Tuscaloosa, here we come!

Nick Saban left his post with the Miami Dolphins to dive back into the college coaching ranks at Alabama. Skip Bayless and Patrick McEnroe debated the move and Saban's chances of success on ESPN's 1st and 10. Skip proclaimed that Saban would lead the Tide to a national title within three years, while McEnroe claimed the program was too mediocre (26-24 the last four years according to Patrick) of late to return to glory so quickly.

Maybe McEnroe should stick to tennis, or at least do his homework. When he said that, one team popped to the front of my mind ... the USC Trojans. A quick look at wikipedia gave me the ammo I needed. After going 9-2-1 and winning the Rose Bowl in 1995, the Trojans posted the following records: 6-6, 6-5, 8-5, 6-6, 5-7, 6-6. So, over 6 years, they were 2 games over .500 (37-35). However, I should back up just a bit. Pete Carroll took over the team in 2001, the last of the mediocre seasons for the men of Troy, so it was a 31-29 record in five seasons before he arrived. That's eerily similar to the numbers posted by Alabama.

Under Carroll, the Trojans went 6-6 in 2001 and 11-2 in 2002. In 2003, they, sort of, won the national title (split with LSU) after going 12-1. They went 13-0 the next season and won the national title by beating Oklahoma.

Speaking of Oklahoma, Bob Stoops led a quick turnaround after a down period for the Oklahoma Sooners. In his second year as head coach, Stoops guided the 2000 Oklahoma team to a national title. Under the previous head coaches, OU went 5-5-1, 3-8, 4-8, and 5-6.

I do not think Skip is right that Saban will win a national title in 3 years, but the idea is not nearly as hair-brained as McEnroe thinks, especially in a sport where the difference between winning and losing is often quite slim (maybe even as little as who gets the ball first in OT). Plus, the turnover in college football (and college athletics in general) is dramatic ... three years from now, the team will be almost totally different. Maybe Saban's presence at Alabama pulls some of the marquee southern talent to Tuscaloosa and away from LSU, Auburn and Florida. Saban has enjoyed great success in the college ranks and it's hard to think that he won't be able to right the ship at Alabama.