Alabama head coach Nick Saban embraced every aspect of the underdog role ahead of Saturday’s SEC title game against Georgia. And while it feels uncommon for Saban-led teams to look up at an opponent flaunting the No. 1 ranking, it’s happened more often than one might think.
Under Saban’s watch, the Crimson Tide have now faced a team ranked No. 1 in the nation on 10 separate occasions. The result, an 8-2 record for Alabama, marks one of the most dominant and underrated accomplishments of the head coach’s career.
Saban 8-2 against the top ranked team in the country is maybe the coolest stat I’ve ever seen
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) December 3, 2023
The seven national championships are (rightfully) the headliner, and 11 SEC titles are a close second. But managing to reel off an 80% winning mark against a team labeled as the best in college football puts the other side of Saban’s dominance on full display.
The entirety of the college football world is well aware of Saban’s dominance when Alabama is a favorite to win the national title. But when his team is (in most instances) the underdog facing arguably the best team in college football at that point, Saban has also shown no issue embracing that role.
