Alabama

We took a bye week with Texas A & M last week, but the UCFC is back with a vengeance today.  We have an undefeated Texas A & M team bringing the Big Gold Trophy to Tuscaloosa, Alabama for a showdown with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Now the last time we saw the Tide, it was January 2, 2014, and they were losing the Sugar Bowl to Oklahoma, 45 to 31.  Oklahoma's victory kept the UCFC in the Big XII for the 2014 and 2015 seasons, but Alabama didn't exactly sit still during those years:

1. In 2014, Alabama won the SEC and was ranked number 1 in the country going into the college football playoff -- only to lose to eventual national champions Ohio State by the score of 42 to 35.  Alabama finished the season at number 4 in the AP Poll.

2.  In 2015, Alabama won the SEC and was number 2 going into the college football playoff.  This time, they won it all -- beating Michigan State 38-0 and Clemson 45-40 for Nick Saban's fourth AP national title since he arrived in Tuscaloosa.  The others were in 2009, 2011, and 2012.

3.  So far this year, Alabama is 7-0 and ranked number 1 in the country.  They opened the season with a 52-6 win over Southern Cal in Dallas, and their only close game was a 48-43 win at Ole Miss in the third week of the season.  They have played two teams that we've seen this year, and beat both of them on the road.  Two weeks ago, they went to Fayetteville, Ark. and smashed Arkansas 49-30.  Last week, they went to Knoxville, Tenn. and crushed Tennessee 49-10.  They have scored at least 34 points in every game this year, and the defense and special teams have combined to score more touchdowns (11) than they have allowed (10).

Nick Saban could retire tomorrow and be regarded as one of the greatest coaches in the history of college football.  But if he can win one more AP title at Tuscaloosa, he will have five such trophies -- the same as the legendary Bear Bryant.  I can assure you that no Alabama fan of my generation ever thought they would see an Alabama coach who could match the Bear on that score.  But that's where Saban could end up.  He has won four of the last seven national titles, and is favored to win a fifth.  That's extraordinary.

One final note:  This is the first time that the AP's number-one team has played for the UCFC since Auburn met Oregon for the 2010 National Championship.