Alabama Football: Are You Loving It or Hating It?

Well, the first five weeks of the college football season have given the sports world a view of every team for at least four games. In the case of the Alabama Crimson Tide, it has been five games, and for some fans who like to hate on Nick Saban and the University of Alabama, it's been five games too many. Alabama football is once again flexing its collective muscle and dominating opponents.

Five years ago, Nick Saban left the Miami Dolphins football program in order to return to college football. For Alabama fans, it was a remarkable turn of events. After a 10-2 season in 2005, Mike Shula followed up with a 6-6 record by squeaking out wins over Duke and Kentucky. Shula never won a game in November, and Mal Moore knew that problem had to be fixed if Alabama football was to be a national title contender.

Mr. Moore knew about "the process" and wanted the author of that winning formula to lead the Alabama Football program. He flew down to Miami without as much as an appointment with the Nick Saban and the rest is history.

Love it or hate it, Alabama has a rightful and worthy leader in full command of the program.

Saban has helped the fanbase of Alabama move on from the Bryant era. This is clearly a new dynasty and a new era of Alabama football. And Nick Saban is the man.

No Apparent Weaknesses Offensively, Defensively or on Special Teams

Alabama is slowly putting together a body of work for the 2011 season that should place them near the top of the college football world as a contender for the SEC title and national title by season end. All games have to be played, and we all know nothing will be handed to any one of the contenders.

Against Penn State (27-11), Arkansas (38-14) and most recently, the University of Florida (38-10), the Crimson Tide looks impressive in all phases of the game, including special teams. The weaker component of the collective game seems to be the passing phase of the offensive unit.

Even Vandebilt head coach James Franklin took a shot at Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron in his weekly press conference. He called McCarron a good manager of the game but not an impressive passer.

Up to this point in the season, Franklin is correct. The passing game has been effective but not impressive. Conversely, the rushing phase of the offensive unit is freakish and seems to be unstoppable. Don't think for one minute that Saban will fall for Franklin's ploy and try to defeat Vandy by leaning on the aerial attack.

Franklin need not worry about the Alabama offense; he needs to focus on his own and figure out how in the world his boys are gonna contend with the Alabama defense. Alabama's defense is the best in the country. They are likely to finish as one of the best in the history of college football.

Rest assured, Alabama will come straight at Vanderbilt with a base offensive blocking scheme, using the four horsemen of Alabama to bust through the holes in their extremely weak defensive line. Richardson, Lacy (might be held out), Fowler and Blake Sims will wreak havoc and completely scorch Vanderbilt real estate on Saturday. Then and only then will they work on the passing game. Alabama may open with a flurry of passes to start the action, but they will beat and pound the Commodores with the rush.

And that's what happens when Alabama has the ball. When Vandy has the ball, all hell and fury will be unleashed from the defense. The defenders of the Bryant-Denny turf are intent on making a statement every single week. Every opponent has their attention, and the objective is to punish relentlessly.

Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer will be ready for play by the end of the first half, possibly the end of the first quarter. But Alabama will continue to pound the Commodores for the entire game because it's not about how we play Vanderbilt. It's how we play the game of football, from first to fourth string. The entire 105 will garnish playing time on Saturday.

Love it or hate it, Alabama plays smash mouth football with just a little smack.  

This Is Our House and Winning Is Our Tradition

The Crimson Tide holds a record of 228-46-3 in games played at Bryant-Denny Stadium. With the completion of the north end zone in 2006, Bryant-Denny became one of the most beautiful and most inviting venues in all of sports. With completion of the south end zone expansion in 2010, it is now the second largest stadium in the SEC and fifth largest in all of college football.

Nick Saban lost three home games in his first season as head coach of the Crimson Tide. Losses were incurred against the Georgia Bulldogs, Louisiana State University and Louisiana-Monroe. It was this last loss at home in 2007 that changed the attitude and direction of the program under Saban.

The fans were devastated by the loss, and Saban himself rightly apologized to them in his weekly radio broadcast and television show. Since then, Alabama has lost once in Bryant-Denny, and that was in 2010 to the Auburn Tigers, a.k.a. Cam Newton's team. Saban again apologized to the fans for the loss that came in the second half, after sporting a 24-3 halftime lead.

It doesn't matter that Auburn went on to win the national title in that season, Alabama had them on the ropes and let them back up then eventually got knocked out. Lesson learned by Saban and the Alabama football team.

This is our house and we expect to win on our turf no matter who the opposition may be. Our tradition is built on tenacity, courage and the will to win. Heroes and championships are born and raised in our house. "The same things win that always won. and we just have a different bunch of excuses if we lose" - Paul Bear Bryant

in 2011, LSU will enter the confines of Bryant Denny on Nov. 5. If all goes expected until that time, both teams will be undefeated and at full strength. Each team will enter the contest following a bye week. There will be no excuses spoken in the postgame press conference.

Since the beginning of the 2011 season opener, this game has been marked as one with championship implications. Now that the teams have shown that they are both focused on winning, it has become the most anticipated college football matchup for the entire season, possibly the most anticipated game since the national title game between the University of Miami and the Penn State Nittany Lions.

This game will be played in our house. Love it or hate it, we have no intention of being denied. 

The Best Coaching Staff in All of College Football

Not only do the University of Alabama football facilities house the best coaching staff in all of college football, that staff has a leader with a mission statement and a process developed that has proven effective in achieving the ultimate goal of the program.

That goal is to produce student athletes with a purposeful direction that leads to championships by season end. The process prepares the student athlete for a professional career in football and a profession beyond the gridiron.

Discipline, effort, toughness, committment and pride are the five characteristics that are formed in the mind and applied to the life of the Alabama student athlete. 

The football student athlete, if he remains focused on the goals, will be developed to possess skills that will give him the ability to compete for a position in the National Football League. No education comes with guarantees because so much depends on the individual that is placed into the process. But the process, now in its fifth year, is clearly effective and open to those who wish to become leaders and champions.

The process has been expanded to include every sports program at the University of Alabama.

Love it or hate it, we are the capstone of sports and education in the state of Alabama and a beacon for the entire college landscape.

The football coaching staff includes Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Joe Pendry, Burton Burns, Mike Groh, Jim McElwain, Jeff Stoutland, Sal Sunseri, Chris Rumph, Bobby Williams and Jeremy Pruitt. They are assisted by Scott Cochran (strength and conditioning) and Marynowitz (Director of player personnel).

Tailgating on the Quad: Ain't Nothin' Like It Nowhere!

Alabama fans want to participate in the activities on Saturdays. The Alabama quadrangle is the center of campus activities during the school week and also on football weekends. Denny Chimes sits front and center of the Quad, directly across from the presidents Mansion.

Around the base of the bell tower are the names of the Alabama football captains dating back to 1940, named the "Captains Walk of Fame." Every year, the hands and foot impressions are ceremoniously imprinted for posterity. The captains are selected by the team at the end of each season.

And it is around this historic landmark that the fans pitch their tents and prepare for pregame and postgame festivities.

Nick Saban is clearly different from Paul Bryant in one aspect for sure. Bryant preferred that the fans sit back and take it easy when watching Alabama play football on the field.

He didn't see the need for the fans to get all worked up, become noisy and disruptive during the game. At a homecoming game pep rally in the late '70's, Bryant addressed the crowd at Bryant-Denny the night before the game and asked the fans to be real pleasant to the visitors, dress nice, sit back and enjoy the game on Saturday. He added in his familiar southern drawl, "It's gonna be real hot and you don't need to get your clothes all sweaty."

Coach Saban wants the fans to be involved and affect the game. He wants Bryant-Denny Stadium to be an intimidating and loud venue.

The fans have responded to Saban's instruction. And to get ready for the action, what better place to whet your whistle than the best tailgating venue in the Southeastern Conference.

Love it or hate it, we're gonna have a drink and we're gonna be loud!

In the End, It's All About Winning and Being No. 1

National championships are as much a tradition of the Alabama football program as grass on the field. If you're going to play the game, you might as well give it all you got and try your best to be the best. Agree or disagree, Alabama lays claim to 13 National titles, four Southern Conference championships, 22 Southeastern Conference championships, 58 postseason bowl appearances and 32 postseason victories.

Love it or hate it, it all about winning the game and claiming the national championship crown.

And at some point, you're gonna have to punch somebody in the mouth in order to get it done.

Some may do it just as good, but at Alabama, nobody does it better! So if you don't like a winner, you can just keep hatin' on Bama. And we're good with that. Roll Tide Roll.