Viva Murillo!

I'm going to let you in on a secret: I've been writing this column for more than 12 years, but I've only covered a certain topic once. It's a shame, because it's one of my favorites. But it comes up so rarely, I never get to write about it. And now -- finally -- it's here again.

I knew it would happen earlier this week when a friend of mine said something while we were discussing Alabama's college football dominance. Both of us have been impressed with the way they've dismantled opponents and the ease in which they seem headed toward a national title. And then he said it:

"You know, I think Alabama could beat a bad NFL team."

He could have said "come close to beating" or "compete with" and I would have written this column anyway. Make no mistake: The very best college football team today would be humiliated by the worst NFL team today. If they played 100 times, it would happen 100 times. Young adults would be laying on the field, bruised and broken, while parents would be searching the wounded for what's left of their children. It would be an embarrassing, unqualified disaster for whatever college team stepped onto the field. And I've never heard a cogent argument to the contrary.

I don't feel particularly bright for taking that position; it's just common sense. Unless you think Alabama will send 22 starters into the NFL next year, they're at a hopeless disadvantage. There would be match ups where a future accountant or attorney is going to line up against an NFL-caliber player...and it's not going to be pretty. In an NFL contest, there's nowhere to hide on the field. Any mismatch will be exploited; any disparity in talent highlighted. Repeat that several times on offense and defense, over 60 minutes, and the game is over before it begins.

Remember, every NFL team is a college Dream Team -- the very best of what the entire college football world has to offer. The very worst NFL team -- maybe the Jaguars, or the Chiefs this year -- is full of past college stars who have proven themselves in NFL training camps and pre-seasons. They got the job done in college, and in the pros they're surrounded by other players who have passed the same tests. Even if the bad teams will replace some of those underperforming players, they were all still good enough to get to this level, which is more than we can say for every position on Alabama's squad.

This isn't an indictment on the Crimson Tide, by the way. They're impressive, well-coached and have been a cut above their opponents so far. If you like football, you have to appreciate how they're playing. But think of every position: Quarterback, running back, receiver, tight end, center, guard, tackle. If any one of those isn't NFL-caliber, the whole offense would be in jeopardy. On defense, if one corner, or safety, or linebacker, or defensive lineman isn't good enough to compete at the highest level in the world, an NFL offense would pick at them like an ugly scab. And I'm talking about just one drive. Give an NFL team that same mismatch for an entire game, and you can forget it.

I'm not even going into backups and shifting personnel, because the talent difference on the bench would be even more ridiculous. The longer the game went on, the worse it would get. Even if we acknowledge that Alabama has players who could hold their own in the big leagues (and I certainly believe that's the case, as we'll see next spring), they're playing with teammates who can't do the same. It might not hurt them at the college level, where opponents have the same problems. But it would hurt them badly against an NFL team, which will be faster and bigger than anything they've seen. "Slow" and "small" are relative terms when talking about the NFL. Every player is good. Every athlete is talented. The difference between the Patriots and the Panthers isn't all that great, really. It's enough to make a difference in the standings, but no organizations outside the NFL could compete with either of them. That's how talented the league is.

Let me also offer that the deck is stacked against Alabama when it comes to intangibles: College athletes haven't fully developed their talent, haven't felt the same competition for their jobs and haven't had access to the same programs and facilities as millionaire NFL athletes. However good their players are, they'll be even better in a few more years. They'll be nurtured, developed, and have access to the league's best personnel. Every NFL player gets to play with other NFL players, and that alone can make them better. And as far as coaching staffs go...let's be generous and say Nick Saban was a mediocre NFL head coach who left before proving he could lead a team at the highest level. I don't think he'd out-coach anyone in the league today.

When we watch the best of the best on Saturday, and the worst of the worst on Sunday, we can be tempted to compare those teams. As fantasy owners, we're often scouting (even subconsciously) who we see in college for their potential at the next level. And I enjoy hypothetical discussions about teams and players, especially considering fantasy football is really a game about hypothetical teams and contests. But, in my mind, there's no discussion here. Alabama could go undefeated and win the rest of their games by 40 points, and they'd still be destroyed by whatever team gets the first pick in the 2013 draft. And I'll feel that way no matter what happens at LSU. Good luck this week.

Youtube Clip Of The Week: Yes, professional and college football players used to play each other. Enjoy.

Do you disagree with me? Am I over-stating things here? Under what circumstances could a modern college team compete against a modern pro team? Make your case below.

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