A Pivotal Game

5026 — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:51:16 -0000

You can hype a game too much, but if Bama wins Sat. it could be a "Pivotal Game" for years to come. Over the years Bama football has actually risen on some pretty big games which you could call "Pivotal." These were games that changed things in a big way.

Example 1: 1990. An average Bama team (2-3) goes to Knoxville on Oct. 20 to play #3 UT. Bama somehow wins 9-6 and then goes on a 35-3-1 run and wins a NT in the middle of the run.

Example 2: 1971. Bama was 12-10-1 in the two years coming into the season opener on Sept. 10 against #5 USC in LA. Bama wins 17-10 and goes on a 54-6 run over 5 years winning a NT in 73.

Example 3: 1958. Bama was on a 5-26-3 slide and had only beaten lowly Furman half way through Coach Bryant's first year. The Tide goes to Starkville on Oct. 25 and defeats #19 MSU 9-7. From there Bama goes on a 29-5-4 run and Braynt claims his first NT in 61.

Example 4: 1922. Bama 7-6-3 over the previous year and half goes to Philadelphia to play the eastern power and highly favored PENN. After a 9-7 win, Bama goes on a 28-4-1 run and claims our first NT in 1925

What is amazing is that all these wins were AWAY, against a highly ranked opponent, by a Bama team that had done very little. All l'm saying is that we have the same scenario if we win. We are 18-15 in the last 32 games, but a win could be pivotal and launch another run.

Now I know some would consider Clemson as our pivotal win. But I think you have to do it at their place with a hostile crowd, not a nuetral field, and against a real powerful team, not a hyped media team.

PS- If we lose it isn't the end of the world just that we are not there yet. But, I think somehow we win.

SB Nation User Blog: 5026

A Pivotal Game