Crimson Tide Proves It's Here to Play Some Football

Excited and nervous.

If you're an Alabama fan, you are most likely feeling one or both of these emotions right now.

There is no doubt that the hype about Alabama football has greatly increased since Alabama's 34-10 victory over Clemson. Combine that win with the Western Kentucky smack down and the hog roast the Tide cooked on Arkansas last Saturday, and you have some crazy Bama fans. With the Georgia game coming up this Saturday, we are only going to get crazier!

Alabama has had some excellent plays and successes already this season. Obviously going two games without giving the other team a touchdown on defense was something to be proud of. Not to mention the overall performance each game and the Tide's willingness to learn from its mistakes.

In the season opener, No. 24 Alabama surprised everyone (maybe even themselves) with their impressive win over No. 9 ranked Clemson. From the 53-yard field goal completed by Leigh Tiffin to the 239-0 shutout on rushing yards, the Tide definitely impressed. But even with this impressive win, coach Nick Saban heeded caution about getting excited about one game.

In the next game against Tulane, Javier Arenas' 87-yard punt return gave him a new school record of 212 returning yards and Mark Ingram completed the first offensive touchdown of the game at the end of the third quarter. However, the Tide only came out of this game with a 20-6 victory, and Saban was quick to point out the Tide's need for consistency.

The third weekend of the season proved to be a good one for the Tide, pulling out a 41-7 victory over Western Kentucky. Julio Jones was finally able to show what all the hype was about preseason with 66 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown. Not to mention the fans' amazement at some of the guys that will be starting next year, such as Grey McElroy.

Saban even said: "We started the game out right, but most importantly we finished," proving that consistency was really the goal of the game.

Sept. 20 found the Tide at Arkansas for a little hog-roasting. Anyone that saw the game last year will remember the Tide's 41-38 victory in that game was much harder to achieve than this year's 49-14 victory. With the Tide "coming out firing and hitting them in the mouth quick," (or so said Arenas) they certainly proved that consistency was still a goal and something that has definitely been improved upon.

Now, with No. 8 Alabama going to third-ranked Georgia this weekend, we all have to question "Will the hard work pay off?" Many Tide fans agree that the two teams appear close in overall stats and that it will be a good game no matter the outcome. (That's not saying we wouldn't love to see the team pull out a victory, though.)

Is the Tide good enough to win? Sure. It's as good as it wants to be, and has proven here in the last few games it is here to play some football. However, Tide fans have to realize that this game will really be a true test for the Tide, considering who it has played so far.

The next question raised in most fans' minds is "Are we going to win the SEC championship?" Based on games so far and performance, it is really hard to judge this.

While the Tide has played some low-ranked (if even ranked) teams, the fact that the team has had an average 30-point lead is something to consider. I guess the real question is what the Tide will bring this Saturday.

All in all, this season has the makings to be a successful one for the Tide, so let's sit back and enjoy some SEC football!