close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

    • Alabama football’s next focus is on Texas after being humbled by Georgia
    news

    Alabama football’s next focus is on Texas after being humbled by Georgia

    Vaseline Posted on

    play

    • Veteran Alabama player says Tide should be No. 1, and he likes a shot at Texas. The Alabama swagger is back.
    • Alabama lost its air of invincibility at the end of Nick Saban’s tenure. A step was taken to regain that by beating Georgia.
    • Alabama, Texas on collision course for SEC Championship Game, but Tennessee could intervene.

    TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – It wasn’t just Alabama’s national titles. It was the air of invincibility.

    When Nick Saban’s dynasty hummed and he made Alabama the standard for college football, the Crimson Tide became like a tiger wearing red on Sundays. The competitors wilted at the sight.

    Think about Saban’s last national championship team, the 2020 squad filled with so much swagger and so much firepower. That team destroyed one opponent after another on its way to perfection.

    Then the dynasty finally collapsed. Alabama ceased to be extraordinary, while Georgia ascended to the throne.

    Alabama hasn’t lost relevance in the final years of Saban’s career, but it has given up its dominance. Texas stripped away whatever veneer of invincibility remained in Bryant-Denny Stadium a year ago.

    Alabama took a big step toward regaining supremacy — if not invincibility — on Saturday night. The No. No. 4 Crimson Tide outplayed No. 1 Georgia for three quarters before fending off the Bulldogs’ frenzied rally in a 41-34 victory.

    Fans inside Bryant-Denny celebrated a crimson revival.

    What statement did this victory make?

    “I definitely think that says we’re the best team in the country,” Alabama tight end CJ Dippre said after contributing to Alabama’s second win over Georgia in as many seasons. “This is the biggest game so far this season, and we came out on top.”

    Oh, and one more thing.

    Alabama wants Texas.

    FLOOD Jalen Milroe, Ryan Williams Alabama celebrates as she humiliates Georgia

    UP AND DOWN The Alabama-Georgia classic leads the Week 5 winners and losers

    At least Dippre does. He wants a chance to atone for Alabama’s 34-24 loss to the Longhorns last September that sent Texas into the playoffs.

    “I definitely wish we could play them again,” Dippre said, “especially since they gave us a loss at home last year.”

    Alabama could get that chance. The Crimson Tide won’t play Texas during the regular season, but the two teams are now on a collision course for the SEC championship game — although Tennessee could interrupt that game and steal a spot for itself if it beats Alabama next month.

    Georgia can’t think about Atlanta in the aftermath of this loss. Help is needed to get there. Heck, the Bulldogs might have their hands full even if they make the playoff.

    Kirby Smart didn’t press the panic button. He repeatedly referred to the team’s four turnovers as an explanation for this loss. But Georgia’s sputtering continues for several weeks. Before facing Alabama, it flirted with disaster in a one-point escape at Kentucky.

    Smart didn’t have much to offer to explain his 1-6 record against Alabama.

    “I don’t know, what’s everyone else’s track record, you know?” Smartly said. “Does anyone have one better than 1-6 who has played it (that many times)? I don’t think so.”

    Phew, that reads like a defeated coach expecting to lose to Alabama — or at least he’s gotten used to it.

    “I think they have very good players,” Smart explains.

    Smart also has very good players, but they were overwhelmed during the first three quarters.

    Georgia trailed 33-15 with less than 10 minutes remaining before ripping off three touchdowns in a span of just over seven minutes to claim an unlikely lead.

    “The scoreboard doesn’t say it all,” Dippre said. “It was (30-7).”

    And in no time it was no longer that.

    The heroics of quarterback Jalen Milroe and wide receiver Ryan Williams kept Alabama’s big celebration from ending in pain. The Crimson Tide were finally able to exhale after Zabien Brown intercepted Carson Beck in the end zone with less than a minute remaining. Beck had a hand in all four of Georgia’s turnovers.

    Alabama’s near collapse and Georgia’s 519-yard offensive margin were signs it could be a boon. Texas is not the Tide’s next opponent.

    “I think we definitely could have played a lot better on both sides of the ball,” Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell said.

    It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough for one night.

    Alabama dethroned Georgia and set a course that might include the rematch with Texas that Dippre craves.

    Blake Toppmeyer is the national college football columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

    Subscribe to read all his columns.

    Vaseline
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like