[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 5157-5158]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATING THE 2011 BCS NATIONAL CHAMPION UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA 
                              CRIMSON TIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 18, 2012

  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, the University of Alabama 
Crimson Tide makes its second trip in three years to the White House to 
be honored as Bowl Championship Series National Football Champions.
  On January 9, 2012, the Crimson Tide reclaimed the BCS National 
Football Championship with the University of Alabama's 21 to 0 shutout 
of the LSU Tigers in the New Orleans Superdome.
  During a football season that many armchair quarterbacks claimed 
lacked drama due to the apparent domination of one team for much of the 
year, the final verdict was confirmation to Crimson Tide fans around 
the nation and throughout the world that Bama was simply the best.
  In a land of many great traditions, football is uniquely American. 
The struggle to overcome and outlast your opponent for four quarters in 
one of the most physically challenging sports is what draws many of us 
to the game. Down South, we may not have written the first chapter in 
the book of football, but the Southeastern Conference has become the 
main character for the last six years.
  By capturing the 2011 BCS title, the Alabama Crimson Tide can lay 
claim to 14 NCAA college football championships and the second in three 
years under Coach Nick Saban.
  Going into New Orleans on January 9, the world of college football 
was divided over

[[Page 5158]]

whether the unbeaten and number one LSU Tigers or the one-loss Crimson 
Tide would leave the Louisiana Superdome wearing the BCS crown. But for 
Bama fans the outcome was never in doubt. Both the Tigers and the Tide 
earned their journey to the final contest, but only the Crimson Tide 
came ready to play.
  By halftime it was already apparent that victory for the Tide was in 
the offing and the third and fourth quarters only brought confirmation. 
The Crimson Tide offense scored 21 unanswered points and the Bama 
defense dominated the formerly mobile Tigers offense, holding them to 
just 92 total yards.
  Once again, the BCS National Championship title returns to Tuscaloosa 
and the historic victory in New Orleans is not only a triumph for the 
Tide but a win for all football fans in the State of Alabama.
  Mr. Speaker, I join the entire Bama nation in congratulating Coach 
Saban, his talented assistants, the staff, the team, their loyal 
families and Bama fans everywhere . . . Roll Tide!

                          ____________________