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[OPINION] Saban can’t keep up: the downfall of Alabama football
Library of Congress. Carol M. Highsmith, photographer
Coach Nick Saban watches his team scrimmage from the sideline.
In January of 2007 the landscape of college football changed forever. The Univeristy of Alabama Crimson Tide hired Nick Saban as their next head football coach. Since that time Saban has notched seven Nation Titles along with 10 South Eastern Conference (SEC) titles with The Crimson Tide.
Saban has made it to the SEC championship game 14 times in his 15-year tenure at Alabama, solidifying the University of Alabama as the premier college football program and possibly the best dynasty in sports history.
But is Saban’s historic run over?
Yes, it is.
Alabama has struggled in the 2022 football season so far falling to 8-2 on the season. Alabama faced its first real test traveling to Austin to play the University of Texas. The Crimson Tide struggled and it looked as though they were going to lose, until Texas Quarterback, Quinn Ewers, left the game with a shoulder injury.
The Tide struggled to win must-win games and got lucky against teams like Arkansas and Texas A & M, but when it came to their first true test against Tennesee the Crimson Tide fell 52-49, suffering their first loss since the 2022 CFP National Championship against SEC rival Georgia Bulldogs.
Things have not gotten better for the Tide, because only two short weeks later Nick Saban and the team took a trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to take on Saban’s former employer Louisiana State University. After a hard-fought battle in regulation, the game went to overtime where the Tide fell 32-31.
Only a week later Alabama struggled against a young Ole Miss team winning 30-24 in what most thought would be a blowout of a game.
These key losses could and will lead to the end of the Nick Saban era in college football.
The issue with Alabama isn’t the talent. Saban returns his Hesiman Trophy winning quarterback, Bryce Young, and returning Heisman finalist outside linebacker, Will Anderson Jr.
Since 2010 Alabama has retained a top five recruiting class, year in and year out. The nation is expecting Bryce Young to enter the NFL Draft, which will leave them with a major hole that will be impossible to fill.
With the new NCAA NIL deals and Transfer Portal the landscape of college football is changing rapidly, Saban will not be able to keep up.
I'm Nelson Wodarz, Sports Editor for RubicOnline. I worked as a Staff Writer last year. In my free time I enjoy playing hockey and baseball, watching sports,...
Ken Jaffe • Jan 3, 2023 at 9:28 pm
Good article. I agree that the NIL deals and the Transfer Portal will make it increasingly difficult for Alabama to win National Titles on a regular basis moving forward. That said, I believe Alabama will continue to be a top 10 powerhouse for the foreseeable future. Time will tell.