Did That Really Happen? A Bama Chick's Recount of the Utah Game

This morning was definitely one of those mornings when, as a fan, you wake up and think, "Did that really happen?" 

Much like one of those nights that you know you will regret later on, it comes back and hits you that yes, it really did happen.

And suddenly, you feel the need to just go back to sleep and dream of National Championships.

The game last night against Utah was a little unexpected to say the least. The Utes clearly brought their game and definitely came to play.

I wish the same could be said for the Tide.

A lot can be said for games that shock fans, players, and coaches alike. And there are definitely two completely different types of shock.

1. The "I Can't Believe They Did That!" shock.

This shock is of a good nature. With appearances throughout the season, Alabama definitely had a lot of this shock happen.

From the season opener against Clemson to the whiteout against Georgia to the beatdown of Auburn, there were definitely some shocking moments that left Tide fans wondering what number God's crimson jersey had on it.

No one expected the Tide to be 12-0 at the end of their regular season this year. Saban himself didn't expect it. I mean, we all knew he was good, but not this good. Two years and an undefeated season? Not even the Bear himself did that. 

No one expected the Tide to play 16 freshmen this year either. And we definitely didn't expect those freshmen to play like Julio Jones, Glenn Coffee, Javier Arenas, and Mark Ingram did. Not to mention, hello Mount Cody. You, my friend, are something of a miracle.

And, last but not least, who is this guy and what did he do with John Parker Wilson? John Parker broke all kinds of records this season. And, you could clearly see his decision making had gotten a lot better.

Good kinds of shock? Definitely.

2. The "WHAT DID THEY DO THAT FOR?!" shock

As you can guess, this shock is of a bad nature. Along with the good shock, this shock made its own appearances throughout the season as well. From games against Tulane to Kentucky to Florida and now Utah, these were shocking moments to say the least.

Andre Smith being sent home from New Orleans. This was definitely a bad shock. Most fans knew that he would choose to go to the draft after the end of this season, and who could blame him really?

The loss to Florida. Some this came as a shock to and others, it didn't. There were times in this game where I thought we had it. And then at the end, when I knew we didn't. Shocking? Yes and no.

The loss to Utah. This was very shocking. So much so that as I got up this morning I hoped it was all just a bad nightmare. Hopefully, when I woke up it was Friday, and we had yet to play the game. No such luck. 

All that being said, this season has been full of ups and downs for the Tide. We finished the 2008 season 12-2. Call me crazy, but that's not too shabby in my opinion. Many will say we didn't face anyone. Many will say we are in the SEC Conference and that in itself, means we aren't that great.

There will be tons of excuses. This isn't about excuses though. It's about several simple facts. Alabama got beat by Utah. Utah was the better team during that game.

They came to play. Simple as that.

Alabama has had a great season. Nick Saban has done a great job with this team, no matter what he did/didn't say to the media. The Alabama fans have been there, as always, through the wins and the losses.

It's times like these when your "fanship" is truly tested. If you woke up this morning feeling a little out of it, you, my friend, are much like every other Alabama fan this morning.

If you started out yesterday as an Alabama fan and ended the day as an Ole Miss fan (kudos to them by the way), you, my friend, have a lot to learn about what it means to be an Alabama fan.

We are there through the wins. We are there through the losses. We are there through the interceptions and we are there through the touchdowns. We are there through the Paul "Bear" Bryants, the Shulas, and the Sabans. We are there in 1925 and we are here in 2009 and all the years in between. We are Alabama fans.

Call it arrogance. Call it smugness. We are proud of our team because they did a great job this season.

We are proud of our coach for the job he has done. We are proud of our players because of the way they have performed. We are proud to be Alabama fans. So, you call it arrogance. I call it pride.

For those that know what it is like to stand behind a team like we stand behind ours, I'm sure you can understand talking about the game against Utah was a little tough this morning.

We were "shell shocked," as Lisa so blatantly pointed out. But it doesn't keep us from being the fans we are. We'll be behind the Tide no matter what. As I'm sure you will be behind your team.

To all the fans that stick behind their team through it all...this one is for you.