On Monday, January 8th the Alabama Crimson Tide brought home their seventeenth college football national championship. This is Coach Nick Saban's sixth title overall total (including one at LSU) during his 9-year tenure, which ties Alabama and college football legend Bear Bryant’s record. We are in the midst of a sports dynasty that will be talked about for years to come and will be remembered as one of the most dominant programs to ever play the game.

Alabama football is one of the most, if not the most, well known college football programs in world with the recognizable Alabama "A" appearing on merchandize and windshields from Tuscaloosa to Tokyo. It’s not uncommon when sporting the logo to hear a “Roll Tide!” or another rival teams battle cry from a passing stranger. It is something that unites, divides, but overall evokes thoughts of football and competition.

But for me and the university’s other 30,000 plus students, the Alabama logo and University itself brings up thoughts of not just football, but of classes, grades, homework, deadlines, tuition, clubs, essays, and graduation. Because like other schools with ginormous football programs the college part of college football is often forgotten.

It is without a doubt a bizarre learning experience to have your school connected to such a prominent force in world of sports. It’s like if your high school baseball team was the Yankees and your homecoming king was Derek Jeter. When I toured the school several years ago, the guide very simply said, “So we have a football team and they’re pretty good” and before she could finish a chuckle arose from the group that let the guide know that what she said was an obvious understatement and much of the information she would share would be common knowledge.

Unlike the factoids about campus history and information about meal plans and dormitories, all that she needed to say about Alabama football was accomplished in one sentence. Since then the Crimson Tide has made it to the playoffs every year and that unspoken consensus about the team still remains. For the students on campus, not much needs to be said about our football team because with all the unknowns that are normally associated with the college experience, one thing that has remained constant for all of us is that we have a football team and they’re pretty good.

SEE ALSO: Stop Calling The University Of Alabama A 'Dumb School'

This may sound objectively arrogant and conceited, but for an average student like me who is concerned with getting through college alive with the knowledge and skills needed to make it in the real world, being connected to an above average sports program like the Alabama Crimson Tide provides much more than national championships and bragging rights. It gives the university’s students a sense of pride and shows that such a level of excellence can be achieved even in little ole’ Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Roll Tide.