The Tide has turned, and Alabama fans are feeling feisty

Unbuckling the mailbag:

Question: I’m so glad Alabama will win the national title close to your city. When are you going to admit that you were wrong about the Alabama football team?

Noel Dowling

Answer: Fortunately, because I live 40 miles east of the Rose Bowl, Alabama is not going to win a national title close to my city -- which saves me having to cover the furniture in plastic.

And I was not really “wrong” about Alabama. I played you Crimson Tide fans like the third fiddle in the Tuscaloosa Washboard Band. I ranked Alabama No. 14 in the preseason for the sole reason of agitation, pure and simple. Didn’t you notice how I moved the Crimson Tide up about one spot a week in my rankings until they reached No. 4 before last week’s game against Florida?

I don’t consider it a huge upset when my No. 4 defeats No. 2, but I also don’t think NASCAR is a religion.

And, given Alabama finished last season with two losses, the last one pretty embarrassing, and then had to replace the starting quarterback, why shouldn’t the Crimson Tide earn their way up?

Let’s face it, that schedule wasn’t a barefoot walk over hot coals. Alabama’s best “road” win was a neutral field victory against Virginia Tech in Atlanta. You folks like to count “at” overrated Ole Miss, but you can’t even put a ranking ahead of the Rebels anymore because they don’t have one.

Bottom line: ‘Bama was not a top-five team when you needed four field goals and Terrence Cody’s fat arm to beat Tennessee at home, but I really like the way the Tide is playing now.

That’s why I put out a different poll every week.

Q: You have sniped at, belittled, and dismissed the Alabama football team in general and Coach Nick Saban in particular throughout the entire season. A Times colleague of yours crows that you’re “the best college football writer in the land.” Ridiculous! You’re nothing more than a cheap-shot artist in love with your own so-called “wit.”

Miles Watkins

Former loyal subscriber

A: Hold on there. I may have sniped and belittled, but “dismissed” is a little harsh. Sorry you won’t be following the coverage next season because I think you would like the school that’s going to be my preseason No. 1: Alabama.

Q: How do we get Norm Chow to return to USC?

Louis F. Mortillaro

Las Vegas

A: Read up on H.G. Wells, build a time machine and turn back the clock to 2003?

Q: Is USC not allowed a year to rebuild and break in new players and coaches?

Laura Forsythe

A: Absolutely. What year did you have in mind?

Q: Why doesn’t USC offer Charlie Weis the offensive coordinator position under USC head Coach Pete Carroll? Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Run this idea up the flag poll and see what it brings and please let me know what you think.

Rodney Benson

A: Excellent idea. I hear Malibu is a nice place to live.

Q: Don’t you think it’s awfully convenient that the BCS system has put Texas Christian and Boise State together in the same game? The way I see it, the BCS is making sure these two “outsider” schools beat up on each other, rather than having them play “automatic” schools.

Mike Gruenthal

A: I would have preferred to separate TCU and Boise State, but there wasn’t any sinister plot to devalue the game or send these schools to the BCS “kids table.”

One reason the Fiesta Bowl did not want to have TCU play Cincinnati is it feared Brian Kelly would take the Notre Dame job and then not coach his team in the game. The Fiesta Bowl has already gritted its teeth through one lame-duck act, after the 2004 season, when Utah coach Urban Meyer and Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris entered the Fiesta Bowl as the coaches for Florida and Stanford.

Q: What do you think of the Fiesta Bowl matchup with Boise State and TCU? Isn’t this like “Animal House” when Pinto and Flounder tried to pledge the Omega house, yet were shoved in the back of the room with the geeks and foreign exchange student?

Mike T

A: “Animal House” was shot at the University of Oregon, so next time, please, ask a question about this year’s Rose Bowl.

Q: What if Terrelle Pryor had gone to Oregon?

Gilbert Gildea

A: Oregon State would be playing Iowa in the Rose Bowl.

Q: At this point I’m left to wonder: Why have a BCS at all? At least 15 years ago, everyone knew the system was a mess.

Paul Gornell

A: Yes, and if Congress tries to force a playoff on college football, a return to that old mess is just what we might end up with.

As bad as the BCS may be, it certainly is more fair than the system was before 1998, when a Boise State or a TCU would have had no shot at getting into a major bowl game.

Q: Some years the BCS works -- are you kidding me?

Ray Johnson

A: Gee, didn’t you like 1999?

Q: Why no Pete Carroll on USA Today Coaches’ poll?

Evan Nossoff

A: Couldn’t find the time or a baby sitter for Matt Barkley.

Q: Do we all agree that Congress has better things to do than get involved in the business of major NCAA sports, business that it is?

Mike Seros

El Segundo

A: Show of hands from around the BCS board room?

Shemp? “Yes.”

Moe? “Yes.”

Larry? “Yes.”

Curly? “Yes.”

Uncle Joe? “Yes.”

It appears we all agree.

Q: I’m a big college football fan, and if I recall correctly, didn’t you say that if you were a betting man Texas would be your pick to win the national championship because of all the karma?

Tyler Varing

A: I did write that, and I’m a huge believer in karma. In fact, if you don’t like the old karma because of how long it takes for the water to boil and then having to stir in the oats, try the new “instant” karma you can make in the microwave.

Q: I wonder if the Big 12 Conference championship game would not have been in Texas but, say Nebraska, if the one second would have been put back on the clock?

Dick Diamond

Bay City, Oregon

A: Good point. Texas moved the clock back for Scared the Daylights Out Of Us Savings Time; Nebraska stays year-round on OST (Osborne Standard Time).

chris.dufresne@latimes.com

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