Which SEC team benefits most from Nick Saban’s retirement? From Georgia to Tennessee

From Knoxville to Auburn and SEC football locales throughout the South, fans can rejoice in Nick Saban’s retirement. Saban was especially hard on Tennessee. He went 16-1 against the Vols as Alabama’s coach. Josh Heupel, in 2022, became the first UT coach to beat Saban’s Tide.

Alabama hired an accomplished coach in Kalen DeBoer, but it nonetheless may need a minute to adjust to life without Saban. Several talented Tide players are transferring.

On this edition of “The Volunteer State,” Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network and the News Sentinel’s Adam Sparks discuss which programs benefit the most from Saban’s retirement.

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Tennessee will host Alabama during the 2024 season. Suddenly, that game looks more winnable than ever. That puts more pressure on Heupel to produce a victory, but, pressure aside, this is good news for Tennessee. Saban’s retirement increases the Vols’ chance of qualifying for next season’s College Football Playoff.

But, Tennessee doesn’t top the list of beneficiaries of Saban’s retirement.

Here’s our pecking order:

1. Georgia: The Bulldogs were well-positioned for the future before Saban’s retirement, but with the GOAT out of the way, there’s little debate that Georgia will be the team to beat in the SEC. Kirby Smart already has two national titles. How many would he have if Saban had retired several years ago? Three? Four? Caleb Downs, Alabama’s star safety, is reportedly considering transferring to Georgia. Smart already was a recruiting wizard. Without having to go up against Saban on the trail, even more elite prospects might opt to play for Georgia.

2. Auburn: A weakening of one Iron Bowl rival could help the other strengthen. It was difficult to envision Auburn emerging from Alabama’s shadow while Saban was on the sideline….

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/sec-team-benefits-most-nick-120522594.html

Author : Knox News | The Knoxville News-Sentinel

Publish date : 2024-01-19 12:05:22

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