Overtime

What we are hearing from many is that the Southeastern Conference football paradigm has changed.

The Nick Saban era of dominance at Alabama is over. It allegedly ended on the first Saturday night of November in Baton Rouge with a 32-31 overtime loss to LSU.

The Tigers are ready to pass the Tide in the Western Division, and everyone in the league is looking up at the University of Georgia.
When I hear that, I chuckle.

Leave it to Lane Kiffin, former Alabama assistant, and current Ole Miss head coach to put the speculation in perspective. His message is to never underestimate the GOAT (Nick Saban, greatest of all-time).

The last time Alabama was essentially out the running this early in the Western Division was in 2010, after a November loss to LSU at Tiger Stadium.

The following season, LSU beat Alabama in overtime in Tuscaloosa.

What followed?

Five more Bama national titles in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020.

So, to hear that Alabama is done, and Saban is somehow headed to the exits is laughable.

Alabama will be back.

And, LSU has arrived, much quicker than anyone thought possible. Against the Tide, the Tigers didn’t do anything special. They ran the football effectively, rode big plays from quarterback Jayden Daniels, played outstanding defense, and didn’t turn the ball over.

And, won the game honestly. Every time Alabama punched, the Tigers punched back. And exposed some Bama weaknesses.

The Tide are not nearly as good on the offensive and defensive lines as in previous years, and their wide receiver group is average at best.

Think back to 2019, when Alabama’s best four receivers were Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, DeVonta Smith, and Jaylen Waddle. All four were first round picks in the NFL draft.

Alabama simply didn’t have the players on the edge to threaten the LSU defense.

What followed LSU’s overtime was some interesting scenes.

Including Saban speaking to reporters while Tiger fans chanted L-S-U! L-S-U! outside the Alabama press room. In the future, that will be some extra coal in Saban’s motivational furnace.

Outside on the field, thousands of fans celebrated, many taking selfies with the players. Most fans were respectful, but there were the usual array of idiots.

As a reporter navigating the crowd walked down the east sideline to Brian Kelly’s press conference, he looked over and saw a ring of police officers surrounding the Alabama bench.

The Alabama staff was waiting for the crowd to disperse before rolling their equipment back to the locker room. But, as they waited several LSU fans were screaming and cursing them.

It was disturbing and sad.

And, please don’t tell me this is okay, because it is the norm in college football. Please don’t.

It totally lacked class and common decency. And, if you were one of those, well too bad. Inexcusable, it was.

The LSU Alabama rivalry is heating up again. The Tide isn’t going anywhere and LSU is ascending quickly.

Hopefully, there will be more chances for the purple and gold folks to celebrate, and in the midst of joy, maybe throw some restraint into the gumbo, as well.