A long-awaited clash between Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher is set for Saturday as Saban’s No. 1 Crimson Tide host Fisher’s Aggies in an SEC West showdown at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. This is not just a game that carries divisional implications in the SEC race; it also features a juicy underlying story. Saban and Fisher entered a war of words in May that became arguably the top story of college football‘s offseason when Saban accused the Aggies of having “bought every player on their team” after the Aggies landed the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class ahead of the Crimson Tide.
Saban’s comments and Fisher’s heated response made for captivating theater at a time on the sport’s calendar when little else is happening. But the story goes deeper than a two-day verbal spat between a pair of SEC West coaches. Saban and Fisher have known each other for decades. The two even won a national title together at LSU in 2003 when Fisher was Saban’s offensive coordinator.
The coaches are from neighboring towns in West Virginia, and though they once worked together and famously played pickup basketball games with one another, they have been competitors in recruiting for over a decade and are now in their fifth season coaching in the same division.
Alabama is a heavy favorite this week against an Aggies squad that is struggling offensively, but Texas A&M was a huge underdog against a top-ranked Alabama team last season as well, and it came away with a monumental victory.
All told, Saban, Fisher and their teams have provided some entertaining and bombastic college football content over the past year and a half. Here is a look back at the recent timeline of their relationship as we prepare for their showdown on the field in Week 6.
Jimbo Fisher makes a pledge
May 5, 2021
Speaking to the Houston Touchdown Club, Fisher made a bold declaration in the heart of the 2021 offseason. Though he was 0-3 against Alabama and Saban as coach of the Aggies at the time, Fisher declared, “We’re going to beat his ass even when he’s there.” Fisher also lavished Saban with respect during the appearance in Houston as the Crimson Tide were coming off a 13-0 season and national title at the time. But the remark nonetheless raised eyebrows in the college football world.
Nick Saban jabs back
May 7, 2021
Saban, who was 23-0 against his former assistants at the time and coming off a 52-24 thrashing of the Aggies the season before, shot…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CBSSports.com Headlines…