The point is this, even if football doesn’t make the College Football Playoff it was a heck of a weekend for the Crimson Tide — the kind that can have longterm impacts.
Alabama athletics have grown to the point that when football season ends there’s often a feeling among the fan base of “Ok, that was cool. What’s next?”
This year no one will have to wait as soccer will play in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, and there’s no longer any doubt that this basketball team is pretty good and should be in the mix for the Southeastern Conference title, if not more.
In case you missed it on Monday, the latest ranking had Alabama and Arkansas tied at No. 1 in the AP Top 25, Tennessee at No. 13, Auburn at No. 15, and preseason favorite Kentucky at No. 19. That’s going to make for a fun season.
Moreover, if beating outgoing No. 1 wasn’t enough, Alabama will visit the new No. 1, Houston, on Dec. 10 (assuming the Cougars don’t lose St. Mary’s or North Florida this upcoming week).
Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide hosts South Dakota State on Saturday in what should be a rocking Coleman Coliseum.
But adding to the optimism are three things:
1) The team wasn’t at full strength for the Phil Knight Invitational.
2) A lot of the new guys are still sort of getting their feet wet at playing both at this level, and with each other. The same goes for a lot of the transfers.
3) Point guard Javon Quinerly is barely back from a knee injury. He’s still trying to get his legs.
“For Quinerly not being cleared to play a couple of weeks ago and come in and play 44 minutes, I didn’t think it was one of his best shooting performances for sure, but he still ends up with 21 points, six rebounds and eight assists, I think that is still a good stat line for a guy that was not cleared to play two weeks ago,” head coach Nate Oats said after the UNC victory.
Buckle up was the manta of the previous basketball administration, but everyone should do just that with this group. Everyone but Byrne, that is.
The more the basketball team wins, the more excitement surrounding the program, and the more money he might be able to raise for the Crimson Standard and toward the proposed new area.
Don’t forget, though, there are other facility projects in the works as well, including yet another upgrade to Bryant-Denny Stadium. We’re still on only phase two of three of the massive initiative.
He’s going to be busy.
