9/3/2023 0 Comments Bear bryant![]() "They don't come back and say, 'We won a championship in '78, '79, '61,' whenever it was. "Bear" Bryant has been considered the best coach in college football history. "He wasn't just a coach," former Southern California coach John McKay once said. No program in the nation won more than Alabama in the 1960s and 1970s, as he's considered the only college football coach to successfully lead not one but two dynasties. Bryant also made his mark at Texas A&M and was closing in on the 1957 national championship when the Tide lured him away and he made his famous statement: "Mama called, and when Mama calls, then you just have to come running."ĭuring his amazing 25 years with the Crimson Tide, Bryant lost just 46 games compared to 232 wins. Yes, the Wildcats, who have since won just one other SEC title, in 1976, and that was shared with Georgia. Only Bryant came out on top, 13-7.with Kentucky. His team capped that season off with an invitation to face Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl, which may have seemed like a looming execution considering Bud Wilkinson's Sooners were riding a 31-game winning streak. College Football"īut here's a snapshot of how a good of a coach Bryant was:įrom 1946 to 1953, his teams enjoyed eight straight winning seasons to go with appearances in the Orange, Sugar and Cotton Bowls, and he captured his first Southeastern Conference title in 1950. The timing of the Associated Press Poll was also instrumental in Alabama claiming the 19 titles, with one held before the bowls and the other after, and 1973 was one of three split national titles for Bryant (although, yes, on face value, the undefeated 1966 team probably should have been No. 2 matchup against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. That removes from this discussion Alabama's 1973 championship, when the coaches' poll submitted its final rankings before Alabama lost the No. When you look at their accomplishments side-by-side, however, Saban begins to step forward.įor the purposes of this article and consistency, the following figures are for the consensus national champions-meaning if there's a split title, only the team that the majority of ranking services consider the titleholder is considered. ![]() "I don't think you can really kind of put words into what it really has meant and how it has affected the University of Alabama." "I don't think there's any question that there's probably only a few people in college athletics history who have had as great an impact, maybe John Wooden at UCLA," Saban said about Bryant on what would have been his 100th birthday, September 11, 2013. Bryant is one of the most beloved figures in Southern history, whose status transcends sports. When it comes to iconic status, historical significance and longevity, there's no comparison between them. ![]() Nick Saban's latest title was one for the thumb. With Alabama having won an unprecedented four of the last seven national titles, it just might be. Saban skillfully responded, "I really haven't thought about it," but his place in history is something the rest of the college football world has started to extensively debate, along with whether the Crimson Tide's ongoing dynasty is the best the sport has ever seen. Under different circumstances, it probably would have been the first question, but with the way things unfolded during the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, where the University of Alabama survived its thriller against Clemson, 45-40, the onside kick and coaching his last game with defensive coordinator Kirby Smart opened the postgame press conference. ![]() "Bear" Bryant's after winning his fifth national championship last Monday night. That's how long it took for Nick Saban to be asked about his legacy in comparison to Paul W. In terms of legacy, Nick Saban appears to have caught Paul W.
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