Matt Barrie displays true sentiments for Alabama's Nick Saban on his coaching skills: "He's the one guy in this era of star quarterbacks"
Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban is among the greatest coaches in college football history. While the quarterback remains the most important position in the sport, Saban has been able to win regardless of who is under center for Alabama.
"You know the one guy that's defied that logic? Nick Saban because he was winning with Jake Coker," Matt Barrie said on "The Matt Barrie Show." "He was winning with our boy Greg McElroy – not to take anything away from McElroy. He had Mark Ingram at the time. Hand the ball off, throw the play-action pass.
"He's the only guy – and I know Tua (Tagovailoa) won the one to Devonta Smith; he came off the bench; he didn't win one as a starter – but I guess the point being that he's the one guy in this era of star quarterbacks that really hasn't needed one to succeed better than anyone in the sport."
Check out Matt Barrie's comments on Nick Saban below (starting at the 14:14 mark):
Saban has won seven national championships as a coach, with six coming while leading the Crimson Tide. A.J. McCarron is the only quarterback who has won two titles under Saban. Furthermore, nfl/mac-jones" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Mac Jones is the only first-round pick who has won the national championship as a starter.
Saban will have to work his magic once again in 2023 for Alabama to contend for another title. 2021 Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young was taken first in the 2023 NFL draft.
While the Crimson Tide have not named a starting quarterback, all signs point towards Jalen Milroe winning the job. While Milroe was a four-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class, he has attemped just 60 passes over his first two seasons.
Michael Bratton does not believe Nick Saban will have success in 2023
Nick Saban has not won less than 10 games in a season since 2007, his first year leading the Alabama Crimson Tide. During a recent apperance on "The Paul Finebaum Show," Michael Bratton said that he believes Alabama will finish third in the SEC West before adding:
"We're sitting here, we're looking at Saban smiling and people are reading into that, that he's got this magnificent roster that can't lose. Supporters of Alabama, they're basing this on nothing. They're basing this on what happened five years ago, 10 years ago.
"Nick Saban, he's the greatest of all time, but – I said it at media days, I'll say it again – he's lost his fastball, and that's evident in the last couple of years, losing to teams with inferior talent. And there are many games on this schedule that I think could trip them up."
Check out Michael Bratton's comments on Nick Saban below:
While the Crimson Tide were unable to reach the College Football Playoff last season, they lost just two games by a combined four points. Furthermore, they won the national championship as recently as 2020 while losing the title game in 2021.