Analyst: Nick Saban wouldn't beat ex-Auburn football coach if he ran for Senate
Despite some believing that Nick Saban can sway the state of Alabama in a Senate race with former Auburn football head coach and current senator Tommy Tuberville, For The Win's Matt Scalici sees even Alabama's most recognizable and beloved figure falling short in flipping the state blue.
"If Nick Saban was on the ballot as a Democrat and Tuberville a Republican, it’s not even remotely close," Scalici prefaced before saying, "Landslide win for Tuberville. The name on the ballot does not matter here. Only the letter next to it. Two-thirds of voters in Alabama cast straight ticket ballots. They literally don’t even read the names of the candidates before marking their ballot and walking back out of the poll."
Scalici was responding to a poll shared by Split Zone Duo's Alex Kirshner (via YouGov) showing that Saban would, in fact, defeat Tuberville if he ever ran for senator opposite his former Iron Bowl coaching rival.
Tommy Tuberville's retirement message to Nick Saban had hints of Alabama-Auburn football rivalry
When Saban retired in January, he was flooded with retirement messages from friends and former coaching foes alike. Tuberville's message to Saban was particularly notable considering it featured a bit of a flex from the current senator based on the pair's head-to-head record.
"Earlier this month, college football lost the greatest coach college sports has ever seen: Coach Nick Saban," Tuberville prefaced in an op-ed for OutKick before saying, "His retirement was treated with the gravity of a funeral by Alabama fans and by football fans around the country.
"Coach Saban’s achievements may never be surpassed: seven National Championships and 11 SEC Championships. I’m proud to call Coach Saban a great friend and a fierce competitor, and I’m also proud to be the only coach to beat Saban four times and one of the only coaches to have a winning record against him. Coach Saban’s retirement is a big loss for football fans, but the worst may be to come."
Don't count on a Senate run from Saban, who likely wants to live a quiet life with Miss Terry after being the most famous man in Alabama for a over decade and a half.