If you ask the average college football fan why the sport trumps all others, he or she might point to this past weekend as proof.
Three of the nation’s top-four teams were upset, with two of the upsets coming against unranked teams.
It’s that randomness — that ability for any team to win any given game — that makes college football special. That, along with the disproportionate disparity between teams compared to other leagues.
After all, if the Browns beat the Cowboys, that’s an upset, sure. But since both teams have similar resources and the ability to draft the same players, it’s not Earth-shattering.
Meanwhile, when Appalachian State beat No. 6 Michigan in 2007 or when Georgia Southern beat Florida in 2013, small earthquakes undoubtedly ensued on those respective campuses. It’s just a better story when a bunch of two-star recruits take down a team of five-stars. Sports fans appreciate that kind of drama.
But what happens when one team manages to be so far ahead of the others that it shifts that disparity, changing the college football dynamic from “elite” programs against “regular” ones to one super-elite program against everyone else?
Well, Alabama happens. And it’s made the game less fun.
Actually, I’m sorry.
Alabama is happening.
Just yesterday, the Crimson Tide hauled in a commitment from four-star offensive tackle recruit Jedrick Wills to regain their spot atop the national recruiting rankings. The last time the Tide didn’t finish with the No. 1 class was in 2010.
And it shows on the field. Up and down Alabama’s depth chart you’ll find nothing but five- and four-star players. Which makes sense given that Alabama coach Nick Saban can basically promise potential recruits a national title. Every class he’s ever brought to Tuscaloosa has won at least one.
There are many other metrics that could put the Tide’s dominance into perspective, but I’ll only use one. Alabama hasn’t lost to an unranked team since 2007.
Think about that for a second.
Most college football teams — even elite ones — lose to underdogs. It’s what makes the game fun, and again, it’s why No. 3 Clemson losing to unranked Pittsburgh and No. 2 Michigan losing to unranked Iowa on Saturday had fans storming the field in Iowa City and staying in their seats in Death Valley.
But against Alabama, that fun no longer exists. Even though the Tide aren’t infallible, going undefeated only once under Saban, they only lose to the toppest of top-tier teams. Thanks to Saban’s recruiting efforts, there’s just no chance for anyone outside the top-10.
And yes, that does create a scenario where every team targets ‘Bama. Just look at ESPN’s College Gameday for evidence. Seemingly every week someone in the show’s audience brings out a sign reading “(Insert school name here) wants Bama!”
Yet even the good teams rarely contend. They might not be infallible, but the Crimson Tide regularly massacre the best competition in the Southeastern Conference.
Watching them is like hoping against hope you’ll get the present you wanted for Christmas only to find s--- in your stocking. Even if sometimes you get the present, there’s only so many times you’ll stick your hand in s--- before you just stop trying and walk away.
And I don’t want to put any blame on Nick Saban for making the game boring. He can’t help being the best at his job.
Nevertheless, the sport will be better for everyone outside Tuscaloosa with him gone.
Ethan Bauer is the assistant sports editor. Contact him at ebauer@alligator.org or follow him on Twitter @ebaueri.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban tries to get the referee's attention as the play clock approaches zero in the second half of an NCAA college football game against LSU in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. Alabama won 10-0. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
