Alabama has been one of the defining dynasties in the history of the sport for more than a decade.
Alabama's title contention has been as predictable as its uniforms and growls. There have been dips and surprises but the Tide have won six of the past 13 national titles.
Alabama has been accepted as part of the sport's soundtrack. It will stay there on Saturday after the Alabama game.
There is no reason to toss Alabama from the national title picture. It's difficult to pencil them into the College Football Playoff based on past performance, as this impotent performance strips away the aura of certainty that often surrounds Alabama.
The perception was that Texas was supposed to walk out and be destroyed. I do not care about perception.
It was Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and everyone else in the Big Three in college football in the off-season.
The Alabama team is vulnerable.
Alabama looked mortal as their receiving corps is below average in the SEC, their corners are going to make pass-happy offenses salivate, and their offensive line didn't show any signs of being able to grind out wins.
13 of Young's completions went to wide receiver. In an era where stretching the field has become paramount to winning the national title, Alabama has the quarterback with a dynamic arm and a group of receivers that don't have a lot of movement. Young danced, scrambled and avoided decapitation on the game's defining play in order to get the win.
Young really needs more magic from his people. There was a lack of speed that caught the eye.
An NFL scout said that all of the corners and receiver were in the same boat. They've played, but never been the guy. There needs to be someone making plays.
A second NFL scout said he didn't see much speed.
Alabama will get a Texas-sized portion of the opposite of rat poison in order to shape and mold his team.
Georgia is the clear favorite in the SEC and Alabama is at risk of losing a lot of games. It's difficult to compete in college football if you don't have skill and speed on the outside.
The game is similar to an SEC game on the road. The SEC is where they are going to be. They would be in the top half of the SEC if they were there now.
That may be the most damaging statement of all. Home games against Texas A&M and Mississippi State and road trips to Arkansas, Tennessee and LSU are what Alabama will have to contend with in the SEC. Alabama has a long runway to improve. The perception of college football is shattered when Texas A&M lost to Appalachian State.
There are a lot of speed bumps ahead for Alabama.
What amount of credit goes to Texas for Alabama? The question is a good one. The Longhorns deserved a lot of credit for how physical they were. It was supposed to be Alabama's largest advantage. There's a lot of credit for rattling the Tide, who never seemed to get used to it.
"I'd like to think that we created some of those accidents as well," he stated.
The penalties were terrible.
There were six false starts and three by Will Anderson Jr. One of the facemask penalties could have changed the game.
There was a personal foul call on Anderson and an illegal block in the back.
Penalty was perhaps the most important play of the day. Turner was flagged for a roughing the passer call that sent Ewers out of the game with a collarbone injury. The imaginations of Texas fans were made up of 134 first quarter yards bywers.
The last time these teams met was in the 2010 national title game, where Colt McCoy got hurt. It's been a subject of a decade's worth of annoyance if you follow one of the programs.
This game will be remembered for a long time. Alabama's road to the place they've earned atop the sport looks more perilous than usual.
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