'86 Penn State was a physical beatdown. I was there. 23-3 in Tuscaloosa. Penn State looked like men. We looked like boys.
That was Perks last year. We were unable to complete. He was NOT heading for any championships.
That game is not a fair one time litmus test of Perkins potential, nor was it a fair representation of our true team. Both teams were undefeated, and Alabama had risen to #2 in the nation. It was a day game, and Bama was coming in off the breaking of a mini tennessee streak, a 56-28 win in knoxville the week before. Bama had beaten Ohio State, Notre Dame, Florida, and Tennessee (3 game away from home) and I think was a bit physically and especially mentally drained that day.
Meanwhile, PSU had played ...
Temple
@BC
East Carolina
Rutgers
Cincinatti
Syracuse
PSU likely had been planning and pointing to UA for some weeks, had only played one game away from sappy valley, and looked to be fresher and just more ready to play. I think Bama hit a wall, while PSU was primed to run through one that day.