What’s the difference between four and two? To the math scholars reading this article, the answer is two. In Athens, the answer is Nick Saban. It can and (probably) has been argued that Saban and Alabama cost Kirby Smart and Georgia two additional national championships, one in 2017 and one this year. Some may cheer Saban’s retirement like the Munchkins cheered when the Wicked Witch of the West melted into the floor. You can stop reading if you are looking for that kind of article. Instead, this article will reflect on Saban’s past, present, and future impact on the Georgia Bulldogs and college football.
Reflecting on Nick Saban’s Retirement: A Georgia Perspective
There is an old saying in my family, “You have to endure the bitter to savor and appreciate the sweet truly.” These words can ring true for Dawg Nation, who had to endure much heartache, bitterness, and disappointment to feel and celebrate such joy.
The Bitter: 2017
2nd and 26. Three numbers ingrained in Dawg Nation’s minds and the butt of the joke for many Alabama fans. Smart and Georgia were rolling in year two in 2017. They won their first SEC Championship by defeating Auburn three weeks after getting run over by the same team on The Plains. Georgia then overcame a 17-point deficit to win the Rose Bowl against Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff Semifinal. They then headed ‘home’ to Atlanta to face the Tide in the national championship. Heading into the locker room with a 13-0 lead, the fairy tale was coming true.
Saban and the Tide had other plans. Freshman Tua Tagovailoa came in and replaced Jalen Hurts as the Alabama quarterback. Nobody makes that move; well, Saban isn’t just anybody. The young freshman battled back and brought the Tide back, forcing overtime. Georgia got the ball first and settled for a field goal. They just had to hold the Tide and keep the young quarterback at bay. On the first play of overtime, Tagovailoa took a terrible sack, losing 16 yards. The spark of hope and joy was quickly eclipsed. Seconds later, Tagovailoa threw a perfect pass to DeVonta Smith for a 41-yard touching, giving the Tide their fifth national championship under Saban. The championship was at Georgia’s fingertips and vanished. Cue distraught and heartbreak.
2018
Twelve months later, the two teams met again in Atlanta for the SEC Championship. Georgia once again looked in control of the game. They entered the locker room with a 21-14 lead and also knocked Tagovailoa out of the game with an injury. Like a scene out of a horror movie, deja vu set in for Georgia. Hurts came in and orchestrated a 21-7 second half. Running in the game-winning touchdown with just over a minute to rally the Tide to a 35-28 victory. The media called it a Hollywood ending. Sure, that was the case for Alabama; for Georgia, it brought more hurt and questions about Smart.
The Sweet: 2021
There were questions on whether Smart could ever get it done at Georgia. When the Bulldogs lost to the Tide in the 2021 SEC Championship game. Then, finally, in the national championship game, the Bulldogs snapped a 41-year championship drought by defeating Alabama. If you were to give truth serum to Georgia fans, you have to wonder what made that win so memorable and meaningful. As lovely as it was for the team to snap the “drought,” beating Saban set the program and the fanbase on a new trajectory. The win snapped Smart’s four-game losing streak against his mentor and old boss. The national championship game saw Smart and Georgia seemingly exercise plenty of demons. They showed resilience, overcoming a late fumble and deficit to turn the tables and the mindset in the series between the two teams.
Kelee Ringo’s interception was iconic. 3rd and ten replaced 2nd and 26. Many fans still tear up when they rewatch the replay and turn the volume up to 11 when the highlight is set to Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On (this writer got goosebumps searching and watching it again on YouTube). The win gave Georgia the confidence and thought that they were seemingly invincible. In 2022, they went undefeated, captured another SEC Championship under Smart, and crushed TCU in the national championship to earn a second straight title.
The Present: 2022 and 2023
With another shot of truth serum, many Georgia fans may admit something was missing in 2022. Sabana and Alabama. Even with big wins over Clemson, LSU, and Ohio State that season, something was missing without Saban and the Tide on the schedule. The wins and championships were still sweet but different because of it.
Georgia rode that confidence to a 29-game winning streaking, breaking Saban and the Tide’s old record at 28 this season. The team seemed destined to try to make further history by capturing a third straight title, something Saban hadn’t even done. It turns out Saban and the Tide had one final card to play. Alabama ended Georgia’s 29-game winning streak and its shot at making the playoff in their SEC Championship win this year.
The pain, heartbreak, and hurt returned for Georgia fans. Georgia missed the playoffs and took out their anger on a depleted Florida State team in the Orange Bowl. They then had to watch the team with its own “Beat Georgia” period defeat Alamaba in the Rose Bowl and become champions Monday night in Houston.
Georgia will never get another shot at Saban, but the 2023 feeling should not soon be forgotten. It should be used as motivation and a reminder of what’s at stake going forward. It motivated the 2021, 2022, and 2023 teams to win its next 27 games. If Georgia does that again, it may be time for fans to thank Saban.
Looking Ahead
College football is changing in 2024. The Pac-12 is gone. The Big Ten and Southeastern Conference are growing in a way that will put them at a tremendous advantage over the seven remaining conferences. The playoffs are expanding from four teams to twelve. The Southeastern Conference will also be going into a football season without Saban as the head coach of Alabama for the first time since the 2006 season. Saban has elevated the conference, and his fingerprints and impact will remain. These are the knowns of what is going to happen in 2024.
There will be intangibles and unforeseen circumstances coming to college football that we cannot see yet. Saban served as a beacon to help guide college football through the changes over the last 17-plus years in Tuscaloosa. The gap and hole left will be significant; perhaps Georgia and Smart can help fill that void, but we must all respect those who helped guide us to get us here. Thank you, coach, for the heartache, the pain, and the joy.
