The wait is over. College football season is upon us. And no game scheduled for the opening weekend is drawing more national attention than the University of Alabama’s season debut against Clemson. If only for that reason, operating on the theory that all publicity is good publicity, the neutral-site game in the Georgia Dome is a good idea.
It should be a great atmosphere with a true 50-50 ticket split. There is even an auspicious omen, for those inclined to look for such things. The last time Alabama played a regular-season game in a domed stadium, it won the national championship (1992). The last time it played any sort of game in a domed stadium, Alabama won an SEC championship (1999). It’s been nothing but outdoor football since then, with a decidedly mixed set of results. Since the century turned, Alabama’s record is 53-46. So for Alabama to be participating in an eagerly anticipated nationally-televised game is a tribute to tradition and Nick Saban, not necessarily in that order.
Given that context, what does Saturday’s game against Clemson mean?
Finding the answer to that question is akin to navigating in Atlanta traffic on game-day. You’d rather avoid it altogether. If you can’t, you’ll have to sit and think about it for a while.
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08-25-2008, 02:17 PM
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