SEC Football Media Days, Nick Saban and Rat Poison
By Ronald Evans
![Alabama At Sec Media Days Alabama At Sec Media Days](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4390,h_2469,x_0,y_633/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/187/01j2w2xnm9as4rrq0q29.jpg)
It did not take long for Nick Saban's presence to be felt at SEC Football Media Days. an early blip was that Saban was denied entrance to the media area. He had left his credentials in his hotel room and Nick learned fame did not transcend rules. He took it well.
Later, Saban churned up multiple SEC football fanbases when he predicted Georgia and Texas would meet in Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game. Few Alabama Crimson Tide fans responded negatively. Most Alabama fans understand that the Bulldogs will be the nation's preseason No. 1 team. And many Alabama fans also realize the Longhorns will be ranked preseason higher than the Crimson Tide.
Saban also joked about Texas arrogance in the video snippet below.
Nick Saban on Texas:
— On3 (@On3sports) July 15, 2024
“What kind of tickles me is all these people asking questions about how Texas always ran the conference they were in. They’re not gonna run the SEC.”
(via @SECNetwork, @PCGreenfield) https://t.co/pe6IbOAzlH pic.twitter.com/BISjA7kFlh
The Longhorns may well make it to Atlanta, but Nick is right, Texas is not going "to run the SEC." It is possible that the Alabama Crimson Tide fanbase may have to relinquish its reputation as the SEC's most arrogant. Somehow the Longhorns have mastered arrogance with not near the championship history of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Saban heaped praise on Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss team, saying "I think this is the first time Ole Miss can really match-up up front. It's always been their issue. They'll win 11 games. They'll lose to Georgia ... They're going to look more like an SEC team."
Lane Kiffin was well-schooled by Nick Saban in combating 'Rat Poison.' That is exactly how Kiffin described Saban's opinion of his team. If Lane learned nothing else from Nick, he learned never to avoid being redundant about rat poison.
Two more former Alabama Crimson Tide assistants, Kirby Smart and Steve Sarkisian have teams vulnerable to rat poison. Like Kiffin, Kirby and Sark have been well-schooled by Nick Saban. It is no surprise when some of Saban's favorite truisms are voiced by Smart and Sarkisian.
Other SEC Football Coaches and Rat Poison
Billy Napier has no rat poison to combat this season, as he and the Gators try to survive a brutal SEC football schedule. None of the new SEC head coaches; Kalen DeBoer, Mike Elko, and Jeffy Lebby are vulnerable to rat poison, although that might change for Alabama as the season progresses.
Vanderbilt's Clark Lea is never asked about rat poison. Mark Stoops, Shane Beamer, Hugh Freeze, and Sam Pittman can also be oblivious to potential rat poison impact on their teams.
Four SEC head coaches might be a tad jealous that so little rat poison is being directed at their teams. They are Brian Kelly, Josh Heupel, Brent Venables, and Eli Drinkwitz.
Next. SEC Football Media Days. SEC Football Media Days. dark