5 questions for... Chris Fowler
ESPN play-by-play man Chris Fowler talked the epic Rose Bowl, Nick Saban’s spot in college football history and more with The Post’s Justin Terranova ahead of Monday’s national title showdown between Georgia and Alabama.
Q: Where would you put that Georgia-Oklahoma game among other ones that you’ve called?
A: At the top. As it unfolds, you begin to realize that you’re part of something very special. You’re witnessing something that is at the top of a lot of people’s lists for football games they’ve ever seen. The Clemson-Bama championship game last year to be decided with one second left would have would be right up there as well. But it’s just hard to top anything that happens in the Rose Bowl.
Q: What did you learn from speaking to Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm, and did it help you understand the poise he was able to show?
A: We talked to him about the Little League World Series, and that’s kind of a sign of things to come. When you can be 12 years old and handle your business. I think he did the same thing Monday night, he blocked out that this was the Rose Bowl. Now he’s got a whole ’nother level of intensity and pressure to deal with in the championship game.
Q: Interacting with Nick Saban, how quickly did you realize that never-satisfied attitude is his actual personality?
A: I think he’s abnormal in a lot of ways, but good ways that help him win championships. His intensity is focused. I wish Nick, like a lot of the guys, could savor victories more deeply and for a longer period of time. I think a lot of coaches would say the victories, even the championships, are a relief, and the losses are devastating. And I think that’s not in perfect harmony or balance.
Q: Will we ever see another coach like Saban with this level of success and influence? A: It is going to be very, very difficult to do. I happen to think already that he’s the greatest coach to ever coach college football. Will we see another like him? I don’t know. Dabo [Swinney] is young. He’s got a championship at Clemson. He’s probably got the best chance of the guys that are active right now. Q: Any concern of interest waning because the final has two SEC schools? A: [Our production team tries] to stay away from that worrying. Certainly there are people at the network who are very concerned about the ratings and things like that. But honestly, there is not much you can do about that. And if people have a problem with the fact that two teams from the same conference are there, I’d remind them it’s hard to argue. They’ve earned their way there. And again they happen to be from the same league, but they don’t play every year.