In my hopes of keeping off-season chatter going, how could we not discuss the retirement of Nick Saban? What Saban has meant to college football, and more specifically for us Bulldog fans, cannot be understated.
With Saban's retiring, the only thing in my lifetime that I can say I feel was similar was when Michael Jordan walked off the basketball court for the last time (the real last time). You knew that the career you witnessed was extraordinary on so many levels, and the records and accomplishments of that career would stand for generations. Saban's retirement marks a datum in my lifetime. We have lived in the Saban-era of college football for roughly 20 years now. That is a long run. Saban set the bar of excellence by which all other coaches in his era were judged and due to his dominance, his excellence, his "process" and "the standard," he will continue to be the standard for a long time to come. The difference that Saban made in the lives of a generation of young men that passed through the doors of his program is just as important (if not more important) than the titles and accolades he achieved as a head coach. If you have not seen Saban's retirement conversation with Rece Davis, I highly recommend watching it here:
The Nick Saban-era in college football has come to a close. Even if I were not a Georgia fan, I would say that there is no question that we are now in the Kirby Smart era. He is the torch-bearer and the standard setter that sits alone in college football as the bar of excellence. He is the man everyone else is chasing. He is now seen, rightfully, as the heir to Nick Saban. Saban built him, and of all the coaches in the Saban tree - and there are many, many excellent ones - Kirby is the one who is the complete package.
It is no secret that Saban has always felt this way. I remind you to go back and watch this video on the eve of Kirby leaving for Georgia to take the head coaching job, and listen to the emotion Saban had and has for him.
The SEC championship game this year had interesting midfield pre-game chatter. I'm sure somewhere in the back of his mind, Nick knew this was the end of the road for him. Was he sure? Probaby not, but, I can guarantee you the subject was on his mind. He told Kirby that he couldn't be more proud of what he has built at Georgia and called it nothing short of incredible. That is high praise from the greatest head coach in the history of college football and it is further proving my belief that we are now living, unquestionably, in the Kirby Smart era of college football.
Its a sad day for college football. Even if you hate what Saban was on the field, you had to respect him. He made you respect him. He ripped our hearts out at Georgia too many times to count. However, I truly believe the October 3, 2015 game where #13 Alabama came into #8 Georga and destroyed UGA on its home turf on a rainy Athens Saturday afternoon was a gift Saban gave to this program to make it blatantly obvious to Greg McGarity and the rest of Bulldog nation that a change was desperately needed to close the Grand Canyon-sized gap between Alabama's program and Georgia's program. To me, that game marked the end of the Richt era and began the Kirby Smart era, even if he was not yet the head coach.
It is going to be very strange not seeing Saban pacing the sidelines on Saturdays in the fall. However, I do hope he jumps onto College Gameday. He would be a great addition to that show and would be a fitting replacement for Lee Corso, who really, sadly, needs to retire.
