Could the University of Alabama soon be looking for the greatest of all time's replacement? ESPN's Paul Finebaum seems to think so.
Wednesday on ESPN's "Get Up," Finebaum suggested that Nick Saban, 72, was "very close to the end." The college football commentator also suggested the College Football Playoff semifinals loss to Michigan "very well could've been" Saban's "swan song."
"[H]ow would you assess the possibility that the other night was the last time we see the legendary Saban on a stage like that?" host Mike Greenberg asked.
"It's possible, Greeny," Finebaum replied. "This past season is the first time since 2008 that Alabama has gone through the entire season where at no point were they ranked number one. I mean, think about that. That's just almost impossible to consider, but that's where we are. We are starting to use point of references like that. It's now been three years since Nick Saban won a national championship. Why is that relevant? Because that's the longest stretch he's gone in his career. He won in the COVID year, but other than that, he has not won a title since 2017."
"[F]or Nick Saban, it feels like he's very close to the end," he continued. "And I know a lot of people in Tuscaloosa are worried right now. Saban is back in town after the trip from California. What is he thinking about? Yes, he just had a great recruiting year, but he can't stand the portal, he can't stand NIL, and you just have to wonder whether that was his ... swan song the other night. It very well could have been."
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