re: Didn't know bama's troubled past...

The only ways I see Alabama immediately ending up in the ditch:

1) Saban sticks around too long and there is a noticeable decline under his leadership

2) They just really screw the pooch on the hiring process following Saban’s retirement

I get the feeling Alabama could very well have a Les Miles type coach lead a gradual decline on the field but not considerably lowering the talent on the roster. Very likely if like Miles this hypothetical coach cashes in a conference and national title with a roster mostly built by the last staff. I think what you’ve seen in Baton Rouge and even East Lansing to some extent is that Saban leaves behind a good blueprint on how a modern football program should be run.

I do not think Saban overstaying is going to be a problem. I doubt he’ll quit mid-season like Spurrier but he’ll get out when he realizes he ain’t got it. So it is really just on how bad they do in the replacement search. The replacement will very likely have a lot of talent to work with early...