Alabama may not be the same juggernaut we are used to seeing after their current Defensive Coordinator Kirby Smart decided to leave them to become the next head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs. Smart who is an alumni of the Bulldogs decided to return to his Alma Mater and take the Bulldogs into a new direction following the firing of head coach Mark Richt.
Smart has been the defensive coordinator of the Alabama Crimson Tides since the 2008 season and a year later lead the Crimson Tide won it’s first BCS title under Nick Saban. Smart and Saban would go ahead and win the BCS title in the 2011 and 2012 seasons. During these years Alabama defense has always been a top defense and at times carried the offense. Nick Saban will get all the credit being that he is the head coach but one has to wonder, how important was Smart to the success of Alabama? Smart and his Alabama defense finished in the top seven of total defense for seven straight years. The Crimson Tide total defense is currently ranked #2 as of today, as they get prepared for the SEC Championship against Florida. Alabama as of now is listed in the final four of the current playoffs and still have work to do to finish this year but this could be a distraction not needed at this time.
Losing a coordinator like Smart could hurt Alabama as current recruits are looking to make their college decision with the next two months. According to ESPN’s recruiting rankings, Alabama currently has the #4 recruiting class and Georgia slides in at #6.
Alabama is set to host USC in Dallas, Texas to open the 2016 season and it has always been my belief that Saban would not coach that game when it was announce two years ago. Saban has done everything he can at Alabama and I believe if Texas was to let go it’s current head coach Charlie Strong that Saban would not pass up this chance.