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Was Saban truly better than Bear?
Posted on 5/22/26 at 12:38 pm
Posted on 5/22/26 at 12:38 pm
Or did he enjoy an advantage because of a playoff system not available to Bear.
People point out Saban won more national championships than Bear Bryant. However, Saban was able to get into championship games through the BCS and college playoff.
If Bear has the same system, he probably wins the title in 1978 when he got screwed by the polls and in 1966 when he had his best team ever but was screwed by the polls again.
Sort of like how Jimmy Johnson won more Cups than Jeff Gordon because of the Chase whereas under the old system, Gordon wins two more Cups.
Coaching tree wise, Saban and Bear are probably dead even although Saban's acolytes are just now starting to get caught up to Bear's if you don't include Smart.
People point out Saban won more national championships than Bear Bryant. However, Saban was able to get into championship games through the BCS and college playoff.
If Bear has the same system, he probably wins the title in 1978 when he got screwed by the polls and in 1966 when he had his best team ever but was screwed by the polls again.
Sort of like how Jimmy Johnson won more Cups than Jeff Gordon because of the Chase whereas under the old system, Gordon wins two more Cups.
Coaching tree wise, Saban and Bear are probably dead even although Saban's acolytes are just now starting to get caught up to Bear's if you don't include Smart.
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Posted on 5/22/26 at 12:39 pm to prplhze2000
Yes
/thread
/thread
Posted on 5/22/26 at 12:42 pm to prplhze2000
As great as the championship seasons are with Saban, I think back to the ones he didn’t win.
2013 - kick six(prevented a three peat)
2014 - lost a two touchdown lead to Ohio State
2016 - had the lead against Clemson with two minutes left (prevented a three peat)
2021 - had a fourth quarter lead against Georgia
Not to mention the NCAA changed the rules to combat Saban’s dominance. 2011 led to the playoff being created.
Saban is the GOAT
2013 - kick six(prevented a three peat)
2014 - lost a two touchdown lead to Ohio State
2016 - had the lead against Clemson with two minutes left (prevented a three peat)
2021 - had a fourth quarter lead against Georgia
Not to mention the NCAA changed the rules to combat Saban’s dominance. 2011 led to the playoff being created.
Saban is the GOAT
This post was edited on 5/22/26 at 12:43 pm
Posted on 5/22/26 at 12:49 pm to prplhze2000
Idk Bear Bryant run from 1971-1979 was as good as anything that's ever been done. It would have been interesting to see how he would have done with the playoffs. I think they are equal. It's crazy the similarities they had in their career, like the number of natties at Bama, the number of undefeated seasons, and the fact that both changed their systems halfway through their tenure at Bama. Bear navigated integration and Saban navigated NIL. Its crazy how similar the two are
Posted on 5/22/26 at 12:54 pm to AHM21
Bryant really had his pick of players .There was way more competition for players and in the sport in general while Saban was coaching. What he did in this day and age of college football was nothing short of extrodinary. I think Saban is the best ever and I don't think that it is all that close to be honest.
Posted on 5/22/26 at 1:13 pm to prplhze2000
Saban was better. Bryant didn't have a limitation on signing players so he would just keep signing them , under different sports scholarships, to keep them off of other teams.
Posted on 5/22/26 at 1:13 pm to prplhze2000
Bear would have never condoned or protected a player who had laid his hands on a female.
So there's that.
EDIT: Or maybe he would have.
So there's that.
EDIT: Or maybe he would have.
This post was edited on 5/22/26 at 1:14 pm
Posted on 5/22/26 at 1:18 pm to prplhze2000
I think so because Saban accomplished so much in so little time compared to Bryant.
Saban coached college football for a full ten less seasons than Bryant, at a time when it was at its peak in terms of competitiveness. Look at who Saban coached against, in his same conference:
Urban Meyer (two national championships)
Kirby Smart (two national championships)
Steve Spurrier (one national championship)
Les Miles (one national championship)
Phillip Fulmer (one national championship)
Gene Chizik (one national championship)
Jimbo Fisher (one national championship)
Ed Orgeron (one national championship)
This doesn't even count the excellent coaches who didn't win it all, such as Mark Richt, Gus Malzahn, Hugh Freeze, Lane Kiffin, Dan Mullen, Josh Heuphel, Bobby Petrino, etc.
Look at it this way - here are the SEC national championship winners during other than Alabama during Bryant's SEC years and Saban's SEC years.
Bryant:
1951 - Tennessee
1952 - Georgia Tech
1958 - LSU
1960 - Ole Miss
1980 - Georgia
Saban (in ten less seasons):
2007 - LSU
2008 - Florida
2010 - Auburn
2019 - LSU
2021 - Georgia
2022 - Georgia
Saban coached college football for a full ten less seasons than Bryant, at a time when it was at its peak in terms of competitiveness. Look at who Saban coached against, in his same conference:
Urban Meyer (two national championships)
Kirby Smart (two national championships)
Steve Spurrier (one national championship)
Les Miles (one national championship)
Phillip Fulmer (one national championship)
Gene Chizik (one national championship)
Jimbo Fisher (one national championship)
Ed Orgeron (one national championship)
This doesn't even count the excellent coaches who didn't win it all, such as Mark Richt, Gus Malzahn, Hugh Freeze, Lane Kiffin, Dan Mullen, Josh Heuphel, Bobby Petrino, etc.
Look at it this way - here are the SEC national championship winners during other than Alabama during Bryant's SEC years and Saban's SEC years.
Bryant:
1951 - Tennessee
1952 - Georgia Tech
1958 - LSU
1960 - Ole Miss
1980 - Georgia
Saban (in ten less seasons):
2007 - LSU
2008 - Florida
2010 - Auburn
2019 - LSU
2021 - Georgia
2022 - Georgia
This post was edited on 5/22/26 at 1:29 pm
Posted on 5/22/26 at 1:20 pm to prplhze2000
Hard to say. Jimmy probably races differently in the old system than in the chase too so I think it's difficult to compare.
Bear vs Saban? I don't know. Either way they are 1a and 1b...nobody else on that level.
Bear vs Saban? I don't know. Either way they are 1a and 1b...nobody else on that level.
Posted on 5/22/26 at 1:25 pm to John somers
quote:
Bear would have never condoned or protected a player who had laid his hands on a female.
So there's that.
EDIT: Or maybe he would have.
He certainly slapped Florida around in the 1970’s. Bear went 6-0 against Florida that decade, including wins of 46-15, 38-0, and 40-0. Every game was won by double digits. The combined score from that decade was 206 - 48; an average score of 34 - 8.
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