“It’s a team that won the league last year and got a chance to get back to the playoffs. They got a chance to kind of smell it. It’s like they got to go in the kitchen and smelled the chocolate chip cookies, smelled good, but they didn’t get to eat it.” That’s how Clemson’s HC Dabo Swinney put it, talking about why his team is feeling more hungry to win this time around. But what about the teams that didn’t even get a whiff of the cookies or maybe even had a “disgusting taste” left in their mouths? Yeah, they’ve got something to prove too. Especially the ones who watched their good times fall apart.

Alabama Crimson Tide had this amazing run under GOAT Nick Saban. Well, a record of 13-0 in 2020, 13-2 in 2021, then 11-2 and 12-2 in 2023. But things took a nosedive when Saban retired and passed the torch to Kalen DeBoer. Last season? A rough 9-4. So, have the Bama boys just given up on getting back on top? No way. Even before the 2025 season kicks off, you can bet that fire to get back at it is burning in their wide receiver’s eyes. While everyone else is watching, it looks like Mother Nature might throw a few extra curveballs their way this year.

Ever since Saban’s second year back in 2008, Alabama just made winning ten-plus games a yearly thing, but maybe they ran into some bad juju in 2024 and had their first sub-ten-win season in ages. The offense for Alabama Football was one of the most sporadic in the country last year. This unit scored 44.6 points per game over its first five games of the season, scoring at least 35 points in every game. Unfortunately, this was the same group that sputtered down the stretch. In games against Tennessee, they came up with 314 yards on 4.0 YPP; against Oklahoma, it got reduced to 234 yards on 4.1 YPP. No wonder it left the Alabama Crimson Tide squad with a bitter taste in the form of 4 losses.

And it turns out that bitter taste is still lingering among the players, giving them a constant reminder of how they need to replace it with a sweet one. And nobody felt more disappointed than wide receiver Germie Bernard. In an interview with Touchdown Alabama, he said, “We got a disgusting taste in our mouth. Don’t nobody ever want to feel like that again.” Maybe, like most of them, Bernard, too, had set his sights on the playoffs. However, Tide missed the College Football Playoff for the second time in three years. The nail in the coffin was a brutal 24-3 loss to an unranked and struggling Oklahoma Sooners team. Even the bowl game did not have a sweet ending, as they got crushed by Michigan in a 19-13 heroic feat. However, no matter how dark their past is, it’s not the time to sulk. And Bernard knows that.

The wide receiver now heads into his second season in Tuscaloosa. Previously, he had been part of Washington and Michigan State. To set his feet firm in Alabama, Bernard assured himself of taking the reins in his hands. “Personally, I’m just trying to work on being a leader. A vocalized leader. Being consistent within being a leader. It’s a different role, and I am ready to embrace that role.” Can he do it?

His stats atleast suggest so. Last season, the Alabama star came up with 794 receiving yards and 831 total yards along with two touchdowns. While the young chap oomphs himself up, an issue is taking shape that is beyond their control.

Alabama Crimson Tide’s real opponent may be the weather

We have seen how nature oftentimes plays a foul role. For instance, the snowy scene in South Bend from Notre Dame vs. Indiana face-off went viral. It was all about ‘brr!’ moments. The official X page of Notre Dame even shared a picture of the snow-covered Notre Dame stadium on December 19. On September 15, 2024, New Mexico’s gameplan was diverted from Montgomery to Mobile due to bad weather. Traveling back a little in time to 2019, how could we forget the FSU face-off against Boise State?

It was a noon kickoff at Doak Campbell Stadium. It is considered to be one of the hottest games to date. As Florida State insider Taylor Devers recalled his experience, “I was drenched in sweat by the end of the contest. You would’ve thought I participated in giving multiple car washes that day. That August sun in Tallahassee is unbearable.” Amidst the heated moment (quite literally), the Seminoles took a 31-13 advantage with 4:07 left to go in the second quarter. That’s when their quarterback, James Blackman, connected on a 58-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keyshawn Helton. That was the last time Florida State got lucky to score in the game. Later on, ex-FSU head coach Willie Taggart mentioned that the loss was likely due to hydration issues. Now, why should Alabama be on high alert?

On August 30th, FSU and Alabama will be facing off for the 2025 season opener. And guess what? It will be played at 3:30 PM EST on ABC. The Crimson Tide fans must be living by the hope of witnessing a night game at the newly renovated Doak Campbell Stadium. While FSU might have already gone through the experience, they might be running with hydration bags. Every drop of sweat is a debt—Alabama better pay up in water or pay later on the field.