TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Our popcorn was ready, buttered and salted.
Our hopes were high, our expectations through the roof.
We told ourselves this was it, that Alabama finally faced a real challenger to its SEC Western Division dominance, that coach Nick Saban finally had a threat to his remarkable streak of never losing, in 23 tries, to a former assistant coach.
Lane Kiffin knew Saban’s weaknesses (remember last year’s 63–48 shootout in Oxford?). He knows what irks the man, what frazzles his usually stingy defense. Lane has the solution for the problem that has vexed all of college football for a decade now, right?