Well, like many have said, such a move doesn't make a bit of sense. He'd be going to a lesser conference. The SEC is the premier conference in the country. Alabama is at the top of the SEC. Auburn rises once in a while, but the premier, top tier program is Alabama. What does he have to prove at a lesser conference. In a way, this wouldn't be a lateral move. Because of the conference, it would be sort of a step down. So that's got me scratching my head.
And if the Sabans are truly worried about unappreciative fan bases, they better take a close look at a fan base who has been clamoring to get rid of their coach even when he was playing for a conference championship. They haven't even TOUCHED the hem of the garment of lack of appreciation until they get with that Texas bunch.
My thoughts are, he's either leveraging for the best contract possible or he's weighing his options...perhaps not wanting to come to terms with how old he actually is and what a toll starting over would be. It's in his blood to rebuild and Texas is offering a lot of money...but that story about the dog crossing the bridge with a bone in Aesop's Fables comes to mind. At some point, a person needs the maturity to realize that if they grasp for the next big thing and forget that they already have so much, they go too far many times and lose a really good thing.