Of Teutoburg and Tuscaloosa

This thing always seemed so effortless. It was something you could trust, a safe bet in a space where nothing felt safe. But in this case, it was the kind you’d go all in on, that’s how sure it felt. It never truly made sense, but no one ever questioned it … at least not out loud. Even this “thing” couldn’t escape the lore of nothing lasting forever, the truth of every good thing coming to an end, life aphorisms that speak soft … unless they’re spoken to you. So, here we stand, teetering ever so dangerously, holding fast to that thing. That thing …

 … is Alabama football.

We learned to trust the Crimson Tide, trust that they’d be there. Even if we didn’t worship at the throne of the mighty red elephant, the reverence every college football fan had for Alabama was unmistakable. Standard bearers, that’s how they came to be viewed, dominant on most Saturdays in a way that was almost dismissive, screaming, “how dare you” whenever an opponent had the nerve to show the slightest bit of resistance. An empire in the truest sense of the term. Yet here they stand, a stranger even to themselves these last few years, struggling to be who they once were in a college football world that changes by the moment. The flourishing of an empire of this kind is truly a sight to witness, one to behold and honor with reverence and awe, and if you look closely, you’ll find that the rise leaves clues…

… so does the fall.

It Starts from Within

History is littered with thriving empires, mighty and impregnable from the outside, but lacking internal stability. From the Aztecs to the Mayans, Hans, and more recently, the Soviet Union, all formidable, but all paled in comparison to the specter of Rome. Widely recognized as the greatest civilization in history, the cracks that eventually led to its fall softly whispered through succession. The scene from “Gladiator” wasn’t just Hollywood. No, that was art imitating history as Rome had no true leadership transfer mechanism to guide them …

… neither did Alabama.

For 17 years, Nick Saban was the heartbeat of Alabama football. His unmatched attention to detail and will to win were pervasive, touching and influencing every facet of this storied program. When he abruptly hung up his whistle in 2024, Alabama was caught flat-footed. There was no coach-in-waiting, one who had sat patiently at the feet of Saban and now stood ready to ascend into his rightful place. Instead, the Tide went outside of the empire, choosing Kaelon DeBoer as the Saban successor. DeBoer brought his schemes, his philosophies, and his staff to Alabama, dismissing decades of institutional knowledge … battle-tested weaponry, forged in SEC fires. It should’ve been an inside job …

… but Alabama went outside.

Trade Route Erosion

The size of the Roman Empire was part of what made it so spectacular with nearly 100 million falling under its rule. That number far exceeded their agricultural capacity meaning even almighty Rome relied on trade partners to feed the massive urban populus and drive the economy. The structure was fragile. As middleman dynamics, security, the core tenet of Roman dominance, began a slow, crumble that was felt in every corner of the empire.

In 2002, recruiting services began ranking football signing classes. In times past, teams understood they were essentially vying for second place, because first place was a forgone conclusion: it belonged to Alabama. That coveted first spot held no promises, but landing it fed the mystique that was so uniquely crimson and white, the byproduct of routes into other states where trades were made: give us your most talented high school football talent … we’ll give him the platform his gifts deserve.

Alabama is a high school football haven … from the fan perspective. The Friday Night Lights shine bright in stadiums all across The Cotton State. But although fans love a good weekend gridiron battle, truth is the state doesn’t have the natural resources— the players to subsist on its own which is why Alabama became so reliant on trade partners like Texas, California, North Carolina, and all points in between ….

… then, along came NIL and revenue sharing.

Mystique and tradition can only get you so far, and when your financial resources are limited, the distance becomes shorter with time. This new financial landscape called for Alabama to stand tall against oil money from Texas, Hollywood dollars from California, and tech giants from the Midwest … all looking to lure top-tier talents to their campuses. It began as a trickle, but with each year since the inception of these new financial instruments, the Alabama we remembered, looked less and less like …

…the Alabama we remembered.

Of Teutoburg and Tuscaloosa

The signs of Roman decline became more evident with each passing year, and most historians point to the Battle of Teutoburg Forest as the defining moment. At Teutoburg, a huge Germanic coalition ambushed and annihilated 20,000 Roman soldiers, constituting roughly 10% of the empire’s standing army. On that day in Teutoburg, Rome lost more than men. She lost the one thing that gave the empire the undeniable upper hand in every battle, on every battlefield…

… the aura of invincibility.

On September 9, 2023, #11 Texas visited Tuscaloosa to face #3 Alabama in one of the most anticipated early season games in recent history. The Saban-led Tide went on offense first and as the teams approached the line of scrimmage, I noticed something. I noticed how for the first time in a long time Alabama wasn’t the most physically imposing team: Texas was and it jumped off the screen. The game was mildly competitive, but never in question as the Longhorns controlled the evening, rolling over the Tide like the Tide had always rolled others. When the final whistle blew, it was clear that Alabama had lost more than that game. They lost the one thing that gave them the undeniable upper hand in every game, in every stadium …

…the aura of invincibility.

An Ending or a Pause?

Standing the test of time is a phrase that’s synonymous with the Roman Empire and with good reason. For nearly 1500 years, the world bowed to Rome as an astounding 30% of the global population fell under its rule …

…but nothing lasts forever … all good things must come to an end.

And such was the case with Rome following the death of Constantine XI on May 29^th, 1453, … the Roman Empire was no more.

History is still writing the story of Alabama … still deciding if the book has ended or if there are more chapters to be written. The game we all know and love has changed. Gone are the days when tradition, reminders of past glories and promises of others in the future shaped the successes of programs like Alabama. Declining empires are silent. We know what happened to Rome. We’re watching to see what happens to Alabama … watching…

… and listening.

The Whisperer Continues ... if this article spoke to you, let's continue this conversation.

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Further Reading: Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham

If you're interested in reading more on how empires fall, Adam Higginbotham's Midnight in Chernobyl is a highly acclaimed piece that delves into the worst nuclear disaster in history and the role that event played in the fall of the Soviet Union.