Home-field mystique returns for Crimson Tide

TUSCALOOSA | Only about 35 scholarship players on the University of Alabama roster have been around long enough to notice the difference.

The rest only know Bryant-Denny Stadium as a place that's always full, always loud and always good for a victory. But the veterans, like offensive lineman Mike Johnson and cornerback Javier Arenas, can recall a UA home venue where opponents were more undaunted and where victory was anything but certain.

'A lot of passion is brought back and put back into the fans, so it's loud,' Arenas said. 'It's more spirited. There's more to protect now.

'Before, we were kind of on and off, you know what I mean? It's not like we had an undefeated home record to protect or anything like that. It's a lot at stake and lot of emotions around it now.'

Alabama hasn't lost a home game since the low point of head coach Nick Saban's tenure, a 21-14 loss to Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 17, 2007. Countless players later called that loss a turning point for the team. Since then, the Crimson Tide has compiled a nine-game home win streak, and will seek No. 10 Saturday against Arkansas.

During the current streak, UA has posted two shutouts and held six of nine opponents under 10 points in home contests.

Bryant-Denny lacks the catchy nickname attached to various other powerhouse venues such as The Horseshoe (Ohio State), The Swamp (Florida) or Death Valley (LSU). And there isn't an equivalent match for some of the college game's unique home-field traditions, like Oklahoma's Sooner Schooner.

But home-field mystique is built more on victories than on monikers and mascots.

And, according to Johnson, recruits are well aware of where the victories are.

'I was talking to James Carpenter the other day and he was telling me about all his official visits he went on, he went to Oklahoma and Ole Miss, said this place had great facilities or that place was great to hang out,' Johnson said. 'I said, ‘Well James, why did you come here?' And he said, ‘I wanted to win.'

'That tells the story about where we've come since I was a freshman here.'

Saban, for his part, said home field is more about atmosphere than advantage.

'As much as I appreciate our home crowd, our stadium, our venue, and the great job they do in their part of this team, for helping to create a wonderful atmosphere for our players to compete in, I don't want the players to ever rely on that and think that's going to be an advantage to them, because the advantage is getting your tail ready to play,' Saban said.

Alabama tight end Colin Peek has never experienced a home loss as an Alabama player, but his perspective on the Crimson Tide's advantage at home is a unique one. Having transferred from Georgia Tech, Peek has two home-field experiences to draw from at the major college level.

'It's funny, when I first came got here I came up for the spring game and I was like, ‘There are more people in this stadium for our spring game than there was for our (Georgia Tech) home games',' Peek said. 'I love playing here, it's a tremendous environment. ... It doesn't matter if it's pouring down rain, the stadium is going to be full.'

Reach Chase Goodbread or at chase.goodbread@tuscaloosanews.com. or at 205-722-0196.