by Kyle Golik
Back in August, I wrote that Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has passed Alabama head coach Nick Saban as the best current coach in college football.
I mentioned that both Smart and Saban were at two different positions in their careers and felt both men were on divergent paths as Smart was ascending to be the new gold standard of college football while Saban, the recognized GOAT, was always going to have a good Alabama team, but they may not return to the places that Smart has Georgia.
Fast forward from August to now, Saban capped his sixth undefeated regular season SEC conference slate with their stunning 27-24 win in the Iron Bowl, where quarterback Jalen Milroe found wide receiver Isaiah Bond on a fourth and goal from the Auburn 31-yard line.
Jalen Milroe finds Isaiah Bond on 4th and Goal to take the lead. 🤯🤯🤯🤯
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) November 26, 2023
Following the hysteria of the epic conversion, Saban opened his postgame press conference, saying, “So do I really need to say anything?”
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What once were divergent paths are now on a collision course set for Atlanta in the SEC Championship with an opportunity for Smart to add to his legacy.
Currently, the Georgia Bulldogs have the nation’s longest winning streak at 29 games and are looking to become the tenth team, and third this century, to reach 30 consecutive victories, joining the 2000 to 2002 Miami Hurricanes and Southern California Trojans 2003 to 2005, who each won 34 consecutive games.
While the Crimson Tide had a highlight for the ages in the Iron Bowl, the Bulldogs were minus three of their top five passing targets with tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Ladd McConkey out with ankle injuries and wide receiver Rara Thomas held out with a foot sprain. Another key part of the offense, offensive lineman Tate Ratledge, was held out with a knee injury.
Despite missing many key pieces, Georgia outmuscled Georgia Tech, led by running back Kendall Milton’s 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 31-23 win in the rivalry dubbed “Clean, Old Fashioned Hate.”
“This game is not measured by stats and rushing yards and first downs,” Smart said. “It is measured by heart, and our guys have to have a lot of heart to show up like they have, week after week after week.”
As Georgia extends its historic winning streak week by week, it is also making history. The Dawgs now own the longest winning streak in SEC history and can extend their streak of weeks atop the AP poll to 23 with another win over the Tide. Additionally, a win against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game would put them directly en route to winning a third consecutive national championship, something no program has done since Bernie Bierman’s Minnesota Golden Gophers did from 1934 to 1936.
With a win, Kirby Smart would become only the sixth coach with multiple victories over Nick Saban during his time at Alabama. The previous five are Hugh Freeze, Gus Malzahn, Les Miles, Urban Meyer, and Dabo Swinney.
While this may not be a prototypically dominant Saban team, in many ways, it is seemingly a more enjoyable coaching experience for the seven-time national champion. This year’s team has been his passion piece, getting his units to play above their ability.
Saban commented about this team following their 34-20 win over Tennessee, “I love it. It’s been great,” Saban said of coaching this team. “The challenges are great. I enjoy coaching this team. That’s not to say that they’re (not) taking years off of my life, but I’m OK with that. But it’s fun because they’ve got a good spirit about them. We’ve got good relationships on our team.
This underdog Crimson Tide team can be a scary one. They are lurking at No. 8 in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings and have all the makings of creating the most chaos ever.
In every aspect, Smart has begun to mirror his Georgia program the way Saban built his Alabama program. The one area the most ardent Saban loyalists and defenders point to is the head-to-head record between the two.
Saban has won four out of five. Smart’s lone win came in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
A second consecutive win against Saban, especially in a game with major championship and playoff implications, would be the official passing of the torch between the two.
If you questioned my stance back in August, a win in Atlanta for Georgia on Saturday would make it unquestionable, with Kirby currently being the undisputed best coach in the game.
