Clemson made easy work of Alabama on Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship. We knew both teams were a tier above everybody else, but we didn’t expect Clemson to be on a different tier than Alabama.
The last time a Nick Saban team got destroyed nearly this badly was in 2006. In the NFL
Nick Saban’s not used to the 44-16 beatdown Alabama took Monday night in Santa Clara.
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Quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed 20-of-32 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns, where Justyn Ross caught six of those passes for 153 yards and a touchdown. Tua Tagovailoa was forced into two interceptions, and Bama eventually surrendered with Jalen Hurts on the field.
When Clemson took a 44-16 lead against Bama, it was the Tide’s biggest deficit under Saban. That stayed the score until the end, as Clemson choked out the clock on a 10-minute drive that ended with the Tigers showing mercy on Bama’s 5-yard line.
The last time a Nick Saban-coached team took a legit beating, he was coaching the Miami Dolphins.
Lol yeah, it’s easy to forget that was a thing because of how good his Alabama teams have been. But on December 17, 2006, the Buffalo Bills — coached by Dick Jauron — handed Saban’s Dolphins a 21-0 loss. It was the last time a Saban-coached team lost by more than 14 points.
JP Losman, a name you probably haven’t heard in at least 10 years, was the Bills’ quarterback. Joey Harrington quarterbacked the Dolphins, and went 5-of-17 for 20 yards and two interceptions. Cleo Lemon got some burn in that one, because why the hell not.
Four days after this loss, Saban announced, “I’m not going to be the Alabama coach.”
Fast-forward two weeks, and...
Roll tide!
Now, if you’re looking for his last collegiate whoopin’, you have to go back to 2004.
This just so happened to be his first year before his NFL coaching stint. Saban’s LSU Tigers were on the road in Athens, facing No. 3 Georgia.
That Saturday, Georgia looked like the No. 3 team in the country, racing out to a 24-0 lead before winning 45-16. Neither Tiger quarterbacks Jamarcus Russell or Marcus Randall could get LSU anything going in that game, while Georgia legend David Greene had five touchdowns.
LSU missed the extra point after scoring their final touchdown to make it a 45-16 game. That’s not particularly interesting, but once you remember that LSU had a kicker with his entire last name on his jersey, it is:
CHRIS JACKSON.
Monday was a tough one for Bama and Saban, but it also might be a while before it happens again.
Prior to Monday night, Saban could brag with full integrity that most people were watching TV in standard definition the last time he got beat bad. That’s impressive.
Until next time, y’all.
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