No. 2 Alabama vs No. 22 South Carolina, “The Head Ball Coach” vs “The Sabanator”
In a day gone by this matchup between Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban would have been a classic showdown between two coaches at the top of their game.
For all intents and purposes, Steve Spurrier was the Nick Saban of the 1990s. He was one of the hottest names in college football, and he and his Florida Gators terrorized the SEC for most of a decade.
When he arrived in Gainesville to take over the reins at the University of Florida, there really wasn't much hoopla from the rest of the SEC. Spurrier was known for running some kinda gadget offense call, Fun and Gun?
It sounded like something from another planet to SEC fans, and everyone was sure the Fun and Gun would just be one and done in the SEC.
It wasn't long before SEC fans realized just how wrong they had been. Within a few years Florida was making the rest of the teams in the SEC look like they were running in slow motion.
| Championships | |
|---|---|
| 1996 National Championship 1989 ACC Championship 1991 SEC Championship 1993 SEC Championship 1994 SEC Championship 1995 SEC Championship 1996 SEC Championship 2000 SEC Championship |
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| Awards | |
| As a Coach 1988 ACC Coach of the Year 1989 ACC Coach of the Year 1990 SEC Coach of the Year 1991 SEC Coach of the Year 1994 SEC Coach of the Year 1995 SEC Coach of the Year 1996 SEC Coach of the Year 2005 SEC Coach of the Year |
|
Spurrier and his Gators won the SEC championship in his second year. He then proceeded to win five out of six SEC Championships.
The Gators actually won the SEC Championship in Spurrier's first year as well, but were ineligible due to NCAA sanctions.
His only miss in the following five years was in 1992 when the soon to be National Champions, Alabama Crimson Tide, edged out the Gators in the inaugural SEC Championship Game that was, at that time, held in Birmingham, Al.
That was just a bump in the road for Spurrier as the Gators went on to win the next four in a row, which culminated with Florida winning its first National Championship in 1996.
Spurrier was arrogant and cocky back then, but he could back up almost everything he said on the football field on Saturday. He was probably the most hated rival coach in NCAA football.
Nick Saban splashed on the SEC scene in much the same way Spurrier did some 10 years earlier.
Saban came to LSU form Michigan State, and pretty much took the SEC by storm the same way Spurrier did at Florida. The only difference was that it only took Saban three years to win his first National Championship, instead of taking six years like Spurrier.
Spurrier and Nick Saban have something else in common, they both left their successful situations to try their hand in the NFL. Both men's formula for success in college football did not translate to success in professional football.
You see, their real talent was in convincing great athletes to come and play for them, and in the NFL your hands are tied and someone else decides who plays on your team, not you.
Spurrier had been one of the hottest names since he returned to NCAA football. He was rumored to be courted by almost every team in the SEC, at one time or another, after he left the Washington Redskins in 2003.
He chose the University of South Carolina for his return to greatness, and after almost five years, he now seems to be only a shadow of his former self.
He was voted the SEC Coach of the Year in 2005, but failed to capitalize on that as the Gamecocks show little sign of improvement in the years to follow.
Spurrier's Gamecocks have lost at least five games every season under Spurrier, and have a less than impressive 15-17 record in SEC play.
The one thing Spurrier has done at USC is upset some pretty good teams.
He has upset almost every decent team in the SEC at one time or another, and now his sites are set on No.2 Alabama.
Nick Saban's story has been completely the opposite of Spurrier's since his return to college football in 2006.
He has taken the Alabama Crimson Tide from the outhouse to the penthouse in three short years, and is now staring straight down his sites at his second possible National Championship.
He also was named National Coach of the Year, and has parlayed that into a back to back No. 1 recruiting classes, and a football program that is now on the verge of greatness.
Saban has acquired the affectionate nickname the "Sabanator" by some Alabama fans, due to his unintentional knack of ending many former SEC coaches coaching careers.
Saban's next obstacle between him and his Alabama team's shot at history is Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks.
The Head Ball Coach will square off with the "Sabanator" at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Oct. 17 at 6:30 CST in a nationally televised game on ESPN.
It will be Spurrier's offense against Saban's defense.
It will be Spurrier's knack for being a giant killer, against Saban's ability keep his team focused and on an even keel.
South Carolina is 5-1 with their only loss to Georgia coming in the last minutes of the game.
Alabama is 6-0 but hasn't faced a team with a better defense than South Carolina's.
The key to this game, in my opinion, is whether Alabama's defense can hold the Gamecocks offense under 20 points.
This will be key, because I expect the Gamecocks to try and limit Alabama's offense to less than 30 points.
Turnovers will be important, and the winner of the turnover battle should win this game.
Touchdowns will be hard to come by due to both teams great defenses.
South Carolina's passing defense is ranked No. 6 in the country, and Alabama's defense in ranked No. 2 in the nation in total defense.
To give you an idea of just how good the Gamecocks' passing defense is, they are ranked ahead of Alabama's passing defense, and the Crimson Tides' pass defense ain't bad!
With all that said:
I know Alabama must be getting tired, but they have to find a way to dig deep enough to beat the Gamecocks if they intend to continue their march to Atlanta and play in the SECCG.
No.2 Alabama 30
South Carolina 20
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