I should begin this by saying I think Nick Saban’s a really good college football coach. He excels at winning national championships, and his teams are routinely scarily good. But while he might be the best in the game, I can simply no longer respect him as a great coach. Here’s why:
Oh, really, Nick Saban?
If you want to be the best, you have to beat all challengers, and North Dakota State is one of the few teams this century with any right to challenge for the throne. They win a lot. They don’t lose. They haven’t lost to an FBS team since John Wall played his first game at Kentucky. They’re from the greatest city in the world. And Nick Saban refused to play them.
One of the most damning parts of this is that Saban may have missed his chance. NDSU, while still a power, is in flux, with the reins handed over from Chris Klieman to someone whose name I don’t know. Whether the new guy can continue the dominance is unclear. So if this was an attempt by Saban to wait until NDSU was past their dominance and then beat up on them, sorry, Coach, I’m onto you. And it doesn’t work that way.
Saban wins a lot of games. He’s got the system figured out well. His advocacy for tougher scheduling by Power Five teams is something I appreciate as a fan. But his refusal to play the Bison reeks of cowardice.
Coach Saban, if you’re reading this, know the following:
I will never respect you as a competitor until you figure out how to time travel, go back into the past, and play North Dakota State at their peak. Until you do that, you’re still a good coach. But playing the Bison at their best, win or lose, would make you a great one.
