The more-virtuous-than-thou sports pundits were wrong this season too ...
A month ago the popular outrage in the pundit class was that FSU had been the victim of a great injustice by being left out of this college football playoffs. The narrative was that FSU - not Alabama - “deserved” to be in the playoffs. (The "best four teams" criteria should have been ignored by the committe).
As it turns out, Michigan was the best team in college football this year. The Wolverines beat Alabama - but they were trailing in that game until the final 1:25. Alabama might have lost, but the Tide gave Michigan a more competitive game than No. 2 Washington did.
For its part, FSU got beat by 60 points in the Orange Bowl by a Georgia team Alabama had just beat.
It’s indeed unfortunate that a team can go 13-0 and not make the playoffs and I feel bad for FSU fans, but anybody who thinks FSU should have been playing in the national title tournament over Alabama has been infected by woke and non-sensical propaganda …. Just like all the pundits and experts in our Covid times.
We've raised a nation of jealous whiners - it's disgusting. I remember the days when FSU was the premier college football team in the country and Alabama sucked. It wouldn't surprise me if it becomes trendy in certain parts of the country to just ban sports altogether because it's 'too hard' for parents to console their children after their team loses.
Whoever wins any tournament deserves the title, and can call themselves the best of the lot. It's pointless and unfair to argue with them, they actually DID it. That said, I don't think anyone with much sense thinks the best team always wins. Georgia was the best this year IMO. I think they'd have won a seven-game series against anybody. But they wouldn't have beaten Michigan or Alabama 4 to zero., probably more like 4-1, maybe 4-2. Alabama proved that as we know. We use tournaments to determine the champion, which is way better than polls. But who really thinks Fairleigh-Dickenson was better than Purdue? Doesn't matter, it's all in fun, or should be.
In defense of FSU in Orange Bowl, more than 20 Seminoles players opted out of the bowl game.
I still believe that Georgia was a better team than Alabama for 2023.
Saban is/was the best all time coach. U of Alabama academics grew in statue because of a year after year championship team. People and businesses love winners! Winners bring in lost of money and funding.
Off topic (kind of) ... I've noticed that sports-related Substack articles don't do particularly well on Substack (at least this is my experience). I also once did some research, trying to find sports-themed Substacks and couldn't find a whole lot.
This strikes me as odd. It seems like there would be many sports sites on Substack. I could even see popular Substacks devoted just to, say, Alabama football.
Great synopsis. My condolences, I've thought it obvious for many years Saban was the best coach in the country, and now, with his body of work, the GOAT for sure. I doubt the nation can be resurrected like a college football program, a lot more forces, and more powerful and insidious ones, to overcome. As well as societal dysfunction that seems insoluble.
We could use a Saban, even a Dabo or Kirby would be great. A football program just needs a savvy individual making the hiring decision. The voters are not exactly savvy. What makes for a quality leader of a country runs counter to electability.
Big Bama fan out here in California since I was a child, because my father has family from Alabama. I hadn't heard the news until I walked into a restaurant with a couple of coworkers at lunch and saw the news on the ESPN crawl. I hope Saban can enjoy retirement.
As a Buckeye fan I always dreaded when we had to go up against Saban. The SEC in general usually has better talent accept recently in the area of wide receivers. Jameis Williams was a Buckeye before he came through the transfer portal to Alabama. I think Saban is one of the greatest coaches ever but don’t forget about Knute Rockne, Woody Hayes, Bear Bryant, Bobby Bowden, Bo Schembechler, Ara Parsegian, Lou Holtz, Red Blaik, Bob Blackmun and Joe Paterno.
Great coaches all. I've done a lot of research on college football history. About the only coach who won at the same clip as Saban and had his team winning or challenging for a national title every year was Rockne. But he died prematurely and only coached at Notre Dame for about 10 or 11 years, I think.
Excellent tribute Bill. As a diehard Georgia supporter who was regularly rooting against ‘Bama, Sabin certainly made it all interesting, especially over the past 7 years where so much was at stake each time they played. The 2018 National Championship game was one of the greatest college games of all time as hard as it was watching the Dawgs blow a huge lead in the second half. But all of the points you mentioned were happening that night for the Tide - I seriously doubt that any other coach could have overseen such a remarkable comeback.
Coach Saban always knew the Bulldogs were the sleeping giant of college football. Our two teams have had some classic battles. I hope Bama can keep the same "standard" without Coach Saban.
(I hope Alabama goes after Dabo. He loves Alabama and has proven he can run a national title program).
I grew up going to Alabama football games starting at 4 years old. We were season ticket holders from the 70s to about 4 years ago when it just became too expensive and too much of a hassle to keep going to the games or even sell the tickets on StubHub. We decided to use the money we saved for the big games. My best friend from college was from Los Angeles, and I hadn't seen her in 20 years. I also have a cousin who lives there, so it was a no-brainer - my boyfriend and I decided to go to the Rose Bowl. Despite losing in overtime, it was a great game and we had an amazing trip. It was worth it.
Since your substack is mostly about covid, I'd like to make a connection and remind readers how much worse the lockdowns and restrictions would have been if it were not for us die-hard SEC college football fans. At the same time the Big 10 cancelled its season, it was never a doubt in my mind that Alabama and the other SEC schools would have a 2020 season. I'll never forget watching Kirk Herbstreit say on ESPN 'I don't know how you're going to have a football season next year'. Someone should write a book titled "How SEC College Football Fans Saved America from the Branch Covidians" or something like that.
BTW, I was a student at Alabama from 1993-1998. Those really were the dark years, but there's more to life than just college football.
Fine way for a good coach to retire - his team got so close this year and championship teams were his specialty. I think his distant cousin ought be called out as well. Lou Saban his name was - he was a coach for the Buffalo Bills when I was a kid growing up. 72-76 is when I remember
Congratulations are in order for Coach Saban of Alabama - a happy retirement I hope he and family enjoy together.
Go Bills!
(I just learned something - I always thought Lou Saban was the father of the coach from Alabama and now supposedly that is not the case - wow - still - both were fine coaches)
Thanks, but Lou Saban was not related to Nick. Nick's late father was a famous local youth football coach in a small hamlet in West Virginia and a gas station owner. A Gulf Station (my dad used to own a couple Gulf stations and I worked at several of them). Nick's father died soon after his son went to college at Kent State. He would have been very proud of his boy.
Nick and Miss Terry have raised and donated millions of dollars in charity in memory of his late father's commitment to youth.
(edit 11124 1554- I'm sort of embarrassed I'm just figuring this out now - but it was learned harmlessly and in a way it sort of is funny.......the link I posted did suggest they might have been "distant cousins" - oh how I love distant cousins.......Go Bills!)
~
Crazy in a way....
I still think it is a small world.
Thanks for all you do Bill - and damn - that was a close game with Michigan....I know who I was cheering for....
If one play goes Alabama's way in that game, Saban would have retired with another national title because I think Bama could have also taken Washington. There's about five or six other Bama teams he coached that were a play or two from winning national titles.
As a ‘fair-weather-fan’ of Washington (attended there), I followed some of this season. But living like a refugee now, betwixt Muscle Shoals and The Bankhead, I’m surrounded by passionate devotees of the two “A” schools. Seattle had not much professional sports until the concrete umbrella (Kingdome - 1975), so we did have a legacy of beloved coaches with Husky teams; Jim Owens and Don James.
Winning can also beget more winning. It certainly helps recruiting ... which is the key to winning. I don't know how Coach Saban was able to keep winning at such a high level year after year with no stinker of a season. I guess he believes and practices his Process!
Cutting room floor text …
The more-virtuous-than-thou sports pundits were wrong this season too ...
A month ago the popular outrage in the pundit class was that FSU had been the victim of a great injustice by being left out of this college football playoffs. The narrative was that FSU - not Alabama - “deserved” to be in the playoffs. (The "best four teams" criteria should have been ignored by the committe).
As it turns out, Michigan was the best team in college football this year. The Wolverines beat Alabama - but they were trailing in that game until the final 1:25. Alabama might have lost, but the Tide gave Michigan a more competitive game than No. 2 Washington did.
For its part, FSU got beat by 60 points in the Orange Bowl by a Georgia team Alabama had just beat.
It’s indeed unfortunate that a team can go 13-0 and not make the playoffs and I feel bad for FSU fans, but anybody who thinks FSU should have been playing in the national title tournament over Alabama has been infected by woke and non-sensical propaganda …. Just like all the pundits and experts in our Covid times.
I also note in the Final AP poll, Alabama was ranked the fifth best team in the country. The pollsters dissed Coach Saban one more time.
We've raised a nation of jealous whiners - it's disgusting. I remember the days when FSU was the premier college football team in the country and Alabama sucked. It wouldn't surprise me if it becomes trendy in certain parts of the country to just ban sports altogether because it's 'too hard' for parents to console their children after their team loses.
Whoever wins any tournament deserves the title, and can call themselves the best of the lot. It's pointless and unfair to argue with them, they actually DID it. That said, I don't think anyone with much sense thinks the best team always wins. Georgia was the best this year IMO. I think they'd have won a seven-game series against anybody. But they wouldn't have beaten Michigan or Alabama 4 to zero., probably more like 4-1, maybe 4-2. Alabama proved that as we know. We use tournaments to determine the champion, which is way better than polls. But who really thinks Fairleigh-Dickenson was better than Purdue? Doesn't matter, it's all in fun, or should be.
In defense of FSU in Orange Bowl, more than 20 Seminoles players opted out of the bowl game.
I still believe that Georgia was a better team than Alabama for 2023.
Saban is/was the best all time coach. U of Alabama academics grew in statue because of a year after year championship team. People and businesses love winners! Winners bring in lost of money and funding.
I hope Saban enjoys retirement, he earned it!
Off topic (kind of) ... I've noticed that sports-related Substack articles don't do particularly well on Substack (at least this is my experience). I also once did some research, trying to find sports-themed Substacks and couldn't find a whole lot.
This strikes me as odd. It seems like there would be many sports sites on Substack. I could even see popular Substacks devoted just to, say, Alabama football.
Build it,... and they will come.
That was really the reason i made this post. Someone has an opportunity here!
There's plenty of sports content in MSM.
But no honest Corona content.
Do it.
An eventful week in football with Saban, Belichick and Carroll all leaving. End of an era.
Isn't it interesting Coach Saban and Coach Belicheck retired almost on the same day? I think they are still very close.
My guess is Coach Saban is going to go to ESPN and maybe "Game Day."
Mike Riley. I lived through that experience, barely.
Great synopsis. My condolences, I've thought it obvious for many years Saban was the best coach in the country, and now, with his body of work, the GOAT for sure. I doubt the nation can be resurrected like a college football program, a lot more forces, and more powerful and insidious ones, to overcome. As well as societal dysfunction that seems insoluble.
Yep. Wouldn't it be nice if the country or government could just upgrade coaches like Alabama did when it traded in Mike Shula for Nick Saban?
We could use a Saban, even a Dabo or Kirby would be great. A football program just needs a savvy individual making the hiring decision. The voters are not exactly savvy. What makes for a quality leader of a country runs counter to electability.
Great post, Bill! These are great lessons. I think Coach Saban will go down as one of the greatest coaches of all-time, regardless of sport.
Big Bama fan out here in California since I was a child, because my father has family from Alabama. I hadn't heard the news until I walked into a restaurant with a couple of coworkers at lunch and saw the news on the ESPN crawl. I hope Saban can enjoy retirement.
As a Buckeye fan I always dreaded when we had to go up against Saban. The SEC in general usually has better talent accept recently in the area of wide receivers. Jameis Williams was a Buckeye before he came through the transfer portal to Alabama. I think Saban is one of the greatest coaches ever but don’t forget about Knute Rockne, Woody Hayes, Bear Bryant, Bobby Bowden, Bo Schembechler, Ara Parsegian, Lou Holtz, Red Blaik, Bob Blackmun and Joe Paterno.
Great coaches all. I've done a lot of research on college football history. About the only coach who won at the same clip as Saban and had his team winning or challenging for a national title every year was Rockne. But he died prematurely and only coached at Notre Dame for about 10 or 11 years, I think.
Two thumbs up, Bill on this tribute and lessons.
Wishing Coach & Mrs Saban a wonderfully rich retirement.
A pox upon ALL pollsters.
(You know who y'all are!)
Excellent tribute Bill. As a diehard Georgia supporter who was regularly rooting against ‘Bama, Sabin certainly made it all interesting, especially over the past 7 years where so much was at stake each time they played. The 2018 National Championship game was one of the greatest college games of all time as hard as it was watching the Dawgs blow a huge lead in the second half. But all of the points you mentioned were happening that night for the Tide - I seriously doubt that any other coach could have overseen such a remarkable comeback.
Coach Saban always knew the Bulldogs were the sleeping giant of college football. Our two teams have had some classic battles. I hope Bama can keep the same "standard" without Coach Saban.
(I hope Alabama goes after Dabo. He loves Alabama and has proven he can run a national title program).
Amen! Excellent thoughts.
End if an era.
RTR!
Roll Tide!
I grew up going to Alabama football games starting at 4 years old. We were season ticket holders from the 70s to about 4 years ago when it just became too expensive and too much of a hassle to keep going to the games or even sell the tickets on StubHub. We decided to use the money we saved for the big games. My best friend from college was from Los Angeles, and I hadn't seen her in 20 years. I also have a cousin who lives there, so it was a no-brainer - my boyfriend and I decided to go to the Rose Bowl. Despite losing in overtime, it was a great game and we had an amazing trip. It was worth it.
Since your substack is mostly about covid, I'd like to make a connection and remind readers how much worse the lockdowns and restrictions would have been if it were not for us die-hard SEC college football fans. At the same time the Big 10 cancelled its season, it was never a doubt in my mind that Alabama and the other SEC schools would have a 2020 season. I'll never forget watching Kirk Herbstreit say on ESPN 'I don't know how you're going to have a football season next year'. Someone should write a book titled "How SEC College Football Fans Saved America from the Branch Covidians" or something like that.
BTW, I was a student at Alabama from 1993-1998. Those really were the dark years, but there's more to life than just college football.
He is the G.O.A.T.
Fine way for a good coach to retire - his team got so close this year and championship teams were his specialty. I think his distant cousin ought be called out as well. Lou Saban his name was - he was a coach for the Buffalo Bills when I was a kid growing up. 72-76 is when I remember
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Saban
~
Its a small world is what I think.
Congratulations are in order for Coach Saban of Alabama - a happy retirement I hope he and family enjoy together.
Go Bills!
(I just learned something - I always thought Lou Saban was the father of the coach from Alabama and now supposedly that is not the case - wow - still - both were fine coaches)
~
BK
Thanks, but Lou Saban was not related to Nick. Nick's late father was a famous local youth football coach in a small hamlet in West Virginia and a gas station owner. A Gulf Station (my dad used to own a couple Gulf stations and I worked at several of them). Nick's father died soon after his son went to college at Kent State. He would have been very proud of his boy.
Nick and Miss Terry have raised and donated millions of dollars in charity in memory of his late father's commitment to youth.
I just figured that out!
~
(edit 11124 1554- I'm sort of embarrassed I'm just figuring this out now - but it was learned harmlessly and in a way it sort of is funny.......the link I posted did suggest they might have been "distant cousins" - oh how I love distant cousins.......Go Bills!)
~
Crazy in a way....
I still think it is a small world.
Thanks for all you do Bill - and damn - that was a close game with Michigan....I know who I was cheering for....
Ken
* Go Bills!
If one play goes Alabama's way in that game, Saban would have retired with another national title because I think Bama could have also taken Washington. There's about five or six other Bama teams he coached that were a play or two from winning national titles.
As a ‘fair-weather-fan’ of Washington (attended there), I followed some of this season. But living like a refugee now, betwixt Muscle Shoals and The Bankhead, I’m surrounded by passionate devotees of the two “A” schools. Seattle had not much professional sports until the concrete umbrella (Kingdome - 1975), so we did have a legacy of beloved coaches with Husky teams; Jim Owens and Don James.
Thanks for being you! And keep writing!!!!!
Yes, if one of 4 or 5 plays in the Michigan game had gone slightly different, Bama would have won.
The Clemson pick play, too. And the Payne personal foul. And the Dieter dropped pass.
And the Amari Cooper dropped TD pass against Auburn.. plus all the missed Foster FGs.
And...like you say, almost always winning or close to it.
I hope Alabama's "brand" is still bigger than the Coach Saban brand. Maybe Coach Saban can cement his legacy by picking his successor?
Winning can also beget more winning. It certainly helps recruiting ... which is the key to winning. I don't know how Coach Saban was able to keep winning at such a high level year after year with no stinker of a season. I guess he believes and practices his Process!