I think I have finally convinced myself that it actually is Saban.

You don't toss around names like Franklin, Riley, Jimbo, and Tomlin, only to attempt to have a HUGE, blow-out welcome for the guy that's never won a conference. You only toss out those names when you know you have better or equivalent.

Here are my personal reasons why:

1) Saban is 70. Had hip surgery in 2019. This year is the first year he quit his regular basketball league. His body might be sending signals.

2) Saban and Woodward are friends. Saban knows what he built here has slipped under Miles and Orgeron. He might consider rebuilding the franchise that took him out of obscurity, for Woodward's future.

3) Retirement. If he does 5 more years at LSU, then he will get sizable checks from two state retirement systems.

4) He has said he will leave before Bama starts to fade. He also recently said that Bama is no longer viewed as an elite team. If he loses one more game, then Bama is out of the playoffs. He might think that is his sign.

5) He did listen to Texas. Their boosters scared him off. LSU's most certainly will not.


Plus, the smoke around Napier could be about him coming into the OC position.