Terry Foster: Jim Harbaugh Is In Nick Saban's Head
By Terry Foster
@TerryFoster971
Alabama coach Nick Saban pounded the podium and chopped the air while talking to reporters earlier this week. I could not hear what he was saying because the sound was turned down in the 97.1 The Ticket studios. But I knew one of two things happened. A poor reporter asked a question St. Nick did not like or he was talking about University of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.
It was of course Harbaugh and satellite camps, a topic that grows bigger because what was once an annoyance for college football is now an international movement. There are 39 camps and growing and the subject gets under the skin of many coaches.
It is a brilliant move by Harbaugh because he gets the Wolverine brand out there and potential recruits are watching his every move.
Saban couched things by not blaming Harbaugh but he did call for college football to hire a commissioner and he called these camps "The Wild, Wild West."
"I'm not blaming Jim Harbaugh," Saban said. "I'm just saying it's bad for college football. Jim Harbaugh can do whatever he wants to do, I'm not saying anything bad about him. If he thinks that's what's best. There needs to be somebody that looks out for what's best for the game, not what's best for the Big Ten or what's best for the SEC or not what's best for Jim Harbaugh, but what's best for the game of college football. The integrity of the game. The coaches, the players and the people that play it, that's bigger than all of this. Cause right now, since we have the Power 5, everybody's politicking for what they want, for their conference. That's why I said there needs to be a college football commissioner."
Saban might be right. There are a lot of things going on with college football that the conferences cannot straighten out on their own. The college commissioner or commission might be a good idea.
He also does not believe satellite camps help players. He believes the camps are set up to benefit Michigan and anybody else that participates.
"I don't know how much it benefits anybody," Saban said. "Because all the people that say this is creating opportunities for kids. This is all about recruiting.
That's what it's all about. What's amazing to me is somebody didn't stand up and say it, here are going to be the unintended consequences."
Saban pounded the podium and was clearly agitated about a subject he said he did not want to talk about and promised not to get upset about.
Harbaugh is not only in SEC territory but he is inside of Saban's head.
Harbaugh took aim on twitter just as he always does. He mentioned no names but he came out swinging anyway.
"Amazing to me – Alabama broke NCAA rules @now their HC is lecturing us on the possibility of rules being broken at camps. Truly amazing."
One of Saban's assistant coaches resigned for a recruiting violation.
Here is one more thing. When Saban and other schools are offering scholarships to 8th graders, does that not contribute to the "Wild, Wild West?"
There are a lot of shaky things going on in college football. I do not buy that Harbaugh simply wants to spread good will with his camps. It is about recruiting.
But is it the worst thing happening in the sport?
We will let the new commissioner figure that out.
(Foster can be reached at Terry.Foster@cbsradio.com)
