Reports of Saban’s demise exaggerated

By Ed Daniels, Sports
Clarion Herald

It hasn’t taken long to bury the greatest coach in the history of college football.

Hours after Alabama’s loss at home to Texas, an LSU fan sent yours truly a popular meme of Nick Saban.

The photo of Saban has him with gray hair and beard, looking, well 20 years older. The message is, the Alabama football coach, and his program, are done as a dominant force in college football.

There can be an argument made for that, considering that the University of Georgia is trying to do something that hasn’t been done since the 1930s (by Minnesota) – that is, win three consecutive college football championships.

But, writing off Saban is truly folly.

His problems are simple. He doesn’t have the answer at quarterback. And, in today’s college game, if you don’t have that part of the puzzle solved, your chances of being elite just about vanish.

One day after Alabama lost to Texas, four Alabama quarterback alums started games in the National Football League.

Three of the four were first-round picks, including this year’s top pick Carolina’s Bryce Young. Young won the Heisman Trophy in 2021.

In 2020, Bama quarterback Mac Jones, who threw three touchdown passes in the season opener against NFC champion Philadelphia, finished third in the Heisman voting. Jones threw for 4,514 yards, a school record.

Tua Tagovailoa was the fifth pick in the 2020 draft by the Miami Dolphins. At Alabama, he threw 87 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.

Tagovailoa also came off the bench to throw the game-winning TD pass against Georgia in the 2018 CFP championship. He replaced Jalen Hurts, who led Alabama to a pair of title games and was second in the NFL most valuable player vote in 2022.

In 2011 and 2012, A.J. McCarron quarterbacked Alabama to national titles and was the Heisman runner-up in 2013.

It’s an impressive list. And, unless a quarterback currently on the Alabama roster steps up his game considerably, he likely won’t be joining that elite group.

Elite quarterback play is a magic elixir.

Last season, in Baton Rouge, Tiger quarterback Jayden Daniels matched Bryce Young’s excellence.  In 2019, Joe Burrow clinched the Heisman Trophy after he carved up the Tide in a 46-41 win.

This season, the Colorado Buffaloes are the talk of the college football world. They won their first two games under new head coach Deion Sanders, doubling Colorado’s win total of 2022.

Sanders has quickly rebuilt the Buffaloes with a passel of transfers, including a quarterback, his son Shedeur.

In two wins, Shedeur Sanders has completed 77.5% of his throws, with six TDs and zero interceptions.

Until Saban solves his quarterback issue, the memes depicting his demise may continue.

Ed Daniels is sports director at ABC26 WGNO. He can be reached at [email protected].