Alabama Football: The 51 year history of Crimson Tide – FSU games
By Ronald Evans
September 29, 2007, Jacksonville, FSU 21 – Alabama 14
Looking back, 2006 or 2007 should probably have been Bobby Bowden’s last season. He held on a couple of years too long. When he did retire at the end of the 2009 season, it was under duress.
Not that Alabama football fans had any sympathy for Bowden toward the end. Alabama fans had lived through much more suffering than joy in the ten years between Gene Stallings and Nick Saban.
Mike Dubose had imploded, personally and professionally, proving he was not head coach material. Dennis Franchione had proved to be a fake. Mike Price had proved to be a fool. Former Golden Boy Mike Shula threw himself into the Crimson Tide breach and was sacrificed.
It was ten years of agony for Alabama football fans.
Then the redeemer arrived and diving into the breach was over. In 2007 Rick Bragg, in si.com articulated Tide fans’ assurance of redemption.
"They welcomed him (Saban) as Caesar, as pharaoh, and paid him enough money to burn a wet dog. Now he would take them forward by taking them back to the glory of their past — the 21 Southeastern Conference championships, the 12 national championships, the Team of the 20th Century (as The Wall Street Journal called the Crimson Tide in 2000). Saban has not promised them so much … but they believe. It may take two years, three, more, to be in the discussion again when people talk about the best teams in college football. But they know he will take them home."
And of course, he has brought the Alabama nation home from the wilderness. In retrospect it happened quickly, but not immediately. Alabama football was better in 2007, with more fight and determination, but not with enough talent.
Five games into the Saban era, the Crimson Tide faced a more talented team in FSU. The Tide battled but it was not enough. FSU was not a strong team in 2007, losing six games on the season, but the Noles had enough to top the Tide 21-14.
In the opening game of the 2017 season, the Tide and the Noles will meet for the fifth time. One of them will be ranked No. 1, neither of them will be ranked lower than No. 3. It is being billed as the Game of the Century. It might live up to the hype.
Fans on both sides struggle with the waiting for September 2, 2017.
Next: 30 Great Crimson Tiders who were 3-Star recruits
RTR Forever!