Tide Fans -
I have no voice,my throat hurts, my insides ache, my feet are sore...but I feel no pain! I have heard it over and over in the past day, and there is no better word to describe it...DOMINATION! That was a full fledged old school Bama ass whipping, and I loved every second of it! I was a mere spectator at the game, yet I feel like I played in it. I could possibly have a hernia from yelling so loud, and my calves had not seen that kind of a workout from jumping up and down in years. The atmosphere in the Georgia Dome was incredible before, during, and after the game. You would have thought a National Championship game was about to take place - both Clemson and Alabama fans were loud and proud. Clemson stopped enjoying the atmosphere soon after kickoff. As ESPN said...."The Pontiac game changing performance play for this week took place when Bama got off the bus!"
Alabama has not played Clemson in a very long time, so I have really not had any reason to dislike them. At 7:20 Friday evening before kickoff,and after a few adult beverages, I began to dislike Clemson. I didn't really have a reason, except for they were The Tide's next opponent, and it is a natural reaction for me. My dislike of Clemson grew to near hatred after and evening of listening to the stupid one cheer they have, and listening to their fans mouth off about their ACC power. ACC power? Do those words go together? My animosity to Clemson only grew the next day leading up to the game. Same cheer, same annoying ACC fans, etc... only to be capped off by finding 2 snappily dressed Clemson fans sitting directly in front of me at he game...right in the heart of the Alabama section. They actually talked about how this was their first step towards the National Championship...all I could do was just smile and let The Tide do the work!
I love a powerful defense, and we could not have asked for more Saturday night. Our team looked focused, and on a mission. The defense reminded me of the swarming Tide defenses of old - the ones that won all our games when we had no offense. The offense was like a machine...just driving and driving down the field...it was soo satisfying to watch 7 and 8 minute drives. We looked in control the entire game. The team exuded a confidence we have not seen in some time. It was a beautiful sight, and I could not get enough of it!
There was a lot of talk about our freshman on this team. Most of the time when there is a lot of hype - it doesn't pan out. Our freshman delivered in a huge way. While many people thought Julio was going to steal the spotlight, it was another true freshman that took center stage. I am now officially declaring my "Man Crush" of this season, and it is #22, freshman, Mark Ingram. What an incredible display of power running from an 18 year old. He made the Clemson linebackers look like pee wee football players. Running through, over, and bouncing off their would be tackles - it was ridiculous!! If you have not watched a replay of the game, please do so, because you will once again be in awe of his running display.
There are sooo many good things to talk about from this game, but I can only cover a few without posting an 10 page blog, and having several of you fired for wasting work time reading this blog (even though I hardly think it is a waste of time)!
This was an incredible game, with a very old school Alabama approach. Big defense, and a punishing clock consuming offense. It was as close to a perfect game as we have seen in a while. We are off to a great start, and it will be hard for many Bama fans to not get big headed and start talking about championships. While it was an incredible performance, The Tide still has a long ways to go, and the schedule only gets tougher in a few weeks. If we can keep up this defensive intensity with the consistency at offense I think we will all be very pleased by this seasons outcome. While I would like to yell and scream about how we are going to crush everyone we play, I am going to maintain a quiet confidence. We have only played one game - it was a great one, but it is still only one game. I am extremely proud of The Tide, and Saturday proves that hard work pays off, and Coach Saban's process does work. We are not "there" yet, but I think we are getting much closer!
Players I love from this week:
- Mark "Man Crush" Ingram (unbelievable running display)
- Terrence Cody (Mount Cody is for real, and surprisingly fast for 365 pounds)
- Julio Jones (Loved how after scoring his first of many touchdowns for Bama he just hands the ball to the ref!)
- The entire defense - what a performance!!! (Speed kills...ask Clemson QB Cullen Harper)
Things we need to improve so I can sleep better:
- I have nothing here this week! :)
Tip of the week:
- If you ever go see a game in the Georgia Dome, take plenty of cash...beer is expensive!!
I am looking forward to this next game against Tulane, and I hope to see the same intensity from our team. We cannot look past anyone - one game at a time. I may have just a little swagger going in to the next game....just a little!
Until next week - Roll Tide!!
Jason
