Tide target 6th title with Saban
Keeping an eye on the world of sports during the pandemic:
Trying to figure out which of Nick Saban’s Alabama teams is best is akin to picking Michelangelo’s greatest work of art or Ernest Hemingway’s best novel.
They’re all excellent in their own way.
The first to win a national championship came in 2009 and is still the only Alabama team to finish unbeaten under Saban in 14 seasons of unprecedented dominance.
The 2011 national champions had maybe the greatest defense of college football’s modern era of high-powered offenses. The current Crimson Tide team has one of the most prolific and talented offenses in the history of the sport.
“Every team is different. Every team has its ownpersonality,” Saban said Sunday. “But it’s hard to compare teams.”
The No. 1 Tide (12-0) are set to face No. 3 Ohio State (7-0) on Monday for the College Football Playoff championship in search of their sixth national title with Saban as coach.
The final game of this taxing and strange season played through the coronavirus pandemic is on schedule to take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, as planned. Because of COVID-19, which caused the postponement or cancelation of nearly 130 games, nothing has been guaranteed this season.
The Buckeyes faced the prospect of no fall football at all when the Big Ten postponed in August, and then they managed to get in only six games before making the playoff. Day acknowledged last week that Ohio State was dealing with some new COVID-19 cases.
There was even some concern that the game might have to be pushed back.
Alabama had only one game postponed this season. Saban tested positive for the virus — twice. The first time it was deemed a false positive and he was able to coach against Georgia. The second he had to miss the Iron Bowl against Auburn.
Otherwise the Tide dynasty has rolled along as close to business as usual as possible considering the circumstances.