainly not just another national championship.
Grasp the gravity of the situation, folks, this is it. We will certainly win more national championships in the years and decades to come, but I highly doubt one will ever top this one. You can probably live for another hundred years and not see something from our beloved Tide that could legitimately compare to this.
Repeat after me... This. Is. The. Mountaintop.
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History will love this team
Hated to have McCoy get hurt, but that doesn’t diminish the accomplishment one bit. When the final polls come out Bama will have gone 14-0 vs. a schedule with 4 top 15 teams, including 3 of the top 10 and 2 of the top 5. First unbeaten BCS champ since 2005, first unbeaten BCS champ from the SEC since the puke orange in 1998 (sorry Aubies, you didn’t win it. Deal with it.). In three seasons Saban has lapped an entire conference. Amazing.
Amen!
I made the comment to my wife last night that is hard to believe but true. With all the accolades and awards this team has received — on top of going undefeated and winning the NC — this has to be the most dominant performance by a college football team, EVER. Now, I’m not saying that this the greatest team ever (I don’t think there’s any way to know that sort of thing anyway). But, I can’t think of any team that accomplished so much in one season, including getting the various monkeys off our backs (e.g., first BCS win, victory over Texas, etc.). I’ve always been proud to be a Bama fan and alum. But, I don’t think my feet has touched the ground since the clock clicked down to 0:00 last night. All I can say is Roll Tide!
Oh, and to all you “rival” fans that want to post here and try to diminish what this team accomplished, thank you. Your bitterness and whining makes this championship just that much sweeter. Your tears are icing on our championship cake.
Dr. BamaFrazier is IN!
by BamaFrazier on Jan 8, 2010 8:22 AM CST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
do keep in mind...
the rival fans who we read the posts are the ones with lots of outrage and a minimum of class. i assure you, the wide swath of the texas fanbase is aching over this loss but have the sense of dignity not to whine about the “what if’s” in the face of the victors.
Roll 'Bama Roll: The Champagne of 'Bama Blogs.
by kleph on Jan 8, 2010 8:26 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Agree
I was mostly targeting my comment at the hateful fans in our own conference who will try to belittle our NC because of Colt McCoy’s injury, or whatever. I have friends and coworkers in Texas, and 99% of them have been nothing but congratulatory.
Dr. BamaFrazier is IN!
Repeat the fight song
Although technically not the Rose Bowl, it counts in my book!
Truly, it will never be better than this! Other moments may equal this, but it will never surpass it!
Roll Tide!!!
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." - Bear Bryant
i remember the Rose Bowl
we won then
for the next five days there is nothing in my heart but hate. pure, untempered, ice-cold hate. fond memories are for saturday. - Kleph
I really don't know what to say
Words really can’t express what the Tide Nation is feeling right now. On a side note, I would like to give a big “Thank You” to Lee Corso, and Lou Holtz. Thru the course of this football season, you two have sided with our opponents week in and week out. ESPN is the perfect network for this tandem of douche bags.
I haven't seen a beatin' like that since somebody stuck a banana in my pants and turned a monkey loose!
Congrats, Bama.
Gator Nation was pulling for you, and the result was what we expected. The SEC remains the strongest conference in college football, and we’re al proud of your team and what you’ve accomplished.
Orange and Blue Hue: The World through GATOR-colored Glasses -- http://www.orangeandbluehue.com
Thanks...
…hope to see you in Atlanta this December….
"High standards come from passion within...." --Coach Nick Saban
by NiceLittleSaturday on Jan 8, 2010 12:05 PM CST up reply actions
Preach it brotha!
"The goal is to be a champion," Saban said. "I didn’t say to win a championship. I just said be a champion. That’s our goal here. That’s what we want to do."- Nick Saban
....With a cherry on top:
To all who worship at the altar of the Associated Press: Unanimous #1
by yellowhammer on Jan 8, 2010 8:53 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
i thought they shoulda gave a share to USC
i mean, they played one heck of a tough schedule…
for the next five days there is nothing in my heart but hate. pure, untempered, ice-cold hate. fond memories are for saturday. - Kleph
Congratulations Bama!
I was a Tide fan all the way last night and just because all the Texas faithful will bring it up…
McCoy or no McCoy, the end result would’ve been the same!
Congratulations again from one SEC fan to another!!
"It's not by chance that I bleed Razorback Red, it's what God intended for us all!"
Just what I thought...
All we are hearing from the UT fan base is “McCoy doesn’t get hurt, we win, no doubt about it. We were clearly #1 last night.” Really? Whatever helps you sleep at night. We were forced to go one-dimensional due to injury and your “#1 rushing defense” couldn’t stop us when you knew that is what we were going to do!
Many, many sore losers in Texas. Thankfully most of their fan base are classy.
You play fast, you play strong, you go out there and dominate the guy you play against, and make his ass quit! That's our trademark, that's our MO as a team, aight, that's what people know us as! - Nick Saban, 2008
Are you really surprised?
Any group of fans would be saying the same thing. The most important thing is that we are national champions. I really do not even care enough to respond to that. We are national champions!
As an impartial (to this game) fan...
I thought Bama was just going to stomp Texas. What you guys did to Florida and how Texas barely beat Nebraska kinda had me thinking no game – and at 24 – 6 it looked right on. A flash of awakening, then Tide defensive dominance again. When a Dline is taking pitches the other way for a score, I personally think Colt McCoy wouldn’t have made a difference.
Gradulations on the victory. And the game I was looking forward to next September now looks really scary. However it ends up I’m glad to see PSU/Alabama finally play eachother again the next two years.
One man doing the work of 100's for the good of 1000's
who says elephants cant fly
like you never seen dumbo up in the sky
for the next five days there is nothing in my heart but hate. pure, untempered, ice-cold hate. fond memories are for saturday. - Kleph
its finally starting to set in...
WE ARE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS BABY!
"The goal is to be a champion," Saban said. "I didn’t say to win a championship. I just said be a champion. That’s our goal here. That’s what we want to do."- Nick Saban
this one was huge
but i think when we’re 14 and 0 at this point next year, people might be saying the same things.
Saban is going to win 3 or 4 titles for us before he retires.
for the next five days there is nothing in my heart but hate. pure, untempered, ice-cold hate. fond memories are for saturday. - Kleph
maybe. but when writing the hindsight post this morning...
it was obvious there is a large number of people that feel this championship is somehow tarnished. and my first reaction to that is “screw em.” but my second reaction is “AWESOME.”
lets see… we return a heisman-winning running back, a championship-winning quarterback as well as an elite receiver and a complete badass backup running back. the defense loses some key folks but in terms of talent is still going to be ferocious.
and now we’ve just been given on gigantic disrespect card to focus on from the first preseason practice on. woe be the rest of the college football world if this crew decides they still have something to prove. just ask florida about that one.
Roll 'Bama Roll: The Champagne of 'Bama Blogs.
Disrespect
My guess is that no one, save for a few Texas fans, will be talking about this come next year. It would be great if the team and players could use that, but it is difficult to feel disrespect when you just went 14-0 and are the unamious national champions! It feels great to write those two words. National Champions!
Someone needs...
to get in the ear of our players, upon their triumphant processionals and whisper, “You are not god, all glory is fleeting.” I believe Saban is already working on that.
let them enjoy it to the fullest...
they certainly deserve it.
Roll 'Bama Roll: The Champagne of 'Bama Blogs.
Roman Triumph
We could go really old school and have someone whisper, “Respica te, hominem te memento.”
It has not really set in yet.
To witness history on this level, the enormity of it just hasn’t processed yet. I kept reminding my daughter, who is 11, to take this in, because it is monumental. Somehow the emotion of everything hasn’t landed with me yet. But I know it will. :)
This year was nothing but magic. Absolutely amazing.
Just wanted to stop by and say
Congratulations! Even this AU fan was pulling for Bama in this one.
DWWD -- WDE!
14-0
SEC Champs, BCS Champs. This is our greatest season. For every person who said Alabama football was dead; for every person who said we’d never win a BCS championship or that we couldn’t go undefeated or that Saban couldn’t have consecutive seasons with 10+ wins…we did it. How many of us heard that Saban wouldn’t be able to win at Bama or that the SEC was too tough and no team could go undefeated and win a championship in this era? Remember what the Auburn and LSU fans said when Saban signed the top recruiting class in 2008? Remember how they blew us off? Those people are silent today and their argument is ruined forever.
I’ll never forget listening to my brothers in 2006. They said Alabama shouldn’t have fired Shula because he did as well as we could expect to do. Yes, they said this. They said we should be content being an 8-4, sometimes 10-3 team because of our limited recruiting base and a bunch of other nonsense. Well, they’re not saying crap today.
MATRIX: Bennett, I thought you were--
BENNETT: Dead? You thought wrong. Ever since you had me thrown out of the unit, I've been waiting to pay you back. Do you know what today is, Matrix? Payday.
I understand your comments but...
As shown above, not all Auburn fans are silent. My post directly above yours states otherwise.
DWWD -- WDE!
I wasn't referring to people like you
I know there are some rationale people out there.
MATRIX: Bennett, I thought you were--
BENNETT: Dead? You thought wrong. Ever since you had me thrown out of the unit, I've been waiting to pay you back. Do you know what today is, Matrix? Payday.
Victory is sweet!
And I am relishing every minute!
"You either have to be first, best or different." ~ Loretta Lynn
There have been better
Offenses, better Defenses (though not many), better Special Teams, and players in the history of Alabama football……but in my opinion, in the ultimate team sport, this is the greatest team Alabama has ever fielded……I’m not talking about stats, or other measureables, but in competitive spirit, oneness, determination this team was the best I’ve ever seen in crimson……to fight through games all year, to start with a team like Virginia Tech, to play Tennessee after 8 straight weeks of playing, when everything was stacked against us, and find a way to win…….to struggle against LSU yet find a way to make a play……to spot auburn 14 points and yet, when it counted the most, to dig deep and go win the game……to then go and play a near perfect game against the defending National Champions and dominate them, and after all of that, have to wait a month plus to travel across the country and play one of the best teams of the last decade for it all – and win yet again……..it is a truly special group of young men who can keep their focus for a whole season through all of that – plus one of our defensive starters being shot and the fishing trip and laptop fiascos…..which brings me to my other point……..think about this year……all I have mentioned…….our men go through all of this, win every game they play in the toughest conference in football, win the SEC West, the SEC Championship, the Heisman Trophy, the Butkus Award, the Broyles Award, have a record six All-Americans, and top it all off with the National Championship………In my opinion, we Alabama fans have just witnessed nothing less than the greatest season in the history of Alabama football
by p3bhambama on Jan 9, 2010 12:26 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
I agree...
…and let’s give more credit to the offense, as well. One, only one, offense in the history of Alabama football has scored more points than the one we watched this year…the one that replaced two All-American offensive linemen with a couple of no-names; the one that replaced its leading rusher, now in the NFL, with a Heisman winner and the best backup RB ever; the one that replaced its record-setting three-year starting QB with an unheralded redshirt junior, who played most of the season with a rib injury (kinda explains the BCSCG and the mid-season slump, doesn’t it?); the one that lost its top two TEs to graduation; the one that was sure to be the reason that LSU or Ole Miss would lose to Florida in the SECCG.
Our defense was superlative, but our offense was a difference maker as well.
And our kicker/punter tandem was the best I’ve seen since at least 1992, boasting Bama’s all-time leading scorer…and how many punt return yards did Jordan Shipley have against us?
And yes, this has been, hands down, the best season in our history. Roll Tide.
"High standards come from passion within...." --Coach Nick Saban
by NiceLittleSaturday on Jan 9, 2010 9:51 AM CST up reply actions
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