Jimbo Fisher went off on Nick Saban, and now the bill is due for the Texas A&M coach
Nick Saban and Alabama are well within their right to try to hang half a hundred on Texas A&M in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.
Even if the Tide leads the Aggies 64-6 in the fourth quarter, Saban should feel just fine if he keeps his starters in, goes for two, and follows that with an onside kick.
Jimbo, you asked for this.
Back in May, Texas A&M’s now least-favorite coach called a press conference to verbally crucify the most successful college football coach in the modern era.
Jimbo Fisher went personal on Nick.
“Some people (Saban) think they are God,” Fisher said in response after Saban suggested Texas A&M’s top-ranked recruiting class was “bought.”
It probably was, and, no one cares. Not even the NCAA.
“Go dig into how God did his deal and you may find out a lot about a lot of things you don’t want to know,” Fisher said. “We build him up to be this czar of football, go dig into his past. You can find out anything you want to find out, or what he does or how he does it.”
Everything Fisher said about Saban, the same could be said of Fisher. Most Division I football coaches would pay a professional a lot of money to bury their past.
Regardless, the Aggies drank Jimbo’s rant like free beer at the Dixie Chicken.
As entertaining as Jimbo’s WWE-style attack was, anyone in this profession dumb enough to taunt Nick Saban needs a head-to-toe examination. Spend most of the time on the head.
Somewhere I can hear my late grandmother, who is from Jimbo’s native West Virginia, say in her Appalachian twang, “God didn’t make anyone this stupid.”
(She had not visited the Department of Motor Vehicles.)
At the SEC Media Days in July, Jimbo tried to minimize, and duck walk back, his attack on Saban; the damage is done.
The bill on this is due. Saban is going to get his.
Saturday feels about right.
On Wednesday during the SEC Coaches’ weekly conference call, I asked Jimbo if he thought this now famous exchange would have any affect on the way the teams practiced, or prepared.
“I really don’t,” he said. “(Saban and Fisher) used to have arguments in staff meetings all the time, in a good way. That happens sometimes in this business.”
Fisher was a member of Saban’s staff when he was the head coach at LSU earlier this century. Coaches whining and yelling at the other in a meeting, or a sideline, isn’t exactly uncommon.
Also, Fisher’s highway billboard material crossed a line.
“The team are the teams, and they’ll play hard no matter what,” Fisher said.
Which is Fisher’s problem: The teams are the teams.
When A&M defeated No. 1 Alabama in College Station on Oct. 9, 2021, it was the high point of a decent 8-4 season.
It was the Aggies’ second-greatest moment since it joined the SEC in 2012; the greatest moment was their win at ‘Bama in ‘12, when Johnny Manziel made all of Alabama looked stupid.
When A&M plays No. 1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Oct., 2022, it has the potential to further wreck a season that already includes a home loss to Appalachian State, and yet another defeat to perennial power, Mississippi State.
Alabama is now a 24-point favorite over an unranked Texas A&M team that is 3-2. The Aggies were ranked 5th in the preseason polls.
This line is with Bama’s starting quarterback Bryce Young listed as day-to-day because of a sprained shoulder he suffered at Arkansas on Oct. 1.
Saban said on the call Wednesday that Young is “doing some things in practice,” but no decision has been made about playing on Saturday.
Expect him to play.
Texas A&M’s defense is good enough that it could keep this game close for a while, but this has the potential to be ugly.
Texas A&M’s offense stinks.
The Aggies’ offense currently is tied with Texas for the 108th-best offense in the NCAA’s FBS level; there are 131 teams in FBS.
Check that; the Aggies offense is tied with Texas State.
Imagine how much worse this would be if offense wasn’t Jimbo’s “specialty.”
Say again from the highest peak in College Station (elevation 429 feet): Coach Jimbo is a great coach when he has a great quarterback, which he has not been able to find since he arrived in College Station.
Now in his fifth season in College Station, he has more money than he can count and every single toy necessary to win.
This state of Texas A&M football is entirely on Jimbo Fisher, and it looks pretty much the same as it has for decades: Not terrible, not great, always just close enough to be encouraging, and disappointing.
When Jimbo called a press conference to chastise his old boss, he thought his team would be better than it’s playing.
Considering what A&M is paying Jimbo, they should be.
They’re not.
Now they’re on the road at Alabama
If Saban and his Tide can run it up, they will, and Jimbo will have earned all of it.
