Kirby Smart reflects on what made Nick Saban, Alabama difficult to prepare against

When Kirby Smart looks across the Alabama sideline on Saturday, a new face will be there. No longer is his former boss, Nick Saban, the opposing head coach. Kalen DeBoer is taking over, a chance for Smart to start fresh after going just 1-5 against Saban with Georgia.

The one win for Smart was a big one, winning the national championship after the 2021 season. But the other five — just one of which was during the regular season — were heartbreaking for the program. Another national title and three SEC Championship games all going in favor of Alabama and Saban.

So what made facing Saban so difficult? Smart gave his thoughts during Wednesday’s SEC Coaches Teleconference, talking about the type of players Saban brought into the program. From there, the right mindset was instilled, making them as good as anybody in college football.

“We could talk for hours,” Smart said. “Development, recruiting, scheme, practice habits. We could go for hours on what makes him tough. Good football players and good football programs are hard to play against, they’re hard to compete against. The record speaks for itself in terms of NFL production, number of players in the NFL. Good football players are hard to beat, especially when they play with discipline and toughness. That’s what his teams have always done.”

Saban will not be directly involved with the game itself. He will be outside Bryant-Denny Stadium for most of the day working with ESPN College GameDay before watching from the stands.

Smart points out Saban’s fingerprints will still be all over the place, specifically with the roster. He did recruit most of the players set to play for Alabama on Saturday with a few of DeBoer’s guys sprinkled in there.

“He recruited a lot of them,” Smart said during his Monday press conference. “They’re good players. I think anytime you go against a really good team that’s a powerhouse in college football, that it’s a challenge.”