By Jason from Tuscaloosa
As crimson eyes look to the opening of the 2008 season, many have asked; how important is the opening game? The answer is, more than you think. As the process moves forward, this opening game can be the spring board to the next level. The first step was the actual hiring of coach Saban, the next of course, was the establishing of a good recruiting base and winning the recruiting wars. The next is the chance to win a marquee game on the national stage.
As the “process” moves on, this step could be the biggest. A win Saturday and this team could finish the season in the top ten. A loss Saturday and it may be a continuation of the ills that afflicted this team at the end of last season. Confidence in sports or any competition is important, especially for this team. The Tide will start several freshman and first time starters Saturday night. Their development and positive maturation process will depend a great deal on their first taste of big time college football.
Winning the Clemson game sets the stage for the rest of the season. A win shows that this team has moved forward and can win a game on the road in an unfamiliar place. It also will show that this team can beat a top ten team. This is supposed to be one of Clemson’s better teams in years on paper. A win Saturday night will be a foundation that these young players and the rest of the team, for that matter, can build on and take with them on the road in the SEC.
A loss can do more damage than you think, especially to young players who are still finding their way and unsure of themselves. A loss Saturday night and those old demons from last year start creeping back into the psyche of this team. The thoughts of how are we going to lose this one and what went wrong this time return. Before you know it, you are caring a losing record into the front half of the schedule and struggling to have a winning season.
A win over Clemson would be next step in the “process”, but it could be the biggest step in moving up the ladder to the top of the conference. The next is to win on the road in the SEC and break bad habits. Winning cures everything, but a loss opens up old wounds. To build the program that Alabama wants and tradition dictates you must win these types of games. It is time to take the next big step. Roll Tide!!!!!!
18 thoughts on “Alabama vs. Clemson: Why it is important”
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Great article, Jason. I thoroughly enjoyed that reading and you were very precise with touching base on both the posities and the negatives. Let’s hope and pray are able to chalk up a victory Saturday. We are capable of doing so, but Clemson with feature an arsenal of talent that is arguable the best unit they’re working with, this decade.
Roll Tide!
Come on barners, where are you??? It’s usually 10 post to 1 by barners on an Alabama website. Guess curiosity is going to kill the cat (tiger in this place)
That was one of the most overwrought pieces I’ve seen on this blog in a long time. And that’s saying something.
UAT will lose on Saturday night. Afterwards, you will all have to pick up the pieces of your shattered delusions and move on.
Kevin,
Kind of like your delusion of winning a national championship during your lifetime. Of course Bama has won 6 during my lifetime and will win another before the barn ever comes close.
I’m realistic. If we win then we are ahead of schedule with our rebuilding and if we lose it won’t be the end of the world. It’s going to take time to lay the foundation and the base is already in place.
Loserboy is an excellent illustrator of my point about bammer delusions.
Jason, go back to being Shane’s helper at the Ice House. Only IGNORANT people would believe what you just blogged.
Kevin,
You’re an idiot. You think its delusional to expect improvement? Do you think its delusional to expect your team to improve? We’re far from being in the national championship hunt but with continued recruiting like this past year we will be there.
You’re a incestual, homosexual, spineless barner that spends his time on a rival’s board because he’s concerned. Now go home and do your mom.
Great read Jason!
And for the Aubbos, Who cares what you have to say any damn way? You are Auburn fans for crying out loud… The spam of football. The perinial “also-ran” The only team in the USA who still measures there significance by beating UA. The only question I have for you is:
Are Auburn fans a pile of shit or the flies who feed from it.
Who cares what the UAT fans have to say? They are just Bama fans for crying out loud.. insignificant and pathetic. The only team in the USA who measures their significance by losing to Auburn every damn year and keep proclaiming they are back and they are good. I think we all know that Bama fans are the pile and they are also the flies. TMC is one classy bama fan.
tmc, you kiss your mother with that mouth? It’s amazing how you repeat the same obscenity laden post over and over and over and over and over and over again. “F#@*’n Aubbos!!”, “F#@*’n Auburn football is second rate!!”, “G..D… Stupidheads!” “F#@*’n Barnzoes!!” “Aubarn is a F#@*’n pivotman!!” (I still don’t know what in the world that means, but for the love of God PLEASE don’t explain it.) All that, and you amazingly still consider yourself to be intelligent and sophisticated. You’re too blinded by your own paranoia and narcissistic rage to realize that you sound like a blithering idiot howling at the moon. Quick tmc, come back and tell me what an idiotic F#@*’n S.O.B. Motherf*%#@+ I am. Sure hope you’re not letting your daughter read your posts anymore.
It’s not delusional to know Alabama will improve under Saban and it’s moronic to think they won’t – see Kevin.
You are right. It is not delusional to think that. It is delusional to believe that you are already there.. see predictions for 10 plus win season.
War Eagle if that tiny timmy brain of yours functioned properly, you would probably catch the hint that you bums measure your success by Alabama’s flaws and by you being here and nonetheless running your mouth makes it a factual statement.
We can worry about national, or conference titles all we want. Whether it’s delusions or not it surely isn’t as worse as worrying about another team. I suggest you do the same and maybe one day you’ll accomplish more than just beating your archrival during their days of decline.
War Eagle no offense man, but it’s the truth.
ummm Ranger….Auburn has the best conference record of any team in the SEC since 2000. Auburn is also 9-2 in their last 11 games against top 10 teams. I think Auburn’s accomplished a whole lot more than spanking Bama for 7 of the last 8 years. I wish Auburn had won more than 1 SEC title during that span, but Auburn has simply been unlucky in that regard. For instance, Saban won an SEC title in 2001 despite the fact that LSU went 5-3 in the SEC that year, and lost all 3 games by double digits. In fact LSU lost to Florida that year 44-15, and also lost to freakin’ Ole Miss at home by double digits. Yet LSU was lucky enough to get in the SEC championship. There’s been a bunch of teams that got in with a 6-2 record. Conversely, Auburn went 7-1 in conference play in 05 and couldn’t get in. Unless a team goes undefeated, which has only happened a few times since the SEC adopted the championship game, it takes luck to make it to the championship.
And that’s because Alabama Tech simply swapped places with Alabama for the temporary time being. Oh, but that’s no fact, but simply an overused excuse, despite changing coaches ever 2-3 years and undergoing NCAA sanctions does appear to take a toll on teams, but not others. And speaking of which, it appears to me LSU has been the most successful Western division team since the year 2000. Overall, since 2000, LSU has compiled an 88-22 record with 2 BCS titles and 3 SEC titles. Alabama Tech on the other than has compiled a 75-27 record with 0 BCS titles and 1 SEC title. Yes, I realize those are still both impressive numbers, far better than Alabama has compiled since 2000, but I will also agree that if Alabama Tech was on probation for five years of the decade, and was under the leadership of five different coaches, and finished behind Ole Miss and Mississippi State in recruiting three times since 2000, they still would’ve compiled similar numbers to what they have already compiled simply because Tuberville is the best. His SEC records prior to 2000, the beginning of the seemingly end of Alabama, proves that theory to be true.
George I said Auburn has the best conference record since 2000, not the best overall record. Playing games against teams like Southern Cal, Georgia Tech, and Syracuse didn’t end up being a very good move for Auburn.
How often does it have to be stated that it’s Bama’s own fault that coaches have been changed every 2 or 3 years? Hiring a good coach is the single most important part of a football program. Bammers act like Auburn hired your dang coaches for you.
Bammers act like Auburn hired your dang coaches for you.
Quite a good line! It forced a giggle out of me.