The hating Alabama football thing is both silly and sublime

A new list shows Alabama football is the most hated college football program in the nation. Such old news is another tribute to the Tide’s extraordinary success.

Take a bow Alabama football fans, the latest iteration of other fans’ jealousy and fatigue has the Crimson Tide as the most hated college football program.

Andrew Holleran in thespun.com published a list of the ten most hated college football programs. Of course, Alabama football was No. 1. For Crimson Tide fans, the fatigue felt by other fanbases is so tiresome it is often ignored. Giving little or no notice to silliness is a sensible response. They (everybody else) hate Alabama football because over the last nine seasons no other program has come close to the Tide’s record of accomplishment.

Some of us though are quite satisfied by the ranking. It can also be considered a badge of honor. Holleran’s list is mostly filled by very successful programs, either currently or in the past. Let’s take a look at all ten programs.

1. Alabama
2. Notre Dame
3. Ohio State
4. Michigan
5. Florida State
6. Texas
7. Texas A&M
8. Penn State
9. Oregon
10. Clemson

More than jealousy drives hate

Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas, Texas A&M and Oregon have not had much recent success. The Aggies being on the list for any reason is a puzzle. Even as an Alabama football fan, hating Clemson does not feel right. Yes, the Tigers used ‘illegal’ pick plays to win a national championship, much to the dismay of Tide fans, but does that justify hate?

There are other justifications for hating the other ‘less’ currently successful programs. The first good example is Michigan. As Holleran says, Harbaugh is probably the most hated coach in college football. If not, he is certainly the most overpaid for the results achieved by the Wolverines.

Ingrained arrogance is another motivation to hate. Certainly, Texas, Ohio State and, to be honest, Alabama football have fanbases with an abundance of arrogance. Then there are the Irish. A program so confident of its superiority to believe it is above traditional conference constraints.

Not all fans are comfortable with the concept of hating other college football programs. To some, any rancor is muted to distaste or dislike. Maintaining an even emotional balance is probably best served by not succumbing to any hate. Still, team affiliations and allegiances run deep into the souls of many fans. So deep that hating other teams is readily embraced.

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It seems superfluous to add the programs we hate the most. We will leave it with the admission they are not in the above top ten list. And we will end with a tiny confession. We would be personally dismayed if Alabama football is ever not No. 1 on any most-hated list.