Roll Tide anyway...

I can't say that I really expected a perfect season this year. With new head coach Nick Saban, I knew there would be a spark and improvement this year. And I can honestly say there has been improvement, although the final record of the regular season is the same as last year and we lost the last four games like we did last year. Once again the Iron Bowl has eluded us. 6 years is a long drought, but it hasn't been 9 years - the longest streak Alabama has on record in the Iron Bowl. We're going to lose some great talent in some of our departing seniors, but the talent that is up and coming, not to mention the outstanding recruits lined up by Coach Saban, gives hope for the next several years. I said at the beginning of this season that we'd win some games we weren't supposed to win (Arkansas, blowout of Tennessee). We also lost some I never in a million years thought we'd lose (UL Monroe). But at the end of the day, it's like Saban has been talking about. It's not immediately winning championships, it's creating a process of winning. It's getting back a winning culture. I sincerely believe we will be in national championship contention in a few years. Now that we're not on probation, we can use the scholarships as we need to bring in players who can become a national championship team. While I'm talking about recruiting, let me say this: At the beginning of the year, Les Miles started talking about his LSU team was his team (with the departure of Jimbo Fisher to FSU). Well, he conveniently forgot that 17 of his seniors were recruits of a man named Nick Saban. 17 seniors without which, LSU wouldn't have had a hope or prayer of being in national championship contention. I'm so glad that Arkansas beat them and they now have no shot at it. I also want to go on record to say that Les Miles will never beat Nick Saban again!!! Mark my words!!!!!! Truth be known, if the referees didn't call back that 41 yard pass, Alabama would have won the game. That call reversal, which was totally wrong - it was clear as day that it was a definite catch - changed the whole game. Now, Miles may go on and take the Michigan job. Personally I hope he doesn't. I want to see Alabama crush LSU like a cockroach next year with Les Miles at the helm. He doesn't have the recruiting power that Saban has, and he will never have the talent he now has again. That being said, tough year this year, Alabama has a lot of growing and building to do. Next year is going to be different. ROLL TIDE!!!!