Some random thoughts:
I never thought of Bryant as that much of an innovator. I thought of him as a perfector of other people's innovation, particularly on offense.
He was also a great at adapting his approach to the times, winning big with single wing, pro style passing, and wishbone. He may have even run the Notre Dame box, though I can't say that for sure.
As others have already stated, Saban won't have the time to go through a lull, then a rebirth with a decade of success on the other end.
Bryant did have an effect on the whole state separate and apart from football. But a lot of that was the times in which he coached. Thrust into the same social upheaval, I think Saban would shine as well. But for all our sakes, I hope that isn't necessary.
Because of scholarship limitations and their fallout, I think Saban's golden era is more impressive than either of Bryant's, taken individually. Bryant, however, did it twice, over a period of time that Saban probably won't have. Plus, he covered years where there were huge changes to the game, brought on primarily by the emergence of the black athlete.
This is another aspect of his ability to adapt, yet stay true to his core philosophies of running, stopping the run, and sound special teams.
Those of us who were fortunate enough to have seen both in their prime, and been old enough to appreciate what we were seeing are lucky indeed.