Alabama, LSU have what everyone else wants: great coach
Nick Saban and Les Miles again find themselves the centers of attention. (AP photo)
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Nick Saban turned 60 on Halloween, and his players – tempting fate and possibly their scholarships — turned off the lights in a meeting room and yelled, “Surprise!” when their coach walked in. As it turned out, even in the week of the Alabama-LSU game, the little curmudgeon showed a humorous side.
After acknowledging, “It’s hard to think about birthdays,” Saban referenced the No. 60 jersey that was presented to him and cracked, “I wasn’t thinking about age. I was thinking I’m a skill player. There’s no way I can sport this 60. I’ve got to have a lower-than-50 number of some sort.”
Might as well give Saban and Les Miles jersey Nos. 1 and 2. They coach the two best teams in the nation. They’re probably the two best coaches.
Maybe we think of them differently: Saban as cold, evil, I-hate-him-I-hate-him-can-I-get-him-on-my-team brilliant. Miles as goofy, grass-eating, Mega-Millions-lottery-lucky brilliant. But they give Alabama and LSU the things every other college football program wants: identity, direction, championships.
They are the reason the SEC looks down on every other conference. Saban and Miles (and, before his career timeout, Urban Meyer) are why so many other coaches wonder about job stability.
Because if Saban and Miles hadn’t set the bar so high, other fans bases wouldn’t scream, “Why can’t you win like them?”
We have waited two weeks for Alabama vs. LSU. It’s like a Super Bowl, only without the Hollywood-on-steroids halftime show, and a trophy when it’s over.
This game won’t decide a championship, but it will set the GPS. Saturday’s winner at Bryant-Denny Stadium will win the SEC West. The winner of the SEC West almost certainly will win the SEC title. The winner of the SEC will be an overwhelming favorite to win it all.
The loser from Saturday will be somewhere else come bowl time. That’s about the only downside of this. The two best teams should not be deciding this much on Nov. 5. But barring an unforeseen series of losses by other teams, and an unforeseen series of votes in human polls to somehow make a rematch happen, this is as good as it’s going to get.
Regardless, this game is why no other conference has an argument about superiority. We can talk about how the SEC is down this season (and it is). We can point out that schools from the Big 12 and the Pac-12 (numbers subject to change) and even Boise State have legitimate chances to win the BCS title.
But only the SEC — in a down year — can give us a No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the first week of November and lead some to wonder, “Why can’t they play again in January?”
Saban and Miles don’t win championships every season. But they make everybody believe they’re going to contend for them. They are why so many other coaches, particularly in the SEC, wonder about their own job stability. If these two didn’t set the bar so high, other fan bases wouldn’t scream, “Why can’t you win like them?”
Players for these coaches know how to win conference games, road games and games with national ramifications. You never expect either to crack. Imagine what that feels like.
“I want the players to enjoy the glare and the light of the big stage,” Miles said earlier this week. “I want them to enjoy the opportunity to play for a big victory. Once I’ve prepared the team and after I feel I’ve done a quality job, I want the players to play with freedom.”
It’s easy to get lost in the numbers this week. Alabama has won eight games by an average score of 39-7. LSU 39-11.
Alabama’s defense has allowed 359 yards rushing all season. That’s 44.8 per game and 1.7 per carry.
LSU has trailed has for only 6 minutes, 33 seconds all season (6-3 against Oregon in Week 1. The Tigers went on a 30-7 run and won 40-27.)
It’s two teams and everybody else in the SEC, and the nation, and it’s not hard to figure out why. Look at the sideline.
By Jeff Schultz
• Earlier: Weekend Predictions: Guaranteed winners (I’m serious this time)
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165 comments Add your comment
ARdawg
November 4th, 2011
3:42 pm
Father of 5
When you hire a coach to be a model of perseverance to 8 year olds, the Richt’s and the Gaileys are good. But when you hire them to win football games, the Sabans are better. Quite honestly, I think Saban gets a bad rap. Certainly he is intense but he strikes me as a good man with his players in mind as well. He certainly doesn’t have any problem finding them. They line up to play for him.
reality check
November 4th, 2011
3:42 pm
They have great coaching staffs as well. That seems to be a forgotten element.
Should be a GREAT game for sure. Looks like 2 teams that are about as even as you can get and similar is style.
SCAR GO!
November 4th, 2011
3:46 pm
Two excellent examples – right there.
Thanks
Loyal Dawg
November 4th, 2011
3:46 pm
Shultz, I don’t remember you calling for Les Miles to be fired either; but I do remember quite a number of LSU fans and other media folks putting him on the hot set and suggesting he is incompetent. Maybe CMR’s detracters should consider this before calling for him to be fired.
FIRE LES MILES......
November 4th, 2011
3:47 pm
That’s so 2008, isn’t it?
SCAR GO!
November 4th, 2011
3:48 pm
@Loyal Dawg
They will. Just as soon as CMR winds up an undefeated season with a NC.
SCAR GO!
November 4th, 2011
3:50 pm
First though, you’ve got to figure out how to get past us.
Loyal Dawg
November 4th, 2011
3:50 pm
You never know, now do you?
JB
November 4th, 2011
3:50 pm
I get nervous hearing Richt moan about playing Vandy, I sure as hell don’t know what he’ll say about playing one of these two in the dome if we get a chance.
Loyal Dawg
November 4th, 2011
3:51 pm
@SCAR GO!- Believe me, I’ve got my foot sticking out hoping you guys will trip!
GTBob
November 4th, 2011
3:52 pm
Saban I will agree with. Les Miles isn’t even close.
Loyal Dawg
November 4th, 2011
3:53 pm
JB – Don’t you remember. That’s an old school coaching tactic. Dooley used to do it. Holtz used to do it. A lot of good coaches used to talk about “such’n’such is the best 1-4 team in country”.
KeepDreaming
November 4th, 2011
3:55 pm
Miles is an idiot. Every SEC Fan knows it. Even LSU fans.
Loyal Dawg
November 4th, 2011
3:56 pm
KeepDreaming, I think that’s a little strong. LM may be half crazy, but I wouldn’t call him an idiot. Maybe he’s crazy like a fox.
Mr. Dawg
November 4th, 2011
4:00 pm
One of the things that makes college football unique and special is that deciding games between teams like these are played during the regular season. When people say the Divisioni I regular season isn’t representative of a true playoff you need to look no further than this kind of a matchup for proof that it in fact is.
Russ the Temporary Mascot
November 4th, 2011
4:01 pm
Well, we won’t get a national championship, but we’re Saved. Except for two or three potheads. We produce nice, meek Christian gentlemen. That ought to count for something.
Sure hope they don’t test for white paint tomorrow.
Loyal Dawg
November 4th, 2011
4:05 pm
Yea, but what happens if Bama or LSU, OSU, Boise St. and Stanford end up all undefeated at the end of the season? What a disaster. It’s an accident waiting to happen.
SCAR GO!
November 4th, 2011
4:06 pm
@Loyal Dawg
I know it, and I don’t blame you. I didn’t think we could beat Arky until I saw them expose their youth and inexperience in their past two games. They have more talent, but I just believe that we have more heart.
augustadawg
November 4th, 2011
4:06 pm
Been saying this for the last 4 years………….. CMR and BOBO will never beat these two consistantly……..Never win the SEC much less a national championship……………. UGA has become a mid-tier program…………………….Sorry to admit it…………………….
Loyal Dawg
November 4th, 2011
4:07 pm
Hey Russ, if we keep winning, we may have to make you the full time mascot… but not with an attitude like that.
Burma Shave
November 4th, 2011
4:10 pm
Saban is awesome
Miles is great too
Spurrier is mighty fine
But Richt hasn’t a clue
BURMA SHAVE
SCAR GO!
November 4th, 2011
4:10 pm
Les Miles has earned his respect. He looks like a clown sometimes and he won his NC with Saban’s system and Saban’s players.
Give credit where due. He kept Saban’s system in place and he’s winning with his own recruits now. I can still laugh at him, but I’ve gotta respect him as a coach.
Loyal Dawg
November 4th, 2011
4:11 pm
Geez, who let the dadgum troll in? And we were all having such a nice time.
Loyal Dawg
November 4th, 2011
4:14 pm
Hey, isn’t Les Miles 1-2 versus CMR?
Loyal Dawg
November 4th, 2011
4:17 pm
Saban is 3-2 versus CMR.
david
November 4th, 2011
4:18 pm
great article on Miles at espn.com–seems to be having fun and still involved with raising his kids, which most coaches at that level are not.
ARdawg
November 4th, 2011
4:21 pm
Miles has “it”. I don’t know what “it” is but he’s got plenty. Almost something demonic. I remember his first few years he was driving LSU fans nuts with his irreratic play calling and losing then, he found a way to cover it up with superb talent. Whatever works folks
Larvell Blanks
November 4th, 2011
4:22 pm
if Saban and Miles hadn’t set the bar so high, other fans bases wouldn’t scream, “Why can’t you win like them?”
If these two didn’t set the bar so high, other fan bases wouldn’t scream, “Why can’t you win like them?”
A line so nice, you used it twice.
SCAR GO!
November 4th, 2011
4:23 pm
Why do Dawg fans always love to compare their “recent” records against SEC West teams?
They hardly ever play anyone in the West besides Auburn and they never mention their overall records when they make these cherry-picking comparisons.
ARdawg
November 4th, 2011
4:29 pm
SCAR GO!
November 4th, 2011
4:23 pm
Why do Dawg fans always love to compare their “recent” records against SEC West teams?
HUH? Georgia plays as much as the West as Carolina or anyone else in the East does. If you wish to look back other than last year, you’ll find (I believe) UGA to have probably the most impressive record against the west as anybody
Loyal Dawg
November 4th, 2011
4:35 pm
SCAR GO!, I’m not sure I follow you either. Please expound upon your pontification.
greg
November 4th, 2011
4:35 pm
The AJC DOESN’T HAVE what we would all really like….Great sports writers…sad
say what?
November 4th, 2011
4:36 pm
Les Miles, great coach?
You’re not serious. Good recruiter, but his gambles notoriously leave you shaking your head.
Send'em Uhauls
November 4th, 2011
4:37 pm
Too bad we beat Florida. Now we will have more mediocrity from Richt and this inept coaching staff for another year.
ARdawg
November 4th, 2011
4:37 pm
say What?
Miles has the record to prove it. Say what you will (pun intended) personally, I don’t argue much with success
Jeff
November 4th, 2011
4:39 pm
so sick and tired of articles like this. there are plenty of other great coaches…oh, and before you pronounce the winner of this game as the SEC champion- you might want to ask Oklahoma about that. Wasnt that long ago that their team was proclaimed tyhe “best ever” after which they proceeded to lose the conference game…….and to all of you that say we could have a rematch in the national championship- HA! Maybe we should remind the BCS of their rule a couple of years ago….”you cant play in the national Championship if you cant win your conference” remember??????? of course, the NCAA is run by a bunch of idiots so would not be surprised if the change that- its all about money you know……
outkasted
November 4th, 2011
4:40 pm
The most overhyped game ever… LSU will show y’all that Bama is a fraud…. LSu will load the box and play man and force Bama’s QB to win it…. Bama has played Ole Miss, Vandy, Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee, Penn St.,, North Texas, and Kent St…. its funny how no one has said Alabama schedule is WEAK…. Nick Saban will lose at HOME to another ranked squad….
Jeff
November 4th, 2011
4:42 pm
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PIG!……………..Pigs and chickens in Fayetteville….Sure hope the porkers can come thru!
ARdawg
November 4th, 2011
4:42 pm
Jeff
Winning your conference championship is not a BCS or NCAA rule
Loyal Dawg
November 4th, 2011
4:42 pm
Dang outkasted! Keep it down a bit, you’re gonna make Saban mad! You don’t want to do that.
harold
November 4th, 2011
4:44 pm
TOO BAD UGA, TENNESSEE, AND FLORIDA DON’T HAVE CHAMPIONSHIP COACHES. THESE SABAN ASSISTANTS (DOOLEY AND MUSCHAMP) ARE HORRIBLE. THERE IS ONLY ONE NICK SABAN AND LES MILES!
Loyal Dawg
November 4th, 2011
4:44 pm
Oh no, not only has someone let the troll in, now they’ve gone and turned a pig loose!
SCAR GO!
November 4th, 2011
4:46 pm
I didn’t say we play West opponents every year. It’s just the cherry-picking that annoys me.
It’s a sure sign that your program isn’t where you want it to be when you engage in that sort of behavior.
outkasted
November 4th, 2011
4:49 pm
u idiot scar GO…. NO ONE CHERRY PICKS THEIR OPPONENT FROM THE OPPOSITE DIVISION THEY ROTATE….no what u are talking about b4 tyoing….lol
outkasted
November 4th, 2011
4:49 pm
typing
outkasted
November 4th, 2011
4:50 pm
i guess when UGA had LSU Arkansas and Auburn they cherry picked them too right?
Better to Dope than Grope
November 4th, 2011
4:52 pm
Zach now plays for a championship team!
SCAR GO!
November 4th, 2011
4:52 pm
I should have known that you couldn’t understand.
Delusional is as delusional does, I guess.
Never mind…
Jeff
November 4th, 2011
4:53 pm
AR Dawg…it certainly was in 2007…….
Jeff
November 4th, 2011
4:54 pm
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
PPPPPPPPPPPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!
SOOOOOOOOOOIE………………………….