The mission was impossible

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Their late, legendary coach is honored with a museum down the street.

Their current face of the program, labeled 'Sports' Most Powerful Coach' by Forbes magazine, makes gobs of cash.

Their football shrine has more than 92,000 seats. But that's not enough and they are adding more.

So, of course, No. 22 South Carolina had no chance Saturday night at No. 2 Alabama.

As a tribute to Gamecock progress, South Carolina put on one of its best non-winning performances, a 20-6 Southeastern Conference loss that seemed closer all night.

But the upper and lower decks were stacked against an upset.

Alabama either is the best team in college football or one of the two or three best. No doubt, no other team has a more intensely loud, proud, fierce and focused home-field advantage.

Nick Saban has done his part, turning Alabama into a body- slamming revenue machine.

Steve Spurrier and his staff were right where they schemed to be Saturday night, in a one-possession game with the mighty Tide in the fourth quarter.

Too many 'almost' plays, the Head Ball Coach said after the game.

Against any other amateur team in the world, it might have been enough.

To consider

A 5-2 record with a disappointing loss to No. 2 is good stuff. Saban after the game was talking about things Alabama must 'get corrected.'

Mission was impossible

Consider that South Carolina fought with a restructured offensive line, that defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson was facing one of the nation's best running games without the depth the Gamecocks had in August, that running back Jarvis Giles and starting cornerback Akeem Auguste missed the game serving suspensions.

Consider the Gamecocks pulled out a big hole-digging shovel right away as Alabama cornerback Mark Barron returned an interception 77 yards for a touchdown. The roar heard clear to Muscle Shoals was part joy, part relief.

Bear Bryant – the man, the myth, the museum – won six national championships. His raspy voice still crackles over the loudspeakers on game days and nights (so does Michael Jackson, Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin).

But Alabama fans also suffered through the recent relative unpleasantness of the seasons 1997-2006. Those were the Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Price and Mike Shula years. The Tide won an SEC title (1999) during that stretch but, mostly, it wasn't pretty around here.

Even Saban's first Alabama season, 2007, was shaky. The Tide lost to Louisiana Monroe and had to settle for the Independence Bowl.

Thus explained the extra emphasis in 'Roll Tide!' cheers after big gains by Heisman Trophy candidate Mark Ingram.

'You can say it's ‘winning ugly,'' Saban said, 'but we did what we needed to do.'

Jump ball battle

Saban again pushed the right buttons. The best buttons he doesn't have to push.

Florida? Everyone knows about the potential collision course pitting the top two teams in the nation in an SEC Championship Game rematch, and maybe a second meeting this season in the BCS National Championship Game.

Utah? Remember, Alabama was embarrassed in the Sugar Bowl last January, losing 31-17. It still stings, and makes the Tide play harder.

Examples include some of those 'almost' plays for South Carolina. There were three straight short Stephen Garcia lob attempts to freshman receiver Alshon Jeffery.

'A 6-4 guy is tough to defend on those passes,' Saban said.

Jeffery scored three touchdowns last week against Kentucky.

The Gamecocks went 0-for-3 on the lobs against Alabama and settled for a field goal.

'These guys cover a little better than those Kentucky guys,' Spurrier said.

Bear Bryant also coached at Kentucky. But the museum is here in Tuscaloosa.

Reach Gene Sapakoff at gsapakoff@postandcourier.com