Crimson Red Sports

Too me there are a couple of reasons this game is so important.  First, of course Bama wants to stay undefeated.  However, a couple of years ago CNS and Bama took over the top spot in the SEC from the Gators.  They need to win to maintain that dominance.  I know USC and AU were there last year, but it could have easily been Bama if they had played the way they did in the Bowl game.  Just my opinion.

Yep. Don't let them back up. Also our SOS goes way up with back-to-back Top 12 conference wins.

Good point about maintaining our dominance over the Gators. Plus, a win by the Tide really starts to play with the mind of the Gators and could be important if we met them again in the SECCG.

The USCe game last year snapped our winning streak. We are now on another one. Some teams may not even consider a winning streak, after only 6 games (counting UF), but we think in these terms nowadays. A loss is not the end of the world to some. It is here. We expect a level of excellence that few teams aspire to or can even contemplate. A loss will let the air out of the sails that have been filling since the Michigan State game. CNS is trying to make these guys think like champions. If any indication that it is working,-- I have not seen them play down to their level of competition, like they sometimes have in the past. We cannot take our foot off the pedal now. RTR

Right on right on right on! RTR!

FIFY --1 right on for each of your tickets. RTR

How much advantage is a home stadium? It didn't help Penn State (I read that their own offense was confused by the crowd noise). If you have a better team, you should win on the road, which I expect Bama to do.

It is that important for us to win this game. It's the only real tough test until we get to LSU. If Bama wins this one, I feel certain we are undefeated going into the game with the corndogs.

Florida has been an elite team since the early 90's. They have slipped a little the last few years. A new coach has brought back the passion. A win or even a hard fought close loss to us will only fuel the fire. Right now Bama and LSU are well above the rest of the SEC. We need to keep it that way. Florida is a sleeping gaint that we do not want to wake up. Florida needs a big win but it does not need to be on our watch. We are recruiting heavily in that area and having good success.

Good point, pmull. When it comes to recruiting in Florida right now, Bama is the "dingo that ate your baby".

I agree with the alpha-male theory.

But I've heard several people say, "Bama can lose this game and still win the NC."  Maybe so, but this is a game we should win, need to win for dominance, and can be a stepping stone for this season and the next.  JMHO.

We do not need to lose this game. While it still may be possible to make it to the BCSNC game with one lose that is not a good position to be in. We need to control our own destiny. I don't want to have to pull for teams I don't even like to win because it helps us. Win them all and remove all doubt of who is the best team in the nation just like 2009. HTH

#+

When you win out in the SEC, there's no doubt where you will be playing in January. Roll Tide!!

After beating AK there are two keys to the season left: FL and LSU.  Although I have doubts about this team -- still the OL and AJ -- my gut tells me we should be able to win this game.  If guys want it bad enough, we will.

I think Bama beats Florida this year.

Having said that, I don't think a loss will keep the Gators down.  This is the first year in the system with Muschamp/Weiss, and the Gators show marked improvement from last year.  The second year in a good system is when teams often show the most improvement.  Compare Saban's first year with his second at Bama, for example.

Fortunately, Bama won't play Florida until the SECCG next year.  But don't think a win this year will impact the Gator's return to the top tier next year.  Sooner rather than later, we will be back to Alabama v. Florida for all the marbles.