You would think that by now Alabama fans would trust Nick Saban. It's only been five national championships. But, alas, you don't get to building a dynasty without having the most reactionary fan base in your respective sport. Ask the Yankees. Ask the Patriots. Heck, ask any perennial competitor in the Power 5. When Alabama went down 13-0 before the half in Monday's College Football Playoff National Championship against Georgia, fans were freaking out because, once again, Saban brought them back to the edge.
This has it all. "Is Saban's time up? What kind of maniac plays a freshman quarterback over a guy that threw one pick all season. Bring back Lane Kiffin! Saban will lose his defense." Imagine thinking Saban is going to lose any unit on the Crimson Tide. After the first half, Saban was being written off.
Remember, however, Alabama fans are no strangers to suffering. Before Monday's game, it had been two years since Alabama had won a championship. When the Tide were down 20-10, things seemed equally grim. Fans were actually beginning to ask if they could call better games.
Yes, that's right. A comment actually asked if a message board was smarter than Nick Saban. NICK. SABAN. FOUR-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPION NICK SABAN. Just sit down and think about that for a minute. Saban put in Tua Tagovailoa for the second half, the sheer audacity of that move alone shows who he is. But Rivals' fans no better.
And then, after Andy Pappanastos missed the potential game-winning field goal, the stress just seemed to break the place down.
But after getting the game-winning touchdown from Tagovailoa in overtime, it's safe to say things are a lot better in Tuscaloosa.
The bottom line? Don't count out Nick Saban. Ever. And don't say you're smarter than him. You aren't. There aren't many coaches that have earned indiscriminate trust. It's safe to say that Saban is at this point, especially after tying Bear Bryant's record for most national championships in major college football.