Coach Nick Saban Made a Believer Out of Me

  

  

Nobody trashed talked the hiring of Alabama’s Nick Saban more than myself. Nobody! I found every reason, factual or not to exploit the idea that Nick Saban was nothing more than the latest College football Head Coach hype. The controversy surrounding his hype encouraged me even more while he constantly denied the rumors that the big money in Tuscaloosa had lured him into top position to lay claim to be Alabama’s next head coach. I found him to be incredibly arrogant and merely ego driven and money hungry. His constant denials of taking the job convinced me more than ever that he would be the University of Alabama’s next head coach. Once the final announcements were done and over and Nick Saban took the drivers seat of the tide my joy was near complete. I counted on Alabama being a hard fit for the man’s ego and problems would surely arise. His first recruiting efforts seem to produce great results but I didn’t care. I hated Alabama and naturally my hate transferred along to Saban. The first Iron Bowl delighted me with the Deer in the headlights look that remained on Saban’s face throughout the behind the woodshed butt whipping Auburn put on Saban’s Tide. It seemed things would just fall into place as I had thought. Then the next year brought Auburn the turmoil behind the scenes that brought the Tigers down to earth and eventually Tommy Tuberville out of the door at Auburn but not before a major butt kicking in an Alabama shut out of Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Saban continued to recruit outstanding players which has really never been hard to do at Alabama, but Saban kept at it and built this year what I thought to be the best overall Alabama football squad I have ever seen in my lifetime, including the 1992 Championship team which embarrassed an overly cocky Miami team in the National Championship causing even me to pull for Alabama in what has been only a few times in my life. Anyway, I still feel this year’s team was better than the ’92 team that embarassed the Miami Thug’s. That is saying quite a lot. This year began as usual with Alabama defeating Virginia Tech and a handful of other not so great teams, yet they were scoring a lot more points as usual but what I noticed early was that Alabama was not allowing as many point against them as they had in years prior. Also, it was obvious that Alabama’s talent included many different players that shined. Enter Mark Ingram, who busted out of no where carrying the ball with high per carry averages and hardly ever dropped the ball. If I am not mistaking he only had one fumble this whole season. Collecting game after game of 100 yard plus carries and without doubt being the very reason for wins in close games. He continued to rumble down the field padding his stats unstopped allowing Bama’s Quarterback McElroy to produce more and more completions while the defense continued to shut down the opposition game after game. I believe the best measure of Mark Ingram’s talent was uttered by Auburn’s leading ball carrier Ben Tate who spoke to the media about how he felt he was being overlooked for the Heisman Trophy this year trailing only a handful of carrying yards behind Alabama’s Ingram. First I found this Whiney statement embarrassing and yelled at Ben Tate on my Big Screen TV to put his mouth where his money was and prove on the ground carrying the ball. This years Iron Bowl proved to be no doubt the surprise game of Alabama’s season with Auburn basically controlling the game with fired up passion and success at stopping Alabama’s Mark Ingram cold with brutal hits and gang tackles. However, Auburn could not keep the passion alive for the duration of the game and let the Tide execute its last possession perfectly and escaping a loss in the last few minutes of the game.  Auburn could hold their heads up for whipping the Tide but Alabama won the game and we all know that is all that matters. Everything else is never remembered. But unlike Ben Tate, Mark Ingram kept his mouth shut and his feet moving against Florida recovering what most thought lost including me that his Heisman hopes were over with. He showed humility that warms the heart of all people by not giving up. He gave his last performance all he had and managed to convince all who voted on the Heisman Trophy that he was the best in America this year. Another point I must make is this, any team that can run the table in the SEC well, they are the true National Champions regardless of any bowl game. Although I myself was pulling for Stanford’s Toby Gerhart, Mark Ingram was handed the Heisman trophy and no one can deny that he had earned it. The tears flowed from Ingram, unlike Tebow; Ingram’s tears were shed in victory and accomplishment. Not defeat. I suppose all who watched as I did felt really good for his dream paying off. I will just find it difficult to swallow the fact that now Alabama has a Heisman trophy to show off as well as just about all others. I will live, but credit must be given when credit is due. My congratulations go to Mark Ingram with sincerity. Eating crow has always been hardest of all to swallow and all I can say was that I was dead wrong about Coach Nick Saban. He has proven again he is a winner. Coach Nick Saban made a believer out of me. Now I can’t help but to wonder that if Alabama beats Texas, Which they will, would Alabama be able to keep Saban at the helm? It’s a fair question with other teams still looking for a new Head Coach. Will Saban be attracted by a new challenge at another big time program? It certainly looks as though Nick Saban is Coach fix it in NCAA Football.