Lane Kiffin: Nick Saban is singlehandedly responsible for Alabama dynasty
No. 1 Alabama and No. 12 Ole Miss are set to face off in what is arguably the most intriguing matchup of Week 5, and maybe even the entire season. Alabama enters the weekend at 4-0 while Ole Miss currently sits at 3-0 on the season. Ahead of the matchup, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin spoke about the dynasty that Alabama has built. Kiffin said that Alabama coach Nick Saban is singlehandedly responsible for the sustained success.
Part of what makes Alabama so great is Saban’s ability to recruit, according to Kiffin. That has only escalated in the new era of NIL deals within collegiate athletics.
“Nick Saban,” Kiffin said when asked about what has allowed Alabama to have its sustained success. “Alabama’s been around a long time but haven’t won like this for a long time or won big for a long time, so it’s not like it’s just a school. It’s one person. He’s been able to maintain it through tons of different players, tons of different coaches, more coaching turnover than I think anybody’s ever had.
“By the way he works, and probably more importantly the way that he recruits, they got great players. Last year we played, they had six first rounders and we had two draft picks. He’s dominated recruiting and you know with free agency; he gets to add onto that. He said himself when first asked about the whole free agency thing that it’s going to make the rich richer. And he was right.”
Saban complimented Ole Miss earlier in the week
Kiffin and Saban have traded compliments about each other’s programs in recent days as they gear up for the matchup. On Monday, Saban raved about Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral, also saying that Ole Miss has a very good offense.
“He played really well against us last year,” Saban said of Corral to reporters on Monday. “The guy is very elusive. He can extend plays, very accurate passer. Executes their offense extremely well. He can make plays with his feet, he does pull the ball every now and then. They do have a quarterback run here and there. Not a lot, but just enough to make you defend it on defense.
“The combination of things they do in the running game and passing game is difficult to defend. He is about as talented as a guy we’ve seen run and pass for a long time.”
Alabama-Ole Miss has huge implications on the rest of the season
Saturday’s matchup between Alabama and Ole Miss could very well be the deciding factor in who wins the SEC West. ESPN’s Paul Finebaum believes that is the case. Finebaum is intrigued about the matchup between Kiffin and Saban.
“The Alabama-Ole Miss game is probably going to decide the West. I mean, Ole Miss has a shot,” stated Finebaum. “They have a coach who’s the only coach that I know of in the SEC that you don’t start the game at a disadvantage. He (Lane Kiffin) has Nick Saban next to a voodoo doll. He just keeps sticking pins in him. That’s what gets him going.
“I think it’ll be fascinating,” said Finebaum. “It’s potentially the shootout of the year in the SEC.”