Saban knows that anything can happen and it's not just coach speak. (Photo-TDA Magazine)

Could the Upset Bug Bite Bama?

By: Larry Burton

Oklahoma losing to a 2-2 Iowa State? Unthinkable! But it happened. Clemson getting knocked off by a really mediocre Syracuse team that didn’t even have a winning record? No way Jose. But it happened.

Neither of these fan bases had this game even remotely on the radar as a potential upset game, no sportswriters saw this as a trap game either, but then we all it play out almost in total disbelief.

But that was other teams, certainly not as good as Alabama, such a thing couldn’t possibly happen to the Crimson Tide, or could it?

Upsets happen every season, but these were monumental upsets, the things of legend, games that will be talked about for years to come. Yes folks there is an epidemic this season of the upset bug and they’re biting all over the country. No one seems immune.

Looking down the list of the next few games for the Crimson Tide, there’s Arkansas this weekend, then Tennessee, LSU and Mississippi State. Alabama is a heavy favorite in all these games, but then so was Oklahoma and Clemson in theirs.

As smug as most Alabama fans are, these upsets have got a good many at least thinking and wondering if they could be the next big victim to fall to the upset bug. Though the Hogs and Vols don’t seem to fit the bill, there have been games this year when LSU and Mississippi State defied logic and won games in very convincing margins in a way that many didn’t see coming. It isn’t a rash thought to think they could get fired up again and give Alabama all they could handle.

Now before this publication starts getting hate mail, let me emphatically say that no one here, certainly not I, are saying an upset is destined in the stars, but none of us saw these other two huge upsets that clouded up the national rankings either.

But should it happen, it won’t likely be against a big rival team where Alabama will want to play their best. The most likely team would be perhaps a Mississippi State that gets red hot at home in a game where they have nothing to lose by going out and playing over their head while Alabama looks ahead to Auburn down the road.

Just thinking about it will make the next few weeks just a little more exciting.

Larry has been published in almost every media outlet for college sports and now primarily writes here for Touchdown Alabama. Follow Larry on Twitter for inside thoughts and game time comments at https://twitter.com/LBSportswriter

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