Preseason 2002
Well, once again, it's fall, or close to it. And even though I'm in Gator country, I still bleed crimson, and it's time again for some Bama FOOTBALL! This is shaping up to be an interesting season, to say the least. Here's some all-time info and a little info on Middle Tennessee State.
A note: For this year, all stats will be calculated based on the forfeited losses included. In the past, I adjusted the stats, to include the forfeited wins, but I don't want to have to remember to do that, and it's also not official, no matter how much we'd like it to be.
- Bama's all-time record (on-the-field) at the beginning of the year stands at 752-272-44. Not counting the forfeited wins and tie in 1993, Bama's record is 744-281-43, a 71.68% winning clip. So sometime this year, Bama should be looking at earning its 750th win officially. Bama has scored 24,407 and surrendered 11,383. That's an average game of about 22.9-10.7.
- Alabama is 82-22-3 in season openers, a 78.04% winning percentage. The average score for season openers: 29-8 'Bama. In home openers, Bama is 88-16-3 (83.6%). Bama hasn't lost back-to-back home openers since 1956-57, and is 34-8-2 since then.
- We're winding down the time we have in Birmingham, and it's served well as a second home to the Tide. Bama sports a 203-81-19 record in Birmingham, a 70.1% winning record. Bama may (although I have no quick method of establishing this, it seems plausible enough) be the only college football program with 200 wins in two different cities.
- In season openers played in Birmingham, Bama is 20-5-1 (78.8%).
- Prior to this game, Alabama has only played three games in August (August 27, 1986; August 30, 1997; August 31, 1996). They are perfect in those games, however (Ohio State, 16-10; Houston, 42-17; and Bowling Green, 21-7, respectively). Therefore, it ties for the third-earliest start to a Crimson Tide football season.
- Bama has never played Middle Tennessee State before, making the Blue Raiders the 115th different team that the Tide will suit up against. Bama is 84-28-2 in first games, and has won its last two (Iowa State and UTEP last year).
- Middle Tennessee State will be the fifth current I-A or I-AA opponent that Bama has played from the state of Tennessee. Bama has played 181 games against these foes, with an overall record of 115-55-11.
- This is the 10th anniversary of the 1992 national title team. It's the only time Bama's won a national title in a year ending in 2. Bama's record in such years is 84-26-2 (.752).
- Second years in Tide coaches' tenures have generally been good; only two had losing marks (Ears Whitworth and Ray Perkins). The best that a Bama man's done in his second year is a lofty 11-1 mark (Gene Stallings; 1991). Xen Scott had the other 10-win second season in 1920 (10-1).
