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Hating on the $EC - Mostly Alabama (and a little Georgia too)

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  • It was a blustery and frozen night as I entered the dank, austere surroundings of the Liberty Bowl on the late December night of 1982. Slow barges lumbered down the Mighty River. Blues bands played a somber dirge - as if they were heralding in a fresh lamb to the slaughter.

    The Mighty Fighting Illini were big. They were strong. They were mean. The wounded and much-beleaguered Crimson Tide team formed a thin red line as they shielded themselves from the cold and valiantly headed onto the tundra that night.

    The rifle-armed All-American, Tony Eason, set his angular jaw against the gale-like, frozen winds on that dark Memphis night. Like a gridiron Baryshnikov, Eason’s 6’4” frame danced nimbly through the pregame warm-ups as he focused his mind on the task at hand: Embarrassing – no humiliating – the great, but terminally ill Paul Bryant and his rag-tag band of undersized and injured players...

    Head Coach of the Mighty Fighting Illini, Mike White, knew a pro career lay ahead of him. He chuckled slightly as he perused the gameplan and thought to himself, “This is Bryant’s last game. I’ll make him wish he’d quit sooner.”

    The ailing Bryant grimaced as he slowly emerged from the tunnel. Heart disease was killing him and he knew his doctors had warned him about coaching this game, especially considering the extremely harsh weather. He struggled to keep from letting his family – the players – see him in such mind-searing pain as he covertly placed a nitroglycerin tablet under his tongue. He never wanted this game to be about him. He simply wanted the players to hold their heads high and compete honorably for the University, their families, and most importantly, themselves. “Make your mamas proud," he growled as the last of the players and trainers ran from the tunnel.

    Somehow, Alabama had managed to keep it close through most of the game; however, Eason was driving his team for what should have been the winning score. But Alabama's defense came through ... one last time for Bryant. Afterward, the young Illinois coach said that he had never seen a team hit as hard as Alabama that day. Bama was outgunned and out-manned, but they played with incredible heart and won the game for Bear on desire and grit alone.

    That fateful Liberty Bowl was played on December 29, 1982. Less than one month later Bryant would die of heart disease. Coincidentally, less than one month after that, his beloved wife of 59 years, Mary Harmon Bryant, would die, too.

    From the time Bryant first prowled the sidelines at the University of Alabama in 1958, until the day he died in 1983, no other team in the Nation won as many games, had as high of a winning percentage, or as many championships. And no one was really even close.
    "The problem with quotes on the Internet is that it is sometimes hard to verify their authenticity." -Abraham Lincoln

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    • Originally posted by WM Wolverine View Post
      For awhile the Rose Bowl didn't involve the B1G so USC was able to play there far more often too, 30's & 40's I believe.

      That crazy B1G rule did hurt, no doubt.
      "The problem with quotes on the Internet is that it is sometimes hard to verify their authenticity." -Abraham Lincoln

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      • when the Alamo bowl used to be 12 vs 10, the 12 outnumbered the 10 in every game I remember. I'd say UNL outnumber Michigan 2:1 when they played..

        I also think where your alumni retire impacts bowl attendance. UNL will always do pretty well in Arz and Texas as a result. Florida, not so much.
        Grammar... The difference between feeling your nuts and feeling you're nuts.

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        • For awhile the Rose Bowl didn't involve the B1G so USC was able to play there far more often too, 30's & 40's I believe.
          Correct.

          How many teams did the best team in the B1G not play in the Rose bowl because you couldn't play it two times in a roll? That helped USC's Rose Bowl record I'm sure and hurt some teams that didn't belong there.
          None, actually. I think every team they played in the Rose Bowl up until they did away with the no-repeat rule was the B10 champ.
          Last edited by iam416; August 21, 2016, 02:25 PM.
          Dan Patrick: What was your reaction to [Urban Meyer being hired]?
          Brady Hoke: You know.....not....good.

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          • Just fact checked, B1G teams played in 1 Rose Bowl (Ohio State) from '16 to '46. USC went 7-1 during that period. Only loss was in '46 to Bama.

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            • That 1945 Bama team was a great team.
              "The problem with quotes on the Internet is that it is sometimes hard to verify their authenticity." -Abraham Lincoln

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              • Originally posted by iam416 View Post
                Correct.



                None, actually. I think every team they played in the Rose Bowl up until they did away with the no-repeat rule was the B10 champ.
                I can think of at least one year where Ohio State benefited from the no-repeat rule...1954. And it was USC who went to the Rose Bowl instead of the much-superior UCLA.

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                • Just fact checked, B1G teams played in 1 Rose Bowl (Ohio State) from '16 to '46. USC went 7-1 during that period. Only loss was in '46 to Bama.
                  Correct. Though, they were fortunate they didn't play Army in the 1946 Rose Bowl.
                  Dan Patrick: What was your reaction to [Urban Meyer being hired]?
                  Brady Hoke: You know.....not....good.

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                  • Originally posted by AlabamAlum View Post
                    That said, even at LSU's Death Valley, Bama has a great record there. We are 26-8-2 vs those morons in Baton Rouge.
                    Wrote that wrong originally.
                    Last edited by AlabamAlum; August 21, 2016, 02:38 PM.
                    "The problem with quotes on the Internet is that it is sometimes hard to verify their authenticity." -Abraham Lincoln

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                    • Originally posted by iam416 View Post
                      Correct. Though, they were fortunate they didn't play Army in the 1946 Rose Bowl.

                      It would have been a great game. Not Bama's fault Army was too chicken to play.
                      "The problem with quotes on the Internet is that it is sometimes hard to verify their authenticity." -Abraham Lincoln

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                      • I can think of at least one year where Ohio State benefited from the no-repeat rule...1954. And it was USC who went to the Rose Bowl instead of the much-superior UCLA.
                        Correct, though it had no impact on the national title as voting was pre-bowl. But, yes, seeing the co-national champs play would have been nice.

                        That said, I think the P8 did away with the no-repeat rule earlier than the B10.
                        Dan Patrick: What was your reaction to [Urban Meyer being hired]?
                        Brady Hoke: You know.....not....good.

                        Comment


                        • They just highlighted the 1972 theft in Olympic Basketball. It was worse that SEC officiating.
                          "The problem with quotes on the Internet is that it is sometimes hard to verify their authenticity." -Abraham Lincoln

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                          • Day in the life of Saban:

                            "The problem with quotes on the Internet is that it is sometimes hard to verify their authenticity." -Abraham Lincoln

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                            • I believe when MSU went to the Rose Bowl, it was pretty slanted in attendance for Spartan faithful, they gobbled up every available ticket. I want to say they had about 60K in attendance. It is a once in a generation thing for State. They don't go very often but when they do, they normally get the W.

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                              • Bama travels well. It upsets folks. We usually get great numbers for all away games.
                                "The problem with quotes on the Internet is that it is sometimes hard to verify their authenticity." -Abraham Lincoln

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