By Joe McAdory
What if Rich Rodriguez accepted the job as Alabama’s head football coach after the 2006 season?
kAm|2= |@@C6 @776C65 E96 7@C>6C (6DE ':C8:?:2 4@249 E96 <6JD E@ E96 %:56 7@@E32== <:?85@> 27E6C |:<6 $9F=2’D 7@FC\J62C E6?FC6] (96C6 H@F=5 E96 %:56’D 7@@E32== AC@8C2> 36 E@52Jn (96C6 H@F=5 :E 92G6 366?nk^Am
kAm!=62D6 2==@H >6 E@ DA64F=2E6]k^Am
kAmν %96 rC:>D@? %:56 H@F=5 36 2?JH96C6 7C@> 2 ?2E:@?2= 4@?E6?56C E9:D D62D@? E@ 2? 2G6C286 E62>] '28F6 2?DH6C[ x <?@H] t:E96C #:49\#@5 H@F=5 6:E96C 92G6 E9:D E62> 9F>>:?8[ @C E96 A@H6CD\E92E\36 :? %FD42=@@D2 H@F=5 92G6 <:4<65 9:> @FE @7 E@H? 3J a_`_ 2?5 7@F?5 2 AC@G6? H:??6C :?DE625] t:E96C H2J[ E96 3C2DD :? %FD42=@@D2 H@?’E DE2?5 7@C =@D:?8[ D@ 5@?’E 6IA64E E92E] tG6C]k^Am
kAmν p=232>2 H@F=5 ?@E 92G6 H@? ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:AD :? a__h[ a_`` 2?5 a_`a] (9Jn }:4< $232? H2D 4@249 2?5 #:49\#@5 H2D?’E] $232? 92D 3F:=E 2 >249:?6 – @?6 D@ DEC@?8 E92E 72? 6IA64E2E:@?D 56>2?5 492>A:@?D9:AD] #@5C:8F6K’D |@F?E2:?66CD H@? E96 q:8 t2DE] %92E’D :E] (92E 5:5 #@5C:8F6K 5@ 27E6C 96 =67E (6DE ':C8:?:2 :? a__fnk^Am
kAmw6 =@DE 2E |:49:82? – E96 H:??:?86DE 4@==686 7@@E32== AC@8C2> :? E96 9:DE@CJ @7 >6?’D E24<=6 7@@E32== – 2?5 H2D 7:C65 27E6C E9C66 D62D@?D]k^Am
kAmν }6:E96C BF2CE6C324<D vC68 |4t=C@J ?@C p]y] |4r2CC@? H@F=5 92G6 DE2CE65 2E p=232>2] q@E9 H6C6 EC25:E:@?2= 5C@A\324< A2DD6CD 2?5 3@E9 56=:G6C65 F?56C $232?] #@5C:8F6K’D @776?D6 42==65 7@C >@3:=6 BF2CE6C324<D[ :>A=6>6?E:?8 2 CF?\962GJ DAC625 @AE:@?] (2D %FD42=@@D2 C625J 7@C E96 ?@\9F55=6 DAC625 H:E9 y@9? !2C<6C (:=D@? :? a__fnk^Am
kAmν pF3FC? H@F=5 ?@E 92G6 C2==:65 7C@> 2 ac\_ 567:4:E E@ 362E p=232>2 :? a_`_] (:E9 #:49\#@5[ p=232>2 H@F=5 ?@E 92G6 366? 8@@5 6?@F89 E@ =625 pF3FC? 3J ac E92E 52J]k^Am
kAmν $232? H@F=5 ?@E 92G6 C6>2:?65 2D E96 |:2>: s@=A9:?D’ 9625 4@249 7@C G6CJ =@?8 2?JH2J] {6E’D 7246 :E[ 96 H2D 2 4@==686 8FJ 4@249:?8 :? E96 AC@D 2?5 H2D?’E 92AAJ :? E92E 6?G:C@?>6?E] $@ H96C6 4@F=5 96 92G6 C62AA62C65 @? 72== $2EFC52JDn w6’D AC6EEJ 8@@5 2D 2 A2CE\E:>6 %' 8FJ] %92E 8:8 4@F=5 92G6 H@C<65 @FE F?E:= ~9:@ $E2E6 @C %6I2D 6G6?EF2==J 42>6 42==:?8] %96 qF4<6J6D =2?565 &C32? |6J6C :? a_`a] x7 $232?[ H9@ A=2J65 2E z6?E $E2E6 W~9:@X[ H2D E96 qF4<6J6D’ 4@249 :?DE625[ E96C6’D ?@ E6==:?8 H96C6 |6J6C H@F=5 36 4@249:?8 C:89E ?@H]k^Am
kAmν $A62<:?8 @7 |6J6C[ u=@C:52 2?5 %:> %63@H H@F=5 92G6 362E6? %6I2D 7@C E96 ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A :? a__h] %96 @?=J E62> E@ 362E E96 v2E@CD E92E D62D@?n p=232>2 :? E96 $tr r92>A:@?D9:A v2>6] (:E9 #:49\#@5[ p=232>2 H@F=5 ?@E 92G6 362E6? E96 v2E@CD[ @C A@DD:3=J ?@E H@? E96 $tr (6DE E92E D62D@?]k^Am
kAmν &?56C #@5C:8F6K :? a_`_[ E96 |:49:82? H2D 492C865 H:E9 CF=6D :?7C24E:@?D C682C5:?8 A=2J6C H@C<@FE C64@C5D 2?5 A=2465 @? AC@32E:@? 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6] %92E D2:5[ H@F=5 E96 }rpp 6?7@C46>6?E DE277 366? 7C6BF6?E G:D:E@CD E@ %FD42=@@D2nk^Am
kAmν p=232>2 H@F=5 ?@E 92G6 H@? E96 ?2E:@?2= C64CF:E:?8 492>A:@?D9:A 6G6CJ u63CF2CJ F?56C #:49\#@5] $232?’D C64CF:E:?8 D<:==D 2C6 F?>2E4965] (:E9@FE 9:>[ >2?J @7 E96 DE2C A=2J6CD E92E 96=A65 E96 %:56 E@ C646?E 5@>:?2?46 4@F=5 92G6 A=2J65 6=D6H96C6] x>28:?6 yF=:@ y@?6D :? 2? pF3FC? ;6CD6J[ @C r=:?E #:492C5D@? A=2J:?8 2E {$&] (@F=5 a__h w6:D>2? %C@A9J\H:??:?8 CF??:?8 324< |2C< x?8C2> 92G6 DE2J65 :? t2DE {2?D:?8 2?5 A=2J65 2E |:49:82? $E2E6nk^Am
kAmν $232? H@F=5 92G6 ?@ DE2EF6[ 2?JH96C6] p:89Enk^Am
kAm~3G:@FD=J[ 6G6CJE9:?8 H@C<65 @FE H6== 7@C 3@E9 E96 D49@@= 2?5 E96 4@249] $:?46 #@5C:8F6K DAFC?65 p=232>2’D a__e @776C[ E96 %:56 92D C@==65 2?5 #:49\#@5 92D 7:?2==J 7@F?5 ?6H DF446DD 2E pC:K@?2[ H96C6 96 =65 E96 (:=542ED E@ `_ H:?D 2?5 2 u:6DE2 q@H= 2AA62C2?46 =2DE D62D@?]k^Am
kAmk6>my@6 |4p5@CJ :D 7@C>6C DA@CED 65:E@C 2E E96 ~A6=:<2\pF3FC? }6HD 2?5 :D r@>>F?:42E:@?D t5:E@C 2E E96 pF3FC? &?:G6CD:EJ #2J>@?5 y] w2C36CE r@==686 @7 qFD:?6DD] w6 42? 36 C624965 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i;6>__c_o2F3FC?]65FQm;6>__c_o2F3FC?]65Fk^2mk^6>mk^Am