Alabama Football: Happy Halloween Birthday to Nick Saban

Of course, Alabama football head coach couldn’t care less about the College Football Playoff Rankings coming out tonight. It’s his 66th birthday!

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On October 31st, 1951, the Grim Reaper of college football was born in Fairmont, West Virginia:

Since 1973, Saban learned the craft of being a football coach, dominating over his opponents like the Prince of Darkness blanketing his prey for decades. He has five national championships, one MAC championship, seven SEC championships, and 10 SEC Western Division titles. Not to mention 15 major coaching awards.

So, on a night that Saban should be celebrating, why would he sweat the College Football Playoff Rankings poll being released tonight? He owns this night of all nights.

Alex Scarborough of ESPN reported Saban stating that he could care less about the rankings poll:

"“What significance does a poll have right now? All we’re talking about right here is the challenge of our season, and where are we going to be in the poll if we don’t play well in the next four games? So I’m focused on the next four games. I could care less about the poll. You won’t see me waste any time watching TV or who is 1 and who is 2. It doesn’t really matter. What really matters is how you play the rest of the season.”"

The man has a point.

Alabama football has been ranked first in every poll for this entire season, so far. The team is undefeated and have won by such a wide margin in many of those games, including a flawless victory over Vanderbilt where the defense did not allow the opponent’s offense to cross the 50-yard line even once.

Even if teams like Georgia, who have looked very impressive in their own undefeated streak, challenge or even supplant Alabama for the number-1 ranking, Saban is not going to be spooked tonight. Alabama’s next opponent, LSU does not look that scary to anyone. Neither does the rest of Alabama’s schedule. The only thing that could spook Saban and the Crimson Tide is themselves, if they get complacent on the field.

That’s the haunting ghost that Saban wants to bust, and he doesn’t need to call Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, or Harold Ramis for help any time soon.

Next: Day One of LSU Preparation

The scariest night of the year for LSU, Mississippi State, Mercer, and Auburn will be tonight, however. If Alabama stays No. 1, Saban will be grinding the knife’s edge on his players’ mentality to keep them sharp on game day. If Alabama loses their ranking, Saban’s players will want bloody vengeance against anyone in their path to a national championship. Either way, this is Saban’s night. The terror that spreads will not be ‘rat poison’, as coined by Saban weeks ago, it will be cold shiver of realization by Alabama’s opponents that the Crimson Tide are coming to get them all.

And, one can almost hear Saban exclaim, ere he drives them all to fright – Happy Halloween to all, and to all a good night!