Kirby Smart Surpass Saban?

[FightingIrish44]

I view Saban as arguably the best all-time NCAA football coach considering the seven titles in the modern era. Those are undisputed titles too although 2003 was a split with USC. LSU still won the BCS game. So we could say 6.5 titles.

If Kirby Smart wins this year, that will be 3 titles at age 48 while Saban didn’t win his first until age 53. Smart played for Georgia too so he’s not going anywhere.

I found that interesting. Anyone have a different coach that they think is the best all-time? Do you think Smart ends up with more titles than Saban?

Also Georgia Tech played Georgia pretty tight yesterday. They were effective running the ball against Georgia with a 4.7 yards per carry average. That’s something ND has had a tough time doing against top tier opponents. Sometimes its just good game planning and scheming to make up for a talent disparity.

 

[mrwigglesby21]

I'd say Kirby needs to get 5 or 6 before he passes Saban. Saban won titles at two different schools. Although, winning a title during the expanded playoff area has to count for a bit more than prior - hence 5 or 6. He is certainly on-pace to surpass.

In the modern era, I'd say Osbourne is the only one that could come close (3 titles / Finished career 60 - 3 over last 5yrs). Had Meyer not flamed out he would have had a chance.

 

[FightingIrish44]

I'd say Kirby needs to get 5 or 6 before he passes Saban. Saban won titles at two different schools. Although, winning a title during the expanded playoff area has to count for a bit more than prior - hence 5 or 6. He is certainly on-pace to surpass.

In the modern era, I'd say Osbourne is the only one that could come close (3 titles / Finished career 60 - 3 over last 5yrs). Had Meyer not flamed out he would have had a chance.

Yes I would only potentially consider him to pass Saban if he win 5+ and a bunch of good to great seasons. Good point about the expanded playoff.

I’m still amazed by Nebraska’s 40 year run where they only had 3 seasons where they lost more than 3 games. Incredible.

 

[NDgreatestofalltime!]

Not yet, he has a ways to go IMO. MSU was trash before he arrived in East Lansing, he made them competitive and they upset much more talented OSU, UM, PSU, and ND teams his last couple of years, that’s why LSU snatched him up.

LSU won 5 more games his first year and in his first two seasons he went 9-4 against top 25 teams. In four years he was 6-3 against the top 10, only favored in three of those games, and won a NC.

At Bama, well we all know that. It would take a lot of space to write about all his successes in Tuscaloosa the past 15 years.

 

[Juniper_Run]

I agree that Saban is the best of all time, and I would be shocked if Smart ever surpassed him. That's not a knock on Kirby Smart at all, just an acknowledgement of how unbelievably rare it is to maintain top-level success for decades at a time. IMO, 3 different coaches have been in Smart's position in the past 20 years, and none has come anywhere close to Saban's success:

Pete Carroll: As USC racked up wins in 2005 including their infamous “Bush Push” win at Notre Dame Stadium, many analysts began to wonder out loud if they were not just the greatest team of that year, but the greatest team of all time. Pete Carroll (age 55) was hoarding blue chip recruits, and his teams were just embarrassing their opposition on the field. Carroll lost the title game that year and never won another championship at USC. He left college coaching for good after the 2009 season.

Urban Meyer: Won his 2nd national title at just age 44 in the 2008 season. With his coaching achievements and his team’s location in the most recruiting-rich area of the country, it seemed like nothing could stop him from shattering records for years to come. He did have further success, but nothing close to the expectations that he carried after the ’08 season. Not only did he fail to achieve GOAT status at the college level, he has since placed his name on the short list of candidates for worst NFL coach in history.

Dabo Swinney: Won his second title in the 2018 season at age 49, and Clemson gave every impression of being THE team of the future after thrashing Alabama in the championship game. He hasn’t won a title since.

 

[NDgreatestofalltime!]

I agree that Saban is the best of all time, and I would be shocked if Smart ever surpassed him. That's not a knock on Kirby Smart at all, just an acknowledgement of how unbelievably rare it is to maintain top-level success for decades at a time. IMO, 3 different coaches have been in Smart's position in the past 20 years, and none has come anywhere close to Saban's success:

Pete Carroll: As USC racked up wins in 2005 including their infamous “Bush Push” win at Notre Dame Stadium, many analysts began to wonder out loud if they were not just the greatest team of that year, but the greatest team of all time. Pete Carroll (age 55) was hoarding blue chip recruits, and his teams were just embarrassing their opposition on the field. Carroll lost the title game that year and never won another championship at USC. He left college coaching for good after the 2009 season.

Urban Meyer: Won his 2nd national title at just age 44 in the 2008 season. With his coaching achievements and his team’s location in the most recruiting-rich area of the country, it seemed like nothing could stop him from shattering records for years to come. He did have further success, but nothing close to the expectations that he carried after the ’08 season. Not only did he fail to achieve GOAT status at the college level, he has since placed his name on the short list of candidates for worst NFL coach in history.

Dabo Swinney: Won his second title in the 2018 season at age 49, and Clemson gave every impression of being THE team of the future after thrashing Alabama in the championship game. He hasn’t won a title since.

Winning is hard, look at how many guys have won a title and been gone in short order in modern sports.

Championships don’t buy long term goodwill these days. Some moronic Clemson fans wanted Dabo fired after the loss to NCST. My goodness the man took a middling program and made them one of the top 2-3 teams for nearly a decade. They have one sub 10 win season and “fiRe dABo!”🥴

Even Nick Saban had Bama fans questioning him a few years ago because Clemson smoked them in the title game and the next year they failed to make the playoffs losing heartbreakers to LSU (Champions) and Auburn. Bama went 11-2 and even Paul Finebum was raising questions. It was ridiculous.

 

[burmafrd1943]

Winning is hard, look at how many guys have won a title and been gone in short order in modern sports.

Championships don’t buy long term goodwill these days. Some moronic Clemson fans wanted Dabo fired after the loss to NCST. My goodness the man took a middling program and made them one of the top 2-3 teams for nearly a decade. They have one sub 10 win season and “fiRe dABo!”🥴

Even Nick Saban had Bama fans questioning him a few years ago because Clemson smoked them in the title game and the next year they failed to make the playoffs losing heartbreakers to LSU (Champions) and Auburn. Bama went 11-2 and even Paul Finebum was raising questions. It was ridiculous.

fans are easily spoiled and easily upset.

Cannot argue as regards Saban being the most successful
now the absolute best when thinking about all the greats over the last century?
That is not clear at all

 

[deadirishpoet]

I view Saban as arguably the best all-time NCAA football coach considering the seven titles in the modern era. Those are undisputed titles too although 2003 was a split with USC. LSU still won the BCS game. So we could say 6.5 titles.

If Kirby Smart wins this year, that will be 3 titles at age 48 while Saban didn’t win his first until age 53. Smart played for Georgia too so he’s not going anywhere.

I found that interesting. Anyone have a different coach that they think is the best all-time? Do you think Smart ends up with more titles than Saban?

Also Georgia Tech played Georgia pretty tight yesterday. They were effective running the ball against Georgia with a 4.7 yards per carry average. That’s something ND has had a tough time doing against top tier opponents. Sometimes its just good game planning and scheming to make up for a talent disparity.

If Ga draws Michigan that could be a problem