Pat Dye Says Alabama Crimson Tide Not Unbeatable
Pat Dye claims Alabama is clearly the best team in the nation and could be better than last year, but the former Auburn head coach also warned that the Crimson Tide won't sail through its Southeastern Conference schedule without some serious challenges.
"If they get beat, it will be an upset," Dye told a huge crowd at the Montgomery Quarterback Club's meeting Tuesday night. "But you have to be lucky to go undefeated, I don't care how good you are.
"If they are not at the top of their game and the team they're playing is at the top of their game, that team will have a chance to win. The SEC is just too tough a league."
Dye also had encouraging words for Auburn fans, saying the Tigers are "a work in progress" and that they have the right coach in place in Gene Chizik. But the Auburn coaching legend was extraordinarily generous in his praise of the Tigers' cross-state rival.
"This is kind of hard to say as an Auburn man, but Alabama is a fun team to watch," he said. "They play the game the way it ought to be played.
"I'm not like a lot of Auburn people. I don't hate Alabama. I spent nine years there, and I'm indebted to Alabama because when Coach (Paul) Bryant hired me on his staff, I'd never coached a day in my life. So I have great respect for the University of Alabama and their success and their traditions."
Dye said Chizik is the right man at Auburn, and urged Tiger fans to be patient while Chizik and his staff rebuild Auburn into an SEC title contender again.
"Alabama's got the right man in there now," Dye said, referring to Tide head coach Nick Saban. "But it took them 20 years. We've got a good coach at Auburn right now, and the fans need to trust him.
"The big thing is, Auburn needs to worry about what's happening at Auburn and not worry about what's happening across the state. Because we can only control what goes on at Auburn. If we are the best that we can be at Auburn, then that'll take care of Alabama."
Dye expressed disappointment in former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville's recruiting efforts his last three years on the job.
"If they get beat, it will be an upset," Dye told a huge crowd at the Montgomery Quarterback Club's meeting Tuesday night. "But you have to be lucky to go undefeated, I don't care how good you are.
"If they are not at the top of their game and the team they're playing is at the top of their game, that team will have a chance to win. The SEC is just too tough a league."
Dye also had encouraging words for Auburn fans, saying the Tigers are "a work in progress" and that they have the right coach in place in Gene Chizik. But the Auburn coaching legend was extraordinarily generous in his praise of the Tigers' cross-state rival.
"This is kind of hard to say as an Auburn man, but Alabama is a fun team to watch," he said. "They play the game the way it ought to be played.
"I'm not like a lot of Auburn people. I don't hate Alabama. I spent nine years there, and I'm indebted to Alabama because when Coach (Paul) Bryant hired me on his staff, I'd never coached a day in my life. So I have great respect for the University of Alabama and their success and their traditions."
Dye said Chizik is the right man at Auburn, and urged Tiger fans to be patient while Chizik and his staff rebuild Auburn into an SEC title contender again.
"Alabama's got the right man in there now," Dye said, referring to Tide head coach Nick Saban. "But it took them 20 years. We've got a good coach at Auburn right now, and the fans need to trust him.
"The big thing is, Auburn needs to worry about what's happening at Auburn and not worry about what's happening across the state. Because we can only control what goes on at Auburn. If we are the best that we can be at Auburn, then that'll take care of Alabama."
Dye expressed disappointment in former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville's recruiting efforts his last three years on the job.
No comments:
Post a Comment