Alabama football was building itself to be college football’s standard in 2009, but it had to take down Florida to do it.
It made a statement against the Gators, silencing doubters and beginning a run of dominance.
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Nick Saban and Alabama became the gold standard in 2009, but will an SEC Championship matchup be something where the Tide has to reestablish itself as king of the sport? The narrative looks that way, especially with national media pundits crowning Georgia as the ‘new standard’ of college football. Georgia is a two-time defending national champion, and it’s trying to be the first program to three-peat in the modern era. Florida was a two-time BCS National Champion in 2006 and 2008 under Urban Meyer before Saban and the Tide snatched the crown. Blake Sims, a former Alabama quarterback, sees Saturday’s game as an opportunity for Saban to send a message that he still runs the sport. Sims sees this matchup like the ’09 one versus Florida.
This game Saturday feels like 2009 SEC championship against Florida
— Blake Sims (@blakesims) November 30, 2023
Alabama needs to make a statement that it’s not finished running the college football landscape. Coach Saban will have his team ready to go at Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 3:00 p.m. CT for a shot to get into the College Football Playoff.
He took dominance away from Florida to win his first national championship at Alabama, but can Saban undercut Kirby Smart to keep the dynasty talk away from Georgia? This weekend will tell the story.
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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 @CoachingMSmith.
