Alabama's Rise to Prominence: A Surprising Tide of Success

Strategic Insights -

As the weekend's rivalries came to a close, a dominant Alabama team emerged as a formidable force in the college football landscape. With a perfect 10-0 record and a convincing 21-14 victory over Auburn, the Crimson Tide has surged to the top of the rankings, overtaking Penn State and moving into position behind top-rated Nebraska. This unexpected rise has significant implications for the upcoming bowl games and may ultimately influence the selection of a champion.

Key Takeaways:

  • Alabama's offense has become more accomplished and daring as the season progresses, making them a threat to overtake Penn State and move into the No. 2 position in the polls.
  • The Tide's ability to survive against Mississippi State on November 12 and hang on during Auburn's fourth-quarter comeback has marked the start of a stretch drive that may eventually influence a decisive number of voters.
  • The jockeying in the polls is just one aspect of the game's most emotional weekend, as several coaches, including Bill McCartney of Colorado and Gerry Faust of the University of Akron, faced uncertain futures.
  • Alabama will meet once-beaten Florida in the Southeastern Conference championship game on December 3, with the chance to advance to the Sugar Bowl and a potential meeting with Florida State.
  • Penn State will face Michigan State next Saturday in the final game the Spartans will play with George Perles as coach, and then will proceed to the Rose Bowl to meet Oregon, which clinched the Pacific-10 championship on Saturday.

Statistics:

  • Alabama's surge has reflected in The New York Times rankings and the two polls used by the bowl coalition, with the Tide gaining 116 points in the combined totals of The Associated Press media poll and the USA Today/CNN poll of coaches.
  • Penn State dropped to the No. 2 position behind the idle Cornhuskers in The Times ranking after a 45-17 victory over Northwestern.
  • Stanford's loss to California in the Big Game could mean that the final decision of Coach Bill Walsh may be a 2-point conversion attempt that failed with two minutes to play.
  • Rashaan Salaam, a standout player for Colorado, became the fourth player in major-college history to exceed 2,000 yards in a season, finishing with 2,055 yards.

Sources:

  • The New York Times
  • The Associated Press
  • USA Today/CNN
  • Neil A. Lewis, "Alabama, Virtually Unbeaten, Faces Hopeful Future in Polls", The New York Times, November 21, 1988