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Nick Saban's Tenure in Review: Season #17 - 2023 Alabama Crimson Tide
Posted on 7/31/24 at 9:24 am
Posted on 7/31/24 at 9:24 am
On this, the first day of fall practice in the Kalen DeBoer era, we come to the end of the Nick Saban era. And what an end it was. After starting the season with a 10-point home loss to Texas, followed by an absolutely abysmal performance against South Florida the following weekend, I think there were a good many of us who had Alabama pegged to finish 8-4 or 9-3 at best that year.
But what does Nick Saban do if not provide one of his best coaching jobs for a grand finale? Despite deep flaws on both sides of the field, Alabama managed to run the table in the regular season, finishing undefeated in the SEC, and pulled the shocking upset over #1 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game to slip into the College Football Playoff as the fourth seed.
While Alabama was ultimately defeated in overtime against the eventual national champion Michigan Wolverines, I think for a majority of us we were just happy to be there. It came as a shock to all of us when Nick Saban announced his retirement from college football less than two weeks later.
2023 Alabama Crimson Tide
Overall Record: 12 wins, 2 losses
SEC Record: 8 wins, 0 losses (1st in SEC West)
AP Poll Finish: #5
Coaches Poll Finish: #5
Offensive Coordinator: Tommy Rees
Defensive Coordinator: Kevin Steele
Permanent Captains: Jalen Milroe, Malachi Moore, and Dallas Turner
Consensus 1st Team All-Americans: Dallas Turner (LB)
1st Team All-SEC: JC Latham (T), Tyler Booker (G), Justin Eboigbe (DT), Dallas Turner (LB), Kool-Aid McKinstry (CB), Terrion Arnold (CB), Caleb Downs (S), and Will Reichard (K)
Heisman Trophy: Jalen Milroe (CANDIDATE - #6)
Total Offene: 393.1 YPG (#58)
Total Defense: 316.0 YPG (#18)
Average Talent Ranking on Roster: 1.75 (Per Rivals)
Schedule
vs. Middle Tennessee State (W) 56-7
vs. #11 Texas (L) 24-34
@ South Florida (W) 17-3
vs. #15 Ole Miss (W) 24-10
@ Mississippi State (W) 40-17
@ Texas A&M (W) 26-20
LINK ]vs. Arkansas (W) 24-21 [Homecoming]
vs. #17 Tennessee (W) 34-20
vs. #14 LSU (W) 42-28
@ Kentucky (W) 49-21
LINK ]vs. Chattanooga (W) 66-10 [Senior Day]
@ Auburn (W) 27-24
LINK ]vs. #1 Georgia (W) 27-24 [2023 SEC Championship Game]
LINK ]vs. #1 Michigan (L) 20-27 [OT] [2024 Rose Bowl]
Leading Passer
Jalen Milroe
187-284 65.8 Pct 2,834 Yds 23 TDs 6 INTs
Leading Rusher
Jase McClellan
180 Att 890 Yds 4.9 Avg 8 TDs
Leading Receiver
Jermaine Burton
39 Rec 798 Yds 20.5 Avg 8 TDs
But what does Nick Saban do if not provide one of his best coaching jobs for a grand finale? Despite deep flaws on both sides of the field, Alabama managed to run the table in the regular season, finishing undefeated in the SEC, and pulled the shocking upset over #1 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game to slip into the College Football Playoff as the fourth seed.
While Alabama was ultimately defeated in overtime against the eventual national champion Michigan Wolverines, I think for a majority of us we were just happy to be there. It came as a shock to all of us when Nick Saban announced his retirement from college football less than two weeks later.
2023 Alabama Crimson Tide
Overall Record: 12 wins, 2 losses
SEC Record: 8 wins, 0 losses (1st in SEC West)
AP Poll Finish: #5
Coaches Poll Finish: #5
Offensive Coordinator: Tommy Rees
Defensive Coordinator: Kevin Steele
Permanent Captains: Jalen Milroe, Malachi Moore, and Dallas Turner
Consensus 1st Team All-Americans: Dallas Turner (LB)
1st Team All-SEC: JC Latham (T), Tyler Booker (G), Justin Eboigbe (DT), Dallas Turner (LB), Kool-Aid McKinstry (CB), Terrion Arnold (CB), Caleb Downs (S), and Will Reichard (K)
Heisman Trophy: Jalen Milroe (CANDIDATE - #6)
Total Offene: 393.1 YPG (#58)
Total Defense: 316.0 YPG (#18)
Average Talent Ranking on Roster: 1.75 (Per Rivals)
Schedule
vs. Middle Tennessee State (W) 56-7
vs. #11 Texas (L) 24-34
@ South Florida (W) 17-3
vs. #15 Ole Miss (W) 24-10
@ Mississippi State (W) 40-17
@ Texas A&M (W) 26-20
LINK ]vs. Arkansas (W) 24-21 [Homecoming]
vs. #17 Tennessee (W) 34-20
vs. #14 LSU (W) 42-28
@ Kentucky (W) 49-21
LINK ]vs. Chattanooga (W) 66-10 [Senior Day]
@ Auburn (W) 27-24
LINK ]vs. #1 Georgia (W) 27-24 [2023 SEC Championship Game]
LINK ]vs. #1 Michigan (L) 20-27 [OT] [2024 Rose Bowl]
Leading Passer
Jalen Milroe
187-284 65.8 Pct 2,834 Yds 23 TDs 6 INTs
Leading Rusher
Jase McClellan
180 Att 890 Yds 4.9 Avg 8 TDs
Leading Receiver
Jermaine Burton
39 Rec 798 Yds 20.5 Avg 8 TDs
3
Posted on 7/31/24 at 10:23 am to RollTide1987
Beat Texas at home and the rest of the season would have be much different.
Bama plays FSU in the Sugar Bowl in the playoffs. Then they get Michigan, who doesn't have a entire month to figure ways to shut down Milroe.
Bama plays FSU in the Sugar Bowl in the playoffs. Then they get Michigan, who doesn't have a entire month to figure ways to shut down Milroe.
Posted on 7/31/24 at 11:11 am to RollTide1987
The stretch from Ole Miss to LSU was a whirlwind, but what a fun season. This team took a lot of heat post Texas, and even more post USF - rightfully so!
But the way they buckled down to win out and get revenge games on Tennessee, LSU, and UGA really made it so great. It sucked dropping the game in OT against Michigan in Pasadena, but I was so proud of the guys overall.
Without a doubt Saban's greatest coaching job!
Edit: Meant to add - We also witnessed the GREATEST Iron Bowl finish of all time!
But the way they buckled down to win out and get revenge games on Tennessee, LSU, and UGA really made it so great. It sucked dropping the game in OT against Michigan in Pasadena, but I was so proud of the guys overall.
Without a doubt Saban's greatest coaching job!
Edit: Meant to add - We also witnessed the GREATEST Iron Bowl finish of all time!
This post was edited on 7/31/24 at 11:13 am
Posted on 7/31/24 at 1:11 pm to RollTide1987
After week 3, I didn't think this team would be a few plays from a national championship game that they would have likely won against their new head coach's former team. So, in some ways, we should all be happy about how the season turned out. However, you can't help but feel like this team was undermined by Nick Saban's age. Not because Saban could no longer coach them up but because he could no longer source a quality coaching staff. This was a bad staff on offense and it was exacerbated by Saban's replacement at DC having a health problem that redirected his attention towards the defense more than usual.
It is interesting that I think it wasn't recruiting, NLI, or an inability to connect with the current generation of young men that pushed him to retirement. It was his inability to keep a pipeline of quality, young to prime-of-their-life coaches willing to join him in Tuscaloosa. At an age where he needed people able to take his advisement and intent then make it happen, he was having to become even more personally involved in the details.
In the end, the season's goals were nearly lost in September and ultimately lost in OT during the Rose Bowl because the offense had systemic failures that lay on the feet of the OC.
It is interesting that I think it wasn't recruiting, NLI, or an inability to connect with the current generation of young men that pushed him to retirement. It was his inability to keep a pipeline of quality, young to prime-of-their-life coaches willing to join him in Tuscaloosa. At an age where he needed people able to take his advisement and intent then make it happen, he was having to become even more personally involved in the details.
In the end, the season's goals were nearly lost in September and ultimately lost in OT during the Rose Bowl because the offense had systemic failures that lay on the feet of the OC.
Posted on 7/31/24 at 3:01 pm to Diego Ricardo
I think what we had with Saban was security that we were always gonna win 11+ games every year after 2020 but ultimately hit a plateau and Saban knew it, which looking back, what a king for retiring.
The program has new life and everything is going smooth from an offseason standpoint. Won’t have to worry about arse offense since our HC is a offense guy.
The program has new life and everything is going smooth from an offseason standpoint. Won’t have to worry about arse offense since our HC is a offense guy.
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