🏈 Alabama/Utah Sugar Bowl

[Nothing_But_A_Winner00]

Was that game the best thing that could have happened to Alabama football, considering where we are now?

 

[reger60]

Yes. I believe that it was a very rich learning experience for this team.

 

[Nothing_But_A_Winner00]

I agree, that's why I don't expect any sort of let down January 7th. Utah showed our team, and coaches for that matter, you've got to bring it every week. Or you'll get embarrassed.

 

[elbatider]

Louisiana Monroe
Utah

My hope is that we don't need Texas to script what we need to do next year.

 

[Tider27]

Thank you Utah, we owe ya.

 

['65 Cobra]

Utah spanked us good and hard. They also showed in painful plain light what a spread can do to a team ill-prepared to face it. This team has played through the kinds of adversity that last year's team didn't until the SECCG. AND we LOST that one. Last year we peaked too early and came down. This year we are peaking at JUST the right time.

Thank you, Utah, for taking us out behind the tool shed. I fully expect that we will do Bama-nation (and our Utah brothers) proud this year!

To "elbatider" - nice attitude. We don't need no stinkin' debbie downers around here. Ain't gonna happen. We will be prepared AND motivated for Texas, who has been talking us down with the 0-7-1 and McCoys comments in Orlando and NYC. The more physical team wins - period.

 

[elbatider]

To "elbatider" - nice attitude. We don't need no stinkin' debbie downers around here. Ain't gonna happen. We will be prepared AND motivated for Texas, who has been talking us down with the 0-7-1 and McCoys comments in Orlando and NYC. The more physical team wins - period.

I think we do, because complacency IMO is the only thing that can beat us in Pasadena.

 

[KingofBling]

Yes it was so Im betting the house... Roll Tide!

 

[BamaUte]

I'm grateful for the Sugar Bowl. It's the biggest win in Utah's history; it provided an offseason of motivation and drive for Bama to make a BCS title run; and the circumstances surrounding the meeting made me a Bama fan.

I know many Ute fans who consider it a badge of pride that the Tide's last loss came against Utah, and they'll be cheering for the good guys in Pasadena.

 

[UAgrad93]

I believe that it was a wake up call. The returning players didn't want to feel that again and neither do the coaches. The whole off-season and season has been a commitment to not repeating last seasons' end result. I used to teach history and the first question I always gave was ; "What is the importance of learning history?" Answer- So we won't be doomed to repeat the previous mistakes over and over. I'm very confident that we go to Pasadena and come home MNCs. "We're going out to be champions!!"

 

[ExiledTidefan]

That loss, coupled with Oklahoma's stinging memory of their loss to Boise State, prove a lot to the "power" conferences. It proves that a great team can exist anywhere, and can beat you on any day. You must always bring your "A" game.
The trouble is that it's awfully hard to keep 18-22 year olds "up" for 14 games. There are going to be letdowns along the way. The evidence is how many times the #1 team has lost to the #2 in the BCSNCG throughout it's history. #1's tend to think too highly of themselves.

I know we have the staff to be sure that doesn't happen. Utah was a great wake-up call, from a great team. Never underestimate just how good that 08 Ute team really was. Probably could have beaten anyone in the nation.

 

[usn92]

The greatest thing to come out of the Utah game had nothing to do with the players, although they learned a great lesson. The greatest positive from that loss was Saban and Smart got to see the weaknesses in their scheme and the flaws exposed by an efficient Spread/up-tempo offense. Because of that game our defensive staff overhauled our philosophy against Spread teams and we play them totally different than last season. We now have multiple packages for Spread and up-tempo teams. Every non-conference opponent we've played runs a form of the Spread. That didn't happen by accident.

 

[ElephantStomp]

I think the Utah game embarrassed the team and they made the commitment that they would not allow that to happen again. Our coaching staff made the right adjustments as did our players, so that something like that wouldn't happen again.

Where we sit now I am very happy and proud of the way the team responded to that embarrassment and that loss. Not just because we're going to play for BCSNC or because we won the SEC this year's team looks way better than last year's team. Last year's team looked surprised that they were in the position they were in and this year's looks and acts like they belong in this position.

Cory