COLUMN: Pandemic Iron Bowl Proves Bigger Than X's & O's

TUSCALOOSA, AL. — It's been a week for giving thanks and I have to say I'm thankful we managed to make it to this point. Despite an uncertain college football season backdropped by social tumult, economic hardship and a deadly pandemic now at its worst point yet, for a few hours on a drab Saturday we were able to feel some tiny semblance of normalcy as the Crimson Tide thrashed the Auburn Tigers 42-13 in the 85th Iron Bowl.

In some ways, it was a typical and expected 2020 Tide performance as Mac Jones hurled five touchdown passes and Najee Harris nearly broke triple-digit rushing yards. It was senior night, too, with several athletes taking the field in Tuscaloosa for the last time. But as the final seconds ticked away, I realized how a simple game represented something more valuable than an in-state football rivalry. It reminded me of times good and bad when the world around us seemed more stable, but most importantly showed me what we can take away from this moment apart from how the teams finished on the scoreboard.

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In an Iron Bowl many thought wouldn't happen this year, it brought back memories of being a UA graduate student hollering in the stands as Amari Cooper broke Alabama's single-game receiving record in the 2014 Iron Bowl, which saw the star playmaker snag 13 catches for 224 yards in front of a sold-out Bryant-Denny.

It also resurrected the feeling of tossing the football around like Freddie Kitchens in my grandparent's front yard before sitting crosslegged and wide-eyed in the living room floor to watch the Tide drop a heartbreaker to the Tigers during the game's final seconds in 1995. I didn't understand the game then, not that I do now, but there is an ineffable kind of magic with this rivalry that even a child can understand. Setbacks have been numerous for everyone across college and professional sports as the pandemic wears on, but the mystique when those two teams take the field has yet to lose its shine.

And even in such a heartbreaking, hand-wringing time for so many, this game, despite its limited attendance and the absence of Nick Saban, will give us memories to latch onto for years to come if you care to consider them.

It gave us the redemption of Steve Sarkisian, who was the first Tide coach other than Saban to lead the team onto the field since 2007 — a comeback storyline that should get all of its due credit and then some.

Apart from the Tide's success on the gridiron, disappointment has been a consistent theme throughout 2020. But Sark overcoming his turbulent past to win big on the ultimate rivalry stage, in the shadow of the greatest living college football coach, is something we can all learn and benefit from ... this year especially.

The parable of Steve Sarkisian is one of many worth keeping an eye out for during this truncated and strange college football season, a silver lining wherever we can find it to inspire us to keep pushing forward and be the best possible versions of ourselves.

Saturday's game also sealed the legacy of Mac Jones, as the former 3-star recruit from Florida once again performed like a Heisman Trophy winner in his first win over the Tigers as a starter. For those familiar with his story, his tenacity and drive underscore the value of hard work and stoically waiting for one's turn in the spotlight. Whether it's on a little league baseball team or in a high-powered corporate office setting, patience remains a virtue, especially during a pandemic that we have no choice but to wait out. And with the right set of eyes, it becomes apparent the trajectory of the signal-caller's success during his time at the Capstone embodies that ideal.

One lesson, though, that I think could easily be lost in the joviality following the win, relates to Coach Saban. He described in his postgame press conference how at times he felt "helpless" as he watched the Iron Bowl while in isolation and I can't fathom the feelings of the legendary coach as he sat in a suit and tie at home watching his team cruise to an important victory without him leading the way. One thing I have learned from this hellscape of a year is that the world around us doesn't care about our plans and, at times, we are forced to simply play the hand we are dealt and make the best of it. I'll remember Saban laughing and finding humor in his situation during his media availability, while also at times showing a rare human side to such a towering figure.

While I'm sure Saban was frustrated and even angry that he had to miss being on the sideline, it showed me that no one — not even a football coach with six national titles under his belt — is above the surprises life can throw at you and I think we should keep that in mind as we soldier through whatever the next few months may bring.

The return to sports this fall has seen games postponed or canceled, the careers of many athletes drastically altered and fans barred from attendance in many cases while being severely limited in others. The pandemic has become an equalizer of sorts at all levels, but the loss and pain will have been for nought if we learn nothing from it and each other.

Obviously, the situation we've found ourselves in is much more complex in a big-picture sense than my romanticized view of college sports, but it's my hope we will one day look back and value the concepts of redemption, patience and humility put on display in so many small instances on a Saturday afternoon in Tuscaloosa.

Ryan Phillips is an award-winning journalist, editor and columnist. He is currently the community publisher of Tuscaloosa Patch and the views expressed in this opinion column are his and not necessarily reflective of the views of our parent company.