It took nearly 15 years, but former pupils finally got one over on the master. Alabama's Nick Saban had never lost to a former assistant until Jimbo Fisher's Texas A&M squad did the deed with an early October upset; three months later, Saban lost to longtime protege Kirby Smart and Georgia in the national title game. Then Fisher outdid Saban in recruiting as well, which eventually led to the offseason's huffiest storyline.
Is this the long-awaited moment of Saban vulnerability? Probably not. Alabama heads into 2022 with questions, but they're mostly of the Alabama-style "Which of these eight blue-chip sophomores will step up?