Do Alabama football supporters have greater faith in the Crimson Tide than does Nick Saban?
Rewinding to November 2008, Nick Saban redefined what a terrible Alabama football season meant. Alabama headed to Baton Rouge on the second Saturday in November of that year, where they defeated the LSU Bengal Tigers 27-21. It was the Crimson Tide’s ninth victory of the 2008 campaign. That season, Alabama went 12-2. Any Alabama football season with fewer than ten wins was considered a dismal one.
In the annals of college football past, a season, with ten wins was considered a significant accomplishment. Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant’s Alabama teams won 10 or more games 13 times in seasons with fewer games played. That exceeded 25 seasons of Alabama football. Since 2008, Nick Saban’s Alabama teams have won 10 or more games in each season; this makes 16 seasons in a row with double digit victories. The wins were never fewer than ten.
How far the Crimson Tide will fall has been a question in the college football world since Nick Saban announced his retirement in January. Several people have declared that the Alabama Crimson Tide’s heyday is ended rather than asking questions.
Perhaps the doubters will turn out to be right. Ultimately, no collegiate football program can be certain of success. Few things would make me happier than to see Kalen DeBoer, his team, and the Alabama Crimson Tide of 2024 disprove the doubters.
Fans of the Alabama Crimson Tide should lower their expectations. Regarding the Tide’s chances for the upcoming season, Nick Saban was recently questioned.Saban’s reply was, “I think for Alabama, they’ve got a lot to overcome in the short term because of the number of players that left this year.”
Saban is optimistic about the Crimson Tide despite his honest evaluation. It could indicate that he is not as optimistic as other Alabama fans.
2024 Alabama Football Poll
Fans were asked to select whether Alabama will finish the regular season with a record of 12-0, 11-1, 10-2, or nine or less wins in a recent poll conducted by Alabama Hammer. 92.2%, of respondents to the poll said they thought Alabama would win ten or more games in the 2024 regular season. For 10-2, the percentage was 31.2%; for 11-1, it was 41%; and for 12-0, it was 20%.
How many of the 7.8% of “nine or fewer” ballots were tainted by Auburn supporters is unknown.
Or are Alabama fans just being conceited as usual? We certainly are, and with good cause. A National Championship is the best indicator of an Alabama football team’s success. During the last fifteen years of college football, the Alabama Crimson Tide has won six National Championships. Together, the other nine college football teams have won nine games.
