Like It Is

Love him or hate him, Saban remains at top

In this Jan. 9, 2012 file photo, Alabama head football coach Nick Saban celebrates with his team after the BCS National Championship college football game against LSU in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

Nick Saban droned on and on during his opening statement a few weeks ago for SEC football media days.

By the time he opened the news conference to questions, apparently not one of his favorite things to do, he had paid homage to Kenny Stabler, talked about his daughter’s wedding, the outstanding graduation rate at Alabama and given a detailed lecture on discipline.

There are few, if any, reporters who really want to cover Saban.

Not saying he’s an arrogant control freak who speaks down to most people, but from a distance those seem to be some of his more charming qualities.

In this crazy era of sports, he is almost the poster boy for what the nation wants in a football coach — a winner.

The man can coach football.

He turned LSU into a national champion team in four seasons and stayed one more year before leaving for the NFL as coach of the Miami Dolphins, where he proved he was a college football coach.

Then he was caught in a much publicized lie when he repeatedly claimed that he was not leaving the Dolphins to return to college football as Alabama’s coach, which obviously he did. It might have been different if a doctor had cleared quarterback Drew Brees, who Saban wanted to sign as a free agent. The doctor didn’t, and Brees has gone on to a great career with the New Orleans Saints.

Saban was 15-17 as an NFL head coach before taking on the challenge of rebuilding Alabama. The Tide were a.500 team when Mike Shula was fired as Alabama’s coach.

Going into his ninth season at Alabama, Saban has become as feared on the football field as he is off of it. He is not misunderstood. He speaks out.

The Tide have won three national championships and were expected to win another last season, but they ran into a more talented and equally well-coached Ohio State team and went down in the first round of the first College Football Playoffs.

Once again the Tide will open fall practice without a big-name quarterback, but with a bevy of future NFL picks at running back and a promising defense.

For some reason, though, they did not win the vote for SEC champion.

That went to the dreaded Tigers of Auburn, although the Tide were picked to win the SEC West. That and Saban’s excuse for losing that game to Ohio State — he said the players who were going in the NFL Draft had learned what round they were projected to be taken and lost their focus — have been much discussed.

Anyone who thinks Alabama doesn’t still rule the SEC needs to come in out of the stifling heat.

How goes the Tide still is how goes the SEC. Alabama leads the league in recruiting and just about everything else, and truth be known, Saban has proven to be more flexible than most ever thought.

He’s a strong believer in conventional football, which is one reason Gus Malzahn is having success at Auburn. Malzahn is unconventional and one of the leading advocates of the hurry-up, no-huddle offense.

Saban grumbled about it, realized there was nothing even he could do to stop this latest innovation — there have been many come and go over the years (look up Wishbone offense) — and went out and hired Lane Kiffin and gave him the freedom to do anything but speak.

Consider this: Auburn and Alabama combined for 99 points in the Iron Bowl last season.

Before running into Ohio State, the Tide had lost one game, to Ole Miss (a team to watch out for this season), and had escaped Arkansas 14-13, but Alabama won the SEC West and the SEC championship.

In other words, never underestimate a dozing giant and remember that Alabama only catnaps.

Nick Saban has won at least 10 games each of the past seven seasons, and there is no reason to believe that is going to change anytime soon.