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How would another national championship loss hurt Nick Sabanās legacy?
By Justin Nails
We are less than 100 days away from the start of another college football season. Preseason awards list, top 25 lists, and even Vegas oddsmakers have released names and odds on who is the favorite going into another season.
It shouldnāt surprise anyone that Alabama and its players are both favored in all aspects of preseason banter, as well as in Vegas to win the national championship once again. Nick Saban has won four national titles at Alabama (five overall), but Januaryās defeat to Clemson gave him his first loss in the game and kept him from tying Bear Bryantās record six national championships.
The argument of who the greatest college football coach of all time has been, by most accounts, funneled down to two coaches: Bear Bryant and Nick Saban. Bryant won six and Saban, with five national titles to his name, has at least staked his claim for the best of all time.
And while five wins versus one loss is hardly a record worth frowning upon, but it does leave the door open as to who the greatest coach ever is if Saban fails to reach six titles and tie Bryant. Some of the greatest coaches in modern history have lost a national championship game. Bobby Bowden lost multiple national champions as did Bob Stoops. Jim Tressel lost two national championship games back-to-back after winning his first. The loss by Saban last year and how it fits into the story of his legacy is more of a timing issue than anything else.
Still, what would another loss in the national title game mean? In Sabanās case he has managed to win five before losing his first. Not getting to the championship game may be a measuring stick for many other things, but just like with LeBron James and Tom Brady, the losses in championship games tell just as much about Sabanās legacy as the wins do.
Now entering his 11th season, Saban has now coached in just as many national championship games (five) as his teams have failed to make (five) since taking over in Tuscaloosa. So weāll chalk last yearās loss up to a really good Clemson team led by an incredible senior quarterback, a tired defense, a freshman QB leading the Tide and a thrilling play with seconds left to give Saban his first loss. It seems like a lot of things had to go right and wrong for that to happen, as it does with any championship team.
On the other hand, we live in a society that judges harshly by our last deeds, the āwhat have you done for me latelyā mantra. How quickly we forget the wins on the eve of a loss. I would be a fool to deny what Saban has done in winning five championships, but I would be remiss if we didnāt talk about the losses too. To me, if Saban never returned to another national championship game while at Alabama, his legacy would be safer than if he took another championship loss.
Another win and Saban ties Bryant for the most national championship wins of all time. Another loss, and Saban runs the risk of being the first coach in Alabama history to lose multiple national championship games. Either outcome will have a huge impact on Sabanās legacy going forward. He will still go down as one of the greatest college football coaches of all time regardless but losing another championship game would diminish what he has accomplished even more.
No pressure.
How would another national championship loss hurt Nick Saban's legacy?
By Justin Nails
We are less than 100 days away from the start of another college football season. Preseason awards list, top 25 lists, and even Vegas oddsmakers have released names and odds on who is the favorite going into another season.
It shouldnāt surprise anyone that Alabama and its players are both favored in all aspects of preseason banter, as well as in Vegas to win the national championship once again. Nick Saban has won four national titles at Alabama (five overall), but Januaryās defeat to Clemson gave him his first loss in the game and kept him from tying Bear Bryantās record six national championships.
The argument of who the greatest college football coach of all time has been, by most accounts, funneled down to two coaches: Bear Bryant and Nick Saban. Bryant won six and Saban, with five national titles to his name, has at least staked his claim for the best of all time.
And while five wins versus one loss is hardly a record worth frowning upon, but it does leave the door open as to who the greatest coach ever is if Saban fails to reach six titles and tie Bryant. Some of the greatest coaches in modern history have lost a national championship game. Bobby Bowden lost multiple national champions as did Bob Stoops. Jim Tressel lost two national championship games back-to-back after winning his first. The loss by Saban last year and how it fits into the story of his legacy is more of a timing issue than anything else.
Still, what would another loss in the national title game mean? In Sabanās case he has managed to win five before losing his first. Not getting to the championship game may be a measuring stick for many other things, but just like with LeBron James and Tom Brady, the losses in championship games tell just as much about Sabanās legacy as the wins do.
Now entering his 11th season, Saban has now coached in just as many national championship games (five) as his teams have failed to make (five) since taking over in Tuscaloosa. So weāll chalk last yearās loss up to a really good Clemson team led by an incredible senior quarterback, a tired defense, a freshman QB leading the Tide and a thrilling play with seconds left to give Saban his first loss. It seems like a lot of things had to go right and wrong for that to happen, as it does with any championship team.
On the other hand, we live in a society that judges harshly by our last deeds, the āwhat have you done for me latelyā mantra. How quickly we forget the wins on the eve of a loss. I would be a fool to deny what Saban has done in winning five championships, but I would be remiss if we didnāt talk about the losses too. To me, if Saban never returned to another national championship game while at Alabama, his legacy would be safer than if he took another championship loss.
Another win and Saban ties Bryant for the most national championship wins of all time. Another loss, and Saban runs the risk of being the first coach in Alabama history to lose multiple national championship games. Either outcome will have a huge impact on Sabanās legacy going forward. He will still go down as one of the greatest college football coaches of all time regardless but losing another championship game would diminish what he has accomplished even more.
No pressure.
How would another national championship loss hurt Nick Saban's legacy?
