Have you ever wished for something to happen so much that you almost start to make yourself believe that it has happened regardless of how anomalous it might be?
Unfortunately, the national media, other fan bases, and even some within the Alabama fan base have the idea that Alabama football is no longer as dominant under [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] as it was in the past.
Not only is it foolish to assume that Saban and the Tide have lost a step, but it’s also not factual. The evidence is right in front of us, but some have chosen to ignore it in lieu of wishful thinking.
I shouldn’t have to explain to college football fans that the game has changed exponentially even over the last five years. Offenses are scoring more points and the game is completely geared in favor of the offense, making it more difficult to be an “elite” defense, which is what coach Saban built his dynasty on in Tuscaloosa. But like the game, coach Saban has evolved with the times and has ascended to dominance in a different way.
Currently, in the 2022 season, Alabama has an average margin of victory of +31.8. In 2021, it was a good bit lower at 18.7. I think it is important to note that 2021 might have been Saban’s best coaching job while at Alabama. He took a team loaded with underclassmen to the national championship game and was a couple of injured wide receivers away from winning his seventh national championship in Tuscaloosa.
So over the last season and a half Alabama’s average margin of victory is +25.25, a pretty impressive number for a team that is no longer dominant.
You may say, “well Stacey, let’s see the average numbers for the few seasons before when they were destroying everybody”. I am glad you asked.
From 2015 to 2020, Alabama played for a total of five national championships and won three of those title bids. In that six-season period, the average margin of victory for the Tide was, drum roll please, +25.13. Nearly an identical number to what Alabama has been winning by over the last 18 months.
Look, I know this number doesn’t tell the whole story and I am sure someone could dig up some wild and inconsequential number to help justify their plea that the Tide has lost its dominance. But at the end of the day, it is all about winning, and the numbers don’t lie, the Tide continue to take care of business now just like they have in the past.
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