Alabama Football: Same old Kirby, same old Georgia and same old Tide

How many times can so many people be so wrong about Alabama Football and Nick Saban? Most of the college football world is always so anxious to write off the Tide, they mistake dreams for reality.

Borrowing a line from the 2001 film, Hearts in Atlantis, “wishing won’t make it so.”

Going back to the Crimson Tide’s eked-out win over Florida, national media has undervalued the 2021 Alabama Crimson Tide. According to most pundits and a multitude of not-Alabama fans, several teams were better than the Crimson Tide. That Alabama Football was argued to not be Playoff worthy was reinforced by close wins over LSU and Auburn.

Talking about being wrong as wrong can be,

Georgia was said to be elite and Alabama Football was not

It was said repeatedly the Georgia Bulldogs were elite and the Alabama Crimson Tide was not. What a difference an afternoon in Atlanta makes. The Crimson Tide is suddenly the favorite to win it all again.

Despite Saturday’s downfall, Georgia is still a good team. Doubts about Kirby Smart’s coaching ability have quickly returned, but none can doubt his recruiting ability. The Bulldogs have an abundance of talent and at 12-1 are probably the second or third best team in college football.

Nick Saban and his often derided coordinators, Pete Golding and Bill O’Brien showed why the Tide coaching staff is college football’s best. The normally scary-good Bulldogs’ defense went from an average of allowing 230 yards per game to surrendering 536 yards to the Crimson Tide.

Going into the game the Georgia defense was giving up just 3.68 yards-per-play. The Crimson Tide averaged almost eight yards against the Dawgs.

Questioning Kirby Smart and his quarterback decision is the hottest topic among the Bulldogs’ fanbase. Shocked and dismayed, many Dawgs fans left Mercedes-Benz Stadium early on Saturday. Writing for Si.com, Pat Forde offered a good summary.

"Georgia came in leading the nation in just about every defensive category. It exits with third-degree burns. Georgia was allowing 6.9 points per game; Alabama nearly sextupled that. Georgia was allowing 150.8 passing yards per game; Alabama rang up 421.(Speaking of Georgia fans) … their hopes of slaying the Alabama monster and riding into the Playoff as the favorite were shattered Saturday."

Shattered again by the Alabama Crimson Tide and Nick Saban. Seven losses in a row to the Crimson Tide must leave Georgia fans wondering if it will ever end. Kirby and his players cannot be immune to the same doubts. Do they even want another shot at the Tide this season? Perhaps we’ll see in the coming weeks.

Though many will disagree, this season has again shown college football rarely has more than two or three teams resume-worthy of a Playoff slot. And again, the Alabama Crimson Tide is one of them.