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It has been a long week for Alabama football. That does not just include the players and coaches who suffered defeat at the hands of ultimate underdog Vanderbilt last Saturday, but also the alumni and past greats who have roamed the Crimson Tide sidelines.
Nick Saban was brutally mocked for his past comments about the Commodores' modest crowd support. FirstBank Stadium did not appear to be quiet after Vanderbilt's momentous victory over what was the No. 1 ranked team in the country at the time. Raucous fans removed the goal post and carried it through Nashville and to the Cumberland River. Bedlam aside, Saban is actually happy to see the perpetually dejected fan base express genuine elation.
The seven-time national champion and current analyst for ESPN College GameDay obviously did not enjoy seeing some of the players he coached endure such a devastating loss, but he firmly believes a relevant Vanderbilt football team is good for the entire sport.
“I think it is awesome,” Saban told The Pat McAfee Show, via AL.com's Nick Kelly. “I think it’s good for the SEC if Vanderbilt is good and has hope and has a chance. And I think they do. The quarterback, their offense, they’ve done a really good job this year … I mean, they beat Virginia Tech. That’s a significant accomplishment as well.”
Vanderbilt football has new life
Saban's assessment is accurate, but the last part of his soundbite is probably what all of Tuscaloosa is going to shout at the College Football Playoff selection committee until the end of the season. “Come on, they beat the Hokies and almost took down Mizzou in their house, you have to let us in.”
Nevertheless, the Commodores deserve their due. Diego Pavia made several clutch throws and displayed admirable guts against one of the most intimidating brands in sports. The defense made plays in its own right, preventing Heisman candidate Jalen Milroe from putting up the kind of monster performance he did versus Georgia the week before. Vandy head coach Clark Lea secured the signature victory and moment he had been striving towards since he arrived in Nashville in 2021, and it surpassed even his wildest dreams.
Now comes the ultimate test, though. Can Vanderbilt build off this breakthrough? The team will have its hands full when it battles a stout Kentucky defense on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Alabama football tries to turn the page on their nightmarish afternoon in Nashville and snap back versus the visiting South Carolina Gamecocks. Order may very well be restored, but after what transpired in Week 6, few will be bold enough to make strong proclamations.
