It’s kind of hilarious that amidst all these rivalries between coaches, we now have stadiums getting into some fun fights. Mercedes Benz Stadium and Bryant-Denny Stadium have a long-standing history. With Mercedes being the home turf for the Bulldogs and Bryant-Denny the home turf for the Crimson Tide. The classic Nick Saban vs Kirby Smart angle. So it’s no surprise that when Alabama Football’s official page on X took to share their plans of honoring Nick Saban at Bryant-Denny, Mercedes Benz came around with a funny jab.

On July 19th, Alabama Football posted on X the following: “Join us as we honor legendary head coach Nick Saban with the dedication of Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 7!” The stadium has seen the Tides go for a solid 21-streak win and Saban was at a record 108-9 on his home turf. However, what makes this all funny is that on July 20th, Mercedes Benz Stadium shared the initial tweet with the following caption: “No, we will not be doing the same… Even though Coach Saban is 8-0 all-time at MBS.” 

Now, you might wonder why. Well, Saban has carried a record of 8-0 in Georgia’s home turf and no other team had managed to crush that record. However, one fun fact is that although Saban holds a record at Mercedes Benz, Kirby Smart actually managed to get some redemption for the Bulldogs.

The student who defeated the master

The 2023 SEC Championship game with the Bulldogs against the Tides was something historical. Smart led the Bulldogs to a 33–18 against the Crimson Tide, marking Georgia’s first-ever national win since the 1980s. Kirby Smart, who worked as an assistant coach for Saban has managed to shape up his team following Saban’s playbook. In a post-match interview, Saban was quite proud of what Smart has managed to achieve. “I’m proud of Kirby. I’m proud of the program he’s built. He has done an outstanding job,” he mentioned.

That is not all, now on SEC Media Days when Saban was asked which team he thinks will make it to the SEC championship he said, “I think Georgia’s got a really good team.” That they surely do, with Carson Beck leading the charge, a Heisman contender and potential top draft pick, and a solid defensive foundation, the Bulldogs will be a force to be reckoned with this season.