Adapted from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/nick-saban-s-candid-thoughts-on-alabama-players-chris-marler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Crain &amp; Co.,”</a> March 7, 2024. 
Jake Crain: ESPN’s Chris Low <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39623503/how-alabama-moved-nick-saban-kalen-deboer-49-hours" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published a profile</a> on Nick Saban just yesterday, and in it, Saban basically said the quiet part out loud. The truth is, with the way college football is structured right now, after all these monumental changes, coaches have lost a lot of leverage. And when you lose leverage, you lose a lot of control — control over being able to know who&#8217;s coming back consistently, control over being able to construct a depth chart due strictly to who practices better and who has earned it. You lose a lot of your ability to cultivate long lasting program culture, which takes the result even further out of your hands.
In the interview, Nick Saban said, “So I&#8217;m saying to myself, ‘Maybe this doesn&#8217;t work anymore, that the goals and aspirations are just different and that it’s all about how much money can I make as a college player?’ Now, I&#8217;m not saying that&#8217;s bad. I&#8217;m not saying it&#8217;s wrong. I&#8217;m just saying that&#8217;s never been what we&#8217;re all about, and it&#8217;s not why we had success through the years.”
I agree that players should be paid for NIL, but with no guardrails and no balance, it goes from a part of the motivation to the main motivation. Now, that isn&#8217;t a brand new concept. Guys have been motivated by making money in the NFL for a long time, but you didn&#8217;t get that reward until you finished college — outside of what the boosters slid in before you committed. So one can want players to get rewarded, but are we trading the most valuable lesson of college football for valuable pieces of printed paper?
Saban sustained success for so long for many reasons, but his best poker play was being malleable even when he was at the top because he had control. And a great poker player knows when to hold them, knows when to fold them, knows when to walk away, and knows when to run to your $17 million island that you just bought because you can&#8217;t control all the variables anymore. And he’s smart to do it.
The game has changed, and we have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time with this NIL situation with no guardrails. They let the monster out to attack the villagers. And you&#8217;ve seen coaches lose that control. And it&#8217;s really hard right now to be able to consistently have a roster that you feel like you have molded the piece of clay as much as you possibly can. You&#8217;re basically only co-parenting now, and it&#8217;s tough.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/nick-saban-s-candid-thoughts-on-alabama-players-chris-marler-member-exclusive">WATCH: &#8220;Crain &amp; Company&#8221; on DailyWire+</a></h4>
David Cone: Let&#8217;s not forget that Nick Saban is 72-years-old. That&#8217;s the primary reason for him retiring. If he were 50-years-old, I don&#8217;t care what the players did after the Rose Bowl, he was going to whip the thing into shape and come back next year.
I do find Low’s interview with Saban very telling though, and all of the reactions that I saw to this interview fell into one of two categories. Either, one, Nick Saban is exactly right: Money is ruining college football. The game is not the same and I&#8217;m done with it. Or two, Nick Saban is just mad that he&#8217;s not the only one who can pay players anymore and he wants to exploit their talents, so go on and be gone and good riddance. I think it&#8217;s low resolution on either side of those arguments.
Yes, this has ushered in a new wave of college football without any sort of guardrails, and any time the NCAA has tried to put some rules in place, we&#8217;ve gone to class action or antitrust lawsuits like we&#8217;ve just seen at the University of Tennessee. The NCAA has brought a lot of this on themselves.
But we can have leadership in college football without everything falling off the rails. Nick Saban needs to take a leadership role in college football. I know he&#8217;s going to go work at ESPN and I know he&#8217;s going to be on television, but he can help bring about some positive change.
We can solve a lot of these problems and college football can still be great, even if players are able to capitalize monetarily in some aspects. 
* * *
Jake Crain is co-host of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/%22https://www.dailywire.com/show/crain-and-company/%22">Crain &amp; Company,</a> the Daily Wire’s sports show hosted by former athletes and coaches Jake Crain, Blain Crain, and David Cone. Follow him: @JakeCrain_
David Cone is a co-host and producer of the Daily Wire’s sports show <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/%22https://www.dailywire.com/show/crain-and-company/%22">Crain &amp; Company</a>, as well as a contributor to Morning Wire. David is also a former quarterback for the University of Michigan. Follow him: @davidadamcone

2023 SEC Media Days

Nick Saban On College Football’s Monumental Changes: Coaches Have Lost Leverage 

College Football

Crain and Company

Nick Saban

Readers Pass

Sports

MixCollage-12-Jan-2024-09-54-AM-7217

The Wildest Coaching Carousel In Football History: Here’s Who’s Retired, Been Fired, And Hired 

Bill Belichick

Football

Alabama Head Football Coach <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nick-saban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nick Saban</a>, 72, informed his team on Wednesday that he is retiring from coaching.
Saban is arguably the top college football coach of all time as he finished his career with seven national championship titles, more than any other coach.
Saban won his first national championship in 2003 when he was the head coach at LSU. He subsequently won six titles at Alabama, including in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020. Saban also won 12 conference championships and 19 bowl games in his career and never once had a losing season.
Saban dominated the college football landscape by being by far the most powerful recruiter in the game, landing a top-five recruiting class every year that he was at Alabama except for his first year when he hauled in the #10 ranked class. Of his 17 seasons with the Crimson Tide, Saban landed ten #1 ranked recruiting classes and three #2 ranked classes, according to Rivals.com.
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In a career field dominated by intense personalities, Saban stood out for taking the intensity and drive for perfection to the next level, which earned him the nickname &#8220;Nicktator.&#8221;
Saban preached &#8220;the process&#8221; in coaching his players in which he told them not to focus on winning, but to instead focus on everything that they were doing in the moment and to do the task the best that they could, which included everything from excelling in the classroom, lifting weights, to focusing on competing at the high-level during each play on the gridiron.
This is a breaking news story; refresh the page for updates.

Rose Bowl Game – Alabama v Michigan

Legendary Alabama Football Coach Nick Saban Retiring

Alabama

General

U.S.

Sometimes we all fall victim to getting caught up in the moment in all walks of life.
Sometimes we forget to look at large data sets and only go by recent bias, which is why I am telling anyone and everyone that if you think <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/what-s-the-future-of-alabama-s-dynasty-guest-big-game-boomer-ep-179" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nick Saban and Alabama</a> are coming back down to reality, don’t count on it.
There are three different entities I never question: God, Nick Saban, and my fiance.
There is a little room for worry seeing as Alabama is losing games in ways we haven’t seen in a long time, with self inflicted wounds.
In the past, the few losses that Bama suffered were because a team either played out of their minds for four quarters or something crazy happened. But this team is losing in the way that Bama typically beats people.
While it may sound confusing when you hear Saban use the term ‘process,’ he is really referring to getting the best players to play the most disciplined.
In the game of football most teams lose games, they don’t win them. When you are counting on 11 people to do the right thing consistently, that is just how it goes.
And Saban’s formula has always been to get more talented players to play more buttoned up than your guys and let gravity do the rest.
This year we&#8217;ve seen Alabama get penalized more than a husband who doesn’t shut the kitchen cabinets when he takes something out, and we have seen very uncharacteristic blunders on special teams and areas where Bama usually out disciplines opponents.
Saban runs on HGH, Little Debbies, and coffee — which I am starting to believe may be the recipe for the fountain of youth. This year seems more of an anomaly than what we have seen when you look at the whole data set.
It is good to see some fresh faces and new blood at the college football playoff table, but if you think Saban or Alabama are just about done, guess again, he is the GOAT for a reason.
Jake Crain is co-host of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/crain-and-company">“Crain &amp; Company.”</a> the Daily Wire’s sports show hosted by former athletes and coaches Jake Crain, Blain Crain, and David Cone. Follow him at: @JakeCrain_
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Alabama v LSU

If You Think Nick Saban Is Done, Guess Again

University of Alabama

This week, University of Alabama head football coach, Nick Saban, agreed to a $93.6 million contract extension that extends through February 2030. He will earn $11.7 million per season. 
Not only does Saban’s agreement surpass Kirby Smart’s $11.2 million per year contract at Georgia, but it also includes a clause stating Saban’s guaranteed compensation can be revisited if his contract is less than the three highest paid SEC coaches or the top five coaches nationally.
The funny part is, Saban is worth way more than that to Alabama. Since his teams started this incredible run, out-of-state enrollment has shot through the roof and there is no telling how much money he has made the University as a result. Do I believe Saban will coach through the end of this contract until he’s 78? No. But you have to pay the greatest coach ever the most because that is the nature of the college football arms race.
For other coaches and programs, this isn’t the greatest news &#8211; because I don’t see Saban losing his effectiveness any time soon. It’s amazing what a couple Little Debbies and coffee can do for a person. I wouldn’t be surprised if at the end of this, he was blended with a robot and the ‘Sabantron 3000’ roamed the sidelines until a meteor hits.
This also means that another group of young or troubled coaches will be able to catapult or resurrect their careers under Saban’s tutelage. Despite all the money that gets talked about and all the championships he has won, neither will be the biggest part of his legacy. He has helped so many coaches find success, get the blueprint and thrive in a cutthroat business. He has mentored thousands of young men on how to work to find success and changed countless family trajectories. Football is one of the greatest teachers of life, and Saban is basically Gandalf. 
The numbers Saban has accumulated up to this point in his college head coaching career are eye-popping. He has won 7 national championships, 10 SEC championships, and numerous Coach of the Year awards. His overall regular season record is 274-67-1, 18-11 in bowl games, and a dominant 9-4 in college football playoffs.
There is not just one reason Coach Saban has been able to attain Mount Rushmore status among college football coaches, but if I had to pick one key factor contributing to his success, it would be his malleability. The hardest part about staying on top is being able to change with the times.
As with many other aspects of life, football continues to change almost yearly. When offenses started to find ways to create havoc by using a faster pace of play, Saban knew he had to adjust his old-school style of play to keep his advantage. Gone were the days of his bland, run to pass and don’t screw it up offensively method and in came the day of going fast and taking chances. Similarly, when the transfer portal and new rules around athletes’ name, image and likeness (NIL) burst into college football, Saban embraced something he disagreed with and even led the way on how to adapt.
Most people who find a recipe to make it to the top struggle to change or adjust &#8211; like Red Beaulieu and the green notebook in &#8220;The Waterboy&#8221; &#8211; but if you aren’t evolving, you are dissolving.
Saban has been able to zero in on a moving target, and that is why his success level hasn’t dissipated over the course of time. While it does take a big ego to be Nick Saban, too much ego can destroy even him; because just when you think you have all the answers, you are destined to be wrong.
How many more titles will Saban win? The smart money is a couple, but in the grand scheme of things, he&#8217;s already won.
Jake Crain is co-host of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/crain-and-company">“Crain &amp; Company.”</a> the Daily Wire’s sports show, also featuring co-hosts Blain Crain and David Cone.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: JAN 10 CFP National Championship

New Contract Proves Nick Saban Is One Of A Kind

University of Alabama football defensive coordinator Stephen Thomas Golding — known as Pete Golding — was arrested early Thursday morning and charged with driving under the influence. According to <a href="https://www.tcsoal.org/inmates/23660">Tuscaloosa County Jail</a> records, Golding was arrested by the Northport Police Department on February 3, and his bond was set at $500. 
Alabama is aware of the arrest but has yet to comment publicly, per <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/33208202/alabama-crimson-tide-defensive-coordinator-pete-golding-arrested-dui-charge">ESPN</a>. 
Golding has worked under Alabama head coach Nick Saban since 2018, spending the last three years as defensive coordinator and helping lead Alabama to the 2020 national championship. The Crimson Tide finished third in the SEC in team defense for the 2021 college football season before losing to Georgia in the national championship game. Golding&#8217;s defense allowed 304.1 yards per game, good for seventh in the country. 
On Wednesday, Alabama landed the No. 2 recruiting class in the country, an accomplishment that Saban says had a lot to do with Golding’s ability to connect with players. 
&#8220;I think Pete has a great personality,&#8221; Nick Saban <a href="https://247sports.com/college/alabama/Article/Alabama-Football-defensive-coordinator-Pete-Golding-arrested-for-DUI-182157049/">said</a> Wednesday per 247 Sports. &#8220;I think he spends a lot of time with players. And I think it’s all about relationships. I know that we have a good product here. Pete does a great job of selling that product. But I think in the end, the players know that he cares about them. Players really don’t know what you know until they know that you care. Pete’s got a great personality. I think he really works hard at it, he’s a really good coach and he has a good relationship with the players on our team.&#8221;
&#8220;And I think when players talk to the players on our team, they sort of get that feedback, and that’s all helpful in terms of players feeling comfortable here, knowing that they have a good relationship with the coach that recruited them but also with the coach that’s gonna coach them and a lot of the other people involved in the organization. So Pete does a good job of selling all those things in a positive way.&#8221;
Prior to his time at Alabama, Golding was the defensive coordinator at the University of Texas-San Antonio from 2016-2017, helping the Roadrunners get to the school&#8217;s first bowl game.
Golding&#8217;s defense had an up and down year but allowed just 24 points to Georgia&#8217;s offense in the SEC Championship Game, beating the Bulldogs 41-24 while intercepting quarterback Stetson Bennett two times. In the national championship game, Alabama&#8217;s defense didn&#8217;t allow a touchdown until the third quarter, giving up two Bennett touchdowns in a 33-18 loss. 
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/raiders-wr-henry-ruggs-will-be-charged-with-dui-resulting-in-death-following-tuesday-car-crash">Raiders WR Henry Ruggs Will Be Charged With ‘DUI Resulting In Death’ Following Tuesday Car Crash</a>
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/clown-acts-jimbo-fisher-fires-back-following-nil-recruiting-rumors">‘Clown Acts’: Jimbo Fisher Fires Back Following NIL Recruiting Rumors</a>
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

Alabama Football Defensive Coordinator Arrested And Charged With DUI

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) slammed Alabama Head Football Coach Nick Saban on Thursday in response to Saban signing onto a letter trying to pressure Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) into voting for Democrats’ left-wing voting agenda.
&#8220;They use that term on purpose, &#8216;voting rights,&#8217; because who could possibly be against voting rights?&#8221; Roy began. &#8220;For example, allow me to quote from acclaimed election history and law experts Jerry West, Nick Saban, Paul Tagliabue and company, quote, &#8216;in the last year, some 20 states have enacted dozens of laws that restrict voting access and allow local officials or state legislatures to interfere inappropriately with federal election outcomes, motivated by the unanticipated outcomes of recent close elections conducted with integrity,&#8217; they say, &#8216;these state laws seek to secure partisan advantage by eliminating reliable practices with proven safeguards and substituting practices ripe for manipulation.'&#8221;
&#8220;No doubt these famed election law experts spent the weekend reading the federal legislation for which they were lobbying, because, I mean, I got the 700 page bill at 11:30 last Thursday night before voting on it on Friday,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I assume they read it thoroughly over the weekend as my staff stayed up into the middle of the night doing to actually see what was in the bill. I assumed too, that they know, for example, that the bill would lead to completely outlawing or eliminating voter identification.&#8221;
&#8220;Do they know that four in five Americans, 80 percent, support requiring voters to show photo identification in order to cast a ballot?&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I know my colleagues are sure fine with everybody having to show a voter identification with vax cards all across this country, including the nation&#8217;s capital.&#8221;
&#8220;Do they know that Delaware and Connecticut require photo or non-photo ID?&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;And more, I&#8217;m certain that they have studied the intricacies of Texas law before disparaging it. I&#8217;m sure they spent time looking at that. Or, say, studied the Georgia election law, at least a little better than studying the University of Georgia&#8217;s, say, defense. Do they know that Georgia has 17 days of early voting and that President Biden&#8217;s home state of Delaware only has 10 dates? Are we looking at Delaware?&#8221;
Saban&#8217;s team lost to the University of Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship earlier this month.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Boss roasting Nick Saban: ✅ 
 <a href="https://t.co/Byppdqt17p">pic.twitter.com/Byppdqt17p</a>
&mdash; Jonah Wendt 🦬 (@jonah_wendt) <a href="https://twitter.com/jonah_wendt/status/1484207568629252099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>REP. CHIP ROY (R-TX): They use that term on purpose, &#8216;voting rights,&#8217; because who could possibly be against voting rights? For example, allow me to quote from acclaimed election history and law experts Jerry West, Nick Saban, Paul Tagliabue and company, quote, &#8216;in the last year, some 20 states have enacted dozens of laws that restrict voting access and allow local officials or state legislatures to interfere inappropriately with federal election outcomes, motivated by the unanticipated outcomes of recent close elections conducted with integrity,&#8217; they say, &#8216;these state laws seek to secure partisan advantage by eliminating reliable practices with proven safeguards and substituting practices ripe for manipulation.&#8217;
No doubt these famed election law experts spent the weekend reading the federal legislation for which they were lobbying, because, I mean, I got the 700 page bill at 11:30 last Thursday night before voting on it on Friday. Right before we got the rule. I assume they read it thoroughly over the weekend as my staff stayed up into the middle of the night doing to actually see what was in the bill. I assumed too, that they know, for example, that the bill would lead to completely outlawing or eliminating voter identification.
Do they know that four in five Americans, 80 percent, support requiring voters to show photo identification in order to cast a ballot? I know my colleagues are sure fine with everybody having to show a voter identification with vax cards all across this country, including the nation&#8217;s capital.
Do they know that Delaware and Connecticut require photo or non-photo ID? And more, I&#8217;m certain that they have studied the intricacies of Texas law before disparaging it. I&#8217;m sure they spent time looking at that. Or, say, studied the Georgia election law, at least a little better than studying the University of Georgia&#8217;s, say, defense. Do they know that Georgia has 17 days of early voting and that President Biden&#8217;s home state of Delaware only has 10 dates? Are we looking at Delaware?</blockquote>

Nick Saban Chip Roy

Chip Roy Levels Nick Saban: Should’ve Studied Georgia’s Laws Better Than He Did Georgia’s Defense

Chip Roy

Joe Manchin

Alabama football coach Nick Saban and NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West were two of five sports figures to pen a letter to Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), urging him to support voter legislation &#8220;that will protect both the rights of voters and the integrity of outcomes in all Federal elections.&#8221;
Both West and Saban are West Virginians, with Saban born in Fairmont, West Virginia. West was born in Chelyan. 
&#8220;We strongly support urgently needed legislation that will protect both the rights of voters and the integrity of outcomes in all Federal elections,&#8221; the letter to Manchin <a href="https://docsend.com/view/6f9g9kvwfm4w8862">said</a>. &#8220;The Freedom to Vote Act, which you sponsored with Committee Chair Senator [Amy] Klobuchar and other colleagues, effectively addressed these goals. Now we also support your leadership in shaping legislation to secure our democracy by protecting election integrity, principled Presidential transitions and our national security during transitions.”
&#8220;We come from some of our nation&#8217;s most popular sports leagues, conferences and teams. Some of us have roots and shaped our lives in West Virginia,” they continued. “Others followed very different paths and some of us have been rivals in sports or business. But we are all certain that democracy is best when voting is open to everyone on a level playing field; the referees are neutral; and at the end of the game the final score is respected and accepted.&#8221;
Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, former West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck, and former Buffalo Bills linebacker Darryl Talley also signed the letter to Manchin. 
The letter stated their support for “elections open for all Americans” as well as “impartial conduct and score-keeping.” 
“Our democracy is at its best when all Americans are encouraged to participate,” the letter says.” We support measures to provide voters with a range of opportunities to obtain and cast a lawful ballot, including robust in-person, early, and absentee voting options. We support the use of election security, equipment and record-keeping measures that are reliable and evidence-based, and clearly support the integrity of election processes.” 
&#8220;These principles are now under intentional and unprecedented challenge,&#8221; the letter continued. &#8220;In the last year, some 20 states have enacted dozens of laws that restrict voting access and allow local officials or state legislatures to interfere inappropriately with Federal election outcomes. Motivated by the unanticipated outcomes of recent close elections conducted with integrity, these state laws seek to secure partisan advantage by eliminating reliable practices with proven safeguards and substituting practices ripe for manipulation.”
The Freedom to Vote Act has created massive division between the two political parties, with Republicans in the Senate seeing it as a &#8220;political power grab.&#8221;
“The truth is this is not about voting rights,” Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/01/14/john-cornyn-ted-cruz-voting-bill/">said</a> last Tuesday in an appearance on Fox News. “This is about a partisan political power grab, and they are just trying to dress it up and sell it as something else. I just don’t think the American people are buying it.”
According to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/18/politics/nick-saban-jerry-west-joe-manchin-voting-rights/index.html">CNN</a>, Saban added that he does not support ending the filibuster in the original footnotes of the letter. 
&#8220;Coach Saban is not in favor of getting rid of the filibuster in the Senate. He believes this will destroy the checks and balances we must have in our Democracy. The others signing this letter take no position on this aspect of Senate policies,&#8221; the footnote <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/18/politics/nick-saban-jerry-west-joe-manchin-voting-rights/index.html">read</a>, according to CNN.
Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) have both stated their opposition to ending the filibuster. 
“There’s no need for me to restate my longstanding support for the 60-vote threshold to pass legislation. There’s no need for me to restate its role in protecting our country from wild reversals of federal policy,” Sinema <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sinema-senate-filibuster-schumer-democrats-elections-bills-voting-rights">said according</a> to Fox News. “This week’s harried discussions about Senate rules are but a poor substitute for what I believe could have and should have been a thoughtful public debate at any time over the past year.”
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

2022 CFP National Championship – Georgia v Alabama

Nick Saban, Jerry West Pen Letter Urging Manchin To Support Voter Legislation

Kyrsten Sinema

University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban congratulated University of Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart on Monday night after the Georgia Bulldogs dominated Alabama Crimson Tide in the second half on the national championship game, especially in the fourth quarter.
&#8220;You guys kicked our a*s in the fourth quarter,&#8221; Saban told Smart after the game. “God bless you, man.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Kirby Smart and Nick Saban.
All class 🤝 <a href="https://t.co/LJBibd3TOt">pic.twitter.com/LJBibd3TOt</a>
&mdash; ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1480766976574193664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Georgia&#8217;s 33-18 win over Alabama was it&#8217;s first national championship win since 1980 and served as revenge after losing 41-24 to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.
The Daily Wire&#8217;s Joe Morgan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/georgia-defeats-alabama-for-first-national-title-since-1980">reported</a>:
<blockquote>Late in the third quarter in Indianapolis, Georgia’s offense hadn’t done a thing. 188 yards and two field goals was all they had managed as Alabama held a 9-6 lead. As the Crimson Tide lined up for another field goal attempt, Georgia needed a spark, and it was the defense that carried them all year long that gave it to them. 
Jalen Carter blocked Will Reichard’s 48-yard field goal attempt, the third blocked field goal of the year for Georgia. On the very next play, Georgia running back James Cook broke free for a 67-yards, setting up the first touchdown of the game by either team. Zamir White punched it in from a yard out, giving Georgia their first lead of the game. 
Following a Crimson Tide field goal, it was Alabama’s turn to make a play defensively.  On third-and-8 from the Georgia 27-yard line, Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett attempted to throw the ball away as he was being taken down for a sack. Referees ruled it a fumble on the field, with the ball recovered by Alabama at the Georgia 16-yard line. The play was reviewed, with the call on the field standing as called. 
Alabama quickly took back the lead, scoring their first touchdown of the game, a three-yard touchdown from Bryce Young to Cameron Latu. But the fun was just getting started. Georgia’s offense responded immediately, taking a 19-18 lead on a 40-yard touchdown from Bennett to wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. 
A 15-yard touchdown pass to Brock Bowers put Georgia up 26-18, and then it was time for the best defense in the country to put their stamp on the season. The Heisman trophy winner — without injured wide receivers Jameson Williams and John Metchie — finally made a mistake, culminating in a 79-yard interception return for a touchdown by Kelee Ringo.</blockquote>
&#8220;This is a special moment for the University of Georgia, special moment for this team,&#8221; Smart said during post game interviews. &#8220;I&#8217;m proud of the University of Georgia, the support we get there, lot of credit to Alabama.&#8221;
Smart said that he hopes it does not take 41 years for Georgia to win its next national championship game.
&#8220;Look, I&#8217;m extremely proud of this team,&#8221; Saban told ESPN after the game. &#8220;This team won the SEC Championship, beat Georgia to do it, obviously they beat us today.&#8221;
Saban lamented the way that his team played in the fourth quarter.

Alabama’s Nick Saban Delivers Message To Georgia’s Kirby Smart After Losing National Championship Game

NCAA

Last weekend during the Iron Bowl Alabama-Auburn football game, which Alabama won decisively, 42-13, one devout Alabama fan posted a video of his 7-year-old son crying happily when Alabama scored their first touchdown on a 66-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Mac Jones to wide receiver DeVonta Smith.
But as Cody Kirk’s wife Brooke related, <a href="https://www.wvtm13.com/article/bama-blessing-calera-child-receives-surprise-from-alabamas-athletics-department-after-prank/34864929?fbclid=IwAR3AtvxmcleCaoyH_1QfBBple9MfNA_1CI5Y1RPhABGbwu4pe3cFn_pRZDY">someone called their family’s house,</a> pretending to be an employee with the university and inviting their 7-year-old son Brody to come meet the team and Coach Nick Saban. When the family found out it wasn’t true, the Kirks felt terrible for their son.
But a happy ending resulted, as Brooke wrote on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/brookemalea">Facebook</a>:
<blockquote>As many of you know, someone played a mean trick on our family a few days ago pretending to be an employee with UA and invited Brody to come meet the team and Coach Saban. The University of Alabama Athletic Director, Greg Byrne, found out about it and talked to Cody Kirk. It upset him very much and he asked for our address so he could send Brody a surprise.
This “Bama box” came in the mail today! He included a football signed by Coach Saban and Mrs.Terry and an autographed picture of Coach. Such a blessing. Brody was so excited and so incredibly thankful for this sweet gift! This was just another amazing example of how God works all things for the good of those who love Him. He took this cruel prank that someone played on our seven year old and turned it into a blessing that made my sweet boy so happy. We didn’t avenge. God did. He got the last laugh and we got a Bama blessing. God bless and roll tide!</blockquote>
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I would really like to thank <a href="https://twitter.com/Greg_Byrne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Greg_Byrne</a>, Coach Saban &amp; Mrs. Terry, they have made my son’s whole year! We really appreciate the <a href="https://twitter.com/AlabamaFTBL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AlabamaFTBL</a> care package! Brody (7) will remember this forever! I’ve had a rough few days, and this made it all worth it! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RollTide?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RollTide</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KindnessMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KindnessMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/Z01kDCvfdQ">pic.twitter.com/Z01kDCvfdQ</a>
&mdash; Cody Kirk (@codykirk22) <a href="https://twitter.com/codykirk22/status/1334628840107364355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Alabama head coach Nick Saban, 69, couldn&#8217;t be on the sidelines with his team, as he had been diagnosed with the coronavirus. <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=401237142">ESPN</a> reported that Saban couldn&#8217;t &#8220;talk to his team starting 90 minutes before kickoff though he still led the preparation during the week.&#8221;
&#8220;That was really hard, especially the fact that I feel great,&#8221; Saban commented.
After being diagnosed, Saban had stated, “We hate it that this situation occurred, but as I said many times before, you’ve got to be able to deal with disruptions this year, and our players have been pretty mature about doing that. We just want to carry on the best we can.”
“He said that he had a runny nose but none of what he described as ‘the cardinal signs of the virus,’ like a fever or a loss of taste or smell,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/25/sports/ncaafootball/nick-saban-coronavirus-alabama.html">The New York Times</a> reported.
Jimmy Robinson, a doctor for Alabama, and Jeff Allen, the football team’s head athletic trainer, issued a joint statement saying, “He has very mild symptoms, so this test will not be categorized as a potential false positive. He will follow all appropriate guidelines and isolate at home.”
The Times noted, “Saban has been among college football’s foremost proponents of recommendations to wear masks and adhere to social distancing, and he even filmed <a href="https://twitter.com/AlabamaFTBL/status/1263560322851508224">a public service announcement</a> this year alongside Big Al, the university’s elephant mascot.”
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 02 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game – Florida State v Alabama

ROLL TIDE: After Cruel Prank On 7-Year-Old Fan, Alabama Answers With Special Gift

University of Alabama coach Nick Saban said that his players are safer playing football than spending their time at home and in their communities.
The head football coach said that the conversation, if one is to be had, should be about colleges reopening for the entire student body and not focused on sports. The athletic programs of college sports are capable of monitoring players and containing outbreaks of the coronavirus among players, if someone should get infected.
Players are much more likely to contract and spread the disease back home in their communities, Saban told <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29634072/nick-saban-says-players-safer-alabama-running-home">ESPN</a> on Monday.
“I want to play, but I want to play for the players&#8217; sake, the value they can create for themselves,” Saban said. “I know I&#8217;ll be criticized no matter what I say, that I don&#8217;t care about player safety. Look, players are a lot safer with us than they are running around at home. We have around a 2% positive ratio on our team since the Fourth of July. It&#8217;s a lot higher than that in society. We act like these guys can&#8217;t get this unless they play football. They can get it anywhere, whether they&#8217;re in a bar or just hanging out.”
“It&#8217;s going to be a challenge when the other students get on campus, and I get that,” Saban said. “But we really don&#8217;t know what that entails until it happens. It&#8217;s a big reason we pushed the season back [in the SEC], to assess that, which is the prudent way to do it.”
Saban said the coaching and training staff regularly monitor players for symptoms and signs of the coronavirus and has each player tested for the disease each week. He also brings in epidemiologists to update players on the disease every two weeks.
“It&#8217;s more important than ever to engage your players, and if you&#8217;re not, then you&#8217;re not doing your job as a coach,” Saban said.
“We also test anybody that has symptoms and have an open testing site where they can go and get tested as many times as they want or anytime they feel like they need to,” Saban continued. “But our guys aren&#8217;t going to catch [the virus] on the football field. They&#8217;re going to catch it on campus. The argument then should probably be, &#8216;We shouldn&#8217;t be having school.&#8217; That&#8217;s the argument. Why is it, &#8216;We shouldn&#8217;t be playing football?&#8217; Why has that become the argument?”
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-officials-hold-emergency-meeting-about-canceling-college-football-this-fall">Big Ten</a> Conference announced on Tuesday that it would cancel its schedule for the fall and hope to relaunch in the spring of 2021. Coaches and players have publicly advocated for fall football, including a handful of coaches in the Big Ten such as Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day. Their push was unsuccessful, however.
The <a href="http://dailywire.com/news/this-isnt-over-college-football-players-coaches-fight-back-against-potential-season-cancelation">campaign</a> has continued across conferences and teams, including from the starting quarterback at Clemson, Trevor Lawrence.
“Football is a safe haven for so many people. We are more likely to get the virus in everyday life than playing football. Having a season also incentivizes players being safe and taking all of the right precautions to try to avoid contracting covid because the season/ teammates safety is on the line,” Lawrence said on Sunday. “Without the season, as we’ve seen already, people will not social distance or wear masks and take the proper precautions.”
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Players being safe and taking all of the right precautions to try to avoid contracting covid because the season/ teammates safety is on the line. Without the season, as we’ve seen already, people will not social distance or wear masks and take the proper precautions
&mdash; Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) <a href="https://twitter.com/Trevorlawrencee/status/1292600604305612800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Nick Saban On College Football: ‘Players Are A Lot Safer With Us Than They Are Running Around At Home’

COVID

Alabama Head Football Coach Nick Saban appears in a player-created video posted to the team&#8217;s official social media accounts that promotes the Black Lives Matter message.
&#8220;The idea came from a number of conversations in the past few weeks following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis,&#8221; AL.com reported. &#8220;The football program held video calls with prominent Black voices including Condoleezza Rice, Charles Barkley and Stephen A. Smith and their message was clear: use your platform for positive change.&#8221;
&#8220;The leadership group of veteran players and other star players filmed their parts on Wednesday, and it was edited for release early Thursday afternoon,&#8221; the local paper added. &#8220;The message was one of unity, honoring the past and building a better future for race relations. It calls for equality and the end of brutality and ended with a simple message repeated by several players and appeared on the screen.&#8221;
The video features numerous players from the team who read different parts of the script, which was written by offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood (transcript below).
&#8220;In this moment in history we can’t be silent, we must speak up for our brothers and sisters, for our sons and daughters,&#8221; Saban said, later adding, &#8220;Until I listen with an open heart and mind, I can’t understand his experience and his pain.&#8221;
The video concludes with numerous players saying, &#8220;All lives can’t matter until black lives matter.&#8221;
WATCH:
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“In this moment in history, we can’t be silent.” <a href="https://t.co/YF4ndJSpa0">pic.twitter.com/YF4ndJSpa0</a>
&mdash; Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlabamaFTBL/status/1276228506893127680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
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TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>We are a team black, white, brown.
Together we are a family, we are brothers.
We represent ourselves, our families, our hometowns, our university, and our country.
We stand on the shoulders of giants, our grandparents and parents, our ancestors, our heroes, Alabama alumni, and former players who have changed the world.
Beginning on our historic campus we speak as one, acknowledging our history, honoring their legacy, and building a better, more just future.
On the field we are relentless, we are strong, we are conquerors.
But we are human beings first and in this moment in history we can’t be silent, we must speak up for our brothers and sisters, for our sons and daughters.
We speak for justice, for fairness, for equality, for greater understanding.
We stand together against racism.
Against brutality, against violence, for a better world.
When we see our families, our neighbors, our classmates subjected to violence we recognize the fear in their eyes and when we experience racism it hurts.
In the game we are one team.
One heartbeat, one mission.
Yet we are diverse.
We don’t always agree but we learn so much from each other and we are so much better together.
Until I listen with an open heart and mind, I can’t understand his experience and his pain.
The virus has shown us how much we benefit from being together and how much we need each other.
We believe the solutions to our challenges are within us.
We chose to listen, we chose to hear, and understand other’s prospectives.
Let’s listen, let’s unite, because all lives can’t matter until black lives matter.
Until black lives matter.
Until black lives matter.
Until black lives matter.
Until black lives matter.
Because all lives can’t matter until black lives matter.</blockquote>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

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