Sparking News: I will leave for him to play Buzz insist to for Nick Saban to play…
Somewhere between watching Nick Saban become the star of the NFL Draft, not as a head coach but as an ESPN GameDay analyst, and seeing those social media videos comparing the golf swings of Saban, Kalen DeBoer and Hugh Freeze, it hit me.
A college football off-season in this state that started with a big bang, with Saban retiring and Alabama hiring DeBoer to replace him, has downshifted in energy and intensity to not much more than a whimper.
Since the early post-Saban exit of big names like Gravedigger receiver Isaiah Bond to Texas and precocious safety sensation Caleb Downs to Ohio State, the transfer portal comings and goings have been rather pedestrian. There have been no stop-the-presses coaching rants or feuds like Saban vs. Jimbo Fisher.
Meanwhile the growing number of people who follow the bouncing ball have had plenty of juicy storylines to follow at a time of year when college football usually dominates the conversation around here with no games on the schedule for months.
Both the Auburn and Alabama spring games were overshadowed in importance and discussion by Alabama basketball’s first trip to the Final Four. More than a month later, college basketball continues to be a hotter topic, maybe hotter than ever in this state this deep into its postseason, as both Alabama and Auburn are projected as preseason top 10 teams….
