Former Alabama coach Nick Saban Reaches out to UGA Football's Kirby Smart After Bama Loss
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ATHENS - Former Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban had a message for UGA football coach Kirby Smart after the Dawgs’ tight loss to Bama last weekend.
“This is not the worst thing that ever happened,” Saban texted his former assistant, he said on ESPN Saturday morning. “Most of our best teams lost a game somewhere, and they responded the right way.”
Kirby has expended that first hand, and Saban was there to see it. In 2021, undefeated Georgia was upset by Alabama 41-24 in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. Two games later the Bulldogs took out the Tide 33-18 for the program’s first national title since 1980.
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Georgia followed that title win up with an undefeated national championship a season later - give Georgia the first back-to-back national titles in college football since Saban did it at Alabama in 2011-12 with Kirby has his defensive coordinator.
A week ago Georgia stormed back from a 28-0 deficit to take a lead late against the Tide, but Alabama’s Jalen Milroe hit a 75-yard touchdown pass to freshman Ryan Williams to take the lead back. Carson Beck led the Bulldogs back down the field in the closing moments of the game, but threw his fourth interception of the game in the end zone as Georgia lost in the regular season for the first time since 2020.
No. 5 Georgia takes on Auburn Saturday Between the Hedges in the 129th meeting of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. The Bulldogs still have other rivalry games against the Gators and Georgia Tech as well as difficult games against Texas, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
Saban is perhaps the most successful coach in college football history, but he stepped away from Alabama this winter after the Tide lost to Michigan in the Rose Bowl Game during the College Football Playoff Semifinal. Saban’s retirement was sudden and led the Tide hiring Washington coach Kalen DeBoer.
2024 is the first season of the College Football Playoff’s expansion to a 12-team playoff.
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