The Inside Zone

The Inside Zone

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The Inside Zone
The Inside Zone
Fortuna Files: Is this the end of Alabama as we know it?
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Fortuna Files: Is this the end of Alabama as we know it?

Can the Crimson Tide fix what's ailing them? Also, Mel Tucker exhibits terrible decision-making, Week 2 delivers on and off the field, and much more.

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Matt Fortuna
Sep 11, 2023
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The Inside Zone
The Inside Zone
Fortuna Files: Is this the end of Alabama as we know it?
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Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Nick Saban was finishing up his postgame press conference Saturday when he stopped, asked if everyone was done asking questions, then left with a few parting words before getting back to the business of figuring out what is ailing his 1-1 football team.

“We good? All right, thank you, appreciate it,” Saban said, his body already turned toward the exits. “But I do think that it was a great atmosphere out there, our fans did a tremendous job. We appreciate the support. It was fantastic.

“And it’s a privilege to play in games like this, it’s a privilege to play at the University of Alabama, it’s a privilege to play where you have such great tradition, and it’s a privilege to play where you have such great fan support. So we really appreciate it. Thank you.”

Did this sound like a man who had just suffered the worst home loss of his legendary career?

Not quite. Nor did Saban sound like his old self last week when we went out of his way to apologize to a reporter for his sarcastic Week 1 answer to a question about the performance of quarterback Jalen Milroe.

Times are different in T-Town, not that expectations have gotten any lower. Alabama is .500 for just the second time in Saban’s 17-year tenure, and the first time since a four-game losing streak sent the Crimson Tide to a 6-6 regular-season mark in Saban’s debut campaign in 2007.

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