Let’s make sense of the 2024 season of change. We knew the Pac-12 was fading away to become the Pac-Two or Tupac. The College Football Playoff is expanding from four teams to twelve teams. However, with the SEC and Big Ten grabbing six of the biggest brands in CFB, the two conferences will likely grab most of the at-large spots and continue to distance themselves from the rest of college football. To add to the change, the national championship witnessed the first game without an SEC team since 2014. Then Jim Harbaugh led Michigan to an undefeated season, knocking off Alabama in the semifinals and leading the Wolverines to their first solo national championship since 1948. It’s been two weeks since Michigan won the national championship, but it feels like 20 years.
Three of the four playoff teams will have a new coach this fall. Both teams that played in the national championship will replace their coaches. Michigan will be the first program national champion to replace its coach since Tom Osborne left Nebraska after winning the national championship in 1997. Ironically enough, the Huskers shared that championship with the Wolverines that season. Washington, the finalist, lost its coach to Alabama. The results have extended the Transfer Portal into the middle of February, long past the January 2nd deadline. It has also left college football with a very different picture going forward. Before we look too far ahead, let’s start by reflecting on the legacy and impact of Saban and Harbaugh.
Season of Change in Tuscaloosa
How many coaches and fans dreamed of Nick Saban retiring? Surely, that list is more than just the teams in the Southeastern Conference. Saban’s resume at Alabama seems like something out of science fiction or ChatGPT. With six national championships, eight SEC Championships, and ten SEC West titles. He won 88% of the games he coached at Alabama. Saban only lost 29 times as Alabama’s head coach. His relentless pursuit of excellence from his players, staff, and himself set off an era of dominance that will be difficult to match. Saban’s most significant mark on college football is his talent evaluation. Not the 5-Star superhumans on the field, but the play callers and coaches that made a pitstop in Tuscaloosa before going on to a bigger job, and many running their own programs.
One former Saban assistant, Brian Daboll, serves as an NFL Head Coach for the New York Giants. Additionally, 14 college football programs—Arkansas State, Central Michigan, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Marshall, Maryland, Miami, Ole Miss, Oregon, South Alabama, Texas, and Western Michigan—are led by former Saban assistants. This list would grow if you wanted to include the dismissed Jimbo Fisher, Jeremy Pruitt, Derek Dooley (sorry, Vols), Geoff Collins, Mel Tucker, and Will Muschamp.
This is the loss that the college football coaching community will experience. Saban was the carrot everyone was chasing, but if you wanted to work hard and didn’t mind getting chewed out (see Lane Kiffin), you could use the opportunity to learn and grow into your own role.
Harbaugh’s Unfulfilled Promise
Harbaugh is unique from cautioning against eating chicken because it is a “nervous bird” to enjoying a large glass of milk with his steak. What is unquestioned is Harbaugh’s ability to motivate his players to excellence. He did that at San Diego and Stanford in the college ranks before leading the San Francisco 49ers within five yards of a Super Bowl Title.
He returned to Ann Arbor nine years ago as the program’s savior. A poor bowl record and an inability to beat Michigan State and Ohio State, followed by a forgettable 2020 season, led many to think that not even Harbaugh could elevate the Wolverines to the leaders and best of college football.
That offseason, Harbaugh revamped his coaching staff and came in with a laser focus. He galvanized the players and fans all together and put Michigan front and center into the conversation of college football’s elite. 2021 and 2022 saw back-to-back wins against Ohio State and appearances in the College Football Playoff. An embarrassing loss to Georgia and self-inflicted wounds against TCU brought Michigan’s championship hopes crashing down. Harbaugh and the Wolverines went into their bunkers and embraced the Michigan vs. Everybody mentality. When many coaches and teams would falter under NCAA investigations and allegations of cheating, Harbaugh found a way to bring the fans and players closer together. This is despite having to sit out half the regular season for suspensions for two separate incidents.
Season of Change in Ann Arbor
Despite the noise, the Wolverines were laser-focused. They knocked off Penn State, Ohio State, Alabama, and Washington on their way to their third straight Big Ten Championship and first national championship. Harbaugh had an opportunity to take Michigan to have the program truly transcend, but it wasn’t meant to be. His wandering eyes finally took him back to the NFL as he was announced as the Los Angeles Chargers’ new head coach. Michigan fans can thank Harbaugh, for it was he and not Bo who finally brought the program to where they always felt it needed to be.
WHO’S GOT IT BETTER THAN US??
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) January 25, 2024
With Saban and Harbaugh Gone, Georgia Wins, But CFB Loses
Georgia Wins
Twelve coaches have reached the College Football Playoff over the last five seasons. Only five remain at the same school (Ryan Day, Steve Sarkisian, Dabo Swinney, Kirby Smart, and Sonny Dykes). Just two coaches remain who have won a national championship (Smart and Swinney). Sarkisian has done an excellent job and is building a giant in Austin. Day and Swinney seemed to have lost some of their fastballs but are a good team away from challenging again. Time will tell if Dykes and his staff can once again find the Hypnotoad magic as they did in 2022.
Smart and Georgia are in the perfect position to capitalize on Saban and Harbaugh’s departure. Saban was a thorn in Georgia’s side, case and point, the 2023 SEC Championship. The loss likely kept Georgia from winning or having a solid chance at winning a third straight national championship. Out of Saban’s former lieutenants, Smart has done the best job of bringing ‘The Process’ to Athens. From dominating recruiting, navigating the Transfer Portal, and winning championships, little seems in the way of Smart starting his own dynasty.
Harbaugh could have stood in the way. Before you snicker, Dawg fans, the Buckeyes would have thought losing to the Wolverines three straight times would have been unfathomable. Harbaugh created a team in Georgia’s likeness; undoubtedly, a 2023 matchup would have been one for the ages. Despite putting Georgia seemingly ahead of the pack, the loss of Saban and Harbaugh is still a loss for college football.
A Loss
College football loves characters. Saban and Harbaugh demanded excellence on the field, but their personalities were perfect. They got the joke and were not afraid to have some fun. Smart can show that side with his players but has not done that for the college football community.
Saban and Harbaugh were also villains and excelled at being the bad guys. As great as Georgia’s 29-game winning streak this year was, there was still some apprehension about playing Alabama in Atlanta. Saban was the goat; his presence helped Alabama win games long before the coin was flipped in many games. Harbaugh became a favorite villain in 2023. From Cheeseburgers to undercover surveillance, Michigan became a must-see TV and the bane of college football existence. There is no natural fit now to take that mantle. It will surely be missed.
Lastly was the impact these two men made on the game itself. They demanded excellence and raised the level of play and expectation from their teams and conferences. How many coaches’ inability to beat Saban or Harbaugh led to a disgruntled or apathetic fan base or maybe even the firing? College football needs these dynamic figures. It’s good for the media who cover it, the fans who watch it, and the players. Two big sets of shoes are left to fill now in college football, and we are all at a loss to say who can fill them.
