Nick Saban’s not exactly singing “Hail to the Victors” after Alabama’s tough 27-20 loss to Michigan at the Rose Bowl. It was a gut-wrenching finish, with the Wolverines snatching victory in overtime by shutting down Alabama’s Jalen Milroe on a crucial 4th down.
The aftermath was as emotional as you’d expect, with Alabama’s sideline painting a picture of heartbreak and frustration. Tears mingled with adrenaline as the reality sank in: the Crimson Tide’s season had met an abrupt end. And for Saban, the scenes that followed left a bitter taste in his mouth, both on the field and in the locker room.
While Saban insists the Rose Bowl loss wasn’t the sole reason for his retirement, he didn’t mince words about how the players’ conduct rubbed him the wrong way.
“I want to be clear that wasn’t the reason, but some of those events certainly contributed,” Saban told ESPN. “I was really disappointed in the way that the players acted after the game. You gotta win with class. You gotta lose with class. We had our opportunities to win the game and we didn’t do it, and then showing your ass and being frustrated and throwing helmets and doing that stuff … that’s not who we are and what we’ve promoted in our program.