Amid Georgia’s historic rout of TCU in the College Football Playoff national championship on Monday night, an awkward moment broke out on ESPN’s halftime show between Alabama coach Nick Saban and UGA alum David Pollack.
With the Bulldogs leading 38–7 at halftime, Pollack took an opportunity to praise Kirby Smart’s program for its remarkable showing over the last two seasons. In doing so, he proclaimed that the top of the college football landscape has changed with Georgia now taking control of the sport, all while Saban was sitting directly to his right.
“We love the Cinderella story and we love when this comes about but this isn’t really the Cinderella ending,” Pollack said. “Georgia, obviously, we’ve seen from the past couple seasons now, really, they’ve taken hold of college football. Unbelievable job.”
The Alabama coach couldn’t help but subtly react to Pollack’s remarks, making for quite the viral moment during the halftime show. The college football world was quick to take note of the interaction as a handful of those watching took to social media to react to the awkward moment.
Pollack’s comments may not have endeared him to Saban, but with Georgia’s second straight national championship victory, he certainly has a point. The Bulldogs are now the first team to win back-to-back titles since Saban’s Crimson Tide did so in 2011-12.
Alabama took a small step backward this past season, finishing 10–2 and fifth in the final College Football rankings. Though Saban and the Crimson Tide certainly aren’t down and out, the program will now have to reckon with the two-time defending champions when the 2023 campaign gets underway next fall.
