What if Alabama Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban Never Left the LSU Tigers?

Dec 30, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Mack Brown reacts during the post game press conference after a game against the Oregon Ducks at Alamo Dome. Oregon defeated Texas 30-7. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Mack Brown would have won another National Title, this time with Colt McCoy

In 2009, there were clearly three teams, Texas, Florida, and Alabama, that stood above everybody else. With Saban at LSU causing Petrino to be at Alabama, those still would have been the top three teams.

But this time, Florida would have won the SEC Championship over Alabama and gone to play for the national title. At that point, the game would have been totally different than the one that happened between Texas and Alabama. Colt McCoy would likely not have gotten hurt, and Brown would have humbled an extremely hyped up Florida team behind McCoy the way he humbled USC behind Vince Young in 2005.

Texas would definitely have won that national title, and we would be sitting here today elevating Brown to a higher status than he has already been elevated to. Winning two national championships would have put him in an extremely elite class of coaches.

The only reason this might not have happened is that it’s not like Florida did not have the team to beat Texas. It is just my opinion that the Longhorns were a bit better that year. It is also true that Petrino could have beaten Meyer in the SEC Championship, but it’s hard to believe he would have been able to recruit the same elite defensive players Saban was able to.

So taking those two things into account, the national title for the 2009-2010 season would have been undefeated Florida against undefeated Texas, and a healthy Colt McCoy would have led the Longhorns over Tim Tebow’s Gators.

And speaking of Urban Meyer and Florida…

Next: Urban Meyer Might have Stayed Another Year at Florida