Bama Flexs Muscles It Hasn't Used Since the 70's

For me last Saturday's game against Clemson was more than a dominating win. It was a surreal déjà vu experience hearkening back to the 70's. Don't misinterpret what I am saying , we have had many dominating wins since the 70's, but somehow they weren't quite the same.

Ray Perkins had his dominating win against Mississippi in 1983 winning 40-0. He also had Alabama's first losing season since 1957. I was just never confident how the team would play during those three years.

I, like most Alabama fans grumbled when Bill Curry was hired. Alabama doesn't hire Ga Tech. folks Ga. Tech hires Alabama folks. Like Perkins, Mississippi was Curry's most dominating win against an SEC team. Unlike many of his predecessors the win came with the loser scoring 27 points. Curry was sometimes dominated, like in the '87 game with Notre Dame that Bama lost 6-37.

Then came Gene Stallings. During the Stallings era the joke was you got you money's worth because every minute of the game was pivotal to outcome. Thinking back to the '92 season, all year it seemed to be touch and go with the outcome in doubt until the final tick of the game clock. Then came the national championship game where Bama dominated Miami. However, based on how the season had gone up to that point, I kept thinking somehow we would let Miami back in the game. In reality, the games weren't that close with Stallings' teams averaging 16 more points than the opposition - it just felt close.

Mike DuBose's most dominating win came against Mississippi. Are you starting to sense a trend? It came in 2000 during his final season. The Dubose years were painful. They have been well-chronicled, so I won't dredge it all back up again.

Dennis Franchione was the second coach in the post-Bryant era that I felt could win, but I never trusted him. My wife thought I was crazy at his press conference when I said I was excited and wary of him at the same time. Fran's most dominating game was our last victory over Auburn in 2001. We were underdogs, but I went into that game expecting to win, and we did. I believe that Fran would have been successful at Alabama if he had stayed. Unfortunately, I was correct in not trusting him.

Mike Shula had his most (only?) dominating game against Florida in 2005, or his "signature" win as it was referred to. Like Mike DuBose, Shula's time at the Capstone has been well documented and we don't need to rehash it.

So what was the 70's like? Alabama won 102 games out of 128 (80%) with an average margin of victory of nearly 25 points. I watched each game never thinking we would lose, and when we did it was devastating. Like most Alabama fans, I could always find something to complain about. I remember in '78 only beating Florida by 11 points and Tennessee by 17 - I just knew this "poor" performance would knock us out of contention for the national title. There was aire of confidence around the program and its fans. I felt those same feelings last Saturday night.

During the Clemson game I never doubted we would win. Our team was in control and our coach was in control of the team. Don't get me wrong, I suspect we will lose some games before this season is over and I don't think Julio Jones will win four Heismans wearing Crimson. But there is one thing that I know, and that is if Nick Saban stays at Alabama, last Saturday night will be referred to as where Alabama's latest dynasty began. Mark it down.

Roll Tide!