If we must play the sheep humpers, I've never understood why we play the game at the end of the season. It seems to give much more benefit to au than to us. Playing the game at the end of the year:
A) Places more pressure on the game because there is more riding on the game. Since we are usually the ones picked to win, it gives au an extra incentive in the under dog role.
B) It gives au much more media coverage because by this time of the year, Bama is in the playoff picture. The media will give extra attention to the game and thus allowing au to share in the spotlight simply by playing us near playoff time.
C) au usually gets much better as the year goes on. For example see this year. If au had played harder opponents toward the beginning of the season, they would have a pretty bad record.
D) If au has had a bad season, it acts as a Bowl Game for them by allowing them a free national picture game with the title contender. There is no pressure on them to play loose, attempt to injure one of our good players heading into the playoff picture, and basically get a game they don't deserve (late in the year)..............And au is in a no lose situation, if they lose, they were expected to lose. If they win, they are the thorn in Bama's side they always wanted to prove they could be.
So my argument is if we HAVE to play them, we should move it to earlier in the season where they do not get some of the benefits listed above. I guess the one that bothers me the most is all the attention they get. You would think they were in the top 4 teams for the playoffs simply be being associated in the Iron Bowl game.
A) Places more pressure on the game because there is more riding on the game. Since we are usually the ones picked to win, it gives au an extra incentive in the under dog role.
B) It gives au much more media coverage because by this time of the year, Bama is in the playoff picture. The media will give extra attention to the game and thus allowing au to share in the spotlight simply by playing us near playoff time.
C) au usually gets much better as the year goes on. For example see this year. If au had played harder opponents toward the beginning of the season, they would have a pretty bad record.
D) If au has had a bad season, it acts as a Bowl Game for them by allowing them a free national picture game with the title contender. There is no pressure on them to play loose, attempt to injure one of our good players heading into the playoff picture, and basically get a game they don't deserve (late in the year)..............And au is in a no lose situation, if they lose, they were expected to lose. If they win, they are the thorn in Bama's side they always wanted to prove they could be.
So my argument is if we HAVE to play them, we should move it to earlier in the season where they do not get some of the benefits listed above. I guess the one that bothers me the most is all the attention they get. You would think they were in the top 4 teams for the playoffs simply be being associated in the Iron Bowl game.
