Alabama is still Alabama, even if it doesn’t feel like it

Alabama isn’t the dominant version of itself that we’ve seen for most of the last decade and a half. They’re still Alabama, though.

When Alabama lost at home to Texas in Week 2, people were ready to bury the Crimson Tide dynasty.

Fast forward a month. Alabama hasn’t lost since. They’re winning the same way Saban has always won at Alabama, with great defense and a stout running game.

After surrendering 34 points against the Longhorns on Sept. 9, no one has scored more than 20 on the Tide. Texas A&M scored that over the weekend, but was limited to a single field goal in the second half.

Jalen Milroe isn’t going to wow you with his arm, but everyone has to respect him with his ability to scramble and make defenders miss, and he can throw the deep ball with the best of them.

Bryant-Denny Stadium has been a house of horrors for Arkansas the entire Saban era. The Razorbacks haven’t won there since 2003 and haven’t beaten a Saban-coached team since he was at LSU the year prior.

So no, Alabama probably isn’t going to beat anyone 59-0 this year like they’ve done for much of the last decade-plus.

But they’re still Alabama. The Tide controls its own destiny for both the SEC West and a trip to the Playoff.

Arkansas to face Alabama at 11 a.m. on October 14

Arkansas will have to set the alarm clocks for its game with Alabama in Tuscaloosa the week after next.

Arkansas will play another early game, the second of the year after Saturday’s Southwest Classic kicked off at the same time.

It was announced on Monday that the Razorbacks and the Tide will square off at ESPN at 11 a.m.

This is the earliest Arkansas has ever played Alabama in Tuscaloosa. There were some 11:30 a.m. games during the Jefferson Pilot days, but never this early.

Arkansas hasn’t won in Bryant-Denny Stadium since a double overtime victory in 2003, 34-31 when Chris Balseiro made a field goal after Brodie Croyle was picked off by Jimarr Gallon.

The Razorbacks haven’t defeated Alabama period since 2006, also an overtime victory, and their last win over a Nick Saban-coached team was in 2002 which became known as the ‘Miracle on Markham,’ a come-from-behind 21-20 win over LSU.

Alabama football to play in some of the most hostile environments in 2023

Alabama football will play in three of the most hostile environments of the 2023 season

The Georgia Bulldogs have won back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022 and it is imperative that Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide get back to the top of the mountain in 2023. However, it will be no cakewalk of a season for the Crimson Tide as they will have to go through some of the most hostile environments in all of college football.

Week in and week out, playing in the SEC poses difficulties of its own. Last season, the SEC nearly set an all-time attendance record as they averaged just shy of 77,000 fans a game as well as being host to the most talented players in all of America. Bryant-Denny Stadium is one of the most intimidating venues to play at in all of college football, and home-field advantage does play as a massive advantage, especially for the Crimson Tide who haven’t lost at home since 2019.

Brad Crawford of 247 Sports predicted college football’s loudest games for 2023, and the Crimson Tide will feature in three of the games on the list of 17.

Kyle Field for Alabama at Texas A&M is No. 11 on the list,

“One of the loudest venues in college football, Kyle Field’s top will come off for the second time in three years if the Aggies upset Alabama again in College Station. Two years ago, Texas A&M’s thrilling victory over the Crimson Tide was a sight to behold at field level.”

Bryant-Denny Stadium for Texas at Alabama is No. 8 on the list with Crawford saying,

“You could insert LSU-Alabama in November in this slot, too, but there’s something about Texas in Week 2 and the Crimson Tide’s opportunity to prove a point to college football that’s going to make this one extremely loud. Fans are lucky to get this soon-to-be-SEC matchup a year early, college football fans. An early preview of what we expect to see in the new league for 2024 and beyond, two national title contenders do battle in Week 2 to highlight a robust early-season slate. Alabama can get some of its swagger back if it’s able to take out the Longhorns and former Crimson Tide play-caller Steve Sarkisian. Bryant Denny is loud when the fans are interested and this game will have all the trimmings of a heavyweight bout.”

Jordan Hare Stadium for Alabama at Auburn is No. 3 on the list saying,

“The Iron Bowl always holds significance. On the decibels scale, few places are louder than Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium when the Tigers are a national power. Part of the reason Auburn hired former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze to lead the program is due to his personal success against Nick Saban’s Alabama and he gets another crack at the greatest coach of all time in 2023. If the Tigers still have a heartbeat when this one’s played, The Plains will be extremely loud and boisterous when the Crimson Tide come to town.”

The 2023 season is approaching and Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the offseason winds down.

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Ranking the longest active home winning streaks in college football

Ranking the longest active home winning streaks in college football!

The thing that separates college football from any other sport in America is the intensity of the fan base and the electricity of the environment. There is nothing quite like attending an SEC prime-time game under the lights, you can quite literally feel the crowd screaming for big third-down stops in the fourth quarter. It is pandemonium. Which is why defending your home turf is essential if you want to achieve any sort of success.

The record for most consecutive home wins is currently held by the Miami Hurricanes with 58 spanning from 1985 to 1994. They broke the record of 57 which was previously set by Alabama between the years of 1963-1982.

Clemson had been closing in on the record with 40 wins from 2016 to 2022, but South Carolina upset them 31-30 in Memorial Stadium to snap the streak.

Who now have the five longest active streaks?

Alabama football announces start times for remaining non-conference matchups

Alabama football has announced kick times for the remainder of the Crimson Tide’s non-conference opponents in 2023!

The 2023 season is a crucial one for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide after missing out on the playoffs last season. The Tide will face one of the toughest schedules in the country with two new coordinators and a quarterback.

Alabama already announced that their non-conference game against Texas will be in primetime at 6:00 p.m. CST on ESPN. Today, the Tide announced the kickoff times for their three remaining non-SEC games.

Middle Tennessee comes to Bryant Denny Stadium for a 6:30 p.m. kick-off under the lights on Sept. 2. Then, the Tide travel to Southern Florida for a 2:30 p.m. start against the Bulls on Sept. 19. Finally, the Tide will host Chattanooga at 11 a.m. on Nov. 18, the week leading up to the Iron Bowl.

The Longhorns will without a doubt be the toughest test for the Tide of those four games, but it is imperative Alabama doesn’t drop any games outside of SEC play. Texas gave Alabama a scare in 2022, but with it back in Tuscaloosa now, the game will be really interesting.

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Alabama had the biggest home field advantage in college football last season

Alabama had the biggest advantage in college football when playing at home last season.

Alabama football’s 2022 season ended with a New Year’s Six Bowl Game win, but the season was underwhelming for Crimson Tide fans because the team did not get the chance to play for a national title. Two losses are to blame for Alabama’s failure to make the College Football Playoff. Both were on the road.

Losing to LSU and Tennessee on the road was devastating for the Tide’s playoff hopes in 2022. This upcoming season, Alabama will play those teams at home, which could be a big help for the Crimson Tide.

Alabama had the biggest advantage when playing at home last season. Patrick Conn of College Sports Wire recently ranked which programs had the biggest home-field advantage and the Crimson Tide takes the top spot.

The Tide won all seven home games last season with an average margin of victory of 35.3 points. Overall Alabama outscored opponents at home 310-63.

Quality home games will be plentiful for Alabama in 2023, with games like Middle Tennessee, Texas, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Tennessee, LSU and Chattanooga.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama Football as the 2023 regular season approaches.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM. 

LOOK: Pictures show Bryant-Denny Stadium’s field being replaced

Following A-Day, the Crimson Tide stripped the field and will have new grass ready for the 2023 season.

Alabama football has begun preparing facilities for the 2023 college football season, with the most visible aspect being the new field in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Fans may have noticed that the grass during the Crimson Tide’s A-Day spring game was a bit sloppy looking. Alabama, being one of the best teams in the nation, typically plays on pristine, natural grass.

Well, with the conclusion of the spring game, the program did as it usually does and stripped the grass to begin putting in the new field for the 2023 season.

It may look like a construction site in the pictures, but in a few month’s time, it will host Nick Saban and his team as they begin their journey to national championship No. 19.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the 2023 offseason progresses.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM.

‘Sweet Home Alabama’ named the top tradition in college football

Alabama’s playing of Sweet Home Alabama ranks as the top tradition in college football.

There is just something poetic about college football. Maybe it is the crisp autumn air, maybe it’s the student body, but nobody can deny the greatness that tradition plays in our sport. The deep southern rivalries, The Game up north, Enter Sandman, there is just no sport quite like it.

College football is spoiled with so many great traditions, but just like on the field, the Alabama Crimson Tide takes the crown for the best tradition in football with Sweet Home Alabama according to 247 Sports. They justify their ranking by saying, “Inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, the speakers crank out the song and all 100,000 fans in attendance sing out the lyrics to the song. It is rather simple but something that gives you chills if you are lucky enough to be a part of the tradition.”

For all of us who have been lucky enough to be inside Bryant-Denny on a fall Saturday, you must admit there is nothing quite like it. Even if you’re not a Tide fan. The mystique and dominance of Nick Saban paired with one of the best environments in college football make for a magical afternoon.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Texas HC Steve Sarkisian unveils what offseason film he’s watching

Steve Sarkisian has his mind set on beating the Tide.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is focused on the 2023 season. On Sunday, he shared where his offseason preparation is centered around currently.

Sarkisian posted an Instagram story with film from last year’s game with Alabama on his TV screen. It appears his offseason focus is exactly where it should be in January.

Last offseason I opined that Oklahoma would be the most important game of the year for Texas. While an 8-4 season doesn’t get anyone too excited about the program, the 49-0 victory in Red River showed significant progress from 2021 to 2022.

The most important game this year takes place in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The matchup affords Texas to beat college football’s best team and best coach of the last decade. A win would signal that this Longhorns team is not the same as in past seasons.

Sarkisian and company will likely not face a tougher road test than at Bryant-Denny Stadium. It provides an early look at life in the SEC for the ‘Horns.

Last year’s game did not define the season for Texas. This matchup could be different.

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LOOK: Alabama opens in-stadium retail for team and NIL merch

Alabama opens new in-stadium NIL shop

The Alabama Crimson Tide remains to be the cutting-edge program in college football on and off the field. This week, the Crimson Tide is making name, image, likeness (NIL) history by opening in-stadium retail for the team and NIL merchandise. In the store players like Bryce Young, Will Anderson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and JoJo Earle among others have their shirts and jerseys on sale to make a little profit while tearing it up on the field.

The store will likely do extremely well as the Texas A&M Aggies come to Tuscaloosa this weekend for the showdown between Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher after their dispute over, ironically, NIL. The city of Tuscaloosa is buzzing and the anticipation is real.

NIL continues to change the landscape of college sports and I’m sure we will see other schools follow the Tide in the coming weeks.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

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