Very proud but hurting.

It was fall 1999. I was in elementary school and the alabama football season was about to start. I was excited. It was mike duboses 3rd season and I thought we would be better than the year before. The season started and early on we lost to La Tech. I was mad. I was alive during the 1992 season but dont remember a thing and I would always hear how great alabama was. I didnt care. I wanted to experience the greatness now. Then the happiest moment for me as an alabama fan happened. We went to the Swamp and beat Florida.(Even after all those championships with saban, that win at the swamp was on a another level. I was kid and everything is bigger when you are a kid.)And then we beat florida again!!!! Incredible. SEC Champs!!!! I was so happy. We were going to play Michigan in the Orange Bowl on Jan 1. And it wasnt any ordinary Jan 1, it was Jan 1, 2000. New millennium. Y2K. A whole another level.


The game starts. We are up 14-0. Then 14-14. Then we go up 28-14. Then 28-28 and it goes into overtime. Michigan starts first and then scores. 35-28. Then we get the ball and score. 35-34. Ready for the PAT and we miss. Game over. 35-34. Michigan Wins. I experienced a pain I had never experienced as an alabama fan I hadnt experienced....until this rose bowl. Not even the SECCG 2008, IB 2010, lsu 9-6, IB 2013, sugar bowl loss the osu, both clemson losses in the title game, uga loss in the championship gave me the pain that I felt after the orange bowl and rose bowl losses.

But why? Those seasons were very similar. 1999 we started off poorly and we won the sec and this year we started off poorly and we won the sec. But there was also another reason. This rose bowl made me feel like a kid again. I always wanted alabama to play in pasadena on jan 1. And wanted them to play USC/Michigan/Ohio State. I wanted the perfect weather and I wanted the pageantry.
I remember before championship saturday people were talking about a b10/pac12 rose bowl would be perfect because this was the last season of the pac 12. People wanted tradition. But deep down, I knew the one thing that could trump a b10/pac12 rose bowl would be a michigan/alabama rose bowl. We beat georgia and I knew we were going to the playoff. I knew deep down the committee thought we were the 4 best teams and I believed the committee wanted an alabama/michigan rose bowl over texas or fsu/michigan rose bowl. The playoffs selection was announced and I was so excited. We got michigan in pasadena on jan 1 for the rose bowl and winner goes to the championship. Alabama was also playing in the white jerseys which is my favorite uniform in all of sports (it makes the crimson helmet, lettering, numbers stand out) Everything was setting up perfectly. The past month, I would watch highlights of old rose bowls again just to listen to Keith Jackson say "The Granddaddy of them all," Brent Musburger say "The San Gabriel Mountains," and the old BCS on ABC theme. I rarely check the weather but for the last couple of weeks I would check pasadenas weather. I got nervous. There was potential for rain and it did rain a couple of days before gameday. Then gameday comes along and perfect weather. 60s and clear blue skies.

The game started off poorly but eventually alabama was up late in the 4th quarter. I started to believe. The one thing left for me to experience as an alabama fan was a rose bowl win in Pasadena on jan 1....and then michigan had their drive and scored to tie the game. The game goes into overtime and we lose just like that orange bowl. It gave me a pain just like that orange bowl. We loss in a similar manner in ot.

But thats ok. It ok to feel sad. It makes me feel alive. It makes appreciate all that this dynasty has accomplished. It makes appreciate the 1997-2006 dubose/franchione/shula years because what alabama was before saban and it puts into perspective where alabama is now. Growing up I knew that tubs was 7-3 (6 straight) against bama because auburn fans would talk about it non stop. To be honest, i dont know what sabans record against auburn is at alabama but i know that he has 6 national championships. I am just really proud of everybody making it this far. I thought we were a 7-5 team after usf.