Alabama football, Pat Dye, a Tweetstorm and insight into Dye’s intent

The Alabama football world has watched in amusement as Pat Dye churned up the Auburn nation. Let’s scan the Twittersphere for fun and add some context and insight.

For Alabama football, Pat Dye is many things. The coach who defeated Paul Bryant in the Bear’s last Auburn game; the Auburn coach who cheated and was caught; a sly old fox or addled old coot, depending on your perspective.

Whatever your perspective, the history is Pat Dye built Auburn into a national power from 1981-1992. The 1993 team Terry Bowden inherited from Dye was a national championship contender.

When Dye’s predisposition to being outspoken led to this …

Talk about a Tweetstorm Alabama football fans can savor, check out this string of tweets.

We will try to add some context to all this, but first one more tweet, that does provide insight.

If we did not lose you as we traipsed through the Twittersphere, we hope to repay you with some context and our perspective.

Pat Dye is the Godfather of Auburn football, certainly figuratively and we guess at times, still literally.

Dye has always been a masterful communicator. From his first Auburn press conference when he responded to a question of “how long will it take to beat Alabama?” – and answered without a second of hesitation, “60 minutes.” For the Auburn nation, that was the equivalent of “you had me at hello.”

Alabama football fans will remember when Pat Dye, a Georgia alum, provided motivation to the Bulldogs beyond what Mark Richt could supply. In 2002, the week of the Georgia – Alabama game in Tuscaloosa, (also on the Finebaum show) Dye said: “I don’t believe Georgia’s man enough to beat Alabama.” Georgia was and did.

Almost without fail, when Pat Dye speaks publically, it is with intent. Mostly unnoticed in the latest Finebaum – Dye episode was Dye explaining how he knew he could be successful against Bryant. To paraphrase, Dye said he knew Bryant was tired and because of that Dye knew he could outwork him and even out-recruit him.

Dye also praised the recruiting machine Nick Saban has built in Tuscaloosa. Cleverly he also said, “it doesn’t mean we can’t beat Alabama on occasion.”

What is the intent behind Dye’s words? He basically said Auburn cannot recruit at Alabama’s level. Why would he choose to make such an acknowledgment? That comment and the “500 years” line can only damage Auburn recruiting.

Some optimistic Auburn fans and skeptical Alabama football fans seem to believe Dye is skillfully motivating the 2017 Auburn team. The weakness in that premise is that we are in June. If it were Iron Bowl week, maybe that idea makes sense but not more than five months out.

Our conjecture is Dye has written off Malzahn as Auburn’s savior. It has been long rumored the two are not close. Gus came into his Tiger head coach tenure already taking credit for a national championship. No doubt he was sure he would lead Auburn to more.

From that lofty perch of cockiness, he did not sincerely genuflect to Dye. Now that Gus’ position is tenuous, it is coming back to haunt him, with Pat Dye and those in Dye’s camp.

Dye has provided the coffin and the nails. Nick  Saban already had the hammer. Lose to Alabama football on November 24, 2017, and the Gus bus will not even have time to stop by Waffle House on the way out of town.

Next: 30 Great Crimson Tiders who were 3-Star recruits

RTR Forever!