Alabama Football: Tide In Driver’s Seat For Berth In Atlanta

We’ve heard it said many times this season, but now it means a lot more to Alabama football. Win and you are in. It’s a pretty simple thing to say because all Alabama needs to do is win the Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa.

I have somewhat bad news though. It won’t come easy. However after the game against Mississippi State, the Tide will enter battle tested.

“I think anytime you beat the No. 1 team in the country, that’s a significant accomplishment. I was really proud of how our players competed in the game”, Coach Nick Saban said after the game. The Tide went in to the locker room for halftime leading the Bulldogs 19-3, but Mississippi State would pull to within six early in the fourth quarter. “Offensively, we struggled a little bit in the second half. We didn’t move the ball as well as I thought we should have. At the end of the third quarter, we were a little tired, which is a bit of an issue for us”, Saban said.

When the Tide needed the offense to step up and make something happen, they did just that like they have done previously this season. The type of drives were you have to dig deep could very well be needed when the Auburn Tigers come to town. “When we needed to put a drive together on offense and answer the bell to score and make it a two-score game, we put a great drive together. We made some critical third-down conversions”, Saban said.

Nov 15, 2014; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Blake Sims (6) carries the ball past Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive lineman Preston Smith (91) and Will Redmond (2) in the fourth quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Usually when the offense needs a pick up and a little motivation, it comes from quarterback Blake Sims. Tonight was no different when he told the team “Let’s go be champions” just before the Tide’s final touchdown drive of 15 plays for 76 yards to give Alabama the 12-point lead. “We made big-time plays at the right time and the guys fought hard. The defense made a great stand for us to have that drive. I’m just proud of the way that the whole team played”, Sims said after the game.

Alabama will get to celebrate 24 hours like always and will even get the day off on Monday to rest and recover before they start to prepare for Western Carolina and I’m guessing a little bit for Auburn.

However, you can bet that Sims and the team knew what this one meant and it probably only gave the team more confidence in Sims to step up when needed.

“We made big-time plays at the right time and the guys fought hard. The defense made a great stand for us to have that drive. I’m just proud of the way that the whole team played.”

The Iron Bowl should be fun. Will this be how the West was won? Let’s hope so.