For the second consecutive year, the College Football Championship Game will not feature an SEC team, with Ohio State facing Notre Dame. After dominating the championship from 2016 to 2023, the SEC has been outshined by the increasing parity in college football, which has been evident in the last two playoff seasons.
While the landscape of college football has changed, many fans still reminisce about the dominant SEC teams of the previous decade. Programs like Alabama and Georgia provided a highly polarizing presence, captivating fans nationwide each week.
During the 11th Annual Allstate Party at the Playoff on January 18, former Alabama player and college football analyst Greg McElroy shared his thoughts on the underrated importance of college football super teams as the championship game approached.
“I do think that parity is valuable as long as we acknowledge having the ‘Death Star,’ if you will, is still of importance,” McElroy explained. “We need that polarizing program that everyone loves or everyone hates, but you better feel something about that team that’s at the end of that run.”
“As an Alabama guy, there are a lot of people that support Alabama but there are also a lot of people that really like to see Alabama lose. And I think that is valuable for the long run with where we’re at as a sport,” he added.
McElroy’s “Death Star” team reference aligns with Nick Saban’s Alabama squads, which secured six national championships in eleven years from 2010 to 2020. McElroy, who played quarterback for Alabama, led the team to an undefeated record and a national title during the 2009-10 season in his first year as a starter.
While McElroy values the presence of super teams, he also appreciates how a program like Notre Dame, which isn’t known for being talent-heavy like the SEC teams, has managed to rise to championship contention.
“We just want the teams that are the most consistent to win the championship,” McElroy remarked. “I think this system kind of rewards consistency, and we should celebrate that … I don’t think Notre Dame has the most talent right now, but they might be the best team. And that, I think, is celebrated by pretty much everyone that follows the sport.”
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Ex-Alabama football player arrested on domestic violence charges
A former NFL and University of Alabama football player has been arrested and charged in connection with a domestic violence incident that took place in December.
On December 30, Hoover Police responded to a call from a woman in the Lake Cyrus neighborhood who reported that her boyfriend, 34-year-old Marcell Dareus, had abused her.
The victim stated that an argument escalated when Dareus pushed her to the ground and used a metal object to damage her car. Dareus left the scene before police arrived.
After an investigation, authorities filed charges of domestic violence in the second and third degrees.
Dareus turned himself in at the Jefferson County Jail on Monday and was released after posting a $36,000 total bond.
Court records indicate that the victim has been granted a protection order against Dareus.
