Must-win game in November?

It’s Iron Bowl weekend and the basketball team is more than 1000 miles from home in a place where pressure is deciding which fruit-falvored cocktail to order before dinner. Can the Crimson Tide really be in must-win mode this soon?

Don’t laugh. A look at the schedule says that this is Bama’s best shot at a quality non-conference win.

Ever since the Debacle of 2001 in which Alabama was passed over for an NCAA bid (in favor of a Georgia team that set a world’s record for “quality losses” and inflated GPAs) Mark Gottfried has moved heaven and earth to assemble the toughest non-conference sked possible. And while he made the same effort this year, a lot of the brand name teams look to be paper tigers.

Oklahoma and North Carolina State are rebuilding with new coaches. Notre Dame continues to struggle in the Big East. None of the three even sniffed consideration in the early Bracketology predictions. Even Iowa is predicted to be a Big 10 bottom feeder.

So who can Alabama spruce up the resume with? The other half of the Paradise Jam draw has Xavier and Villanova, meaning the Tide should draw a NCAA-caliber team win or lose. Xavier is the favorite in the Atlantic 10, while ‘Nova is in rebuilding mode after an Elite 8 run, but should still be dancing come March.

Naturally there will be plenty of chances for big wins in SEC play, and no one is suggesting Bama won’t make the tournament. Still, the Tide’s seeding could take a hit if they endure the inevitable bumps and bruises in the conference. This weekend offers the best defense against that.