Started By
Message
Bama fans: where was your excitement level after 1999, 2002, and 2005?
Posted on 1/15/21 at 11:32 pm
Posted on 1/15/21 at 11:32 pm
All of the talk of appreciating championships has me wondering this. This is NOT a troll, just an honest question. Stallings injected that program with much needed success, but things were obviously rough transitioning to DuBose. You guys were well past the perennial power days of Bryant, and Nick Saban wasn’t a household name yet.
DuBose first two years weren’t anything special, but suddenly in 1999 you ride Alexander to an SEC title after an inexplicable loss to LaTech. Only lost the Orange because of a missed PAT. We all know how that ride finished...
You get Franchione who was a hot name at the time. Things look up, and in year 2 you would have won the West. Anybody who watched the OU game knew that Bama was solid. Then the Tide dominated in their SEC wins...games weren’t even close. A blessing in disguise that he bailed for TAMU.
Mike Shula takes over. I don’t think he was a popular name, but the 2005 season was a nice surprise. I’m not sure he could have gotten more out of that team. Did anyone think Mike was the future?
I’m just wondering what the level of optimism was after these seasons. They all had their own level of surprise, and things ended abruptly.
DuBose first two years weren’t anything special, but suddenly in 1999 you ride Alexander to an SEC title after an inexplicable loss to LaTech. Only lost the Orange because of a missed PAT. We all know how that ride finished...
You get Franchione who was a hot name at the time. Things look up, and in year 2 you would have won the West. Anybody who watched the OU game knew that Bama was solid. Then the Tide dominated in their SEC wins...games weren’t even close. A blessing in disguise that he bailed for TAMU.
Mike Shula takes over. I don’t think he was a popular name, but the 2005 season was a nice surprise. I’m not sure he could have gotten more out of that team. Did anyone think Mike was the future?
I’m just wondering what the level of optimism was after these seasons. They all had their own level of surprise, and things ended abruptly.
20
Posted on 1/15/21 at 11:45 pm to TexasTiger08
As a middle school kid in 2005, I felt pretty good but man, most of my childhood days puffing my chest about Alabama football and the glory days of 1992 got me chuckled at pretty hard.
I grew up in tough times.
I grew up in tough times.
Posted on 1/15/21 at 11:48 pm to TexasTiger08
Wire to Wire.
edit: wrong thread, sorry. But to answer your questions, I was hopeful after 99, don’t remember 02-05. Sorta tuned out of football for a few seasons......was deployed a lot.
edit: wrong thread, sorry. But to answer your questions, I was hopeful after 99, don’t remember 02-05. Sorta tuned out of football for a few seasons......was deployed a lot.
This post was edited on 1/15/21 at 11:55 pm
Posted on 1/15/21 at 11:49 pm to TexasTiger08
Alabama was #3 in the 2000 preseason poll but a road opener v. UCLA pretty much announced to everyone there were big problems.
2003 was expecting a train wreck and got it since they hired the new staff after Spring camp due to Mike Price’s taste in women.
2006 was the litmus year for Shula. Everyone kinda realized they limped to the finish in 2005 and got by on his DC’s good work. I think some thought we’d be pretty decent but I was not surprised when Shula got fired.
2003 was expecting a train wreck and got it since they hired the new staff after Spring camp due to Mike Price’s taste in women.
2006 was the litmus year for Shula. Everyone kinda realized they limped to the finish in 2005 and got by on his DC’s good work. I think some thought we’d be pretty decent but I was not surprised when Shula got fired.
This post was edited on 1/15/21 at 11:51 pm
Posted on 1/15/21 at 11:53 pm to TexasTiger08
I gotta be honest -
I somehow found some reason to believe we would win the national championship each one of those years. In fact, I thought at one point, because Mike Shula resembled a young bear bryant that he was the next one to bring us to glory. His dad is Don Shula right??
Man... what a mind frick it was being born in the 80s and growing up loving Bama...
and then there was Saban.
I somehow found some reason to believe we would win the national championship each one of those years. In fact, I thought at one point, because Mike Shula resembled a young bear bryant that he was the next one to bring us to glory. His dad is Don Shula right??
Man... what a mind frick it was being born in the 80s and growing up loving Bama...
and then there was Saban.
This post was edited on 1/15/21 at 11:55 pm
Posted on 1/15/21 at 11:56 pm to TexasTiger08
After 1999 I was supremely excited. 2000 was a major letdown.
As 2002 progressed I was excited thinking we had found our coach for the future. I was dumbstruck when he left for A&M.
2005 did not leave me feeling thrilled for the next year. We were a good team but the best teams of the day (LSU and Auburn) were still clearly better than we were.
As 2002 progressed I was excited thinking we had found our coach for the future. I was dumbstruck when he left for A&M.
2005 did not leave me feeling thrilled for the next year. We were a good team but the best teams of the day (LSU and Auburn) were still clearly better than we were.
Posted on 1/15/21 at 11:57 pm to TexasTiger08
In 1999 Alabama had just won the SEC. I saw Dubose carrying on stallings legacy. I was wrong.
In 2002 I was hyped. I was a sophomore in college at Alabama. Then we lost to auburn. And Fran was out. Bad times.
In 2005. We won the cotton bowl. Shula was our guy. He inked a top 10 class. Then 2006 sucked.
And then Saban arrived.
In 2002 I was hyped. I was a sophomore in college at Alabama. Then we lost to auburn. And Fran was out. Bad times.
In 2005. We won the cotton bowl. Shula was our guy. He inked a top 10 class. Then 2006 sucked.
And then Saban arrived.
Posted on 1/15/21 at 11:57 pm to vuvuzela
Alabama was ranked #4 in the Orange Bowl in 1999. If they don’t lose to La Tech, do they get into the BCS Championship Game over Va Tech, even with one loss to Tennessee?
Posted on 1/15/21 at 11:59 pm to FourThreeForty
quote:
As a middle school kid in 2005
You’re a young’n
But for real, my first FB memories are from 1992, but none from the title game. As a 90’s child, I didn’t grasp Bama history. I associated them with mediocrity, and a good season or two sprinkled in...kinda like everybody in the SECW. It was Florida and Tennessee’s world at the time, so when ‘99 happened, it was kind of nice to see the Tide in a major game.
Posted on 1/16/21 at 12:00 am to TexasTiger08
Some dark times for Bama Football and fans.
Posted on 1/16/21 at 12:05 am to UndercoverBryologist
The loss to La Tech probably fueled the 1999 Alabama team. But hypothetically they would have been in the running had they won out.
Posted on 1/16/21 at 12:07 am to BIGJLAW
Three 10 win seasons and a conference title in a 10yr period is a high watermark for a lot of programs...but yeah the way it played out felt grim despite some good seasons interspersed in the period. The other years were mostly bad or barely bowl eligible.
Posted on 1/16/21 at 12:11 am to CapstoneGrad06
I was stunned the way they dominated Florida in Atlanta that season.
Posted on 1/16/21 at 12:16 am to TexasTiger08
To be fair, Spurrier’s starting quarterbacks for 1999 were Doug Johnson and Jesse Palmer.
The Fun and Gun went through kind of a lull in 1998 and 1999.
The Fun and Gun went through kind of a lull in 1998 and 1999.
Posted on 1/16/21 at 12:21 am to TexasTiger08
Post 1999 very excited. First game of the year in 2000, Freddie Milons takes a punt back for a TD against UCLA the first time Bama touched the ball. I jumped out of my chair and yelled “we’re winning the national title! That was the lone bright spot in the game and pretty much the whole season.
Post 2002 I had tempered expectations because of a lack of depth. Same with post 2005.
Post 2002 I had tempered expectations because of a lack of depth. Same with post 2005.
Posted on 1/16/21 at 12:22 am to LittleJerrySeinfield
quote:
Freddie Milons takes a punt back for a TD against UCLA the first time Bama touched the ball
I think a lot of us remember that play. Insane how things unfolded. I recall Milons being a beast on NCAA 2K for the Dreamcast
Posted on 1/16/21 at 12:55 am to TexasTiger08
2000 was crushing. I thought we were going to build off of that success, even though we lost the Orange Bowl.
I was unbelievably pumped that we got Shula so wasn't too down about Fran leaving. Couple of rebuilding years were expected. 2005 was a dream season, but losing Brodie that off-season killed me. He was my favorite player ever at the time and I just didn't see how we could go on. I legit thought Brodie was going to be the next Namath in the NFL.
I was unbelievably pumped that we got Shula so wasn't too down about Fran leaving. Couple of rebuilding years were expected. 2005 was a dream season, but losing Brodie that off-season killed me. He was my favorite player ever at the time and I just didn't see how we could go on. I legit thought Brodie was going to be the next Namath in the NFL.
Posted on 1/16/21 at 1:40 am to TexasTiger08
Not gonna lie, all the winning has desensitized me. I don’t get the same enjoyment out of watching football as I did in 08/09.
Posted on 1/16/21 at 6:04 am to TexasTiger08
The Shula/DuBose years taught me to view every game with caution. I am still unable to share confidence of an upcoming victory like many of the Bama fans on here.
Fran really crushed me. I enjoyed his playcalling and the way our team looked on gameday. When he bolted for TAMU I felt betrayed and left holding the end of his fricking rope by myself. Hope he is stocking Tampons at the Dollar General now.
Fran really crushed me. I enjoyed his playcalling and the way our team looked on gameday. When he bolted for TAMU I felt betrayed and left holding the end of his fricking rope by myself. Hope he is stocking Tampons at the Dollar General now.
Posted on 1/16/21 at 6:16 am to TexasTiger08
Going into the 2000 season, I was very excited and thought that the program was back after the 1999 SEC title. Boy, what a disaster the 2000 season was - one of the worst in Alabama football history.
Going into Shula’s first season in 2003, I was not optimistic at all since he only arrived in Tuscaloosa in May after spring practice.
2006, I was cautiously optimistic, but the team had lost a lot of key players from the 2005 team.
Going into Shula’s first season in 2003, I was not optimistic at all since he only arrived in Tuscaloosa in May after spring practice.
2006, I was cautiously optimistic, but the team had lost a lot of key players from the 2005 team.
Page 1 of 3
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News