Analyst: Nick Saban Has “Hit a Roadblock” the Past Two Seasons

Getty On3's Steve Samra believes Nick Saban has hit a roadblock the past two seasons in the form of a former Alabama assistant

Nick Saban, by virtue of winning six championships since becoming head coach of Alabama in 2007, is the universal king of college football — but as On3’s Steve Samra points out in a piece recapping a top 10 college football coaching list from The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has been a roadblock in the way to Saban wearing the crown by way of back-to-back Bulldogs College Football Playoff titles.

“The legendary Saban has hit a roadblock in Smart’s Bulldogs and other SEC contenders over recent seasons,” Samra wrote before continuing, “but you can never count out his Crimson Tide.”

Saban was ranked No. 1 in Feldman’s rankings, and Samra foresees him retaining that distinction until either “the unthinkable happens,” or the 71-year-old retires.

“He’ll likely keep the top spot until an unthinkable collapse happens, or the likelier scenario of retirement before then,” Samra wrote.

Kirby Smart “Nipping at Heels” of Nick Saban

Samra sees Smart right behind Saban in the college football coaching hierarchy, illustrating that the gap is quickly narrowing between the head coaches of Georgia and Alabama. “The apprentice is nipping at his master’s heels, but Smart remains in the silver medal position,” Samra wrote.

Samra then called Smart the “class of the sport.” “What he’s done in Athens is remarkable, and he deserves all the praise he’s getting for making the Bulldogs the class of the sport,” Samra wrote of Smart.

In a piece titled “Why Kirby Smart’s latest hire gives Nick Saban a crease to regain college football throne,” USA Today’s Blake Toppmeyer shared his belief that winning with Mike Bobo is the final test to becoming the king of college football due to the new offensive coordinator’s career downward spiral since 2017 midway through his Colorado State stint, and his time in South Carolina and Auburn.

“All that’s left for Smart to complete his power heist is proving he can hire like college football’s greatest coach and endure transition in prominent areas of his program,” Toppmeyer wrote.

Analyst: Brian Kelly Announced Himself to SEC With Alabama Win

The other SEC entry on Feldman’s list was defending SEC West Champion LSU head coach Brian Kelly, who Samra feels emphatically introduced himself to the conference by upsetting Alabama 32-31 during a Week 10 win in Baton Rouge on November 5.

“There’s no better way to announce yourself to the SEC than beating Alabama, and that’s exactly what Kelly did in 2022,” Samra wrote. Kelly famously made the call to go for a two-point conversion in overtime to clinch the LSU victory off a Jayden Daniels pass to tight end Mason Taylor.

As Samra notes, Kelly overcame a missed extra point in the closing seconds of LSU’s opening night loss to Florida State at the Mercedez-Benz Superdome on September 4 to put together an impressive 9-3 start for LSU a season after going 6-7 in Ed Orgeron’s final season.

“His tenure got off to a bumpy start, but he reminded the world why he’s one of the best continually over the course of the season,” he wrote.