Alabama is falling, and Auburn can't get up. Why Nick Saban is to blame.

Blame it on Nick Saban. All of it. The Third Saturday in October started to go wrong for this state's SEC institutions long before kickoff when Pat McAfee's suddenly fun uncle managed to insult both sides of the Iron Bowl rivalry.

Perhaps trying to outdo the rodeo clown next to him on College GameDay, Saban spouted the outrageous old-timers' myth that the Tennessee game means more to Alabama than the Auburn game.

"For our players, this was a bigger rivalry than any other game that we played," Saban said. "Even bigger than Auburn to our players. It was difficult for me to get our players up for the Auburn game. It was never difficult for the Tennessee game."

Yeah. Sure. That's why Saban went 16-1 against Tennessee as the Alabama coach and 12-5 against Auburn. Why Auburn ended Alabama's three-peat hopes in 2013 and its playoff chances in 2019. Why the GOAT was thisclose to getting embarrassed by Bryan Harsin in 2021 and Hugh Freeze in 2023.

Because his players cared more about smoking a postgame cigar than lighting up an in-state rival. Riiiiiight.

Unless you were there to watch Bear Bryant match wits with General Neyland, Saban's statement was a slap in the face to the greatest rivalry in the sport. The day went downhill from there, and what happened in Columbia and Knoxville had his fingerprints all over those debacles, too.

Let's be honest. If Saban hadn't inexplicably lost to Freeze and Ole Miss in 2014 and 2015, Freeze would not be the Auburn coach today. Those victories remain the highlights of an otherwise barren resume that included a losing record in SEC play when Freeze was hired on the Plains. ...

Read Kevin's entire column here.