TUSCALOOSA, AL — In the heart of the South — in the left ventricle of college football — there are three things people here care about most: God, SEC football and Donald Trump. And not necessarily in that order.
But at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday night, on the University of Alabama quads during the day and ESPN’s College GameDay set that morning, something was missing. Maybe it’s just that the football seemed to mean more than usual. No. 4 Alabama was hosting No. 2 University of Georgia in a September battle that would establish the hierarchy of college football dynasties for months to come.
But over the course of dozens of interviews Saturday, there was a common feeling. Ask these people about their excitement over Trump coming to the game, and you’re often greeted with a physical reaction: a shrug.