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Tennessee football: Ranking head coaches of Vols’ 2021 opponents

By Caleb Calhoun

Alabama head coach Nick Saban greets Georgia head coach Kirby Smart after beating him in the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on Saturday December 1, 2018.Sec20
Alabama head coach Nick Saban greets Georgia head coach Kirby Smart after beating him in the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on Saturday December 1, 2018.Sec20 /
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FAYETTEVILLE, AR – NOVEMBER 9: Head Coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide on the field watching his team warm up before a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Starkville, Mississippi. The Crimson Tide defeated the Bulldogs 38-7. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, AR – NOVEMBER 9: Head Coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide on the field watching his team warm up before a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Starkville, Mississippi. The Crimson Tide defeated the Bulldogs 38-7. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

Alabama Crimson Tide. 1. 829. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 15th season. Nick Saban. player

Overall record: 256-65-1

  • Toledo Rockets: 1990 (9-2)
  • Michigan State Spartans: 1995 to 1999 (34-24-1)
  • LSU Tigers: 2000 to 2004 (48-16)
  • Alabama Crimson Tide: 2007 to present (165-23)

Was anybody going to question this one? Nick Saban is in the running for the greatest coach in college football history. Of course he’s going to be the No. 1 coach on the list of coaches Tennessee football has to face this year.

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The unfortunate thing for the Vols is that Saban is somebody they have to face every year given their annual matchup with the Alabama Crimson Tide. Right now, Alabama has the longest winning streak ever in the series between the two schools, at 14 games, and that streak began Saban’s first year on the job back in 2007.

It’s pretty obvious that the Vols are nowhere close to making that series competitive anytime soon either. Saban has been a thorn in everybody’s side, and while this game is technically a “rivalry” game, there’s no rivalry here as long as Saban is in Tuscaloosa.

Of course, Saban is a unique thorn in the Vols’ side because of his success before Alabama. Remember, his signature win his first year with the LSU Tigers was an upset over the Vols. Then he won the 2001 SEC Championship over a much more talented UT team that was ranked No. 2 in the nation and would’ve played for the national title had that game not happened.

dark. Next. Vols' 10 greatest upset wins in school history

Those two games helped put Saban on the map, which got the dominoes rolling for him to become a dominant head coach. They also helped Tennessee football collapse as a program. Saban remains the best coach in the game, and he’s got a strong case for greatest of all time after last year’s undefeated season.

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