Have elite wide receivers become the key to winning a national title?
To be so successful for so long in the volatile market that is college football, you must be willing to adapt. The sport has changed drastically over the years, especially in the last decade. Gone are the days of ‘three yards and a cloud of dust’ football, as passing offenses have become more prolific than ever. The old adage used to be that defense wins championships, but as Saban himself admitted back in October, that is simply no longer the case.
“It used to be that good defense beats good offense. Good defense doesn’t beat good offense anymore,” Saban said. “It’s just like last week. Georgia has as good a defense as we do an offense, and we scored 41 points on them [in a 41-24 Alabama win]. That’s not the way it used to be. It used to be if you had a good defense, other people weren’t going to score. You were always going to be in the game. I’m telling you. It ain’t that way anymore.”