Every child who has waited in bed on Christmas Eve or waited in the reception area outside the principal’s office understands how circumstances affect the perception of passing time. When you anticipate something eagerly, the target date seems to rest on top of a steep hill. When you dread something, you see it approaching as if you were hurtling in that direction on an icy bobsled run. The opening date of one of the more eagerly anticipated University of Alabama football seasons in recent memory lies atop that steep hill. It’s been a long time since Alabama played in the Independence Bowl and the circumstances surrounding the team have undergone a profound change in the interim, perhaps the most profound change in UA football in the past 50 years.
