Is Saturday's Iron Bowl A Must Win For Saban?

by Jay Coulter on Nov 19, 2007 8:55 PM CST in News

By Jay Coulter
jccoulter@gmail.com

"It's not going to get any easier. Auburn may beat Alabama this year (for the sixth year in a row). They'll be favored. But Saturday (against Tennessee) in Tuscaloosa was a preview of the future.

The 41-17 victory over Tennessee showed that Alabama can now do more with less. It showed that on any given Saturday, Saban can find a way. Alabama hasn't had this luxury in a very long time.

And Tuberville hasn't had a foe across the state to deal with like this, either.

So if Tubs is having trouble making his decision (to go to Texas A&M), I suggest he pop in a DVD and watch the scene in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, as Alabama football inched closer to being relevant again. Watch the crowd cheer at the end of the game. Watch the crowd stay in their seats. Listen to the noise they made."

-Paul Finebaum following Alabama’s victory over Tennessee on October 20th

In the words of Lee Corso, "Not so fast my friend."

We have full meltdown in the state of Alabama on this Monday before the Iron Bowl. As a friend of mine said today, Alabama is eating their young.

Listening to talk radio across the state, it was amazing to hear the Alabama fans blame the players without making mention of Nick Saban. After all, it can’t possibly be Saban’s fault can it? These are Mike Shula’s players. At least that’s what I heard on the radio today.

How out of touch with reality is Saban? He compared the loss to Louisiana-Monroe with September 11th and Pearl Harbor. Somebody get the straight jacket quick.

What must Paul Bryant Jr. and Mal Moore be thinking tonight? Has Alabama again bought fool’s gold?

Can Nick Saban really turn this program around? Does he have the mental fortitude to make this program a winner when so many before him have failed? Was he the right hire or was Alabama so desperate to find a coach that they overlooked the obvious?

If you haven’t noticed, the Miami Dolphins are 0-10 in the NFL. If Saturday’s loss was partially Shula’s fault, does that mean Saban should take some of the blame for the Dolphin’s woes? A rational person would say yes.

Colin Cowherd of ESPN Radio made the comment today that Saban was half the coach that Les Miles is and pointed to the fact that Miles turned Oklahoma State around in a season and has LSU on the verge of another SEC championship and possible national title.

Are we all beginning to realize that Nick Saban is the sign of mediocrity? Was the 2003 national championship the exception to an otherwise mediocre career? Is it possible that he even underachieved at LSU? You have to wonder when looking at the success Miles has had in just a few years.

The real question is this: What long term ramifications will Saturday’s loss have on Saban and Alabama? Should the Tide lose for the sixth consecutive time on Saturday and follow that up with a bowl loss, how much patience will Alabama fans have?

The schedule doesn’t get any better next year. Should Saban lose five games and suffer a seventh loss to Auburn, does he survive at $4 million a year?

It’s not a reach to say that Saban, in his first season on the Capstone is playing for his job Saturday night.

Think about it. It's not as crazy as it sounds.

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Coach Tubs makes a strong statement

This is off subject, but good news:

Coach Tommy Tuberville said Monday ``we're going to be at Auburn as long as they want us here'' in his strongest statement yet after two weeks of talk that Texas A&M might make a play for him.

Tuberville made his comments during his weekly press conference as the Tigers began game-week preparation for Alabama.

WAR EAGLE

by James @ Track Em Tigers on Nov 20, 2007 7:30 AM CST reply actions

Don't hold your breath

Coach speak means nothing at this point of the season. I seem to recall that Saban said he wouldn't be the coach at Bama, Tubs wasn't leaving Ole Miss unless it was in a pine box...

I hope he stays as he runs a clean program.

by Yamez on Nov 20, 2007 8:36 AM CST up reply actions

Coach Speak

Before this statement, Tuberville had made no comment either way.

This comment, because he has not said anything before, says alot. Sure, it can be twisted and turned by the troll and anybody else, but it also tells the Auburn family that he wants to beat bama. It says he is commited to this season and this team. It says, he is commited to Auburn as long as they want him. What more can he say?

I say again, this is a strong statement made by Coach Tubs and I am glad he made it.

WAR EAGLE

by James @ Track Em Tigers on Nov 20, 2007 8:47 AM CST up reply actions

Twisted?

No twisting. This gives Tuberville room to point a finger at the administration if they don't give him what he wants.

by Yamez on Nov 20, 2007 3:35 PM CST up reply actions

Yeah it is

Right now, I think most Bama fans are willing to give Nick the benefit of the doubt. Going into the season the absolute best I thought this team would accomplish would be 8-4. To reach this would have required the team to play better and to pull out some amazing victories over teams with more depth than Bama.

Obviously, that hasn't happened, and there are fingers to pointed in every direction for the Crimson and White. Nick Saban and the coaching staff for not finding a way to get the team up and prepared properly for a game that should have been a gimme victory, the players for not giving their all and the fans for not pulling for their team the entire game.

With the recruiting ability of Saban, it would seem that he will be able to stock the roster with his kind of players that will better fit his schemes and will be more willing to give 110% every week.

Next year will not bring an SEC championship or a National Championship (at least I'd be stunned), but as long as progress is made in how the team carries itself on and off the field I'll be happy.

by Yamez on Nov 20, 2007 8:34 AM CST reply actions

Who cares?

So what if Nick Saban recruits or doesn't recuit. We need to be focused on how our team recruits. How we show up year after year. And I hope BAMA fails. We need to go 10 straight to put down that 9 straight BAMA pulled on us.

Justin A. Schreurs

by jschreurs on Nov 20, 2007 9:58 AM CST reply actions

YOU DAMN RIGHT

YOU DAMN SKIPPY ON THAT ONE PARTNER. THEY HUNG NINE IN A ROW ON US. WE'VE GOT THE YOUNG TALENT TO DO IT AND THE WAY TUBS HAS BEEN RECRUITING I THINK WE'LL CONTINUE TO GET EVEN MORE YOUNG TALENT

by wnpatterson on Nov 20, 2007 1:58 PM CST reply actions

Saban's not going anywhere.

.....Anyone with a brain knew they were short-handed, this year. The grind catches up when a team is thin. Bama can't afford to change coaches again, can they? Maybe if they were to hire ULM coach Charlie Weatherbie. I think I read this morning that his annual salary is $133,000. That's like what, three percent of what Saban makes?

by Acid Reign on Nov 20, 2007 3:35 PM CST reply actions

Finebaum must be turning over in his grave...

Sorry. Wishful thinking. Glad he's getting to eat those words though. Don't think that Tommy's going to go run and hide quite yet since the new Sherrif Saban is in town.

All is pretty much quiet on the Auburn front since Bama layed an egg Saturday. Let's keep it that way until late Saturday night when hopefully we can put them out of our misery!

by War Eagle Atlanta on Nov 20, 2007 4:17 PM CST reply actions

I really hate to keep repeating myself.......

but people I have to believe that bama got caught prepping for the Iron Bowl and not for ULM and it bit em in the ass. And if thats true then they will be very well prepared and extremely up for the game. I hope our guys are not over confident as a result of bama's embarrassment as that could prove fatal. And James I agree with you on the Tubs statement even if he is intending on listening to A&M at the end of the year it is still the right thing to say to the AU nation. Now as far as Saban goes....I can't help but chuckle. The guy is socially inept and overly nervous when he's on the podium....a'ight. lol. A'ight. Acid and War Eagle Atlanta, you guys want a good drinking game there it is....watch Saban's conferences and drink every time he says "a'ight". and if he says it with his hands in his armpits its a double. A'ight. I hope AU makes him feel as if he were in a real catastrophe saturday.....a'ight.

by Todd92 on Nov 21, 2007 9:12 AM CST reply actions

Repeat away,,,,,,,

,,,,,,,and I hope Coach Tubs has repeated the same thing over and over and over.

WAR EAGLE

by James @ Track Em Tigers on Nov 21, 2007 10:06 AM CST up reply actions

Now you've done it!

.....I'm not sure I can count all those "a'ights," keep my Cuervo poured up, AND pay attention to what the man's saying! Much ado's been made over Saban 9/11/Pearl Harbor metaphor this week. Me, I say it's just a good sign that he knows his audience. The press had a field day with it, but I'd bet that there are a LOT of Bama fans who agreed that the ULM loss was AT LEAST a disaster of that magnitude!

....."Welp, I think it's kinda sad all them planes and boats got blowed up back in my grandpappy's day, and it was just turrabul 'bout them buildin's fulla Yankees falling down. But, this hyar losing to a Loozianner Junior High... Coach Bryant woulda said th' same thing! 'cept he'd a never lost to no Loozianner teams, or Suthurn Missy, or Miamuh!"

by Acid Reign on Nov 21, 2007 11:23 AM CST reply actions