by laura fenton

the times-Journal

SELMA — When Reid and Pamela Cain sit in the stadium for the BCS National Championship game on Jan. 7, they may have seats next to each other, but they will be rooting for different sides of the field.

Mr. Cain completed his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas in 1986 and Mrs. Cain completed her undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama in 1988.

The couple will travel to Pasadena, Calif. on Tuesday for the football game, arriving with one extra day to explore California. They also plan to find both alumni tailgating groups on game day.

“We’re going to get over there early and check it out,” Mrs. Cain said.

They’ll probably kindly bicker over who will win the game the whole way.

“It’s going to be a great game with the two teams with strong traditions,” Mr. Cain said. “But Alabama doesn’t have the caliber of Colt McCoy.”

The last time these two teams matched up was in 1982 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, a game that Texas won 14-12. Of all the games between these teams, Texas leads the record with 7-0-1.

“So it’s time for an Alabama win,” Mrs. Cain said.

Mr. and Mrs. Cain were married in 1993, so this is the first time they have been able to experience their household rivalries.

“This is a new experience for us,” Mrs. Cain said. “We hoped this would happen for years.”

Once sporting commentators started tossing around the idea of an Alabama and Texas National Championship game in October, Mrs. Cain started looking online for ticket prices and hotel reservations, just in case.

“I always said if they played, then we would go,” Mrs. Cain said.

They have three daughters who have also chosen a side in this football game, although they will not be flying with their parents to California.

Instead, the girls will spend that time with their grandmother. The youngest child, Natalie Cain, has both Texas shirts and a Bear Bryant hounds tooth hat.

“I like to go for both,” Natalie said.

Mr. Cain tried to covert all the girls to Texas fans, even teaching them to count one, two by making the Texas “hook ‘em horns” hand motion.

“He finally got the baby,” Mrs. Cain said.

Although Mr. Cain has learned to become a fan of both teams, Mrs. Cain is only an Alabama fan.

“I think I’m going to be more upset if Texas wins than he will be if Alabama wins,” Mrs. Cain said.

Mr. Cain joked that there are a lot of Texas fans in the area because Auburn fans have joined onto the Texas bandwagon, just to be on the opposing side of Alabama.

Mrs. Cain laughed about how she somehow did not manage to put any of the Texas decorations on the Christmas tree this year.

Ah, a house divided.