Nick Saban Talks Harbaugh Family, Hiring George Helow, Sign Stealing

Michigan and Alabama are set to square off in just under two weeks and both head coaches are thinking about the other powerhouse program.

Jim Harbaugh and Nick Saban are two of college football's most polarizing figures but for pretty different reasons. Saban is the head coach when it comes to the playoff era and Harbaugh is quirky and different and often in the news, especially this season. Because of that, it's interesting when either coach speaks on the other. Yesterday, Saban spoke about several Michigan-centric topics ahead of this year's Rose Bowl. 

On hiring former Michigan linebackers coach George Helow...

"George has been here before. He was with us for a long time. Knows our system. I think every year that we've been in the playoffs we've tried to bring somebody in, primarily because we spent two weeks really on the road recruiting. So somebody to do a little extra work that has good experience. And when we get off the road, being able to give us a good scouting report of what we need to know. So that's the purpose, just to add sort of a special assistant to me, whatever you want to call it to when I come off the road be able to get me up to speed on what's happening. So that's the reason we've always done that."

On Michigan potentially stealing Alabama's signs...

"Not really. We always change things up a little bit. We're focused on what we have to do to try to get good execution and we're not really concerned about any of that stuff."

On the Harbaugh family...

"Tom Crean was an assistant basketball coach for Tom Izzo when I was back at Michigan State. He's a good man, good friend. It's a great family, the Harbaugh family. I knew the dad. He used to help me when I was a secondary coach. His brother John, great football people. I've got a lot of respect for the entire family and Tom Crean is part of that family."

On preparing for Michigan's offense, trick plays...

"I think they do a really good job on offense week-to-week and they've got a pretty good plan formationally in terms of their ability to go out and give you some different looks. It's a challenge for the players to have the discipline and the eye control to look at the right things so that when those kind of plays come up, you're in position to play them. I don't think that they do it any more than anybody else that we play. I just think it's a good part of your offense to be able to have those things that complement some of the things you do, down in and down out."