Saban dynasty is not dead yet
A brand-new decade began in college football Wednesday, but with the same old result we’ve grown oh so used to during the previous 10 years: Alabama dominance. Alabama pride. Alabama excellence. Granted, the Crimson Tide’s 35-16 Citrus Bowl win over Michigan on a sunny honey of a day in the City Beautiful doesn’t rank with all of those dominant, dynamic, dynastic victories en route to all of those SEC and national championships, but it was impressive in its own right. Not because beating Michigan and its brusque, bratty coach Jim Harbaugh in a big game is overly difficult (Jimmy No Rings, after all, has lost his last four bowl
games and is 0-10 in road or neutral-site games against teams ranked in the top 15), but because there are actually those dunderheads out there who believe Nick Saban and his program may be on the verge of fading.
This just in: The Alabama dynasty is not dead; it’s just temporarily dormant.
Alabama’s run is not over until The Sabanator says its over.
“With Coach Saban, the process will continue,” Alabama tight end Morris Forristall said. “With this victory today, we reset the standard for ourselves.”
The Alabama standard, of course, is unparalleled and, for most programs, unattainable. Which is why the Saban haters were out in full force heading into the Citrus Bowl. Because Alabama lost a grand total of two games this season, there was some ridiculous chatter about Saban getting old and perhaps losing a step. Saban, after all, is almost 70 (68 to be exact) and maybe doesn’t have the drive and the desire that he once had. Um, if you believe that, I have some oceanfront property in Topeka I’ll sell you.
Anybody who believes Saban has lost his edge didn’t see him go nuclear when Michigan successfully converted a third-and-3 with a 19-yard completion early in the fourth quarter Wednesday.
“Coach Saban is as competitive as he’s ever been, maybe more so,” said Alabama quarterback Mac
Jones, who completed 16 of 25 passes for 327 yards and three touchdowns.
It’s laughable how conclusions are drawn based upon the perceptions and expectations we have of certain programs. For instance, the Florida Gators, under the direction of second-year coach Dan Mullen, beat a four-loss Virginia team in the Orange Bowl for their 11th win of the season and are considered a program on the rise. Meanwhile, Alabama beat a three-loss Michigan team in the Citrus Bowl for its 11th win of the season and is somehow is considered a program on the decline. Puh-leeze.
Nick Saban is the greatest college football coach of all time and he is coaching the greatest college football program of modern times.
As long as Saban is healthy and in charge, the Tide will continue to roll.
Memo to all of you Bama bashers: You do realize Alabama has been in the previous five national championship games and this season is the FIRST time the Crimson Tide has missed the College Football Playoff semifinals since the system was implemented six years ago.
You do realize Saban’s Alabama teams have amazingly won at least 11 games for nine straight seasons and have won at least 10 games for a dozen consecutive years.
You do realize Alabama lost only two games this season by a total of eight points to LSU and Auburn — and might have won both of those games if star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa
had been healthy. The Tide pretty much obliterated everybody else on their schedule.
And oh, by the way, you do realize Alabama had the No. 1-ranked recruiting class in the country last season and thus far this season has the No. 2-ranked recruiting class in the nation (behind Clemson).
Even though 11-2 is considered a down year by Alabama standards and playing in the Citrus Bowl is an obvious come-down after five straight seasons of being in the College Football Playoff, Saban says his team and his program wanted to make a statement against Michigan.
“You know, I think this team had a lot to prove in this game,” the iconic coach said. “I think that we have a culture of how we play football at Alabama; with great effort, great toughness, but also discipline to execute and accountability for everybody to do their job. That’s always been the trademark of what we do. … I think [our players] take a lot of pride in that, and I think they wanted to come out today and prove that this is what Alabama football, the culture of Alabama football, is really all about.”
Mission accomplished, Coach. Brand-new decade. Same old Alabama.