Nick Saban’s Retirement Brings Back Memories of Nebraska Football’s Glory and Decline
Nick Saban’s stunning retirement from college football has sent shockwaves through the sport, but for longtime fans, it also stirs memories of another powerhouse program that once reigned supreme—Nebraska football. Saban, who built Alabama into a modern dynasty with six national championships, stepped away after 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa, leaving behind a legacy comparable only to a few, including Nebraska’s once-dominant run under Tom Osborne.
For Nebraska fans, Saban’s exit feels eerily familiar. It evokes the end of an era when Osborne retired in 1997, shortly after securing his third national title in four years. Much like Alabama under Saban, Nebraska was the standard by which excellence was measured in college football during the 1990s. Osborne’s Cornhuskers were fast, physical, disciplined, and dominant—just like Saban’s Crimson Tide teams decades later.
What followed Osborne’s retirement, however, serves as a cautionary tale. Nebraska, once a perennial national title contender, struggled to maintain its elite status. A carousel of coaches, identity crises, and conference realignment led to a gradual decline from relevance. The Cornhuskers have not won a conference title since 1999 and haven’t made a serious national title push in over two decades.
As Alabama faces life after Saban, comparisons to Nebraska are inevitable. Can the Crimson Tide avoid the same fate? Will a new head coach be able to preserve the culture of excellence and sustained success? For now, Alabama’s infrastructure, recruiting pipeline, and brand power remain strong—but so did Nebraska’s, once.
Saban’s retirement also highlights just how delicate dynasties can be. One man, one philosophy, and one era can carry a program for years, but sustaining success beyond that requires strategic leadership and stability—something Nebraska has found elusive since Osborne.
College football, too, has changed. The transfer portal, NIL deals, and conference realignment have reshaped the landscape. While Alabama is better equipped for this new era, the lesson from Nebraska is clear: past dominance does not guarantee future success.
For fans in Lincoln, watching Alabama navigate its post-Saban transition brings a mix of déjà vu and nostalgia. They remember when the Huskers were kings of college football—and how quickly that crown can slip.
As Alabama looks to its future, Nebraska stands as both a warning and a reminder: dynasties are hard to build, and even harder to sustain. Saban’s legacy is secure, but Alabama’s next chapter is unwritten. And history suggests it will be anything but easy.