Why the Alabama-Utah Outcome Could Be the Best Thing for the Crimson Tide

Alabama makes no excuses for the outcome of the game. You can make almost any euphemism, and it might fit: Utah wanted it more, 'Bama was outcoached—or make up your own.

Alabama's first half was an embarrassment to the team, the fans, and the coaches.

For the fans, they will soon start getting over it as the Tide pounces on opponents early this season, provided they get by the daunting first game they must play.

For the fans, there was only one lesson to be learned: Don't be smug against a team that has this much potential.

For the coaches, it was a lesson in humility. They prepared for a team that was 60 percent passing and 40 percent running. 

Utah passed for the first 30 plays of the game, and before Alabama could adjust, the Utes had all but sealed the game away, much as Alabama did to Georgia in the famous "Blackout" game.

The coaches have all gone over that game in the film room and now see they should have seen this coming. Why would they have wanted to challenge Alabama on the ground at all?

The lesson they learned was better planning and preparation.

But what about the players—what did they learn?

Surely the lesson that Nick Saban wanted them to learn was to not only listen to him, but also know in their hearts that they have to accept his biggest challenge as part of their own being and FINISH.

In talking to Saban, he was not surprised the team would come out flat. 

They didn't practice with intensity, the coaches didn't get them fired up, and it seemed everyone was more interested in what they would do over the holidays and in New Orleans than in Utah.

Clearly, nobody was interested in finishing.

Yes, the team was down after losing a heartbreaker to Florida. Yes, there were holiday and player distractions. Would Andre Smith play or not? 

But they forgot a cardinal Nick Saban moral point: Champions finish what they start and always prepare like champions, practice like champions, and play like champions.

A child will see a "Wet Paint" sign and instinctively touch it to see. You can tell a child the skillet is hot, but you know he's going to touch it anyway. They remember the lessons longer with paint or blisters on their finger.

Saban is hoping his team will remember the paint and blisters they got for not believing him and his warning.

This year, when the end of the season starts coming around, there will be some recent hard knocks memories that the team will remember. 

Lessons learned the hard way just seem to stick longer and mean more.

For this season, that Utah loss in the Sugar Bowl may have helped us more this year than a win would have.

Maybe this year they'll take the warning and finish.