Alabama Football, A Dynasty?

[Big Dave2]

Quote:

Alabama Football, A Dynasty?

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When Nick Saban landed at the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport in January of 2007 Alabama fans greeted him with hopes and dreams that Saban was their modern day Messiah preparing to lead the Alabama Nation to the promised land. Little did that excited group of overzealous Alabama Fans know that their hopes were about to become reality and their dreams were a modern day prophecy.​

Those fan's faith in Nick Saban was answered when The Crimson Tide won its thirteenth National Championship in Saban's third year at the Capstone. Alabama's last National Championship Alabama was won in 1992 by Gene Stallings some 17 years prior to Saban arriving in Tuscaloosa.

Two short years later Alabama did what many thought was impossible by beating LSU 21-0 for its fourteenth National Championship. Many in the media were calling LSU, "One of the greatest football teams in college history". That defeat on January 9, 2012, made Saban the only coach in history to win 3 BCS National Championship at two different universities.

​Now after just 3 games in 2012 it appears that Saban may be on his way to his fourth BCS Title and Alabama could be on their way to winning their fifteenth National Championship and its third BCS Title over the past 4 years. If this comes to pass Alabama will become the only college football program to ever win 2 BCS Titles is a row.

Not long after Alabama dismantled Arkansas 52-0 for its third lopsided victory of this young season I received a text from a close friend and a lifelong Alabama fan that just said, "Can you say Dynasty?"

At first I scoffed and chastised my friend at the notion that after just 3 games that this unrealistic crazy Alabama fan is tossing around a word like "Dynasty". Sure there are already two BCS National Championship Trophies sitting in the Paul W Bryant Museum's Trophy Case that haven't even had time to gather dust yet but where does he get the gall to to proclaim Alabama a dynasty?

So there I sat after the Arkansas game contemplating what my friend said and I began to recall everything that has transpired over the past 6 years at Alabama. Then I took the time to really examined what the Crimson Tide has already accomplished in 2012 and what I discovered astonished me!

Alabama has scored 128 points in just 3 games and has only allowed 14 points to their 3 opponents and two of those opponents began 2012 by being picked as Top 10 teams. Alabama has accumulated 1,197 total yards of offense thus far and has only allowed their opponents just over 600 total yards. That is almost a 2 to 1 ratio and we are not talking about beating teams like Savanna State or Slippery Rock, we are talking about teams like Michigan and Arkansas.

Combine that with the recruits that are already headed to The University of Alabama in the near future and I just had to admit it, that unrealistic crazy Alabama fan might just be right. Alabama is tearing through its schedule like an industrial grade wood chipper running at full bore!

Let's face it, barring a comet hitting the earth Alabama's future looks even brighter in the years to come than what we are witnessing today.

The truth is that the only team that seems to have the ability to beat Alabama is Alabama itself.

Don't misunderstand what I saying, I am not saying that there is not a college football program that can challenge Alabama, but I am saying that there is not one college football program in the nation that can honestly claim they are better.

When Nick Saban left the Miami Dolphins in 2007 he was branded by the national media as a mercenary for hire that moved from team to team and The University of Alabama was called foolish for offering Saban what was at the time was one of the largest and longest contracts in college sports. Now that type of contract has become the norm for successful college football coaches at major universities and Alabama is looking more and more like the T Boone Pickens of College football.

Alabama's investment, in what is now considered one of the greatest college coaches walking above ground might be considered one of the smartest investments in sports history. The fact is that Alabama athletics coffers are overflowing and all of athletic programs are benefitting from Coach Saban's drive for success on and off the field.

Alabama athletics in general is having more success today than at any time in its storied history and athletic academics is setting new records every year. Nick Saban and the University of Alabama has created an environment that creates success in the classroom and on the field of play.

Saban's philosophy is that a student's success and hard work off the field translates to success on the field and the results speak for themselves.

As for Alabama Football, it is difficult to look into Alabama's future and not be filled with optimism. Saban seems content at Alabama and Alabama, its Alumni and its fans are ecstatic with the job he is doing.

It seems as though Saban wants to leave a legacy and it appears he wants to leave at The University of Alabama.

Saban has everything he needs to make that happen. He is not only a great leader, motivator, and coach, he is also an unbelievable recruiter as well.

Recruiting is the lifeblood of any college football program and that is where Saban really excels. Nick Saban thrives in recruiting and is excellent at communicating his message of hard work leading to success to young athletes and their families.

As one of ESPN's analysts said, "Nick Saban doesn't recruit players, he selects them."

The University of Alabama was already one of the greatest college football programs in history before Saban arrived in 2007, but the combination of Nick Saban and The University of Alabama has created a perfect storm that is getting stronger day by day, month by month, and year by year.

The 2012 edition of the Alabama Crimson Tide appears to be another great team destined for great things. Some might even say this team is a team of destiny, others might say that this team is part of what is becoming a true college football dynasty.

Words like "dynasty" should not bandied about lightly, but if this team succeeds in making it all the way to Miami in January and comes away victorious then the word "dynasty" may be the only word to describe what is happening at Alabama.

This team still has to prove itself a team of destiny and this great coach and his prolific football program still has the daunting task of proving itself worthy of the title "dynasty".

Having said that, I find it difficult to argue with results and Nick Saban and his players are getting results that frankly boggle the mind.

Maybe this true story will make my point better than I ever could:

A few weeks ago as I was leaving Cowboy Stadium after Alabama crushed highly ranked Michigan in the Cowboy Classic, I overheard two Michigan Fans trying to make sense out of what they just witnessed.

As I walked along behind them one turned to the other and said, "Have you ever seen a team like that before?"

His friend responded, "Yep, the Chicago Bears in 1985! "

Need I say more?

Roll Tide!