Y’know….I sat down today to start piecing together my notes for the Alabama Crimson Tide 2019 season preview. But, in order to look to the future, I had to reassess the past. The last memory of actual football Tide fans have is that 44-16 blowout loss to the Clemson Tigers in the National Championship game. That’s where we left off – and as soon as I took a look at that box score, it felt like getting punched in the gut all over again.
It’s been a long, long time since an Alabama offseason was met with anything but optimism and contentment. Even in those years when the team made it to either the SEC Championship or National Championship and lost, it still felt like the team was close.
That game in January felt like more of a paradigm shift than one team being better than the other on that given night.
And, because of that, it’s why it’s still such a sensitive subject as I type this in late June. Six months have passed, and that loss still haunts me as a fan. I still remember watching every minute (I’m a good fan who will take an ass beating with his team), and just thinking, “there is absolutely nothing the Tide can do to stop the Tigers.”
It was the absolute worst loss this program has had under Nick Saban. It was bad enough to make us all wonder if maybe the ship had finally started to set sail out of Tuscaloosa.
That’s because Clemson earned the National Championship through recruiting and leadership. It wasn’t a situation in which they “just happened to be better that night.” No, it was the culmination of years of work put into that program. Dabo Swinney and company do the little things right and have built the foundation of a perennial contender at Clemson.
So, it stands to reason for one to think that the Tigers aren’t going anywhere soon.
I know this is going to read like a fan site article and not analysis – but it’s interesting to point out how different this summer feels to Tide fans compared to years past. There’s a certain uneasiness in the air.
But, it’s on to Duke now.
I can’t imagine how hard it has to be for players to put that loss in the rearview. I’m sitting here thinking, “man – that game sucked,” but those dudes have lived it. Feels like that’s something that would stick with you for a long, long time.
That 44-16 loss can be a wonderful motivator for the future. But, it could also be a sign that the college football landscape is changing. That maybe, just maybe, some programs in the country are starting to close the gap on Alabama. That’s what’s alarming for Tide fans.
Time will tell – but I’d be willing to bet this is going to be a rough summer for those Tide players. If you thought Saban was anal retentive before, just imagine what he’s like after he’s been stewing about that demoralizing loss for six months.
PS. Stan, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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