Alabama Crimson Tide at 6-0: De'ja Vu or Something New?

"De'ja vu: Psychology: The illusion of having already experienced something actually being experienced for the first time."

In Saban's third season, "it's de'ja vu all over again."

Starting the season 6-0 for the second time in a row gives goose bumps to the rabid fan. The Men in Crimson and White have made it halfway through the regular season undefeated.

2007: Review of Saban's First Season

Season One with Saban was half as good, starting the march at a 3-0 clip. Getting to the mark took an exciting finish in the last seconds of the game against a tough Arkansas team. McFadden and Jones would go on to finish strong but they did not taste victory in their last contest on the hallowed grounds of Bryant Denny.

But back-to-back losses in closely contested battles to Georgia and Florida State took a toll on team confidence. The losses were followed up with eked-out wins against the C-USA Houston Cougars at home and Ole Miss on the road.

Sitting at 5-2, every game was high anxiety and emotionally draining.

Game Eight: Hours before the home game against Tennessee, fans learned that three Alabama starters were ineligible for play against the Volunteers. Saban used the book scandal to motivate his team and the result was a 41-17 thrashing of the Big Orange machine.

Again, the drama took its toll on the team and the fan base alike.

Game Nine: LSU at Bryant Denny. A great game and a hard fought battle, but for the third time in the season, the Tide were outmatched and out-hustled in the fourth quarter, losing to the conference standard bearers and eventual 2007 National Champions, 41-34.

The emotional let-down of that loss turned out to be a dagger to the heart of the team's identity. The "Cardiac Kids" of 2007 would not recover and went on to lose the final three games of the regular season.

Losses to La. Monroe and Mississippi State were devastating but the season finale against in-state rival Auburn was downright demoralizing. The players fought hard to keep the game close but came up short once again.

Seeing Tuberville "get the thumb" in 2006 was bad enough for Tide fans, but the Tigers' sixth consecutive victory against Alabama was one of the lowest moments in Alabama history.

Tuberville and the Auburn University football program had established dominance over Alabama and he rubbed it in Saban's face on that day. Auburn, for more than a decade, had the upper hand in the state and there was no end in sight.

Finishing the season at 6-6 gave the Tide a chance to compete in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport. Saban used that game to set the tone for the upcoming year. The team responded with a great win against an evenly matched competitor.

In the month to follow, Saban signed the highest-ranked recruiting class in the nation, a first for Alabama since the ranking system was put into place.

2008 Rewind: Year Two for Nick Saban

The 2008 spring game was well attended, nearly matching the record-setting full house from the year before. Saban encouraged the fans and used that event to remind the players that they had the support of a fan base like nothing he had ever seen.

First-year starters from the outstanding recruiting class took the field and competed on the Alabama football team in record-setting numbers. Dont'a Hightower became an impact player and team leader.

The team opened with a 6-0 start, which included dominant wins in the season debut against Clemson and on the road against Arkansas. The victory at Arkansas was the first road victory in three seasons for the Alabama team.

The following week took the Tide up the road to Athens, GA, for the UGA "blackout" game. During the entire week leading up to the game, the players and coaches blocked out the notion that there was no chance for a Tide victory "between the hedges" as prognosticators would have them believe.

John Parker Wilson, in one of his best career games, posted a win that electrified the fan base and convinced even the greatest skeptic that he could lead this team, as good as anyone, against upper echelon competition.

The '08 Crimson Tide posted hard fought wins at home against the 5-0 Kentucky Wildcats and the up-and-coming Ole Miss Rebels, and went on the road to steal victories from the Tennessee Vols and the LSU Tigers.

The season finale against the Auburn Tigers made up for many prior losses. The 36-0 thrashing of the War Eagles was a statement to the Yellow Hammer State that the Pride of Alabama was alive and well.

Throughout the season, closely listening to the cautious tones of Coach Saban one could detect a bit of skepticism during press conferences until the season end. But finishing at 12-0 set a personal season-best for Nick Saban—a milestone he seemed to be very proud of as head coach.

For the next week, the coaching staff worked up to the last second preparing this group of over-achievers for the SEC title game. The team was well prepared and played with all-out effort against the eventual BCS champion Florida Gators.

But the loss was a big time let down, much like the LSU game the season before. During the postseason bowl preparation, some athletes were busy making plans for their futures rather than focusing on the game at hand.

The Andre Smith debacle was the epitome of self-centeredness and disrespect to the coaching staff that had given every ounce of energy to prepare the players for football and for life. Moreover, people were shocked that Smith, a model student athlete and citizen, would do such a thing at such a pivotal moment.

Recovering from this national embarrassment was not manageable before the bowl game.

In addition, rumors of coaching defections flitted around the practice field, further distracting the players from the mission at hand. When the team took the field on New Year's Day, the players were flat-footed and awe struck.

The Utah team took its preparation for the Sugar Bowl seriously, and it showed in the first few minutes of the game. It was a nightmare for the players, coaches, and fans alike.

Credit to the Utes for their game plan. The Utah offense executed its plan flawlessly, and shocked the once proud Alabama defenders.

Even on a good day, the Crimson Tide defense would have had its hands full. At the end of the first quarter, the Tide faced a 21-point deficit. It proved too much to overcome.

The season that opened with so much promise laid in waste.

The Here and Now: 2009

In the off-season, following the defections of Lance Thompson and Kevin Steele, Saban went to work to fill voids on the coaching staff. Within weeks, he had contacted and interviewed some of the best coaches in the land. He ultimately offered a position to Sal Sunseri and elevated Kirby Smart to Defensive Coordinator.

Moreover, turmoil on the plains left Auburn Tigers coach James Willis without a job and with the responsibility to pay back a bonus that seemed rightfully his to keep. Recognizing Willis' talent after competing with him for the best in-state talent, Saban wasted no time bringing Willis into the fold of the Capstone staff.

Saban also spent time evaluating his players in the areas of academics and personal character. In the off-season after the first two seasons he made sure to improve on what was already one of the best student-athlete learning centers in the country.

In addition, he installed a life development program that reaches well beyond athletics, and prepares the players for life after football.

At the end of spring practice and throughout the summer months, Saban busied himself with cleaning house of the few players who did not buy in to "the process."  He methodically got back scholarships from players who did not take seriously their responsibilities as student-athletes.

While some were lost to graduation and others to attrition because of academics, one bad egg was caught selling drugs on the premises of the Athletic Center. Another, Brandon Fanney, an excellent athlete and contributor to the team's success on the field in 2008, continued to struggle in the classroom. Prince Hall, on the other hand, struggled with character issues.

Before fall camp started, these players were given an ultimatum and decided to end their careers at Alabama by transferring out of the system, leaving the Alabama campus.

Fanney and Prince were both exceptional athletes. But Saban was sending a message to players and recruits that he meant business when he said "get with the program". He was also sending a message to Dr. Whitt, Mal Moore, boosters, and fans that the team would have a product on the field worthy of their praise.

2009: A Clear and Present Danger

The Alabama Crimson Tide are once again 6-0. But as the definition of de'ja vu states, it could be only an illusion of having previously experienced something actually being experienced for the first time.

This team is different. This team has an identity of its own. 

The Saban-led pachyderms have taken the nation by surprise. Preseason polls placed Alabama in the Top 10. But even then, voters, media, and football fans questioned the ability of first-year starter Greg McElroy, and they dogged the skills of the offensive line.

Defensively the Tide looked solid, but the loss of player-coach Rashad Johnson was a major concern.

The questions have been answered in the first six games. In fact, they were answered in the first game.

The Tide have shown consistency with great balance on offense and defense, convincing their fans and the nation that they are focused and prepared for the job at hand.

Without question, they have the necessary skills and preparation to convincingly defeat their opposition. The Crimson Tide have a very good, if not excellent, leader at the quarterback position. They are not lacking in any department.

The first six wins of the 2009 season have been accomplished by complete domination defensively, and with power and finesse offensively.

But in Week Six, the Ole Miss Rebels proved to be a bigger test for the offense than expected. The offense repeatedly sputtered in the Red Zone.

The Rebel defense was stubborn. It was very effective in keeping the Alabama offense out of the end zone. Five times the offense moved the ball within range, five times Alabama settled for field goals.

Saban knew this would be a defensive battle and he plucked the offensive fruits like a master harvester. In the end, the Tide walked away with a 19-point victory, leaving the Rebels exhausted, dejected, and demoralized.

The danger for this season is complacency. I don't think that will be a problem for the coaches and in fact for most of the players. But it only takes one player or coach to become complacent in order for mistakes to happen.

Adversity will come, no need to usher it in by losing focus. The entire team must remain focused. That includes assignments on the scout team, third string, backups and starters, alike.

To win a championship, it take focus for an entire season.

Fans need not become complacent, either. It can affect the mood in the stadium. The Alabama fans, for the next three games, need to raise the roof at Bryant Denny, like never before, in show of support for the Football Pride of Alabama.

Know that opposing teams will come with a chip on their shoulders to try to prove that they can take down this wanna-be champion. When they leave Bryant-Denny, they should have a story to tell for generations to come about how loud the stadium was and how difficult it was to contend, because of crowd noise, during the game.

One thing is for sure: If the fans do their part to inspire the Crimson Tide, it will fuel a fire to "excel even more" for the remainder of the year.

The team will be grateful to the Alabama fans for acknowledging their commitment and sacrifice for the common cause of developing champions in our midst. It will indeed help them to finish well.

This team, midway to its destination, is on track. The Tide cannot afford a let down. If a loss is in their future, do not turn on this group of young men.

Let Nick Saban do the coaching and continue to give great effort as a loyal fan to the warriors on the field. Inspire excellence by giving your support.

Roll Tide.