College football legend Nick Saban probably has all the respect in the world for Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young. Heck, he once gave his former player what may have been the utmost compliment he could—stating last year that having Young was “as good as having a coach on the field.”
But sometimes, even coaches can screw up.
Saban, fresh off retiring after 17 seasons as the head honcho at the University of Alabama, made his debut on ESPN’s College GameDay yesterday afternoon. The seven-time national champion and the rest of his crew were joined on set by Texas A&M University head coach Mike Elko, who locked horns with Saban a time or two in the ol’ SEC.
One of those battles came three years ago, during Young’s Heisman Trophy-winning campaign in 2021. But when recalling the game, an outing that didn’t go too well for Alabama, Saban seemed to hit Young with a stray . . .
"The last time we played here at night, which was three years ago, ya'll beat us… After winning 19 games in a row, Bryce Young was so confused by your pressures, that we had no chance." – Nick Saban
"I'm going to take that one and run, coach." – Texas A&M HC Mike Elko pic.twitter.com/AGVbrtXtPi
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 31, 2024
Elko’s Aggies bested Saban’s Crimson Tide that night, pulling off a 41-38 upset victory. Young actually wasn’t all too bad in the defeat—completing 28 of his 48 throws for 369 yards and three touchdowns.
He was, however, hit with four sacks as well as an interception. And funnily enough, the pick landed into the hands of safety Demani Richardson—a current member of the Panthers’ practice squad.
Young, Saban and the Tide would proceed to rip off wins in each their next eight contests leading up to their national title matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs. That bout would end in a 33-18 loss for Alabama.
