What Bama coach Nick Saban's New Contract Means in Cold War Fight with UGA, Kirby Smart
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ATHENS - Move over Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart - Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban is once again the highest-paid coach in college football.
What’s that say about Kirby, Saban, Alabama and the Dawgs? Is this an ego stroke for the longtime coach of the Tide? Is Alabama looking over its shoulder; actually, is Georgia looking over its shoulder?
After all, last we saw these two programs Kelee Ringo was strolling into the end zone, and Alabama’s Bryce Young was getting sacked again.
Most expeters beleive Smart and Saban will fight it out for another SEC title with FanDuel giving Georgia +160 odds to with the SEC this fall.
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The race is on between these two schools to see how many national titles can be won during this decade. It remains to be seen if both coaches will be at their respective schools by 2029, but that’s the plan for now - that, and a lot of clashes between these two powers.
It was Bama that waited until Kirby and Georgia locked down their deal just after Media Days to give Saban his raise. It took just a handful of weeks after Kirby’s new contract to announce Saban’s new one. Is this a situation where Saban and Bama just wait around for the highest-paid coach to announce the latest deal only for the Tide to top it? If so, that’s great news for Nick.
Alabama, to its credit, tries to be the best at everything football. It matters, and it all adds up.
But it matters in Athens now, too. And now we are seeing the effect of that since 2016. I’ve pointed this out a lot, and it isn’t to put down what Saban as done at Alabama (that would be silly). But in the time Saban had Kirby on Staff at Alabama he won four national titles. Since then he’s won two.
Kirby leaving mattered. It hurt Alabama. It helped Georgia. College football is a zero-sum game. Either you win or you lose. It is rare that you win by losing - although that appears to be Georgia Tech’s strategy with Geoff (not Jeff) Collins.
Although it lost to Georgia in January, Alabama is sending a signal in the form of the contract with Saban that it won’t be second dog… and that Saban isn’t going anywhere. Georgia can’t force Saban out, but it can keep him in second place - not that it will be easy.