Saban or Bear? Though Alabama fans squirm, answer may be simple

Alasippi

Suspended
Aug 31, 2007
12,875
2
57
Ocean Springs, MS
Records are made to be broken. I see nothing but positives from Coach Saban winning a few more. And I have a picture of Coach Bryant in my study looking at me as I type. He was awesome during a 25 year period at Alabama. Coach Saban will hopefully equal or exceed that awesomeness in the future. He has already exceeded it in some ways. One by winning so many NC's in a short period of time. I really think he should have at least 6, maybe 7 NC's at Alabama now.

Coach Bryant was one of the two best college football coaches in history. Coach Saban is the other one. I loved to hear Coach Bryant growl, I mean talk, and Coach Saban is the most articulate coach I've ever heard. I think both could convince you to run through the Alamo or a brick wall without using a door or window.

P. S. Coach Wallace Wade was a good 'un. Coach Frank Thomas and Gene Stallings were also.

If you are a good coach, you can win at Bama. I'm still amazed at Coach Ears inability to win in the mid-1950's. You have to be the kind of person who can take the bull by the horns and dominate.
Honestly, I can't believe it's even a discussion. Does any Bama fan truly want to rank one first and one second?
That's like ranking your Mom and Dad.
 

CoastGhost

Suspended
Sep 5, 2009
5,650
80
67
North Carolina
Honestly, I can't believe it's even a discussion. Does any Bama fan truly want to rank one first and one second?
That's like ranking your Mom and Dad.
My Mom was number one :eek:

CPB and CNS - I have a hard time believing that I have lived during the peaks of both of their careers. I would love to see them go head to head and let them choose All Star teams from their favorite players of teams they coached. That is a video game I would buy!
 

Bruce014

1st Team
Aug 29, 2012
752
82
52
Alabama
I don't know who was better, but I have never seen a program compete for championships as consistently as the Alabama teams under Saban. Alabama, under Saban, has been in contention for the national championship at the end of the season in 7 of 9 years (excluding 2007 and 2010) - and 7 of 8 years if you exclude 2007. This in the SEC, when the SEC is tougher than any conference has ever been. This when playing more and more games per season. That type of consistency is unprecedented in my lifetime.

I have no idea if Coach Bryant had that kind of run. Maybe he did. But he didn't do it facing the schedules that Alabama has faced, or the media distractions, or while everything that he and his players did was under a microscope every minute of every day.

I would vote for Saban, but I have no emotional attachment to the legend that is Coach Bryant.
Bryant's run in the 1970s was actually similar:
1971: Won the SEC. We lost the NC to Nebraska. In fact, they humiliated us.
1972: Won the SEC. We were positioned to play for the NC, but lost to Auburn in the weirdest 4th quarter I've ever seen.
1973: Won the SEC. We won the UPI NC, but lost the AP NC to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl.
1974: Won the SEC. We lost the NC when we lost to Notre Dame (again) in the Orange Bowl.
1975: Won the SEC. Hard to say about that season. We lost to a mediocre Mizzou, steam-rolled the rest of the competition, but SOS was not in our favor.
1976: UGA won the SEC. 3-losses for us, bad year. Destroyed UCLA in the Liberty Bowl.
1977: Won the SEC. Beat Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. We got gypped by sportswriters and coaches alike, should have won it.
1978: Won the SEC. Won the AP NC after beating #1 Penn State in the Sugar Bowl. USC won the Coaches' NC.
1979: Won the SEC. We won it all, AP and Coaches' NC, after beating #6 Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl.
1980: UGA won the SEC. We were in contention until a fumble at Miss State ruined the season.
 

fireater

All-SEC
Oct 12, 2008
1,450
163
87
Laramie, WY
Honestly, without Coach's legacy we would not have intrigued CNS to our house. Coach, with CGS tenure, perpetuated a culture that few have had the opportunity to appreciate and build their own dynasty on. Our culture invites success, if you are man enough to own your plan and our culture.
 

B1GTide

TideFans Legend
Apr 13, 2012
45,499
46,842
187
Bryant's run in the 1970s was actually similar:
1971: Won the SEC. We lost the NC to Nebraska. In fact, they humiliated us.
1972: Won the SEC. We were positioned to play for the NC, but lost to Auburn in the weirdest 4th quarter I've ever seen.
1973: Won the SEC. We won the UPI NC, but lost the AP NC to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl.
1974: Won the SEC. We lost the NC when we lost to Notre Dame (again) in the Orange Bowl.
1975: Won the SEC. Hard to say about that season. We lost to a mediocre Mizzou, steam-rolled the rest of the competition, but SOS was not in our favor.
1976: UGA won the SEC. 3-losses for us, bad year. Destroyed UCLA in the Liberty Bowl.
1977: Won the SEC. Beat Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. We got gypped by sportswriters and coaches alike, should have won it.
1978: Won the SEC. Won the AP NC after beating #1 Penn State in the Sugar Bowl. USC won the Coaches' NC.
1979: Won the SEC. We won it all, AP and Coaches' NC, after beating #6 Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl.
1980: UGA won the SEC. We were in contention until a fumble at Miss State ruined the season.
It is crazy to think that the two best college football coaches have been Alabama coaches, and that they have brought so many championships to your school. 10 of your championships - TEN - have come from two guys. And Saban isn't done.
 

BamaMoon

Hall of Fame
Apr 1, 2004
20,932
15,934
282
Boone, NC
It is crazy to think that the two best college football coaches have been Alabama coaches, and that they have brought so many championships to your school. 10 of your championships - TEN - have come from two guys. And Saban isn't done.
Pretty lucky to be "Bama by birth, Crimson Tide by the grace of God."
 

Al A Bama

Hall of Fame
Jun 24, 2011
6,658
934
132
My Mom was number one :eek:

CPB and CNS - I have a hard time believing that I have lived during the peaks of both of their careers. I would love to see them go head to head and let them choose All Star teams from their favorite players of teams they coached. That is a video game I would buy!
Remember! It was said by a coach that Coach Bryant could take his'n and beat your'n and take your'n and beat his'n.

I'll bet Coach Saban could do the same.
 

81usaf92

TideFans Legend
Apr 26, 2008
35,306
31,375
187
South Alabama
Remember! It was said by a coach that Coach Bryant could take his'n and beat your'n and take your'n and beat his'n.

I'll bet Coach Saban could do the same.
Well he did take a mostly Shula team to an undefeated regular season in his second year.

For the statement "he can take his and beat yours and take yours and beat his", I don't know how true that is because he never could beat Ara and DKR(at Texas). So I think it's more about the dominance in SEC.
 
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