Nick Saban's 'Most Complete' Team in College Football Could Upset Alabama Fans

Nick Saban has never been one to shy away from controversy. Whether on his days as a coach at LSU or Alabama or now in his capacity as a top ESPN broadcaster, Saban's shoot-from-the-hip style won him plenty of fans along his career path. That said, some of those fans may have been genuinely surprised by a take the legendary coach/broadcaster delivered on College GameDay.

Saban's Most Complete Team

Saban made multiple praising references to the Georgia Bulldogs, where his former prodigy Kirby Smart has the Bulldogs in the national title hunt. Early in a segment on which teams to buy or sell, Saban termed the Bulldogs "the most complete team in the country."

Lest anyone in Tuscaloosa think they just misheard the legendary coach, he circled back later in the segment. "Georgia is the most complete team that I've seen this entire season," said Saban. "Gunner Stockton is playing very well. They can run the football.... And they have one of the best defenses in the country."

Saban mentioned the well-regarded Smart in discussing the progress in his program. "Kirby told me at the beginning of the season, this is the first time in the last few years he's had enough depth on the team to practice the way he wants to practice," he said. "And I see that physical element of the way Georgia loves to play, showing up in the way they're playing this year so far."

Week Six Showdown Ahead

The Bulldogs have played the early portion of the 2026 season in a way that makes Saban's assessment-- while surprising-- hard to dispute. Now 5-0 off a 38-14 win over Vanderbilt, the Bulldogs haven't yet been challenged, although that figures to change in next week's game at 5-0 Alabama.

"Next week, we're going to find out who really are when they go down to Tuscaloosa," said fellow CGD analyst Kirk Herbstreit of Georgia.

Saban's Own Battles With Georgia

Saban was 8-2 against Georgia during his era at Alabama. That said, one of the losses, coming to Smart's Bulldogs in the 2021 CFP national title game, seemed to shift one of the major stories of Saban's career. Up to that point, none of the various Saban disciples had been able to beat the old master head-to-head. Smart's win seemed to signal a shift in that momentum, and after a 2023 SEC title game win over Georgia, Saban retired from his coaching career, perhaps content than the torch had been passed.

Whether Saban's support of his old assistant coach will trump support of his old school will certianly be a story to watch heading into Week 6.

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