re: The elephant in the room...It's time to don the bevo logo

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In reference to Saban and an enhanced deal at Alabama.

Nothing, really, at least not internally -- to use a Saban term, "relative to" how this has gone before. Saban has had raises and restructuring of his contract more than once at UA.

What's different is that it has become public. Texas (or to be specific a Texas booster -- not the AD, a booster) tried to feel Saban out last year around this time by calling Sexton. The year before (I think that's right), it was, apparently, the Cleveland Browns doing the same thing.

But it didn't play out in public.

It took some months after the season for all the i's to be dotted and t's crossed, but there wasn't all this anxiety because it was behind the curtain.

Because Texas' previous approach to Sexton (and, again, a Texas booster's approach, not the actual university) became public knowledge, there is a lot of light on this now.

Texas will possibly, probably or maybe be looking for a new head coach. Or maybe not. But because it has been reported that Mack Brown -- apparently unbeknownst to him at the time it was reported -- is on his way out, this is a high-profile thing.

We will see how it plays out, and on what timetable it plays out, but there is now public pressure and public expectation for Saban to reach some kind of accord on a contract enhancement now rather than later. And that is really all that is different here.

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