Nick Saban is someone, to whom everyone looks up for the best motivational boost. With the highly anticipated matchup between Georgia and Texas this weekend, it’s no surprise that Saban has expressed support for both his mentees. Surprisingly, even after the great Alabama blunder, the Bulldogs HC still stands tall in Saban’s list of favorites.

Kirby Smart has found the ex-Alabama HC by his side in one of his darkest periods. While the CFB fans thought that Saban would be on Georgia’s side, the GOAT pulled out a UNO Reverse card. This time around, the 7x National Championship winner sang in Steve Sarkisian’s favor.    

Before the 2024 kickoff every CFB fan might have one picture in their mind, No.1 Georgia Bulldogs to be crushing No.4 Texas Longhorns. Now that the face-off is only a day away, they are now amazed at how the rankings flipped. Smart and the Dawgs hit a nosedive against Alabama and will be facing off against Sarkisian’s army as the 3.5-point underdogs. In such a crucial moment, Saban took an entry to clear the air. On the Pat McAfee Show, the host served up an important question for Saban, “How do you think both of them are viewing tomorrow and have you got a chance to catch up with them this week?”

And the GOAT dished out some high praises for the Longhorns HC. “I think Sark kind of stays pretty even keel. He sort of analyzes the game a little differently in terms of how he’s going to approach.” What helped Sarkisian to woo Saban? Even though they had a rocky start against Oklahoma, the Longhorns’ game against LA Monroe and UTSA stood out. However, the trust has been vice versa.   

Just when the ex-Alabama HC is hopeful about Sark, the Texas HC too gave credit to his coaching mentor. Back in 2016, Sarkisian boarded the Bama wagon as an analyst. “When you’re at Alabama, whether it’s a short time or a long time, there are a lot of lessons to be learned,” confessed the Longhorns HC. “Not everybody is going to be Nick Saban but there are a lot of lessons to be learned and there’s some method to the madness of how he goes about his business,” added Sarkisian. Well if you think that only the Texas HC has the GOAT’s support then you are mistaken. 

Kirby Smart and Nick Saban’s bond endures through triumphs and setbacks

Losing your top spot is definitely not a pleasant feeling. Ever since Smart had taken Georgia’s reins, he had only witnessed good times. Now that they will be facing off Sarkisian’s squad, Smart’s 50-game streak has been broken. All thanks to the Longhorns. While the Dawgs fans might have turned away from the program, Smart has been there to console the HC.

September 28 is a day that Georgia is going to remember for the longest time. Well, not for anything good but for getting thrashed badly by Alabama 41-34. While Saban might have been happy to see his ex-program soar high, he is not a selfish man. And he again proved how being present in hard times matters the most. 

Right after the game, Nick Saban reached out to Kirby Smart. “I know how disappointed everybody in Georgia had to be about Georgia losing the game. I actually texted Kirby after the game, and said, ‘Hey, this is not the worst thing that ever happened.’ After all, they have worked together on the same team for 11 years. In that case, Steve Sarkisian is still a kid! 

In case you would like to check out more about NIL and NFL here’s the latest episode of the Think Tank podcast.