Nick Saban didn’t exactly tiptoe around Georgia on College GameDay. He went right at it.
In a segment about teams to buy or sell, the ESPN broadcaster and former Alabama coach made his strongest case yet for Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs, calling them “the most complete team in the country.” That wasn’t a one-off line, either. Saban came back to the subject later and doubled down.
“Georgia is the most complete team that I've seen this entire season,” said Saban. “Gunner Stockton is playing very well.
They can run the football.... And they have one of the best defenses in the country.”
For Alabama fans, hearing that from Saban had to land a little sideways. This is the same coach who spent years building the Crimson Tide into the sport’s measuring stick. Now he’s looking at Georgia - the program led by one of his former assistants - and putting the Bulldogs at the top of the pile.
Saban also pointed to the depth Kirby Smart has assembled, saying Smart told him at the start of the season that this was the first time in the last few years he had enough depth to practice the way he wants to practice. Saban said he can see that showing up on the field.
“And I see that physical element of the way Georgia loves to play, showing up in the way they're playing this year so far,” he said.
So far, the results back up the praise. Georgia is 5-0 after a 38-14 win over Vanderbilt, and the Bulldogs haven’t really been pushed yet. That figures to change quickly with next week’s trip to 5-0 Alabama.
“Next week, we're going to find out who really are when they go down to Tuscaloosa,” said fellow CGD analyst Kirk Herbstreit of Georgia.
Saban’s history with Georgia gives the comments even more weight. He went 8-2 against the Bulldogs during his Alabama tenure, but one of those losses - in the 2021 CFP national title game - felt like a turning point.
Up to that point, none of Saban’s coaching disciples had beaten him head-to-head. Smart did it, and the win looked like a changing of the guard.
Then came Alabama’s 2023 SEC title game win over Georgia, and not long after that, Saban retired from coaching. Whether he was ready to hand over the torch or simply saw the moment clearly, the transition in the sport’s power structure was hard to miss.
Now the old master is openly praising the program led by one of his own protégés, and that alone makes this Week 6 matchup worth watching closely.
In Other News...
Alabama Found Two Reasons To Feel Better Before Georgia
Before Alabama turns its attention to Georgia, there were a couple of encouraging signs worth noting from the latest game. Keelon Russell gave the offense a lift by throwing for 285 yards and three touchdowns while adding a score on the ground, and the run game got meaningful help from a deeper group of backs, including Traeshawn Brown and EJ Crowell.
Xavier Griffin also stood out on the other side of the ball, leading the team in tackles and helping make several key defensive plays. Just as important for a defense looking to steady itself, Alabamas run front was much firmer against Mississippi State, holding the Bulldogs to 18 rushing yards and giving the Tide something concrete to carry into a bigger test. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Underwoods Struggles Leave Michigan With An Uncomfortable Week 5 Reality
Keelon Russells rise has become one of the more notable developments around Alabamas early-season start, and the quarterbacks recent stretch has only sharpened the attention. After throwing four touchdowns in the spring game and then piling up 10 passing touchdowns and 970 yards over three games, he has helped steady a team that rolled to a 56-23 win and moved to 5-0.
For Alabama, that kind of production matters not just in the standings but in the broader SEC picture, where quarterback play can change the feel of a season quickly. Around the country, other programs were dealing with their own storylines in Week 5, but Russells emergence has given Alabama a promising answer at the position and left the rest of the league watching what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Has A Real Shot To Climb After Saturdays Top 25 Chaos
Saturdays college football slate did Alabama a favor, even before the next AP Top 25 poll gets posted. USC barely survived an upset scare, Ohio State and Missouri both had results worth watching, and a few teams around the country did enough to create the kind of weekend that tends to shake up the middle and upper tiers of the rankings.
For Alabama, the bigger point is simple: the Crimson Tide have a real path to move up if the voters decide the chaos mattered as much as the resumes. The poll will be refreshed soon, and with conference play still unfolding, there is a decent chance the order gets jumbled in a way that opens the door for Alabama to climb if enough teams ahead of it wobble. [Read more 🡒]