Tide Tidbits - January 3, 2009

It was painful to watch...

Unbeaten Utah humbles Saban, No. 4 'Bama
Coach Nick Saban and the Alabama players repeatedly said the Sugar Bowl will be a key to how this team will be remembered. If true, that's bad news for the No. 4 Crimson Tide. Down to its third-team left tackle, Alabama's offensive line uncharacteristically struggled and its normally stingy defense was victimized by quarterback Brian Johnson and No. 7 Utah in a 31-17 Sugar Bowl loss Friday night.

"We weren't ready for them."
For nearly a month, lightly regarded Utah was the sideshow to the expected celebration that would mark Alabama's return to the Sugar Bowl. The game itself was a very different story. The underdog Utes struck a blow for non-BCS teams everywhere, stunning the Crimson Tide like no one in the previous year for a 31-17 victory. "We weren't ready for them," Alabama nose tackle Terrence Cody said. "They took control of the game and that's how they set the tempo. I was stunned."

Utah proves it can play in the big time against the SEC
They play football in Utah. Really good football. The Utes can take that chip off their shoulder now. They belong in the Bowl Championship Series. They belong on the field with the best teams in the country. Just ask the University of Alabama. Friday night in the Sugar Bowl, No 7 Utah took the No. 4 Crimson Tide to school. The Utes beat Bama like it was Wyoming.

The Tide Will Rise Again!