Appearing on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Tuesday morning, sports commentator Paul Finebaum pronounced the Nick Saban dynasty at the University of Alabama dead.
Asked by ESPN’s Mike Greenberg if “the era of Nick Saban dominating college football coming to an end,” Finebaum responded, “Yes.”
“It is, and it’s been happening very slowly for a couple of years,” Finebaum continued. “But I think over the last couple of months, we’ve seen it. It started with the 28-point blowout (loss) to Clemson (in January’s National Championship game). Saban said, ‘We have to get the Alabama factor back.’ It didn’t happen.”
“It has been a really disappointing season,” he added.
Finebaum mentioned coaching staff turnover “especially on the defensive side” and competition from Clemson and Georgia in recruiting as key factors for what he sees as a downturn.
He concluded by saying he sees the same signs now with Saban that he observed at the end of Paul “Bear” Bryant’s coaching career.
Watch:
Is the era of Nick Saban dominating college football coming to an end?@finebaum: “Yes.” pic.twitter.com/xjDRah6YRt
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 3, 2019
Reacting in a tweet, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith decried Finebaum’s comments as “Absolute Blasphemy.”
BLASPHEMY out of the mouth of @finebaum on @GetUpESPN this morning about Nick Saban. Absolute Blasphemy
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) December 3, 2019
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.