Last Saturday I felt like I was transported back in time. It was déjà vu in a way; I felt like it was 2008. Ironically, that was the last presidential election year, but this had nothing to do with politics. The 2008 season for the Alabama football team was one of the most special I had ever been a part of as a football fan.

In 2008, no one expected much out of Alabama nationally. The Crimson Tide was ranked 24th by the Associated Press in the preseason and did not place in the top 25 of the first Coaches’ poll that year. Alabama shot up the polls as fast as any team ever had in the history of the game, by week six they were ranked second in the nation. I remember gathering around every Sunday with my roommates to watch as the polls came out that afternoon and then watching the Nick Saban Show that night.

There was something special about that season. We all know what has happened since then and I know most people forget about 2008, having had two national championship campaigns since then. It is still fresh in my mind because of the all the emotions tied into it, stunning Clemson in the Georgia Dome, manhandling the Razorbacks in Fayetteville, embarrassing Georgia in the blackout, delivering the knockout punch to Philip Fulmer in Knoxville and, of course, the “Beat down in T-town against Auburn.”

I know I left one big game out of there and that is the one that sparked my memory. In 2008 Nick Saban returned to Baton Rouge for the first time with the top-ranked team in the country to take on an LSU team that was not meeting expectations. Sound familiar?

The Crimson Tide led going into the fourth quarter of that game as well. Charles Scott capped off the biggest drive of the day by either team – 14 plays, 74 yards – with a 1-yard touchdown run. That tied the game at 21-21. Alabama would get a chance for a game-winning field goal after a great punt return by Javier Arenas and a short drive by the offense. Leigh Tiffin’s 29-yard, chip shot field goal was blocked.

All Alabama fans were crushed, myself included. I was wearing a shirt from the 2007 season. I ran into my room, took the shirt off, threw it on the ground and quickly grabbed my crimson sweatshirt. The rest was history. Alabama dominated in overtime with a Rashad Johnson interception – his third of the day – and the first offensive play was a 24-yard pass from John Parker Wilson to Julio Jones. Wilson punched it in two plays later for the game-winner. I ran out of our apartment with my roommates to celebrate with our neighbors, then we all hopped in the car and went to the airport to welcome the team – the SEC West Champions – back to Tuscaloosa. It was one of the best nights I had ever had as a college football fan.

Fast-forward four years. Alabama was leading LSU heading into the fourth quarter. This time it was Zach Mettenberger hooking up with Jarvis Landry on a 14-yard touchdown pass to cap off a seven-play, 90-yard drive. The Tigers took a 17-14 lead. LSU later faced a third-and-10, which if they had converted, would have essentially sealed the game. Thankfully, the Tigers ran the ball up the middle to set up a field goal attempt. I looked down and noticed I was wearing a shirt from 2007. I thought to myself, how could I be so stupid? I ran into my room, took the shirt off, threw it on the ground and quickly grabbed a white polo from last year. The rest was history. Drew Alleman missed that 45-yard field goal and AJ McCarron and Kevin Noorwood led the team down the field in machine-like fashion to set up a play that will go down in Alabama lore.

It was one of the most special feelings I had ever had, maybe falling just a tad short of the 2009 SEC Championship game, which was a totally different feeling. Alabama had come from behind before under Saban, but not like this. Deep down in your gut, you were really worried about this one. Not only would the national championship dreams be gone, but also you would have to listen to LSU fans gloat about it for the next year.

Then McCarron to T.J. Yeldon for the touchdown. McCarron was in tears and I think we were all crying along with him. We needed that. In a season, really two, where no one had given this team a challenge, we needed that. The players, the coaches and the fans, we all needed that.