Nick Saban knew his retirement from the Alabama Crimson Tide was imminent after preventing Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs from achieving a historic three-peat in the 2023 SEC Championship game, according to ESPN SEC personality Paul Finebaum, who cited a Bama assistant coach.
One key to Saban’s retirement on a high note, with a 27-24 victory that secured a spot in the College Football Playoff, was quarterback Jalen Milroe.
Milroe shared his thoughts on the McElroy & Cubelic In the Morning show, explaining why the Tide triumphed over the Bulldogs. “I’m big on body language and looking into an opponent’s eyes,” Milroe said. “They looked defeated and didn’t want anymore. Our team knew it was going to be a 60-minute game, and Georgia didn’t believe in that.”
First-year head coach Kalen DeBoer might wish his star quarterback had been more discreet, as Milroe’s comments provide motivation for their highly talented rivals. DeBoer wants his QB1 to be confident, even brash, but this is Georgia—Kirby Smart’s unanimous preseason No. 1 Georgia, seeking revenge. This is the same Georgia with a nearly 21 percent chance of winning the College Football Playoff, led by Heisman favorite Carson Beck, and boasting eight players projected to go in the first two rounds of the next NFL draft.
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Perhaps Milroe has insight under DeBoer, who greatly advanced Michael Penix Jr.’s career at Washington. Georgia faces a trip to Tuscaloosa on Sept. 28 for the much-anticipated rematch against the preseason No. 6 Tide, this time without Saban on the sidelines.
It will be interesting to see which team appears defeated that day. If it’s Milroe and Alabama, expect plenty of taunting from the Bulldogs and their fans.
