I've been told about a time when Nick Saban was not the coach of Alabama. I've been told about the six straight Iron Bowl victories. I've been told that Alabama once had meddling boosters and fired head coaches. However, up until Wednesday afternoon, I wasn't sure if a time when Nick Saban didn't pace the sidelines of Alabama existed.
Just as Auburn students were finishing up their first day back in class, the news broke. Could it be? Is this for real? Hearts were pounding as so many questions raced through the minds of people across the state of Alabama and the country on Wednesday afternoon.
After the jubilation commenced for Auburn fans, many then asked themselves, is it our time? The Nick Saban dynasty is over. His reign of dominance finally reached its end. For over a decade and a half, his presence loomed large over the Auburn football program.
Auburn churned through four coaches during Saban's tenure at Alabama. Tommy Tuberville, who takes credit for Saban's hiring at Alabama, only beat Saban once before being let go. Gene Chizik beat Nick Saban in one of the greatest comebacks in Iron Bowl history on the way to a National Championship, but that would be his only win against Saban before his firing.
Gus Malzahn had the most success against Nick Saban, defeating him three times over his tenure on the plains. They say "three times is the charm," but for Malzahn beating the greatest of all time, the most any coach had at that point, was still not enough to maintain his job.
Bryan Harsin got one shot against Saban and forced the game to overtime before Alabama eventually pulled out the win. Interim head coach Cadillac Williams also took his shot after Harsin's firing in 2022, but to no avail.
So, that brings us to today. Hugh Freeze became Auburn's head football coach in December of 2022. He took the job with the expectation that he'd have many more battles against Nick Saban. He'd beaten him two times in a row at Ole Miss, after all.
Freeze, however, would only get one more chance to compete against the best and nearly pulled off the upset before a miracle 4th and goal touchdown. Unbeknownst to Freeze, that was his one and only opportunity to beat Nick Saban as the head coach of Auburn.
So, what now? There's little doubt, Hugh Freeze's success against Nick Saban played a role in his hiring at Auburn, and he took the job with the full expectation of competing with him. Freeze now has an unparalleled opportunity.
For the first time since 2006, Nick Saban is not the head coach at Auburn. Between the two schools, Auburn will now have a longer-tenured head coach. The disadvantages faced in recruiting against a seven-time national champion and the greatest of all time no longer exist.
No longer will Auburn already be down two scores in a recruiting battle against the Tide before the game even starts. Auburn is now in a position where they are no longer fighting uphill. The playing field is level.
Can Hugh Freeze and Auburn take advantage of the moment? You are in a prime position. You just signed a top-10 class in 2024, and multiple top players in the state of Alabama are committed to the class of 2025. Can Auburn use Saban's departure to build on what they have already started?
The "talent gap," which Freeze so frequently mentioned this season, is still wide between Alabama and Auburn, but this is as good of a time as any to make a huge dent in it. Recruiting, however, is just one part of it. On-field results are the next.
Can Auburn start beating Alabama consistently? Can they overtake Alabama as the premier program in the country? Those questions will take more than a year to answer, but for Auburn, a new era is dawning.
