re: Alabama Football: 1996-2008

quote:

---

I have a hard time calling a period where we had 4 10 win seasons, a conference championship, and should have played for another in 2002 as the "dark ages".

---

We also had an SEC championship in the 1950s and came very close to winning it twice more that decade, despite the fact that the 50s are regarded as the true "dark age" of Alabama football. And all of that occurred before Bryant arrived in Tuscaloosa.

The period of 1997-2007 was almost just as bad of a decade as the 1950s was. Like the 50s, we won an SEC title (1999) and came close to winning it again twice more (2002, 2005). And like the 50s, we had multiple losing seasons. Granted there were 5 losing seasons between 1950-1960 compared to just 4 losing seasons between 1997-2007. There were also quite a few blow outs in the latter period, particularly between 1997-2004.

Alabama's record between 1997-2007 was 74-61 (.548) compared to 58-49-12 (.537) between 1950-1960. So if you are going to call the 50s a dark age for Alabama football you also have to call 1997-2007 a dark age for Alabama football as well.