No one wanted to face the Detroit Pistons in the 1980s, the New England Patriots as it’s on an unprecedented run, or the Boston Red Sox when it had both Manny Ramirez and David Oritz.
What all three teams had it common was a villain persona given to them via franchises that were intimated by them.
This same tactic is currently being felt in Tuscaloosa for the University of Alabama football program, as it prepares for the College Football Playoff.
Upon losing to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, a war of debate sparked amongst fans and national media pundits on whether the Crimson Tide should go into the playoff over Ohio State.
Despite head coach Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes winning the Big Ten Conference Championship Game, the lackluster fashion in which it defeated Wisconsin did not sit well with the playoff committee.
In going with the Tide over Ohio State, questions concerning the committee’s integrity and thoughts on both Southeastern Conference and Alabama bias surfaced through social media.
While the masses of college football refuse to believe that Alabama deserved to be in the picture, Nick Saban and company are fine with being overlooked.
Defensive backs Minkah Fitzpatrick and Levi Wallace both were present for interviews earlier today, and both are just fine with the Tide being dubbed as “villains” of college football.
“People were counting us out that didn’t want us in,” Fitzpatrick said of Alabama being in the playoff. “Some people just don’t like us, which is true. But, I think it helps as motivation.”
Wallace, who leads the team in pass breakups (12) and interceptions (three), said the hatred that many people have for the Tide comes from this institution consistently being good every year.
“That’s just something Coach Saban instilled in us,” Wallace said. “Trying to be the best we can be so, just being the University of Alabama we are definitely the bad guys in college football.”
Whether you hate them or not, the villains will be on display at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La., on Jan. 1, 2018 for its matchup with Clemson in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
