If you’ve read this column anytime during football seasons past, you know I’m a fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide. It’s not always easy living in a state that bleeds red and black when you’re sporting crimson instead. Being from Bulloch County, my Georgia Southern Eagle pride runs deep, too — but when it comes to fall Saturdays, my heart belongs to the Crimson Tide.

Last year was a tough one for Alabama fans, though. With losses to Vanderbilt (which still makes me sick to my stomach), Tennessee (I dislike most of the orange teams), Oklahoma and Michigan, I had a hard time putting my faith in DeBoer.

We didn’t watch a lot of football when I was a kid. We were more of a Braves-on-TV family. As a kid, I had no clue what “Roll Tide” or “War Eagle” even meant — and how exactly does a Tiger yell “War Eagle” anyway? And why does Alabama have an elephant?

It all changed in my senior year of high school when I started dating my now-husband, Jason. Let’s just say football MATTERS to his family — like, mascot-themed-Christmas-tree matters. And if I had walked into his Grandma Judy’s house and said “War Eagle,” he might have become my ex-boyfriend instead of my husband.

So, like many great converts in history, I studied.

Not really. I just started watching more football once Jason and I moved in together — just in time for the Nick Saban era to begin. But as we watched and I heard more and more about the past games, past coaches and so forth, I began to go down the rabbit hole of what made the Crimson Tide roll — and why that’s the battle cry.

Fast-forward 20 years: I’m the one screaming louder at the TV. I own more Tide gear than Jason. I keep up with the stats more than he does, and I know what teams some of the Tide players play for in the NFL. We only watched two NFL games last year — the Super Bowl and the Dolphins versus the Eagles so we could see Tua Tagovailoa play against his former teammate Jalen Hurts.

Those two were some of the best Bama had. Just like Nick Saban was. I don’t know if 2024 was a fluke or a flop or if it was just a first season with a new coach — but it was tough.

The ONLY thing that kept me from completely losing my mind? That 41-34 win over Georgia. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t wish ill on the Dawgs — I just wish better for the Tide.

While I love some good-natured smack talking about football, sometimes fans take it a little too far. And last year was, well, it was about as crazy as the CFB ranking committee must have felt each week trying to make their picks.

The truth is, college football in the South is a full-contact sport — emotionally, spiritually and sometimes even physically. I’ve heard of fans throwing drinks, insults and worse, just because someone wore the “wrong” color in the wrong stadium. We’ve all heard the stories, and they’re not cute. It’s one thing to talk smack — I’m all for a well-timed joke about Georgia’s cupcake schedule — but when it crosses into hate? That’s when I tap out. It’s football, y’all, not a war.

I love the back-and-forth. I live for the texts during games from friends who know how to dish it and take it. And yes, I’ve screamed at the TV, cried after losses and sat cross-legged on the floor, taking nervous swigs of Malibu like it was holy water. But never — not once — has it made me lose a friendship. If your friendship can’t survive a football rivalry, was it ever that deep?

And now, here we are — 2025. No Saban on the sidelines. No headset-flinging tantrums. Just Kalen DeBoer stepping onto the field named after Saban (and watching “College GameDay” after Saban may have given some strong opinions about the team). As of writing this, there’s rumors that Saban might return to coaching, but I doubt it. He’s embracing retirement and his newfound friendship with Pat McAfee.

It's also been announced that Tua has been traded to the Giants from the Dolphins, so things in the former Tide world have been a little shaky the last day or two.

But my Christmas tree will still have the script letter A’s on it (yes, the one with the mullets, not to be confused for the Braves A — although that’s on there, too). I still swear crimson. And this fall, I’ll still shout “Roll Tide” — even if I’m surrounded by a sea of Bulldogs.

Being a fan isn’t about who’s coaching or winning or trending. It’s about the memories, the traditions and the community. It’s about staying loyal — even when your lucky shirt loses its magic.