Hayes: Nick Saban knows the end is here. Just look at his final, desperate ballot

Jan 10, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban reacts against the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2022 CFP college football national championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

He just can’t leave well enough alone. Not even for a damn day.

College football coaches are asked to submit their vote for the final USA Today coaches poll within 24 hours of the national championship game. Alabama coach Nick Saban is 1 of 63 coaches who voted in the poll.

You can see where this is going.

Fresh off Georgia’s back-to-back national titles, a day removed from the reality of a new king in college football, Saban — the former king of all things college football — voted like this:

  • 1. Georgia
  • 2. Alabama
  • 3. TCU
  • 4. Michigan
  • 5. Ohio State

I mean, how transparent can one be?

Honestly, this is the stuff of petulant children. This is a temper tantrum of the highest order, a statement so shameless, he may as well have held a press conference to explain the vote.

You want me on that wall, you need me on that wall!

We should’ve seen this coming all along. Saban stood at the podium after Alabama’s meaningless bowl win over an equally meaningless opponent and declared that the game proved Alabama should have been selected to the Playoff.

You want should have? I’ll give you should have.

Alabama should have not blown 4th-quarter leads to both Tennessee and LSU, which both came back on the last play of their respective games to get critical wins.

Alabama should have recruited and developed and coached better in the secondary, where it couldn’t consistently cover in nearly every game that mattered.

Alabama should have run the ball on the last drive against Tennessee, when it had 1st-and-10 at the Vols’ 32 with 34 seconds to play. Three straight incompletions and a missed field goal left 15 seconds on the clock for that same Alabama secondary to defend.

Alabama should have been more disciplined in losses to Tennessee and LSU, where it committed a combined 26 penalties for 222 yards.

The Tide finished the season 126th out of 131 FBS teams in penalties (103) and 124th in yards (893).

Alabama should have recruited and developed better on the offensive line, where rare quarterback talent Bryce Young was sacked 63 times over the past 2 seasons — the same line that allowed 167 tackles for loss over that span.

“I don’t even know what to say to that,” an SEC coach told me Wednesday night. “What, is he trying to tell the (Playoff selection) committee I told you so? Is he trying to show them up?”

I’ll take it one step further: This isn’t just about Saban declaring we should have been there. This is Saban feeling threatened by Kirby Smart and Georgia.

When ESPN analyst David Pollack looked at Saban and the rest of the College GameDay crew after the national championship game and said Georgia owns college football, Saban looked like he wanted to jump Pollack.

It was all he could do to not scream at Pollack, “Look, we beat their ass last year in the SEC, and if we don’t have 2 injured wide receivers, we beat their ass again in the national title game, a’ight?”

Now, ladies and gentlemen, I’m going to expose this vote one final, disturbing turn.

Look at the vote. Really, look hard at the vote.

Ohio State was a missed 50-yard field goal from beating Georgia. The Buckeyes’ losses this season were to the No. 2 team in the Playoff, and the No. 1 team in the Playoff.

Saban has Alabama at No. 2 and Ohio State at No. 5.

Five!

Ohio State lost 2 games. Alabama lost 2 games — and by Saban’s own rankings, Ohio State’s losses were significantly better than Alabama’s (Saban ranked Tennessee 6th, and LSU 17th).

But there was Roll Tide in his final poll, holding strong at No. 2 — just in case anyone forgot them. Just in case Smart relaxes this offseason (he won’t; Saban taught him the process), and the Georgia players get distracted (they won’t), Nick just wanted Kirby to see, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that You Know Who isn’t going anywhere.

In the history of Saban tantrums, this might be the best — just on sheer ballsy-ness.

Claiming Jimbo Fisher last year “bought” his entire recruiting class was incredibly childish.

Minimizing Utah and Oklahoma beating Alabama in bowl games was classic Little League.

But this one — oh, boy, this one — is unique. Because I actually think it’s much more than what’s so clearly transparent.

Saban believes he has the better team.

And if that shortsighted Playoff committee couldn’t see that Alabama was better than Tennessee and LSU, and wasn’t so hell-bent on keeping 2 SEC teams out of the Playoff, then the Tide would’ve beaten Georgia in the Peach Bowl — and then dusted off Ohio State or Michigan in the national championship game.

You want should have?

We should have had that, a’ight?

View Comments

    • President Lyndon B. Johnson once said, "If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."

      • So, since you definitely seem to put race first, you should move on over here to Memphis since over 60% of their population is black. Just come see what’s up. Just read their 2022 stats and they were unsurprising. Did you know that more “colored people” were charged with hate crimes in this city than all other races combined? And they also unalived each other at unprecedented rates. They (the majority) decided to revote in the same politicians that have overpromised and underdelivered for decades. Memphis is a blue city and it definitely shows. I have absolutely nothing against any race. I have issues with certain people and their character. Somebody at one point said something about that. I believe he was a pretty prominent figure. And killed right here in good ole Memphis. Imagine that.

        Get your head out of your tail and realize that the white man ain’t out to get you. The government is out to get you and everybody else. You have every opportunity in the world right now to do whatever you want. If you choose not to seize that opportunity, that is 100% on you fella.

        • You are 100% right that the government is out to pit us against each other. It's kind of what the quote is saying. May I ask when m1norities became 1st class citizens and stopped experiencing r2ce/cla$s base harassment and assault? Did you know that red cities and counties have the lowest education rate? I think it shows. Why do all white $upremacists vote red like you? Why was the 1st think your publicans did this week was gut any type of oversight to insider trading? stop wanting to 'own l!bs' and realize you are being played. GO ahead and buy a trump NFT

        • After reading your reply, I determined pretty quickly that you're not one that going to rationalize a single thing I have to say. You'd real quick to pull down your mask and yell at me about race. Go ahead, save us some trouble, get another jab and move on with your life. Or, a ticking time bomb that speeds up with every poke.

        • "They (the majority) decided to revote in the same politicians that have overpromised and underdelivered for decades."

          Same could be said for a lot of high-poverty southern states that have consistently put candidates in state legislatures and Congress who don't do a thing to actually improve the situation.

        • "Did you know that red cities "

          What red city?

          "Why do all white $upremacists vote red like you?"

          Ha ha, we're gonna do this?

          Hey moron,

          The Democ rat Party created the KKK.

        • "You are 100% right that the government is out to pit us against each other. "

          You're doing a great job at that right now, Farrakhan.

        • Willybob lol. Man this a hoot of delerium. If you see the world in black and white, us vs them, you see nothing but fear. Red cities have the best economies, lowest mortality rates and the highest intact family units but gee tell us about mystique insider publican day traders, please. Pulosi and a few other D's who are still in charge, can't look at their or their relatives tax's. Living today requires passing IQ tests to have the standard of living of even a few decades ago. The only thing that can prevent you from having that is your own intelligence. Or, how much can I scare ya stupid for you to prevent yourself from what most people have in red areas?

        • Willybob...How about deleting that Cocks logo. You are doing a disservice to all Cock fans everywhere.

        • You can add Jackson, Birmingham, Mobile, and Montgomery to that list. Jackson is falling every minute.

        • Willybob, I don't want to get too much into all this negativity, but I will say as much as Trump was hated by the inner-city folks, he set the record by far for the lowest unemployment rates for all minorities and minority teens in 2018 and 2019. No other president came even close.

      • No one cares about you or your hero LBJ. Go sell crazy somewhere else. We have enough simpletons around here already.

      • It's well documented LBJ and the Dems created welfare for votes. That's what they're doing now with the open border. More people on welfare and more votes for the demorats.

    • Alabama was NOT as good as Ohio state or Michigan!!!! I'm not sold they would beat TCU for certain!!!!

      Negan

    • " , Saban looked like he wanted to jump Pollack.

      It was all he could do to not scream at Pollack, “Look, we beat their ass last year in the SEC, and if we don’t have 2 injured wide receivers, we beat their ass again in the national title game, a’ight? "

      Why do only Alabama injuries matter??? Georgia had 10 times the injuries Alabama had. Last season and this season. Georgia had waaaaaay more injuries!!! Plus last season 5 teams played Alabama with anywhere from 2 to 6 points WITH METCHIE AND WILLIAMS!!!!! Nobody came close to beating Georgia last season. Alabama only won because we played their style instead of our own!!!! I don't believe Kirby cared in the least. Because we absolutely did NOT show everything in that game and didn't even play our style of football!!!!!

      Alabama was beaten by A&M and played 4 other teams down to the wire. Auburn gifted Alabama a win they didn't earn and had a backup QB playing!!!!!! Go watch Alabama play Florida who also gifted Alabama a win. Go watch Alabama play Florida, Arkansas and auburn. Then go watch Georgia playing those same teams!!!!!!! See who you think was better!!!!!

      ALABAMA HELD A MENTAL JINX THAT WAS HELPED BY TERRIBLE OFFICIATING!!!!! STILL THAT JINX IS GONE NOW!!!!!!

      Georgia sent I believe 15 guys to the NFL??? I know it was a record number!!!! And 5 were first round picks from the defense!!!!! Including the #1 overall pick!!!! Then the portal took a huge bite!!!! Yet this Georgia team walks out and goes 15-0 to repeat as national champions!!!! Yet some still try and imply Alabama was better than Georgia last season??? SORRY BUT ALABAMA WASN'T EVEN IN GEORGIA'S LEAGUE!!!!!!

      ALL ALABAMA HAS TO DO IF THEY WANT TO PROVE SOMETHING IS " WIN YOUR GAMES!!! "

      PS. Until then try and steal Georgia's thunder, but remember Thor wears red and black now!!!!

      Negan

    • " Saban looked like he wanted to jump Pollack. "

      I would pay to see that!!!!! Ill bet you money Saban wouldn't jump anyone else!!! LOL

      Negan

  • Wow they’re Matt Hayes, I guess Saban is living in your head rent free. Been saving this article for awhile have you? Every year the same thing and every year Alabama doesn’t fall off a cliff and die. And as for Saban’s voting, I wouldn’t expect any coach in his position to do any differently. It’s called PR and Marketing, aka recruiting. And as for other SEC schools being in the top 5, show me one besides Georgia and Alabama that haven’t been one hit wonders in the last 10+ years. Prove yourself for more than 5 minutes then maybe you get a vote from Saban

    • Can we please all back off the lame, tired, overused “rent free” thing?

      By your own logic, Matt Hayes lives “rent free” in your head just because you are here objecting to what he wrote.

      Good grief, conjure an original thought and stop parroting what everyone else says.

      • Yeah... I'd say the rent-free thing is both played-out AND a dodge. Just because someone has a problem with Kirby, or Nick, or Josh, or whoever, it doesn't mean they are obsessed fans whose dislike of Saban clouds said fans' every thought. It's more a commentary on the person who plays the "rent-free card."

      • When someone is trolling or regularly bringing up a specific unrelated topic it’s a fine put down.

        Like a certain idiot who pretends to be for my team who keeps following another fan around to say he went to community college. That’s rent free.

        But a professional who is paid to write about college football writing about one of the most prominent teams in college football? If someone says “rent free” that’s just hilarious. And desperate. His employer literally pays for Alabama to have space in his brain.

    • Well, the Tide lost to a team that the Midget ranked 17th in his rather petulant poll. Expect to lose to the same team in 2023.

    • Bama does not have to fall of a cliff and lost more than 2 games for Saban to think the team is going off a cliff. In his mind and standard it has. What causes the panic? Bad OC and DC production. He's not a hands on coach, at least anymore at his age for the defense and never was for any offense. He is a CEO of success with past coordinators. But Sark was a rare talent. He isn't getting that same production from his OC and DC's. And he's having a mental thing over it. All slides are more than one season. This season was the second season in that slide. Is it program ending? No but Saban's panic also has to do with his NIL and portal views before the season began. " NIL and portal bad and OK, I am warning you, it will only help us".. LOL Wrong. It helped everyone else who needed more help than Bama did. Saban needed more production from those coordinators he depends on everything for, in a NIL era now that gets more blue chips to other teams and via portal. Other good programs were going to improve and that means Bama had to be better just to maintain a dominance that for now for a 2nd year in a row has slid. Not off a cliff but panicking like he is doing, can bring about those worst fears coming true. Yes, the dynasty is over for Saban, not sure UGA will ever have one with the 12 team expansion playoffs coming but one thing is for sure. 1. It's going to be harder to be at the top. 2. It's going to be harder to get there and stay with everyone else improving. More like the NFL is college football's future in those respects.

    • TN will win a national championship
      TN will win a national championship
      TN will win a national championship

      Let's just test this theory.

        • Vol fans...Alabama will win a National Championship in that time frame but not your Vols as long as Heup is your coach. "Reality" does not seem to register in Vol-gray matter.

        • Let me untangle your logic. Georgia is going 9-3 with the number 2 class, but Tennessee at 9 is going to win a championship. This of course doesn't account for current roster talent. To use your own word, your class looks pretty mid lol.

          LSU and Notre Dame are higher than the Vols lol. Don't let facts get in the way of your argument though. Bama and Georgia will continue to dominate. LSU will be better next year. The Vols will regress. Feel free to reexamine this quote around this time next year.

        • Lower standards I guess. To the Bama's, UGA's and Ohio States of the world, yeah. Mid. But we get it. Different Standards for mid programs

        • For the Vols? If they get some lucky breaks sure, they could go 9-3. I see 8 wins as more likely though. Of course you ducked Army so yeah, maybe 9 lol

        • Yeah...Kirby is basically Jimbo I guess lol. So it is going to happen because you really really want it to. OK. You really really wanted to win in Athens too (maybe depending on which Vol fan you ask) and yet...

          27-13
          6 in a row
          1998

        • Guys….let’s calm down. In my career I have learned how to reverse search and locate website users where very little info is given. Such as SDS.

          nsopw.gov

          I have provided the link above to where you can find out everything you need to know about AFan and Dawgs2021.

        • Naa. But I have noticed that you go to personal insults when you can’t defend your Orange tinted view of football. Not surprising though…not much to defend. One season in 2 decades and even that would be a rebuilding or disappointing year in Tuscaloosa, Athens…Heck Gainesville for that matter. No matter how hard you sell it, the Vols are still sitting at the kid’s table. Sad really.

        • Look guys. I am really sorry you are so passionate about a team that at the end of the day has just never been especially good. Got a be difficult. Especially in a year like this where you get ranked at number one and have such expectations only to join Ol’ Miss as the only team vote but at number one and miss the playoffs entirely. I mean, to beat Alabama only To see your dreams of a playoff mulligan dashed by South Carolina of all teams…one of the ref East teams you’ve had success against over the past 20 years. Brutal. Just Brutal.

        • I'm willing to defend my team with as much as they can give me to fight with. I can't argue with anybody about the Georgia or South Carolina games. Those were absolute whoopings from kickoff. TN is an upper tier SEC team at best at the moment. At the moment, you can put them at the same level as Bama and LSU. Georgia looks down at all of us though. I'm a realist when it comes to TN football. I can tell you I'm not overly confident with this upcoming season. 10 wins is the ceiling and that is a tall order IMO. I enjoy jawing at folks on here. You guys are funny....sometimes. I try to come up with something different from time to time. Keep it fresh in here. I don't say anything to you guys I wouldn't say to somebody's face. I have probably said worse to my Bama fan family members. I try to push you guys to do the same but usually it's just 1998 or some old worn out line. TN is on the rise but still have a good way to go before we can firmly lay claim that we are a great football team. Let's see where Heupel is in 2-3 more years and then we can make a judgement.

          Dawgs2021 - You are correct. Being a TN fan is absolutely, gut-wrenchingly brutal most of the time. Basketball, football and baseball are all good examples.

      • If i had a nickel for every time Afan brought up Tennessee fans...

        And what do you mean "as long as Heup is your coach"?

        He is CLEARLY capable of winning us a natty.

        • Based on what? Mark Richt was far closer than Heupel has ever been. No team that runs his chuck and duck offense has ever won a championship. So on what are you basing your opinion?

        • Nope. Those were actual pro style offenses with complex routes and reads...Not "Make it easy on the QB" High School stuff Tennessee runs. Besides, those schools are elite programs...not Mid schools trying to pretend to be deserving a of a seat at the grown up table like the Vols.

          1998

        • If I had a nickel for every time Tennessee fans claimed "The Vols are Back" I'd have more nickles than Tennessee had claimed titles.

        • The diffences in Heupel's Chuck and Duck and the Real Offenses run by those schools are well documented. And they won titles. In Knoxville...

          1998

        • Oh stop. They have been very consistent over the past 20 years or so. 2022 was a bit of an outlier but I'm sure things will be back to normal in 2023

        • Plus it is only our second year.

          Nick Saban didn't win a natty in his second.

          Neither did Kirby Smart. But he actually made the National Championship.

          Trust the process and watch.

        • Yeah...Heupel is basically Nick Saban and Kirby Smart. I mean look at all that Success at UCF and all those titles he won as a coordinato...oh...nevermind

        • Stop putting words in my mouth. I never once said that he was Nick Saban or Kirby Smart.

          What i'm saying is that he can reach us to the same level of success as them both.

        • Did you know it's super easy to locate Dawgs2021 when you walk into a facility? Look for the guy with the stretch marks all around his mouth. Man went for a world record trying to shove the most cocks in his mouth at once. Man looks like the joker from the dark knight.

          Wanna know how I got these scars?? D!cks. A lot of d!cks.

        • Really Corch? 1998?? You are on that same bull$hit that Dawgs2021/kirkm is on. Do better dude.

          Surely you have some more creative burns than that. Let's hear a few of them.

        • Did you ever get a source for them being 9-3 next year? I mean I gave you one on that whole 2 Natty thing for Tennessee. Seems fair.

        • Dawgs, maybe it just came to him in a vision while he was giving your wife a rim job while you cried in the corner.

          Let me help you out bro cause you’re in this deep state of depression.

          1998

          Side note – I heard it’s a side effect of getting too many Fauci Ouchies that you start turning into a little b!t-ch. Lay off the shots man.

        • Classy as always. Sadly not unexpected from Vol Nation. Is the UGA L streak long enough for you to tear down the goalposts if you won? Six years is a long time lol

        • Dawgs/kirkm calling somebody classy is a sign of defeat. I've watched him/her do it for a while now. There is literally nothing to say.

          Maybe 6 years is long enough. I'll celebrate by giving your wife a rim job as well.

        • You can say whatever you want. Not like the Vols are going to win anything lol. They just aren’t very good and this year sort of represents a “best case” scenario for the Vols. Just another mid tier program. But you’ll always have…

          1998
          6 in a row
          27-13

          BTW, in case you lost count, and you could…it is a big number, It has been 8775 days since the Vols won an NCAA Football Championship.

          Enjoy Mediocrity (on a good year lol)

  • And now, the end is near
    And so I face the final curtain
    My friend, I'll say it clear
    I'll state my case, of which I'm certain
    I've lived a life that's full
    I traveled each and every highway
    And more, much more than this
    I did it my way
    ...

  • I actually agree with Saban. Back your team unabashedly, that's what a coach does. Look at life through Crimson colored glasses. If he did it as an analyst, I'd have serious reservations about his integrity and professionalism, but he's a coach who backs his team and there is nothing wrong with that.

      • Hard to argue with Pollack after back-to-back and what is coming back next season. Like the others, Bama lost 2 games and the 1 1-loss team, Michigan, lost to a bad TCU team from whistle to whistle. UGA had 2 close games all season and were the clear class of college football this year.

    • I agree with him too. And he essentially said the same thing before the playoffs started, that Bama deserved it over at least one of the 4 teams.

  • I think this is mostly a nothing-burger, but I would rank the teams something like this:

    #1 - Georiga
    #2 - Ohio State (pains me to put them here)
    #3 - Michigan (fluke loss, still think they are better than TCU)
    #4 - TCU (their luck ran out)
    #5 - Tennessee (with Hooker)
    #6 - Alabama

      • I wish I could say I was being clever in some way. But no.

        Just a good ole fashioned typo without the benefit of an edit.

        • OrionPeaceUGA

          I'm not making fun of you. I laughed at the thought of a South American football team.

        • I didn't take it negatively. All good.

          South America does have a football team. They just play the game wrong.

    • Agree to some extent Orion, just not sure where I'd put TCU. I do think Bama would boat race TCU by 20+, so they'd drop but not sure where I'd put TN...above Bama because of head to head but not sure vs TCU.

      • I'm aware.

        Tennessee beat Alabama. But most people still rank Alabama higher.

        It's just my opinion on rankings. So, do you think Michigan should still be #2?

        • Tennessee beat Alabama in Knoxville in a game that wasn't decided until the very end. Michigan beat OSU in Columbus in a blowout. Not comparable.

        • I HIGHLY doubt my Gamecocks would lay 63 on Bama! I know "head to head" counts for some, but the entire body of work also speaks! And to compare UT's 31-14 spanking of the Tigers after we edged them 31-20, all the MISTAKES that we made resulted in at least 14 or 21 points! UT made no such mistakes.

  • This is perhaps the most egregious example of yellow journalism I have ever seen outside of the Associated Press, NYT, and WAPO. Are we in the offseason? Yes. Is it necessary to stir readers to manufactured drama 24/7? I should think not.

    The real drama will play out on its own next fall, in the form of Georgia, Alabama, a reemerging Tennessee, a reemergence of LSU, and a host of wildcards. Until then, I can do without all the hyperbolic drivel from the alleged sports media - notably such as this.

    In the words of TR, "It is not the critic who counts".

    • Same pos that said Kirby played Anderson knowing the kid was up shhhht creek without his ra pi st paddle...Hayes is total garb@ge

      • Hayes’ NY resolution is to alienate all SEC fan bases so that they’ll pay him off to go away.

        These kind of articles are the most annoying for me, they are full of bluster and speculation. I clicked on it to see if he had a reasonable explanation, but couldn’t find one.

    • Your opinion of the column is unimportant, what’s important is that you clicked on it.

      It’s AMAZING how few people understand this.

      • Thanks, AFan. I clicked on it mainly because of the headline, seeing how popular it is to portray doom and gloom for the Tide simply because Georgia has arrived. Otherwise, I would have gone straight to the Florida page as is usually my custom.

        Alabama and Georgia are going to be around as-is for some time. With the former Light Heavyweights LSU and Tennessee now pulling themselves up to punch in the heavier class, it's going to get very interesting, and adding in the wildcards like USCe and Florida as time goes by, it may get wild indeed. That's why I for one love SEC football.

        It's AMAZING how few people understand this.

  • While his opinion is wrong,, he has points in that they lost 2 games on the last play of the game! So him pushing his team and the 2 vote is wrong,, no need to panic ,, down year finishing at #5 is where the program has evolved because of incredible run he has had ! Every Natty comes with a couple of breaks that go your way and the Tide didn’t capatilize against Tennessee or LSU. Fact is though,, Georgia is a force and will be in the hunt for a 3rd straight Natty next year and Bama will be in the mix as well. Breaks as I said,,, Ohio State hits the FG and we have a whole different scenario, but they didn’t!! As always looking forward to next year

  • All these gloom and doom predictions about Saban are just so much fodder for clicks. Bama was a couple of plays - or a half dozen penalties - from going 12-0, and Saban again had the #1 recruiting class. A couple of good coordinators can fix all this very quick.

    On the flip side, I do feel Nick is pressing at times. Not something he’s used to, and it does come across as a bit petulant and entitled. He’s not had to deal with a seemingly here-to-stay challenger in the SEC like Georgia, and it has upped the ante considerably. LSU took food off his table a couple of times, but the consistency just wasn’t what Kirby is throwing out there.

    The next couple of years will tell the tale, I think, on how Saban’s run closes out.

    • He was also a couple of plays from being 8-4. I would say if Bama didn't have Young, then they could have easily dropped 5 games. He was the only thing that willed them to victory most of the time. Will another QB step in and save them when the running game and defense looks average? Will their OL and defense return to form? Big questions, like everyone else for a change.

      • Very true. That Texas game particularly. If Ewers has not been hurt . . . wait, can we say that about any teams other Bama and Ohio State? I think that only applies when it’s UGA doing the heroic winning.

        Anyway, yeah - fine line between 12-0 and 8-4.

  • Writer gets internet combat badge. He can go back to day job whatever that is. Maybe it is Skip Bayless under different name.

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