2020: A Season to Reflect: Part I

As of Tuesday, the SEC, along with the ACC and the Big 12 are standing firm in keeping a fall 2020 football season. If the day comes; however, that the season is canceled, I have set you up an Alabama football season from the past to reflect on some of the Crimson Tide’s best games. Each game corresponds with a 2020 opponent, and I have attached a YouTube video of the game for viewing. To split up Alabama victories, I will be releasing the schedule into two parts. Here is the first half of the season.

WEEK 1: University of Southern California Trojans (September 3, 2016)
Alabama opened up their 2016 season, my first season as a student at Alabama, with a true freshman starting at quarterback- Jalen Hurts. Hurts started his collegiate career throwing for 118 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw one interception going 6-11 from the pocket. Hurts rushed for two more touchdowns and 32 yards. In a one-sided affair, Alabama rolled over the Trojans 52-6.

WEEK 2: Georgia State Panthers (Nebraska Cornhuskers - January 2, 1967)
For some of the smaller games, I decided to fill the week with a more historical Crimson Tide matchup. This matchup comes from the 1966 football season, Coach Bear Bryant’s ninth season. In this Sugar Bowl matchup, #3 Alabama took on the #6 Nebraska Cornhuskers. UA quarterback Kenny Stabler accounted for two touchdowns in a 34-7 victory.

WEEK 3: Georgia Bulldogs (September 27, 2008)
In the game commonly known as “The Blackout Game,” Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson passed for one touchdown. In addition, ‘Bama running backs Glen Coffee (2), Roy Upchurch (1), and freshman Mark Ingram (1) accounted for four touchdowns. Though Georgia went into the game with the intention to ‘blackout’ the Crimson Tide, Alabama prevailed 41-30.

WEEK 4: Kent State Golden Flashes (Penn State Nittany Lions - January 1, 1979)
For many of the more long-time Alabama fans, this game is very familiar. The 1979 Sugar Bowl featured an Alabama team that was ranked in the Top 10 all season and only dropped one game, to USC in Week 3. While Birmingham native quarterback Jeff Rutledge was the leader of the offense, this game featured a more notable defensive performance. Late in the fourth quarter, Alabama legends Marty Lyons and Barry Krauss assisted in a Crimson Tide goal-line stand against the Nittany Lions to win 14-7. After the game, Alabama would be awarded their tenth national title.

WEEK 5: Ole Miss Rebels (September 17, 2016)
This game is a special one for me. After two years of surprise upsets by the Rebels, Alabama was able to overcome one of the few roadblocks in the Saban era. After being down 24-3 in the second quarter, Alabama methodically came back and took down the Chad Kelly-led Rebels. The Crimson Tide scored in a variety of ways, from punt returns to pick-sixes, and the Crimson Tide overcame two years of heartbreak by beating Ole Miss 48-43.

WEEK 6: Arkansas Razorbacks (September 15, 2007)
I’ll be honest- after the NCAA handed out violations for the infamous “Alabama Textbook Scandal,” this game was ruled as one of the games deemed as a forfeit. With that being said, Alabama’s victory over #16 Arkansas can be seen as the first big victory of the Saban era. Quarterback John Parker Wilson led the Tide offense with four passing touchdowns and 327 yards. This Arkansas team, which featured running back Darren McFadden, ended up going 8-5. This night in September; however, Alabama took down the Razorbacks 41-38.

WEEK 7: Mississippi State Bulldogs (November 15, 2014)
This, like a few other games, is a little more recent. In a year where Mississippi State and Ole miss were in the top five in the AP Poll, Alabama welcomed the #1 Bulldogs to Tuscaloosa. Even though Alabama managed to go into halftime 19-3, the Bulldogs scrambled to come back in the second half. While future Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback would pass for 290 yards and two touchdowns, his three interceptions ultimately led to an Alabama victory with a score of 25-20.

On Monday, I will release the second half of the season. It includes a swing pass, a blowout, and an interception that changed the course of the SEC. Stay tuned for more Crimson Tide football!