Alabama Mythbusters

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
41

<p>Myth: “The UA is so too big and students are just numbers at large schools like the UA.”</p>

<p>Not true. While enjoying lunch with my daughter, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. To my amazement, it was one of my daughter’s chemistry professors who called her by name and bragged about what a pleasure it had been to have her in his class. It made my day.</p>

<hr>

<p>We’ve had encounters like that. I was with my older son once shopping in T-town and a former English Lit prof came up to us, called my son by name, and mentioned how much she enjoyed having him in her class. The class had been at least 2 years earlier. </p>

<p>Another story was when my son was a junior in high school and we made our first trip to Bama. We had set up the campus tour, but just kind of “winged it” from there. We wandered over to the Honors College, Dr. Sharpe saw us in the hall, he brought us into his office and chatted for over an hour, then walked us to our car! Then, ONE YEAR later, we were on campus again and wandered over to Lakeside Dining which was still under construction (only the upstairs was open). Dr. Sharpe happened to be there, came up to us and called my son by name. When I started to say my name, he said, “I remember your name.” Oh my!</p>

<p>Neither of my kids have had any trouble getting LORs from their profs for various applications. Even staff people remember who you are. I’ve had the nicest chats with Dr. S’s secretary, Kiki K, Mrs. B, and many of the rest. </p>

<p>Bama may be large, but it’s not impersonal.</p>

42

<p>

</p>

<p>Exactly. It’s high tech/high touch.</p>

43

<p>I needed a good chuckle today. Thank you for starting this thread!
Being a semi-southern lady, I relate to 99% of the myths.
It took a bit for my husband to learn that when I say “toboggan”, I’m referring to a knit cap.
For example:
I’m from the South and in my neck of the woods, a toboggan is a winter hat, and a sled is a sled. If I tell my mom that I’m wearing my toboggan, she knows that I’m wearing a hat. I would never say that I’m going to slide down a hill on my toboggan; I would slide down a hill on my sled. :)</p>

44

<p>Myth: The Saturn V rocket that launched 12 Apollo astronauts to the moon was built by the citizens of Huntsville, Alabama.</p>

<p>Reality: The Saturn V rocket was built, designed, and tested by people from all 67 counties in Alabama. The legendary rocket scientist Wernher von Braun was fond of saying, “Anything sent into space should have a tag on it saying ‘Made in Alabama by the people of Alabama.’”</p>

<p>By the way, launch pad 39A at Cape Canaveral was also built by Alabamians — the Blount Brothers of Montgomery. :)</p>

45

<p>^^^</p>

<p>True…but Huntsville still is Rocket City. ;)</p>

<p>Quote:
Bama may be large, but it’s not impersonal.
Exactly. It’s high tech/high touch.</p>

<p>ahhhh…</p>

46

<p>mom2collegekids said: “In Calif, we often call soda “Coke”, as in “do you want a Coke or something?”. In the south it’s called soda (in the Midwest it’s called ‘pop’.)”</p>

<p>mom2ck, I’d have to say this is not correct. I suspect you are listening to the Huntsville transplants.
In the South, all soft drinks are called coke. For example, “Do you want a Coke?” “Sure.” “What kind?” After all, Coke is made in Atlanta. The exception would be parts of Texas, where Dr Pepper is more common.
My granddaddy in the North Carolina mountains, however, called all soft drinks “dopes.”
If we have to use something generic, we say “soft drink.” “Soda” grates on my ears, and “pop” sends me up the wall!</p>

47

<p>Myth: Nobody other than the University of Alabama and the Tide faithful believes 'Bama has won as many as 14 national football championships.</p>

<p>Reality: The NCAA considers Alabama to have won 18 national championships. </p>

<p>Because national football championships were based solely on polls prior to the BCS era, there is unresolved controversy surrounding many a school’s claim to a national title. With regard to 'Bama, passionate arguments have been made for decades asserting “proof” that the Tide can only lay claim to eight legitimate titles (I can hear casinoexec foaming at the mouth as I write this :slight_smile: ).</p>

<p>Listed below are the 14 national championship seasons claimed by UA. Source: the always semi-reliable Wikipedia.</p>

<hr>

<p>National championship seasons </p>

<p>1925 — The 1925 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Wallace Wade, completed the regular season 9–0–0, winning the Southern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Washington in the January 1, 1926 Rose Bowl. Coach Wade’s team initially fell behind the undefeated Huskies, but rallied in the second half to defeat Washington 20–19. The outstanding player of the game was Johnny Mack Brown. [85] This game is viewed by many football historians as the single most important event for Southern football, and is hailed “the football game that changed the South.” Alabama was the first Southern football team to be invited to play in the Rose Bowl, and proved that the Southern teams could compete with those from the East, the Midwest and the West coast. The victory for Coach Wallace Wade established Alabama as a football powerhouse. The 1925 Alabama football team finished the season with a 10–0–0 record and was selected national champions by the Football Annual, Billingsley, and Helms Athletic Foundation. [86]</p>

<p>1926 — The 1926 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Wallace Wade, completed the regular season 9–0–0, winning the Southern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Stanford in the January 1, 1927 Rose Bowl. Coach Wade’s team tied the Indians 7–7 to finish the season 9–0–1. The outstanding player of the game was Fred Pickhard. [85] The 1926 Alabama football team was selected national champions by Billingsley and the Helms Athletic Foundation. [86]</p>

<p>1930 — The 1930 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Wallace Wade, completed the regular season 9–0–0, winning the Southern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Washington State in the January 1, 1931 Rose Bowl. Coach Wade’s team defeated the Cougars 24–0 to finish the season 10–0–0. The outstanding player of the game was John Campbell. [85] The 1930 Alabama football team tied with Notre Dame as national champions in the Davis Poll. [86]</p>

<p>1934 — The 1934 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Frank Thomas, completed the regular season 9–0–0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Stanford in the January 1, 1935 Rose Bowl. Coach Thomas’ team defeated the Indians 29–13 to finish the season 10–0–0. The outstanding player of the game was Millard “Dixie” Howell. [85] The 1934 Alabama football team was selected national champions by Dunkel, Houlgate, Williamson, and Football Thesaurus. [86] The University of Alabama honored Ben McLeod, Jr., the 95-year–old former backup End of the 1934 team at the September 6, 2008 Alabama–Tulane game. [87]</p>

<p>1941 — The 1941 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Frank Thomas, completed the regular season 8–2–0. Alabama’s squad finished 3rd in the Southeastern Conference. [88] After losing to Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, [85] Alabama finished the regular season ranked No. 20 in the AP Poll. [89] This is one of the most vigorously disputed titles in the programs history because of their ranking. Alabama was one of 10 teams chosen for post-season competition when they were invited to play Texas A&M in the January 1, 1942 Cotton Bowl Classic. Coach Thomas’ team defeated the Aggies 29–21 to finish the season 9–2–0. The outstanding players of the game were Holt Rast, Don Whitmire, and Jimmy Nelson. [85] The squad was selected national champions by the Houlgate Poll and published in the nationally syndicated Football Thesaurus. [86] The 2009 NCAA Record Book cites the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the Texas Longhorns, and the Alabama Crimson Tide as the three teams selected as national champions in 1941. [90] The Tuscaloosa News described the 1941 Alabama Crimson Tide as the University’s best team since the 1934 Rose Bowl Championship Team. [91]</p>

<p>1961 — The 1961 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 10–0–0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Led by quarterback Pat Trammell, linebacker Lee Roy Jordan and two–way lineman Billy Neighbors, Alabama outscored their opponents 297–25. Alabama was then invited to play the #9–ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in the January 1, 1962 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant’s team defeated the Razorbacks 10–3 to finish the season 11–0–0. The outstanding player of the game was Mike Fracchia. [85] The 1961 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll and Coaches’ Poll. [86]</p>

<p>1964 — The 1964 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 10–0–0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Alabama was led by quarterback Joe Namath. Alabama was then invited to play the Texas Longhorns in the January 1, 1965 Orange Bowl. Coach Bryant’s team lost to the Longhorns 21–17 to finish the season 10–1–0. The outstanding player of the game was Joe Namath. [85] The 1964 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll and the Coaches’ Poll prior to bowl games. [86] Because of the controversy with Alabama being selected over undefeated Arkansas, the AP Poll decided to wait until after the bowl games to select their champion for the 1965 season. [citation needed]</p>

<p>1965 — The 1965 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 8–1–1, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. The Tide lost to Georgia and tied Tennessee during the regular season. Alabama was then invited to play Nebraska in the January 1, 1966 Orange Bowl. Coach Bryant’s team defeated the Cornhuskers 39–28 to finish the season 9–1–1. The outstanding player of the game was Steve Sloan. [85] The 1965 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll. [86]</p>

<p>1973 — The 1973 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 11–0–0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Notre Dame in the December 31, 1973 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant’s team lost to the Fighting Irish 24–23 to finish the season 11–1–0. The 1973 Alabama football team was selected national champions in the final regular season Coaches’ Poll, which was finalized prior to the post-season bowl games. [86] Because of the controversy after the bowl loss, [citation needed] the Coaches’ Poll began selecting their champion after the bowl games starting in 1974. The post-bowl game AP poll ranked Alabama 4th, and selected Notre Dame as its national champion. [92]</p>

<p>1978 — The 1978 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 10–1–0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. The Tide defeated #10–ranked Nebraska 20–3, and defeated #11–ranked Missouri 38–20, and lost to Southern Cal during the regular season. The #2-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide was then invited to play the #1–ranked Penn State in the January 1, 1979 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant’s team defeated the Nittany Lions 14–7 to finish the season 11–1–0. The outstanding player of the game was linebacker Barry Krauss. [85] The 1978 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll. [86]</p>

<p>1979 — The 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 11–0–0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. The Tide defeated #18–ranked Tennessee 27–17, and defeated #14–ranked Auburn University 25–18 during the regular season. Alabama was then invited to play #6–ranked Arkansas in the January 1, 1980 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant’s team defeated the Razorbacks 24–9 to finish the season 12–0–0. The outstanding player of the game was running back Major Ogilvie. [85] The 1979 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll and the Coaches’ Poll. [86]</p>

<p>1992 — The 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Gene Stallings, completed the regular season 11–0–0. They then defeated #12–ranked Florida in the inaugural SEC Championship Game, defeating the Gators 28–21; the win gave Alabama its 20th SEC title and a record of 12–0–0. Alabama was then invited to play #1–ranked Miami, led by Heisman trophy winner Gino Torretta, in the January 1, 1993 Sugar Bowl. Coach Stallings’ team defeated the Hurricanes 34–13 to finish the season 13–0–0. The outstanding player of the game was Derrick Lassic. [85] The 1992 Alabama football team was awarded the national championship by the AP Poll and the Coaches’ Poll. [86]</p>

<p>2009 — The 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Nick Saban, finished with a 12–0 regular season. In the 12 wins, the Crimson Tide defeated four teams that were ranked at the time, including an opening day victory over No. 7 Virginia Tech in Atlanta. The team headed back to the Georgia Dome in December to face off against #1 Florida in the SEC Championship Game. They defeated the Gators 32–13 in a rematch of the previous year’s championship. [77] Alabama then traveled to Pasadena to face #2-ranked Texas in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl. Alabama’s Heisman winning running back Mark Ingram rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns in a 37–21 win. [78] This was Alabama’s first victory over Texas (1–7–1). Ingram was named the game’s offensive MVP in Alabama’s first BCS victory. The 2009 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches’ Polls. The 2009 squad became the first FBS division team to defeat six teams ranked in the AP Top 25 during one season and received a record six first team AP All-America selections. </p>

<p>2011 — The 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Nick Saban, completed the regular season 11–1–0. Their only loss of the season came to the LSU Tigers in overtime by a score of 9–6. They did not play in the SEC championship game because of that loss, but won convincingly in their final 3 regular-season games to receive a No. 2 ranking in the BCS poll. The Tide’s last win of the regular season was against the previous year’s national champions, the Auburn Tigers. Alabama, led by Heisman trophy finalist Trent Richardson, was then invited to play the #1–ranked LSU Tigers in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game. Coach Saban’s team defeated the Tigers 21–0 to finish the season 12–1–0. Jeremy Shelley made a bowl record-tying five field goals in the game. The game’s offensive MVP was A.J. McCarron, and the defensive MVP was Courtney Upshaw. With the win, Alabama became the first team in college football to shut out their opponent in a BCS bowl game. The AP also awarded its National Title to Alabama for the 8th time.</p>