The last time Alabama was a home underdog, it was 2007 and first-year coach Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide lost four straight, beginning with a 41-34 loss to No. 3 and touchdown-favorite LSU in Bryant-Denny Stadium, and ended up in Shreveport.
On the trip to Shreveport for the Independence Bowl over the holidays, Alabama fans had to read a billboard on Interstate 20 in Monroe that brought up a still-fresh, really bad and embarrassing memory – undermanned little bitty Louisiana-Monroe 21, mighty Alabama and Saban 14. That was one of those four losses that had the Tide limping into Independence Stadium at 6-6, including a 4-4 mark for a second-to-last place tie in the Southeastern Conference.
Third-year LSU coach Les Miles, who replaced Saban at LSU after the 2004 season, and his Tigers improved to 8-1 and 5-1 with Miles’ third straight win over the Tide. They went on to New Orleans for the national championship game while Alabama was still in Shreveport, and won it all.
No. 4 Alabama (3-0, 1-0 SEC) under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer, who replaced Saban after last season, is a much better team in 2024 than it was in 2007. But it is still an underdog, albeit by one point to No. 2 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC). Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC.
This is the first major test for DeBoer, because Saban owned Georgia coach Kirby Smart, who was a Saban assistant at LSU, with the Miami Dolphins and at Alabama. Smart was Saban’s defensive coordinator with the Tide from 2008-15 before becoming Georgia’s coach.
Smart won back-to-back national championships at Georgia in 2021 and ’22, but he still finished 1-5 against Saban and trails him in national titles, 7-1. That includes a 26-23 overtime loss to him in the national championship game on Jan. 8, 2018, after leading 13-0 at the half.
Smart and Georgia did beat Saban and Alabama in the College Football Playoff national championship game, 33-18, on Jan. 10, 2022. But Saban had the last laugh last season, beating Smart and Georgia, 27-24, in the SEC Championship Game to get into the CFP final four and keep Smart rightfully out of it.
Georgia has not beaten Alabama in Tuscaloosa since that same 2007 campaign – 26-23 in overtime early that season when Mark Richt was Georgia’s coach and the underdog that day.
Smart was the defensive backs coach for Alabama during that 41-34 loss to LSU in 2007. And quarterback Matt Flynn shredded his defense on a critical, 4th-and-4 play from the Alabama 32-yard line with under three minutes to play and Alabama leading, 34-27.
A stop by Smart’s secondary, and Alabama probably wins the game. It could just run out the clock in Bama style. But Flynn found wide receiver Early Doucet over the middle, and Doucet broke a few tackles and scored a 32-yard touchdown to tie the game 34-34 with 2:49 to go.
With under two minutes to play, Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson faced a 3rd-and-12 on his 30-yard line. LSU safety Chad Jones blitzed and nailed Wilson for a 12-yard loss. Wilson fumbled, and LSU’s Curtis Taylor pounced on the ball at the Alabama 3-yard line. Two plays later, tailback Jacob Hester scored on a 1-yard run for LSU’s 41-34 lead with 1:26 to go.
Alabama was at midfield with under a minute to go on fourth down, but Wilson’s pass was broken up by safety Craig Steltz. LSU ran out the clock, and it was over.
Flynn, Doucet, Taylor, Hester and Steltz – all recruited, developed and signed by Saban at LSU. Saban is one of the few coaches in college football history to be beaten by so many players he recruited and developed to win. In a way, Saban – the Alabama coach – got beat that day by Saban – the LSU recruiter and developer.
Miles won the national championship two months later with more than 30 Saban players in the program.
Saban would lose to Miles again in 2010 and ’11 and trailed him 3-2 head-to-head going into the national championship game on Jan. 9, 2012.
Saban won that one and four more to finish 7-3 against Miles, who is one of only three coaches in history beat Saban three times. Steve Spurrier beat him twice as Florida’s coach when Saban was at LSU in 2000 and ’01. And Purdue coach Joe Tiller beat Saban when he was at Michigan State three times from 1997-99.
Smart will not see Saban coaching when he looks across the field Saturday, though Saban will be in town with College GameDay.
“No, I don’t expect it to be strange,” Smart said.
But it will be less pressure not to have to have to think about 1-5 and wonder what Saban may try, whether Smart admits that or not. But the Saban touch will still be there.
“Well, he recruited a lot of them, and they’re good players,” Smart said.
If DeBoer wants to be cunning and get under Smart’s skin, he should ask Saban to stand on the Alabama sideline near midfield, where Smart can see him. Then if the game is tight, DeBoer should let Saban whisper something to him on the sidelines.
All Smart will be able to think about is 1-5.
“To me, it’s still Alabama,” Georgia inside linebacker Smael Mondon said. “It’s still like a really talented team. Got a lot of athletes on their roster. They’re still big, strong and physical. Whether Nick Saban’s there or not, it’s still a good football team.”
He’ll be there. Maybe right behind you, Kirby.
SEC SATURDAY SCHEDULE
Kentucky at No. 6 Ole Miss, 11 a.m., ABC.
No. 21 Oklahoma at Auburn, 2:30 p.m., ABC.
Arkansas vs. No. 24 Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas, 2:30 p.m., ESPN.
Mississippi State at No. 1 Texas, 3:15 p.m., SEC Network
South Alabama at No. 14 LSU, 6:45 p.m., SEC Network
THE GUILBEAU POLL
1. Ole Miss (4-0).
2. Texas (4-0).
3. Alabama (3-0, 1-0)
4. Tennessee (4-0, 1-0)
5. Georgia (3-0, 1-0)
6. Missouri (4-0, 1-0)
7. Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0)
8. LSU (3-1, 1-0)
9. South Carolina (3-1, 1-1)
10. Arkansas (3-1, 1-0)
11. Oklahoma (3-1, 0-1)
12. Kentucky (2-2, 0-2)
13. Florida (2-2, 1-1)
14. Auburn (2-2, 0-1)
15. Vanderbilt (2-2, 0-1)
16. Mississippi State (1-3, 0-1)
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“We really haven’t played four quarters of the kind of football I think we’re capable of. So, I think that’s what’s most important for us is playing four quarters.”
… LSU coach Brian Kelly.
BS QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I mean no offense whatsoever to Arkansas. I love Sam Pittman. I hope he wins the rest of his games, but I’m telling you the hard truth is that if we play them nine more times, we beat them nine times.”
… Auburn coach Hugh Freeze after losing, 24-14, to Arkansas last week. No offense, Hugh, but you’re full of it.
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