This first appeared in Kevin Scarbinsky’s weekly newsletter. Subscribe to get it in your inbox every Thursday, $5/month or $50/year.

This idea came from the Bear. Well, not the Bear, aka Paul W. Bryant, the coach who set the standard at Alabama. That standard stood the test of time until Nick Saban came along and rewrote college football’s theory of relativity relative to consistency in performance.

That bar is so high now, a second loss before Saban’s Halloween birthday for the first time since his first season will be the next line in the dynasty’s slowly developing obituary. It could happen Saturday at Texas A&M, especially if A&M’s wrecking crew of a defensive front takes a wrecking ball to Alabama’s suspect pass protection.

Will it? Who knows? You know we’re philosophically opposed to predictions around here. Watch a prediction go wrong, and human nature tempts you to find someone else to blame for the fog on your crystal ball. Better to enjoy the games without feeling like your reputation – to say nothing of your money – is at stake. Besides, never let it be said, by Ray Watts or anyone else, that Scarbo doesn’t know what he doesn’t know.

Now back to the other Bear, the Saturday savant known the rest of the week as Chris Fallica. Created by ESPN’s GameDay, snatched out of the portal by Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff, he asked a leading question Tuesday on the social media site X: “Is Saturday the most significant game in the Saban era at Alabama?”

The easy, snarky answer: Is this a trick question? Is there a big ring on the line? No? Then get outta here with your artificial inflation of a regular-season game. Alabama has six national titles on Saban’s watch. Every one of those championship games dwarfed this game in significance.