College Football's first primetime game: Ole Miss-Alabama game still legendary

[Coach Hank Crisp]

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When No. 2 Alabama (6-0) plays Ole Miss (2-3) on Saturday evening, the nation will not lift its head unless there's an upset. It will be one of 26 college football games that ESPN will televise Saturday, one of 11 it will show under the lights. We take that for granted these days. It is news when a game is not televised.

Once upon a time, however, that was not the case. Once upon a time, 10 years before ESPN was born, a regular-season college football game had never been televised in prime time. If you want to know when the modern history of the sport began, go back 42 seasons to an early October night. A genius named Roone Arledge had the idea to show Alabama play Mississippi, and the game turned out to be one of the greatest in the history of the Southeastern Conference.

[Chechem]

"Coach Vaught told me that on the field after the game, Coach Bryant said to him, 'That was the worst god---n game I've ever seen,'" Rogers said. "He said, 'You're right, Bear.'"

Ironic that the winning play was Alabama's goal-line defense.  Bama jumped into a goal-line D at midfield to stop an Ole Miss drive late in the 4th Q.  That D play secured the game.

I was there.  
And 42 years later, my date to that game is married to one of my former professors.  True story.

[Bamaphile]

"Coach," Arledge said, "we're not going to be able to do the night game because the candlepower of the lights is not strong enough. Do you think you could do something about it?"

"Don't worry about it," Bryant replied. "I'll talk to the mayor. If he won't do it, he won't be re-elected."

"Bryant talked to somebody," Cook said. "We sent somebody to check the lights again. They were good enough. We did the game."

For the record, Birmingham returned Mayor George C. Siebels Jr. to office in 1971.

 

[Chechem]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp1sA7NV9QI" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp1sA7NV9QI</a>

See it again and enjoy.

[Coach Hank Crisp]

I sat at home in Concord Alabama and watched it by myself. My older brother and sister were out for the Saturday night and my parents were at the game. My Dad had just bought a new 'color' TV! Yea!

[pmull]

In 1969 college footballs did not have white stripes. Coach Bryant suggested the white stripes for TV night games. The stripes must have been a good idea since they are still on footballs 42 years later.

[2Stater]

My mother and I were watching that game in Montgomery and the power went out in our neighborhood in the 4th quarter. Both of us were going nuts trying to find out what was going on. The power came back on just in time to see the end of the game. Still one of the most memorable games I've ever seen.

[ricky023]

I watched it at home in my little rockin chair in the LR with a Black and White TV. My dad did not like sports but he and my grandmother through it with me. RTR!

[#1Tidefan]

That had to be a great game. Unfortunately...Mom & Dad Loved Lawrence Welk, so we prolly watched that...lol

[hscoach]

My dad was in the Air Force and I remember sitting and watching with him.

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