Early Top 25 College Football Rankings

[fishinabarrel]

Saban at Stanford is a great thought-experiment. I think he would fail miserably. First, Stanford expects its players to be "students" in the actual sense of the word and has admission standards for them well above those at Alabama. At Stanford, he would have to compete with the other PAC-12 schools while at the same time managing those higher admission standards for athletes. Evidence: Saban did not do well in the B1G when he was at Michigan State because, overall, the B1G has higher admission standards for athletes (though not as high as Stanford's) and because of competition for recruits from other conference teams while having to contend with those higher admission standards. Nope. He's not an elite coach at Stanford--not even close.

You are out of your mind. He is competing against the SEC schools for recruiting now so I think he could do just fine in the PAC. Saban's last year at Michigan State was 16 years ago, pretty sure he could have gotten a little better as a coach and he had that program going in the right track before he left.

Saban and Stanford's style of play fit together very well and, had he come in after Harbaugh fixed the place up, you are crazy to think he wouldn't have had as much success or more as Shaw.

5 national championships people. That isn't the product of "oh he has lower academic standards and more resources" That is one of the greatest coaches ever. He has won 5 national championships in a time where college has become more competitive than ever in its history.

 

[fishinabarrel]

I think this was more of the jest of the statement. Besides Stanford, would he have won a natty had he stayed at Sparty? How about a place like Miss State? Duke? Similar question throwing Urban into the equation...would Urban have won some at similar places? Would he have won one if he had stayed at Utah?

They've proven they can at blue blood schools. I don't think there is any doubt Saban/Urban would have also won multiple ones at places like USC, Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, etc.

Not sure if Saban would have ever stayed long enough at Michigan State to win a natty but after the probation he had that program going in the right direction. A lot of it depends on what he walks into and its style of play. Saban wins at Stanford after Harbaugh but not so sure about Urban. However, Urban wins at Oregon after Kelly but not so sure about Saban.

Had their been a playoff in 2004 Urban very well could have won the national championship with Utah and had he stayed would have had a good shot in 2009 as well.

Obviously, great coaches are going to win more at bigger schools, but to say that is the only reason they are winning is kind of ridiculous IMO.