Alabama Football: Tide won’t be fazed by environment

Casual followers of college football will have you believe that the Alabama football team is going into an unforgiving, hostile environment when it travels to Austin to play Texas this week. This is simply not the case for a program as mature and battle-tested as the Crimson Tide.

Alabama football has played in numerous national championships under Nick Saban. It has routinely made college football playoff appearances, New Year’s Six and BCS Bowls, as well as conference championship games. Alabama also plays in the SEC, the nation’s toughest conference. The league ensures that Bama plays several marquee regular season matchups a year, and features some of the toughest road environments in the sport.

That is not to say this week’s game is below Alabama, as Texas is a formidable opponent. I just don’t believe the environment will be much of a factor at all.

While DKR Texas Memorial Stadium may be considered hostile enemy territory to Big 12 opponents and smaller classification schools, it is very unlikely that the setting will intimidate Alabama football. With the no. 1 team in the country coming to Austin and College Gameday making an appearance as well, the folks in Austin will do everything they can to make an impressive showing.

The stadium will surely be packed and rowdy, but the fact that this game kicks off at 11:00 A.M. puts a limitation on just how wild it can get. Additionally, let’s be honest: Alabama football gets this treatment everywhere it goes. While Texas is a huge brand name with a massive fan base, Alabama is fully accustomed to being everyone’s Super Bowl.

Alabama football also plays, year in and year out, in the most intense and passionate conference in America. SEC road environments have no equal or parallel. The Crimson Tide plays every other year in Jordan-Hare Stadium in an Iron Bowl environment. It regularly plays night games in Death Valley in Baton Rouge. It has played in the Swamp, and it has taken on Georgia in Athens. Even SEC road trips such as Tennessee and Ole Miss are underrated and can be incredibly difficult. Alabama has conquered all of these venues, and more.

It is true that Alabama struggled on the road in 2021. However, it still managed to win all but one of its away games. The 2022 team is more experienced, more focused, and learned from the close games it played last season.

Alabama football is built to play in tough environments, and the Texas Longhorns’ home field advantage will not play a major factor in this week’s game.