Tuesday, November 20, 2007

We don't have a chance?

To listen to any sports talk radio show, you are led to believe that Alabama has no chance to beat Auburn. I heard Scott Griffin and Matt Coulter on 690 WJOX this morning talk about the possibility that Auburn will blow Alabama out. Paul Finebaum is giving the Tide no chance either.

I understand. But wait! NOT SO FAST MY FRIENDS!

Consider this:

  • Alabama gets all of its suspended players back.
  • Alabama has been ridiculed and feels it has something to prove.
  • This is the same team that wiped out the Vols and nearly beat the (now) #1 LSU Tigers
  • Auburn is really not that good (they were blown out by UGA, who Bama at least took to OT)
  • AU has lost by 3, 5, 6, and 25
  • Alabama has played close in all of its games (losing by 3, 7, 7, 5, 7).
  • After Saban lost to UAB in his first year at LSU, he defeated the ranked UT Vols the next week.
Bottom line:

As usual, turnovers and big plays will determine the winner. If John Parker Wilson throws no interceptions and the Tide does not fumble, expect an Alabama win. Alabama has the incentive of redeeming itself and changing the conversation in this state if it can beat Auburn. Auburn does not have as much incentive as Alabama. Auburn is not that good and Alabama is not that good either but better than everyone thinks. No one thought ULM would beat Alabama. No one thinks Alabama will beat Auburn. Maybe they won't, but they have a better chance than ULM did against Bama.

This reminds me of 1984.

My prediction:
Alabama 17 Auburn 15

1 comment:

Alan said...

I was at that game as a ULM alum sitting with a buddy amid all those Alabama fans. I can tell you this: ULM was the better team on the field that day. They played better...not above their heads. They just played better than Alabama. There was nothing that ULM did that I had not seen them do before. They played their typical game and executed well.

If ULM was wearing LSU uniforms that game would be considered a classic and would be replayed over and over again on the ESPN Classic channel. But, no, because it's ULM there's something wrong with the quality of the game. That's bogus and just an excuse by Tide fans. When the Tide led 14-7, the fans seemed quite pleased with their team. If they played badly, maybe the Warhawks had something to do with that.

Sure, the Tide didn't play their best but the other team had more heart and knew they could win this game before the game even started.

If the Tide ever wants revenge, they'll have to come to Monroe. We have no reason to ever come to Tuscaloosa again to prove anything.