If you thought Alabama getting a bye week leading in to the Texas A&M game was strange, you are right. Getting extra time to study up on the SEC West rivals, the same Aggies who handed Alabama their only loss in 2012, was not done by design according to Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Instead, Saban claims Alabama was left hanging on the wrong side of a scheduling break-up.
“We had a game first week, second week, third week,” Saban said on his radio show, according to AL.com. “Where we’re playing Colorado State was the bye week” Saban said, referring to Alabama’s week three opponent. “The team we’re playing in the second week dumped us, so the only game we could get was Colorado State.”
Alabama finalized a deal to play Colorado State this season in December, according to FBSchedules.com. Alabama also agreed last October to host FBS newcomer Georgia State. That game will be played on October 5. The Crimson Tide also have a late non-conference match-up with FCS Chattanooga, scheduled just before the regular season finale against Auburn.
“This wasn’t by plan that we did this,” Saban said.
Nobody has been able to confirm which team dropped Alabama from Alabama’s schedule, and FBSchedules.com does not have any record of any other 2013 game that is not still taking place for Alabama. So who was this mystery team that dreamed of upsetting Saban?
Your guess is as good as anyone’s right now. Perhaps it was unsettling for Saban to have the schedule adjusted this way, but it could end up being a benefit. The narrative here is if Saban has extra time to prepare for an opponent, it could prove to be a masterful plan that leads Alabama to a resounding victory.
Perhaps it’s not all that bad for Saban and the 2013 schedule.