The reviews are in, and they are Godfather awful. Godfather III, that is.
“Irresponsible … Disingenuous … Makes no sense … Does a disservice to the casuals who see this thinking it means something important.”
What positively awful attempt at absolute cinema inspired this level of vitriol? The following X post, written, directed and produced by yours truly, which premiered late Saturday night:
“Alabama went 7-6 in Nick Saban’s first season. Four of the wins were one-score games.”
Your blowback came fast and furious. Your feelings didn’t care about my facts. You made it clear that any implied comparison between Saban’s first season as the Alabama coach in 2007 and Kalen DeBoer’s debut this year is as misguided as the Crimson Tide’s mismanagement at the end of both halves in its narrow escape against South Carolina.
You said “the cupboard was bare” when Saban arrived. You said DeBoer and Saban were handed the keys to completely different vehicles. “A Mercedes vs. a Chevette.” “A Rolls Royce vs. a Subaru with 200k miles.”
Surprisingly, no one said chauffeured limo vs. clown car.
Interesting that this debate broke out the day Mike Shula returned to his alma mater as a senior offensive assistant with South Carolina. After a long run on different NFL staffs, this is his first college job since Alabama fired him as head coach after the 2006 season to go get Saban.
Mission accomplished there by Mal Moore, and in a less obvious way, by Shula himself in his four seasons in Tuscaloosa. The former Tide quarterback was not ready for prime time, but he guided the program through the wreckage left behind by Mike DuBose’s probation, Dennis Franchione’s escape and Mike Price’s shenanigans.
Saban’s second Alabama team reached No. 1 in the nation as it rolled through an unbeaten regular season. That team led No. 2 Florida to start the fourth quarter of the 2008 SEC Championship Game. If Tim Tebow hadn’t done Tebow things in those final 15 minutes, the Crimson Tide would have played and likely beaten Oklahoma in the BCS Championship Game, as the Gators did.
Shula’s fingerprints were all over that 2008 Alabama roster.
He signed 17 of the 22 players who started that big game against Florida: 10 on offense – including quarterback John Parker Wilson, leading rusher Glen Coffee and the entire O-line – and seven on defense – each of whom ranked among the team’s top 10 tacklers for the season.
He also signed the kicker, the punter and star return man Javier Arenas.
