saban smart to omit auburn

[aubiefifty 16,761]

Saban was smart to ignore Auburn, the best team in the SEC

Posted on July 13, 2017 at 6:39 AM

6-7 minutes

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Nick Saban can be anal-retentive to the point of obnoxiousness. Everyone knows this. It's one of the things that makes him a great coach.

He obsesses over the details.

He is meticulous.

He is precise.

He sometimes gets carried away.

In Alabama, we call these special moments "Saban Rants," but they predate the coach's time here.

For example, there's an infamous story among NFL insiders of a time Saban freaked out on a local South Florida radio host off air. The host's great offense? Asking who on the Dolphins was looking good during practice.

Possibly the most innocuous question of all time, right? Saban didn't see it that way.

Not wanting to leave anyone out, Saban went through his entire NFL roster naming off every player. Saban then laid into his interviewer during the commercial break.

Keep in mind this was during one of Saban's official weekly radio shows at a sports bar in South Florida. Imagine Saban dressing down Alabama radio host Eli Gold at Bob's Victory Grille in Tuscaloosa. You get the picture.

Here's the point: Saban doesn't miss a thing. And if he does, then it's usually on purpose.

Like on Wednesday at SEC Media Days when he left Auburn off a list of teams "catching up" to the Crimson Tide.

During his news conference with print reporters at Hoover's Wynfrey Hotel, Saban dutifully answered a question about the perception of the SEC. The question was from Mike Bianchi, a legendary columnist for the Orlando Sentinel:

"Coach, you guys have won 17 straight SEC games now. You pretty much dominated the league over the last few years. How do you respond to those who say that your program is turning the SEC into a one-team league? And do you sense anybody getting closer to catching up with you guys?"

It was a slightly loaded question, to be sure, and hit on a popular theme in the SEC this week -- Alabama's dominance.

 

LSU send up white flag of surrender at SEC Media Days

Who are the good coaches in the SEC, and can anyone beat Alabama? These are the popular questions and talking points this summer around the league. The SEC isn't a one-team conference, but it certainly feels that way this year here at the shopping mall in Hoover.

 

Here's Saban's response in its entirety:

"Well, I have a tremendous amount of respect for a lot of teams in our league. I mean, LSU is very, very good. Ole Miss has beaten us a couple times in the last few years. Mississippi State has got a good quarterback coming back. Arkansas' got a good quarterback coming back. A&M's always a very challenging team.

"I think Kirby's doing a great job at Georgia. Jim McElwain is doing a good job at Florida. Tennessee has gotten better and better every year. I am trying to think of somebody in our league that I don't have a tremendous amount of respect for. Vanderbilt went to a bowl game last year and had a winning season.

"I think there's a lot of parity in our league. I think it's very challenging from a consistency standpoint in our league. I think that we have one of the youngest teams that we've ever had. So it's going to be a real challenge for us to maintain the standard that we've been able to maintain in terms of -- especially on defense, especially in the front seven -- for all the good players that we lost."

If you're counting, Saban mentioned nine teams and none were Auburn.

I was thinking about picking Auburn to win the SEC before Wednesday, but after listening to Saban omit the Tigers from that very thorough and thoughtful answer, I'm more confident now than ever that Auburn can be the surprise team this year in the league. Why mention Auburn as a team on the rise when the Tigers are already there?

 

A new era and new hope emerge for Auburn after Sugar Bowl loss

Gus Malzahn probably saved his job the night he beat Miles and LSU this season, but Auburn's 35-19 loss to Oklahoma on Monday in the Sugar Bowl demonstrated just how closely everything came to going incredibly bad for the 8-5 Tigers in 2016. The game was a microcosm of the season — not awful with quarterback Sean White healthy, but pretty unwatchable with him injured on the sideline.

 

Matching up well against Alabama, Auburn will be experienced along their offensive and defensive lines, and it's talented running game will finally be balanced by a competent if not standout quarterback in Baylor transfer Jarrett Stidham. Auburn plays at Clemson during the second week of the season. A victory in South Carolina should put them on a collision course with Alabama for the SEC West title.

My way-too-early Iron Bowl prediction because this is sports and sports are fun: Auburn 31, Alabama 28. Don't @ me, bro.

The winner of that game will represent the SEC West in the league's championship game, and defeat Florida for the SEC crown. They're saying at SEC Media Days that Florida doesn't have a quarterback. I'm saying it doesn't matter.

It didn't hurt Alabama much last year.

Saban got by with starting a run-first freshman quarterback in 2016 because he knew he had the defense to do it. Alabama then lost three defensive linemen (Jonathan Allen, Dalvin Tomlinson and Tim Williams) and the best linebacker in the country (Reuben Foster) to the 2017 NFL Draft. Auburn, meanwhile, has veterans returning this season along the offensive line, at tight end and in the backfield. In Marlon Davidson, Auburn should have the best defensive lineman on the field come November.

By ignoring Auburn at SEC Media Days, Saban offered Alabama's chief rival the biggest compliment possible. It goes without saying that the Tigers are coming for the Crimson Tide.

Joseph Goodman is a columnist for the Alabama Media Group. He's on Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr.

[OnthePlains 2,014]

Well, that's one way to look at it.  

[SaltyTiger 7,790]

Little Nickie getting on up in age. Probably forgot that Auburn is in the SEC

[AUcivE09 582]

He never mentions AU and for good reason. We will always be the biggest thorn in their side (on the field and in-state recruiting) and the less he does to promote AU in any way - the better for him. Not to mention the fan base reaction.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

Well... we are their arch rival. Of course he is not going to mention Auburn. 

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

28 minutes ago, gr82b4au said:

Well... we are their arch rival. Of course he is not going to mention Auburn. 

UT made his list?

[gr82b4au 5,568]

2 minutes ago, AUld fAUx@ said:

UT made his list?

Everyone knows that UT is a rival, but not their true arch rival and at this point not a threat at all. How many years has it been since they have beaten uat- 12?

[keesler 5,924]

2 hours ago, AUcivE09 said:

He never mentions AU and for good reason. We will always be the biggest thorn in their side (on the field and in-state recruiting) and the less he does to promote AU in any way - the better for him. Not to mention the fan base reaction.

Saban isn't stupid, why raise a ruckus with the in-state fans of either side when he doesn't have to?

The man sits with an SEC record of 74-13 in the last decade, I don't see any team in this league that's been a consistent thorn in his side.  Some teams put up a bigger fight that others from time to time, but he's been ruling this conference for some time now, with the exception of the couple of years AU has been on top of the heap.

[boisnumber1 2,818]

3 hours ago, AUcivE09 said:

He never mentions AU and for good reason. We will always be the biggest thorn in their side (on the field and in-state recruiting) and the less he does to promote AU in any way - the better for him. Not to mention the fan base reaction.

Very flawed line of thinking. He's brought more attention to AU by not saying anything than he ever would have just mentioning them like he did everyone else. Everyone giving saban too much credit on this. Its just a case of a pr*ck being a pr*ck. Nothing more, nothing less. Its who/what he is.

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

2 hours ago, gr82b4au said:

Everyone knows that UT is a rival, but not their true arch rival and at this point not a threat at all. How many years has it been since they have beaten uat- 12?

Almost the exact same record we have against Georgia the last 10 years. And we consider Georgia a true rival.

We are 2-8 against Georgia the last 10. They are 1-9 the last 10

Saban won't ever say ANYTHING positive about us. Don't know this surprises anyone.

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

50 minutes ago, Auburn2Eugene said:

Almost the exact same record we have against Georgia the last 10 years. And we consider Georgia a true rival.

We are 2-8 against Georgia the last 10. They are 1-9 the last 10

Saban won't ever say ANYTHING positive about us. Don't know this surprises anyone.

and, despite the recent similarities, at least some of them still consider us a proper rival as well.

'Chubb on Georgia’s three-year winning streak against Auburn:

“It’d be great to retire from Georgia by beating Auburn four years in a row.” '

https://www.dawgnation.com/football/georgia-football-sec-media-days-quotes

 

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

2 minutes ago, AUld fAUx@ said:

and, despite the recent similarities, at least some of them still consider us a proper rival as well.

'Chubb on Georgia’s three-year winning streak against Auburn:

“It’d be great to retire from Georgia by beating Auburn four years in a row.” '

https://www.dawgnation.com/football/georgia-football-sec-media-days-quotes

 

I consider them a rival no doubt. 

[gr82b4au 5,568]

I am not saying that they are not a rival, but they are not our arch rival. In the end Auburn's rival is Alabama. We share the state. There is not a coach at Alabama that will ever compliment us and in most cases they do not even mention us. The school down the road? That one backfired. haha

[auburn4ever 1,266]

$aban is an ass.

[steeleagle 2,945]

What do you expect from Saban? He always has shown a knack for getting under people's skin. Whether it's a reporter or someone he competes against. He blows up the media over the most trivial reasons to me.

To not mention us means he still feels like he HAS to make a point, when no point was needed. 

I think it would have shown more a well rounded great coach, if he had mentioned us, since he knows we are his most competitive rival, just by location.

But he is a great coach, in recruiting and certainly on the field, but he does show his flaws too in other areas. lol...

 

[Grumps 3,704]

I think it is awesome that he would not say "Auburn"! It is clear that we are not just another SEC opponent. We are in his head. He thinks about losing after having a 24-0 lead and about the Kick-6 every day. BOOM!

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

16 minutes ago, Grumps said:

I think it is awesome that he would not say "Auburn"! It is clear that we are not just another SEC opponent. We are in his head. He thinks about losing after having a 24-0 lead and about the Kick-6 every day. BOOM!

LoL, and I thought you were supposed to be grumpy. 

[AU-24 3,063]

9 hours ago, boisnumber1 said:

Very flawed line of thinking. He's brought more attention to AU by not saying anything than he ever would have just mentioning them like he did everyone else. Everyone giving saban too much credit on this. Its just a case of a pr*ck being a pr*ck. Nothing more, nothing less. Its who/what he is.

Yes Sir! Why do some people expect someone with no class to act classy?

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

10 hours ago, keesler said:

Saban isn't stupid, why raise a ruckus with the in-state fans of either side when he doesn't have to?

The man sits with an SEC record of 74-13 in the last decade, I don't see any team in this league that's been a consistent thorn in his side.  Some teams put up a bigger fight that others from time to time, but he's been ruling this conference for some time now, with the exception of the couple of years AU has been on top of the heap.

I'd say AU has been a thorn in his side. Remember, a thorn is the side is not going to be the thing that completely takes you down, but it always is there and annoying you because it won't go away, and it drives you mad. Every year we've played Nick at a Bama, excluding the 2012 debaucle, we've kept the game interesting until at least the third quarter. No one else (except maybe Ole Miss) does this. We're consistently competing with them for recruits. I think Nick is so annoyed by Auburn and I think he'll do anything to start dominating us like he does everyone else. He just can't. We always are a tough game for them to play and he can't stand that 

[gr82be 14,423]

I don't really care about Saban the man because I think he's a jerk. Him leaving Auburn out of his respected teams is not an issue for me because we all know better than that. The coach absolutely respects Auburn. The man, who cares?

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

I don't give a gosh darn what that little cheating little garden gnome thinks about Auburn and what he leaves out. I know he's still mad about 2010 and 2013 and it eats at him. Especially 2013 and the one second whining that cost him. It's more revealing that he left AU out actually. He's a petty little spoiled tyrant so just let him talk. 

I wish AU fans would stop paying attention to that jackazz.

[gr82be 14,423]

9 minutes ago, Tigerbelle said:

I don't give a gosh darn what that little cheating little garden gnome thinks about Auburn and what he leaves out. I know he's still mad about 2010 and 2013 and it eats at him. Especially 2013 and the one second whining that cost him. It's more revealing that he left AU out actually. He's a petty little spoiled tyrant so just let him talk. 

I wish AU fans would stop paying attention to that jackazz.

[Auburn Guy 4]

Haha, guys what else do you expect? Surely you can't think we are in his head. 2010, 2013 are gone, time to focus on the now. The man can be a little up tight in pressers, but in terms of coaching, and recruiting he has owned Gus. Look at the draft, and records. Flame away...

 

[DAG 33,977]

1 hour ago, Auburn Guy said:

Haha, guys what else do you expect? Surely you can't think we are in his head. 2010, 2013 are gone, time to focus on the now. The man can be a little up tight in pressers, but in terms of coaching, and recruiting he has owned Gus. Look at the draft, and records. Flame away...

 

Pretty much has owned everyone..at the very least we have been disrupting in their run.

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

2 hours ago, Auburn Guy said:

Haha, guys what else do you expect? Surely you can't think we are in his head. 2010, 2013 are gone, time to focus on the now. The man can be a little up tight in pressers, but in terms of coaching, and recruiting he has owned Gus. Look at the draft, and records. Flame away...

 

AU is in $abear's head as much as any team there is.  Quick "Auburn Guy", which team has the best record in the SEC against $abear coached teams from LSU to bammer?