This is an opinion column.

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Alabama’s season ended on Monday at the Rose Bowl with a 27-20 overtime loss to Michigan.

It was an all-time classic by two of the most iconic teams in college football. The skyline of the mountains was gorgeous and the game felt like a throwback to a different time. In another era, sportswriters like Tennessee native Grantland Rice might have written poems about it.

The crimson and white.

The maize and the blue.

Inside Pasadena’s sunset forum,

Alabama’s defense was undone by Michigan running back Blake Corum.

It was the kind of game that has made this sport a unique part of the American story. It was a demonstration of power and a celebration of opulence. It was the Big Ten vs. the SEC, and it was the North vs. the South. It was the end of an era for college football, and the dawn of a new one.

Alabama played well, and held the lead deep into the fourth quarter, but Michigan rallied with a late drive. Corum, Michigan’s running back, will go down as a Rose Bowl legend for a game-winning score that put the Wolverines into the national title game. No.1 Michigan (14-0) and No.2 Washington (14-0) will play for the College Football Playoff championship on Jan.8 in Houston.

Magic carried No.4 Alabama (12-2) to the Rose Bowl this season, but questions will ferry the Crimson Tide back across the country and into an unknown future. There will be plenty of time to dissect what happened on New Year’s Day and what’s next for the Crimson Tide. Before we get to all that, something else had my attention after the game.

It was in the media tent where the post-game news conferences were held. That’s where Terry Saban joined her husband, Nick, in an ongoing college-football tradition every bit as beautiful as the picturesque scenes of the Rose Bowl.

Terry sat with the reporters while Nick answered their questions. Seated with Terry was her immediate family. They listened intently. They were there for support. Terry nodded her head as her husband spoke. Her expressions emphasized in unison the points being made by the legendary coach on the stage.

“We just didn’t finish the last four minutes of the game like we would like to, and we’re all very disappointed, and the players are disappointed, as well,” Saban said. “But one thing that I told them in the locker room after the game, this is one of the most amazing seasons in Alabama football history in terms of where this team came from, what they were able to accomplish and what they were able to do, winning the SEC Championship, and really, really proud of this group.”

Miss Terry smiled as Nick continued his news conference. Her regal countenance radiated throughout the room. The Sabans are the first family of football, and their influence on the players who play this game go far beyond wins and losses.

No matter the outcome, every game for Alabama ends the same way for Nick and Terry Saban.

They are together as a family, they hug each other and they share the moments good or bad. They are one. Alabama football is a family endeavor for the Sabans, and the strength of their bond is one of the greatest lesson of all.

The Sabans just finished their 17th season at Alabama. During that time, Alabama has finished ranked in the Top 5 a total of 12 times. It’s an storied run. The stability of Alabama’s success has been tied directly to the strength of Nick and Terry’s relationship. It’s one of the most important stories of the Saban dynasty and one of the least appreciated.

The historic career of the Sabans is about more than the process. It’s about a hug after the game is over. It’s about a smile when the day is long and the time is fleeting.

Miss Terry and Nick embraced for one last time this season at the Rose Bowl. They have nurtured Alabama football together, and they did it with two hearts as one.

The Sabans’ post-game ritual puts things into perspective for anyone who has had the honor to witness it through the years. Alabama’s seasons don’t always end in wins, but they always finish with the Sabans finding each other and sharing their love. It projects a powerful image. It demonstrates for everyone what matters in this life before everything else.

A hug is a simple gesture, but those are often the most profound of all.

Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of the most controversial sports book ever written, “We Want Bama”. It’s a love story about wild times, togetherness and rum.