This is an opinion column.

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College football these days is a hard sell.

Let’s just start there before piling on Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne.

It has been a rough couple of days for Byrne and Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide is losing more players to the transfer portal than it’s taking in and rival Auburn is making serious moves.

And LSU.

And Tennessee and Texas, too.

In the NFL, they have free agency. College football, meanwhile, is in the business of “portal combat.” It’s kinda like the old video game Mortal Kombat, but with a lot more blood and far fewer rules.

And Alabama, according to Byrne, is losing the fight.

“Fight back,” Byrne pleaded with fans on Wednesday in a letter that probably did more harm than good.

But it’s the holiday season, Greg, and college football, well, it just isn’t what it used to be.

Is it better? Is it worse? Is it broken? That’s all up for debate. Well-heeled teams like SMU, Texas A&M, Auburn and Oregon, for example, are enjoying this new game of chaos just fine.

But Alabama is apparently poor.

In this new world of college football, players have all the power. For schools like Alabama, the old game was a lot more fun.

Alabama wants the transfer portal reduced to once a year so DeBoer and Co. can maintain a competitive roster. But should the rules really be changed so Alabama can stay on top? I’m not so sure Oregon, Ohio State and Texas will be agreeing to that anytime soon.

What happened? Where did all the money go, Greg? Is Roll Tide Willie not giving enough to the fight?

Byrne’s NIL brainchild is called Yea! Alabama. I encourage all Alabama fans to visit the website and pay up. Byrne is even selling online retail. Fans can plunk down $175 for a “youth performance polo.”

No kidding, $175 for children’s clothing to pay a player who might just leave after spring practice. That’s the plan.

It’s a tough ask and that’s a lot of chicken for three points against Oklahoma and a loss to Vanderbilt.

Roll Tide Willie is asking a reasonable question. Why give money to football players like Iron Bowl hero Isaiah Bond when they’re just going to leave for Texas? Why bother with paying players like all-everything safety Caleb Downs when they’re just going to bolt for Ohio State?

Alabama had plenty of money to pay for Nick Saban, and they’re apparently still paying him, too. But for Saban’s old players, Byrne is passing around the hat and begging fans to buy subscriptions for player podcasts.

It’s pathetic.

Look, podcasts are cute and everything, but really the only content Alabama fans want from their football team is more national championships.

Here’s an idea. Maybe pay the coaches and administrators less and the players more. Byrne and his PR team are clearly out of ideas and DeBoer, for all of his wins at Washington with quarterback Michael Penix, doesn’t exactly strike me as the kind of guy who can walk into a room and ask Southerners to donate millions of dollars.

Auburn’s Hugh Freeze is definitely that guy, though.

When the transfer portal opened, I knew that Auburn and Freeze were going to make some noise. No one was prepared for Alabama’s embarrassing response, though. Byrne is making the Crimson Tide seem desperate.

Is it really that bad?

If it helps, then I will gladly use this column to help Alabama raise money. Donate to the cause, Alabama fans. Buy a $299 football autographed by DeBoer. No doubt it will be a rare collector’s item in a couple years.

BE HEARD

Got a question for Joe? Want to get something off your chest? Send Joe an email about what’s on your mind. Let your voice be heard. Ask him anything.

Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of the book “We Want Bama: A Season of Hope and the Making of Nick Saban’s Ultimate Team.”