re: Is Saban anything more than an awesome recruiter?

He's an average to above average gameday coach... when talent is relatively equal, he's not scared to frick it up. He seems to only lose to to 10 teams (which is pretty amazing btw).

it's the things that give him that talent advantage that make him a great coach. It's not just recruiting... Talent evaluation, S&C program, roster management, hiring a great staff, etc. plus he does a great job of recruiting defensive talent to fit his scheme.