Bama Central

Rece Davis Details Nick Saban's Ability as an Analyst: Roll Call, October 17, 2024

Your daily briefing on what's going on with Alabama athletics, including full broadcast listings.

Hunter De Siver

Nick Saban, Ms. Terry on College GameDay
Nick Saban, Ms. Terry on College GameDay / Obtained from Alabama Athletics

For the past eight Saturday mornings, college football fans have tuned into ESPN's College Gameday to watch and listen to a group of panelists discuss the week's exciting slate of games while providing in-depth analysis.

The program, which first aired in 1987, has had a plethora of new faces serve as panelists over the years, and this season's newest addition has truly made a massive impression on the rest of the group and viewers of the show as well.

Legendary former Alabama head coach Nick Saban joined the show as a panelist shortly after his retirement on Jan. 10. The seven-time National Champion (six at Alabama) has had immediate success on the show for showing his personality and college football expertise.

"He's been phenomenal," College GameDay host Rece Davis said on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz on Tuesday. "The quickness with which he has adapted to television. He's one of the most gifted communicators I've ever been around. He can explain things and grab your attention in psychological football or he's telling you about his business ventures. He can communicate. Everybody knows this and it's why everyone in the world wants him to come and speak."

"But television and fitting into a group is a different dynamic," Davis said. "Usually for most people, I think it almost takes a full season. For him, he's adapted very quickly. He understands the team, he's a great advocate for the show, he comes up with ideas and he's not shy about expressing his opinion yet he is not overbearing. That guy listens to everybody and takes it into consideration. He's been great and I think probably how quickly he's been great has been the only thing that's surprised me."

Another reason for the show's success over the past of couple months has been the duo of Saban and fellow panelist Pat McAfee, whose extroverted persona has consistently brought out a side of the 72-year-old that people rarely saw in his 17 years with the Crimson Tide.

"The chemistry that he's had with Pat McAfee because the odd couple formula has worked on the silver screen, on Broadway, on television, always works," Davis said on The Next Round on Wednesday. "And those two guys like each other, and they have great chemistry."

Today's Crimson Tide Schedule:

  • Men's tennis: ITA Fall Regional Championships in Baton Rouge, La.

Crimson Tide Results:

  • Volleyball: Alabama 3, No. 25 Auburn 2

Did You Notice?

  • Preseason No. 24-ranked Alabama women's basketball participated in SEC Media Day on Wednesday. The team representatives were head coach Kristy Curry, Preseason All-SEC First Team guard Sarah Ashlee Barker and fellow senior guard Loyal McQueen. The media predicts the Crimson Tide to finish sixth in the SEC.
  • Alabama football head coach Kalen DeBoer was named to the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award watch list on Wednesday. DeBoer is one of 27 coaches on the watchlist, including six others from the SEC: Texas A&M's Mike Elko, Tennessee's Josh Heupel, LSU's Brian Kelly, Vanderbilt's Clark Lea, Texas' Steve Sarkisian and Georgia's Kirby Smart.
  • Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane shared a great story of how he met 2014 Heisman Trophy finalist Amari Cooper when the wide receiver was still with the Crimson Tide. Cooper, now a five-time Pro Bowler, was traded to the Buffalo on Tuesday.
  • In addition to the aforementioned Derrick Henry, Will Anderson Jr. and Brian Branch, who were each named AFC and NFC Players of the Week respectively, many other former Alabama standouts shined in Week 6 of the NFL regular season.

On This Day in Crimson Tide History:

October 17, 1985: John Parker Wilson was born in Montgomery, Ala.

October 17, 2009: During what some thought was his Heisman Trophy moment, Mark Ingram Jr. churned out a career-high 246 yards, many out of a wildcat formation on the decisive drive, and scored the game-clinching touchdown to lead No. 2 Alabama to a 20-6 home victory against No. 22 South Carolina. The Crimson Tide had four turnovers, but scored on a pick-six by Mark Barron.

October 17, 2015: Derrick Henry ran for a career-high 236 yards and two scores, and No. 10 Alabama had a school-record three touchdowns on interception returns for a 41-23 victory at No. 9 Texas A&M. Minkah Fitzpatrick opened and closed the scoring with returns of 33 and 55 yards, respectively, and Eddie Jackson had a 93-yard pick-six.

Crimson Tide Quote of the Day:

“Last year, I could just chuck it as far as I could and it was either out of bounds or no one caught it, and that was the checkdown. It’s real football now.”

- Mizzou QB Drew Lock after facing Alabama

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Hunter De Siver
HUNTER DE SIVER

Hunter De Siver is a graduate from the University of Alabama, earning a degree in sports media. During his time in Tuscaloosa, Hunter distributed articles covering Alabama football, basketball, and baseball for WVUA 23 TV and discussed these topics on Tide 100.9 FM. Hunter also generated articles highlighting Crimson Tide products in the NFL and NBA for BamaCentral. Since graduation, he's been contributing a plethora of NFL and NBA stories for FanNation and is a staff writer at MizzouCentral, Cowbell Corner and is back at BamaCentral.

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