You know, it’s one thing to watch how Gator Nation slowly morphed into what we were two decades ago. It’s entirely another thing to read quotes like this:
Tyler Steen left one SEC team for another in Alabama, a program that is accustomed to winning championships.
He walked into a Crimson Tide locker room last year coming off a national championship game loss one season after it won a sixth title under Nick Saban.
So seeing Georgia lift the trophy in back-to-back years — including 33-18 against Alabama in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in January 2022 — isn’t sitting well at a program that had been the standard bearer in the sport, he said.
“I think there’s a lot of motivation in Tuscaloosa to bring that back,” the former Vanderbilt offensive lineman who was a third-round NFL draft pick last month by the Eagles said. “Congrats to Georgia. They’re a really good team, really good program. Alabama, Coach Saban, they’ve been doing it for over a decade now. There’s plenty of motivation this year for sure.”
…
“The standard is to every year to get to that point and win at that point,” Steen said. “Probably the results of the last two years just adds a little more to that standard, a little more motivation.”
What happens if the ’24 season plays out as many expect it will? That postseason popcorn’s gonna be mighty tasty, I suspect.
Get The Picture 
And the salt flavor on that post season popcorn will be from tide and gator tears.
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The fact that Alabama had to take a left tackle from Vanderbilt should speak volumes to how the tables have turned while we have potentially the best right tackle (likely a 1st rounder) in the college game in Mims and future stars in Blaske (under the radar as a recruit), Greene (certainly not under the radar), and Freeling (another blue chipper) at left tackle.
Not even going to compare the riches on defensive fronts between the 2 programs right now.
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If they get Metchie and Williams heathy, look out!
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I think what speaks even louder is that they took a pretty much failed QB from Notre Dame to be their new starter because what they have on hand sent shivers down Saban’s spine.
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That offense is definitely going to be better now that Bryce Young got drafted #1…..
The revenge tour Alabama promised in 2022 is happening now, for realz
We’ve been warned!!!
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Losing Will Anderson is a definite plus for the tahd!!
Of course I remember when folks around here said that losing Stafford and Moreno was a net plus for the 2009 season because the guys behind them had no nfl futures, at all. And they was serious….
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Who?
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Corch, this was actually something that Georgia fans said. There also used to be a sentiment that we needed to not get players from out of state even if they were “better” because someone from Columbus or Rockmart had more desire to win for the Dawgs. Success is a hell of a drug and amnesiac.
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I told y’all the other day about my friend’s son transferring to Bama. He’s a safety. He was basically told he’d be starting. Whether that’s true or not remains to be seen, but that means gone are the days of ‘come in to compete for a spot’ over there.
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2023 is what? Bama’s 3rd straight “rebuilding year” now?
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The reality of UGA football claiming back2back trophies means 2023 will be the bammer “throw away” season, with satan returning alabamia to national prominence in 2024, making satan, the oldest goat walking…GO DAWGS!!
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Alabama is now sending out former Vanderbilt linemen to discuss the state of the program. If this is a dream, please do not wake me up.
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Rat poison. Don’t ever think Saban will put a bad team on the field.
We can hope, but don’t count on it.
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I agree with you. But holy shit do they talk a lot about the standard and what have you. Nostalgia is what happens when you know your current situation is not as good or equal to this past. They aren’t there yet but its headed in that direction.
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Is it headed in that direction? I really don’t know. Elite QB’s & WR’s have carried the tide in recent years & that seems to be a missing ingredient on this season’s recipe. I truly hope that is the case.
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My very simple argument….last year was supposed to be possibly the greatest team of the Nick Saban era at Alabama, and they lost twice, and could have easily lost others.
Yes, they still are a great team with a great coach with the ability to be outstanding on a given day.
But the eyeball test tells me that teams are no longer in awe of them when they walk out the tunnel or when Bama punches them in the mouth.
And now, they have to try and do it, PROBABLY, with a qb who is a little more human than what they have trotted out for the past 6-8 years.
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bingo. Tyler Buchner COULD be the next Joe Burrow. Jermaine Burton may stop punching women long enough to morph into Jameson Williams real quick.
But if that doesn’t happen? Watch out. Don’t think 3 losses will be easy to swallow in T-town.
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You know what? We’ve heard enough about how you’re crazy to count Saban out etc. They may not suck this year but they ain’t winning a title. Will Saban win another one? He might but at this point I think the odds are better that he won’t than they are that he will. Every year that passes with them looking more like a normal team will make it more difficult. And personally I doubt Saban cares as much as he used to. I know he cares. I just don’t believe he’s as psycho about it as he once was. He ain’t immune to the laws of nature and Father Time is coming for his ass. Apropos of the little pissing match I had about Spurrier the other day, who here thought they would get to see Spurrier turned into the confused looking, wide eyed old man that looked and sounded like he just took an ass beating he never saw coming like he did after that last game? Who thought they would get to see him turn bitch and quit after that? It happened. Saban is gonna screw right around and hang around too long because he thinks it won’t happen to him.
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It’s not just Saban’s age. Kirby’s departure left a big hole in that program. Those glory days are getting farther away in the rear view mirror.
Kirby’s production can’t be replicated by the likes of Pruitt, Golding or Steele.
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Motivation is the mother of NIL.
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We broke Bama.
Man, that was weird to type.
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Perhaps Bama could somehow back into the SECCG for Kirby’s coup d’tat to complete his ascension.
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Saban is gonna be drunk karaoke singing this again this year.
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