The Nick Saban-Jimbo Fisher spat was the viral highlight of the 2022 college football offseason.
We love a good coaching feud, and that will be revisited when No. 1 Alabama (5-0) takes on Texas A&M (3-2) at 8 p.m. Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. This game has been circled on the calendar since Saban attended a fundraiser on May 18, and that feud is tied to the new world of recruiting in the NIL era.
Will that rekindle on Saturday night? A closer look at the roots of that beef that boiled over last summer:
Aggies beat Tide in 2021
Fisher was an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Saban at LSU from 2000-04 – and there was never a hint of a feud when he took over at Texas A&M in 2018. Alabama won the three matchups from 2018-20 by an average of 23 points per game.
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Texas A&M, however, turned the tables on Oct. 9, 2021. The Aggies beat No. 1 Alabama 41-38 on a last-second field goal by Seth Small. It marked the first time one of Saban's former assistants beat him on the field.
The Aggies weren't done. Texas A&M then built the No. 1 recruiting class for 2022, according to 247Sports.com. Alabama, which had the No. 1 class in 2021, slipped to No. 2.
Nick Saban said Texas A&M 'bought every player'
Saban spoke at a fundraiser in Birmingham, Ala., on May 18, and he was addressing his concerns with recruiting in the NIL era. Saban was targeting collectives and their role in recruiting. He then fired a jab at Texas A&M and Jackson State.
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"I know the consequence is going to be difficult for the people who are spending tons of money to get players," Saban said via AL.com. "You read about it, you know who they are. We were second in recruiting last year. A&M was first. A&M bought every player on their team. Made a deal for name, image and likeness."
Jimbo Fisher called Saban a 'narcissist'
Fisher responded the following day with an impromptu press conference at Texas A&M. Fisher did not just defend Texas A&M’s recruiting practices in the 10-minute press conference. He unloaded on Saban and Alabama.
Fisher took several shots at Saban and his coaching practices. Fisher called Saban a "narcissist" and said the shots were "despicable" several times.
"It’s despicable that a reputable head coach would come out and say this when he doesn’t get his way or things don’t go his way," Fisher said. "The narcissist in him doesn’t allow those things to happen when he’s not on top."
Fisher wasn’t done. He compared Saban to "God" and encouraged reporters to dig into Saban’s past.
"We build him (Saban) up to be the czar of football," Fisher said of Saban, who was his boss at LSU. "Go dig into his past or anybody that's ever coached with him. You can find out anything you want to find out what he does and how he does it. It's despicable."
Both coaches apologized (kind of)
Later that afternoon, Saban appeared on Sirius XM radio and apologized for naming Texas A&M in his comments.
"I should’ve never really singled anybody out," Saban said. "That was a mistake, and I apologize for that part of it."
Fisher also squashed that at the SEC Meetings in Destin, Fla., on June 1.
"Things were said," Fisher said. "What he said. What we said. It moves on. We're moving on to the next thing."
"It’s over with. We’re done talking about it."
— 247Sports (@247Sports) June 1, 2022
-Jimbo Fisher on Nick Saban and NIL
(via @bmarcello) pic.twitter.com/xcm8I2eYyJ
A&M heavy underdog against Alabama
Fisher walked back his comments once more at his press conference on Monday ahead of the matchup with No. 1 Alabama. He said the relationship with Saban is in "good shape."
Jimbo Fisher: "Nick (Saban) is a tremendous coach. People say he's arguably one of the best ever or the best ever."
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) October 3, 2022
"I learned a whole lot from Nick. He's a very, very good football coach."
As for the fallout from the beef? Alabama is a 23.5-point favorite against the Aggies, and the Crimson Tide have built the top-ranked recruiting class for 2023, according to 247Sports.com.
Texas A&M lost to Appalachian State and Mississippi State and could fall to 3-3 with a loss. The Aggies are No. 18 in 247Sports.com’s team recruiting rankings, and Fisher’s seat is warming up given Texas A&M was ranked No. 6 in the Preseason AP Top 25.
So, did Saban win the long game? Or will the Aggies start another cycle with a shocking upset on Saturday?
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