In "College GameDay's " first trip to Tuscaloosa during the 2024 season ahead of Alabama football vs. Georgia, ESPN host and college football analyst Rece Davis wanted to make sure people knew how impactful former Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban has been.
"What Nick has brought is a dynamic that this show, or any show, has never really had," Davis said.
Yes, Davis said, Saban is a "football expert and legend." But, more importantly, Davis said Saban has a "recency to being at the height of his career" that makes everything he says carry more weight.
"The way that he can communicate things and his willingness to be candid and his ability to break things down, I don't say he makes it simple," Davis said. "He makes it understandable."
Saban joined ESPN's "College GameDay" after retiring from his 17-year post as Alabama's head coach in January. The network announced Saban's addition in February.
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"When he speaks, there's not a peep in the room," Steve Coughlin, better known as "Stanford Steve," said. "Everybody's trying to get smarter, and it's because of him."
When watching football with Saban, Davis said the coach "shows you different things to watch."
Ahead of Alabama-Georgia Saturday night, Davis said Saban is honed in on the Bulldogs ' task of handling Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe as a run threat and how he puts pressure on a defense just because can can tuck and run.
As for who Saban will pick to win Alabama-Georgia, Davis said the former Crimson Tide coach will do what he's always done.
"I imagine he'll just say who he thinks is going to win," Davis said. "Let the chips fall where they may."
ESPN's "College GameDay" will air from Denny Chimes starting at 8 a.m. Saturday.
Alabama vs. Georgia will kick off at 6:30 p.m. at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ABC.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: What it's like working with Nick Saban on ESPN 'College GameDay'
