I will be the last Alabama fan to claim that this year is ‘Bama’s year. We’re a much improved team, but we have a long way to go… but ESPN’s Gilmore needs to read his own writing in his column Return to glory, specifically the following:
“For the last few years, Alabama (4-0), Nebraska (3-0) and Penn State (4-0) have not been factors in the national championship race. There was a time when you couldn’t talk about a national title without mentioning one or all of those teams as contenders. But it’s been a long time since anyone even seriously mentioned any of them as possible conference champions. Even though all three have started fast, their problems on offense makes one ask: Are they really back?
Alabama hosts the Florida Gators in Tuscaloosa — just when Urban Meyer’s spread offense is starting to click with Chris Leak at the helm. Alabama has started 4-0 for the first time since 1996 and is 2-0 in the conference for the first time since 2001. The last few years, ‘Bama has endured probation (loss of scholarships), coaching changes (Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Price and Mike Shula) and a rash of injuries. ‘Bama looked poised to make a run at the SEC West last year until it lost QB Brodie Croyle and several other key offensive players to injuries and finished 6-6. “
So let me see if I follow this… he wants us to believe that it’s been “a long time” since anyone “seriously mentioned [Alabama] as [a] possible conference [champion]” AND THAT “‘Bama looked poised to make a run at the SEC West last year.”
So we’re to believe, from these two sentences, that in being poised to make a run at a division championship, nobody would “seriously mention” that same team as a conference champion? Sounds a little silly to me. And what is a “long time” anyway? ‘Bama won the conference (beating Spurrier’s Gators twice in one season) in ‘99.
I don’t disagree with what I gather will be his eventual point: that ‘Bama, Penn State, and Nebraska’s quick starts have been the product of weak schedules, not good programs, but that little bit of blatant contradiction was a bit much.
September 29th, 2005 at 4:33 pm
Our schedule next year won’t help us either. Hawaii, Vandy, LA-Monroe, Duke, FL. Int’l, Miss State… half our schedule is made up of games that Shula can’t lose and hope to stick around much longer. It’s harder to claim that we deserve a shot at the championship, unless we completely roll over the conference rivals.
But, maybe it will build hope back up for the team. And, given that’s half our schedule, we should easily be bowl eligible.
Guess we’ll have to wait and see. For now, we have Florida… I think it will be a good game.
September 29th, 2005 at 5:35 pm
I’m pretty sure you just missed the entire point of my post.
September 29th, 2005 at 6:30 pm
Your points, as I gathered, are that Bama has improved and has a long road ahead, that Gilmore needs to re-read his stuff before he publishes it, that it hasn’t been all that long since Bama won the conference, and that the three teams may have gotten off to quick starts because of week schedules.
And my point is that next year our schedule is weaker. Anyone who feels we are overrated this year will probably feel we’re more overrated next year.
Maybe you missed the point of my post.
September 29th, 2005 at 7:22 pm
My only point was that his post was contradictory… I didn’t miss your point, but as it was only tangentially related to mine I had no way of knowing that you actually picked up on the point here.