Jumbo Package: Saban apologizes for comments toward A&M

Happy Friday, everyone. All of the news centers around the little flap between multimillionaire coaches.

Saban wants his players to make money. He just doesn’t think the money should shove out the door all the other attributes that his system, one he has spent a lifetime developing, can offer. Elite recruits sign with an elite program to prepare for the NFL. The smart ones get an education for that time when the NFL shuts the door on them. Saban has made himself the most successful coach in the history of the game by providing those tools better than anyone else ever has.

And now this breaking news: Recruiting is about the money. Assistants and boosters are shopping NIL deals. Most coaches believe this chaos will calm down in a couple of years, that a system will be established that will allow college athletics to have rules without running afoul of antitrust law.

While Saban’s point was correct, he admits that he shouldn’t have named names. Both he and Jimbo Fisher were admonished by Greg Sankey, and Nick apologized. The bottom line is that the money being paid to high schoolers has nothing to do with their name, image, and likeness. The bidding is for their signature on a NLI to hopefully win a lot of games for the booster’s preferred school. Why keep up the charade? Just get rid of all recruiting rules and be done with it. You get 85 at a time, get them however you like.

Booger is spot on here, though.

“A&M hasn’t proved anything on the field yet. They’ve proved they can build tall buildings, they proved they can build a great recruiting class, but have they proven they can get 11 wins and win the SEC? Have they proven they can get to the SEC championship and go play for national championship, but have not proven that.”

As would be expected, the former hard-nosed, smash-mouth defensive anchor wants Fisher to prove himself not only on the field regarding a SEC and College Football Playoff berth, but against Saban and his Crimson Tide when the two squads suit up against one another on Oct. 8 in Tuscaloosa.

“I would worry about that and stop worrying about what the greatest college football coach of all time says, because you’re not going to win social media with Nick Saban,” McFarland said.

Good thing Jimbo’s money is all guaranteed, because some old rich oilmen are going to be very angry when he blows all their money to lose four games.

Bryce Young is the #2 QB on one preseason draft board.

Projected as one of the top picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, Young is hoping to become the second player ever to win two Heismans, joining Ohio State’s Archie Griffin. He’ll have to do so with a new-look crop of wideouts at Alabama following the exit of Jameson Williams and John Metchie to the NFL Draft, along with transfers Jahleel Billingsley and Agiye Hall, who both signed with Texas. Alabama hopes the acquisition of Georgia’s Jermaine Burton as the offense’s new WR1 will pay off in a big way. Young’s size may come into question next spring during the pre-draft process when comparisons to Russell Wilson are sure to surface.

Yeah, that’s about it for today.

I know, it’s slow. Otherwise the silly little spat wouldn’t garner the attention it got.

Have a great weekend.

Roll Tide.