Alabama

Kirby Smart built Georgia like Nick Saban’s Alabama. Now, the Tide is different

Published

1 year ago

September 25, 2024

Kirby Smart built Georgia like Nick Saban’s Alabama. Now, the Tide is different

Nick Saban is all over Athens. Kirby Smart saw to that.

The man who won six national titles in Tuscaloosa can be found when you look at Georgia’s gleaming Payne Indoor Facility. He’s around when Bulldog freshmen don’t speak to media, and when the team takes the practice field in the afternoon despite the September heat.

The expectations are similar. The on-field product is similar.

The fear opponents feel when having to face the SEC’s ruling juggernauts is almost exactly the same.

“With Georgia and with Bama, 80% of the games those two teams play, the opponent is beat before the first kickoff,” former Crimson Tide quarterback and current ESPN analyst Greg McElroy said. “They really are. They look across the field and they see guys that are enormous. They look crazy athletic.”

Athens even has the familiar traffic barrels littering roads around town, much like Tuscaloosa. Those are a sign of construction, brought on, in part, by the growth from students coming to school for the football juggernaut.

“My 12-year-old son and his friend had a lemonade stand a few weeks ago,” Athens- Clarke County mayor Kelly Girtz told AL.com. “They probably did better than they would have done 15 years ago.”

Smart followed Saban’s blueprint to a T. He built Georgia to be as close an approximation to the Alabama dynasty as can be.

But when Smart returns to Tuscaloosa on Saturday, for only the second time since departing, the original won’t be one the other sideline to meet him.

‘Being around coach Saban’

Smart held off taking a head coaching job for years longer than he needed to. The opportunities were there for Alabama’s defensive coordinator, but he held out for the right situation.

“A lot of people have said, why not take a smaller school head job?” Smart said at his UGA introductory press conference in 2015. ” I honestly feel my growth was better being in a large program, being around Coach Saban and learning how to manage a lot of the tough situations you deal with.”

He started building like Saban immediately. Both figuratively, in talent acquisition and on-field scheme, and literally, forcing UGA to begin construction and modernize its facilities.

Jeremy Pruitt, then the Bulldog defensive coordinator, told media in 2014 that teams were using the program’s lack of a top indoor facility against it on the recruiting trail. The wheels began moving just before Smart took over, but he participated in the groundbreaking for the building in 2016.

That was just the beginning. Georgia renovated the west end of Sanford Stadium, building a new locker room, recruiting lounge, medical facilities and more.

Internally, he copied Saban as well. Smart has an army of support staffers, and the recruiting ability to fill a roster with five-stars.

Saban’s greatest trick was turning a dysfunctional program with endless potential into a dynasty. Smart has nearly done the same, winning two national titles so far, flipping a constant nearly-there UGA team into a perennial contender.

For several years, the two schools sat atop the league together, with Saban getting the last laugh in the 2023 SEC championship game. Smart was evidence that Saban’s dynasty blueprint could work if applied correctly.

Then, in January, Saban retired. Georgia was built in Alabama’s image, but the blueprint is gone now.

‘Don’t expect it to be strange’

Smart has only returned to Bryant-Denny Stadium once since he left. That was in 2020, Alabama’s last undefeated national title season, and it was in front of less than 20,000 fans due to pandemic restrictions.

This time around, his old boss, the man he worked under for 11 years won’t be on the other sideline.

“I don’t expect it to be strange,” Smart said Monday. “I mean, that’s just the normal course of progression. I think it’s strange going back there, sometimes because I lived there and our kids were born there and lived there for nine years and had such great experiences there. But we had that in COVID, it was more strange then.”

DeBoer got to town and made changes. Superstar freshman Ryan Williams has spoken to reporters, Alabama moved practice to the mornings, and music rings out over the fields.

Even the defense that Saban built is gone, in favor of Kane Wommack’s 4-2-5 “Swarm-D.”

Old Alabama is already gone. Georgia is its closest approximation in the modern game.

Smart even has learned to adapt like Saban, a trait that set his mentor apart from anyone else in the game.

“Georgia to me feels a lot like 2020 Bama,” McElroy said. “Not so much like the early versions of Bama. The early versions of Bama aren’t really that similar to what this Georgia team is. The early versions of Bama, frankly, it’s kind of similar to what Georgia was in Kirby’s very first couple years with Sony Michel and Nick Chubb and running the rock.”

If Saban wasn’t 72 years old, perhaps he’d have stuck around, figured out the modern era of college football, just like he did when he hired Lane Kiffin to modernize his offense on the way to two more national championships.

Instead, the throne is vacant. If Smart is going to ascend to the heights Saban reached, it should start now.

Though of course, Alabama might not be done yet.

‘They’re a different staff’

The Saban way has worked at both Alabama and Georgia. But it’s not the only way.

“I don’t know their game plan,” Smart said. “So I don’t know how similar it’ll be or different it’ll be. I mean, we’re a different team. They’re a different team. They’re a different staff. We’re a similar staff. So I can’t compare last year’s game to this year’s game.”

Alabama is different, but the roster is still exceptional, and DeBoer has a history of winning. He’s treated Saban’s legacy as something to be celebrated, but has changed the Crimson Tide to his liking, from the morning practices, to the rescheduled Walk of Champions, captain Cs on the uniforms and full-on embrace of NIL.

It’s worked so far. Alabama has a top-two recruiting class coming for the class of 2025, and sits at 3-0, fourth in the nation.

Saturday’s game will be a measuring stick for both programs, their first big test of 2024. Perhaps the Crimson Tide won’t fall into the abyss without Saban.

The UA faithful are hopeful at least.

“Ultimately, we’ll all find out together,” Tuscaloosa mayor Walt Maddox said. “But I think he’s made winning at Alabama something that’s been institutionalized.”

Alabama players certainly weren’t shaking over the prospect of facing the No. 1 Bulldogs.

“The cliche motto is, it’s all about us,” quarterback Jalen Milroe said Tuesday. “That’s so true, especially when it comes to improving as a football team.”

The microscope will be on Tuscaloosa for the 6:30 p.m. CT game Saturday. College Gameday will be there, as will a former president, and the battle between new and old Alabama gets a primetime slot on ABC.

For the Tide, it’s a chance to show it can still thrive without the man who built the machine. For Smart, an opportunity to show Georgia is college football’s preeminent power, even without Saban to emulate.

“It’s the reason kids wanna come to Georgia,” Sart said “They say, ‘I wanna play in games like that.’ Most viewed game two weeks ago Saturday night was our game. It’s gonna probably be that way this Saturday night. When you start looking at it, kids wanna have an opportunity to play in those type games. And we’re gonna have more of them after this.”

Source link

Click to comment

Alabama

How to watch Tennessee Volunteers: Live stream info, TV channel, game time | Feb. 28

Published

7 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

How to watch Tennessee Volunteers: Live stream info, TV channel, game time | Feb. 28

Labaron Philon’s No. 18 Alabama Crimson Tide (21-7, 11-4 SEC) hit the road to match up with Ja’Kobi Gillespie and the No. 22 Tennessee Volunteers (20-8, 10-5 SEC) at Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday, Feb. 28. The game starts at 6 p.m. ET.

We have more details below, including how to watch this matchup on ESPN.

Prepare for this matchup with everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s college hoops action.

Tennessee vs. Alabama: How to watch on TV or live stream

Game day: Saturday, February 28, 2026
Game time: 6 p.m. ET
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Arena: Thompson-Boling Arena
TV Channel: ESPN
Live stream: Fubo – Watch NOW (Regional restrictions may apply)

Check out: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Watch college basketball on Fubo!

Tennessee vs. Alabama stats and trends

Tennessee ranks 78th in the nation with 80.5 points per game so far this year. At the other end, it ranks 62nd with 69.1 points allowed per contest.
The Volunteers are thriving when it comes to rebounding, as they rank third-best in college basketball in boards (39.9 per game) and second-best in rebounds allowed (25.9 per contest).
So far this season, Tennessee ranks 30th in college basketball in assists, averaging 17.1 per game.
With 11.8 turnovers per game, the Volunteers are 257th in the country. They force 10.7 turnovers per contest, which ranks 224th in college basketball.
This season, Tennessee is making 6.9 threes per game (271st-ranked in college basketball) and is shooting 34.7% (139th-ranked) from three-point land.
With a 30.2% three-point percentage allowed this season, the Volunteers are 22nd-best in the country. They rank 182nd in college basketball by giving up 7.8 three-pointers per contest.
Tennessee has taken 67.3% two-pointers and 32.7% three-pointers this year. Of the team’s buckets, 75.8% are two-pointers and 24.2% are three-pointers.

Tennessee vs. Alabama Odds and Spread

Spread Favorite: Volunteers (-4.5)
Moneyline: Tennessee (-222), Alabama (+179)
Total: 164.5 points

NCAA Basketball odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Saturday at 4:11 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

Watch college basketball on Fubo!

Follow the latest college sports coverage at College Sports Wire.

Source link

Alabama

Alabama ‘Fully Aware’ of Losing Streak to Tennessee Ahead of Road Rematch

Published

19 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Alabama ‘Fully Aware’ of Losing Streak to Tennessee Ahead of Road Rematch

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Losing to a rival almost always hurts more than falling to another opponent during the regular season. Years of hatred, unforgettable moments and tradition boiled up into one game, and the delivery is nowhere to be found for one team.

No. 17 Alabama has won seven straight games and is eyeing an eighth on Saturday on the road against No. 22 Tennessee. This is the second time that Crimson Tide will face the Volunteers, as Alabama lost in Tuscaloosa in January.

The loss a month ago to head coach Rick Barnes and company brought UA’s losing streak against Tennessee to five games. It’s the first time that the Tide has dropped this many games to the Vols since 1968-72 — a streak that came two years before Alabama head coach Nate Oats was born (Oct. 13, 1974). It’s why Oats is not treating Tennessee as a faceless opponent or like any other team the Tide has faced.

“Every year we’ve been here they’ve caused us issues,” Oats said during Friday’s press conference. “Our players, are fully aware that we’ve lost five in a row. They’re fully aware of what happened out there last year. I’ve taken ownership for my share of what happened up there last year.

“We’re fully aware that they beat us at home. We haven’t lost very many home games in conference, period, really since we’ve been here, and they handed us one this year.”

After falling to Florida on Feb. 1, Alabama moved down to the ninth spot in the conference standings, and the college basketball world started to question whether or not the Crimson Tide would be a threat in the postseason.

But a switch flipped after that loss, and the current winning streak has Alabama tied for the No. 2 spot in the SEC standings. Everything seems to be trending in the Tide’s direction, as there are only three games remaining on the schedule.

Oats is in his sixth year as Alabama’s head coach. Following the retirement of former Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl during the offseason, Oats became the second-longest tenured coach for one team in the conference. The coach in front of him: Tennessee’s Rick Barnes, who has held his position since the 2015-16 season.

Both Alabama and Tennessee have finished conference play in the top-4 of the standings since the 2022-23 season. The Crimson Tide was the regular-season and SEC Tournament champions in both the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons, while the Vols won the 2022 SEC Tournament and were the conference’s regular-season champions in 2023-24.

“So our guys know, but at the same time, we’ve got a lot of respect for how they play and what they do. We’ve got to come in with a healthy amount of respect for them, but we got to try to win this game.

“There’s a lot riding on this game. What happens in Arkansas-Florida, you’re either going to be all alone in second place if we could get a win, or you’re going to be one game out first. If you take a loss, now you’re in danger of losing a top-4 seed. They’ll be tied with us if we take a loss.”

“So there’s a lot riding on the SEC standings in this game here. They know that. They know what our struggles against Tennessee have Been as well.”

Subscribe to BamaCentral’s Free Newsletter

Source link

Alabama

Selmont seeks incorporation to become independent Alabama city

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Selmont seeks incorporation to become independent Alabama city

SELMONT, Ala. (WSFA) – An unincorporated community in Dallas County is seeking to establish itself as an independent city, hoping to gain control over local government services and community priorities that have long been managed at the county level.

Selmont, located across the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma, is home to approximately 2,700 registered voters and carries a significant place in civil rights history.

The community was the site of a pivotal moment during the Bloody Sunday march in 1965, when roughly 600 civil rights marchers were tear-gassed by Alabama state troopers, including 13-year-old Mae Richmond.

“People ask us ‘Were we afraid?’ No. We were not afraid. We were not afraid, first of all, even as a 13-year-old child, we knew that we were doing what God was permitting us to do,” Richmond, a 60-plus year resident of Selmont, said of the historic event.

As an unincorporated community, Selmont lacks its own municipal government. Residents must contact the Dallas County Commissioner for public works services. It’s a situation that community leaders say limits responsiveness to local needs.

Erice Williams, a community activist leading the incorporation effort, said the change would fundamentally alter how the community operates.

“It would give us decision power and allow us to get funding that we can allocate to our own community that we can make our own priorities be clear and resolved at the same time,” Williams said.

Williams also highlighted the strain on current county services. “Connel Towns (county commissioner) is the only person we have to call, and the resources and time that he would have to serve our community is very limited,” he said.

Operation Selmont, the group spearheading the incorporation effort, is currently gathering signatures on a petition to present to the local probate judge. The organization needs approximately 500 signatures to move forward with the incorporation process and has already collected 40 percent of its goal.

The next meeting for Operation Selmont is scheduled for March 6 at 6 p.m.

For longtime residents like Richmond, incorporation represents an opportunity to ensure Selmont’s future and maintain its identity for generations to come.

“That we will be able to teach and train our children to give them the strength that our foreparents had that they will be able to stand up for justice and for equality,” Richmond said of her hopes for the community’s future.

Not reading this story on the WSFA News App? Get news alerts FASTER and FREE in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store!

Source link