Georgia football: There’s no ‘yeah, but…’ if the Bulldogs beat Bama sans Saban
Georgia football fans are already hearing about asterisks if the Bulldogs beat Alabama without Nick Saban on the sideline.
The current arch-nemesis for Georgia football is Alabama, and their head coach, Nick Saban. The buildup to this week’s clash of the No. 2 Crimson Tide and the No. 3 Bulldogs has been tremendous and everything seemed on track for a good, old-fashioned SEC slugfest at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
And then, 2020 once again stepped in and did its evil mojo.
Bama head coach Nick Saban announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19, causing him to go into immediate self-quarantine at his home. The plan, for now, is to have Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian take over head coaching duties.
So, if Georgia wins the game without Nick Saban prowling the sidelines, is there an asterisk on the win? Do Alabama fans have the right to say, “Yeah, but…”?
Absolutely not.
In the 1970 movie Patton, U.S. General George S, Patton receives word from Army G-2 that his arch-nemesis — German general Erwin Rommel — was not present at a North African battle won by the Americans.
Patton’s reaction to hearing the German’s didn’t want their favorite General to lose face?
"“I’m my favorite general, and I don’t like to be told that some second-stringer is up against me. Then I lose face…Rommel is the best the krauts have, and I kicked the hell out of him. Now my own G-2 section is telling me he wasn’t even there.”"
He’s then reassured by his aide:
"“But, general, he undoubtedly planned the German battle. If you defeat Rommel’s plan, you’ve defeated Rommel. Isn’t that true?”"
Dear Alabama fans,
If you defeat Saban’s team, you’ve defeated Saban. Isn’t that true?
This is Nick Saban’s team. Recruited and coached by Saban. The gameplan undoubtedly put together by Saban. Crucial decisions (probably) being relayed to Sarkisian by Saban. It’s a sure thing if Alabama wins there’s no asterisk sitting next to the W simply because Saban wasn’t present at the game.
And there can’t be if they lose.
Alabama has won the last five meetings between these two teams, and Nick Saban is an incredible 21-0 against former assistants. Georgia wants to end the streak against Alabama, and if you don’t think Kirby Smart wants to have his name in the record books as the first former protégé to beat mentor Nick Saban, you don’t know Kirby Smart.
It matters. It all matters, and short of Alabama having to play this game with their arms tied behind their backs, there is no reason to give any kind of “yeah, but…” to a Georgia win.
We all wish the best for coach Saban and hope his bout with COVID is short and complication-free. But whether or not he’s coaching on the sidelines against Georgia means nothing to the final meaning of this game’s outcome.
Save your asterisks for Auburn. It was a fumble, not a spike.