“College GameDay” has always been known for its signs, which have often been masterclasses in trolling rival teams. And while the Alabama and Michigan football programs could hardly be considered rivals, before Michigan's game against Texas today, a Wolverines created a sign to jab former Alabama coach Nick Saban, the newest member of the “GameDay” cast.
With No. 10 Michigan hosting No. 3 Texas, who is coincidentally led by former Saban assistant coach Steve Sarkisian, the “GameDay” crew is posted up in Ann Arbor. Most of the signs, as expected, centered on the opposing teams or their rivals Ohio State and Oklahoma, but one fan cleverly trolled Saban, who retired earlier this year not too long after Alabama lost to Michigan in the College Football Playoff national semifinal.
“Michigan forced Saban to get a desk job,” the sign read.
Best desk job in the world though 😏 pic.twitter.com/TcOXzRvPME
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 7, 2024
On Jan. 1 in the Rose Bowl, Alabama fell 27-20 in overtime to Michigan, which went on to win the national title with a commanding 34-13 victory in the CFP final. Days after the Wolverines earned their national championship and a little over a week after the Crimson Tide's loss in Pasadena, Saban announced his retirement from coaching.
Article Continues BelowSaban had been in the coaching profession since 1973 when he took a graduate assistant position at his alma mater Kent State. During his 50-year career, Saban led four different college football programs — Toledo, Michigan State (another Michigan rival), LSU, and Alabama — as well as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins for two seasons.
While Saban did well at each stop along the way, he achieved the greatest and most frequent success in Tuscaloosa, where he won six national championships, nine Southeastern Conference (SEC) titles, and a had a winning percentage of 90%.
Like Alabama, which hired Kalen DeBoer, who coached Washington in the national title game vs. Michigan, the Wolverines are also entering a new era with a new head coach. After hoisting the CFP trophy, Jim Harbaugh left Michigan for the Los Angeles Chargers. He was replaced by Sherrone Moore, his UM offensive coordinator and the acting head coach when Michigan defeated Ohio State for a third consecutive season last November.
Michigan and Texas, two of the most successful and iconic college football programs of all time, have only played once before. The Longhorns won the lone matchup 38-37 back in the 2005 Rose Bowl, a year before Texas went on to win the national title vs. USC in Pasadena.